Big 12, Bowlsby Buying 10-Team League
DALLAS - The College Football Playoff era starts in conjunction with the 2014 season and the Big 12 Conference isn't going to be left behind.
On Monday, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby kicked off conference media days by acknowledging the changing times in college football. The playoff will include four teams likely from the power five conferences.
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Four out of the power five conferences hold a conference title game, while the Big 12 does not.
"I like our path to the championship. The fact that we play everybody in our league is a nuance that will not be lost on the selection committee," said Bowlsby.
The true round robin schedule for the Big 12 is a distinct difference from the other power five leagues.
"The selection committee will look very carefully at other schools from other leagues that are 7-1 because it'll be 7-1 based on who you play and who you didn't play," Bowlsby said.
The league will also be able to determine a champion if there are teams with identical records through a head to head tie breaker because each team in the league plays the other nine teams.
The lack of a conference title game doesn't worry Bowlsby too much.
"I'm really not, but we're certainly not oblivious to it," Bowlsby said. "I think there will be years we could say I wish we could have just had one more, good opponent, so I think the answer is some years it is a good thing and some years it is a bad thing.
The Big 12 along with the ACC are currently fighting the rules on NCAA regulation rules for a championship game. In the case of the Big 12 it is possible in the future that the league would want its two highest ranked teams to participate in a conference championship game.
The ACC wants deregulation because of its want to possibly create more divisions.
For now the Big 12 will stick to its current one champion format and wait to see how it plays out on the field.
With two teams in Oklahoma and Baylor projected to compete for the Big 12 Title and a spot in the playoff the league is happy where it is at from a football standpoint.
"It's been a while since we've won a championship and I think all of us think it's about time we do," Bowlsby added.
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