After decades of dreaming about it, years demanding it, and months arguing about it, the Playoff Era is finally here. The old BCS system would have produced a National Championship Game of #1 Florida State (only undefeated) and #2 Alabama (SEC Champion), but with both of those squads losing in the National Semifinals, the new system is instantly validated.
This offseason, we will take the role of the Selection Committee and look at how every BCS season (1998-2013) would have played out in the current College Football Playoff setup. As a staff, we will analyze, debate, and ultimately select the 4 most deserving teams and seed them #1 through #4. Once the bracket is set, we will throw the historical matchups into the game simulator over at What If Sports, a complex algorithm that simulates any matchup of teams from 1996 to the present. We will simulate each matchup 25 times for a more accurate sample size, and report the series results and average score. How different would the college football landscape look if the 4-team playoff had come 16 years sooner? Would the SEC still have held the crystal trophy for 7 straight seasons? Would Oregon have a championship by now? How would the famous #3 teams such as 2000 Miami, 2003 USC, 2004 Auburn, and 2011 Oklahoma State fare with a shot at glory? Would the BCS busters prove themselves? Let the games begin - here's what should have been: 1998 SEASON BACKGROUND & SELECTION COMMITTEE
After a string of near-perfect seasons with Peyton Manning at the helm, Tennessee finally got past Florida and finished 12-0. Tee Martin took the reigns and led the SEC-champion Vols to the #1 seed. They seemed to have fate on their side, navigating through early close calls against Syracuse and Florida (OT), and of course the infamous "Stumble & Fumble" at Arkansas. In rivalry week, #2 Florida State knocked off #4 Florida 23-21. This was essentially an elimination game for the playoff, and with just two conference title games (SEC & Big 12), the win earned FSU the #2 seed. Ohio State and Wisconsin both finished 10-1 as co-champs of the Big Ten. The two teams never faced each other, but OSU had a tougher schedule and dominated their three top 25 opponents while Wisconsin went 1-1 in such games. With one spot remaining, the Pac-10 and Big 12 each offered two suitable 1-loss candidates. UCLA finished 8-0 in the Pac-10 and beat Arizona (7-1) 52-28. The Bruins entered December undefeated, but a rescheduled game at unranked Miami dealt them a 49-45 loss. Over in the Big 12, Kansas State (previously undefeated) lost the conference championship game in double overtime to #10 Texas A&M. Finally, 12-0 Tulane did not face a single ranked team and was not considered for the Top 4.
The Selection Committee was faced with a new issue: how to deal with conference championship results when just two of the six power conferences played them. Should Kansas State be punished for playing an extra game (and barely losing in double overtime)? Does UCLA's conference title make up for its unranked loss on the final day of the season? Ultimately, the Committee sided with Kansas State who was #2 all season, won more top 25 games, finished 11-0, and lost a double overtime conference title game against a top 10 opponent. 
1998 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
Kansas State proved the Committee chose the right team, as they knocked off the #1 seeded Tennessee Vols. Bill Snyder out-dueled Phillip Fulmer, winning 14 of the 25 games with an average score of 23-20. In the other semifinal, FSU had too many playmakers for the Buckeye defense to handle. Even with future Heisman winner Chris Weinke sidelined with an injury, his fellow stars rallied behind the receiving duo of Peter Warrick and Laveranues Coles to win the series 16-9 with an average score of 27-21.
The EMAW Magic ran out in the 1998 Playoff Championship, as Florida State won 19 of 25 games with an average score of 31-20. Bobby Bowden wins his 2nd National Championship (1993) and the Seminoles position themselves as the clear-cut #1 team heading into 1999. 
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