Read it for yourself. ISL presents a well-defensed argument, with revealing statistics, pie charts and bar graphs playoff advocates love to see. But we know figures can lie. No. 1 vs. No. 4 in the Orange Bowl. No. 2 vs. No. 3 in the Fiesta.
Winners play for the national title.
That's just one extra week to the season, a concession a majority of university presidents could make, giving their general unwillingness to extend the season any longer. This year, that would be Florida State vs. Alabama and Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska. He rationalizes that all four bowls would mean something. Those games would have an impact on the the national championship. But under Smith's solution, Stanford would get a shot at the national title this season, and the Cardinal certainly didn't earn that privilege with an 8-3 record.