Bill Curry, College Football 20y

Football's fine as it is

"We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson thought those principles were appropriate to establish in a new nation's Declaration of Independence. Our founders continued the process by hammering out a constitution that is the model for democracy and governance by republic.

Because of those rights and the fierce protection thereof, we are the longest lasting republic in the history of mankind. But before you hit the delete button here, wait just a minute. Give me a chance to explain.

What we the fans do receive this year is the most interesting regular season in recent memory and a two-game series in the Rose and Sugar Bowls that is positively mesmerizing.

There are otherwise rational people these days running off at the mouth about how the fans have "a right" to something they glibly call a "Playoff System for Division I-A Football".

I have looked it up. There is nothing in the Declaration of Independence or the Bill of Rights about a right of the citizens to engage in, promote or watch something called a Division I-A Football Playoff.

You may complain, scream, criticize, write e-mails to Roy Cramer and post letters with the editors. But you may not assume you have the right to watch these worn out kids play several more games at the end of a 13 or 14-game game season.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops knows something about championship performance. Listen to his recent remarks on the subject. To paraphrase: "I have always been a playoff guy, but now I look at how battered and exhausted my players are at this stage of the season, and it makes me believe the present system is just about right."

I was part of the committee formed in 1995 to study a college football playoff. I listened as players, coaches, athletic directors, faculty, presidents and chancellors reviewed economic data, political reality and structural analysis. We argued about specifics, the kinds of things one might imagine. The mood in the room felt to me as if it were a good possibility we would approve a playoff system.

After a day and a half of wrangling, scholarly linebacker Derrick Brooks, then from Florida State and now of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, raised his hand. Derrick looked around the room and quietly asked, "Are you going to do anything for the players?"

The energy drained from the meeting, faces seemed to pale a bit and the rest of the discussion was a formality. No one had given the players a moment's thought. The idea of doing more for the student-athletes was more than the group could abide.

Political reality was, and still is, so complex as to stifle even the best intentions as they apply to benefiting football student-athletes. Notions of ending freshman eligibility, adding scholarships or paying a stipend to revenue-producing athletes are examples of good ideas that are simply impossible. The reasons for that are complicated and require a more comprehensive format than this column.

The playoff system was dead in the water then and will remain so for years to come.

What we the fans do receive this year is the most interesting regular season in recent memory and a two-game series in the Rose and Sugar Bowls that is positively mesmerizing.

Suppose we have a split national championship. It didn't seem so bad to Michigan and Nebraska in 1997, or Georgia Tech and Colorado in 1990. College football actually survived and we still seem to watch!

Rather than focus on what could and should be done let's focus on the subject at hand: perhaps the best two game set ever, the BCS National Championship Game and the AP National Championship game.

ESPN college football analyst Bill Curry coached for 17 years in the college ranks. His Game Plans for marquee matchups appear each week during the college football season.

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