Overtime: NFL vs. NCAA

Two games. Two ties at the end of regulation. Two leagues. Two different sets of rules. The Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Tennessee Titans, and the Wisconsin Badgers vs. the Fresno State Bulldogs. One game won by the flip of a coin. One game won by a team physically triumphing over the other.

In an NFL overtime situation, it seems as if too much rests with the flip of a coin, not with equal opportunity on the field. On Thursday evening the Steelers won the coin toss, granting them first possession, eventually leading them to victory. This type of overtime system is typically called “Sudden Death” but I just don’t buy it. Whoever wins the silly flip of a token ultimately has the upper hand, how ridiculous! Often, a team may kick a distant field goal, and the game is decided. What an anti-climatic ending to what was most likely a thrilling game in regulation.
Yes, whoever scores first, wins- but if the game is a defensive showdown for fifteen minutes, the game could end in a tie. A tie? What an uninspiring, meaningless ending. A tie is the antithesis of sport.

In my opinion, the supreme of the two overtime systems lies with the NCAA. True, collegiate athletics strive to create equal opportunity, but that’s how it should be. Each team lines up at their opponent’s 25 yard line, if one scores first- the other must do so and vice versa until there is a clear cut, triumphant team. Equal chance, just as exciting, more pressure packed for the players, more nerve racking for the fans, and there is always an undisputed winner.

Why is it that the NFL does not use this system? It seems like the obviously superior of the two. The decision is not determined or given advantage from merely the flip of a coin, but by equal opportunity to score. It provides exhilaration, fairness, and always produces a single champion. In your opinion, which league provides the best method to decide a tie at the end of regulation- the NFL or NCAA?