Change We Still Need: A College Football Playoff

But the presidents aren't the real culprits anymore. As a group, they know almost nothing about athletics. They think they need to perpetuate the BCS, regardless of how awful it is, because a playoff system would mean sharing more of the wealth with their non-BCS brethren. What they fail to understand is that the revenue would increase so much that even if they had to dole more of the money out to Conference USA, the WAC and the Mountain West, everyone would still be wealthier.

Which is why the bad guys in this are the BCS commissioners. That would be Mike Tranghese of the Big East, John Swofford of the ACC, Tom Hansen of the Big Ten, Mike Slive of the SEC, Dan Beebe of the Big 12 and the unspeakable Jim Delany of the Big 10. With the exception of Beebe, all of them have been commissioners for a long time and they know in their hearts what the best thing is for college football -- in terms of both fairness and finances.

And yet, not one of them is willing to speak out publicly or put together a plan to create a playoff, whether it be eight teams, 12 teams or 16 teams. They just go merrily along spouting the same claptrap we've heard for years about how the system may not be perfect but it is good for the sport and the athletes. One former BCS power broker, Kevin White, the ex-Notre Dame athletic director, once said he was against a playoff because it would "commercialize" college football.

How can you possibly commercialize college football more than it is now? Have a sponsor for every play?

These commissioners are paid a lot of money and carry a lot of prestige with their jobs and their titles. Tranghese has been one of the good guys in college athletics for years, but he's dropped the ball badly on this one. Swofford will be remembered -- unfortunately for him -- for the ACC's football expansion. Slive has tried to remake the SEC's image as a bandit conference since taking over from Roy Kramer. Nothing good should be expected from Delany because he is, to put it simply, one of the most arrogant, selfish people in sports today.

But the others don't have that excuse. They need to get together, go to the presidents and say, "Enough. The BCS needs to go away before another TV contract is signed. Here is our playoff plan; here is how you will make more money with a playoff system."

That will get the presidents' attention. It will get them moving. It will end the pox that is the BCS. The presidents can't and won't do it on their own. It is time for the commissioners to do something other than hang out in five-star hotels at boondoggle meetings and tell people how proud they are of all their "student-athletes."

It's time for them to do something important -- something they could be remembered for when they retire. One of them needs to take the lead on this. It's like last week's election: the country was ready for new leadership.

So is college football.