PRESS PICKS (Week 11): PIcking a national champion 101 and why the world is so confused
STAFF REPORT
As we move into the playoff poll segment of the season, let’s clear up some flawed information.
Back in August a story on Yahoo Sports from Ross Dellenger suggested the talk of playoff football in the college game began in the 1970s. But in our best Paul Harvey voice, here is the rest of the story… the discussion started years before, the 60s to be exact….
1960 - In March, Northwestern AD Stu Holcomb suggested the NCAA have a tournament similar to the NCAA baseball and basketball playoffs. It was struck down almost immediately.
1966 - Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty proposed an elimination of bowl games for a playoff between six conference champions and two major independents. (SEC/Big 10/Big 8/Pac 10/ACC/SWC). Bud Wilkerson had suggested the same several years before….. The idea gained steam among college coaches in 1967 except for a few notable names such as Paul “Bear” Bryant and longtime USC coach John McKay, who didn’t come out against it but didn’t support it either.
1968 - The American Football Coaches Association was in favor of a “Super Bowl” for college football with a revenue number of $10 million being thrown around. In early January, a committee was formed to create a feasibility study. In May of the same year, the idea all but died due to “leading coaches” voting against it, according to the AP. Bryant was on record as saying a playoff would hurt the bowl system, which at the time was still not overwhelmingly a part of deciding national championships, but soon would be.
The fact is we’ve been beating this horse for more than 50 years. There is evidence that the NCAA, when officially formed in the early 1900s, its goal was to push a playoff for the fledgling sport to build interest.
As it turned out, it didn’t need it. The game became quite popular thanks to the Rose Bowl and eventually other bowl games, which basically took over any ideas of a playoff.
It is the reason why the NCAA has no official capacity in who wins the football national championship. They publish the polls and the other entities that announce national champions every year but they have no bearing on the winner.
Thus, the BCS and the current College Football Playoff were birthed by private subsidies. Along with television, the latest group will weasel out of the true nature of who gets in.
You can gather from this info that the bowl system was large and in charge back in the day and still holds sway over how football national champions are selected. Add the letters “E.S.P.N.” to the equation and the flow of money makes it all seem worthwhile to continue it this way.
Only time will tell if certain conferences will tell the others to “shove off” and make their own pact with the bowl boys.
2024 Standings (Last Week)
1. Michael Butler 121-44 (13-2) .733
2. Tim Gayle 118-47 (13-2) .715
3. Doug Amos 114-51 (12-3) .691
4. Rosie Langello 113-52 (10-5) .685
5. Graham Dunn 111-54 (12-3) .673
6. Wesley Lyle 110-55 (10-5) .667
7. Mike Peacock 104-61 (9-6) .630
8. Lindsey Bonner 93- 57 (11-4) .620
9. Barry McKnight 99-66 (7-8) .600
10. Rick Hendrick 98-67 (10-5) .594
Michael Butler (WTLS 106.9&94.7 FM/1300 AM/Tallassee Times)
121-44 (13-2) .733
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - McAdory
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - Glenwood
Alabama at LSU - LSU
Georgia at Ole Miss -Georgia
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - South Carolina
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - South Fla
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Colorado
Tim Gayle (River Region Sports/Montgomery Independent)
118-47 (13-2) .715
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - Wetumpka
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - ACA
Alabama at LSU - Alabama
Georgia at Ole Miss -Georgia
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - South Carolina
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - Utah
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Colorado
Doug Amos (ESPN The Ticket)
114-51 (12-3) .691
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - McAdory
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - Glenwood
Alabama at LSU - LSU
Georgia at Ole Miss -Ole Miss
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - South Carolina
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Colorado
Rosie Langello (Sports Director - WSFA Ch. 12)
113-52 (10-5) .685
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - Wetumpka
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - Glenwood
Alabama at LSU - Alabama
Georgia at Ole Miss -Georgia
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - South Carolina
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida -Navy
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Texas Tech
Graham Dunn (River Region Sports/WTLS/Voice of Alabama State Hornets)
111-54 (12-3) .673
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - McAdory
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - ACA
Alabama at LSU - Alabama
Georgia at Ole Miss -Ole Miss
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Colorado
Wesley Lyle (River Region Sports & al.com)
110-55 (10-5) .667
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - Wetumpka
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - Glenwood
Alabama at LSU - Alabama
Georgia at Ole Miss -Georgia
Oklahoma at Missouri - Oklahoma
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Texas Tech
Mike Peacock (River Region Sports)
104-61 (9-6) .630
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - Wetumpka
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - Glenwood
Alabama at LSU - Alabama
Georgia at Ole Miss -Georgia
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - South Carolina
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Colorado
Lindsey Bonner (Sports Director - WAKA Ch. 8)
93- 57 (11-4) .620
Charles Henderson at Pike Road - Pike Road
Wetumpka at Demoopolis - Demopolis
Alabama Christian at Maplesville - Maplesville
Holtville at Tallassee - Tallassee
Stanhope Elmore at Calera - Stanhope Elmore
Vanderbilt at Auburn - Vandy
Alabama St vs Alcorn St (Mobile) - Alabama St
Georgia vs. Florida (J’Ville) - Georgia
Ole Miss at Arkansas - Ole Miss
Texas A&M at South Carolina - Texas A&M
Kentucky at Tennessee - Tennessee
Ohio St at Penn St - Penn St
Wisconsin at Iowa - Iowa
Pitt at SMU - SMU
Oregon at Michigan - Oregon
Barry McKnight (Voice of Troy Trojans)
99-66 (7-8) .600
P. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - McAdory
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Randolph Co
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - Glenwood
Alabama at LSU - LSU
Georgia at Ole Miss -Ole Miss
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - South Carolina
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - BYU
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Texas Tech
Rick Hendrick (WXFS 95.1 The Fox/PA Montgomery Biscuits)
98-67 (10-5) .594
. Julian at Hueytown - Hueytown
Wetumpka at McAdory - Wetumpka
Bessemer City at Pike Road - Pike Road
Trinity at Randolph County - Trinity
Alabama Christian at Glenwood - ACA
Alabama at LSU - Alabama
Georgia at Ole Miss -Georgia
Oklahoma at Missouri - Missouri
South Carolina at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Miss St at Tennessee - Tennessee
Florida at Texas - Texas
Navy at South Florida - Navy
BYU at Utah - Utah
Clemson at Va Tech - Clemson
Colorado at Texas Tech - Colorado