A football playoff that would allow teams such as undefeated Boise State a chance to play for the Division I-A national title should be adopted and played sometime in December, according to the players and coaches in Honolulu for Sunday's Hula Bowl.

"It would be nice," said Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky, who will play alongside seven University of Hawai'i players on the Kai team at Aloha Stadium. "We need to implement something where we can get a true national champion. I think there's always going to be somebody that felt like they didn't get what they deserved. ... If they can figure something out were everyone is happy with it, I think it would be great for college football."

Boise State, the Western Athletic Conference champion, stunned Oklahoma, 43-42, in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day, and the Broncos (13-0) finished as the only undefeated NCAA Division I-A team this season. The Broncos ended the season ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press Media Poll and No. 6 in the USA Today-ESPN Coaches' Poll.

"I've been talking about a playoff system for five, six years," said Fresno State coach Pat Hill, who will coach the Kai team. "Everything gets decided on the field. You find out who the best team is. It's not about tradition anymore. It's about the best team. Some of the traditional names might not be the best teams anymore. Every year it changes."

Some school presidents, however, have argued that a playoff would extend the college football season at the expense of the student-athlete's academic responsibilities. National champion Florida began its season Sept. 2 and finished it on Monday. The academic argument is one of the strongest against a playoff.

"Most of the playoff time goes during Christmas break," Hill said. "Kids are just getting back to school now. That's not the problem. There's more time taken off in basketball season."

Bowl Championship Series coordinator and Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive told the Associated Press on Monday he's "very, very open-minded about a plus-one," which could create a four-team playoff. Slive said he didn't expect any changes until Fox's four-year $320 million TV deal ends with the 2010 bowls.

"I think a playoff would be real good to have," said Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson, who will play for the Kai team. "I think every other sport has a type of system."

The NCAA's major sports, baseball and basketball, field tournaments to determine national champions.

Thompson said the Christmas break would be a perfect time to start playoffs.

"We had about one week of school after our (last) Big 12 game and from then on there wasn't any school," Thompson said. "You would like to go home and see your family a little bit, but other than that, you're pretty much done with classes."

Florida routed Ohio State, 41-14, to win the BCS national football championship on Monday. Florida and Ohio State finished ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

When asked if Boise State if could have beaten Florida or Ohio State, Zabansky was noncommital.

"The hand that we were dealt, we just went with it," Zabransky said. "We were able to play the cards correctly and go 13-0 with it."

Like Zabransky, Boise State coach Chris Peterson earlier responded diplomatically when asked about a national title after the Fiesta Bowl.

"We just go and play who they tell us to play," Peterson told the Associated Press. "The pollsters vote how they want to vote."

Zabransky said he still gets compliments about the Fiesta Bowl victory and the team's successful gadget plays in the final moments. Zabransky, who has signed with an agency in Scottsdale, Ariz., was the triggerman when the Broncos scored the tying touchdown on a hook and lateral. He also executed a Statue of Liberty play when the Broncos scored the winning 2-point conversion.

"I was in Scottsdale and I felt like I was in Boise because everybody came up to me and congratulated me," Zabransky said.

The Broncos were the second team from outside the major conferences — the Big Ten, Pac-10, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East and Big 12 — to play in a BCS game, joining the 2004 Utah team.

Hawai'i coach June Jones earlier said he was disappointed Boise State, which plays in the same conference as the Warriors, was ranked fifth despite its undefeated record.

"They should have finished higher, too," Jones said. "That's the way it goes."

The Warriors finished No. 24 in the coaches' poll and just out of the AP top-25 rankings, earning the 26th most points.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com.