I wish. Instead of a tight 16 team tournament where hopes and dreams are created and extinguished on the field, an oh-so unwieldy 35-bowl schedule is thrust upon us. Hey, I'm all for postseason participation... but a parade of 6-6 schools that got there thanks to a win over a I-AA school plus three "non-conference home buys" is not what one dreams about. A National Title game that's over a month away is not what you dream about.
So what's a dreamer to do? I give you a 16 team solution... instead of March Madness it's December Destiny. All eleven conferences get an automatic bid (if Coppin State can make the Big Dance, FIU deserves a chance to get blown out here). The field is padded with 5 at-large schools... so massive upsets as well as natural disasters will need to take place to keep your school out if they finish in the top ten. Regionalize the automatic bids so you limit travel for the smaller schools.
First round would be campus sites this upcoming Saturday; the quarterfinals would be played at neutral sites January 1st... the semifinals take place January 8th and the title game is Monday January 17th... one week after Oregon would play Auburn anyway.
East-- #3 TCU (MOUNTAIN WEST) vs #25 UConn(BIG EAST) #8 Arkansas vs #12 Virginia Tech (ACC). BEAMER BALL! Plus, a Big East preview two years in advance.
South-- #2 Auburn(SEC) vs #26 UCF (SUN BELT), #7 Michigan St. vs #10 Boise State. Spartans despite going 1-0 against OSU and Wisconsin get robbed by BCS-- not so here.
West-- #1 Oregon (PAC TEN) vs Sun Belt champ FIU, #6 Ohio State vs #13 Nevada(WAC). The Wolfpack get the WAC automatic bid because of their win over Boise State; the Broncos are one spot higher than LSU in the rankings so 11th rated LSU stays home-- a WAC windfall. Things are tough all over.
Midwest-- #4 Wisconsin vs #30 Miami (OH)(MAC) #5 Stanford vs #9 Oklahoma (Big XII). Call it the red regional.
Virginia Tech cemented its status as the ACC dynasty of the moment-- with a fourth league championship in seven seasons of membership... the Big East misses your excellence while your new conference co-members bristle under your benevolent occupation. The Hokies 44-33 victory over Florida State sends VT back to the Orange Bowl for a date with Stanford.
Hokie Highlights-- 13 of 18 on third down... and what a finish for Tyrod Taylor (18-28, 263 yards and three touchdowns passing with a touchdown run... a triple back attack that moved the ball well on the ground-- Evans, Williams and Wilson combining for 157 yards rushing...a defense that held FSU to 53 yards rushing and notched a pair of interceptions-- running one back for a score. Hokie Humblings-- a blocked extra point run back for two? Is that BEAMER BALL! ?
And once again the defense took a while to get in gear-- allowing 10 first quarter points.
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