BCS: Awful like always

by Bobby Stompy on December 8 at 10:53AM

"That's not to say I think that Florida should play Alabama in the national-title game. But it's my feeling that after you see Florida smash Oklahoma -- far more decisively than Texas' 10-point win over Oklahoma -- we'll all realize that not only is Florida the No. 1 team in the country, but Bama is No. 2. Meaning: I think Bama would beat either Texas or Oklahoma, also. It's really too bad Oklahoma is in the title game ahead of Texas, because I think UT could give Florida a much better game than OU. It's going to be painful for Texas fans to watch the Gators stomp OU." - Dan Shanoff

So, guess who won the SEC title game?

I have been madder at the BCS (See: Auburn getting snubbed in 2004. As well as the ridiculous Michigan snub in 2006 where its only loss came to a No. 1 Ohio State team on the road, and even though every other team in the nation had a worse loss, all I could hear were southern accents going "THEY UHL-READY 'AD THEY'UR CHAY-UNCE!" as a petty justification...I hate everyone.).

In 2008, it shoulda been Texas. It should-have-been Texas. In professional sporting leagues, I understand the two best teams in any given year can't always play each other in the finals, but this is simply due to physically impossible scheduling limitations (See: the prime rivalries of the Yankees/Red Sox, Pats/Colts, Lakers/Kings), but college football isn't like that -- at least it doesn't have to be. With the way the BCS system is set up, the two best and most qualified teams should face off in the national title game every single season. So, in a conference without a championship game, teams like USC and Oregon or Penn State and Ohio State could go independently undefeated and end up playing for the national title. It's harder -- read: impossible -- for this to happen in conferences with championship games.

Now, I get that these title games are supposed to separate the best team in the Big 12/SEC/Big East/ACC from the rest of the pack, but it simply didn't happen this year. Texas is right on par with Oklahoma. Yet, the Longhorns were snubbed by a minuscule margin for the Florida Gators.

The question of Texas versus Florida -- a debate which I'm sure will go on in Austin for the next decade or two -- starts outside of the conference scheduling.

Texas played...
Florida Atlantic (6-6, bowl game)
Rice (9-3, bowl game)
UTEP (5-7, crappy)
Arkansas (5-7) - BCS conference

Meanwhile, Florida played...
Hawaii (7-6, bowl game)
Citadel (4-8, crappy)
Miami FL (7-5, bowl game) - BCS conference
Florida State (8-4, bowl game) - BCS conference

Florida for sure takes the non-conference edge, but it's not by staggering proportions. It pretty much came down to UF scheduling two BCS schools as opposed to Texas' one.

While this should be enough to give Florida somewhat of an inside track to the title game, Texas ups Florida in the Signature Win and Signature Loss department.

The win: Florida beat the No. 4 team in the country (Alabama) handily in a neutral stadium / Texas beat the No. 1 team (Oklahoma) soundly in a neutral stadium

The loss: Florida lost at home to Ole Miss when their "Heisman trophy winner" couldn't get the tough yard when he needed it...he cried after the game / Texas lost on the road to Texas Tech on one of the more insane last second plays of the entire season

Florida's deal breaker, to me, is the fact they lost at home to a team which isn't even in the top ten in the country. You lost at home and expect to go to the national title? Give me a break. What sucks the most is knowing, even after the loss, that Florida would still somehow sneak in to the title game. Just like 2-loss LSU last year. Totally fair. Why isn't it clear to everybody -- not just 99.8% of people -- that the title game usually only works if two, solitary teams finish the season unbeaten?

When writers like Bill Simmons or even casual friends of mine say they don't follow college football because the BCS system is too stressful and messed up, I kind of shrug it off... usually. But really, they're the smart ones. They save themselves a lot of frustration, and, above all else, they don't waste their time on a broken system in desperate need of repair.

Another exciting season meets is disappointing, unjust conclusion.

Say it with me: ESS. EEE. SEE.

* * *

Broadening the scope to the rest of the bowl picture, I speak pretty seriously when I say, like, all of the games are pretty terrible -- specifically uninspiring from a Big Ten perspective. While some teams in the conference have to be stoked at where they ended up (Iowa/MSU/OSU), none of the match-ups have any glam.

We'll start with no Michigan. I know they're a polarizing team, and the conference is probably happy they're gone this year, but UM is still one of the Big Ten's biggest names (dare I compare it to the playoffs without the Yankees?).

Elsewhere, my alma mater Iowa plays crappy South Carolina, who I was stunned to find out finished with ~~eight~~ seven wins.

Ohio State plays Texas for the third time in the last four years. Meh.

Penn State is slated to get rolled by USC. (Coincidentally, Northwestern made the same plans against Mizzou -- now, I know Mizzou lost some big games, but for their season to end in the same place as Northwestern?! Something just seems wrong about that...)

Michigan State's got the Georgia Bulldogs, who I don't think we saw beat an elite team all season. And you've got to imagine the Bulldogs are fired up after losing their pre-season No. 1 ranking, finishing with the most disappointing 9-3 record in school history, and likely losing their entire backfield to early entry in the NFL draft.

Minnesota plays Kansas in a bowl game that features Minnesota.

And, quite possibly the best, worst game: epically boring Wisconsin (how on EARTH did they make a bowl?!) squares off against epically boring (with bonus underachieving!) Florida State.

Everybody go home.

* * *

White Sox: JD leaving = Sad. Though Bailey intrigues me. Is it wrong I hope the deal doesn't happen? I think I like Dye more than the Sox sometimes.

* * *

Pat Forde saturates my bowl-related depression

1 Comment | Leave a comment

Rickhouse | December 8, 2008 10:55 PM | Reply

I read that Shanoff post and was going to mention that exact section if you didn't beat me to it. My distaste for him is already on record, but I dislike even more now since he agreed to let me interview him for my interpretive reporting final and then never responded to my questions.

Oklahoma-Florida is going be an awesome game - I don't even know who should be favored at this point - but what really irks me is how we wait five weeks for it. There's a lot of stuff you can do in that time, like, I don't know, some type of postseason tournament.

BCS: Awful like always

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