THE "PLUS-ONE" PHENOMENON - WHEN WILL COLLEGE FOOTBALL IMPLEMENT A PLUS-ONE SCENARIO?

By Scott Daniels, Esq., NFL Draft Bible

Every year around this time, college football enthusiasts unite to discuss why the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) is arguably the most flawed system since Major League Baseball's Drug Testing Policy. The BCS formula was instituted in 1998 and was supposed to dispose of all controversy surrounding an undisputed national champion in college football. Unfortunately, it has generated a swell of criticism and each year numerous teams voice their disgust over the BCS ranking system.

The BCS uses three components in figuring a team's ranking: (1) the USA Today Coaches Poll; (2) the Harris Interactive College Football Poll; and (3) an average of six computer rankings (Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsly, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin and Peter Wolfe) - a list virtually unknown to the average college football fan.

The problem that continues to arise at the end of each season is that there are usually more than two teams that feel they deserve a shot at the National Championship. College football has been unable to truly solve this problem and the debate over whether or not a playoff system should be implemented pops up every year.

Regardless of whether or not a playoff scenario is the answer, there is a misconception that colleges and universities have too much money to lose if a playoff system replaces the current 100 year old bowl system. This is completely inaccurate.

College football would only increase revenue with a potential playoff system. In fact, following the 2004 regular season, undefeated Auburn was left out of the National Championship and the BCS was heavily criticized. Bodog.com, a sports gambling website, offered 50 million dollars to sponsor a "real" National Championship game. This offer was rejected but left many corporate giants seeing dollar signs.

First of all, a playoff system comparable to college basketball will never happen. The so-called sixteen-team-playoff scenario is unrealistic and regular season games would lose importance. College football has the most exciting regular season in sports because every game matters. A sixteen-team-playoff would diminish the regular season because teams will still have a shot at the national title with sub par seasons.

The "Plus-One" scenario is much more likely to occur. Under this system, two of the four major bowl games (Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta) would operate as semi-final games where the two winners would move on to face each other in a National Championship. But before it does, there are few legal barriers preventing this type of playoff from happening.

The BCS is not an individual entity. It's a combination of the four major bowls plus the recently added fifth bowl game, also known as the National Championship, which is played at the same site as one of four major bowl games (It rotates every year). There are several contracts in play at the current moment that essentially dictate who plays in the major bowl games. Most notably, the Rose Bowl's 300 million dollar contract with ABC, serves as the biggest hurdle in moving towards a "Plus-One" scenario.

The Rose Bowl's contract with ABC runs through 2014 and allows the Rose Bowl to retain their longstanding Big Ten Pac Ten matchup. Significantly, the Rose Bowl will host the National Championship in 2010. Therefore, the Rose Bowl committee has no interest in having a potential playoff - or "Plus-One" scenario - until after the 2010 National Championship. Additionally, the Rose Bowl would have to ease off it's preference to continuously invite only Big Ten and Pac Ten teams.

The BCS also has an exclusive four-year deal with Fox Sports. Under this contract, Fox retains all broadcasting rights to the four major bowl games through 2010 and the National Championship game through 2009.

As a result of these contracts, the BCS is in no position to change their current format. They would have to break their contracts with ABC and FOX or, at the least, restructure them in a way so that the National Championship game would be played by the two teams who were victorious in the previous semi-final game the week before.

What sounds like an extremely complicated mess, a "Plus-One" scenario would leave less controversy over who the number one team is. With over 100 Division 1-A teams in college football, a perfect system is virtually impossible. However, a team outside of the top four will have little or no argument for a chance at the title.

We've seen just about everything this season in college football and the battle to play in this year's National Championship is far from over. Following Ohio State's collapse last week, there are several teams that have a real shot at glory. Unfortunately, only two teams - as opposed to four in a "Plus-One" scenario - will get that shot.

In the end, breaking a legal binding contract of this nature would cost millions. A "Plus-One" scenario, while likely to happen at some point, cannot occur before 2010 - and may not happen until a few years after that. Until then, college football teams are at the hands of formula that may or may not be fair, but certainly not perfect.