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
Yo Vince
December 5th, 2011
2:02 pm
GET OVER IT JEALOUS HATERS. BAMA WAS VOTED # 2 BY THE COACH’S POLL BY A TON. YEAH THE GUYS THAT ACTUALLY KNOW FOOTBALL. NOT A BUNCH OF SISSY BLOGGERS THAT NEVER PLAYED A SNAP OF FOOTBALL. BAMANATION LOSERS. GET IT!
Bammers and Bama Sucks
December 5th, 2011
2:04 pm
‘Nuff Said X 2!
WDE
December 5th, 2011
2:09 pm
We need a playoff system pure and simple…its BS that we don’t Basketball plays more games and manages to have a what 69 team playoff without “impacting” the players studies too much.
I Am the Great Nick Saban
December 5th, 2011
2:11 pm
HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME! We are Bama, we got 13 national titles, 5 of which was back when black players couldn’t play for us, 4 of which were luck and 4 was because we have a coach who can talk us up enough to sway ESPN. Fear me, I am GOD.
BigTimeTechFan
December 5th, 2011
2:11 pm
I’m just upset because I picked OK State to win the Nat’l Championship before the season started, oh I came so close.
When MB and everyone else was picking Bama, LSU, Oregon, Oklahoma
Ken
December 5th, 2011
2:13 pm
BAMA IS THE BEST, and well….. nuff’s A$$
Bammers and Bama Sucks
December 5th, 2011
2:17 pm
Nuff Said x 1000! Suck it, Bammers
I'm flying a ..... Georgia Tech flag right now
December 5th, 2011
2:18 pm
Mark Bradley was right
predicting the Ramblin’ Wreck would be 8-4
I was wrong.
SEC SOLUTION
December 5th, 2011
2:18 pm
In my opinion, the Southeastern Conference needs to give serious consideration to offering not just one, but two distinct conference championships (East and a West).
SEC West Conference Championship this year would have featured an Alabama-LSU rematch that everyone wanted to see.
SEC East Conference Championship this year would have featured a Georgia-USC rematch that everyone would enjoy seeing as well.
Both Championships would make the SEC-Etc money.
SEC West Winner goes to either BCS Championship Game or Sugar Bowl (determined by current BCS format and Sugar Bowl selection committee)
SEC West Loser goes to either- Sugar Bowl, Capitol One, Outback, Cotton, etc (determined by current Sugar, Cap One, Outback and Cotton Bowl selection committees.
SEC East Winner goes to either BCS Championship Game or Sugar Bowl (determined by current BCS format and Sugar Bowl selection committee)
SEC East Loser goes to either -Sugar Bowl, Capitol One, Outback, Cotton, etc (determined by current Sugar, Cap One, Outback and Cotton Bowl selection committees.
Steve
December 5th, 2011
2:19 pm
I still do not understand why Division 1A football is the only sport that does not determine the champion through some soft of playoff/tournament system. Every other sport and every other level of college football does. So, just focus on the smaller schools and enjoy college football for what it was meant to be….and go Georgia Southern!!
Anyone who writes "nuff said" doesn't know how to say anything
December 5th, 2011
2:27 pm
@Bammers and Bama Sucks
Let me see if I can summarize your assertion as to the fact that Bama will be playing for a national championship and you won’t….
WAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAA WAAAA WAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAA
WAAAWAAA WAAAAAAAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Yes, I think that about covers it.
Dee
December 5th, 2011
2:28 pm
Although I don’t agree with this BCS pairing, here’s to a better game than the first!
And Go DAWGS!
Bammers and Bama Sucks
December 5th, 2011
2:30 pm
WAAAAAAAAA! Bama gonna lose again! WAAAAAAAAA
That’s how them Bammers are gonna sound to ring in the New Year!
Suck it, Bammers!
Yo Vince
December 5th, 2011
2:30 pm
OK STATE PLAYED… Louisiana Lafayette, Arizona, Tulsa, Kansas, Missouri, TX Tech, Baylor, Iowa St (loss), ALL football powerhouses, with great winning traditions, right? You homers are idiots. Bama plays in the toughest conference year after year. GET A LIFE haters. Bama wins….. Again get over it.
