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If The NFL Used The BCS System

By: Kyle Ayers

It's (finally) over. The college football season came to a boring, albeit important conclusion Monday night, with Alabama beating LSU 21-0 in a game where the most exciting play was a replay of an incomplete pass that almost ended up being a touchdown. Alabama beat an LSU team that they had previously lost to, in Alabama, nonetheless, and the Tide are now national champions.

Needless to say, there is a bit left to be desired. Oklahoma State beat Stanford days ago in one of the more exciting games of the year, a shootout of epic proportions. And now there are a few one-loss teams huddled near the top of the rankings. Calls for a playoff are growing at an all-time (and expected) pace.

Much has been said about a playoff in college football, and an understandably minimal amount has been said of a BCS-esque system anywhere else. Let's take a moment to examine how the NFL would pan out if they abandoned their beloved playoff for a series of bowls.

Keep in mind only ten teams make BCS Bowls, which will leave a couple of playoff teams out of the mix all together. Also, sorry to the sponsors who spend millions on putting their name on the bowl, but I'm not going to research who you are. It's not that Edgar's Tools and Baked Goods and DVD Rack Cheesesteak Bowl doesn't roll of the tongue.

Orange Bowl - Denver Broncos v. New York Giants: Tebowtime has a maximum postseason impact of one game. Since Timmy thrived in the every-game-matters mindset of the college game, I'm sure he'd find a way to take down the red hot Giants and consume every moment of our sports radio for weeks to come. Skip Bayless shouts from behind his desk: "Tebow deserved a shot at the national title! aBSJKDLAS!"

Sugar Bowl - New Orleans Saints v. Houston Texans: After a thorough smashing at the hands of Drew Brees and company, the Houston Texans' injury plagued inept play prompts the argument of whether or not division winners deserve an automatic bid. Everyone cries out that the New Orleans Saints deserve a shot at the national title.

Fiesta Bowl - Baltimore Ravens v. Atlanta Falcons: A nice matchup created for quarterback comparison between same year draft picks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. The Falcons edge the Ravens in a close game, giving hall of fame-bound tight end Tony Gonzalez his first ever postseason win, but, thanks to the bowl system, he has no room for another this year.

Rose Bowl - San Francisco 49ers v. Pittsburg Steelers: The two best defenses in the NFL clash in the Rose Bowl, with the 49ers coming out on top after rookie standout Aldon Smith knocks Ben Roethlisberger out of the game, re-aggravating Big Ben's lingering ankle injury. Everyone is up in arms because the 49ers historically-great defense is not allowed to take on either of the top two teams directly. Everyone notices a trend of arguments growing, almost as though this system has a flaw.

National Championship - Green Bay Packers v. New England Patriots: The golden matchup. Brady v. Rodgers. Two great offenses backed up by two sub-mediocre defenses. The Patriots make a late charge and take down Green Bay, winning the game by 13 points. The Packers still have the best record in the NFL, but the Patriots are national champions. The 49ers are left out in the cold, but there's not much we can do about it. People in Boston are happy, which is nice, unless you're from anywhere else.

Thank goodness for the NFL playoffs.

Kyle Ayers is a writer for CBS Local and KorkedBats.com, as well as a stand up comedian living in New York, Earth. Follow Kyle on Twitter @kyleayers.

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