The College Football Championship

October 1, 2015

Gr 5-8-In this well-designed and informative title, Doeden describes how college football evolved from its beginnings as a rugby-soccer hybrid into a game millions of Americans enjoy watching on autumnal Saturdays. Early on, college football's many fans clamored for a way to determine the number one team in the country. The convoluted polls of the Associated Press and United Press collided with countless bowl games, creating an infuriatingly fallible system. Between the polls and bowls, many seasons ended with split championships or disputed titles. In 2015, the first true championship game pitted the top two teams in the nation against each other, answering without a doubt the question of who was number one. With analysis of memorable national title games, college football's great dynasties, and unforgettable moments from championship games, Doeden expertly describes the high stakes of NCAA football. He discusses the future of the game, specifically emphasizing the need to address the health and safety concerns inherent to the sometimes brutal, always exciting game. When it comes to college football books, the pickings are slim, with very little apart from thin volumes devoted to one school or the NCAA. This engaging book pairs lively sports writing with vivid photographs, filling a gap in collections with its attention to the history and future of college football. VERDICT Highly recommended for sports enthusiasts.-Abby Bussen, Cudahy Family Library, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2015
A hodgepodge of football history pivots around the controversial ranking systems. As long as there are fans, there will be unhappiness with the final rankings in football's polls. But Doeden is certainly right on two points: the Bowl Championship Series was hopelessly flawed by positive point differentials, and the new College Football Playoff looks likely to "crown a single, undisputed champ each season." Yet the top spot still doesn't guarantee a great game, just as many Super Bowls have been duds. Doeden senses this, and so his book wanders about somewhat, hitting on great title games but also taking a look into the evolution of the game-including safety concerns, then and now-and the building of dynasties, such as the strings put together by Alabama and Notre Dame. Doeden has fun with celebrated plays, highlighting perhaps the most famous of all: Roy "Wrong-Way" Riegels' dash to the wrong end zone, incurring a two-point safety that proved to be the losing margin in the 1929 Rose Bowl. Doeden ends on two critical issues, both altogether unrelated to championships: the concern about brain injuries and the rules regarding player compensation. As Doeden notes, football is headed for some big changes, and not just in how the champ is crowned. An enjoyable if unfocused walk through football history. (Nonfiction. 10-15)

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September 1, 2015
Grades 5-8 Even with 18 confirmed deaths in 1905 and President Teddy Roosevelt calling the sport too brutal, college football has remained popular. But unlike other NCAA sports, college football had no national-champion title game until 2015. Following a brief history of the sport, Doeden explains the flawed poll-and-bowl system used to determine a national champion and the creation of the College Football Playoff National Championship. The action-packed text also covers highlights from former national-title games under the old system, from the 1927 Rose Bowl game, between the University of Alabama and Stanford University, to the 2014 Rose Bowl game, between Florida State University and Auburn University. Other chapters describe college-football dynasties, including the University of Notre Dame and the University of Alabama, as well as memorable national-championship moments. The final chapter considers the future of college football and such controversies as player safety and compensation. Numerous color and archival photos add to the excitement of this title, which will score big with football fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Tracing how college football and basketball developed over the past century, these books focus on the two very different annual competitions that determine "Who's No. 1?" in each sport. Doeden also includes short profiles of the most exciting games, memorable moments, and the best teams. Sharp color and black-and-white photos complement the straightforward texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)