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| Former LSU coach Nick Saban holds the National Championship trophy |
For the first time since they started the BCS, a non-conference champion won the title game. And, unless you count the Bowl Alliance (1995-1997 seasons), it was the first time the SEC champion lost the “title game.”
But was it really a title game?
A lot of people seemed to be upset that Alabama, which didn’t win its conference — heck, it didn’t even win its division — was even in the title game.
Of course, I don’t remember hearing all those people piss and moan when Oklahoma played in the title game in 2004 (2003 season) even though they got beat by Kansas State in the Big 12 title game. LSU ended up beating the Sooners in the National Championship Game.
I also don’t remember a bunch of whining when Nebraska was in the title game in 2002 (2001 season) when they didn’t qualify for the Big 12 title game. Miami beat the Huskers in the National Championship Game.
But, this time, the non-conference champ beat the team that “deserved” to be there, unlike the two Big 12 teams from the 2001 & 2002 seasons.
Of course, this was a rematch from a game played earlier in the year. That’s never happened before. Unless you count the 1997 Bowl Alliance title game (1996 season) between Florida and Florida State. FSU won the regular season finale, but Florida won the rematch in the National Championship Game.
So what happened — a non-conference champ in the game and a rematch in the game — has happened before. All this whining should have happened the first time one of these things happened. Or the second. Or the third. Waiting until the fourth is a little late.
What should have happened? There should have been a playoff. The 11 conference champions and the top five non-conference champions should have been placed in a pool of 16. Like I wrote about here. Then, the two teams that are still standing after that have shown they deserve to be there. Who knows what would have happened? We may have had an Alabama-LSU rematch. Or, a game between Oklahoma State and Boise State.
Will a playoff happen? No, because a true championship isn’t the goal of the people in charge.
So, we’re stuck with a very imperfect system. Sort of like how we pick presidential candidates.
You can remember years when there wasn’t tons and tons of whining about the BCS selections? You, sir, have selective memory.
Yosoff:
Yes. Yes I do.
The computers used to have more power in the BCS system, until people (who are stupid) made the computers more reliant on polls (which are beyond stupid) to determine the best teams (because people care less for statistical evidence such as “Oklahoma State’s schedule was, according to some computers, tougher than Alabama’s while Alabama already lost to LSU on their homefield” than they care for media hype).
I like writing in parenthesis.
Agree with Yosoff. The bitching and moaning has been loud most years.
We need a playoff.
> Clemsnman
> We need a playoff.
So you agree with me?
The thing about football is that, on any given day, any good team can defeat any other good team.
It’s because football plays are made by football players. I know this because John Madden said things like this:
“When you have great players, playing great, well that’s great football!”
“Hey, the offensive linemen are the biggest guys on the field, they’re bigger than everybody else, and that’s what makes them the biggest guys on the field.”
“If the Quarterback throws the ball in the end zone and the Wide Receiver catches it……. It’s a touchdown.”
“Mark Brunell usually likes to soak his balls before a rainy game.”
I for one enjoyed the game…is that wrong?
zzyzx:
No, it’s not wrong.
A lot of Arena League-style fans don’t like defense. It’s just something they aren’t used to seeing.
I actually wrote a paper about a 32-team playoff Bracket and a new rating system for the BCS a few years ago in my English class, I ignored the idea of the less important bowl games, but it could easily be worked in.
I was gonna say that too zzyzx, not because I saw the game, but because Alabama apparently beat the living swamp gas out of LSU.
But then I didn’t say it because I was worried it would be off topic.
Oh, well, I’m off topic a lot.
Maybe I can make up for it by thanking Basil for his post: Thanks Basil!
There is no whining in the SEC. Roll tide.
There is no whining in the SEC. Roll tide.//
Unless Auburn goes undefeated and doesn’t make it into the title game due to a creampuff OC sched.
Basil, my only disagreement with you is thinking people didn’t complain when Neb got in and when Okla got in without winning the BigXII.
We need a playoff, then if the SEC ended up winning 5 or 6 national titles in a row, nobody could complain. But as it is, they get anointed into the title game too often.
Ok St got screwed this yr.
Clemsnman:
Oh, there was some whining then. People always whine. Give a man a dollar and some will complain you didn’t give ’em two. But there was so much I heard this year about the Alabama appearance in the BCS title game.
We could argue about whether or not Oklahoma State should’ve been there. If the pool is two, they have a case for that. But, if the pool is 16 (11 conference champs plus 5 wild cards) there’s no case to have to make; they’re in the pool.
“There is no whining in the SEC.”
Primarily because the current system is driven by media opinions. Since media opinions are largely in favor of the SEC, it is only natural that the SEC would receive preferential treatment (Michigan did not receive a rematch with Ohio State in 2006 while Alabama did this year). Hence SEC fans have no reason to complain.
Marko:
I remember some suggestion of a Michigan-Ohio State rematch for the BCS title. I didn’t favor it, but not because of any opposition to a rematch. I just didn’t think either were one of the two best teams. The fact that both got their asses handed to them in the bowl games proved my point.
This new-found “SEC bias” everyone talks about is a new phenomenon. I don’t remember it in 2007 when Georgia was jumped in the polls by 4 teams, all of which were beaten in bowls that year (except LSU.)
There was a lot of criticims of Nebraska making the title game. But, like with Alabama, there was no argument that they weren’t actually the 2nd best team in the country. And in a 2-team format, 2nd best is all that matters. Don’t talk to me about OSU; Sam Bradford’s OU team had a much better offense, but was made to look silly when an SEC team with 22 players instead of 11 hit them in the mouth. And ‘Bama’s defense this year was much better than Florida’s in ’08. Oklahoma State would’ve learned the same lesson Ohio State and Oklahoma did: your quarterback can’t throw for 500 yards laying on his back.
Everybody knows a playoff system would be better (SEC commissioner Mike Slive proposed one a few years back, but was ignored), but right now we’re stuck with a top 2 system. And this year, Alabama and LSU were clearly the 2 best teams.