A Playoff Slays the BCS: How Does this New World Order Affect the B1G?

[Ed Note: We interrupt your previously scheduled day to direct venomous hate towards the Buckeye contingent. While many of you will still take any opportunity to explain how and why these crazy people from Ohio dress up like clowns and cheer on a level that borders insanity, we here at OTE wanted to do a quick break in because, you know, actual football stuff is happening. If you came here just for the hate, please click through here. Also, how fun is it that we're interrupting Ohio State week? Carry on]

As most of you know at this point, or at least I assume most of you, College Football is finally following the lead of the NFL, every other division of College Football, Professional Sports in general, College Sports in general, Sports in general... well, you kind of get the picture. The details are fairly sparse at this point, but the powers that be have decided that a four team playoff is the best possible scenario for fans and for NCAA Div 1A Football in general. Will this be the end of that stupid FBS moniker? Will this be a positive spin for the B1G? WILL WE FINALLY BE ABLE TO JUST SAY NATIONAL CHAMPION INSTEAD OF MYTHICAL NATIONAL CHAMPION?

Who knows? We here at Off Tackle Empire will try to dissect this crazy PLAYOFF talk next week. For now, I wanted to take a couple minutes to do some quick takes on how this is really affecting the B1G as well as some observations from the meetings in Florida. I truly have no idea what the format will eventually be, but it is interesting that every commissioner, AD, and major power seems to be getting their two cents worth in the proceedings. As crazy as it seems, the BCS might finally be dead. Awesome? Well, that remains to be seen. Bullet Point thoughts after the jump!

General Observations

• Look, I am more than happy to welcome a non-BCS system, but we need to kind of get a feel for what exactly this ends up being. The major point of contention at this point seems to be locations of first round games and the SEC's slight hatred of temperatures below 70. Something to keep an eye out for is how the 'Smartest (literally) Guys in the Room' keep their respective interests front and center.
• Speaking of these Smart Guys, who exactly are the players? I've gathered that it's the Conference Heads (naturally), TSISB AD Swarbrick, the BCS Chairman Bill Hancock, and who else? I guess it doesn't really matter, but I like to know what we're working with here. The word out of the Westin Hotel is that they are going to present all of the formats back to their conferences. As SI pointed out, probably 2-7 formats will be chosen from.
• While we're on the Swarbrick train, let's quickly point out how annoying TSISB is at this point. On top of being needlessly relevant in an age where they are most definitely not, this guy gets a major voice at the table still. I'm all for the Irish to get their due, but acting like his interests are equal to Slive, Scott, Delany et. al. is obnoxious.
• And to add to that TSISB thought, the pomp around these guys is unreal. You all think Ohio State, Nebraska, and Michigan fans are smug SOBs with no understanding of reality? Have you watched the interviews with the football heads of state? Each one of them are smugger than the next and this Hancock guy is maybe the most self-important man in football, and I really don't understand why. Good for him? Sure.
• Who is the happiest guy in the room? That would most likely me SEC Commissioner Slive. Despite the chance his teams will go North in the Winter, he's just happy he was right all along. Do not underestimate this guy. He still has a lot of cards left to play before July 4th.

B1G Observations

• Wait, so no more AQs, a Rose Bowl tie-in that isn't necessarily connected to a playoff, AND the chance to get a second major bowl tie-in because, you know, the bowls wouldn't necessarily be connected to a playoff? Carry on Delany, carry on.
• Just a note, I read around ten articles on the subject of playoffs. FOX really likes Delany, SI and the WWL? Well, this article fails to mention his name despite his interests being talked about. To be fair, FOX Sports doesn't mention Slive by name in this article. Aren't TV contracts fun!
• Downsides for the B1G? I don't see a lot of them. So long as the Rose Bowl tie-in stays alive in some way and so long as the Pac-12 is cool with it, I think we're all sitting pretty. Of course, details about the various plans really need to come out before we make too many judgments.
• Delany is definitely being painted as the bad guy nationwide. I don't think he did anything wrong per say, but I am pretty sure he is looked at as archaic at this point. The words, "outdated", "irrelevant", and "unfriendly", have all been thrown out there. I'm not going to say anything about this yet because there is a lot of OTE coverage coming up to talk this through, but it is fascinating that a 14 year old system is so outdated already.
• Did I mention the Rose Bowl?

So I've written more than enough already. I'm super pumped to see what happens next. Batten down the hatches! We're on our way to a Playoff System! Consider this an open thread for the weekend. We'll be back next week with more playoff talk!