The BCS is Right as Ohio State Readies for Florida
No matter what happens with the final BCS polling there are always going to be complaints. That will always be a fact as long as the final X number of teams don’t get the opportunity to play the hierarchy to completion in a special “end-of-year tournament” that the rest of the sports universe calls “playoffs.”
But for now, that argument is tired and I don’t think there are significant numbers of thinking individuals who support BCS polling and bowl games as a ranking method to continue with that argument. Instead, we have another BCS poll that moved teams around based on the last week’s play and seeded the teams into spots for the bowl season. And miraculously enough, the BCS is right this year.
And as Michigan fans plan a Jihad upon my home, let me tell you why.
Michigan ended up where it belonged in the BCS, despite what some ESPN writers think. I think Michigan is probably the second best team in the nation OVER Florida, but how many times have we seen this in other sports?
The Yankees and Red Sox fought tooth and nail to face St. Louis when the Red Sox won the ALCS. I think either team would have smacked St. Louis in the World Series, but that doesn’t mean that we get an ALCS rematch and cast St. Louis to the side. The fact is that Michigan lost to Ohio State already. They had their chance and they lost. Michigan had its chance on the field. Florida should have that chance too.
In this system with the way it is set up, when you look at a two team race between Michigan and Florida for a chance to play in the National Championship game, there is only one stat that matters. The two teams each have one loss. They each have a tough schedule. The only thing that matters in my mind is that Ohio State already beat Michigan on the field. So, even if Michigan “projects” to be a better team than Florida, Florida gets the game.
End of story.
And Michigan fans, I know you are all crazed right now because of the “injustice.” But what would have happened if Michigan had beaten Ohio State in the final game of the regular season? If Ohio State lost the game against Michigan, they would be playing LSU, because they wouldn’t deserve to play in the National Championship either.
deezo Said,
December 4, 2006 @ 4:10 pm
Technically Ohio State should be playing Boise State because they are both unbeaten…
I think Michigan/OSU II would be an enormous draw, the first meeting garnered higher ratings than ANY game of the 2006 world series, and all but 1 game of the NBA Finals. I agree that Florida deserves the shot because they haven’t played OSU head to head, but I think Michigan is getting screwed by the system. If Michigan goes on to stomp USC, and OSU beats Florida won’t the BCS be exposed yet again for not giving College football fans a “true” national championship game? This is a case were the BCS+1 system could work. Say Michigan wins and OSU wins, the final standings will probably have them #1 and #2, with a BCS+1 game there would be no argument. It isn’t a full fleged playoff, but at least it would be something.
FilteringCraig Said,
December 4, 2006 @ 4:36 pm
I agree that it would be a draw. I don’t agree that Michigan got “screwed.” They had just as much control of their own destiny going into the final week of the season as Ohio State.
I guess my point is that it could be (and has been) worse. At least Michigan and OSU have played a game this season.
FilteringCraig Said,
December 5, 2006 @ 7:55 am
Urban Meyer might have been making political statements, but you know what? He was right. His team is the only one of the two that hasn’t already LOST to Ohio State on the field of play.
deezo Said,
December 5, 2006 @ 8:21 am
Michigan did control their own destiny and lost, I completely agree. Say for arguments sake OSU had lost by 3, I would make the argument that Ohio State was still better than Florida, and should be given the rematch.
Florida lost by 10 on the road to Auburn that finished the season 9th in the BCS standings. Michigan lost by 3 to the #1 ranked team in the nation on the Road. It seems to me that there is more value in Michigan’s loss than Florida’s.
Florida is also arguing strength of schedule, which in most years would be true, but Alabama, Georgia and Florida State were in down years, and their out of conference schedule of Central Florida and Western Carolina was less than challenging. Michigan did play some cupcakes in Ball State and Central Michigan sure, but they also beat 11-1 Wisconsin at home, Iowa at home, and won on the road against Notre Dame and Penn State, so there schedule was pretty close to as tough as Florida’s.