I have solved the BCS problem. Me. Singlehandedly. Here is my explanation. Hope it makes sense.
Format = 8 team playoff.Round 1 of Playoff: Quarterfinals
1 vs. 8................2 vs. 7
4 vs. 5................3 vs. 6
Round 2 of Playoff: Semifinals
Semifinal Game 1/8 vs. 4/5
Semifinal game 2/7 vs. 3/6
Round 3 of Playoff: Championship Game
1/8/4/5 Winner vs. 2/7/3/6 Winner
So that's the format. But now the tricky part. You have to ensure that the Big Bowls get great matchups that will make them tons of money, because this is what this is about. So, here's what you do. There are three huge games. The two semifinal and the final. These matchups are clearly better than the current lottery pick format the BCS uses. Then, you use a rotating formula every year. Rose/Orange/Fiesta/Sugar. So for instance, the first year, this is what it'd look like:
Week 2 of Playoff: Semifinals
Semifinal Game - Orange Bowl
Semifinal game - Fiesta Bowl
Week 3 of Playoff: Championship Game
Championship Game - Sugar Bowl
Objection 1: So what about the Rose Bowl? Answer: They lose out every four years because they don't get one of the "Big 3." So here's what you do. You give them the choice of whatever First Round game they want. 1 vs. 8? 4 vs. 5? Whatever they think will be the big money maker. It's theirs. They can choose the teams with the biggest fan bases (like Notre Dame). They can choose the No.1 team to hype that. Whatever they want. Then the next three years, they're set, guarenteed a killer matchup in Rounds 2 and 3.
Objection 2: Why only the top 8? Can't you make a case for say, team 9 and 10? This year, Oklahoma, Auburn and Notre Dame would be left out of the playoff.If you're not in the top 8, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. Those are all two-loss teams. Shouldn't have lost twice. Of course, Oklahoma didn't really lose that game to Oregon...
Objection 3: Who gets the other three games in Week 1? Answer: I say, rotate between the following mid-major bowls:
Cotton
Alamo
Chick-Fil-A Peach
Gator
Capital One
Outback
That's seven bowls, three spots in the First Round. Rotate. Guarenteed three out of every seven years, you're going to have a first-round playoff game. Right now, the best those bowls can do is get ONE TOP 10 team. This method is WAY better for these bowls, considering that they can't even get a top 10 team in any of their bowls in the current system.
Objection 4: This system currently entirely destroys the Bowl System and Bowl Tradition. Answer: The BCS did that anyway a long time ago.