2011 BCS Championship: The Whining From Non-SEC Fans Ridiculous

in this fair land (with apologies to Gordon Lightfoot) there was no BCS. And the arguments were many and often justified, for the best team in the Big Ten had to play in the Rose Bowl against the best team California (sorry other Pac 10 teams but that’s how it usually worked out). and the best of the SEC went to… etc. And the matchups had no discernible relationship to determining a champion, and everything to do with putting fannies in the seats.

The BCS may be flawed is flawed. but it is a better system with fewer problems than the non-system that preceded it One of it’s inherent flaws is that it is limited to the perceived “’top two” teams, and seldom is it cut and dried who the top two teams are in college football. This will remain until there is some sort of playdown, but when it is the top four, then there will be arguments from #5, 6,… etc. And rightly or wrongly neither the universities want to extend the playing season, nor do the other bowls want their outcomes pushed further into the shadows of irrelevancy.

And if you are a fan of a school that always seems to be ignored (listen up Boise State fans) when it come to championships, or even major bowls take a hint, get a loyal fan base. Given an excuse a bowl will always invite a mediocre Kentucky team to play, because the fans will show up, the tickets will be sold, and the party will go on. Outside of the championship contest the bowls are a business, and the business involves selling tickets, and Boise State football team does not fill the stadiums. [and as a personal note, lose the blue field, it may be “unique”, but it sure isn’t appealing IMHO]

Yeah it’s possible although the “Game of the Century” that was played…what 2-3 months ago…hardly lived up to it’s billing. I will watch,albeit clicker in hand,in case once again it becomes a battle of field goal kickers. I know we all are stuck with this so called system to “guarantee” 1 and 2 play for the national championship (not sure I buy that) but it always leaves me wondering why on earth a NCAA champion in what may be the most popular sport is crowned using this ridiculous method. I hope the game tonite is a treat that lives up to all the hype which has lasted a month (again..totally ridiculous) but until a champion is decided..and I mean REALLY decided…on the field by use of a playoff system, I just can’t get totally stoked over another BCS super bowl.

Okay Mr. Peabody….
The end of 1981 the NCAA football champion was…?

1981
*Clemson: AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Poling, Sagarin, Sporting News, UPI
Nebraska: National Championship Foundation
Penn State: Dunkel
Pittsburgh: National Championship Foundation
Texas: National Championship Foundation
Southern Methodist: National Championship Foundation

Count ’em folks six teams were voted #1 by someone, thats right 6! And chances are none of the teams would have played each other, and before wall to wall coverage, many of the voters would not have seen more than one or two games of any of the games by teams outside their area, and maybe not even seen all of the teams on tv.

so how deep shall we go with our playoff scheme? If you are coaching Nebraska say where do you practice for 3 extra games in December and January. Given a typical Nebraska winter you aren’t going to be doing it outside in preparation to play in one of the sunshine states where the bowls typically are played. How do you budget both time and money to go and practice where you are going to play? It’s one thing to budget for going to a bowl in say New Orleans, but what if the next week you have to pay to be in Miami, and then if you continue the next week in California…etc.

Above I assumed 8 teams, cut it to 4 and you make it 2 extra games, but which 4 get the nod ? Look again at the teams voted NCs in 1981, is their anyway without someone having a legitimate beef?

To check other years see full listing at:
http://collegefootball.about.com/od/nationalchampions/a/champions-list_2.htm

This game has helped me realize how much I like football. Turns out I don’t like football enough to watch a rematch of a defensive struggle between a team I don’t like and a team I don’t care about. When there is no novelty (the teams have met before), low scoring potential (last game was 9-6), and I’ve got no rooting interest, then I don’t get excited about the national championship game. I’ll probably tune in during the 4th quarter if it’s close.

I take from all of the critics of this game is dominance creates great jealousy. The very mention of the SEC is enough to make detractors’ faces turn sour. Hope John Hauge enjoys the OWN programming tonight.