There was a mini-controversy because Roy Williams exited the building with most of his staff and the entire team except for five walk-on/end-of-bench guys with 14 seconds left in the game.

But, I don’t want to talk about that.  It’s not really a big deal, and at this point no one should be surprised that Roy Williams did something a little  – well – prickly.

A little over a week ago, the N&O’s Andrew Carter wrote about a copy of a scouting report of UNC that was left behind by one of their December opponents.  At the time, it was just sort of a funny story to pass the minutes until conference play started.  Filler, of sorts.

But, in light of the FSU game,  I thought it might be interesting to take another look at the scouting report.

Kendall Marshall:  6 points, 4 assists, 7 turnovers

“Very crafty. Pushes the ball with the pass. Doesn’t like pressure. Must have active hands to affect vision.”

FSU played off of Marshall, basically daring him to shoot the ball.  He didn’t make the shots, and the soft defense on the perimeter affected his passing lanes and penetration.

John Henson:  10 points, 3 rebounds, and he received a technical foul

“Long and very active. Wants to spin off of you in post. Hates it physical. Hates pressure on perimeter. Physical block outs.”

FSU’s big guys played very physical, and based on Henson’s performance I don’t think it’s a stretch to say he hated it.

Harrison Barnes:  15 points (5-13 shooting), 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers

“Very efficient on offense. Good 3pt shooter. On dribble pull up. Make him uncomfortable.”

As a result, Tom O’Brien has taken a spot on the Hot Seat.

• Also on the Hot Seat front, N.C. State’s loss to lowly BC cranked up even more heat on Tom O’Brien. The Pack is now 5-5 (but two of those wins came against FCS teams) so they probably need to beat both Clemson and Maryland to give the coach a hope to get another season.

Now, I’m not a “Fire the Coach” guy.  There is a lengthy explanation of why Sidney Lowe was perfect for NCSU, written a couple of years ago, floating around somewhere on this blog to prove that fact.

However, with the Wolfpack at 5-5, there is a growing list of factors that could ultimately mean the end of the Tom O’Brien era at NC State.

Russell Wilson

The former NC State quarterback is currently playing his senior season at Wisconsin, in the national spotlight.  While I agreed (and still do) with TOB’s actions during Wilson’s decision-making process, the simple fact is that it hurts his case to be sitting at 5-5 with his ex-QB at another school sitting at 8-2.  When you make bold moves, you have to perform.  So far, TOB’s team has let him down.  The fact that Wilson wouldn’t likely have made much of difference at NCSU this season doesn’t change perception.

The Beach House

It’s no secret that Tom O’Brien planned to coach at NCSU for a certain number of years and then retire to his beach house in South Carolina.  At various times he has talked about that very fact.  Debbie Yow, the NCSU Athletic Director, probably knows how long TOB plans to coach.  That timetable could impact the decision on his job status.  If NCSU ends up 6-6 or 5-7, do you bring TOB back for a rebuilding year if you know that he’s only planning to coach another 1-3 years?  Is it a better choice to just go ahead and start over with a new staff?

Debbie Yow

Athletic Directors at major universities like to have “their people” in place to coach revenue sports.  Tom O’Brien was hired by Lee Fowler, which likely shortens the amount of loyalty Debbie Yow feels to keep him.  She isn’t bound by the hope that his hiring works out to make her look good.  That’s another strike against Tom O’Brien.  A big strike.

Mark Gottfried

This is why this post is called the perfect storm.  First-year coach Mark Gottfried has come out of the gates with a team on fire.  Playing without CJ Leslie, the team has beaten UNC-Asheville and Morehead State, two NCAA teams from a year ago.  They are moving the ball on offense, playing aggressive defense, rebounding well….all the things that Sidney Lowe’s Wolfpack teams struggled to do…despite the fact that the roster is mostly comprised of the same players.

Gottfried earned a lot of goodwill from ‘Pack fans during the summer, by saying the right things and having some success on the recruiting trail.  But now, he’s doing it on the court.  No one thinks they will go undefeated, but there is a noticeable difference in the attitude of the people in the program and in the fanbase when it comes to NCSU basketball.