SecFan
December 5th, 2011
2:32 pm
The voters likely fell into one of two groups. One segment was no-nonsense football guys who felt the criteria was to select the two best teams. Period. The other group, basically a bunch of Mark Bradleys, saw themselves as football gods and attempted to engineer a different outcome based on their own sensibilities and biases. For them, the quality of teams in the championship game was irrelevant. Their favorite, Oklahoma St. had the table set beautifully for them in the last two games of the season. Then they lost to a four touchdown underdog, their 107th ranked defense giving up 33 first downs and 200 rushing yards in the process. These guys couldn’t hang with LSU if their lives depended on it and everyone knows it. Of course this didn’t matter to the Bradleys. They would rather see an OSU slaughter than a rematch with a competitive team because a rematch offends their sensibilities. Amazing that some could have such a disrespect for the game itself. We’ll have a competitive game and I for one prefer it that way.
j.t.keene
December 5th, 2011
2:32 pm
Watch it dogs..Bradley is kissing up to you probably until Thurs. or Fri. when he will be back bashing you. Guess it would have been allright for Stanford to be ranked #2? They didn’t play either. Or maybe that mighty UCLA team with 5 losses that Oregon got to pound? After all UCLA was a division champ. I am all for a playoff too. But, I can just see it now. Second year and everyone will be saying “we need more teams” just like basketball has done. It’s bad enough we have these 5-6 loss teams going to “Bowls” that can’t even draw a crowd. Guess everyone is aware that Oklahoma put 31 on O.State without their starting tailback. Oklahomas best defensive player didnt dress out either.
Rex Sanders
December 5th, 2011
2:35 pm
Mark: Are you teed off because Georgia didn’t made the chamoionship game or that Tech is just nothing at all. You have always been biased against Alabama, why don’t you admit it. I was a sports writer and editor while you were still in knee britches and just am a better writer than you will ever be.
Sour Grapes
December 5th, 2011
2:38 pm
The BCS VOTERS have spoken, those of you who do not like the result are just noise. LSU and ALA will play for the NC, and it does not matter whether you like it or watch the game.
No Conference Championship Should Mean No National Championship
December 5th, 2011
2:40 pm
How can you be the best team in the nation and not be the best team in your division? Georgia faced the same situation in 2007. They were fourth in the BCS rankings going into championship week. They were idle because they did not win their division. LSU was behind them at No. 7. When LSU won the SEC Championship game and the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation lost, LSU jumped over UGA and became the new No. 2 team.
This was the correct decision by the voters because UGA did not win their division.
DIV-1 football needs a playoff system.
Seriously??
December 5th, 2011
2:42 pm
hey nuff said moron- Its obvious that your vocabulary is limited and your education level equates to that of a 3rd grader. Is your sister, err cousin, err mom, I guess they are all the same to you, reading the blogs to you so you can respond with “suck it” all the time? RTR
Let's All Whine Together!
December 5th, 2011
2:42 pm
Funny, three years ago the SEC proposed a plus one game. It was voted down by none other than the Big 12.
Doh!
a Rematch Would Punish LSU for Winning and Reward Alabama for Losing
December 5th, 2011
2:44 pm
Put yourself in the shoes of LSU coaches and players. They went into Tuscaloosa and defeated Alabama in overtime. Their reward is an extra game to risk more fatigue and injury. It is not like their offense is going against Ole Miss. They will be facing the No. 4 defense in the nation in the Georgia Bulldogs.
Alabama, on the other hand, got defeated in their own house, and they would receive a bye week as a reward.
The voters should not be able to punish LSU for fighting through perhaps the most brutal schedule in the nation and reward Alabama for not getting the job done. This should not be a situation where the voters give Alabama the benefit of the doubt. This should be a situation where they reward the team who has proven themselves. This would be a punishment.
LSU has not only taken on their SEC schedule, but Oregon as well. They should be commended for their labors, not punished.
Alphare
December 5th, 2011
2:45 pm
no division title, or no conference title = no NC champ?
really? so Notre Dame should forfeit all its titles?
A Rematch Would Rob the BCS of Any Credibility It Had Left
December 5th, 2011
2:46 pm
It is hard enough as it is to accept that college football does not have a playoff and that we never truly know who the best team is. However, we accept it because it is the system we have been dealt. We know the rules ahead of time and we abide by them.
Now we are going to change that because Alabama played LSU close at home?
The voters have turned down rematches in the past because the game had already been played. They turned away Georgia in 2007 because they did not win their division.
This current system is horrific, but an Alabama-LSU game would rob the BCS of any credibility they have left. There is nothing in the history of this system that warrants a rematch, and there is nothing on Alabama’s current resume that warrants a rematch.
Alabama is a great football team and a proud tradition. However, we should not change all of the workings of the system for them.
Anyone who writes "nuff said" doesn't know how to say anything
December 5th, 2011
2:47 pm
Bammers and Bama Sucks
December 5th, 2011
2:30 pm
WAAAAAAAAA! Bama gonna lose again! WAAAAAAAAA
That’s how them Bammers are gonna sound to ring in the New Year!
