AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > December > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThe BCS blows it again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Michigan has the second-best team in the country, but Florida has had the better season. Michigan stood a better chance of beating Ohio State in Glendale, Ariz., but Florida-OSU represents the better matchup. Does any of this add up?
Of course not.
It’s the BCS.
The BCS was created to ward off a playoff system, created to give the illusion of a legitimate championship game without damaging the sacrosanct bowls. And most every January, that’s what we get — the illusion of legitimacy. We’ll never know if Michigan is actually superior to the Gators, though the belief here is that it is. We’ll know only that Florida swung enough votes by playing on the last Saturday night of the season to outpoll the Wolverines, whose bad fortune it was to have concluded their schedule Nov. 18.
Did Florida deserve to go to Glendale? Unless it finishes undefeated, no team actually “deserves” anything. And even going unbeaten guarantees nothing if you’re not from one of the glamour leagues. Ask Boise State. Why didn’t it get a shot at the Buckeyes? Ask Louisville, which is technically from a BCS league and which finished its season with one-three point road loss, same as Michigan, but finished only sixth in the final BCS standings.
Urban Meyer took much grief for lobbying so hard — the latest round from Lloyd Carr, who coaches Michigan — for his Gators these last two weeks, but Meyer’s lobbying is the key reason Florida jumped above the Wolverines. The “no-rematch” argument was the clincher, even though it seems utterly disingenuous for any Gators coach ever to make that case. The only reason Florida has a mythical national championship to its name is because, 10 years ago, it was granted a bowl rematch with Florida State.
The voters penalized Michigan not because the Wolverines had gotten appreciably worse this last fortnight but because the desire to create a more palatable BCS title game outweighed all else. That’s what happens when voting is involved. Consistency takes a last-minute hike.
This isn’t to say Florida is without compelling merit. It won the nation’s best conference and lost only one game en route. The Gators are a really good team; I just happen to believe Michigan is slightly better. (And I generally give SEC team the benefit of all doubt.) But that’s why the BCS is flawed at its core — it runs on opinion, and reasonable minds can disagree reasonably. The beauty of the NCAA basketball tournament is that opinions play little part in deciding a champion. It all gets worked out on the court.
No matter how hard it’s tweaked, the BCS only gets more tangled every year. On Sunday it was learned that Jim Tressel, who coaches Ohio State, had recused himself from the balloting because he didn’t want to pick his own opponent. As noble as that sounds, Tressel’s self-disenfranchisement surely hurt Michigan: Who’s a better judge of the Wolverines than the last coach to face them? And should a man who has agreed to vote in the coaches’ poll be allowed to pull out just because it becomes politically inconvenient?
We live in a society controlled by politics, which is why we look to sports as our refuge. In sports, the cold reality of the scoreboard carries the day. Except in Division I-A college football, where the regular season ends and the scoreboard gets turned off and clarity disappears.
We’ll never know if Michigan could have taken Ohio State on a neutral field, or if Louisville or even Boise State could have pulled a George Mason in Glendale. We’ll never know because the men who oversee the BCS are more consumed with safeguarding the status quo than with doing what’s right. There needs to be a playoff, but there will never be a playoff.
Permalink | Comments (195) | Post your comment | Categories: Mark Bradley, UGA / SEC
Comments
By BCSgotitright
December 3, 2006 10:10 PM | Link to this
Flotida had a daunting schedule in a tough conference and came out with their head still attached.
BCS got it right.
Get over it…
By NationalChamps
December 3, 2006 10:13 PM | Link to this
Bradley get over the pups being dominated by the Gators. Virtually all of the national commentators agree that UF deserves it. You are in SEC country and makes these ridiculous comments. Glad you will have to see the PH Factor(Percy Harvin) in Jax next year.
By Max Sizemore
December 3, 2006 10:17 PM | Link to this
Please, let’s not mention Boise State in the same breath with the others. It was exposed athletically (and schematically, on defense)last year when it played Georgia. I would agree that Michigan is probably better than Florida, but the Gators are more deserving based on their schedule. It’s all a moot point, anyway, because Ohio State is clearly the best this season and will handily beat the Gators.
By mel
December 3, 2006 10:18 PM | Link to this
I agree there definately needs to be a playoff system in football like there is in basketball and every other sport in the NCAA division 1-A.
By BCSHater
December 3, 2006 10:22 PM | Link to this
You are exactly right. Boise State deserves more of a shot than Fla. They went undefeated right? Why not Louisville or Wisconsin? Also, how does Fla pass Michigan when Michigan was so far ahead in points?
Fla probably would have lost to Ark if Fish doesn’t try to field a punt at his 3 yard line. It was not a compelling enough victory to justify jumping Michigan.
It all seems fixed to me. The BCS is a bunch of BS. Every year the BCS creates problems and doesn’t solve anything. In my opinion, we should just go back to the old bowl structure and stop trying to create all of these arbitrary match-ups.
By ExpertTexpert
December 3, 2006 10:23 PM | Link to this
The premise this whole column of swill is based on is: Michigan is better than Florida. What proof do you offer, Mark? Zero. “I just happen to believe that Michigan is slightly better.” Oh, well, Mark, I’m convinced!
Michigan had their shot. They lost. Now step aside and give the real title contender its shot. And when Florida is hoisting that big glass egg to the heavens come Jan. 8, Mark, I hope you’ll be man enough to retract this swill. But you’ll conveniently forget. You’ll be off somewhere beating the drum for some other ill-conceived, ill-considered, ill-supported agenda.
Wonder if your tune would change if, say, your precious Dawgs were in Florida’s position? Spare us your soapbox rantings. The rest of us will enjoy a title game for the ages; you, Mark, can go mate with a Wolverine.
By Al
December 3, 2006 10:26 PM | Link to this
Yes they won…but dominated…difine please?
By Bo
December 3, 2006 10:27 PM | Link to this
I agree that BCS is not a good system, but Michigan is not the #2 team and any coach that want lobby for his team is not worth his salt. Get over it and give us some good news about the Braves if you can get any.
