Why we don't need playoffs (but why we should have them)

So I read Dan Wetzel's column about his idea for the mechanics of an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Playoffs (if ever there was an oxymoron....). The idea itself is not revolutionary or innovative at all, but he makes some interesting points.

However, this is not the point of the post.

When I read his article, I began thinking (as I have before) about whether playoffs are that big a deal. I mean, it's just a collegiate level sport. At the end of the day, is this debate worth all the time, money and emotion spent on it? In the grand scheme of things, they are just student-athletes - in that order. Sure, the reality may be different, but that's what college sports are supposed to be, realities be damned. There are wars, famines, droughts and caste-demeaning song lyrics. Does it really matter if Mizzou is in a lower Bowl than it's defeated opponents are? Think big picture - it doesn't really make that much of a difference.

However, what struck me were the reasons we don't have playoffs. Or rather, the fact that there aren't any good reasons. None. Not a single one. Conveniently, any objections that one might have are addressed by Wetzel again. He addressed my biggest concern (too much football for the students) pretty well. Also, since conference play will be paramount in determining playoff contenders, a lot of the cupcakes on the schedule can be eliminated.

So that is the conclusion I have come to - even though we don't need the playoffs, there are really no good arguments against it, but plenty of good arguments for it.

December Daftness anyone? December Delirium, perhaps?