All of that positive energy will do two things: 1) Give the fanbase confidence in Yow’s ability to find a football coach who can have a similar effect; and 2) Give Yow a look at what State fans can look like in support of a program.

Add it all up, and it could be the perfect storm that washes Tom O’Brien into retirement, and North Carolina State football into a new era.

We’ll likely know in a couple of weeks.  Stay tuned.

Former PSU coach Joe Paterno

What in the world is going on in State College, Pennsylvania?

It’s a rhetorical question.  You know what has happened.  It seems like a bad movie, but it’s real life.

Young boys being fondled, molested…..assaulted……by Jerry Sandusky, a long-time Penn State assistant coach who was also the founder of a charity that purported to help young boys escape bad situations.  Eyewitnesses afraid to call the police.  People in positions of power protecting the pedophile in order to protect an image, instead of protecting children.

In the aftermath, students protesting the firing of a legendary football coach. 

Jerry Sandusky

The long-time Penn State assistant suddenly resigned in 1999 at the age of 55.  Rather quietly, he had been accused of child sexual assault in 1998, and the “retirement” was very likely a coverup to get him out of the public eye.  He was rumored to be a potential successor of Joe Paterno as head coach, and in football coaching circles he was very young.  He continued to have access to Penn State facilities.  Several government agencies (including child services and campus police) had taken Sandusky at his word that he “would never do it again” when he admitted to showering with young boys in the 1998 incident.

How convenient.

Mike McQueary

He was a star quarterback for Penn State in the mid-90s.  He returned to campus as a graduate assistant in 2000.  Today, he is the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.  But, in 2002, he was a witness.  According to the grand jury summary in the case of Jerry Sandusky, McQueary testified that he saw Sandusky sexually assault an approximately 10 year old boy in the showers of Penn State’s football complex.

What did he do?  He left and told his dad.  Then, he and his dad went to Joe Paterno’s house and told him.  What happened next is unclear, but apparently amounts to nothing.  Sandusky wasn’t arrested.  Sandusky was still involved with young boys through his charity work.

How do you walk away from that scene?  How in the world do you just walk away from that boy??  I can’t imagine a scenario where anyone with a conscience just walks away.  How do you stay quiet when nothing happens?  How do you keep working at Penn State when no one does anything?

From 2000-2002, McQueary was a graduate assistant, according to his PSU profile.  In 2003, he was an administrative assistant.  While not listed, I suppose it is safe to assume that he has been the WR coach/recruiting coordinator since then.  I wish that I could keep the skeptic in me from thinking that he may have been rewarded for his silence, but I can’t.  Not now.

Joe Paterno

“I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today. “

That’s from a statement released by Joe Paterno on Wednesday, prior to his firing.  In that little excerpt, he mentions that he served the best interests of the university.  He also mentions that he wants to protect his players.  He mentions both of those goals another time or two in his statement, which is only 4 or 5 paragraphs total.  He has one sentence expressing any concern for the children who had their lives ruined by Jerry Sandusky.

Lives that, in at least some cases, could have been saved by Joe Paterno.  There is no way that Paterno didn’t know about the 1998 incident.  There is no way he didn’t know the details surrounding Sandusky’s abrupt retirement in 1999.  There is very obviously no way that he didn’t know that whatever “gentleman’s agreement” Sandusky entered into in 1999 was a failure in 2002.  Yet, he still did nothing.  He didn’t tell his friend of 3+ decades to seek help.  He didn’t alert authorities.  He did nothing.  Yeah…I know…he “told his superiors”.  He was freakin’ Joe Paterno.  He did not have any superiors in State College, PA.  Nothing concerning his football program happened without his knowledge and approval.

He deserved to be fired.  He may deserve jail time.

