Letter from AFM

Boise State’s Chris Petersen has publicly stated that the Broncos don’t deserve a share of college football’s National Championship. That’s taking the high road, especially considering that his team finished 14-0 and many observers feel that the Broncos would give Alabama a good game. Petersen’s feeling is that the BCS rules are rules and that things have a way of working themselves out – no doubt thinking ahead to next season and a probable top-5 preseason ranking. But wouldn’t it be nice to have the championship inarguably decided on the field and not by polls and/or computers?
If it’s January, that means that it’s time again for the debate to rage between supporters of the BCS system and those demanding a playoff. This time around, the two sides have ratcheted up the volume. Politicians have weighed in supporting a playoff and have even passed a bill in committee that more or less suggests a move in that direction. Various polls have indicated that a majority of fans favor going to an on-the-field playoff system. There’s even a new political action committee running ads advocating a playoff. You can read their arguments at playoffpac.com.
To counter, the BCS has hired public relation specialists to, in effect, tell the public why a playoff wouldn’t be such a good idea. In fact, in this month’s Your Take column, we hear directly from the Executive Director of the BCS, Bill Hancock, on why the current system works best.
AFM believes that, even with its flaws, the current BCS system is an improvement over the days when the “National Champion” was determined simply by polls. We also believe, however, that college football can and should evolve. We’d like to see a system that gives the Boise States, Utahs and TCUs the same opportunity to prevail on the field that currently is reserved for, let’s face it, only the top teams in the six major BCS conferences. If every professional sport, all other NCAA sports, including FCS, D-II and D-III football and every state high school association in the country can conduct playoffs that definitively determine champions through competition, big time college football can, too. Until that happens, we welcome the debate.
In this month’s cover story, we take a look at a very old offensive scheme that has made a recent resurgence – the double wing. Coach Tim Murphy of Clovis East High School in California has been a disciple of the double wing throughout his stellar career, using it to compile a 106-25 record. With its combination of angle blocking and misdirection, Murphy has found that it’s the ideal system to overcome the size disadvantage his team often faces. If you face a similar situation, you should consider what the double wing can do to neutralize your larger opponents.
Next month, we recognize 2009 achievements in coaching with AFM’s annual Coach of the Year awards. From FBS to Juco in the college ranks and the national high school Coach of the Year plus multiple regional winners, we honor coaches that have distinguished themselves this past season through their achievements on and off the field. Congratulations in advance to the winners.

John Gallup
Editor and Publisher