{"id":80573,"date":"2017-12-06T13:02:08","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T13:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"\/rcntv\/?p=80573"},"modified":"2017-12-07T18:35:04","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T18:35:04","slug":"insanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/atvn\/insanity\/","title":{"rendered":"Insanity"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one knows the source, but someone once said the definition of insanity is \u201cdoing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.\u201d I feel that way about this blog.\u00a0 I want to make two points \u2013 one about college football and one about the Pennsylvania state football <\/a>playoffs, knowing full well that this is a waste of computer space and will fall on deaf ears.\u00a0 But, I will do it anyway.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the high school football playoffs. District XI<\/a>, in my opinion, and I think most of our viewers would agree, has pretty good football.\u00a0 This year we sent undefeated AAA Palisades<\/a> , twice beaten (by AAAAAA schools) AAAA Bethlehem Catholic<\/a>, AAAAA 9-3 Whitehall<\/a> (2 losses to AAAAAA schools), and undefeated AAAAAA Parkland<\/a> to the PIAA playoffs.\u00a0 Three of the four were pummeled by Philadelphia private schools, where the student body of those schools had virtually no boundaries, not even by state. Palisades lost 34-17; Bethlehem Catholic lost 34-14; Parkland lost 49-14.\u00a0 Whitehall did not lose to a Philadelphia school, but the team that beat them lost to one, Archbishop Wood<\/a>, by a 41-14 score.<\/p>\n

Now I understand this may sound like sour grapes. \u201cBoo-hoo\u201d \u2013 the Lehigh Valley teams lost and let the whining begin.\u00a0 However, the playing field is not equal here.\u00a0 Everyone knows it.\u00a0 So since we all know the roster makeup of the Philly private schools will not be regulated, why not create a system where we have public school champions and private school champions?\u00a0 If the PIAA is insistent on six classifications, then have four public and two private classifications.\u00a0 May the best teams of both types, on an equal playing field, win!<\/p>\n

Now that I have wasted my time on high school football, let me turn my attention to the college football playoffs \u2013 four teams in \u2013 Clemson,<\/a> Oklahoma<\/a>, Georgia<\/a>, and Alabama<\/a>; everybody else is out. That means Ohio State <\/a>(Big 10 <\/a>champion), Wisconsin<\/a> (12-1), Auburn<\/a> (beat Alabama), and USC<\/a> (PAC 12 <\/a>champions) and undefeated (the only one in the Top 25, by the way) UCF<\/a> are all out.\u00a0 I have no argument with the committee\u2019s top four FBS selections; there just needs to be four more teams added to the mix.\u00a0 That simply means one more week of football \u2013 eight teams to four; four to two; and the national championship game.\u00a0 Ironically, the FCS <\/a>(made up of schools like Lafayette<\/a> and Lehigh<\/a>) does it with many more teams \u2013 24!\u00a0 So arguments about time away from class and scheduling are moot.<\/p>\n

There will still be plenty of arguments from teams below the top eight, but the volume of disgruntlement will be much less. Not having the Big Ten champion and the PAC 12 champion in the national playoffs just seems completely wrong.<\/p>\n

The NCAA<\/a> playoff system is in place until 2025 so no expansion is on the horizon.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, the PIAA high school playoffs will not change; the NCAA college football playoffs will not change. Therefore, I have just wasted your time and my time.<\/p>\n

But I plead \u201cguilty by reason of insanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. A wise sage once told me that the reason a football game is lost can be broken down into five critical plays. Looking at the Eagles<\/a> game on Monday against Seattle<\/a>, how about these five:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n