BCS Stress: Why the Best Team Doesn't Always Win a Playoff

One of the most common complaints about the BCS system is that sportswriters or coaches shouldn't vote for who the best team is. Critics claim that college football should be like all other sports and have a playoff to prove who's the best team. The championship should be "settled on the field." While there is no doubt that playoffs successfully crown an undisputed champion, it's equally clear that playoffs don't always match up the best teams in the final. For example, in NCAA's basketball tournament they have been seeding the top teams for the last 30 years. In only one of those years have the four regional No. 1 seeds all made it to the Final Four. "Cinderella" teams regularly knock out teams who are clearly superior. This isn't as big a problem in four out of seven-game playoff series in basketball and baseball. It has a much greater impact in single-game elimination tournaments like football. I often call college football's regular season a kind of playoff. The BCS polling system ... (link)