Robbery, says one. Jobbery, says the other.
At Auburn, they are indignant. They moan in the outraged voice of a victim wondering who is to blame. Who are these bandits? Who are the burglars and the buffoons and the bozos. Can they not see?
At Utah, they are incensed. They groan with the wounded sound of a target protesting its pain. Who are these crooks? Who are the criminals and the con men and the cretins? Do they not know?
The anger is upon us again. Every year, it arrives along with the turning of the leaves, the arrival of the tourists and the displays of candied yams. The nation has been BCSed again. Time to howl at the moon.
It is an outrage, of course. It is grand larceny. It is an insult to intelligence, an affront to the athletes involved and another example of a messed-up system messing up again. And isn't it always?
This time, the alleged victims are Auburn (felony division) and Utah (misdemeanor), both of whom tell you how they are overlooked and underrated. Auburn finds itself in danger of being left out of the national title game. Utah may be left out of a high-paying BCS game.
So go ahead. Lump the BCS in with Clyde Barrow and D.W. Cooper and Butch Cassidy and all the other bank robbers you can name. Suggest that Auburn is about to have its pocket picked and Utah is about to have its watch stolen.
Or, you can come to this conclusion:
Pretty much, the polls are right.
As right-thinking Americans, of course, we all hate the BCS. The BCS has been tinkered with as much as an old Dodge, but it never works. Nothing would feel better than to work up a healthy froth over the BCS.
This year, however, the BCS is working about as well as it is capable. No one is being robbed. No one is being swindled. However, someone is always third, and someone is always seventh.
It pains me to say this. Everyone loves an underdog, and it would be a hoot to see Utah sweep over the mountains and show the big boys with the big budgets a thing or three. A year after the ooze of the program almost swallowed him, it would be nice to see Tommy Tuberville strike a blow for the good guys. (Also: In the interest of full disclosure, I graduated from Auburn.)
Turns out, however, there are a couple of problems with the notion of Auburn in the title game. For the sake of argument, let's call them "Southern Cal" and "Oklahoma."
Those guys are pretty good, too.
For all the faults of the BCS, the biggest is that it has no idea how to fit three teams into one game. This isn't paper, rock and scissors. You can't have a jamboree. As long as college football refuses to have a playoff, which will be as long as the major conferences rake in most of the bowl revenues, someone is going to get left out.
Time was, it was Ohio State. Then it was Miami. Then it was Oregon State. Then it was Oregon. Then it was Southern Cal. The way it stands, it will be Auburn this year.
Certainly, you can make a case for the Tigers. Auburn won three games this year against teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time. It has that great CarMax Backfield with the Cadillac and the Bentley. It has won by the most consistent margins of any of the top three.
So what did the Tigers do wrong?
For one thing, they scheduled poorly.
This might be a championship lost in the athletic office. This year, Auburn has played The Citadel, Louisiana Tech and Louisiana Monroe. That's too many layups to win a 3-point contest, don't you think? Instead of flying to Louisville to hire a coach last year, Auburn should have gone to schedule a game.
That was one of the purposes of the BCS, wasn't it? To force teams to play better schedules?
As for Southern Cal, the Trojans have the best win of the three. Southern Cal beat a California team that otherwise would have been undefeated. Yes, the Trojans could have been more dominant, but they deserve to be in the title game.
Oklahoma? Oklahoma beat a Texas team that otherwise would have been undefeated. Yes, Oklahoma gives up points like the Kansas City Chiefs. If Auburn were to slide past the Sooners, that wouldn't be an outrage either. Right now, I'd give a slight edge to Oklahoma. You know, just like the BCS.
Again, this doesn't mean the BCS is good. I still can't figure out why Jeff Sagarin has Auburn fourth, behind Cal. Check the input, Jeff. It's a mystery why some computers ignore margin of victory. Why should it help Oklahoma that Bowling Green is having a decent year and hurt Auburn that Arkansas isn't?
As for Utah, frankly, the Utes should be thrilled to be as high as they are.
I know, I know. The Utes have crushed everyone they have played. But there's the rub. They haven't played enough somebodies. And it's impossible to say how they would do if they had to play three or four games against Top 25 teams. Yes, the Utes beat Texas A&M. But A&M is ranked No. 22 in the country. Being better than No. 22 only guarantees you should be in the top 21, right?
Think about it. If you had to bet your house, do you think Utah could beat Michigan? Or Miami? Or other big-name schools?
Better question: Wouldn't you love to see it? Again, that's one reason that refusing to have a playoff remains the most shortsighted, dim-witted idea currently employed. Look at the current Associated Press Top 25, and let your imagination run wild. First round: Southern Cal vs. FSU; Oklahoma vs. Michigan; Auburn vs. Texas; Utah vs. Cal.
A couple of rounds later, you might end up with Auburn and Utah for the national title.
And the best thing? No one would feel the urge to call a cop.
