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Debating the Best Way to Determine the National College Football Champion

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In recent years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has faced criticism for its method of determining the national college football champion. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings have been deemed unfair by many, prompting a debate among fans, coaches, and sports journalists. Mike Nemeth's book, "Cinderella's Slipper," presents a unique solution to this problem by examining the inherent flaws in the current system and proposing a new algorithm for accurately ranking college football teams.

Key Takeaways:

  • The current BCS system relies on a subjective ranking process that can lead to inaccuracies and controversy.
  • Mike Nemeth, an IT professional and former basketball coach, proposed a new algorithm for ranking college football teams, which he applied to the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
  • Nemeth's algorithm uses real-life examples of games to prove points and highlight concepts, making "Cinderella's Slipper" an entertaining read for football fans.
  • Nemeth's rankings were compared to polls and BCS standings, with startling results that challenged the traditional rankings.
  • The book presents a rational and accurate method for discriminating among similar or identical won/lost records, a problem that has defied a clear solution in the world of college football.
  • Nemeth's system has been made available online at http://www.rpgrankings.com/, allowing users to explore the algorithm in more detail.
  • The debate over the best way to determine the national champion continues, with Congress holding hearings and the President calling for change.

Statistics:

  • 2007 and 2008 seasons: Nemeth's algorithm was applied to these seasons, resulting in startling differences between his rankings and the BCS standings.
  • 30 years of experience: Mike Nemeth has applied classic system development life cycles to automate business functions and processes for Fortune 500 companies.
  • 2 authors: Nemeth is co-author of "Cinderella's Slipper" with iUniverse.
  • 1 online resource: Nemeth's algorithm is available online at http://www.rpgrankings.com/.
  • 1 company: iUniverse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors.

Sources:

  • Nemeth, M. (No date). Cinderella's Slipper. iUniverse.
  • Entertainment Newsweekly. (2010). NBA Playoffs 2010: Fair Rating for NBA Teams? VerticalNews.com.

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