By Ugotta B. Kidding
December 3, 2006 10:29 PM | Link to this
And God, I thought Jeffrey was stupid!!! You see folks, this is why the college playoff system is so screwed up…because we have morons like these two that don’t have a damn clue. And a lot of these morons have a vote. Know now why Southern Cal, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas and a few other media darlings are always pre-season high picks? It’s because such “sharp football minds” as these vote them up there. (duh-huh!) If you’re an SEC team you’d better not only win the SEC and go undefeated, you’d better beat at least 3 NFL teams along the way to get any respect.
And as a Dawg fan, I hate like hell saying this BUT… GO GATORS!!! Go SEC!!!
Now I’m going to get something to rinse my mouth out!
By Chris
December 3, 2006 10:32 PM | Link to this
One of the worst opinions ever… UF deserves a shot to play OSU. Michigan had there chance to play OSU. Regardless whether it was on a neutral field or not. And yes, I am a Dawg fan…
By Jax Dog
December 3, 2006 10:32 PM | Link to this
This BCS hoopla for UM could have been settled if the Big 10 conference would follow suit with the SEC, ACC,and the Big 12 and engage in a conference championship. I do not feel sorry for UM one bit for two reasons 1) Lloyd Carr needs to take a sports marketing class in “How to market your BCS team.” This guy just sat back and pleaded the 5th, when he should have been defending his team’s position! 2) Not having a Conference Championship game hurt UM. College football had another 2 weeks to go when the Big 10 ended their season (Out of sight, out of mind syndrome). Big 10, do the NCAA a favor and have a conference championship game, and maybe then I will have more respect for the conference; that goes for the other conferences as well, and you know who you are! On another note, I am completely appalled with Notre Dame and the favoritism this program receives. SUGAR BOWL???? Give me a break! Notre Dame, do me a favor and join a conference, I do believe the Big 10 has a slot, or should we call it the Big 11.
By Bos Bob
December 3, 2006 10:36 PM | Link to this
Okay, Let’s say Michigan was to play Ohio State in a rematch for the National Championship and that they beat Ohio State. THEN WHAT?????? ANOTHER REMATCH???????? Michigan had their chance and blew it. PERIOD!!!!!End of debate.
By Hairy Dawg
December 3, 2006 10:39 PM | Link to this
I’m a Dawgs fan, but there’s no way in Hell that the SEC was a really good conference this year. While it may have been considerably better than the Big 10/11, the cream at the top (Ohio State and Michigan) should be able to dismantle any SEC team. The Gators scabbed by all year and, to their credit, won the conference. No one can convince me that the Gators are a better team than Michigan. After all, if the Gators are dominated in Arizona by Ohio State, remember that Michigan lost by three points AT the Horseshoe.
By Ole Dawg
December 3, 2006 10:40 PM | Link to this
Mark, you said it yourself, top to bottom the SEC is the best Conference in the country. It hurts me to say it but in my opinion the Gators deserve it over Michigan for the following reasons regardless of who you think has the best team. The facts are Florida played in the toughest Conference in the land, played the toughest schedule in the nation, and played the extra game that Michigan didn’t have to. How can you take it away from them, they earned it. Maybe that’s the penalty the Big 10 pays for not having a Championship game. I hate pulling for Florida but the strength and reputation of the SEC will be questioned if the Gators lose and it will ultimately hurt all our teams next year. As a bonus to me there’s only one team I can think of that I hate almost as much as the Gators and that’s Ohio State (ok I could go on and create a list but that’s for another time). This Dawg will have to put aside his bitter hatred of the Gators for greater gain, we will have to go after’em that much harder next year and it will be that much sweeter….
By Ugotta B. Kidding
December 3, 2006 10:42 PM | Link to this
You’re right Jax Dog, Notre Dame should join the Big Ten (which has 11 teams???). But then they’d have 12 teams. There’s already a Big 12, so what will the Big Ten (?) be called then, the big 13?
By The Man
December 3, 2006 10:43 PM | Link to this
GATOR FANS ARE HOMOS!!!
GATOR FANS WEAR JEAN SHORTS!!!
TIM TEBLOW IS QUEER!!!
OSU WILL STOMP YOU F*GS!!!!
By Leak v. Troy
December 3, 2006 10:44 PM | Link to this
MICHIGAN, WIN YOUR DAMN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE YOU START CRYING ABOUT PLAYING IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!
WHAT DOES IT MATTER ANYWAY? IF MICHIGAN WENT, THEY WOULD HAVE LOST BECAUSE MICHIGAN NEVER WINS ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL. ALL TIME WINNINGEST TEAM AND NO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. 1997 DID NOT COUNT. THAT WAS A KISSASS LITTLE AWARD THE SPORTSWRITERS HANDED TO YOU THAT YEAR JUST LIKE THEY HANDED THE HEISMAN TO YOUR LITTLE CORNERBACK THAT YEAR INSTEAD OF GIVING IT TO PEYTON WHO DESERVED IT THAT YEAR.
FLORIDA IS A CONFERENCE CHAMPION. MICHIGAN IS NOT A CONFERENCE CHAMPION. THEREFORE FLORIDA DESERVES IT
IF YOU THINK OTHERWISE, THEN OH WELL. THIS IS PAYBACK FOR 1997 AND YOUR B.S. ACCOLADES YOU WOLVERINES COLLECTED THAT YEAR.
ISN’T THIS JUST LIKE MICHIGAN. CAN NOT EVER WIN A LEGIT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, SO THEY HAVE TO TRY TO CRY THEIR WAY IN.
WHY IS LLOYD CARR CRYING ANYWAY? DID HE REALLY WANT TO GET THE DISHONOR OF GETTING HISASS HANDED TO HIM YET AGAIN BY TRESSELL?
