College Football Playoff
I. Introduction
a. Opening statements: Playoff time, it is something that stirs excitement among fans of almost any sport, it is what teams play for all season, and it is perhaps the most exciting time of any sport season. But this exicitement is something that has always been missing in Division I football, and it is something that makes the game unfair for many teams. At the beginning of the season all teams join the hunt for the coveted national championship, they face many roadblocks, some of which have nothing to do with their opponents. Did you realize that a team can win every single game and still fall short of getting into the national title game? Or did you realize that destiny lies in the hands of voters and computers?
b. Thesis/Credibility Statement: I have been an avid college football fan for many years, and I believe that a playoff system in Division I-A football is the best and most viable option for fans and teams alike. In my speech, I’m going to offer a proposal to avoid heavy media bias by offering a solution to crowning a true national champion while addressing the main problems of the current system.
Transition: Although the current system is rather disastrous, it is actually an improvement from the older system, which proved to be completely illogical.
II. Main Point 1: The old crowning system
a. Back in 1968 and 1969, Joe Paterno’s Penn State football team posted two undefeated regular seasons in a row. Despite their undefeated records, they were given no opportunity to attain the national championship. This is due to the fact that voters were strictly given the power to crown a national champion. In 1969, three teams were undefeated going into the final week; the Texas Longhorns, the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Penn State. Texas was to play Arkansas in the final week, showing which team would seemingly be the best in the nation, yet still couldn’t hold true. Richard Nixon, who was president at the time, took an action which
a. Opening statements: Playoff time, it is something that stirs excitement among fans of almost any sport, it is what teams play for all season, and it is perhaps the most exciting time of any sport season. But this exicitement is something that has always been missing in Division I football, and it is something that makes the game unfair for many teams. At the beginning of the season all teams join the hunt for the coveted national championship, they face many roadblocks, some of which have nothing to do with their opponents. Did you realize that a team can win every single game and still fall short of getting into the national title game? Or did you realize that destiny lies in the hands of voters and computers?
b. Thesis/Credibility Statement: I have been an avid college football fan for many years, and I believe that a playoff system in Division I-A football is the best and most viable option for fans and teams alike. In my speech, I’m going to offer a proposal to avoid heavy media bias by offering a solution to crowning a true national champion while addressing the main problems of the current system.
Transition: Although the current system is rather disastrous, it is actually an improvement from the older system, which proved to be completely illogical.
II. Main Point 1: The old crowning system
a. Back in 1968 and 1969, Joe Paterno’s Penn State football team posted two undefeated regular seasons in a row. Despite their undefeated records, they were given no opportunity to attain the national championship. This is due to the fact that voters were strictly given the power to crown a national champion. In 1969, three teams were undefeated going into the final week; the Texas Longhorns, the Arkansas Razorbacks, and Penn State. Texas was to play Arkansas in the final week, showing which team would seemingly be the best in the nation, yet still couldn’t hold true. Richard Nixon, who was president at the time, took an action which
Cited: (2004, Sep 9 ). Pros, cons of a college football playoff. USA Today (2007, Jul. 7 ). In Computers Used In BCS. Retrieved Oct. 28, 2011, from http://www.bcsfootball.org/bcsfb/rankings Anderson, S.. (2006, Nov. 17). Research shows Nixon hurt ‘69 Lions. The Post-Gazette Retrieved Oct. 28, 2011, from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06321/739083-198.stm.