Florida president Bernie Machen has figured out what all the little guys in college football have been complaining about for years.

Machen was stunned the Gators had won the SEC championship, but he was worried they would be shut out of the national championship game. Florida won the national title but Machen hasn't forgotten the experience and is campaigning for a playoff system during the SEC football meetings being held this week in Florida.

Some might think this is no big deal, given how many people complain about the Bowl Championship Series system every year, but Machen's support definitely matters. The only way the BCS will change and little guys like Boise State and New Mexico ever will have a chance to compete for a national championship is if members of the BCS push for change. Even powerful BYU, the school that wields the most clout in the Mountain West Conference, would be hard-pressed to make it to a national championship game.

If Machen gets support from the rest of the SEC, that would be a huge step forward in changing the system. Of course there are a lot of other conferences that would have to jump on board, but I'm curious to see how much support Machen can get this week.

I should tack on a friendly disclaimer that I cast a ballot in the Harris poll, one of three factors used to determine the BCS standings. I choose to participate because I would rather turn in what I believe to be a fair ballot than just sit on the sidelines and complain about the broken system.

Posted by ilimon at 04:25 PM | Permalink