Penn State Students

THINK PEOPLE.  READ THE GRAND JURY PRESENTMENT.  There are times when college students should protest.  There aren’t really times that it’s OK to flip TV trucks, but there are times when it’s OK to protest.  This is NOT EVEN CLOSE to being one of those times.

I don’t care about the 44 years as head coach.  I don’t care about the records.  I don’t care about the national championships.  I don’t care how much money he raised for the school.  I don’t care about anything he’s done.

What happened behind the scenes CAN NOT HAPPEN.  I don’t care who you are or who your friends are, there are some acts you can’t hide.  There are some people you can’t protect.  There are some things that are bigger than you or the organization that you represent.

This was one of those situations.  To say “he failed” is a gross understatement of his inaction.  Inaction may not even be the right word.  I’m not sure there’s a way to know, but it seems very possible that Paterno may have taken actions to hide the crimes and protect the criminal.

It is beyond sad when the best-case scenario is that a grown man, legendary coach, and alleged “bastion of integrity” did the bare minimum when informed of child sex abuse going on in his building.

Given what we know now, I hate to even consider the worst-case scenario.  So I won’t.

There are people all over the internet who claim that McAdoo is being forced to pay too heavy a price for his transgressions.  Of course, there are all sorts of crazy people on the internet.  That’s why people tell you to keep your kids away from the computer.

UNC fans are convinced that the entire NCAA “review” is a witch hunt, and that a rogue coach and rogue tutor tried to sabotage the program.  Anyone who disagrees is either “in on it”, an ABC-er, or usually both.

In McAdoo’s case, they say that the FSU academic scandal shows that the NCAA was too harsh with their punishment for McAdoo.  If I remember correctly, the FSU case was largely about a lot of kids cheating on one online exam.  That seems a lot different than McAdoo’s case.

The NCAA’s lawyer at today’s hearing read from a transcript of McAdoo’s interview in which the player himself talked about repeated instances where Jennifer Wiley would basically write portions of his papers.  McAdoo also, according to the transcript, sought the help of Wiley after she was no longer his assigned tutor for that very reason…..she would do the work, whether in whole or in part.

The guidelines for what is and isn’t permissible according to the NCAA are very strict and very clear.  Wiley’s assistance for McAdoo, by McAdoo’s own admission, went beyond those boundaries.

Today’s court hearing was a colossal waste of time for everyone involved, and the attorney representing McAdoo should be embarrassed.

As you can imagine, it has brought people out of the woodwork to worship at the Jordan altar.  “LeBron doesn’t have any rings.”  “LeBron left Cleveland for Miami instead of ‘doing it himself’.”  The list of reasons that LeBron can’t ever be greater than Jordan seems to be ever-expanding.

I have always thought that too much was made of Jordan’s rings.  Of course, winning six NBA championships is impressive.  But, has anyone ever checked for extenuating circumstances that “helped” Jordan’s Bulls win those six titles?  I think they are there.  I think it’s important to talk about those circumstances if LeBron is going to be criticized for leaving Cleveland.

Magic Johnson’s HIV

Jordan’s first championship came at the expense of Magic’s Lakers.  Before the next season, Magic was diagnosed with HIV and his career was basically over.  The Lakers had reached the Finals in 1990-91 with 2nd year player Vlade Divac and rookie Elden Campbell at center, replacing the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who had retired a year earlier.  If Magic had stayed healthy, as those two gained experience the Lakers would have continued to put up a fight for the title.  Without Magic, Jordan would never again face a Laker team in the Finals.  It’s not Michael’s fault, but Magic’s infection was certainly a help.

Celtic Bad Luck

Larry Bird’s back injury.  Len Bias’ post-draft death.  Reggie Lewis’ death.  The Celtics had more than their share of problems.  Once again, through no fault of his own, Jordan benefited from other team’s misfortune.

Jordan’s Bulls didn’t really have to face great teams.  It was much, much harder to win a championship in the 80′s than it was to win one in the 90′s.

