Updated simulated BCS Top 25 rankings after Week 12 of college football season
After a Week 12 featuring a gigantic statement made by Ohio State, the BCS Top 25 rankings has a new hypothetical championship game. Instead of Georgia and Alabama leading the way, the Buckeyes have vaulted into the No. 2 position.
Evidently, their gigantic victory over Michigan State was enough to convince the computers that Ohio State is championship-caliber. After an uneven start to the season, Ryan Day has his squad playing some of the best football in all of the nation.
Over recent weeks, the simulated BCS Top 25 has been on-par with the College Football Playoff rankings. However, there’s been some big differences — like the Oregon Ducks being ranked outside the top four by the BCS, but not the CFP.
After the Ducks loss, the BCS system can take a victory lap. While the system may not determine champions anymore, it’s still interesting to see where they believe each team deserves to be ranked.
From the BCS to the College Football Playoff
Prior to the current CFP system, college football was governed by the BCS. The final rankings were computer generated, and two teams faced off in the national championship to conclude the season.
The system also created matchups for four additional prestigious bowl games: the Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
The BCS formula used a number of factors to produce its list. There were three components to the rankings, with a mix of human and computer generated thoughts — the Harris Poll, the Coaches Poll and the computer rankings. All three parts were weighted equally.
Beginning in 2014, the College Football Playoff replaced the BCS. Two semifinal games are played around New Year’s Day, and the games take place on a rotating basis at six of the country’s top bowls — the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The two winners advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship, played on a Monday night in the second week of January.
The CFP selection process is more subjective than the BCS. The teams are decided upon by 13 people and there is no longer a strict computer component. The selection committee is composed of athletic directors, former coaches and student-athletes, and others in the college administration world.
Additionally, there is a board of governors made up of presidents and chancellors from the 10 FBS conferences plus Notre Dame which governs the administrative actions of the CFP.
College football remains the only college sport in the country without an officially NCAA-sanctioned championship. At its core, the CFP is really a television contract currently owned by ESPN.