In the wake of the Buckeyes’ 38-24 loss to LSU in the BCS title game, Ohio State president Gordon Gee felt the need to make it public knowledge that he’s not in favor in of a “plus-one” playoff format for college football.
Gee said he hasn’t had formal discussions on the matter with other Big Ten presidents and said he wasn’t familiar with all the nuances of a plus-one proposal. But at first glance, he said he would not be in favor of any model that jeopardizes the Big Ten-Pacific 10 tie-in to the Rose Bowl or could diminish “the existing bowl structure.”
“People might say the Big Ten, the Pacific 10 and the Rose Bowl are being greedy,” he said. “No, there would be more money to be made. But it’s not about money, it’s about preserving history.”
First and foremost, if Gee isn’t fully familiar with all the nuances of a plus-one proposal, then why is he shooting it down publicly? I realize he isn’t full rejecting the proposal, but do the research first before being opposed to an idea as big as a playoff format in college football
Secondly, preserving history is one thing, not making the sport better is another. Sports are about tradition and history, but more so it’s about fans and what we want. Most college football fans want a playoff system and if it means sacrificing the “tradition” of the Rose Bowl, than so be it. To most fans, the Rose Bowl doesn’t hold the same meaning as it used to anyway, and how could it with the games being as bad as they have the past two years? Plus, on a much smaller level, it’s a home game for the Pac-10 every year. So does it really mean that much to the Big Ten if college football scarifices that game for the sake of a playoff?
