Goal Line Stand
The BCS's Big Problem
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By Michael Bradley
Every year, the people who support the BCS use canned arguments about how the bowl system helps minimize distractions to the “student-athletes’” academic schedules and makes every week of the season a “playoff” in its own right. So many rational minded people have addressed – and proven hilarious – those points in the past several seasons that there is no need to revisit that territory. But after three weeks of the ’09 season, there is another, more underserved area of contention that is gaining attention and deserves discussion.
It has to do with the very methodology of the system, and it proves once again why the BCS is so flawed and a detriment to the world’s greatest sport. One look at the USA Today poll, which comprises one-third of the BCS trinity, demonstrates how silly it is to select the participants in a “championship game” by (in part) an election. In this week’s poll there are two egregious errors made by voters and one whiff that while not criminal certainly raises questions.
The first is the Houston/Oklahoma State situation. On Sept. 12, the Cougars went to Stillwater to take on Boone Pickens’ fifth-ranked Cowboys, who were high in the saddle after their season-opening win over Georgia. This was supposed to be a palette cleanser for OSU, which had legitimate Big 12 title aspirations, particularly after subduing its SEC opponent on opening Saturday. The Cougars were a solid Conference USA team but hardly in the Cowpokes’ class. We all know what happened: Houston 45, Oklahoma State 35. UH scored practically at will and could have won by three touchdowns if it had better withstood OSU’s opening salvo in the second half. It was a decisive win on the road, the kind that gets people’s attention. Unless, of course, they vote in the USA Today popularity contest. In that case, the Houston triumph meant little. The Cougars were ranked behind OK State in the immediate aftermath of their big win, and they sit seven spots behind the Cowboys today at number 23.
This is the perfect example of why allowing anyone, much less myopic coaches who focus solely on their teams and their opponents, to rank teams for anything other than amusement is asinine. To some, Houston lacks Oklahoma State’s pedigree, even though the Cougars have played in the same amount of bowl games (19) as OSU and have played in two more “major” post-season contests than have the Cowboys. Houston has won or shared four major conference (Southwest Conference) titles, while OSU has zero championships in a big-time league. And, in head-to-head battles, the Cougars hold a 10-9-1 advantage. So much for good breeding.
There can be only two reasons why the coaches put Oklahoma State ahead of Houston, and each shows why having an election as part of the championship process is shortsighted. First, Oklahoma State was ranked higher during the pre-season. Second, the Cowboys are in the Big 12, and Houston plays in Conference USA. We learn each season how ridiculous early rankings are. They exist to sell preview magazines and allow TV networks to plug their products by assigning a numeric designation to the teams they’re televising. That’s it. Beyond that they are detrimental to the sport, because they establish an artificial hierarchy that makes it harder for teams left out to climb to the top. And if the recent bowl results (Boise State over Oklahoma; Utah over Alabama) haven’t taught you that top schools in non-BCS conferences can hang with the big boys, then you should be watching Dancing With The Stars instead of following college football. Houston is paying a price because of a bias among coaches, and that’s dead wrong.
The second bit of poll ugliness comes courtesy of those who saw fit to put Brigham Young 11 spots behind Oklahoma, the team it defeated in week one. Yes, the Cougars lost to Florida State, at home, last Saturday. But if a team’s losing a game deserves a huge drop and a place behind a squad with a similar record it has already defeated, then why didn’t USC (number 12) fall past Ohio State (13) after the Trojans stunk it up against Washington? The answer is easy. BYU plays in the Mountain West. USC boasts a great tradition of Homer Jones, John McKay, Marcus Allen and Larry Smith. Oops, forget about that last one. It’s laughable.
While we’re at it, why is Stanford 21 spots behind ‘SC, despite a similar record and a win over the Trojans? One popular excuse is that the Huskies’ win over Idaho Sept. 12 was its first over a I-A team since ’07. So what. This is about 2009, not ’08 or 1978.
This malarkey will persist throughout the entire season, and there’s nothing we can do about it, because the propagandists who own the BCS will bleat for the next three-plus months about how great the system is and why it does indeed choose the real national champ. Do yourself a favor when the apologists spew their misinformation. Take a few minutes and do some research. Investigate the polls and the BCS standings to find the inequities. Just be sure to have some antacid nearby, because you’re going to get sick.
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GAME OF THE WEEK: Miami at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC). Miami already has a strong start in ACC play and looks like it is BCS caliber right now. But winning in Blacksburg isn’t easy, especially if erratic Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor has gained confidence after his last-minute heroics against Nebraska. The ACC is the nation’s zaniest conference, so saying a Sept. 26 game is crucial to the league’s race might be pushing it, but if the ‘Canes bolt to 3-0, they may be out of reach. Miami 23, Virginia Tech 20.
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BUMPS AND RUNS: Yes, we know that Virginia coach Al Groh has rebounded from slow starts before to save his bacon, but the Cavaliers’ 0-3 stagger from the blocks may be too much to overcome. If you’re looking for a candidate to replace him, consider East Carolina’s Skip Holtz, who would benefit from the influence held in the UVA athletic department by retired ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan, who lives in Charlottesville…Lost in the furor over QB Sam Bradford’s shoulder injury is the fact that Oklahoma’s defense has pitched two consecutive shutouts, including one over a potent Tulsa team that came into last week’s game averaging 40.5 ppg…Fans shouldn’t be too surprised Michigan put up a lot of points on Notre Dame, since in 2007, Rich Rodriguez’s West Virginia team beat Georgia Tech, 38-35, in the Gator Bowl. GT’s defensive coordinator that day was Jon Tenuta, who is directing the Irish D this season…There are reports of friction down in Tallahassee, where head coach Bobby Bowden and heir Jimbo Fisher have grown somewhat chilly. The win over Brigham Young helped things a lot, but Fisher shouldn’t consider himself bulletproof because of his contract and buyout, because Bowden has the edge in any struggle thanks to his alliance with school president T.K. Wetherell, who played for Bowden. Then again, with Wetherell’s resignation’s having already been tendered, Bowden may not have the sway he used to…If Missouri beats Nevada Saturday, it will move to 4-0 on the season, further proof that the Tigers don’t miss standouts like QB Chase Daniel, wideout Jeremy Maclin and tight end Chase Coffman. Of course, with a stretch of games against Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas looming after the trip to Reno, Missouri might be wishing those guys were still around.