We are living in historic times.
Monday night we watched history unfold as The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame in the College Football Championship. The historic aspect of it was this was the first year under the new 12-team playoff format.
The 12 top ranked teams competed in bracket play with the lowest seeded team hosting the first round playoff game. Then the quarterfinals and semifinals were played at traditional bowl sites such as at the Peach Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Orange Bowl.
There are things I like about this, and there are things I do not like.
First, I like the concept of teams hosting a playoff game in early December. Teams in the north had a huge advantage because of the weather conditions. I doubt Tennessee had a blast playing Ohio State “on the banks of the Olentangy.”
But, the pageantry of college football is a beautiful thing on home campuses. I have seen it first hand at numerous locations from Athens, Ga., to Tempe, Ariz. Any extra week we get of it is never a bad thing.
However, this year’s first round games invoke the age old question. If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? The ratings for these games were low, according to reports.
Honestly, the only playoff game I really watched was the Peach Bowl between Texas and Arizona State. I slept through most of it and woke up just in time to watch the Sun Devils force overtime. It was great game, from what I saw of it.
Looking back on the new playoff system as a whole, I am not crazy about it. I still miss the old BCS (Bowl Championship Series) system. The BCS was created in 1998 after Nebraska and Michigan split the national championship in 1997.
The BCS was designed to take the human element out of the rankings and rely on computer models that took into account the polls and other data such as strength of schedule and style points. It was not perfect, but it worked. Yes, I am biased because LSU won two national titles under this system.
My way to fix the current playoff system is using the BCS formula to rank the top 64 teams and go from there in bracket play. This plan would also eliminate the bowl games.
Hear me out on this. The bowl games are antiquated, and nobody wants to play in them. Just look at all of the players who opt out from playing in them. This trend will only get worse with growing NIL deals and the transfer portal.
Now, the football game between the Buckeyes and Irish was not the only historic event from Monday. It was the inauguration of President Donald Trump. He became the only president other than Grover Cleveland to be sworn-in to non-consecutive terms.
President Trump caught some flack for moving the inauguration into the capitol rotunda. His argument was the move was because of the cold winter weather.
As a history nerd, I am sure President William Henry Harrison wishes he moved his inauguration inside the rotunda in 1841.
Back then, the inaugurations were still in March.
According to reports, the temperature that day was 48 degrees. President Harrison had no coat, hat, or gloves and delivered the longest inaugural address. He then went to three balls that night.
The newly sworn president then caught a cold that eventually turned to pneumonia. He then died a month after his inauguration at the age of 68 and was succeeded by President John Tyler.
President Harrison was the first Whig candidate to be elected president and the first president to die in office.
President Trump is no “spring chicken” at 78 years old. So, I think he made the right decision to move the inauguration inside because of the weather.
One final note about the inauguration is this. The first inauguration I remember is 1993 when Bill Clinton took the oath of office. I was in Betty Mallet’s 5th grade at Sacred Heart, and I still remember her rolling into the classroom the bulky box television on the wobbly cart.
Again, history is unfolding in front of our eyes at an epic pace so far this year, and it is only January. Thirty or so years from now, though, you can tell your kids and grankids where you were on the day when Trump got inaugurated and when Ohio State beat Notre Dame.
Until then, let us enjoy the rest of the ride this year. Buckle up.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.