Suck it, Bammers!
==========================
Yes, it would hurt to lose since we don’t do it often. I guess it must be nice to be you and get beat so often that it’s just expected.
Sour Grapes
December 5th, 2011
2:47 pm
A playoff would be great but this is the system we have and it has produced these two teams as # 1 and # 2.
If the people of this country can change Presidents every four years if we want too, then we certainly have the power to force a play off system for Div 1 football.
But then what would we argue about from February to September every year. This has been going on in this sport since it’s beginning
Alabama Has the Worse Resume of Any of the Contenders
December 5th, 2011
2:48 pm
Alabama is a great team but their resume is severely lacking. They have two decent wins on their resume. Those two wins are against Arkansas and Penn State. Both of these teams were exposed this past week.
Penn State was defeated by Wisconsin 45-7 and had struggled to beat Temple (+4), Indiana (+6), Illinois (+3) this season. Arkansas has only beaten one decent team, and that was South Carolina without Marcus Lattimore.
Oklahoma State has beaten three Times as many current top 20 schools as Alabama and almost twice as many teams with winning records.
If Virginia Tech beats Clemson this week, they will have avenged their only loss. They are the only team, besides LSU, that can say they have beaten every team on their schedule.
Both of these teams can also declare they are conference champions.
Boise State has never been allowed to play for a national championship because of the weakness of their schedule. However, one could argue that their quality wins this season and in years past are better than Alabama’s this season.
The voters have a decision to make, will they reward a team because they played well in a defeat or reward teams that have solid resumes. We will know in just a few days.
I Have the First Alabama-LSU Game on DVR, I Don't Need a Replay
December 5th, 2011
2:50 pm
People in favor of the rematch argue the game was a classic SEC defensive battle. While there were two great SEC defenses, most of the low scoring was because of poor execution.
I know the Alabama defense is great, Perhaps the best in the last two decades. However, the game was filled with poorly coached and executed special teams and offense.
I have seen this game once, and while it was entertaining, it would not be worth watching a second time. Supporters of the rematch will point to the SEC’s dominance in the BCS championship game as proof this game would be better.
This might be true. However, I am not interested in watching the same game twice. At least there will be some anticipation for a matchup of two different conferences.
I have seen LSU beat the Pac-12 champion. I have seen LSU beat Alabama. Bring on Oklahoma State or Virginia Tech. At least there is some mystery there.
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Seriously??
December 5th, 2011
2:52 pm
Alabama Has the Worse Resume of Any of the Contenders wrote
“If Virginia Tech beats Clemson this week, they will have avenged their only loss. They are the only team, besides LSU, that can say they have beaten every team on their schedule”.
where the hell you been? Clemson rocked VTech again Saturday night- nice blog idiot!
WDE
December 5th, 2011
2:53 pm
How many folks think OS ST could beat Bama let alone LSU ? We need a playoff but I think they have it right this year on the two best teams playing…baring a playoff.
All I remember is
December 5th, 2011
2:54 pm
it’s not fair for LSU
to win the SEC, then let Bama slip in the back door after already getting beat at home.
Shonuff
December 5th, 2011
2:55 pm
Bring on Virginia Tech? You must not keep up with your college football.
ckgator
December 5th, 2011
2:55 pm
Herbstreit’s “eyeballs” also thought that Michigan was the clear #2 in 2006, and called for a rematch of Mich / Ohio State.
One month later the “not-good-enough” Gators crushed the Buckeyes to win their second title in 10 years. So much for subjectivity.
Bama has had their shot. Oklahoma St. deserves theirs.
Shonuff
December 5th, 2011
2:55 pm
There are always rematches at the NFL level and that organization seems to be making it.
Sour Grapes
December 5th, 2011
2:56 pm
So since LSU won the SEC championship they should just be Proclaimed the NC or be fed a sacrificial
team in the NC game.
kb
December 5th, 2011
2:56 pm
Either go to a Plus one or back to the old bowl system. Bama had its chance lost, Wores yet is that the ACC has 2 teams in bcs bowls, what a joke.
Shonuff
December 5th, 2011
2:57 pm
Oklahoma State had their shot. They got beat by a far inferior team and they lost their shot. Remember, Alabama was out of the National Title picture until several teams choked when they knew exactly what was on the line.
BILLY JACK
December 5th, 2011
3:01 pm
LSU BEAT ALABAMA AT HOME AND WILL DO THE SAME IN NEW ORLEANS-LSU WILL BE AT HOME THIS TIME.
