All we want for Christmas is a four-team college playoff
It's a matchup we'll never see, but we can wonder how Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck would fare if he got the chance to stare down the evil defensive mastermind, Alabama coach Nick Saban. On second thought, forget about it.
In this case, if you can dream it, you can't achieve it. The Bowl Championship Scam crushes all college football dreams.
Not to waste time and space preaching the tired theme about the need for a playoff system, but a four-team playoff system is all that's needed. Don't even bother proposing a format that includes eight or 16 teams, because both scenarios are impossible and unnecessary.
Imagine this season's Final Four: No. 1 Louisiana State meets No. 4 Stanford in one semifinal, with No. 2 Alabama playing No. 3 Oklahoma State in the other.
"It would make a lot of people happy," said Mike Colbert, M Resort sports book director for Cantor Gaming. "But you would still have some people complaining."
My complaint is Saban and the Crimson Tide are getting rewarded for losing the so-called biggest game of the regular season and scheduling three cupcakes and a phony (Georgia Southern, Kent State, North Texas and Penn State) in the nonconference.
Alabama-LSU for the BCS national championship on Jan. 9 in New Orleans is a rotten conclusion to the season for all sorts of reasons.
According to the oddsmakers, however, it's the pairing of the two strongest teams. Colbert said Alabama would be around a 6-point favorite over Oklahoma State and a 10-point favorite over Stanford.
"If they played, Alabama is obviously the better team, but Oklahoma State could win the game," Colbert said. "That's why sports is so great. The best team doesn't always win."
A four-team playoff, what is known as the plus-one model, is "inevitable," according to Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby. Others are not so optimistic.
Thirty-two of the 35 bowl games will be televised by ESPN, with one each on ABC, CBS and Fox. It's a monopoly game that is all about controlling the cash flow. The BCS is a farce, and "the fan discontent concerns us a bit," said ESPN executive vice president John Skipper.
The BCS is "Gilligan's Island" without Ginger and Mary Ann and with too many Skippers.
Still, I always look forward to the bowl season because it's full of betting opportunities. Coaching changes and player suspensions make some games tricky to handicap, but I typically fare well in the bowls, so here goes.
At 35-35-2 for the season, I plan to quit flipping coins and start hitting more winners. Here are seven early plays:
■ Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 27, Western Michigan (+2½) over Purdue -- Broncos quarterback Alex Carder is fit after suffering a mild shoulder separation last month. Carder's top target is Jordan White, who leads the nation with 127 receptions. The Boilermakers won only one road game.
■ Insight Bowl, Dec. 30, Iowa (+14½) over Oklahoma -- Bet against double-digit favorites lacking motivation, and the Sooners fit the description. Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz will have his team prepared.
■ Texas Bowl, Dec. 31, Northwestern (+10) over Texas A&M -- The Aggies were a disaster down the stretch. Pat Fitzgerald has a big coaching advantage, and his Wildcats have the better offense.
■ Rose Bowl, Jan. 2, Wisconsin (+6½) over Oregon -- Russell Wilson passed for 31 touchdowns with three interceptions to lead the Badgers to the Big Ten title. He has a great running back in Montee Ball. I'll ride that combo against a suspect Ducks defense.
■ Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 2, Stanford (+3½) over Oklahoma State -- The Cowboys are bitterly disappointed not to be in the BCS title game, and star wideout Justin Blackmon has one foot out the door on the way to the NFL. Luck should light up the Oklahoma State defense.
■ Sugar Bowl, Jan. 3, Michigan (-2) over Virginia Tech -- Denard Robinson and the Wolverines are similar offensively to Clemson, which swept the Hokies by scores of 23-3 and 38-10.
■ Cotton Bowl, Jan. 6, Kansas State (+8) over Arkansas -- Wildcats coach Bill Snyder will be tough to beat with a month to prepare, and his quarterback, Collin Klein, is tough as nails.
As for the BCS finale, LSU is a 1-point favorite at most books.
"I don't think you're going to see too much movement in that number," Colbert said. "We thought Alabama should be a slight favorite of 2 to 2½. I think it will be another low-scoring game. If you give Saban over 30 days to prepare I think Alabama is the right side."
But even if Saban wins, the fans lose because the system is wrong.
Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts the "Las Vegas Sportsline" weeknights at midnight on KDWN-AM (720) and thelasvegassportsline.com.