IF I WERE LLOYD, I WOULD JUST BE COUNTING MY BLESSINGS THAT I DO NOT HAVE TO GET OUTFOXED BY TRESSELL YET AGAIN. HELL, IF HE WENT TO THE NC GAME AND LOST TO TRESSELL YET AGAIN, HE JUST MIGHT FIND HIMSELF OUT OF A JOB!!
I AM WAITING FOR THE CONSPIRACY ARGUMENT: THE BLACK WRITERS GOT TOGETHER AND CONSPIRED TO HAVE TWO BLACK QBS FACE EACH OTHER IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. I KNOW THAT ONE IS COMING>
By jrmdvm1
December 3, 2006 10:49 PM | Link to this
The BCS has other problems besides the matchups. The winner of the OSU-UF game is guaranteed the national championship. If these same matchups occur in the “old” bowl system, and say UF beats OSU by 1 point, with neither playing very well, and Michigan dominates USC, under the “old” system, voters might have made Michigan the national champion.
I like the OSU-FL matchup because it gives a chance to compare conferences. I still contend that an SEC school playing what might be termed a 1-A ( Bowl Division ) “patsy” is not any different from playing a conference game against a really weak conference member in a conference that doesn’t have the degree of “parity” shown in the SEC. Which is the easier opponent, Northwestern or Louisiana Tech?
Nothing is solved until we have true playoffs.
By dawgeatvol
December 3, 2006 10:49 PM | Link to this
LOL! Who are these Gator fans who seem to think that Mark Bradley is some big UGA supporter? Clearly people who haven’t read his opinions/commentary lo these many years. An SEC Champ deserves to be in the title game over a 2nd place Big Ten team every time.
By Dawgs2006
December 3, 2006 10:51 PM | Link to this
I hope the Gators are embarassed by Ohio State. The SEC was down this year. Ohio State will break this down and exposed the Gators as frauds!
I am glad the Gators made it to the championship game. BRING IT ON!!!!!
HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA
By jarrodmon
December 3, 2006 10:55 PM | Link to this
Trivia question, Mark:
Which team, Michigan or Florida, beat four top 15 teams this season?
Hint: You don’t think they deserve the title game.
By Bob
December 3, 2006 10:57 PM | Link to this
Mark, I agree Michigan is a very good team and Florida is also a good team. There are a lot of unknowns. There is one known…..Michigan LOST to Ohio State. That is fact. Florida did all those other things you talked about. They played a tougher schedule and won a FAR more difficult conference at least this year.
Yes, there was a rematch in 96. But if you happen to recall, Florida HAD to go to the SUGAR BOWL as the SEC Champion. They had no choice, just like Arizona State and Ohio State HAD to go to the Rose Bowl. The Sugar chose the ACC champion because they were the highest ranked team available. (The Big 12 had the Orange hook up and the ACC had no bowl hookup at the time). This game happened by chance and it would not have mattered if Florida beat FSU 100-0 if Arizona State had won their game.
I am a die hard Dawg fan and nothing about me wants Florida to win a Championship, but this is an absolute no brainer. How you or anyone else can say that Michigan is definitively better than Florida is pure speculation. The same was said about Oklahoma over Auburn in 2004. I don’t think Auburn would have beaten USC that year, but I do know one thing. There is no way that they would not have given SC a better game than the Sooners did.
The BCS is a mess, but Florida is the deserving opponent for Ohio State.
By BullDawg Rick
December 3, 2006 11:00 PM | Link to this
Mark.. Shut up!!!
Good luck to the Gators..
Represent the SEC well..
Bring home the hardware!!!
SEC!! SEC!! SEC!!
By ralph the dawg
December 3, 2006 11:06 PM | Link to this
the real outrage is that we are stuck watching boise state and weak forest play on New Years in BCS bowl games. What a way to ruin a great football day with those two jokes of a team. What’s even worse is that one of those scrubby teams is going to be the primetime bowl game on new years. Good god. well, at least, I will have some free time on my hands that day because i am not going to watch those teams play
By ralph the dawg
December 3, 2006 11:09 PM | Link to this
michigan will go out to the rose bowl and get smoked by USC anyway and the debate will end out there in pasadena a week before the big NC game. There is no way in hell Carroll does not coach circles around the befuddled Carr. The talent and speed of USC will dance circles around those Michigan slowpokes.
By Jax Dog
December 3, 2006 11:09 PM | Link to this
Ugotta B. Kidding,
How about if we called them the Big Sissy’s? Actually, what to name them is less of a concern to me then who they should bring into the conference in order to complete the conference make-up. I can’t believe the NCAA has failed to mandate equality within the conferences! How can Notre Dame keep getting away with not joining a conference, and playing a pansy schedule every year while still receiving an automatic BCS bid to boot?
By RODAWG
December 3, 2006 11:10 PM | Link to this
TO PULL FOR THE GATORS WAS SICKENING BUT TO THINK THAT THE SEC WAS GOING TO BE DENIED AGAIN WAS UNFATHONABLE.THE GATORS WILL SLAP THE BIG TEN WITH THE TRUTH.IF YOU CAN’T ADD THEN YOU SURE CAN’T BEAT AN SEC CHAMPION.DUH!
By JDDAWG
December 3, 2006 11:10 PM | Link to this
Boise State shouldn’t be allowed in the same state as a BCS Bowl. They did not even play one top 25 team the entire year!!! There scedule is rediculous!!!!
By Greg
December 3, 2006 11:11 PM | Link to this
12-1 IN THE SEC IS BETTER THAN 11-1 IN THE BIG 10…GET OVER IT!!!
