You probably noticed that I put the word playoffs in quotes there. That’s because I consider picking only four Division I-A teams out of a pool of 128 to be an insult to the very idea of a playoff system. In my opinion, there ought to be 12 teams in the mix at a bare minimum, but that’s a rant for another day.

And so, putting aside my utter contempt for the current playoff scheme, let’s suppose that it actually does have some merit, and that the participants thereof are representative of the best the NCAA has to offer. With that assumption in mind, can someone please explain to me in clear and rational terms why one of the ONLY-TWO undefeated teams in the division has been excluded from the playoffs?

I mean, if being PERFECT isn’t good enough to get you a seat at the table, how exactly are teams like the WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS (13-0) incentivized to achieve such a record in the future?

What, they get to play in some pointless, participation-trophy bowl game like dozens of other teams that DIDN’T distinguish themselves at all?

*Best Church Lady voice* Well isn’t that special?

I guess it’s okay to treat Western Michigan like Fredo Corleone because the NCAA chose not to challenge that team with the caliber of opponents that the Alabama Crimson Tide faced this season, correct? It’s just one big ‘FUCK YOU’ from the start, and if you don’t like it, then all you Broncos fans can go pound sand, right?

Tell me, National Collegiate Athletic Association, what did you require of WMU at the beginning of this season which might have possibly allowed them to become a playoff team? Did they need to win every game by 25 points (on average) instead of only 24? Please proclaim your MAGIC NUMBER so I can slink off to my quiet corner of the world, safe in the knowledge that I’ve finally been set straight by the gods of college sports.

By Edward L. Daley