The Bowl Championship Series set its national title game on ESPN’s Bowl Selection Special last night: LSU vs. Alabama.
Sure Alabama didn’t win its conference – hell, it didn’t win its own division. But the last time I checked, the mission of the BCS is to pit the two best teams against each other – #1 vs. #2. It’s not supposed to pit the two best CONFERENCE WINNERS.
If folks examine the past champions across the sports landscape, a few of those champions didn’t win their divisions.
This is prevalent in baseball, where it is not uncommon to see the wild card teams win the World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals did not win the NL Central on its way to a World Series title twice in this decade. Those damn Boston Red Sox won it all as a wild card team as well.
If you want to talk football, the Green Bay Packers didn’t win the NFC North last year en route to a Super Bowl title. My Pittsburgh Steelers did not win the AFC North in route to winning Super Bowl XL. The New York Giants did not win the NFC East the same year they won Super Bowl XLII.
And don’t even bring up college basketball, where some of the past champions did not win their regular season conference titles nor conference tournament titles.
My point is that the BCS did its job in selecting the best two teams in the country. It’s what makes college football unique.
Sure Oklahoma State violated Oklahoma, but OSU had no business losing to Iowa State. Plus, there is no doubt in my mind that Alabama could dominate Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
And for those who are crying about it, remember how things USED to be in college football? You know, where the polls decided the national champions and it wasn’t always settled on the field because of conference bowl tie-ins?
I didn’t think so…
Categories: college football, sports story
Right on Klown!
Wait, your using teams that were not ranked or voted in as number 1 or 2 ranked teams in the nation as exampls that voting the supposed top 2 teams in the nation into a game is the correct way to go? These teams expose the weakness of the BCS not prove its worth. In your examples the eventual best teams in their respective sports would never have gotten a shot.
They would be playing in a small bowl game at best, probably not even a bcs bowl.
Using these teams as an example clearly demonstrates that the best teams arent always voted in or ranked number 1. That playing a playoff gives teams that may have started slow, had key injuries, or just found there groove late a chance to prove themselves, well you know, on the field of play.
If you believe this NCG is the right game then good for you, a majority of the coaches and professions agree with you and a majority of the fans disagree. I like a game where everyone does not have to agree or disagree but instead the teams play and best team wins. Im tired of the BCS and the debate.
This controversy brings us one step closer to the next rung on the ladder, the plus one system. A game between the winner of LSU-Ok St and Ala – Oregon would be worth a fortune.
I agree with you – LSU and Alabama are the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in college football this year thus deserve to play for the BCS Championship. I’m an University of Oregon fan, but recognize the SEC is the toughest conference in the NCAA and the Ducks wouldn’t stand a chance against either of these teams.