Yet another BCS whiff: Alabama’s brand burns the Cowboys
Maybe there'll be a touchdown scored the second time around. Then again ... (AP photo)
Nobody ever said the BCS made sense, and this year it makes less sense than … well, can you make less sense than zero? Alabama did not win its division and did not win its conference but could well be the national champion in a sport where we’re told Every Game Counts.
Actually, what this year’s serving of BCS glop tells us is that it’s good to have an aura. Nick Saban has an aura, albeit one of fire and brimstone, which means Alabama has an aura, which means Alabama got a nod it didn’t deserve.
Bama played its two toughest conference games — LSU and Arkansas — at home. It didn’t play either Georgia or South Carolina, the best teams in the SEC East. It played five teams that finished with a winning record, and one was Georgia Southern. The Tide beat three teams that finished the Top 25 of the BCS standings.
Oklahoma State played four such teams and won all four games. It played seven teams that finished with winning records. The Cowboys did, for mavens of minutiae, win their conference title. The knock on them is that they lost to unranked Iowa State. But they did lose on the road, and in overtime.
Alabama, the counter-argument goes, only lost in OT to the nation’s No. 1 team. But Alabama lost at home. Alabama was favored that night and couldn’t win. But because Alabama is coached by the dark lord Saban and because Alabama is from the SEC, which is the feeder league for BCS titlists, the Tide gets a second chance.
And this time the talking heads on ESPN, who make less sense with every week, had no problem with the concept of a rematch or the reality of a non-conference champion playing for the BCS crown. (Oddly enough, some of those same voices hooted down Georgia’s credentials in 2007. “Can’t consider a team that didn’t win its conference,” the ESPN choir harrumphed.) And Saturday night, moments after Oklahoma State finished routing Oklahoma, which entered the season ranked No. 1, some ESPN boys leaped at the chance to say, “Ah, that doesn’t really matter.”
“SportsCenter” opened with the highlights of the SEC title game and then Oklahoma State’s dismissal of its bitter rival. Then the Bristol anchors tossed, as they say in TV, to Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit. Musburger, who had famously lobbied for Georgia Tech to be promoted above Colorado to No. 1 when calling Tech’s victory in the Citrus Bowl in January 1991, started with a little joke. What’s wrong with a rematch, he asked, and cited the extremely appropriate case study of Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed.
Then Herbstreit dismissed Oklahoma State by saying the Cowboys had lost in Ames, Iowa, and, more to the point, didn’t pass “the eyeball test.” Which made you wonder: How could Kirk Herbstreit know just how Oklahoma State had looked against Oklahoma? He (and Musburger) had been sitting in a booth in Charlotte, N.C., calling the ACC title game.
Because big-time college football has no playoff grid, ephemeral stuff like “the eyeball test” and someone’s opinion — yours, mine and especially Kirk Herbstreit’s — are allowed to hold disproportionate sway. Alabama won’t be playing for the (exceedingly mythical) national championship because it had a better season than Oklahoma State but because its has the stronger brand. It’s Alabama. It plays in the SEC. It’s coached by Saban. Good enough for me! Give that team a second chance!
And that’s what big-time college football has become — a game of brands, not reality. Is it mere coincidence that ESPN has a 15-year contract to carry SEC games? (ESPN also has a contract with the Big 12, Oklahoma State’s diminishing league, but the bigger Big 12 package is with Fox Sports.)
This was a year when opinion mattered. Five of the seven computer rankings had Oklahoma State above Alabama, but the Tide finished ahead in both human polls. Why? Because of the brand. You cannot tell me that if Alabama’s name were attached to Oklahoma State’s body of work and vice versa that the results wouldn’t have been different. We all know they would have.
And now we’re faced with this scenario: A winner of nothing save some eyeball test can split two games against another team … and be declared national champ. Some “system” this is.
By Mark Bradley
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1,739 comments Add your comment
daddo
December 4th, 2011
11:11 pm
I will accept mark’s thesis that Alabama made the national championship game because we are a “brand.” Which means the reason that UGA didn’t make the national championship game in 2007 is because they are not. I know that hurts, Georgia, but the truth hurts. That’s why yall are so pissed and hurt. And guess what, your opinion is as relevant as your team.