By smitty
December 3, 2006 11:17 PM | Link to this
MB,
yeah the BCS isn’t fair and #2 could be any number of teams but florida happened to be at the right place at the right time……..what exactly did michigan do that impressed you so much other that playing OSU close ( and it wasn’t that close as michigan scored late)……..hell, illinois played OSU close, lost 17-10, finished with 1-7 conference record, do they deserve a shot at the title?…..michigan did destroy ND but they’re overrated and i can’t wait to see the final score when LSU buries ND…….michigan did its best to lose to Ball State and barely escaped……..and they won a few games in the suspect big ten………..just what did michigan do?………and as far as urban campaigning for his gators, he had to…..the networks, ESPN, ABC, etc, etc had pretty much crowned USC the heir to #2 and made Michigan the runner up (if USC failed) and why?……..ESPN, and Herbstreit in particular, were slobbering all over the wolverines for the past two weeks, i mean, Herby was practically orgasmic describing how incredible the wolverines were (and for the sake of disclosure, the objectively minded Kirk is a Michigan grad)…….let’s just wait and see what happens when the vaunted OSU offense plays a team from a conference that knows how to play defense……..should be a good game….go gators
By Bob
December 3, 2006 11:28 PM | Link to this
Smitty, why don’t you check your facts? Herby is a former Ohio State QB, not a Michigan guy at all. He has his opinion and I respect it. I just happen to disagree with him. You are right about the media prejudice, particularly on ABC but some of the ESPN guys have said that Florida should be the team ahead of Michigan (Mark May).
By Jax Dog
December 3, 2006 11:30 PM | Link to this
I resided in Columbus,Ohio for 4 years and let me tell you, the Buckeye experience was sickening! I watch this team play weekly for one reason; to see them lose. Now, being a Dawg fan makes it hard to root for UF, but two things come to mind as I watch these two undesirable teams pair off. 1) If UF wins, God only knows how hard it will be for UGA to steal recruits( sort of reliving the Spurrier days). 2) If OSU wins,I think the SEC kind of walks away with their tails tucked. We are the toughest conference,and I would hate to see the conference embarassed.
Nonetheless, it should be an interesting game, since these two schools have never met on the football field. Did you know that OSU has never beaten an SEC school? check it out!
By dawgeatvol
December 3, 2006 11:31 PM | Link to this
Smitty….for sake of disclosure, Herbstreit was QB for Ohio State.
By Jimmy
December 3, 2006 11:32 PM | Link to this
Let’s look at the two teams objectively:
Florida, you got lucky big time. You will lose by a ton in the national championship game.
By Jax Dog
December 3, 2006 11:37 PM | Link to this
Smitty,
I need to correct you on something. Kirk Herbstreit did not play for UM, he was OSU’s QB back in the early 90’s.
By Jeff
December 3, 2006 11:37 PM | Link to this
Hey Smitty,
You are a moron, Herby went to Ohio State….not Michigan
By Gen Neyland
December 3, 2006 11:38 PM | Link to this
There are those among us who wish plauge and pestilence upon the Gators. Fail they say, and fail large. During the regular season, I’m one of them. Today I’m not. After Auburn was snubbed in ‘04, all we SEC people shared a bit of ire at the haughty BCS snobbery. Now FL gets a chance to redeem our conference on a national level and show the voters the SEC champ does indeed deserve a shot…Any of us 11 left dangling behind Florida this year may be that SEC champ next year looking for the same opportunity Florida is getting, and running the table may not be good enough. Just ask The War Eagle…So I say Go Gators, bring it south…From a Volunteer…
By reza
December 3, 2006 11:39 PM | Link to this
Mark,let us clear something.Suppose Michigan had to play Ohio State in a remach for national championship. If OSU won (which is very difficult to do) then OSU has not proven anything.They just defeated the same team again.If,Michigan won then what!.The series is a tie 1-1.Then who is the national champion or split the national champion.Further you are asking OSU to beat the same team twice to be anational champion.Rematch does not make sense.For those of you who argue 96 gator remach against FSU.That was acompletely differnt circumstances.The gator had to go toSugare Bowl and they won the chmpionship because the teams ahead of them lost.Go Gators.Go SEC.
By SECISAJOKE
December 3, 2006 11:39 PM | Link to this
Any true “dawg” fan would never cheer on Florida!!! Giveme a break…”go SEC, represent us well!” What kind of crap is that. You root for your team..not conference. Go Gators!?!?! Are you kidding me dawg fans? Why not have Steve Spurrier over for dinner so that he can remember the good old days of kicking ya’ll a*******es. Or for that matter…invite Urban to the dinner as well!
By Don
December 3, 2006 11:41 PM | Link to this
Wow Mark, the BCS messed it up just because you “think” that Michigan is better than Florida. I guess maybe Florida and Michigan should play each other and the winner could play Ohio State. My bad, that would be a playoff and too logical of a thing to do. Maybe Michigan and Ohio State could have a rematch in a game called a conference championship game. That doesn’t work because if Michigan one that game they would have to play again in the National Championship game. Michigan had a shot and lost. I don’t care where the game was played. I hope the Gators kill Ohio State. As a die hard Dawg fan I can’t believe I said that.
By Bob
December 3, 2006 11:43 PM | Link to this
Jax Dog, Actually OSU has beaten SEC teams. Back in the day they beat UK twice and they won one and tied one in a home and home with LSU about 15 years ago. However in bowls the are 0-6 (0-3 vs Bama; 0-1 vs UGA; 0-1 vs Auburn and 0-1 vs Tennessee).
By SECSUXS
December 3, 2006 11:45 PM | Link to this
If I remember correctly, the gators never played a Big Ten team this year, but Michigan did. Granted the team was Vandy, but Michigan won. Not to slight Vandy at all since they beat the mighty bullpups in Athens. Seems like the Big Ten wins this one.
By the man is an idiot
December 3, 2006 11:46 PM | Link to this
Hey “The Man”, have you ever heard the saying “it takes one to know one?”. All you talk about is queers, lesbos, homos, is there some correlation here bud?.
By BIGTEN
December 3, 2006 11:54 PM | Link to this
To the brilliant “Leak v Troy” blogger…where do you get your crazy information. Let me set the record straight…Florida has ONE national championship whereas Michigan has 11…yup ELEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!! Not one, not 2, but 11. It’s a proud program which goes unsaid. Whereas Florida has a new coach who is crying to play in the national championship game. What a classless act!!!
