The college football playoff wasn't going to happen this year, and might not ever happen, but the BCS games were finally revealed over the weekend after the conference championships. I can't say I agree with each of them and while there are some decent matchups, there are others I wanted to see.
Of course, the national championship game between Florida and Oklahoma is the best of the bunch and promises to be a barnburner with the score possibly going into the triple digits, combined. It will be speed versus speed, spread versus spread, Heisman finalist versus Heisman finalist, and could be Heisman winner versus Heisman winner by gametime. Points are assured, and that's a huge draw.
My biggest disappointments are Cincinnati-Virginia Tech and Alabama-Utah. Since the Big East lost Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College to the ACC, it hasn't really deserved an automatic BCS bid. Cincinnati does not belong in this class and would get crushed by any upper echelon program. Virginia Tech usually falls into the latter category but is having a down year. This game doesn't have any pizzazz or appeal to make people other than alumni watch. It will be a bunch of no-names grinding it out and a 24-13 game that ultimately doesn't mean anything.
Alabama-Utah is a disappointment because Alabama deserves better than this. Utah will get put in its place by that defense and will get run over by the Crimson Tide's rushing attack. All season long, we've heard stories about how the Big 12 gunslingers would fare against a real defense, i.e. some of the SEC elite. This was a perfect chance to double up and have not only Florida play Oklahoma, but Alabama play Texas as well, just to settle the argument. Instead, Alabama goes from top ranked in the country to playing a non-BCS team, quite a fall from grace.
I am most angry at Ohio State getting yet another BCS bid while other teams are left on the bench. I know true freshman QB Tyrelle Pryor makes that a different team, but how can you put a two-loss team in over a one-loss or, worse, an undefeated team? Boise State would have been a perfect matchup for Utah, letting the non-BCS conference teams duke it out for supremecy, allowing Alabama to play Texas. Not sexy enough? What happened to Texas Tech? Sure, they got blown out in one game against Oklahoma, but I seem to remember Ohio St. getting clowned on by USC earlier in the year. Then, the Buckeyes lost again to Penn St. and hasn't been in contention since. Texas Tech will put up more points, and I'm willing to bet they would also beat Ohio St. head to head. The Red Raiders just wrapped up their best season in school history, tied for first place in the best division in college football, and are going to the Cotton Bowl. I don't call that justice.
Penn St.-USC will be an intriguing matchup between a solid Nittany Lions team and the world-class Trojan defense. The Rose Bowl has consistently been a good game and I don't expect any less. I'll tune in, but my mind will still be focused on what could have been.
If we could remove all the conference commitments and hand-picking of the sponsors, let's get the dream matchups out there. Taking out the business/money section of the equation, here's what I want to see:
National Championship: Florida vs. Oklahoma
-The two best conferences in the country put their champions head to head in a shootout for the crystal football.
Rose Bowl: Texas vs. USC
-Texas has another high-flying offense and is still arguing about their inclusion in the championship game, but let's see how good they really are against a defense littered with NFL talent.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Texas Tech
-Alabama deserves better than a non-BCS conference matchup. Let's put old school versus new school, Nick Saban's solid defense and running game against Mike Leach's unorthodox passing attack.
Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
-This bowl becomes the sacrificial lamb. Neither of these teams deserve to be here so they're stuck together in this second-rate battle.
Fiesta Bowl: Utah vs. Boise St.
-Two undefeated, non-BCS conference teams get to go at it. Boise St. is two years removed from what I think was the greatest bowl game of all-time, I'd expect a lot of trick plays and risk taking. I think it would be a big recruiting boost on a national stage to continue parity across the country.
I still favor a playoff, but they handed me lemons. I'm just making lemonade.
Of course, the national championship game between Florida and Oklahoma is the best of the bunch and promises to be a barnburner with the score possibly going into the triple digits, combined. It will be speed versus speed, spread versus spread, Heisman finalist versus Heisman finalist, and could be Heisman winner versus Heisman winner by gametime. Points are assured, and that's a huge draw.
My biggest disappointments are Cincinnati-Virginia Tech and Alabama-Utah. Since the Big East lost Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College to the ACC, it hasn't really deserved an automatic BCS bid. Cincinnati does not belong in this class and would get crushed by any upper echelon program. Virginia Tech usually falls into the latter category but is having a down year. This game doesn't have any pizzazz or appeal to make people other than alumni watch. It will be a bunch of no-names grinding it out and a 24-13 game that ultimately doesn't mean anything.
Alabama-Utah is a disappointment because Alabama deserves better than this. Utah will get put in its place by that defense and will get run over by the Crimson Tide's rushing attack. All season long, we've heard stories about how the Big 12 gunslingers would fare against a real defense, i.e. some of the SEC elite. This was a perfect chance to double up and have not only Florida play Oklahoma, but Alabama play Texas as well, just to settle the argument. Instead, Alabama goes from top ranked in the country to playing a non-BCS team, quite a fall from grace.
I am most angry at Ohio State getting yet another BCS bid while other teams are left on the bench. I know true freshman QB Tyrelle Pryor makes that a different team, but how can you put a two-loss team in over a one-loss or, worse, an undefeated team? Boise State would have been a perfect matchup for Utah, letting the non-BCS conference teams duke it out for supremecy, allowing Alabama to play Texas. Not sexy enough? What happened to Texas Tech? Sure, they got blown out in one game against Oklahoma, but I seem to remember Ohio St. getting clowned on by USC earlier in the year. Then, the Buckeyes lost again to Penn St. and hasn't been in contention since. Texas Tech will put up more points, and I'm willing to bet they would also beat Ohio St. head to head. The Red Raiders just wrapped up their best season in school history, tied for first place in the best division in college football, and are going to the Cotton Bowl. I don't call that justice.
Penn St.-USC will be an intriguing matchup between a solid Nittany Lions team and the world-class Trojan defense. The Rose Bowl has consistently been a good game and I don't expect any less. I'll tune in, but my mind will still be focused on what could have been.
If we could remove all the conference commitments and hand-picking of the sponsors, let's get the dream matchups out there. Taking out the business/money section of the equation, here's what I want to see:
National Championship: Florida vs. Oklahoma
-The two best conferences in the country put their champions head to head in a shootout for the crystal football.
Rose Bowl: Texas vs. USC
-Texas has another high-flying offense and is still arguing about their inclusion in the championship game, but let's see how good they really are against a defense littered with NFL talent.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Texas Tech
-Alabama deserves better than a non-BCS conference matchup. Let's put old school versus new school, Nick Saban's solid defense and running game against Mike Leach's unorthodox passing attack.
Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
-This bowl becomes the sacrificial lamb. Neither of these teams deserve to be here so they're stuck together in this second-rate battle.
Fiesta Bowl: Utah vs. Boise St.
-Two undefeated, non-BCS conference teams get to go at it. Boise St. is two years removed from what I think was the greatest bowl game of all-time, I'd expect a lot of trick plays and risk taking. I think it would be a big recruiting boost on a national stage to continue parity across the country.
I still favor a playoff, but they handed me lemons. I'm just making lemonade.
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