When I proposed a story on how to improve college football, colleague Gary Lundy took the suggestion and ran with it. But not very far.

He asked several SEC coaches what improvements they would make, but they never got around to answering the question. Instead, they went on and on about how great the game was. Disheartened by their responses, Lundy gave up.

So, with no help from Lundy or the coaches, here are my ideas for improving a great game.

Championship Playoff: Almost every college football fan has come up with a playoff plan. The fan plans aren't much different from my plans, some of which I've presented in print from time to time before vowing in frustration "never again."

But I also vowed never to eat a box of Wheat Thins at a single sitting and never to watch another "Knots Landing" rerun. Not only did I break those, I broke them at the same time. So, what's one more?

My newest plan: an eight-team playoff that would include the bowls and give every Division I-A school a shot at winning the national championship.

First, let's take care of the bowls, none of which would have to be eliminated. Seven bowls could accommodate the four quarterfinal playoff games, two semifinals and championship game. Each one would get a national title game every seven years but would always be assured of a playoff game.

The quarterfinal games could be played the week of Jan. 1. The semifinals could be played a week later, followed by the national championship game in mid-January.

The other bowls could be played just as they are now in conjunction with the Bowl Championship Series.

My eight-team playoff field would include the champions of the SEC, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC and Big Ten. One at-large team from those five conferences and the two highest-rated champions from the other Division I-A conferences would comprise the rest of the field. Those three teams could be chosen by an NCAA Selection Committee.

As a matter of fairness, all conferences would be required to have two divisions and determine their championship by a playoff of divisional winners.

And what about independent Notre Dame?

Join a conference.

Five Years Of Eligibility: The NCAA recently applauded a proposal by basketball coaches to give players five years of eligibility instead of four, which raises the question: What took it so long?

Football coaches have been proposing five years of eligibility for years. And since college football will soon go to a 12-game regular season, the proposal has never made more sense.

Grant Teaff, the executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said the old College Football Association first proposed a fifth year of eligibility 16 or 17 years ago.

"Change is very difficult," Teaff said. "People say, 'Well, that's not the way we've always done it.' It has taken a number of years for those who deal with student-athletes to realize that most of them don't graduate in four years."

Teaff said he expects the five-year rule to be approved.

More Scholarships: If you require teams to play an extra game - and the 12th game is a virtual cinch - the least you can do is give them a few more players. Five more scholarships wouldn't break the bank.

Keep It Above The Waist: I got this idea from Bobby Gaston, who coordinates SEC football officials. He wants to eliminate all blocks below the waist.

"Any block down at the knees is dangerous," Gaston said. "From a safety standpoint, we would be a lot better off if we would just eliminate it. And the game would still be just as exciting.

"High schools don't allow (blocking below the waist), and it hasn't hurt their game."

The college rules prohibit blocking below the waist on punt, kickoff and interception returns, but it's still allowable in many instances near the line of scrimmage.

"When a back goes in motion, he can't block below the waist if he's going toward the ball," Gaston said. "Going away from the ball, he can block down."

Blocks below the waist are most prevalent on sweeps, so it's unlikely any coach with an option offense would be in favor of the change.

"You would get objections in smaller divisions where they run a lot of options," Gaston said. "But some of our coaches are beginning to support it."

No Stats In OT: Tennessee and Alabama played to a 20-20 tie after four quarters last year, but the final score was UT 51, Alabama 43. Is that fair to either defense?

It's great to decide a game in overtime. It's not so great to count the points and yards accumulated against tired defenses forced to play in the shadow of their goal.

Statistics should reflect the game, not distort it. So why count overtime statistics?

Sack Passing Yards: The colleges should follow the NFL's model for computing passing and rushing yardage. The NFL counts yards lost through sacks against a team's passing yardage.

In college, yards lost through sacks are subtracted from a team's rushing yardage. Those stats don't reflect the game.

Don't Penalize Enthusiasm: It's OK to penalize teams for showboating or contrived celebrations. But if players spontaneously celebrate a touchdown, they shouldn't be penalized.

That's it for me. Gary, can you add anything?

I didn't think so.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.