By GaSouthAlum
December 3, 2006 11:57 PM | Link to this
All you Florida fans saying Michigan had its shot at a title and blew it, then what does it mean when you lose to Auburn? Apparently that doesn’t mean you blew yours. But you guys blow. His argument isn’t that either Michigan or Florida doesn’t deserve a shot. His argument is that the BCS only works when two teams go undefeated. Otherwise, you have all this mess. Be like every other sport in the entire planet and have a playoff.
By brad in KY
December 4, 2006 12:01 AM | Link to this
The voters penalized UM because they’ve already be beaten by OSU. Next.
By jim
December 4, 2006 12:06 AM | Link to this
The Flaw in the BCS is they appoint one of the 4 BCS Bowls as the National Championship Game. This year you only have two undefeated teams and they will not play each other as on one gives Boise State a chance to win anyway. Let’s play the what if game and look at it like this. If Ak had of beat FL then MI would have played OS. So MI beats OS and Boise State beats OK do you name MI and OS co-champions or do you rank them co #2 and Boise State #1. Now that FL has worked their way into a game with OS and happen to beat OS but Boise State beats OK. Fl would be named champs and Boise would be out. Coach Myer was in Boise States shoes at Utah and felt left out by the BCS then but I didn’t see him say “hey wait a minute there are only two teams unbeaten teams they should play for the national championship.” I agree that championships are to be won and lost on the field. Win/loss records should be the first factor in standings and the other factors are to sort out the rest.
By Ray Goof
December 4, 2006 12:10 AM | Link to this
Michigan stood a better chance of beating OSU in Glendale? What the heck are you basing that on? The rather convincing win OSU put on UM earlier in the year? Yeah, that one, the one that was mostly a 2 possession game the whole time. I don’t get statements like that.
Also, if the point of a playoff system that you want so bad is to have the teams play it out on the field, then how are you against UM not going? THEY PLAYED OSU! Maybe that argument would hold up if they had played at the beggining of the year and you argued that the ened of the year is when championships should be determined. But for all those like you advocating for a Plus One (at least) system, you basically got it this year. UM lost to OSU, so now the Plus One is Florida.
The problem is that your whole basis for your position is wrong. UM IS NOT the team most likely to beat OSU. They’ve proved that they are not already. So take the next best team from the toughest conference and let them have a shot. Why is that so difficult?
The real question is what is the purpose of the championship game? To put the two best teams together, or to determine who is the champion? I think it’s to determine the champion. And since it’s at best not clear if UM or UF is the better team (I think UF is the better team), then why not go ahead and let a regular season game tell us that UM is not better than OSU and let UF play? What is the problem with that? Does that make too much sense?
By surfrider
December 4, 2006 12:33 AM | Link to this
This year will be like most in which the Bowls show the Big Ten is overrated. Let’s don’t forget the big media outlets love the Big Ten. Florida will pull a victory over Ohio State and USC will be beat Michigan and here’s the kicker WF could upset Louisville eventhough that maybe a stretch. The truth of the matter is Georgia Tech may have the best team in the country, only if it had a pure passer that was playing QB.
By Jax Dog
December 4, 2006 12:50 AM | Link to this
Bob,
Thanks for the history lesson, but you left one out! OSU went 0-2 against South Carolina also.
By barry
December 4, 2006 12:52 AM | Link to this
If Florida was better than Michagan according to the AP and Coaches poll, why weren’t they voted higher before the SEC championship game? This argument that Florida’s schedule was tougher is lame. It was tougher for weeks while Michigan was ranked higher. This is OPINION and so you lizard skins don’t have any better argument than the Wolverines. We need a playoff system.
By Gator Guy
December 4, 2006 01:06 AM | Link to this
There remain several of you who continue to question whether the SEC is even a “good” football conference, let alone the “toughest in the country,” as many others assert. Okay, here for the record are the final BCS rankings of the Big 10 and SEC teams:
Auburn (10-2) SEC #3
Arkansas (10-3) SEC #4
Tennessee (9-3) SEC #5
Penn St. (8-4) Big 10 #4
Again, for the record, the Big 10 has three teams ranked in the top 10; so does the SEC.
The SEC has two teams ranked in the second ten; the Big 10 has none.
In remainder of the BCS, the Big 10 has one additional team; the SEC has two.
We can argue about the relative rankings of the teams in the top 10, but one thing is clear: the SEC has greater depth than the Big 10. That’s not my opinion; that’s the collective opinion of 240 informed voters in three major polls and 6 computer ranking systems. Hmm. There may be something to this SEC thing, sports fans.
By Dirty Dawg
December 4, 2006 01:12 AM | Link to this
On a scale of one to ten…quick…tell me just how arrogant will UF fans become if their damn football team should beat Ohio State and give them both football and b-ball. Gad, how revolting will that be? Then again, there’s no way they could get much more arrogant than they already are - we have Steve Superior to thank for that - so 1-10 wouldn’t begin to measure their hubris. I’ll say this, the time they played Nebraska for this thing they were ‘out athleted’ (if that’s a word). This time they may well match up well with OS, and when you can handle the line of scrimage anything can happen.
By Gator Guy
December 4, 2006 01:17 AM | Link to this
… and another thing:
Has anyone else noted that Florida played each and every one of the six other ranked or BCS-rated SEC teams (#4 LSU, #9 Auburn, #12 Arkansas, #17 Tennessee, #29 Georgia, and #38 South Carolina), and beat all of them except Auburn. That’s a legitimate major conference champion. Big 10 #3 Wisconsin still owes the football gods a game with Big 10 #1 Ohio State before Bucky Badger can talk any smack.
By NorCal Dawg
December 4, 2006 01:22 AM | Link to this
Congratulations, Florida. You got your chance. You deserve it. Now don’t embarass the SEC and lay an egg like Auburn did last year against Wisconsin.
Represent!
By Gator Guy
December 4, 2006 01:24 AM | Link to this
Relax, Dirty Dog. Even if the Gators claim national titles in both men’s basketball and football, we will still work to maintain that collective sense of humility that made Gainesville famous. : P
All kidding aside, our kids have one heck of a football game to play before you have to worry about that problem. There may be six or seven patsies in the Big 10, but Ohio State isn’t one of them. If the Gators win this, they are going to have to earn it.
