[NU Sports] Maybe the Big Ten ...

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> You are, of course, leaving out that other teams had
> to choke for either 

True.

> team to make the title game...and that Florida
> certainly proved they 
> belonged last season (while Michigan proved they
> didn't).

Well, there were other factors. Florida caught OSU on
a long layoff and on their worst day of the season. I
think the Bucks win the majority of those games. As
for Michigan, they gave up ... and were facing an SC
team that probably should have been in the title game.

> Why would this recent example be "more" of a joke?
> We are talking about the 

I was saying the B(C)S and their rankings are a joke.
Why even have them if the voters are just going to
make up the matchup in the final week (which may not
be a bad idea if you had a selection committee - ala
March Madness and the RPI, using the BCS as a guide).

But a system where a team can leapfrog teams that
didn't lose based on a less-than-impressive win over a
team that isn't even one of the 3 best in their league
is indeed a joke. We knew UGa and KU weren't going to
be in their title games last week - why have them up
there and suddenly push them back after the fact?

> strongest. How is that more of a joke than Nebraska
> 2001 or Oklahoma 2003?

Those were jokes as well - maybe I should have said
"adding to" ... I meant that this only increases the
absurdity of the system.
> 
> While I'm not a rep, here goes: Georgia shouldn't
> have been #4 in the first 

But they were - you can't change the rules midway
through because you don't like the result. If #1 and
#2 lose and #3 and #4 do not, it stands to reason that
unless #5 has a great win, those two should move up.
And #7 being given the game by a mediocre Vols team
doesn't cut it as an exceptional reason to rise.

I think that's what most people are upset about. Yes,
you can make a case for LSU on the season overall. But
you can't justify it by the B(C)S system. It's as if
the powers that be changed the rules in the last week
to get the title game they wanted instead of the one
the system was about to give them.

Plus, as I'll say again, because of the SEC schedule,
Georgia never got a chance to play LSU this year - so
the argument about LSU being the best team in the SEC
isn't that clear cut. Yes, the Dawgs lost to UT early
on, but they beat Florida and Auburn far, far more
impressively than UGa. LSU was a team that lost steam
as the year went on, UGa was the opposite - who
deserves to be in the title game?

> >* Kansas. You were #5 and 11-1, just like the team
> Dropped three spots, actually, and rightly so. When

No argument that they didn't deserve #5, but why not
put them there last week after they actually lost the
game?


> >* Virginia Tech. You were #6 and won your game
> 48-7. They ARE the weakest link. Goodbye!

A September game in Baton Rouge at night. Would the
result be different today? And don't give me the
"every week is a playoff" line ... if that's the case,
LSU was already knocked out twice and can't suddenly
get a pass.

> >* Oklahoma. You destroyed #1, looked far more
> A good point. The Sooners at least have a valid
> claim -- at least, as 
> "valid" as any 2-loss team can have. However, both
> the pollsters and the 
> computers favored LSU, and that's what the bowls go
> after. Sorry, but next 
> time don't lose to Colorado, okay?

If LSU gets a pass for injuries, why not OU? Again,
similar records at the end of the year and they looked
far more impressive in destroying the #1 team than LSU
did against mediocre Tennessee.

> >* USC. You were the preseason #1, had more key
> They lost to Stanford. I repeat: They. Lost. To.
> Stanford. The only reason 

Again, earlier in the year and with injuries (which
seems to be an excuse only for LSU). At the end of the
year, they were as impressive as anybody.

> >* Arizona State. You were 10-2 and didn't even get
> This is inaccurate. The Fiesta Bowl were not allowed
> to choose Arizona 

I know that technically the Fiesta didn't get a chance
to pick, but the BCS bowls have worked out deals
before to get teams they wanted, so if the Fiesta
really wanted ASU, they could have convinced the folks
in Miami to take WVU, I'm sure.

> For the record, I'm not playing devil's advocate or
> just disagreeing with 
> you for the sake of it (as you once suggested);

Sorry if I suggested that once - I usually don't take
discussion or debate personally and honestly don't
remember it. I love playing devil's advocate, so go
ahead and jump in - fine with me.

I know there are many arguments for LSU - but it does
feel like someone is changing the rules at the end of
the game here and I think a lot of people object to
that on the basis of fair play. If we're going to
abide by this messed up system, ride it out to the
end. Normally, if you finish your season ranked #1 or
#2, you're in the title game unless something unusual
happens like #4 destroying #3 on national television.
Common sense says that #7 shouldn't be able to jump up
to #2 based on a 21-14 gift-wrapped win from Mr. Ainge
against a team that was destroyed by both Florida and
California this year.

Like I said, the Big Ten can't complain too much
because aside from the Michigan mess last year, we've
benefitted more than anyone but the SEC from this
warped system. But as a college football fan, it just
doesn't sit right.

Chaos is fun, but this isn't chaos - it feels
controlled - too much so for a game. The old system
wasn't great, but at least you had interest in many
bowls and you might wind up with some honest debate
over #1 at the end of the season, especially one like
this. This year and other BCS chaos years, it feels
like they cut off the debate using an insane system
and then force feed us who's #1. It doesn't feel like
the debatable chaos and it doesn't feel like a
satisfying playoff - just a hellish purgatory of
nonsensical moves.

Yeah, the regular season is awesome ... you can't
convince me that adding a few rounds of playoffs would
diminish that - it could only add to it. And the way
it was had that same meaningful season and the grand
tradition of bowls. The BCS is the worst of both
worlds.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


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