BCS Death confirmed (I wish)

Less than an hour ago, Appalachian State, back to back division 1-AA National Champions, beat Michigain 34-32. This is a big deal in the world of college football, and despite the fact that I'm no big fan of Appalachian State, I was pretty damn excited to see this game go down the way it did. The main reason for this is the hatred, and many others hatred for the BCS playoff system, and what App's win means to that.

College Football as a sport, or at least 1-A college football, is based more so on the money that the big schools bring in, instead of soley on the play of the teams on the field. Small schools get crapped on regularly, simply because they don't have the drawing power/ratings power of schools such as Michigain, USC, Notre Dame, Texas, Florida and so on. Boise State even barely made a BCS bowl last year depite going undefeated, and arguably playing the most exciting Bowl game in years. Yet they still had no shot at the National Championship. Why? Because they were Boise State.

With App's win today, I feel that the proverbial nail in the BCS coffin might have been laid, or at least picked out at the hardware store. Appalachian State built there football program through their abilty to compete in a postseason playoff format. They started the season ranked No.1, and they played through the season, then the playoffs and proved that they were number 1. Why can't the big 1-A schools do that? Two reasons. One, the atheletic directors and the boosters at the large BCS schools make more money off of the current Bowl system, and these same people control it. Networks make more money off of the current bowls system as well, so they aren't going to encourage change. The NCAA closes there eyes to this, unless god forbid some of that money actually trickles down to the players.

The flwaed logic here is when you look at the College Basketball pllayoff system. March Madness brings in plenty of money for all schools and networks involved, and the 1-AA playoff system in football has been fair and effective for years. Upsets like what happened today wouldn't be such a shocker if the 1-A football powerhouse weren't so scared to face smaller unproven schools.

So what I hope happens in the wake of this game, is that more College footbal fans take a stand against the current system, because we are being robbed of some quality football. I'm tired of seeing the same bowl games every year, with the same teams, and the same played out boring commentary that surrounds them. It's not like it would be that much of a sacrifice for the big football schools. Most of the time the bg schools would win these games anyway, but simply assuming that will happen robs the fans of exciting football, and smaller schools the oportunity to show what they are worth.

What really will happen I'm afraid, is that people (and by people I mean ESPN, and the main players in sports media) will more than likely play up how bad Michigain is, how Lloyd Carr needs to be fired, and despite it being the biggest upset in College Football history, it will be said that Michigain lost this game more than App won it. Big schools aren't supposed to lose these games, especially endowement games (Michigain paid App to come and play them for the sole purpose of blowing them out, oh the irony).

Regardless of what happens, today's win for App was the biggest in the school's history, and they'll will surely enjoy it. I just hope this is game doesn't turn into simply a trivia question. I hope the induviduals that are in positions to make the necessary changes in College Football take notice.

A playoff is the only way.