By Gator Guy
December 4, 2006 01:29 AM | Link to this
Okay, I have re-posted this because some goofy MS Word auto-numbering function re-numbered the BCS rankings in my post above …
Auburn (10-2) SEC #3
Arkansas (10-3) SEC #4
Tennessee (9-3) SEC #5
Penn St. (8-4) Big 10 #4
There, that’s better. Now, you can get the point about the depth of the SEC relative to that of the Big 10.
By NorCal Dawg
December 4, 2006 01:29 AM | Link to this
Please for the love of everything that is holy—Arkansas, please demolish Wisconsin like I know you should.
Everytime I hear a talking head on TV mention how great Wisconsin is (“they should be in the BCS!” “Michigan gave Wisconsin their only loss”)—I want to puke
Please! Wisconsin has beaten NOBODY! They are the least tested one loss team in the history of college football. They need to be shown their place.
By Larry
December 4, 2006 01:29 AM | Link to this
Mark,
Perfectly written article fueled by accuracy and logic. Dissenting arguments are fueled by emotion and/or ignorance.
By Ken Stallings
December 4, 2006 01:32 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley, allow me to be diplomatic …
you’re an idiot!
Florida has the better team, survived the tougher schedule, and earned the number two position. They won the toughest conference title in the nation. Michigan did not win their conference.
You must be feeling lonely, Mark. That’s the only logical explanation for your column.
By Gator Guy
December 4, 2006 01:50 AM | Link to this
Well, that’s bizarre. The text editor keeps re-numbering the BCS ranking that I have now posted twice. Must be some sort of software conspiracy to re-rank Spurrier’s Gamecocks in th top 11. LOL
I give up. You guys are smart enough to figure it out, even if I’m not smart enough to figure out how to post it.
By TheTruth
December 4, 2006 02:29 AM | Link to this
Your right Mark, Michigan is clearly better……… I guess thats why they almost lost to Ball State. Michigan’s schedule was laughable. The two teams that played them the closest in Ann Arbor were Vandy, and Ball. USC is going to beat Michigan by at least 30, and then everybody gets to laugh some more. Ok, I know after the bowls are over everyone will hate on the SEC because they will probably finish with a 500 record in bowls. Well the reason for that is that the SEC doesnt tie in with the WACs and MWCs of the world like all the other conferences (ACC) Let take a look at SEC opponents. Ohio State - Good Speed Notre Dame - HA Wisconsin - Good matchup Nebraska - Good matchup Penn State - UT wins by 20 Virginia Tech - Good matchup Clemson - Could be SEC loss Oklahoma State - good matchup Houston - not athletic enough
By BCS Is Crap
December 4, 2006 02:42 AM | Link to this
No argment from me, Florida deserves to be in the mythical title game. But, the whole system is crap. Why not take all the conference winners and put them into a tournament. Tell, those teams that want to stay in Div I (Notre Dame), they need to find a conferende that will take them or they go to Div II. There are too many teams in Div I. To many worthless bowls. Give us what we want a real champ. Oh, and no Wild Card or at large bids. You cannot win your conference you should not win the NC. Baseball had it right until Bud Selig screwed it up. But, what the hell, got to sell the airtime. That’s why we have the awful new clock rule. Why should we waste time on the game when we can push more crap people don’t need.
By Big Ten Man
December 4, 2006 04:59 AM | Link to this
Mark Bradley’s comments prove that anyone with enough money can buy a degree from “Degrees-R-Us.” His comments about Jim Tressel not voting are absurd. He doesn’t even know the man yet pretends to know his motives. Tressel is a great coach and a great man. He did the only thing he could do in a conflict of interest situation. You wouldn’t understand this because it takes class and intelligence to see it. OHIO STATE 45 Gator meat 17 GO BUCKS! SEC SUCKS!
By Ron
December 4, 2006 05:09 AM | Link to this
Ok the BCS is pointless except for one thing, putting money in the pockets from the bowls. That having been said, look at Florida’s schedule. Michigan played Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State, and a bunch of lower level schools. Florida lost to Auburn, and beat UGA, Tenn, Alabama, LSU and a very good Arkansas team. I will take any of those agaisnt Wisconsin or Penn State. That having been said, lets end the BCS. Division III, II and I-AA all play playoffs. The I-AA playoffs are the best ones running. Top 16 teams with conference tie ins go to playoffs. They used to seed everyone, so one played 16 just like the NCAA basketball tournament. Get rid of the championship games. End all games by the weekend after Thanksgiving. The next weekend is the first round of the playoffs. Top seeds get home field through first and second rounds then go to neutral sites. Heck you could even use the Bowl sites for that. FLorida has played 13 games so far, and will play 14 after the bowl. The winner of the I-AA playoffs will play 15 games, is one more game really all that much? The conference champions would get in to the bracket, but not all conferences. The SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10, Big East and Conference USA would have guaranteed bids. That would be seven teams then the other nine would be at large. ALL undefeated teams get in even if it is a smaller conference school, then at-large by the best schools available. Everyone has a shot then.
By charles collins
December 4, 2006 06:57 AM | Link to this
This would not be a issue if the Big ten Conference would go to two divisions and face off in a conference championship. Winner plays for the title the loser goes to a BCS bowl. How complicated is that for an answer a future problem in the Big ten.
By Dbow
December 4, 2006 07:05 AM | Link to this
Bradley - you blew away any credibility you ever had mid-season when you started blowing Ga. Tech’s trumpet. Go back to Kentucky - NOW!
By nodoginthisfight
December 4, 2006 07:14 AM | Link to this
Michigan says it shouldnt be penalized for staying home saturday. bull. play a championship game in the big ten on a neutral field like they do in the sec, acc, big 12 and have your champion. then michigan could have met florida if it would have beaten osu.