SPTimes.com
At Auburn, they are indignant. They moan in the outraged voice of a victim wondering who is to blame. Who are these bandits? Who are the burglars and the buffoons and the bozos. Can they not see?
At Utah, they are incensed. They groan with the wounded sound of a target protesting its pain. Who are these crooks? Who are the criminals and the con men and the cretins? Do they not know?
The anger is upon us again. Every year, it arrives along with the turning of the leaves, the arrival of the tourists and the displays of candied yams. The nation has been BCSed again. Time to howl at the moon.
It is an outrage, of course. It is grand larceny. It is an insult to intelligence, an affront to the athletes involved and another example of a messed-up system messing up again. And isn't it always?
This time, the alleged victims are Auburn (felony division) and Utah (misdemeanor), both of whom tell you how they are overlooked and underrated. Auburn finds itself in danger of being left out of the national title game. Utah may be left out of a high-paying BCS game.
So go ahead. Lump the BCS in with Clyde Barrow and D.W. Cooper and Butch Cassidy and all the other bank robbers you can name. Suggest that Auburn is about to have its pocket picked and Utah is about to have its watch stolen.
Or, you can come to this conclusion:
Pretty much, the polls are right.
As right-thinking Americans, of course, we all hate the BCS. The BCS has been tinkered with as much as an old Dodge, but it never works. Nothing would feel better than to work up a healthy froth over the BCS.
This year, however, the BCS is working about as well as it is capable. No one is being robbed. No one is being swindled. However, someone is always third, and someone is always seventh.
It pains me to say this. Everyone loves an underdog, and it would be a hoot to see Utah sweep over the mountains and show the big boys with the big budgets a thing or three. A year after the ooze of the program almost swallowed him, it would be nice to see Tommy Tuberville strike a blow for the good guys. (Also: In the interest of full disclosure, I graduated from Auburn.)
Turns out, however, there are a couple of problems with the notion of Auburn in the title game. For the sake of argument, let's call them "Southern Cal" and "Oklahoma."
Those guys are pretty good, too.
For all the faults of the BCS, the biggest is that it has no idea how to fit three teams into one game. This isn't paper, rock and scissors. You can't have a jamboree. As long as college football refuses to have a playoff, which will be as long as the major conferences rake in most of the bowl revenues, someone is going to get left out.
Time was, it was Ohio State. Then it was Miami. Then it was Oregon State. Then it was Oregon. Then it was Southern Cal. The way it stands, it will be Auburn this year.
Certainly, you can make a case for the Tigers. Auburn won three games this year against teams ranked in the Top 10 at the time. It has that great CarMax Backfield with the Cadillac and the Bentley. It has won by the most consistent margins of any of the top three.
So what did the Tigers do wrong?
For one thing, they scheduled poorly.
This might be a championship lost in the athletic office. This year, Auburn has played The Citadel, Louisiana Tech and Louisiana Monroe. That's too many layups to win a 3-point contest, don't you think? Instead of flying to Louisville to hire a coach last year, Auburn should have gone to schedule a game.
That was one of the purposes of the BCS, wasn't it? To force teams to play better schedules?
As for Southern Cal, the Trojans have the best win of the three. Southern Cal beat a California team that otherwise would have been undefeated. Yes, the Trojans could have been more dominant, but they deserve to be in the title game.
Oklahoma? Oklahoma beat a Texas team that otherwise would have been undefeated. Yes, Oklahoma gives up points like the Kansas City Chiefs. If Auburn were to slide past the Sooners, that wouldn't be an outrage either. Right now, I'd give a slight edge to Oklahoma. You know, just like the BCS.
Again, this doesn't mean the BCS is good. I still can't figure out why Jeff Sagarin has Auburn fourth, behind Cal. Check the input, Jeff. It's a mystery why some computers ignore margin of victory. Why should it help Oklahoma that Bowling Green is having a decent year and hurt Auburn that Arkansas isn't?
As for Utah, frankly, the Utes should be thrilled to be as high as they are.
I know, I know. The Utes have crushed everyone they have played. But there's the rub. They haven't played enough somebodies. And it's impossible to say how they would do if they had to play three or four games against Top 25 teams. Yes, the Utes beat Texas A&M. But A&M is ranked No. 22 in the country. Being better than No. 22 only guarantees you should be in the top 21, right?
Think about it. If you had to bet your house, do you think Utah could beat Michigan? Or Miami? Or other big-name schools?
Better question: Wouldn't you love to see it? Again, that's one reason that refusing to have a playoff remains the most shortsighted, dim-witted idea currently employed. Look at the current Associated Press Top 25, and let your imagination run wild. First round: Southern Cal vs. FSU; Oklahoma vs. Michigan; Auburn vs. Texas; Utah vs. Cal.
A couple of rounds later, you might end up with Auburn and Utah for the national title.
And the best thing? No one would feel the urge to call a cop.
SPTimes.com
