The bowls are de facto championships or rankings anyway. Last season the 2005 Rose Bowl was for the national championship game. For the 2004 championship, it was the Orange Bowl. You could just do the same thing with a playoff system. One year the Sugar bowl would be the national championship game with the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl as playoff locations. Then rotate them every year like they do now. The three or four game playoffs would be at those sites. The rest of the bowls, just like now, are just to extend the season, pride in saying your team made it to a bowl and for money (heavy on the money).