KTUL.com - Tulsa's Channel 8 - News, Weather & SportsWho's No. 2? Who Cares? There Should Be A Playoff

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Oklahoma State is the latest team to be left on the outside looking in at the national championship thanks to a system that still doesn't work, no matter how many tweaks is made to it.

Analysts for ESPN continued to toe the party line Sunday night, touting Alabama's supposed strengths while at the same time telling us that Oklahoma State's resume wasn't just as good. Well, it's not just as good. It's better.

Conference champion? Oklahoma State yes, Alabama no.

Wins against current BCS Top 25 teams? Oklahoma State four. Alabama two.

Wins against current BCS Top 10 teams? Oklahoma State one. Alabama one.

Strength of schedule? Big 12 is tops. SEC is second.

Five of the six computer rankings had Oklahoma State ahead of the Crimson Tide. But, those six computers make up just one-third of the BCS formula.

Two thirds of the equation are still biased -- taking in the human element. The Harris Poll is comprised of former players, coaches, administrators, and current and former media members. How many of those former players, coaches, administrators and current and former media members have ESPN cut them a bi-weekly paycheck?

(On a side note, who keeps putting Texas in the Top 25?)

The coaches poll is made up of 59 head coaches that are members of the American Football Coaches Association. But, do the coaches actually make the vote or is it the school's Sports Information Director? Many coaches have admitted they've allowed the SID to fill out their poll.

It's also humans that are denying fans the one thing they want -- a playoff. They will tell you all the reasons why it can't be done, but none as to why it can.

Why is it that the education of student-athletes on Football Bowl Subdivision teams would be adversely impacted by a playoff, but it seems that their counterparts in the Football Championship Subdivision can somehow pull off a 20-team playoff? All most are asking for is eight teams for an FBS playoff. Are the powers that be saying the education of FCS student-athletes is less important?

(Another side note, don't bowl games played in early December adversely impact the education of student athletes?)

Some say a playoff would take away from the importance of regular season games. Really? Because how would one get into the playoff without winning those games?

Another is the attendance excuse, saying "people won't attend the games if they are given only a week's notice". That hasn't seemed to stop people from showing up for conference championship games, many of which aren't decided until the week before the game.

At last year's Big 12 title game, 78-thousand people seemed to find their way to Arlington with no issues, despite the fact that OU didn't clinch its spot until beating Oklahoma State a week earlier.

Enough with all the excuses.

How hard would it be to have an eight-team playoff with the first games being played around Christmastime, the semifinals on or around New Year's Day and the title game a week later? The student-athletes are already out for Christmas break, so no one is missing classes. The other bowl games can still happen, just as they are happening now. Everyone wins.

It's always easier to poo-poo a playoff and say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" than to get down to the business of actually fixing what IS broke and giving the public what it wants.

What the public does NOT want right now is to see a rematch of two teams who can't put the ball in the end zone.