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SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT Longtime BCS boss Bill Hancock is now charged with putting a playoff in motion — and he likes the look of what comes next for college football T BY MIKE LUCAS • UWBADGERS.COM here's an unmistakable avuncular quality to Bill Hancock, the first executive director of the new College Football Playoff. But don't be fooled by his demeanor. He's tougher than he looks. As a marathon runner and cross-country cyclist, Hancock's hide has been hardened by many of the events in his life, not the least of which was the loss of his son in the 2001 plane crash of the Oklahoma State men's basketball team. Will Hancock was a media relations coordinator. He was 31. Since November of 2009, Bill Hancock has been holding the leadership reins of the BCS. If anything ever called for thick skin, it would be this, the Bowl Championship Series. So if you want to know something about scrutiny, he's more than willing to share his experiences. But, first, know this about Hancock: "I'm the luckiest guy I know," he said. "I got to direct the best event in college basketball, the Final Four. Now, I get to direct the best event in college football." With so many eyes on the product, with so many second-guessers of the BCS process, Hancock conceded to have survived in part "by having integrity and being tough enough to accept criticism." With all the noise out there, he said, "You kind of weed through it and listen to what's important and understand that you get the criticism because of the passion for the game" of college football. "We wouldn't have it any other way," insisted Hancock, who was in Madison last week for a UW donor function. "We have a sport that people love and I wouldn't change that for anything." Hancock is quite pleased and excited by the 13-member College Football Playoff selection committee, which includes Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez, the former UW football coach. "We had several classifications of committee members that we wanted," Hancock said, "and one was athletic administrators; another was coaches. So we got a two-for-one with Barry. "His national stature and knowledge of the game will help our committee so much. We're delighted that he's a part of this. I've known Barry for awhile. He's one of the unique leaders in our business that can speak football and, obviously, he's a tremendous administrator. "The first thing that you expect from a leader is integrity and, of course, he has that. He's bright, he respects people, he's tough and he understands being under scrutiny and how to behave under scrutiny. All those things that go into being a leader, he has every one of them." Alvarez will serve a three-year term on the selection committee. "The terms are staggered because 39