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Does Texas deserve a piece?
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…but will the Longhorns have the last word?
There’s no doubt that the matchup selected by the BCS will be an interesting one. Oklahoma and Florida have been laying waste to its opponents over the last few weeks. The anticipation is similar to that of a Kimbo Slice match and may not be decided until the last seconds wind down. The last such bout should be fresh in our minds when USC and Texas met in 2005.
So, Texas beat OU. Yeah. We know.
Regardless of this redundant claim, the result (45-35) plays into the equation going into the bowl season. Regardless of who the BCS National Championship Game winner may be, perhaps the AP voters would view a Texas beating of Ohio State as deserving of a #1 spot.
The last time this happened was in 2003 when USC and LSU shared the national champion spotlight. USC finished #1 in both the AP and Coaches’ Polls, but the computers punished USC for having the weakest schedule giving LSU and Oklahoma a shot at the BCS title. Despite LSU’s defeat of OU in the Sugar Bowl, the AP poll stood firm in its decision to crown USC its National Champion.
The difference this year is that Texas is ranked third in the human polls going into the Fiesta Bowl. Both place the Longhorns in the #3 slot. However, the computer polls give Texas a .1500 margin over Florida. The result is a tiny .018 margin in the BCS poll between the Gators and the ‘Horns.
1. Oklahoma, 0.976
2. Florida, 0.948
3. Texas, 0.930
4. Alabama, 0.844
5. USC, 0.821
6. Utah, 0.785
USC and Utah will have to settle.
PLAYOFFS? Regardless of all the arguments that exist for or against a playoff system, the most salient factor has to be which teams are chosen. Maybe the BCS is good for one thing after all. Is it fair to select the 8 teams with the BCS poll? What about conference champs? Although some teams may be left out, those teams that feel they should vie for the title will have their day.
No matter what system is chosen, there will be some degree of unfairness. So, once President Obama figures out how to repair our economy, next on the agenda should be the college playoff proposal. I’m all ears.
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 Courtesy GETTY IMAGES—–
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It should be no surprise that LSU has regained the pole position in the latest BCS rankings. After a strong 5-0 start, LSU escaped the BCS guillotine by putting together some last-second tactics to get the necessary “W”. This weekend, the Tigers were back in early-season form putting away Louisiana Tech, 58-10.
My early season favorite, Oregon, fought its way to #2 after beating Arizona State two weeks ago. They could conceptually run the table for remainder of the season and earn its place in the BCS championship game.
Kansas may be the spoiler. Depsite boasting an unbeaten record, the Jayhawks haven’t found the respect they believe they deserve. However, with a win against Missouri in two weeks and a Big 12 Championship win, it would be no surprise that they leapfrog Oregon in the rankings. Assuming both teams run the table, Kansas and #4 Oklahoma would simultaneously battle it out for a BCS Championship and Big 12 Championship bid.
BCS Rankings
Water Under The Bridge?
A month ago, I made some implausible college football observations one of which included a nod for Illinois and Kansas.
Will someone rank Illinois already? They feature an all-purpose running back in Rashard Mendenhall and a secondary equipped with radar. Speaking of underrated teams, get Kansas in there too.
Both have lived up to my expectations. Illinois has become one of the premiere spoiler teams after knocking off top ranked Ohio State, and Kansas eased its way into the top by remaining unbeaten. If there is any season to use as an argument against the BCS and for a playoff system, this is it!
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