Expansion

In 1988, the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets joined the NBA.  In 1989, the league welcomed the Orlando Magic and the Minnesota Timberwolves.  The Jordan-led Bulls won their first championship during the 1990-91 NBA season.  Did expansion “help” the Bulls by weakening the league?  It didn’t hurt, that’s for sure.  Jerry Krause, the general manager of the Bulls, deserves a lot of credit for making good draft picks, and also for making trades to acquire picks.  He did a wonderful job of building Jordan’s Bulls teams.

But, at the same time that Krause is given credit, it’s worth noting that the smaller NBA while the Bulls were being built was much different than the NBA that LeBron struggled with in Cleveland.

In Jordan’s first three years, the Bulls made the first round of the playoffs and were beaten.  In 1985, they picked 11th.  In 1986, 9th.  In 1987, the Bulls were 40-42, but still ended up with the 10th pick (they also had the 8th pick through a trade).  That 10th pick would end up being Horace Grant, one of the mainstays of their first three championships.

Compare that with LeBron’s Cavaliers.  Based on their draft history (no picks in 2005 or 2007, their front office didn’t do a great job of managing their roster.  After LeBron’s first two seasons, the Cavs made the playoffs every year while LBJ was in town.  In today’s NBA, making the playoffs means low draft picks.  In Jordan’s day, you could sneak into the playoffs and still get good picks.

LeBron was the first pick of the 2003 draft.  In 2004, the Cavs’ only pick was Luke Jackson (10th overall).  He’s playing overseas now.  That offseason, Carlos Boozer was allowed to leave after just two years in Cleveland.  No picks in 2005.  In 2006, the Cavs added 3 picks, but the highest was Shannon Brown at 25.  No picks in 2007.  In 2008, the Cavs added JJ Hickson with the 19th pick.  Hickson was the first high-quality pick that actually showed significant signs of promise while James was in Cleveland.  Daniel Gibson, a 2nd rounder in 2006, played a large role for the team, but he was never a threat to be a top NBA PG.

There was  a huge learning curve in Chicago.  It wasn’t easy for guys to play with Michael Jordan.  For several years, the Bulls were just a team with a high-scoring guard that wasn’t a threat to win anything significant.  As better players were acquired, the team became much better.  If LeBron had been drafted by the Bulls in 1984, they would likely have been better faster.  LeBron was a much better all-around player early in his career than Jordan was during his early days.  Any honest assessment of both guys’ first years in the league would show that to be true.

The debate will rage for years.  LeBron could easily end up with multiple championships.  If he does, then what?

Simply put, I disagree.

The quick story:  Russell Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks to play for NCSU…ever.  His statistics make that statement 100% fact.  Wilson was a 4th round draft pick in last year’s Major League Baseball draft, and isn’t in school this spring as he plays Class A baseball for the Rockies organization.  Since Wilson missed spring football practice at NCSU, Coach TOB named Mike Glennon (a 2011 RS-JR) the starting QB and said that if Wilson decided to return it would be as a backup.  All of that led to this point, where Wilson has asked for and received a release from his scholarship so that he can potentially play his senior season at a different school (allowable because he graduated from NCSU).

It is a unique, and prickly, situation.  A 3 year starter looking elsewhere while an untested player is handed the reins.

All of the following quotes are from Johnson’s column.

Wilson is the kind of kid you bend the rules for – a shining example of all the things a student athlete should be and a tireless worker in all phases of his life.

This is very true.  And, that is exactly what O’Brien did last year.  While Wilson was playing his senior baseball season, Mike Glennon and the rest of the team went through spring practice without him.  Wilson joined the team for fall practice, after he had played baseball for NCSU, gotten drafted, signed with the Rockies, and played some low-level minor league baseball.  Then, he came to fall camp and was the starting quarterback.

The popular belief is that if Wilson was allowed to come back then the Pack would lose Glennon. Like Wilson, Glennon has graduated and has the ability to go to another school without having to sit out a year. If O’Brien had committed to Wilson returning and battling for the starting job, Glennon would likely go elsewhere.

