Link: Coaches poll next to split from BCS?? - Page 4

NYBamaFan · January 9th, 2009, 08:04 PM

	Quote:	Tide1986
	A popularity contest? Since the current process includes computer polls, I'd say it has a dose of objectivity and is not totally a popularity contest. In addition (regarding the human polls), you might find that the subjective opinions of a pool of people might, as a collective, approach an objective result. Regarding the "total fraud" that has apparently existed over the years, I don't see anyone lobbying for Bama to renounce its 12 national championships because they weren't apparently won "on the [playoff] field" and are not legitimate as a result.

Renounce? No - but they are no more legit than any other...

crimsonaudio · January 9th, 2009, 08:38 PM

	Quote:	Tide1986
	A popularity contest? Since the current process includes computer polls, I'd say it has a dose of objectivity and is not totally a popularity contest. In addition (regarding the human polls), you might find that the subjective opinions of a pool of people might, as a collective, approach an objective result.

OU played in the B12 championship game and thus the MNC and Texas didn't. Still think it's not a popularity contest?

Tide1986 · January 9th, 2009, 09:47 PM

By the way CA, I never indicated that all human votes are devoid of "popularity" considerations. I simply indicated that the BCS rankings cannot totally be a popularity contest because the computer polls provide some measure of objectivity. But to pivot off your point, let's consider the selection process for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The at-large teams are selected by a human committee of 10 athletic directors and conference commissioners. Surely, you'd agree that favoritism, coalition-building, vote-swapping and other forms of human bias impact who's selected and who's not. Let's get real and realize that every human selection process will be some form of popularity contest, playoff or no playoff.

Tider n LA · January 9th, 2009, 10:29 PM

	Quote:	Tide1986
	By the way CA, I never indicated that all human votes are devoid of "popularity" considerations. I simply indicated that the BCS rankings cannot totally be a popularity contest because the computer polls provide some measure of objectivity. But to pivot off your point, let's consider the selection process for the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The at-large teams are selected by a human committee of 10 athletic directors and conference commissioners. Surely, you'd agree that favoritism, coalition-building, vote-swapping and other forms of human bias impact who's selected and who's not. Let's get real and realize that every human selection process will be some form of popularity contest, playoff or no playoff.

That is a great point about the AD's and Commissioners but the ncaa basketball tournament is the greatest playoff of them all IMO. The NFL playoff system seems to work well. You win your division and your in. The two wild card teams in each conference have the next best records and they are in. The best part about it is there is no POLL or COMPUTER rankings so you take the bias out of it. I know there are a lot more college teams than pro but come on , they could come up with something that is better than what we have. Everybody knows Texas got screwed with the current system.

Tide1986 · January 10th, 2009, 09:41 AM

I too agree that the NCAA Basketball Tournament is the greatest playoff of them all, and that's why I referenced it. Even in the greatest playoff, the selection process is influenced by some form of popularity or politics (e.g. reference the year when a Top 25 team was omitted from the field of 64/65). Of course, regardless of these flaws and controversies, this playoff is the greatest because of the number of teams involved. With 64/65 teams selected, there is virtually no doubt that the best team in the land is somewhere in the field. With football, that level of certainty is not achieveable in my opinion. As only one example, consider what seems to be the two most popular playoff formats: a 4-team playoff and an 8-team playoff. With either of these two formats, we can't even support having all FBS conference champions having a seat at the table, not to mention the absence of at-large selections as a result.