Max
December 4th, 2011
11:11 pm
Yep total distraction article from the dogs getting blown out twice in the GA dome in their own state.
5IML
December 4th, 2011
11:11 pm
Hey UGA fans,
I understand that your misdirected anger towards BAMA stems from yesterday’s game.
RedRaiderFan
December 4th, 2011
11:11 pm
Agree with all your comments! Now explain how two 7-5 teams make the BCS poll?
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:11 pm
Dan, thats the stupid thing about losses and how they look. Losses are losses. It depends on how you are playing at the end and at the end UGA could have beaten ANYONE that year at the end. You are talking about a game that happened the first week of October.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
11:11 pm
kerry b you have to be a delusional bullpuppy. we stopped them. they was the#1 team in the country that didnt score a td.
5IML
December 4th, 2011
11:12 pm
kerryb,
How many top-50 defenses did Okie State face this year?
Realist
December 4th, 2011
11:13 pm
Eric C., Bama and LSU both beat Arkansas by 24 points (Bama 38-14, LSU 41-17). These things are easy to find on the internet. Should be another great game in New Orleans between the two best teams in college football.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:13 pm
Eric C.
December 4th, 2011
11:10 pm
Dan, you are crazy…losing at Knoxville to the SEC East Champs is not nearly as bad as losing to KY, even if it was in OT
__________________________________________________________________________
Or losing to Arkansas in you last game of the year at home. That should have disqualified them but as I remember their coach got in front of the mics when we were ahead of them whining and crying to the media.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
11:13 pm
Time to let the big boys play, little doggies.
Sour Grapes
December 4th, 2011
11:14 pm
South Carolina was higher ranked, had the same record as GA and BEAT them head to head, therefore GA had no business playing for the SEC championship game.
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:14 pm
Tennessee beat kentucky 52-50 that year eric the idiot. Yeah getting blown out by a 3 loss team is not nearly as bad as losing to a 5 loss team in ot. Nice logic from you dogtards.
Sour Grapes
December 4th, 2011
11:14 pm
and it showed on the field.
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:14 pm
Actually 4 loss team.
Pollster guy
December 4th, 2011
11:15 pm
Thank you for calling out espn. Tv contracts, money rule this sport, every other sport has figured it out. Even poker has a playoff!!!!!!!!!!!!
get ur facts straight
December 4th, 2011
11:15 pm
I won’t watch. This is crap!
Bigdawg606
December 4th, 2011
11:15 pm
Oklahoma State’s defense was ranked 107th in the country going into Saturday. If they play Bama 10 times they MIGHT win 2 if they get extremely lucky. Same old same old. How did Oregon’s offense look against 2 SEC defense. Certainly not as overwhelming as they did against the PAC 12. And the BIG 12/8 defenses are worse. You may not like it, but the two best teams are playing each other. And I’m a UGA lifer, btw…
BC$ Slave
December 4th, 2011
11:15 pm
So let’s get this straight Dan
The poll voters have to judge schedules, style points in wins, the quality of wins and LOSSES, the brand, the coach, the quality of the fan base…what am I forgetting?
Oh yes…the one thing that matters in a COMPETITIVE sport—head to head play.
Only competition ON THE FIELD should decide championships…not style points or quality of LOSSES!
Ridiculous.
130on2
December 4th, 2011
11:15 pm
Popycock Mark! Yes, OK State is a very good team but the BCS is supposed to pick the 2 best teams. In my opinion there is no doubt that they did so. If you really think OKS is better that Alabama, you must also think they are better than LSU. Maybe they should send OKS and Kansas State or someone to the championship game. Just because the ‘average fan’ wants to see a 65-64 game doesn’t mean they are great teams. Before the BCS the bowls practically insured that the best 2 teams would not meet. Has everyone forgotten that? If you want to really find out who are the best teams, expand to a playoff system using the top 25 or so teams and start paying the players. What people seem to want is a college version of the NFL.
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:16 pm
And what disqualified you was getting blown out by tennessee kerry.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:16 pm
5IML
December 4th, 2011
11:12 pm
kerryb,
How many top-50 defenses did Okie State face this year?
