Wacky, wild weekend
In case you missed it on my latest video commentary:
Late Saturday evening in the Oklahoma State press box, Jeff Latzke looked over at me.
The Associated Press reporter lifted an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you glad you don’t have an AP ballot?” he said.
Glad?
I’m ecstatic. After what happened in college football Saturday, I want no part in trying to figure out what’s going on in this college football season.
You know about the carnage. Five of the teams ranked in the top 10 lost last week. It started on Thursday night with No. 5 West Virginia losing to surging South Florida. That was only the beginning.
No. 3 Oklahoma lost at Colorado. No. 4 Florida lost to Auburn. Both went down with field goals as time expired.
No. 7 Texas lost to Kansas State. And No. 10 Rutgers lost to Maryland.
So, let me get this straight. South Florida, Boston College and Kentucky are top 10 teams. The Pac-10 has two of the top three teams in the country, with Southern Cal second and Cal third. South Florida is ranked higher than Florida. South Carolina, Hawaii and Missouri are in the poll while Michigan, Notre Dame and Florida State aren’t.
What in the name of Beano Cook’s chins is going on here?
It’s a college football world gone mad.
And I love it.
Everyone loves an underdog, Sooner fans not withstanding, of course. Watching the little guy win is always good fun. Sometimes the little guy ends up being darn good. See, South Florida. And sometimes the little guy just has a day for the ages. See, Appalachian State.
Honest to goodness upsets are rare in college football. The powerhouses are so powerful that the little guys rarely have a chance.
One of the things that’s made college basketball such a phenomenon are the David vs. Goliath games in the NCAA tournament. The Davids regularly pull the stunners.
In college football, not so much.
This season has been different. And frankly, that’s good news for anyone who loathes the BCS.
Seasons like this are more reason to have a playoff in college football. Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and Rutgers could all run the table, recovering from last week’s upset and winning the rest of their games. If any of them did that, it would be hard to argue their status as one of the nation’s best teams.
But it would take a sizable miracle for any of them to play for a national title. A bunch of other teams would have to lose and lose by a significant amount.
Any team that’s upset by an underdog has almost no chance of playing for a title. Lose to another good team, and you’ve got a shot. Lose when you’re not supposed to, and chances are slim.
Eventually, coaches, athletic directors and even college presidents are going to realize what a sham that is. Teams work year round. Should one bad day amid hundreds of really good ones doom a team? The system in college football right now says yes. If enough powerhouses suffer under that system, eventually they’ll change it.
So, let me get this straight. This is a season with good fun now that might just create good change later.
Who wouldn’t love that?
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Comments
Do you write this stuff while brushing your teeth???
You worry about having an AP ballot??? Are you kidding me… that makes me want to puke.
Its like the “Oklahomian” worry what they would do if they had a female sports writer that was good…. THEY DON’T.
Yeah Texas and Oklahoma running the table….. good luck with all that!
Please don’t write about college football’s solution to the BCS… leave that to people who know what they are talking about.
Okay, let me make sure I’ve got this straight:
“Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and Rutgers could all run the table, recovering from last week’s upset and winning the rest of their games. If any of them did that, it would be hard to argue their status as one of the nation’s best teams.”
Hmm…”…winning the rest of their games.”
Aren’t two of those playing each other? How do they go about winning the rest of their games if that happens? Oh, maybe they end in a tie. Oh, oops, that doesn’t happen much does it? Maybe you didn’t hear about that new overtime thing they do in college football now?
Come on, somebody’s pulling my leg. You don’t actually write sports, do you?
How is it you keep that job?
Token?
You like underdogs, but you really think a playoff would be an improvement? Use your head for a moment
Frankly, I really don’t care if an upset loss dooms the chances of a powerhouse team to play in some contrived NC game.
With the bowl system, the 100 or so teams in the top division who are NOT powerhouses- these underdogs- have a chance to go to a post-season bowl. That is good for the fans, and great for their players, and attractive to their recruits, even if they don’t get the chance to play for the national championship.
Without it, and only a playoff to contend for, the ‘powerhouses’ would grab all the top athletes who wanted any real chance at post-season play.
How do OU & Texas both run the table & recover from last week’s loss? They play each other next week…
Geez Girl