sportsblog

So we are nearing the end of November and that means two things: Thanksgiving and BCS debates. I actually enjoy both of these things. Thanksgiving is pretty obvious, but most people don’t like BCS debates. Well, I don’t particularly care for the BCS in general, but I do like talking about it; about who should be in the Championship Game, who should be the at large teams and how we should fix the system for next year. All of these things are fun.

This year the scene is particularly cloudy because everyone in major conferences except for Alabama has lost at least one game and in the Big 12, the top 3 teams have rotated losses, which only complicates things further. Alabama has two games left (one of which will most likely come against Florida and the other is their rivalry game against Auburn) and there is a good chance that they will lose at least one of them then giving all major conference teams at least one loss and leaving Utah (currently number 6 in the BCS), Boise State (#9) and Ball State (#15) as the only unbeaten teams and completely muddying up the Championship picture.

Should Utah (the only non-BCS Conference team with a real shot at the thing) get a chance to play for the BCS Championship given the schedule that they’ve played and the fact that they’ve beaten everyone they were supposed to? Should USC get a chance to play for the Championship since the only team they lost to (Oregon State) also appears to be headed for a BCS bowl game? Should Oklahoma go to the Championship and jump over Texas (even though Texas beat Oklahoma) because they thumped Texas Tech (the only team to beat Texas)? What about Penn State, who dominated a weak Big Ten except for a last second loss in unbearable conditions on the road? Are all of these points made moot because whoever gets there is going to get beaten by whoever comes out of the SEC (Florida or Alabama, most likely)? All of these questions are what make debating about the BCS fun.

Personally, I hope that Florida and USC are the two teams that end up playing for it all. Texas and Oklahoma are both really good football teams, but I think that Florida and USC are the two best football teams in the country. They’re both highly athletic, have extremely potent offenses and crazy good defenses. Not to mention, they are both exceedingly well coached.

Now, Oklahoma showed a lot in absolutely dismantling Texas Tech on Saturday especially on the defensive side of the football. We all knew they could put up points, but they’re defense had given up almost as many and let some bad teams hang around with the Sooners late in games. Saturday, though, they kept the nation’s second best offense down for most of the game (especially the early part) and helped put the Red Raiders away for good.

This is to say nothing of Texas, the only team to beat Oklahoma. The Longhorns have also been great this year and Colt McCoy has been especially awesome. Despite losing to Texas Tech, McCoy should probably win the Heisman Trophy. Without him, Texas simply would not compete and he adds so much to that team. This is before we even mention the fact that he has put up some ridiculous numbers this season (30 passing touchdowns and 8 rushing touchdowns and only 7 INTs).

All that said, I still think that Florida and USC are the two best teams in the country and since I have no strong college football allegiance I would like to see the two best teams go head to head in the Championship game. This scenario probably won’t happen, however. Florida still has to beat Florida State on Saturday (which is probably a little harder than in year’s past) and get past Alabama in the SEC Championship game (and Alabama has passed every test so far this year so they could very well beat Florida). And USC, sadly, needs help. They need either Oklahoma, Texas or both to lose their regular season finales (against Oklahoma State and Texas A&M respectively) and they need whoever emerges from the Big 12 South to lose to Missouri in the Big 12 Championship game. Otherwise, I can’t see USC leaping the both of them and into the Championship.

(Quick side note: has there ever been a more unheralded #1 than Alabama this year? Everyone - including me - expects them to lose at least one of their remaining games depsite the fact that they are unbeaten in the SEC, have beaten Georgia and LSU on the road, and seem to be able to win just about any type of game. There is no doubt that if they beat Auburn and Florida in the next two weeks, they should be a big favorite in the Championship game. I still hat Nick Saban, but the guy is doing a helluva job down there in Tuscaloosa.)

It would seem like whoever comes out of the Big 12 (assuming it is Oklahoma, Texas or maybe Texas Tech - although if it is Tech, I think USC goes to the Championship instead) and whoever comes out of the SEC (assuming it is Florida or Alabama) will be the two playing for the Championship. Unless, of course everyone loses another game and then it is Penn State and Utah playing for the Championship (both are finished with their seasons). Although, I’d prefer Florida-USC we really can’t go wrong with any of the top 5 playing one another. It is bound to be a great game, which is about all we can ask for, especially those of us without any real alliances.

I do think the BCS is a flawed system and I would love to see a playoff, but we cannot say that we haven’t had good Championship games (even the ones with Ohio State have been somewhat entertaining; you know, the Jim Tressel face) or that the debates haven’t been fun. The playoff would seriously add to the fun of the college football season. I don’t think we’ll ever see it happen because in reality the BCS works despite the fact that no one really likes it, but here’s my pitch to add to those already out there. Make it a 12 team playoff with the top 4 teams getting a bye and use the BCS standings for the seedings. I am completely opposed to allowing Cincinnati or whoever ends up being the tallest dwarf in the ACC play in a BCS bowl because their conference has an agreement to play in one. We need to end that practice and go strictly by the rankings. All of the teams who lose in the playoffs would be put into lesser bowl games (the top 8 would go to the other BCS bowls) and the Championship game would remain exactly the same way it is now. This gives us real, meaningful college football in December and gives more teams a shot at the Championship. If nothing else, it would be fun to watch. It will never happen, but hell, can’t hurt to hope for it, right?

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