Jackson Free Press

Finally, there will be a playoff in college football in 2014. No more wanting, wishing or hoping. The BCS is done after the 2013-14 season is completed.

Last week, the powers-that-be announced a few things about the coming playoff. Even though it is a year early, here is a look at the good, the bad and ugly of the new playoffs.

The good is easy: College football fans will get a playoff at long last. No more speculation about a "plus one" game (after the national championship game) or the many other ideas that were kicked around.

Deciding that Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will host the first championship game was a smart decision. Anytime you can pack 100,000-plus people in your playoff title game is a great idea.

Also, adding the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Cotton Bowl to the rotation was a great idea. Now the six biggest bowls (including Sugar, Rose, Fiesta, Orange) will take turns hosting playoff games.

Another good move is making New Year's Eve and Day count in college football game. A triple header of football over two days makes for must-see TV. Starting in 2014, here is the format: On Dec. 31 we will watch the Cotton, Orange and Fiesta bowls, and Jan. 1 we'll get the Chick-fil-A, Rose and Sugar bowls. The Rose and Sugar bowls will be the national semifinals.

The bad is easy as well: Four teams are great, but are four teams really the best way to go? Where will there be room for the Wichita States of the football world? How long do we have to hear about the fifth and sixth best team in the country being left out?

The format also punishes a team that gets hot late. At the end of last season, no one would have wanted to see Texas A&M in their bracket if the playoffs were expanded. Even with the losses to LSU and Florida, the Aggies would have made noise in a playoff format.

There is no question what the ugly is in the news. How much did the marketing firm that came up with the generic name of "College Football Playoff" get paid? A group of third graders could have been more creative.

I have ideas. How about naming it the "SEC Invitational"? It is fitting since the SEC has won the last four national titles, and seven of the last 10 years have seen two SEC teams get BCS bids.

Another idea would be the "Big-12, SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 Playoffs ... plus the ACC."

Here is a great idea--how about "$470 Million Playoffs"? That is what ESPN is paying for the rights to televise the new format.

If the "World Wide Leader" in sports is playing $470 million for just three meaningful games, how much would the price tag have gone up if it was an eight- to 12-team playoff?

Finally, I would like to throw my hat into the ring, to be the head of the committee to determine the participants of the playoffs.

This process needs a solutions-oriented, honest broker.