BCS Redo: 2000

This is a 16-part series. I will compare what the BCS actually gave us over the past 16 years with what we could've seen if my BCS Playoff System was used instead. This will also give an outlook as to why this system would be best for college football's future. Note - the Big East counts as an automatic qualifier here, and has a main tie of the Orange Bowl. Also, the rankings used are from the BCS standings of the time, not my preferred formula.

What we saw in the 2000-2001 season:

Rose Bowl - Monday, January 1
4 Washington (10-1, Pac-10 Champion) vs Purdue (8-3, Big Ten Champion)

Fiesta Bowl - Monday, January 1
6 Oregon St. (10-1, At-Large) vs 11 Notre Dame (9-2, At-Large)

Sugar Bowl - Tuesday, January 2
3 Miami (10-1, Big East Champion) vs 7 Florida (10-2, SEC Champion)

Orange Bowl (National Championship Game) - Wednesday, January 4
1 Oklahoma (11-0, Big 12 Champion) vs 2 Florida St. (10-1, ACC Champion)

Passed over: 5 Virginia Tech (10-1), 8 Nebraska (9-2), 9 Kansas St (10-3), 10 Oregon (9-2)

Using my BCS Playoff System:

Selection Order:
Tier 1: Orange, Rose, Sugar
Tier 2: Cotton, Fiesta, Peach

Semifinal #1 - Saturday, December 30
3 Miami (10-1, Big East Champion) @ 2 Florida St. (10-1, ACC Champion)

Semifinal #2 - Saturday, December 30
4 Washington (10-1, Pac-10 Champion) @ 1 Oklahoma (11-0, Big 12 Champion)

Rose Bowl - Monday, January 1
10 Oregon (9-2, AQ) vs 11 Notre Dame (9-2, AQ)

Sugar Bowl - Monday, January 1
7 Florida (10-2, SEC Champion) vs 8 Nebraska (9-2, AQ)

Orange Bowl - Tuesday, January 2
5 Virginia Tech (10-1, AQ) vs 6 Oregon St. (10-1, AQ)

Cotton Bowl - Wednesday, January 3
12 Texas (9-2, AQ) vs 14 TCU (10-1, WAC Champion)

Fiesta Bowl - Thursday, January 4
15 Clemson (9-2, At-Large) vs Purdue (8-3, Big Ten Champion)

Peach Bowl - Friday, January 5
9 Kansas St (10-3, AQ) vs 13 Georgia Tech (9-2, At-Large)

National Championship Game - Monday, January 8
Semifinal #1 Winner vs Semifinal #2 Winner

Analysis:

Year 3 of my playoff system goes smoothly, as 4 conference champions are in the top 4. The only chink in the armor is that we experience our first rematch of the playoff system in 2 Florida St. vs 3 Miami.

The Orange gets the first pick of the Tier 1 bowls, selecting 5 Virginia Tech. Due to Rule 7, 6 Oregon St. also gets chosen. The Rose picks next, and with the Pac-10 champion in the playoff and Big Ten champion being ranked so low, it grabs 10 Oregon and 11 Notre Dame to create a money match-up. The Sugar gets its desired match-up of SEC vs Big 12 in 7 Florida vs 8 Nebraska.

In Tier 2, the Cotton brings back an old SWC rivalry in 12 Texas vs 14 TCU, who is also the highest-ranked champion from a lesser conference. Since the Rose passed on Purdue, that team falls to the Fiesta, getting matched against 15 Clemson. The Peach gladly takes an ACC representative in 13 Georgia Tech to face the last AQ on the board, 9 Kansas St.

Past BCS Redo Seasons:

1999
1998