Univ. of Georgia President Michael Adams "expects a college football playoff to be a reality within two years," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. Adams yesterday said, "My best guess is we’re going to end up with either a four- or eight-team playoff by the time we get to ’14." He "cited reports this week that the Big Ten, long opposed to a playoff, has warmed to exploring the possibility." Adams: "That’s a very significant development. ... We may never get anything that the fans feel perfectly happy about, but one of my major concerns all along has been that I didn’t think we were paying enough attention to the fans who foot the bill for all this, and I think that realization is beginning to come home." Adams added, "The conference commissioners are finally coming together on that point. There has been great division among the commissioners the last six or eight years. ... The conference realignments (and) the fact most of the media contracts are up in either ’13 or ’14 are creating a situation where, if there is going to be a change, this is probably the natural time to do it" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/9). Meanwhile, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said that "actual change remains a couple years away even if everyone can agree on changes to" the BCS. He said, "What would it look like and whether it's actually going to happen, all of that is premature. I think we need the time to sit down and analyze it. We need time to take ideas back to our respective conferences and ... a decision to be made sometime later this year as we begin to talk about" the next format (AP, 2/8).
CHANGING COURSE: In Chicago, David Haugh notes the Big Ten's idea of holding two semifinal games on campuses "carries potential for built-in advantages in the rare cases a league team holds the No. 1 or No. 2 seed." Haugh writes, "I suspect [Big Ten Commissioner Jim] Delany welcomed an alternative blending creativity and common sense to distinguish the Big Ten's position and to prevent him from becoming a college football Don Quixote as he continued hopelessly defending the Bowl Championship Series. What compelled Delany to change course matters less than the fact he finally did, unofficially. Appreciate Delany's political dexterity and pragmatism" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/9). In Birmingham, Paul Beaudry wrote, "No plan is perfect. But any plan that condenses the bowl season and rewards successful teams with a home playoff game is a good start" (AL.com, 2/8).
