By profession, I am a game designer. A significant portion of a game designer's job involves coming up with systems, and then figuring out how exactly people are going to exploit, get around, or simply abuse them to get ahead. And people do cheese the system to get ahead, even when there's nothing at stake except bragging rights. That's why there are so many companies making anti-cheating software out there for multiplayer games. It's because there are that many people cheating. Doubt me? Hang around video game forums for a while. You'll see impressive evidence.
Now, let us consider the BCS. By announcing the basis of its magic formula, the BCS has saved the coaches involved the potentially difficult task of reverse engineering the system. That means the system, and all of the flaws, loopholes, exploits, and potential cheats are exposed, and this time, it's not a question of who PWNZ0R3D whom. There are umpty-million dollars at stake here, far more incentive to hose the system than the chance to jump three spots on a ranked leaderboard on XBox Live.
I'm not saying that anyone deliberately jerked with the system in order for Florida to make its Crash Bandicoot-sized jump in the BCS standings this week. But if you put the system out there, smart people will figure out how to exploit it, how to adjust their votes up and down to get the results they want for their schools and their conferences, and the system is worthless.
I'm just saying.
4 comments:
Well, they only went up 2 slots. I think even you or I could make that leap.
I'd regard Tressel's refusal to vote as at least interesting on this one, at least as far as Florida vs Michigan is concerned. That being said, I'm not accusing anyone here, just pointing out how open the system is to exploitation by anyone who can do a little math.
In re. Tressel's abstention, I think he made the best of a bad situation; if I were in his shoes, I'd've probably not voted either...we ain't electing a Pope here, after all. My larger point was that it was only a 2-spot jump; it's not like they were at #8 in the polls and you needed to stand on your head, squint, and use base-13 math to make it work. Hell, if USC hadn't zakked it vs. the Bruins, we probably would've had them in the title game, and I don't think I need to remind you that the Pac-10 is still a verrry weak conference.
I'll go with you on Florida's ascension on this one, but I still think the poll system, and thus the BCS, is gamed very easily. Matt Hayes goes on record in this week's Sporting News as saying he gave up his AP poll ballot because the system was being manipulated.
Post a Comment