First of all, Happy Thanksgiving!
It has been entertaining reading and hearing "experts" as they give their reasoning behind not wanting a rematch for the BCS Championship Game. I don't have a problem with people using reason. It's dang-near extinct. However, the issue I have is these "experts" are using this reasoning and opinion and applying it to the BCS as if it is written rule and fact.
There are two myths that are skewing the point of view of too many people who get paid to do this for a living.
MYTH 1
You Must Be a Conference Champion to Play for the BCS Championship
Sure, this makes sense, but the BCS Championship is not about placing the two best conference champions in a game to determine the best team in the country. It's a game that matches the two best teams in the country. Bill Hancock, excutive director of the the BCS, has said as much many times. Although there is no objective way to determine the best two teams, the fact that you do NOT have to be a conference champion to play for the BCS Championship embodies all things required for objectivity. Whether you like that fact or not, it's how the rules are written -- or not written.
MYTH 2
The Entire Season is a Playoff
Yet another man-made myth from the mouth -- and pen -- of babes (in the Biblical sense, not like 1994 Baywatch babes). Nowhere in the BCS handbook can you find anything about the entire regular season being this big long playoff that works out perfectly in the end. You've already proven that you are not very learned about the BCS and executives therein if you believe that anything remotely related to the BCS would include the word "playoff." The BCS despises any mention of playoffs and by stating this myth in your case against a rematch, you lose many a Kool-Aid Kool Point.
[caption id="attachment_281" align="alignright" width="250" caption="You can certainly spell Playoff without BCS"]
[/caption]
Can we look objectively under the perameters set forth by the BCS -- or lack of perameters -- and decide who the best one-loss team would be on December 4th assuming LSU, Alabama, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State win out?
LSU -- They are No. 1, undefeated and will be hanging in New Orleans waiting for one of the below teams.
Alabama -- The 'Tide's only loss is to the No. 1 team and the loss was in overtime. Do you vote for another team to be No. 2 in the BCS based on who the No. 1 team is? Alabama is obviously the No. 2 team in the BCS, but there are people who will vote based on the above myths.
Virginia Tech -- The Hokies' only loss was to Clemson on October 1st and it wasn't even close. Virginia Tech would have a decent argument prior to October 29th when Clemson began a meltdown where they've gone from the ranks of the unbeaten to losing two of their last three games by 14 to Georgia Tech and 24 to NC State.
Oklahoma State -- The Cowboys lost to 28-point underdog, Iowa State. Yes, they had heavy hearts from the tragic plane crash that took the lives of the women's basketball coach and an assistant, but we have to look at numbers and results. Sadly, this is a bad loss at the worst time possible.
[caption id="attachment_332" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=""Can we please listen to the Eric Taylor that wrote this piece and make sure we have clear eyes and full hearts when we discuss the BCS?" -Coach Eric Taylor"]
[/caption]
With clear eyes and a full heart this Eric Taylor tells you right now that you can't lose by putting Alabama in the BCS Championship Game. The point of the BCS is to pit the two best teams in the country against each to determine the national champion. The BCS is not responsible for matching up the two best team in the country that have yet to play. If that was the rule, then fine, I'm 100 percent okay with it. But it's not.
I hate to bring this up one more time -- not really -- but an idea of a rematch is nothing new coming from me. I've assumed these two would play in the BCS Championship Game for over nine months. Well, there was that one post where I wrote that Alabama would kill LSU, but I'm allowed one mulligan, right? I assumed there would be a rematch, but I assumed Alabama would be the team that was undefeated. I thought LSU's strength of schedule would be enough to get them to No. 2 in the BCS.
Feel free to read the following articles for confirmation that I'm more than just a biased fan blogger who wants Alabama to get another shot at LSU so we can make up for our only loss and get our 14th national championship. No, I don't play for the 'Tide, but I've lived and died with them long enough to call them "we" and "our." Anywho, here you go.
Alabama preview from this Summer
2011 SEC Preview from this June
LSU fans have every right to be upset, but their argument is that they already beat Alabama. Okay, fine. Then it shouldn't be a problem to beat them again if you are better than the second best team in the country.
I can see the argument that LSU and Alabama could split the title if Alabama won by one possession, but I can also see where this game is a winner take all.
Read Myth 2 again. The season is NOT a playoff. Most seasons may work out to where it appears that the season is a playoff, but the BCS does not consider the regular season a playoff.
I am expecting a call from the BCS executives requesting that I never use "BCS" and "playoff" in such close proximity ever again.
Are we going to allow Oklahoma State to play for the national title because they haven't lost to LSU yet? The operative word here is YET. They proved they can lose when the pressure to win was on to a 28-point underdog that had NEVER beaten a No. 1 or No. 2 team. EVER.
If anything, Alabama proved they could beat LSU, but fell short -- and wide left and wide right. Looking at it with common sense -- and I realize that's not something we should do often when discussing the BCS -- LSU has destroyed everyone in their path all season long. Well, everyone except Alabama. The Bengal Tigers hit one more field goal than Alabama in overtime in a game that displayed two of the best two defenses that may ever play on a college football field. No one scored a touchdown. Neither team dominated the other. It was a the only type of game that could warrant a rematch.
Alabama and LSU proved that defense is king. The only thing being proven in these "entertaining" shootouts in the Pac 12 and Big 12 is that these teams play glorified 7-on-7 scrimmages each week with ZERO defenders invited to the party. As long as LSU or Alabama is ranked No. 1, please save the "entertaining" teams with "tons of offense" for a game against each other. It's more fun that way. It hurts so bad watching the disappointment on the kids' faces when they see an Alabama or an LSU destroy what they thought was a great offensive juggernaut and render the quarterback's arms and the running back's legs useless.
It's also important to point out that we'd all be a little naive i f we weren't aware of what ESPN is more than likely going to do the next two weeks. Hype Alabama, hype Alabama, and hype Alabama.
I'm not afraid to admit that it's best for television networks if Alabama and LSU play again. Alabama appears to be the best one-loss team, but even if they weren't, ESPN has much better success dancing with 'Bama than leaving them at the alter. Maybe not every sports fan will agree with the matchup, but the entire Southeast will agree and the television ratings would be astronomical.
ESPN would love nothing more than to have Alabama-LSU as the final college football game of the season with championship implications. This would certainly give ESPN the win in the deal they made with CBS to allow them to televise the first game in prime time. ESPN received future considerations for next season (prime time 'Bama-LSU game from Baton Rouge in 2012 among other considerations) in exchange for the prime time slot for the Game of The Century on November 5.
Now ESPN gets the national championship game this season and can follow that up in 2012 with the regular season battle that will more than likely have hype written all over it once again. It will be the first time the two teams meet after the national championship battle and may yet be another game that will determine the SEC West Champion.
Let's not forget that while CBS had about two weeks to fully promote the 'Bama-LSU game in prime time, ESPN would have a full month and we can rest assured knowing they will uncover every inch of each program -- that they haven't already uncovered from the first game -- and promote it until the (Chick-Fil-A) cows come home.
But what happens if Alabama loses to Auburn Saturday? Let's hope that's Myth 3.
Back to the Alabama Crimson Tide Newsfeed