BCS Venting....

I decided to write this because I’m sick of how everyone is complaining about the BCS this year. I saw a SportsNation poll on ESPN that took opinions on various summaries of this season. One of the questions was about who should be rated the best team in the country. People voted LSU as the best team in the nation (30%). LSU has not proven it in my opinion. They lost two games and throughout the season barely held on the games that they did win. “Undefeated in regulation.” What kind of BS is that? I’ve never heard anything so stupid. LSU gave up way too many points to be called the best defense in the nation and finally ended up beating a Tennessee team that fell ass-first into the SEC championship. USC was next on the poll. If you've actually seen USC play this year, they were terrible. The offense that isn’t there and a defense that LOST TO STANFORD! They should have been ranked 15 after that loss (UM was out of the Top 25 after App State). Their name shouldn't even be mentioned for the NC. They are only being mentioned in the same sentence as other teams for two reasons: 1) it’s illegal for USC to be out of the top 12 teams and 2) the Pac-10 collapsed like Dennis Dixon’s knee.

Personally, I feel that the BCS is a fair system. Coming from a Big Ten fan, it would appear that I’m biased to a certain view (probably true). But if you don't use the BCS, then you are just giving teams the ability to lose. I mean, unless a premier team drops more than 3 games, people still want them considered for a spot in the hypothetical "playoff" system (i.e. Florida). I mean, you cannot lose 3 games and still be win the national title. You cannot lose to Stanford and still be considered. You cannot ignore your losses because they are in overtime and in a particular conference. Your conference isn't the best if everyone keeps losing multiple games within. Games that keep the total points under 40 are what real football is about. That’s just a sign of bad defenses and worse clock management (i.e. SEC, Big East, WAC).

The fact is OSU has only dropped 1 game all year (to a team that is still ranked by the way)! However when we lost, we did drop to 7th place. We didn’t backdoor our way into the BCS title game. SIX other teams kept losing! How can you lose and not expect the consequence. You know what is at stake. People say OSU had an easy schedule, and it’s true. But we've been penalized for that lack of schedule strength. But it wasn't a light schedule. It was still 12 separate games. A schedule is only easy if you play like you are supposed to play. “Easy” games are still games. Michigan lost to App State, WVU to Pitt, and USC to Stanford. People thought those were chump match-ups. OSU didn't drop the easy games. One loss in a major conference is still always ONE LOSS in a MAJOR CONFERENCE! The thing I really hate is when people hate on the Big Ten for ending early. What’s the problem? It gives the players time off, lowers pressure, and allows us to watch without getting caught in media squabble. We also don’t have the freedom to deal with injuries. If a key player is out for 2 weeks, sucks for you. He misses those games. Deal with it, play on. Michigan knew this, didn’t complain, and showed up to play. I admit I have to honor that.

However I do agree that a conference winner should not be ranked below a team that did not win the same conference. That is an inexcusable flaw. But again, this is not the fault of the BCS; it is the fault of the VOTERS! The poll voters should be much smarter and more honest when picking. The computers always are. Give your first place vote to the team that you feel deserves it, not the team that is closest to the top. That’s the only that the fairness will balance out. Some teams are given way too many chances. Mainly teams in the SEC. 6 of 12 teams in the SEC belong in the Top 25? Come on. That can't be right. And Texas, they should have been out of the Top 25 when they lost to OU and K-State in week 6/7. But people kept bringing them back. However, the worst thing this season other than Kansas at number one was early in the season, when people ACTUALLY thought that USF was the second best team in the COUNTRY?!?! Yeah, sure it’s an honest poll.

The BCS is the best system, but it can be much better. Just the formula needs to be modified and account for more schedule strength. That is the only thing that would make the arguments fair. I know that’s what the computers do, but maybe there should be another factor or something. The playoff system is fun to think about and dream, but this isn't basketball or the pros with 32 teams. This is college football. A game that consists of 18-22 year old kids who just last year were in high school. A potential 16 game season is too long. It’s too much for the smaller teams to handle. I mean, sometimes even a 4 quarter game against a powerhouse is too much the handle for a non-super recruit school (i.e. Missouri with Oklahoma. OU played hard-nosed ball and Missouri ran out of steam in the late game). Plus, a playoff system would make the Conference championships ‘worthless’ in the endgame, and pretty much the entire regular season. College FB consists of vastly superior teams and inferior teams. There are very few ‘Cinderella’ teams and Wild Cards. College football runs in patterns that consist of the same schools always winning. And good schools keep getting good players and continue to have success. Because of this, you would probably have the same teams every year. At least now, we have only 2 spots that are fought for. Chances are that new teams will make the championship (I know OSU is repeating but everyone kept losing.). In basketball, you can lose by a few missed shots, shutting out one guy, or a couple key fouls (i.e. Florida). Football plays out completely different. If you made it just a 4 team playoff system, then maybe it could work, but the way college football is structured, you still have to choose who would get the spots because having a 64 team bracket is crazy. [If there was a 64-team bracket for CFB, then it would be fair. That would be the best way to determine a national champion. But how about we just forget about conferences and the regular season too?] For a feasible playoff, there would still be a formula of some sorts, and smaller schools would lose the edge. There would be speaking out on this too, because someone is always feeling that the system is wrong. Right now, everyone knows what is at stake. YOU CAN’T LOSE! That is it. If you do, you better hope that everyone else does too (i.e. OSU). This was a pretty good season for deciding who belongs where if you really think about it in the end.

