College football’s playoffs and bowl games are in a strange place as the season winds down. Some are ready to make a case for a two-loss team getting into the College Football Playoff, but for the first time, teams with losing records will be headed to bowl games.
On Sunday, we will know the four teams qualifying for the College Football Playoff. We already know that No. 3 Oklahoma is in because they have won the Big 12 championship and their schedule is complete.
The rest of the field is far less from certain, but two games can either control the process or create chaos. If No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama defeat No. 10 North Carolina and No. 18 Florida, respectively, the field is basically set.
No. 4 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State meet in the Big 10 Championship Game, which also serves a play-in game for the post season. If either Clemson or Alabama lose, beats North Carolina must get by No. 10 North Carolina to earn their way into the playoffs. No. 4 Iowa and No. 5 Michigan State meet in a play-in game for the Big 10 Championship on Saturday night.
If North Carolina upsets Clemson, the Tar Heels would be a major conference champion with a 12-1 record and an 11-game winning streak. They would argue strongly they deserve to be in the final four.
No. 6 Ohio State, ranked at the top for most of the year, would say they would not deserve to be jumped by a victorious North Carolina, or by No. 7 Stanford (10-2). USC and Stanford play for the Pac -12 title on Saturday.
With the focus on the top four teams, 76 others will see post season action this year. This year there are 40 bowls plus the national championship game.
That means 80 teams are needed to fill them. The problem comes when only 75 of the bowl eligible teams have 6 wins.
Two more may qualify on Saturday, but college football is faced with the sad situation that losing teams are headed for bowls this year.
This is a joke and provides the perfect timing to offer another.
What do the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Minnesota Golden Gophers and a 16-ounce T-bone steak have in common?
None of them belong in a bowl.
After the playoff pairings are announced, the bowl matchups will be known not long after. When 5-7 teams start going to bowls, it becomes clear that too many bowls exist.
They are good for local chambers of commerce and state economies. Nine of the 39 bowls are played in Florida, including the St. Petersburg Bowl. Orlando hosts three bowls.
It is also good for ESPN programming, but this is a sad state of affairs. This will be the subject of much discussion after the season.
Will some of the marginal bowls fade away, or will more schools schedule more cupcakes as a way to ensure at least a 6-6 record?
Whatever steps are taken, this cannot happen again.
