I agree with everything except I would prefer a 16 team playoff similar to the one that collegefootballnews.com has suggested.
Having an old guy saying, "get off my lawn" is second only to Jason Mulgrew calling himself "Larry Awesome" in the Stuff That Really Isn't Funny On The Surface But Somehow Makes Me Laugh Out Loud Every Time I See It (STRIFOTSBSMMLOLETISI) Competition.
In a hypothetical exercise, I'm unclear why Mandel - for #8 (shorten games) - says commercial time can't be shortened.
To me that's far and away the biggest problem. TV doesn't play - how come they get to call timeouts?
The NCAA/conferences should minimize commerical time as part of negotiation. It would make for MUCH better -and shorter - games.
I like the eight team playoff. Actually, I miss the old system when there was no BCS (even though it screwed us).
Delaying the polls would only serve to improve the game. Too bad it won't happen. I'm not sure why, but I reckon it's hopeless.
Regarding commercials --> No commercials during OT (just like the NFL) would be enough to satisfy me. I remember the UM/ND game where we blew them out was already half-over by the time they started airing it in Chicago because the OSU/NC State game was in 3OT. But it was 65% commercials.
And I know you're largely Pistons fans, and McCallum's suggestions were largely dumb. But the NBA announcers are out of control - particularly Mason. I'd rather hear Anthony Mason do the game. He reminds me of the growling they put on the speakers at Penn State and Northwestern games (and even worse -- the movie clips at Purdue games). Fans should know when to cheer without direction.
Seriously, TV timeouts aren't a problem in college football.
I'm a media type. Trust me. There have been times in my experiences with the Badgers that they have passed up three or four golden chances to take TV timeouts in favor of actually getting the game re-started within ten minutes.
The "stop the clock after a first down and wait five minutes before you re-start it" thing is a much bigger problem, even if it isn't five minutes. These guys couldn't spot the ball and re-set the chains any slower if they were blind.
(They're not really blind, are they?)
1. Eight team playoff.
Amen, brother! Preach!
2. No I-AA games.
The sad thing is, the NCAA is going in the opposite direction by counting these games toward bowl eligibility. They only recently began doing this. I don't have nearly as big of a problem with a school scheduling a weak opponent as I do with the NCAA giving them credit for winning the game.
3. No more than one guarantee game per year.
I agree in principle, but there is no clear way to set guidelines here. For example, would Vanderbilt count against Michigan as an easy game? They're from a top conference, but probably won't be any better than a Miami (OH) or Toledo might be.
4. Drop the Sun Belt to I-AA.
There may as well be a three-tiered division I format, honestly. Half of 1A has little if any shot at ever playing for a national championship. Why pretend? Along with the Sun Belt, drop all of the non-BCS conferences (and non-ND independents) to 1AA. Then make all of 1AA into a new tier called 1AAA. Allow teams from A to play AA teams, and teams from AA to play AAA teams, but not teams from A to play AAA teams.
5. Tweak OT.
I do like the idea of moving the ball farther out. Another possible solution would be to forbid all field goal/PAT attempts, period. Touchdowns and conversions would be the only way to get points. This would end things much sooner in most cases.
6. Fix the fumble-out-of-endzone rule.
I'm not sure I'm feeling this one. If a team fumbles at the 1 yard line, I don't think you reward them by giving them another try from 1 yard out. Here's an idea: Keep the touchback, but allow the offense to retain. Drop the ball at the 1? That's fine. The ball still belongs to you - but you're twenty yards out. You know what, I just now thought of this idea, and I love it!
7. Add a flagrant pass interference foul.
This is something I've believed for a long time. There is a big difference between a little shoving or incidental contact compared to a beaten defender clocking a receiver 50 yards downfield. I don't like seeing a defensive team penalized 50 yards on a little bump, and I don't like seeing an offense get penalized by only picking up 15 yards after a receiver was tackled early 50 yards downfield. Also, if the flagrant PI penalty occurs in the end zone, it should be counted as a reception and an automatic TD. If the defense has been beaten that badly, they deserve to concede six points.
8. Implement NFL-style challenges.
I've felt this way since before college football even implemented an instant replay system. And I also agree that there's nothing more stomach-turning in college football than when a replay official incorrectly overturns a call that was obviously called correctly on the field of play. I think instant replay is great for the game, but when I see that kind of thing happen, I can completely understand why other people don't like it. Do it right, or why bother having the replay
at all?
9. Crack down on this facilities ridiculousness.
Again, I agree with you in principle. But how do you enforce this? The NCAA has enough trouble keeping boosters at bay and enforcing academic standards. *COUGH* Auburn *COUGH*
10. Assign Mark May and Lou Holtz to the WNBA.
Really? I was thinking Siberia.
Can someone explain the change of possession on the fumble out of the EZ? This has never made any sense to me. I suppose as soon as Peyton fumbles one the NFL will change the rule.
Instant replay is a nice idea. The reality hasn't live up to the idea in either the NFL or NCAA. Refs don't necessarily get the right call just a different call. Either the call hinges on some technicality that is only visible in ultra slow motion--like the Lions Tampa game from last season. How do you determine that guy was out before he 'caught' the ball when he caught the ball while sliding out? Or, the call hinges on some tortured viewing of the rule like the Polamalu over turn against the Colts. Troy caught the pass and dropped it as he was standing up but the ref interpreted the rule like a drunk lawyer. This is to say nothing of bizarre over turns like the Iowa Bass fumble where the refs sees things that didn't happen.
I'd rather just live in real time and accpet the consequence rather than sweat commercial breaks waiting for the hammer to fall.
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