________________________________________________________________________
Doesn’t mean they couldn’t have beaten one. I would like to have seen them give it a try but because of the media they will not. Your coach got on TV stumping and whining like a little girl to try and keep that from happening when he was scared of that.
5IML
December 4th, 2011
11:16 pm
kerryb,
You may be new to college football but (in recent history) everytime a high powered offense has faced a team with a defense for the BCSC the offense has lost. Oregon 2011. Texas 2010. Oklahoma 2009. Ohio State 2008 & 2007.
Here’s a little saying I just made up: Defense wins championships. You have my permission to repeat that.
Sour Grapes
December 4th, 2011
11:17 pm
The puppies are just upset cause another National Championship will be won by an SEC team for the sixth year in a row and UGA is not one of them
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:17 pm
Oh, I also forgot that we beat Alabama in Alabama in 2007 too.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
11:18 pm
The annual UGA reality check just came a few weeks later this year since Florida had such a rough year!
Pollster guy
December 4th, 2011
11:18 pm
Won’t matter, lsu wins by 20, bama is good, but not in same league as lsu
aladawg
December 4th, 2011
11:18 pm
Well I guess this goes to prove that the regular season doesn’t matter because the girls from Toothaloosa lobbied their way to a second date. That 1st game meant nothing nor did ANY games on Saturday….except for “open”………and the hypocrites at ESPN and Puke Fartbaum with their marching orders to promote this rematch simply smell bad. Want to do something about it? Don’t watch it and help bust the ratings. It’s the only way.
DP
December 4th, 2011
11:18 pm
Eric C, LSU and Alabama had 5 common opponents this season. LSU beat them by a combined score of 233-54, Alabama beat them 231-58. You think that’s a significant difference?
LSU and Alabama have clearly been the 2 best teams in college football all season. It’s unfair to LSU to have to beat Alabama twice, but had Alabama won 9-6 in OT, they would have slaughtered Georgia yesterday and would have had to beat LSU for a second time.
I agree with Gary Danielson that LSU should win the AP national championship even if Alabama beats them in the BCS championship game. They deserve at least a share of the national championship for what they’ve already accomplished. Alabama and Oklahoma State should be playing for second place, but that’s not the system that’s in place.
Imagine if Georgia and Florida had blasted every team they played except each other, were clearly the 2 best teams in the country and Georgia had lost to Florida by 3 in OT. Is any Georgia fan going to seriously suggest they wouldn’t think Georgia deserved to play in the BCS championship game against Florida?
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:19 pm
5IML, I was probably watching college football before you were born.
Sour Grapes
December 4th, 2011
11:19 pm
If GA was in ALA’s position and OK state jumped over them you would be able to hear them screaming from sea to shinning sea.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
11:20 pm
What do LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, and FREAKING Auburn have in common???
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:20 pm
It’s funny how Les Miles and Nick Saban will cry like little girls to the media to try and get themselves in that game. They have no shame what so ever.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
11:20 pm
just because they scored 6 tds against puppies so called good defense you dont have to praise them that much just in case you didnt notice they didnt score 1 on us.
Sour Grapes
December 4th, 2011
11:20 pm
They are just upset cause the two best teams are going to play for the NC and neither one of them is GA.
Southern Man
December 4th, 2011
11:20 pm
No one is asking the much simpler question. Why do we even need to crown a champion? I love college football, but I don’t give two turds about who gets the title each year. Whether it was by votes or this terrible system, in the end it doesn’t really change the sport. The players get swag, bragging rights, and little else for playing in the title game. Meanwhile coaches, businessmen and bureaucrats make millions. Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was.
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:21 pm
kentucky was NOT a bad team in 2007 and the close results show it
not one bad loss. Again those pesky facts. Lsu won the sec. They beat tenn who blew out the ga. They lost 2 games in triple ot. Ga got blown out plus they lost to a 6 loss sc team that lost it’s final 5 games. Oh but lsu lost their last reg season game by 2 in triple ot! Nice demented logic. It’s like arguing with a brick wall.