By SnarkySnake
December 4, 2006 07:39 AM | Link to this
Gosh Mark, Where to start… You’re wetting your pants here because there are “politics” involved with the selection of Florida to play OSU for the “National Championship” in Glendale next month.(Conferred by the media,polls and God knows what all else).Fine. You want to talk politics,Mark ? Have you noticed how the various outlets (including the AJC) who have some vested interest in this conference or that conference,this team or that team,are all trying to push their one loss team into this game? Could it be for the truly staggering amounts of money that they (the team and the network) will make? While you are on your moral high horse,Mark, why don’t you also explain why there can never be a playoff because it would be controlled by the NCAA,not the bowl committees of the various venues.That way,there would be some oversight and accountability for tickets,team expenses etc…That the playoff system would cripple the practice of granting all expense paid junkets to warm weather sites in wintertime to “Athletic Staff”,”Faculty Representatives” and “Supporters of the University” (Politicians,Big Money Boosters and other assorted hangers-on).These parasitic contingents almost guarantee that the athletic department will at best break even or actually lose money on a trip to a minor bowl.All of these leeches will get more suitable accomodations than the players,by the way.Mark,why don’t you just come out and say the truth,that the bowl system has evolved into a way to reward boosters and athletic department employees in a way that the IRS can’t touch ? Oh, Mark, one last thing,while you are coming clean about the whole bowl scene,why don’t you also tell everybody why Urban Meyer seems to be the only guy bellyaching about the system that we are stuck with ? Unless your team is left out of the big money game,there’s really no reason to cry too much. See,another reason that the fans that pay for the whole thing don’t get a playoff,is this dirty little fact : The vast majority of teams would’nt get into the playoffs.That means no raise after a 7-5 season and a win in the MPC Computers Bowl in beautiful Boise,Idaho.As it stands now,These minor (some would say insignificant) bowls are a way to keep mediocore coaches (Chan Gailey,anyone ?) around for a few seasons.They can go to the bowl sites and chat up the boosters and make them feel important before sleepwalking their way through a game that is not much better than a dress scrimmage. I don’t know what the bowl system is,but it ain’t football. Just my two cents
By Dawgguy
December 4, 2006 07:48 AM | Link to this
Hey I am a huge UGA fan and I just want to say, “GO GATORS!”. Make the SEC proud and show everyone how we play ball in the south.
By Brad
December 4, 2006 07:49 AM | Link to this
Mark: You are a big P*SSY! Get your fist out of your a$$ and move on. Your gay boys from Ann Arbor had their chance against OSU and blew it. Next!
By troy vs. leak
December 4, 2006 07:49 AM | Link to this
Hey BIG TEN guy,
ncaa records show that michigan has won 6 or 7 national championships, depending upon how you calculate records prior to 1950. Michigan has only 1 NC since 1948 and that was handed to the them in 1997 because they basically won the 1997 national media darling of the year award. you have to base your championships on the AP, UPI, and the BCS. if not, then Auburn could claim they were national champions two years ago. Tuberville said he would just have a golf magazine claim him champ and he would take credit for it. Hell, Alabama claims to own about 12 national championships although they have only legitimately won I think 6 or 7 real national championships.
That national championship in 1997 was not a real legitimate national championship. That was more of the kissass national handout championship in 1997. Michigan was the media’s darlings that year for whatever reason and the media made sure they handed Michigan whatever Michigan wanted. Don’t feel bad Wolverine fans. It happened alot in the 1990s. The media loved Bobby Bowden in 1993, so they handed FSU the national championship even Notre Dame had the samme exact record and Notre Dame had beaten FSU that year. The media created the whole oh poor Bobby, he’s such a good coach and he has never won a championship, so let’s hand him one because Bobby winning one finally would make all of us in the media a heck of alot of $$$$$$. The funny thing is that Bowden did not need it to be handed to him. he would win one legitimately later on in the 1990s.
The same thing happened in 1994. Penn State was the best team in the country that year. But Nebraska was the media darling for the same reason. Oh, poor TOm Osborne, he’s been a good coach for so long and he’s never won one, so let’s hand him one because that would be the feel good story of the year. So, the media handed it to him although Penn State was clearly equal to or better than Nebraska that year.
And then in 1997, poor Bo, he never won one and Michigan has never won one in the last 50 years since like 1948, so let’s do everything we have to do to hand it Lloyd to make up for the fact that Bo could never lead his team to the promised land. Nebraska was clearly better than the Wolverines that year but it does not matter. There is nothing the media loves more than the whole long suffering fan base with a coach they love to kissass with with a team that has not won in ages. So the media creates the story and runs with it and never lets truth and reality interfere with a good story.
Again, Michigan did not win their conference championship. therefore, they do not deserve it.
And do not cry about classless. Florida hired urban meyer to do precisely what he has been doing. winning games on the football field but also being the face of the program and school who will fight to the end to get his team and school the respect they deserve. AND I HATE URBAN MYER AND FLORIDA MORE THAN ANY OTHER COACH AND PROGRAM! Besides, I think I heard more than once this weekend, people in the media using the whole michigan p.r. campaign, give it to us so that we can honor the legacy of BO. And that isn’t classless. You guys are dragging around a casket trying to use pity to get yourselves in the big game. Well, the wolverines and the media got one thing right: michigan truly will honor the legacy of Bo this year by not winning another national championship just like BO Never won a NC.
Arkansas will stomp.
USC will stomp.
LSU will stomp.
AND the Gators will chomp.
the big ten will prove what a joke it is.
By Brad
December 4, 2006 07:51 AM | Link to this
Mark: You are a big P*SSY! Get your fist out of your a$$ and move on. Your gay boys from Ann Arbor had their chance against OSU and blew it. Next!
