Bowl Championship Series

Bowl Championship Series. The Bowl Championship Series was a selection system that created five major postseason college football bowl games from the 1998 through 2013 seasons. It was designed to match the top two teams in the nation in a national championship game, rotating annually among four existing bowls. The system aimed to bring clarity to the Division I-A national championship by incorporating polls and computer rankings.

History and development

The system was established in 1998 as a successor to the Bowl Alliance, which itself followed the Bowl Coalition. The creation was driven by the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, and Southeastern conferences, along with the University of Notre Dame. Its formation was a direct response to years of split national championships, such as the 1997 season shared by the Michigan and Nebraska programs. The original participating bowls were the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Rose Bowl, with the national title game rotating among them. The BCS National Championship Game was formally added as a separate event starting with the 2006 season.

Selection process

Selection was governed by a complex formula that combined human polls and computer rankings. The core components were the USA Today Coaches Poll and the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, which replaced the AP Poll after the 2004 season. These were averaged with several computer rankings, including those from Jeff Sagarin, Peter Wolfe, and the Colley Matrix. The top two teams in the final BCS standings earned a berth in the championship game. Automatic qualifying bids were granted to the champions of the six original partner conferences. Additionally, rules ensured a spot for a champion from the Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt, or Western Athletic Conference if certain ranking thresholds were met. The BCS selection committee, composed of athletic directors, made at-large selections to fill the remaining slots in the four other BCS bowls.

Controversies and criticism

The system was frequently criticized for its opacity and perceived biases. Many controversies centered on the exclusion of undefeated teams from non-automatic qualifying conferences, such as the 2008 Utah Utes and the 2009 Boise State Broncos. The 2003 season produced a major controversy when the USC Trojans were ranked first in the final AP Poll but were excluded from the championship game in favor of LSU and Oklahoma. Legal and political scrutiny came from figures like Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Critics, including prominent coaches like Urban Meyer and Nick Saban, argued the system undermined the regular season and was inherently unfair compared to a playoff.

Major bowls and participants

The four cornerstone bowls hosted the championship game in rotation. The Rose Bowl, traditionally pairing the Big Ten and Pac-12, featured classic matchups like the 2006 game between the Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans. The Sugar Bowl, with strong ties to the SEC, often included teams like the Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers. The Orange Bowl frequently hosted the ACC champion, such as the Florida State Seminoles. The Fiesta Bowl became known for hosting explosive offenses from the Big 12, including the Oklahoma Sooners. Other programs that were frequent participants include the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Oregon Ducks.

Transition to College Football Playoff

Mounting pressure for a playoff format led to its demise. Following the 2011 season, a rematch between the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers sparked renewed outrage. The BCS Presidential Oversight Committee, including presidents from the University of Oregon and University of Wisconsin, ultimately endorsed a four-team playoff. The final BCS National Championship was played at the Rose Bowl in January 2014, where the Florida State Seminoles defeated the Auburn Tigers. It was officially replaced by the College Football Playoff for the 2014 season, which introduced a selection committee and semifinal games at existing bowl sites.

Category:College football bowl games Category:NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Category:Defunct college football competitions Category:1998 establishments in the United States Category:2013 disestablishments in the United States