Sat, Sep 1 Eastern Kentucky W 50-10 —
Sat, Sep 8 Kent State W 56-20 —
Sat, Sep 15 (9) Louisville W 40-34 —
Sat, Sep 22 at Arkansas W 42-29 —
Sat, Sep 29 Florida Atlantic W 45-17 —
Thu, Oct 4 at (11) South Carolina L 23-38 —
Sat, Oct 13 (1) LSU W 43-37 —
Sat, Oct 20 (14) Florida L 37-45 —
Sat, Oct 27 Mississippi State L 14-31 —
Sat, Nov 10 at Vanderbilt W 27-20 —
Sat, Nov 17 at (8) Georgia L 13-24 —
Sat, Nov 24 (19) Tennessee L 50-52
T.O.
December 4th, 2011
11:21 pm
Bama can be called the best team in the nation, despite failing to win its own division and conference, by splitting a season series with LSU? That doesn’t make sense. If the SEC is the best conference in the country, then LSU is already the NC. The Hat’s already won it; Bama fans just haven’t figured it out yet. Geaux Tigers!
BC$ Slave
December 4th, 2011
11:21 pm
Sour Grapes
Rankings don’t matter. That’s what you don’t get.
All South Carolina had to do was win their conference and division games to get into he SEC championship game.
They didn’t.
That’s how champions are crowned…the win their division and their conference and beat the champions of other conferences.
We need a playoff…not a beauty contest.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:22 pm
Sour Grapes, not nearly as much as Bama fans and their little girl coach would have done if it had actually happened. They would have probably killed some more trees somewhere.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
11:22 pm
start one up commish
GMAN
December 4th, 2011
11:23 pm
Bradley,
You have never hidden your dislike for Bama. Where does it state in the BCS that you have to win your conference? Especially, when you play in the toughest division of the #1 conference and lose to the #1 team in overtime by a field goal. Anybody, including all you so called SEC supporters who think Okie State would stand a chance against LSU or Bama, you are badly mistaken. Okie State loses to Iowa State, the Ole Miss/Kentucky of the Big 12, and they deserve it over Bama??? Give me a break!
D man
December 4th, 2011
11:24 pm
Waaaaaaaaaaaaa…
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
11:24 pm
The last time UGA one a title, did you fans (who were alive) have to get up and turn the dial on the TV?
Blackoutanyone?
December 4th, 2011
11:24 pm
Round 1:
1. LSU vs 8. Kansas St = Winner LSU
3. Oklahoma State vs 6. Arkansas = Winner Arkansas
4. Stanford vs 5.Oregon Winner = Stanford/Toss Up
2. Alabama vs 7. Boise Winner = Alabama
Round 2:
1. LSU vs 6. Arkansas = Winner Lsu
2. Bama vs 4. Stanford = Winner Bama
BSC Championship:
1. LSU vs 2. Bama = Winner Bama
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:24 pm
If Okie State would have jumped Alabama their idiotic fans would have killed some trees somewhere.
St Simons - we're on Island time
December 4th, 2011
11:24 pm
Don’t be too hard on em. Even if they win, they’ll still be from Alabama.
Theresa
December 4th, 2011
11:25 pm
2 SEC teams playing in the BCS Championship Game just makes it look like they SEC has the BCS in their back pocket. How can we prove the SEC is the best when the SEC isn’t playing a team from another conference? You can’t. Now all of these people are going to be bad mouthing the SEC and saying that there’s no way we can be the best conference because we played each other in the BCS Title Game. I agree with all of those that say it should be 2 teams from 2 different conferences.
GTBob
December 4th, 2011
11:25 pm
If they play Bama 10 times they MIGHT win 2 if they get extremely lucky.
The only problem with this statement is that nobody actually knows if it is true. It could be the complete opposite.
D man
December 4th, 2011
11:26 pm
SEC 6 years in a row…
Gary
December 4th, 2011
11:26 pm
High school football can put together an excellent play-off bracket to determine a legitimate state champion and division I college football can’t. I love football but I don’t understand the lack of a playoff system. These arguments happen almost every year about somebody being left out that should be in; it’s ridiculous.