This belief led to the debate of whether the better scenario is Wilson for one year or Glennon for two. O’Brien went with the second option, discarding a player who has proven himself time and time again on the field when it mattered.

I disagree with this statement almost 100%.  First of all, O’Brien wasn’t deciding between Wilson for one year or Glennon for two.  Wilson wasn’t in school, and no one knew if he was coming back.  O’Brien named the best quarterback on his roster his starter.

With Wilson out of the equation, NCSU’s offense has been tweaked to best utilize Glennon’s skills.  If Wilson were to return at such a late date, it would put NCSU’s football team between a rock and a hard place:  A team modified to fit the guy who has been at school and at spring practice; and a 3 year starter adored by fans who is a better fit to a different offensive philosophy.

Last year, the time missed by Wilson was easier to overcome because the system was basically the same and the wide receiving corps was basically unchanged.  Everybody knew everybody, so to speak.  This year, the WR corps is going to get a lot younger, which will make the spring and summer sessions very important.  Russell Wilson can’t make those sessions while he’s playing baseball.

The decision wasn’t really made by Tom O’Brien, it was made for Tom O’Brien.  He graduated, he left school, and until about August he is a baseball player.  There aren’t many coaches who would leave such an important part of their program up in the air until then…especially for a guy who isn’t even on your campus, no matter how much he’s done for you previously.

Russell Wilson is, in my eyes, an NC State legend.  I would like to see his name listed among the greats of NCSU football.  However, I also agree with the stance that Coach Tom O’Brien has taken.

Best of luck to Russell where ever he ends up playing this season.

The search seemed to last some time, and Gottfried isn’t the “big name” hire that many NCSU fans had hoped to be hearing during this press conference.  But, after AD Debbie Yow was unable to come to terms with the big fish she went after, Gottfried is a very solid choice.

His resume stacks up quite nicely when compared next to Gregg Marshall, Mick Cronin, and Shaka Smart, who were thought to be the “next level” of candidates.

But, the story coming out of the press conference is going to be Yow’s comments regarding Maryland coach Gary Williams and his comments to potential coaching candidates during the search.

It was widely speculated by the media (including some who claimed to have direct knowledge) that Williams was bad-mouthing Yow to anyone who would listen in an attempt to sabotage the search.  Normally, this type of talk is limited to message board conspiracy theorists, but apparently this time there is at least some amount of truth to the accusations because Yow addressed the situation directly during the Gottfried press conference.

Here’s a clip of her statement.

That type of straightforward response will endear her to State fans, even if it isn’t the most professional way of handling the situation.  At the same time, the fact that Gottfried seems to get a kick out of her comment makes State fans like him more, too.

Good first day!

Crothers goes through everything.  Trashing Sid as a college coach, NBA coach, NBA player, CBA player….he even makes an offhand comment about Sid’s college career.  And, of course, he makes a crack about Sid finishing his degree at St. Paul’s College and not NCSU.  He neglects to mention that Sid had a long pro career and a long career as a pro coach without his degree, mostly because Sid played in a time when players didn’t attend two sessions of summer school every year.  Sid wasn’t a superstar, so he didn’t have the luxury of being able to come back every summer to finish his degree.  He was trying to find his next team, or he was working…..NBA coaches don’t get much time off.

Plus, I don’t think Sid had any tutors to do his work for him.  Is that your next book, Crothers?  You’ve covered soccer and basketball…..isn’t Butch Davis next?  I’ve got the title:  Plausible Deniability:  The Story of Butch Davis, and How He Was The ONLY Coach In America Who Didn’t Know John Blake Was Dirty.

Quite frankly, Sidney Lowe deserves better.  He didn’t seek out this job, Lee Fowler approached him.  Anyone with a brain knew there was a chance that this would be the result.  Fowler had several high profile (and highly public) misses, so he went with someone that the fans would rally behind.  Hiring a coach with no college experience was a huge risk, and unfortunately that risk hasn’t paid off for North Carolina State.