By MOC
December 4, 2006 07:59 AM | Link to this
This Dawg fan supports the BCS selection of Florida. Florida won the SEC people. The toughest conference in the land. They played more games than Michigan. Michigan was BEATEN on the field by Ohio State! Rematches never live up to the hype. Does anyone remember the UF-FSU rematch for all the marbles? UF stomped them. Besides, any team desiring to compete for the NC should level the playing field for themselves and put together their own conference title game. Notre Dame needs to get off the pot and pick a conference. They are a natural fit for the Big Ten. But we know that they won’t because they have too sweet a deal already.
By Tony
December 4, 2006 08:03 AM | Link to this
Other than a Michigan fan, I don’t see how anyone can objectively say a runner-up in a conference should play in the national title game over the SEC champion with the toughest schedule in the country. I am a Vol fan, and hate Florida 365 days a year, but they deserve to play in the game. I will agree on one thing: until there is a playoff, all national championships are mythical. However, until that happens I absoulutely oppose anyone playing for the national championship when you don’t win your conference. Period!
By smitty
December 4, 2006 08:13 AM | Link to this
my bad on herbstreit and the michigan connection….meant to write OSU to mention the big ten connection…..and espn analysts in favor of florida only recently became converts
By Dan
December 4, 2006 08:14 AM | Link to this
Does Florida deserve it? Hard to argue. Does Michigan? Also hard to argue. What is near impossible to argue against is that Ohio should not have to beat Michigan twice, and that earned status trumps the others BCS got it right
By Greg Baer
December 4, 2006 08:16 AM | Link to this
I’m glad there is no rematch. If the Big 10 had a championship game, this would be a mute point. Every game of the regular season should be played as a championship game. Michigan had their shot and didn’t get the job done. Top to bottom, the SEC is a much, much stronger conference than the Big 10 this year.
By Leo
December 4, 2006 08:22 AM | Link to this
Hey Mark,
I hope you defended the choice of putting Oklahoma in the championship game over USC in 2003. I’d hate for you to look like a complete hypocrite.
By Peach State Sports
December 4, 2006 08:25 AM | Link to this
The BCS will have it right at the end of the season…….. It was created to crown a true National Champion…..Ohio State. They have won every game this year, including beating Michigan. They are the best team in college football THIS year. They will beat Florida and be undefeated National Champions… Makes no difference who they play…..Bring on the playoff system but until then…give the Buckeyes their due this year.
By alex
December 4, 2006 08:29 AM | Link to this
I realize that it’s your job to write outlandish articles to get people’s ire up. but if Michigan had been chosen over Florida there would have been ten times more infuriated scribes like yourself writing about the ultimate injustice. so, although you’re entitled to your opinion, you know darn well Florda deserves this more than a team who has already lost to Ohio State en route to not being a conference champ. period. end of discussion.
By brewerfaninATL
December 4, 2006 08:32 AM | Link to this
Hey NorCal Dawg,
Uhh, don’t get your hopes up for the Hogs against Wisconsin. The Hogs have already hit their peak and are on a steady nose-dive, whereas Wisconsin will be well rested and ready to make it 2 straight over the SEC. OK, you say Wisconsin didn’t play anybody? Well, let’s take a look at the joke that is UGA’s schedule. W. Kentucky—give me a break, UAB—horrible, South Carolina—mediocre at best, Colorado—sucked something awful, and you should have lost, Ole Miss—terrible, Miss State—worse than Ole Miss, Tennessee—getting better, but not great, Vandy—horrible, and you lost, Kentucky—horrible, and you lost, Florida—finally a good team, Auburn—good, but overrated, GA Tech—vastly overrated. Talk all you want about Wisconsin and our flimsy schedule, but at least we didn’t lose cupcake games to Vandy or Kentucky, and barely squeak by Ole Miss, Colorado, or Miss State. Our loss was to Michigan at The Big House and, outside of a scare against Illinois, we took care of our business at hand. It will be 3 Big Ten/SEC match-ups and the Big Ten will win at least 2 of them…shoot, Penn State may even make it a clean sweep over ho-hum Tennessee!
By Eric
December 4, 2006 08:34 AM | Link to this
Auburn beat Florida and LSU, they’re ranked 9th in the BCS and yet they don’t get a BCS bowl. That sucks!!!
By paul
December 4, 2006 08:38 AM | Link to this
i don’t care if the big ten has a championship game or not. i think that you just need to win your conference no matter how your conference determines who the conference champion is. you can’t be a national champion if you are not even a conference champion - at least, that is, in the current nonplayoff format.
By test
December 4, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this
Can someone explain something to me. When Ohio beat Michigan early of the year, AP poll didn’t change. They were both ranked #1 and #2 before and after the game. What gives?
Let’s say that if Ohio and Michigan played early instead of at the end of season. Had Michigan lost at that time, would MI dropped out of top 5 or top 10 ranking?
By jackets fan
December 4, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this
All this “not fair” talk is mute in my opinion. Michigan had their shot, and even though it was by 3 points, they lost. You can’t cry fowl if you didn’t get it done on the field. How fair would it be to Ohio State to have beaten Michigan to win the Big Ten, only to lose by 3 points and lose the national title? Ohio State doesn’t have anything left to prove about Michigan. Does that mean Florida is a better team than Michigan? Of course not. But Florida has one loss just like Michigan, a conference title and has not lost already to Ohio State. Why is it a crime for them to be in Glendale? Louisville has one loss as well, but they had to back in to the Big East championship, by having Rutgers lose to WV. Oklahoma won the Big 12 title game, but had to back into that spot, by having Texas lose in consecutive weeks to Kansas St and Texas A&M. Wake Forest was a nice story, but no one wants to see WF be led to the slaughter against the Buckeyes (or GT had they won the ACC). USC beat some really good teams, perhaps a better list of wins than anybody else, but they couldn’t beat UCLA when it mattered most. So why is Florida such a controversy? I don’t think a team can be the national champion, if they couldn’t even win their conference. Especially if the team that DID win their conference is the other potential participant. USC should have been in the title game versus LSU instead of Oklahoma a couple years ago. I don’t think that will happen again. After all, it was crap like that, that led to the severing of the AP poll’s involvement in the BCS process.
By mart