The BCS also gives the smaller schools the attention/exposure that is needed for them to progress. I heard Hawaii's football budget is only like 2 million dollars. And if they go to a BCS game, they'll get like 5 million right there. These teams need these kinds of chances. Now Hawaii can schedule harder non-conference teams and actually make a legit effort from the voters for a better ranking. If your team’s goal is the National Championship, you have to schedule harder games. If the formula worked correctly, this would be seen (i.e. Kansas). Ohio State was getting penalized for that, but everyone else kept losing. OSU knows this and deals with it. In the upcoming seasons, they have a rotation with USC and Miami scheduled. OSU would have accepted the fact that they couldn’t make a valid argument with another 1 loss team. I mean, now Hawaii has a chance to make the National Championship next year. Boise could have done it this year if they had gone undefeated. Everyone likes the little guy when he beats up the big guy. WVU didn't have a chance 3 years ago, not until everyone wanted to see them because they became all flashy. Now they are a perennial favorite and brought up a dying conference.

I’ll admit it is unfair that some conferences do not have the conference championship. In the older days of football, the conference championship is what mattered. That is the only reason that it exits now. In these modern times of designated national championship games, the conference game has become merely a speed bump in the way of the big title. It’s the hardest game of the season, tacked on at the very end. Big schools play for the NC. That’s a fact. They say they like winning the conference, but if you ask Georgia this year, they would not care the slightest. One loss and a team knows it could be out of the running and the year is basically a bust. The conference championship is just a consolation prize. It’s like the honorable mention the slow kids get at Field Day. But this should be amended by making the major conferences have 12 teams each. I mean most already have 11. Make it 12 teams, add a championship game, and send the detractors on their way. I know its more work than just saying it, but its something to look into. This makes the system fairer and improves schedule strength. Or, have the game, and do not factor the loss into the equation as much.

As for the teams that deserve to play in the National Championship. Without a doubt, Ohio State deserves to play. My reasons are above, and the numbers prove it too. Only teams that have won their divisions should be considered. So that removes Kansas and Georgia. [On a side note, how come when Kansas lost, they weren’t dropped out of the Top 10? This is a clear example of how strength of schedule is not adequately factored in the equation. I heard that until Missouri, they didn’t have one team on their schedule that, at the time, received at least ONE TOP 25 VOTE!!! That is frickin’ ridonkulous. They shouldn’t have even been ranked number 1.] If Georgia gets into the NC game, it’s just entering through the back door. I mean, it’s just not right. The teams that deserve it are Oklahoma, LSU, Virginia Tech, and Hawaii. Oklahoma won the Big 12, beat the number 1 team in nation. That is saying something. Even though OU is ranked lower, but they have just as many losses as LSU. Although, their losses were to Colorado and Texas Tech, both unranked. LSU did win the SEC, and they did beat a ‘highly’ ranked Tennessee team. However, they were not the number one team, am I right? So, Oklahoma should leap frog LSU from sheer averages. Virginia Tech is the only there because they won the ACC (which was broke-ass conference this year, Miami 5 and 7, come on). Nonetheless, they are currently ranked the highest of the three. The losses were to LSU and a #2 Boston College team, meaning that their losses should factor for much less consequence. I just haven't seen them play the best quality of football to earn a top spot. Hawaii gets a vote because they are the only UNDEFEATED school remaining in the nation. But they do not deserve it because, yeah, they play in the WACk. Ooh, Boise State. What an ‘important’ game. Hawaii almost lost to Washington, at home. Talk about not coming to perform when you play a real conference team. The bottom of the barrel of the Pac-10 and you barely competed? Spectacular. Nonetheless, they did win. I do like Hawaii and hope they win their bowl game (unless it’s against WVU, but maybe even then; I like it when things get shaken up). Colt Brennan for Heisman (use 2006 stats).

When the voting takes place, I think people are going to reconsider their initial votes for Georgia and Kansas. OSU should get majority of the first place votes. Voters will choose LSU, but the computers will favor Virginia Tech. Thus making the BCS numbers between the two very close. And Oklahoma will be in the fourth spot. The next spots will be Georgia, Missouri, USC, WVU, Hawaii, Kansas, and Florida. But it is definitely going to be interesting.

The final point of this essay is that the BCS is fair if you look at it objectively. There is no other solution for college football. Another system would cause other complaints and then people would have problems with that system too. Teams would be fighting for the playoff spots the same way they are fighting now. Every single team knows what is at stake in this system. The only people that complain are the people the want an excuse and a scapegoat to make up for whatever mistake they made earlier in the season.

P.S. – Why do people always hate on OSU? However the NC last year definitely did not help (and basketball). Last year sucked.

Just my thoughts; take it or leave it. All I know is, Ohio State is in the National Championship. Pick whoever you want. Bring it on…

EDIT: after final rankings released:
Voters are stupid. Suddenly, LSU is ahead of VTech and Kansas gets a BCS game? Computers are smart. VTech was number 1 in the computers, yet 5/6 in the human rankings? What happened to Oklahoma? Did people just forget they beat the number one team? Illinois gets a bowl and Missouri gets hosed? Goddamn humans….