Despite that, there is no reason for a professional writer for an ACC magazine to take such a low road.  Unless, of course, there is truth to the rumors that the ACC Sports Journal is basically a more colorful version of Inside Carolina.

Since this rubbish that would make Barry Saunders seem like a real journalist made it past publisher David Glenn and editor Jim Young, one has to wonder just what is going on at the ACC Sports Journal.

I wonder if Crothers mentioned the millions of dollars in settlements UNC has paid out on behalf of The Man Watching……I bet not.

I suggest not giving the ACCSJ any hits on their website.  But, if you’re interested, the resume can be found here.

In reality, it’s much more complicated than that, but that’s basically what it does.

If the CBA expires without a new agreement in place, the NFL basically shuts down until the CBA can be worked out.  As a fan, it’s a grim prospect to consider.  Of course, as a Panther fan, I am intrigued about just how the draft process would work next year if there was no NFL in 2011-12.  If the Panthers would get the #1 pick in that draft, as well, I might be willing to give up a year of football….hmmm.

Anyway, Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, wants a deal done.  Before the Super Bowl, he said that if there is no new CBA by March 4th he will drop his salary to $1.  Now, since he’s making ~$10 million a year, he should be OK if he has to go without for a while, but at least he shows that he’s willing to “hurt” if the league hurts.

In response, DeMaurice Smith, the head of the player’s union (NFLPA), said that he’d drop his salary to 68 cents if an agreement was reached by the Super Bowl.  While I understand that this was probably just an off-hand response to Goodell’s gesture, the actual meaning of his statement could be a hint to his stance in the matter.  Does he really want a deal, or does he have some other goal?

Goodell’s salary goes to $1 if there isn’t a deal.  Smith’s salary goes to 68 cents if there is a deal.  See the difference?

I don’t claim to know what good Smith could possibly think could come from the players being locked out by the owners or decertifying their union, which seem to be the two likeliest outcomes if there isn’t an agreement.  Usually, these labor disputes end up with the government exploring the NFL’s anti-trust exemption, and I don’t think it’s ever good to have the government sniffing around your $9 billion business.

The two sides have had several mediation sessions with federal officials in Washington, DC, but I haven’t heard anything about any real progress being made.

So, I figured I’d solve all the problems really quickly.  I’ve got an extra half an hour I can spare, so here goes nothing.  My suggestions will be a combination of things I’ve heard offered that make sense, and things that I come up with on my own.

1.  Players get 48% of all revenue, minus credits to owners for stadium improvements and other expenditures that ultimately increase revenue.  The two sides bicker over what revenue is included, how much of a credit should be issued, and lots of other things.  The 48% threshold, with opportunities to get credits for revenue-increasing expenditures, is basically a “meet in the middle” approach.

2.  Rookie wage scale. This has been needed for some time.  New players coming into the league are getting too much money, at the expense of players who have been in the league and proved their value.  It would end holdouts, which lead to injury, and also make the top picks in the draft more valuable since you wouldn’t have to mortgage your franchise to sign those players.

3.  Quasi-guaranteed contracts. Player contracts would be guaranteed for half of their value.  This would reign in some of the bigger-spending owners who give inflated contracts and big signing bonuses to players.  Currently, a team will sign a guy to an 8 year, $100 million contract, but with most of the big money in the final years it’s really a 3 year, $18 million contract.  All the extra years and dollars are for salary cap purposes (and to make it sound good on ESPN).  This would make the value of the contract a real number, similar to NHL and NBA contracts.  A 5 year, $20 million contract would guarantee a player at least $10 million.  Currently, a player’s only guaranteed money is his signing bonus, which can put smaller market teams at a disadvantage.  Teams could choose to pay the guaranteed money as a lump sum or as installments over the life of the contract, so small market teams wouldn’t be facing the huge cash payouts that signing bonuses require.

