I understand many of you are not as passionate about this as I am. I respect that. But, for people to sit back and just accept things for the way that they are is simply wrong. When they know in their heart of hearts that the current system is so inherently flawed that when the BCS methodology is deployed in mock fashion right here, it is undeniably disgusting. This video is a must watch for BCS haters. If you have not seen it, you need to spend a few minutes doing so.
If the above were somehow allowed to permeate in the real world, in this example, parents would be in the face of every teacher and administrator not only at the school, but at the administrative offices as well. Yet, in the world of college football, this is not only allowed but encouraged. Of the teams in the top three in the BCS, two of those coaches have votes in the Coaches poll: Nick Saban and Les Miles. Mike Gundy does not have a vote. Setting fairness aside, is this the right way to determine rankings? Only permitting some coaches with a BCS Title Game berth at stake to cast a vote? When you have a few moments, check out this graphic from USA Today. It allows you to see which coaches have votes and who they actually voted for. Mr. Calhoun of Air Force voted Oklahoma State 5th! His credentials should be stripped immediately. Wouldn't it make sense that if your team is in the BCS top 16 of the BCS rankings (the cut off for eligibility for a BCS Bowl appearance) that those coaches do not vote? We need Congress to investigate this. Wait, check that. No, we don't as they vote their own raises annually. I am beginning to think the AP is the only legitimate title handed out in college football as it is far less biased than the BCS.
The bias for the SEC is a little out of control. Look, nobody disputes the level of football that traditionally occupies this conference. Listening to Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson act like school girls at a Justin Bieber concert while calling games featuring LSU or Alabama is nauseating. We get it. You both would propose to the Honey Badger in a millisecond on behalf of your daughters. I understand that CBS has a contract with the SEC but a little objectivity would be welcomed. This year was a very down year for the SEC. Can we be honest for a second? What if Alabama had lost to Mississippi State this year? That loss would have been explained due to the depth of the SEC in a season that is as shallow as the kiddy pool. You know it. I know it. Yet, when the Cowboys lost to Iowa State they were labeled as not taking care of business. For the record, the Big 12 is sending 8 of its 10 teams to bowl games. Just so we are clear: this season you had to be undefeated in every other conference except the SEC. Is that about right? To better illustrate this point, had LSU somehow lost to Mississippi State and finished with one loss, it would have been forgiven based on the new favorite catchphrase explanation: the eyeball test. Football does exist outside of the SEC. How about the rest of the conferences just do not play at all? Did you know that the SEC invented football and the BCS in 2006? No really, check the facts.
The latest CBS Sports poll shows 66 percent of the country would rather see Oklahoma State play LSU than Alabama. I would wager these fans actually watch the games the coaches do not prior to their weekly voting ritual. This is a normal frame of mind. To make sense of the BCS, it requires you to literally think about things abnormally. How can a team earn a spot in the title game without winning their respective conference? Don't tell me that Alabama is clearly better than Oklahoma State. Would they be favored if they played? Yes. Would that guarantee a victory? No. There is plenty of precedent here. Utah was not favored to beat Alabama in 2008 yet they somehow managed to throttle the mighty Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. It was a foregone conclusion the Utes would be run off the field. See what happens when you just Let Them Play?
It is this same level of ignorant bias that prevented Oklahoma State from earning its first trip to the BCS National Championship game. Trust me on this. Their only crime is they do not play in the SEC. Did they lose a game? Sure. I am not going to focus on the circumstances surrounding their loss. You all know what happened. If you cannot understand how that could affect a football team from a university that dealt with another tragic plane crash in the last decade, I cannot help you. They lost a game they should have won. So did Alabama. Only the Pokes didn't lose to LSU. They should have been given their opportunity. The fact that they did not is another example of just how inherently flawed this system is. Only college football focuses on losses instead of victories. Oklahoma State (7th) had a tougher schedule than Alabama (42nd). That should count for something.
This season we had a self-fulfilling prophecy. Gregg Doyel said it best and I am paraphrasing here: Alabama is like top 40 music. The radio stations play the music because it is Top 40 and the music is Top 40 because the radio stations play the music." Sounds about right. You deserved better Pokes Nation. Sadly, it was your turn to get hosed this year. That is what the BCS does with precision. It takes one team and tells it that they are not good enough according to subjective reasoning. Sorry Pokes, but it was your year.
As Bill Hancock would probably say: "Now you run along and enjoy the Fiesta Bowl and your Big 12 Championship. That is your reward. Oh, and Alabama? Your feet are now clean and your chariot awaits to whisk you away to New Orleans for your mulligan."The preceding quote was not an actual quote from Bill Hancock. It was a parody observation based on behavioral analysis from previous thinly veiled attempts at BCS reasoning and justifications.
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