The Jets in the AFC Championship: A Strike Against Playoffs in College Football

The New York Jets defeated the San Diego Chargers on Sunday to advance to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts next week. The most interesting part of the Jets run in the playoffs has been that it almost did not happen. Following a week 15 loss to the Falcons, the Jets were on the outside looking in. With games left against an undefeated Colts team and a division leading Bengals, the playoff chances for the Jets looked grim. In college football, two tough games left on the schedule would almost certainly mean losses for the Jets. But this is the NFL, and unlike college football, playoffs allow teams to rest players when their playoff seats are already decided.

Over the next two weeks, the Jets took advantage of both the Colts and Bengals taking it easy in preparation for the playoffs. They won both games and made the playoffs as the final team in. On Wild Card weekend, they had a rematch against the Bengals who had taken it easy on them the week before. The Jets won easily and after beating San Diego, will now get another shot at the Colts next week. Wouldn't it be funny if the team that the Colts and Bengals went easy on (allowing them to make the playoffs) ultimately knock both of them off?

Now the question ultimately arises, if there were playoffs in college football, would teams rest players late in the season much like the Colts and Saints did this year? If a team knew that they had a playoff game the next week, would they be willing to lose a season finale (most likely against a rival) to rest players?

I know the immediate reaction is to say no. Of course Georgia would not rest players against Georgia Tech. But take a minute and think about basketball. Georgia plays Georgia Tech every year and ultimately the game means very little to the season as whole. If Georgia had already clinched a spot in the SEC Championship and knew they would have a playoff game the week after, would they risk losing the Tech game to give their players a chance to get healthy before two games that really meant something?

I am personally torn on this subject. I would love to see a playoff but I also think it would take away from the regular season.

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

*Thanks go out to Evan and Earl for stirring up this conversation over email today.

BCS Doom and Gloomers Getting Ahead of Themselves

Before Texas Tech and Oklahoma even played, talking heads were already discussing the potential calamities that could result from the BCS if Oklahoma were to beat Texas Tech.

Since then, the world has fallen apart at the potential outcomes that can result from the thrashing of Texas Tech. Typical examples of pundits doomsday rants are:

Pundit #1: Oh my god,the humanity! What is going to happen!?! Should Texas be ahead!?! Should Oklahoma!?! My mind is going to explode! The world is ending! What do we do!?!

Pundit #2: Well this is just a complete and absolute disaster and an example of why the BCS is a terrible system. We need a playoff now so we can decide who should really play for the championship. Texas beat this Oklahoma team and should play, and we know this ridiculous system is going to have Oklahoma jump Texas after next week. It's a done deal and it's wrong.

What most of these talking heads skip over, in order to sensationalize the present just a little bit more, is that THE SEASON IS NOT OVER.

While on your way to blasting the BCS for being some evil creation of the Illuminati, you forget that THERE ARE STILL GAMES TO BE PLAYED.

What has irked me so much in the past is when people jump to conclusions with outstanding factors still left to be determined.

Every year it is doom and gloom, the BCS is wrong, and something must be done to fix it. Every year people jump the gun, and then teams lose games they shouldn't and most of the time the problems that were going to cause the apocalypse are fixed.

While everyone is claiming that either Oklahoma should be in the Big 12 Championship or that they shouldn't, the fact remains that they still have to play Oklahoma State. Texas still plays Texas A&M.

There's still two more weeks in the season, and a multitude of possibilities to take place. Think about the situation in college football last year with two weeks left in the season, and what the end result was. A bunch of teams lost to even lead us to the end of the season debate over who should be in the championship.

So, before we even get into a debate over who should be in the Big 12 Championship and whether the BCS is valid, let's wait to see if Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State. I mean, with everyone saying how Texas or Oklahoma should be in their conference championship, Oklahoma could lose and Texas Tech would end up in the game (as long as they win out).


Now, if things remain constant and Texas and Oklahoma do win out, I personally think Texas should be in the game.

I think it is completely valid to consider that Texas lost to Texas Tech while Oklahoma destroyed them. However, I don't consider this point to outweigh the head to head matchup that took place between Texas and Oklahoma.

The reason I feel the Texas Tech situation takes a back seat is because no one is even considering Texas Tech as an option if Texas and Oklahoma win out.

If Texas Tech is not going to be ranked as high as them and are not even being talked about as an option, then the head to head matchup between Texas and Oklahoma should matter a lot more than who beat or lost to Texas Tech.

If you want to include Texas Tech as an option, fine. But, if you're going to lead them out of consideration for the conference championship, I don't see how you rank Oklahoma above Texas with everything being constant.

The most important thing to remember is that none of it matters until the rest of the games are played.

Hold off on the doom and gloom for another week or two.

THIS IS JUST ONE REASON WHY A PLAYOFF WOULD BLOW

Texas Tech is on the verge of destiny. A school relegated to back seat of football in the State of Texas has one more large leap to make before they legitimize their run to the national title (with Baylor and the Big 12 Championship still left on their journey).

If Texas Tech wins this game, and then wins out, they've gone over the hurdles of a rigorous schedule that is probably only topped by a one or two SEC teams.

Not only would running the table this year be a landmark event for a program that managed to only win two SWC titles in 40 years, but it signifies that they are indeed one of the two teams that deserves to play for a national title.

T-Tech beating Oklahoma in Norman means they've completed a sweep of their major divisional foes, which is something that the traditional dominant teams in their conference couldn't accomplish this year.

Why would it then make sense to force this team to play even more games in a playoff, just to prove they're worthy?

Winning out with their schedule is enough of an accomplishment to have a shot at the title and a playoff only diminishes the potential achievement this team can gain tomorrow night.

This game, as well as their previous games against Texas and Oklahoma State, would have a diminished value if a playoff were in place. You could say T-Tech would benefit by still having shot if they lost this game and could still make a playoff.

While potentially true, that only gives evidence to my point that the importance of this game is diminished by a playoff. It also shows how pointless a playoff would be if T-Tech won. With a playoff, they would still have to prove themselves for several more games, despite winning against Oklahoma. With the current system, they can simply lock up their division and ensure they're shot by winning this game. The reason they can do that is because they've already proven themselves on the field in their previous games.

The game tomorrow night displays the essence of college football that so many seem to be forgetting (or just ignoring).

Good luck to the Yosemite Sams against the land thiefs.