4.  Franchise tags, with a twist. The franchise system, which players hate, would remain in place.  But, I’d make one significant change.  Instead of one year, I’d guarantee the franchised player two years at the franchise salary.  Julius Peppers made somewhere around $18 million as the Carolina Panthers’ franchise player, and I’m having a hard time considering that a “burden” that Peppers had to bear.  But, since he ultimately signed a 6 year, $91 million contract with the Bears, that guaranteed him $42 million dollars, playing that one year for $18 million meant that Peppers was risking a lot of money if he’d suffered a career-ending injury.  In a league where players typically have short careers, the one-year franchise tag heavily favors the owners.  Forcing a two-year commitment from the team levels that playing field.

Well…….

There you have it.  NFL labor peace.  You’re welcome.

I’m sure it’s not that simple in reality.  But, I think it could be a lot simpler than they are making it.  One thing I hope both sides remember is that they are dividing the fans’ money, and the longer there is no football, the smaller the overall pie may be.  People who save all year so they can make one pilgrimage each season to see their favorite team play (and buy $10 beers, $6 hot dogs, etc) aren’t going to be all that impressed to hear them arguing over whether they should get $4.3B or $4.7B of the $9 billion pie.

ESPN lists 11 Division I FBS conferences.  Those 11 champions would be in the 12-team tournament.  Yes, even 7-5 Troy from the Sun Belt Conference.

Here’s the list of champions:

1. SEC:  Auburn
2. Pac 10:  Oregon
3. Mountain West:  TCU
4. Big 10:  Wisconsin
5. Big 12:  Oklahoma
6. WAC:  Boise State
7. ACC:  Virginia Tech
8. C-USA: UCF
9. Big East:  Connecticut
10. MAC:  Miami (OH)
11. Sun Belt:  Troy

There are your automatic 11.  Any tiebreakers are done by using the BCS rankings.  The number beside each team is also their seeding, which is done by BCS ranking.  The 12th team would be the highest BCS team that wasn’t a conference champion, which in this case would be Stanford (#4 in BCS Standings).

So….first four seeds get a bye, next four get a home game.

Oklahoma (#5) would host Stanford (#12) in a game that would have both teams screaming.  Oklahoma would think they deserved an easier game, and Stanford would think they deserved a home game.  Tough luck, on both counts.  The winner would play at Wisconsin (#4).

Boise State (#6) would welcome Troy (#11) to the blue field, with the winner moving on the play at TCU (#3).

Virginia Tech (#7) would host Miami, OH (#10) for the right to fly across the country and face Oregon (#2).

Central Florida (#8) would host Connecticut (#9) in a battle to see who would get to see the Cam Newton show at Auburn (#1).

Your second round matchups would likely be:

• Stanford @ Wisconsin
• Boise State @ TCU
• Virginia Tech @ Oregon
• UCF @  Auburn

This particular season, the first round of games could have been held this upcoming weekend.  After those first four games, all the bowls could set their lineups (including lower tier bowls), and the four quarterfinal games could be scheduled at  current BCS venues for their traditional time around New Year’s Day.

Then, the “Final Four” could be held at neutral sites, on a rotating basis among the current BCS bowls.  The national semi-finals could be held about 2 weeks later (mid-January).

That would set the stage for the NCAA National Championship game to be held during the NFL’s pre-Super Bowl bye week.

Everybody’s happy.

Well, not really.  Academics would cry the blues because of the length of the season.  Basketball coaches, too, probably.

The main thing that needs to happen is the structure of the tournament.

The scheduling could be adjusted many different ways.  You could start the season a week earlier, start the playoffs the first week in December, play two weeks, take two weeks off, and have the whole thing wrapped up about the same time that it is done now.

You could go to 16 teams, eliminate bye weeks, and virtually guarantee that the top 10 BCS ranked teams all made the field (this year Ohio State, Arkansas, Michigan State and LSU are Top 10 BCS teams that wouldn’t have made it).

The NCAA should start a playoff as soon as the current BCS contracts expire.  The BCS has run its course, and that course has resulted in several seismic shifts in conference alignments that likely wouldn’t have happened if there was a playoff.  If the NCAA began having a playoff for the current FBS teams, it would mean that stability would come back to college sports.