Muller: The BCS Championship Game Is A Farce
By Shawn Muller-
(CBS) There are no "do overs" in life.
Well, unless your favorite college football team happens to be the Alabama Crimson Tide, of course.
If you hated the BCS system before Sunday's announcement of the LSU-Alabama rematch on January 9th down in New Orleans, you absolutely despise the BCS system today. How could you not? It represents everything that is wrong with major college football.
I said it before, and I will say it again: If you don't win your division—and you don't even play in your conference championship game—you do not deserve a spot in the NATIONAL championship game. Alabama did neither and they do not deserve to play for the national championship. Oklahoma State embarrassed the Oklahoma Sooners to the tune of 44-10 on Saturday to win the Big XII—and what the computers believed—was the toughest conference in the country this season.
So, remind me again why Oklahoma State is not playing for the BCS National Championship?
I know I am walking a thin line here by saying anything negative towards the SEC. I know we are all supposed to kneel at the altar of college football's (supposed) most powerful and most important conference, but all this SEC-bias has gotten so out-of-hand it is ridiculous. I am sorry, but I just don't see what all the fuss was about?
All season long, college football fans across the country are force fed pro-SEC propaganda:
- SEC speed is vastly superior to any other conference.
- No other conference power has to play a grueling SEC schedule.
- It is a battle EVERY week in the SEC.
- The SEC should merge with the NFL.
Ok, so maybe that last point was a bit of a stretch, but you get the idea: It seemed that the only thing stronger than Chuck Norris was the Southeastern Conference.
But I say bull.
Contrary to what the SEC-hype machine—otherwise known as ESPN—wants you to believe, there is really nothing overly special about the conference when you compare it to conferences like the Big XII, Big Ten, and the Pac 12. Each one has a few really good teams, a couple of decent teams, and a group of horrible teams.
LSU is clearly the best team in the country heading into bowl season, and they absolutely deserve a spot in the championship game, but Alabama getting the rematch is a joke. While I do think the Crimson Tide are good, they are not as special as everyone makes them out to be.
Who exactly did Alabama play in their so-called "brutal" SEC schedule?
Was it the 6-6 Florida Gators? Was it the 6-6 Vanberbilt Commodores? Maybe it was the 2-10 Ole' Miss Rebels? Or the 5-7 Tennessee Volunteers?
The teams Alabama faced this season had a combined record of 84-61. Looks like a pretty tough schedule, right? Well, looks can be deceiving.
If you took LSU off the schedule (Alabama's only loss) that number plummets to 71-61. Take away 10-2 FCS opponent, Georgia Southern, and that number plummets to 61-59. Alabama also had the luxury of playing LSU and Arkansas (their two-toughest games on paper) at home, so let's not act like the Tide played some daunting schedule. It was a mediocre schedule given more credit than it deserved. Nothing more, nothing less.
The same cannot be said about the Oklahoma State Cowboys schedule.
Oklahoma State's combined opponents W-L record was 81-63 (without playing a 1-AA opponent). Yes, the Cowboys did lose to 6-6 Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, but the Cyclones are going to a bowl game, and it was in double overtime, so why are the Cowboys being penalized for losing a tough game (their only loss) on the road, while Alabama is being rewarded for losing a close game—in overtime—at home?
None of it makes sense, and I think it is one of the biggest jokes I have ever seen in college football.
And that's saying something.
Everyone—including the pro-bowl contingent—knows that the only way to determine a true champion is through a playoff. In a playoff, the best team in the regular season doesn't always win the championship, but they are rewarded for their play by being given the "easiest" route. If they lose, they lose, but you know what? At least we know that whatever team actually does win the title actually EARNED IT.
Alabama did not EARN a spot in the BCS Championship. They were given the benefit of the doubt in a laughable system.
What is an LSU-Alabama rematch going to prove?
LSU already beat Alabama.
Why should they have to do it again if it doesn't occur in a playoff format?
Alabama had their chance and they blew it.
It was time for another team to get a crack at the Tigers and that team was the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Sadly, this game—the game every college football fan outside of SEC country and maybe Norman, Oklahoma—wanted to see, will not take place.
Instead, we will once again, be reminded of just how inferior we are when compared to the mighty Southeastern Conference.
Shawn Muller has lived in the great city of Chicago for 7 years. He is a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and, in October of 2010, Shawn received his certificate in radio broadcasting. In his free time, Shawn enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa and 3 year old daughter Ava, catching any live sporting event, and traveling. Check out his radio show, Grab Some Bench with Muller and Bangser" every Thursday night at 8:30 P.M., at www.blogtalkradio.com/spmuller24. Read more of his blogs here.