Shonuff
December 5th, 2011
3:01 pm
In a perfect world, Alabama would have been in the East and walked through the weak sisters over there and LSU/Bama would have played in the SEC title game to see who played in the National Title. I don’t believe a team that embarrasses the SEC by getting beat by Boise State deserved to be in the SEC championship game…and that’s exactly what the SEC championship was…an embarassment.
Big Crimson 75
December 5th, 2011
3:02 pm
Bradley, you are the biggest queen walking the face of the earth. Cry me a River. The Tide definitely has a BRAND. Just like you, Mark Bradley, you have a BRAND. Your a jackass.
Sour Grapes
December 5th, 2011
3:05 pm
And what a joke a playoff system would be if the ACC champion Clemson who got run over by Tech and completely embarrassed by NC State, and lost to SC was in it but ALA was not just because LSU beat them by 3 points earlier in the year.
All this complaining that LSU has to beat ALA twice to be NCs is illogical if you support a true play off system. Beating a team twice to be NC might be the rule for the SEC, not the exception.
The SEC consistently has more than one power house team each year. Under a playoff system, it is conceivable that an unbeaten west team and an unbeaten east team play for the SEC championship and replay for the NC weeks later, just like in BBall.
TheTruth
December 5th, 2011
3:06 pm
So if bammer wins this game when is the tie-breaker? I mean, if they win that won’t prove ANYTHING. You’d have to be ready to play a third game between the two teams. What is amazing is that the turds can lose AT HOME, not have to play an SEC championship game, watch OK state beat the number 10 team like a dog, and just sit around letting the BSPN’s of the world stump for them like they really accomplished something to deserve to be in the big game. And what was all that with the midget getting all that air time on Gameday on BSPN and then the SEC championship pregame show????? I knew when I saw all that baloney the die was cast already. This was an inside job. OK State, nor anyone else for that matter, was ever going to play against lsu.
Sour Grapes
December 5th, 2011
3:07 pm
I know the east has been down lately, but that has not always been the case. It could happen.
Howard
December 5th, 2011
3:08 pm
Great article. Maybe the BCS should have two levels of championships – call it the NCAA for SEC teams and the NCAA-AO (NCAA for All Others.)
TWISTED STEEL
December 5th, 2011
3:11 pm
BAMA STAN LSU PLAYED THE BEST THEY HAD NO 3RD TEAMERS-I WAS THERE-YOU ARE A CHRONIC LIAR AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN-I HOPE YOU GO TO JAIL FOR POISONING THOSE TREES.
Alan
December 5th, 2011
3:12 pm
If Alabama defeats LSU it will be just another Bama NC with an asterik beside it like half of the champoinships they already claim.
G8RB8
December 5th, 2011
3:15 pm
Not sure that Bama not playing Georgia or South Carolina does much to advance your argument, Mark. But kudos for some good, clean Bama hate. Geaux Tigers.
Really?!
December 5th, 2011
3:20 pm
All these Dawg fans are crying about Bama getting a chance to play for title after losing to LSU by 3 in overtime??!!! Really???!!
Dawgs, you lost by 32!! At the GEORGIA Dome!
Are you really football fans??!!! Are these the top 2 teams? Isn’t that the goal?
Can you be objective?
Vandy in a Bowl?
December 5th, 2011
3:23 pm
Ok State lost their only game the day after the plane crash. The team flew to Iowa State and home with the recent tragedy on their mind. I know the BCS doesn’t take that into consideration but I would have.
Harry
December 5th, 2011
3:33 pm
Hey Mark,
Let me point out the obvious to the wide majority of us except for you and your minions and something you clearly missed in yellow journalism 101.
What you did not bother to mention in his article is that Oklahoma State beat a badly depleted Sooner ballclub that had just about been denutted by the loss of their star receiver named Broyles, a runningback, and a starting linebacker. You also did not mention that Oklahoma State’s defense was ranked 112th out of 120 division I schools. Nor did you mention that the Cowpokes defense was an absolute sieve giving up an average of 25.8 points per game. 9 of their 12 opponents scored more than 24 points, there were three that scored over 34 points on them and one that scored 45.
As long as I have followed football at any level and that is far longer than you have been a sportswriter, defense wins championships, period. Maybe once in every hundred championship games, an offensive team can pull a fluke of an upset, but that is extremely rare. I suspect your cracker jack research failed to discover that Alabama is #1 in the country in every significant defensive category and by a wide margin. Either that or that information doesn’t support your lame brain argument for Oklahoma State. Let’s see, LSU is #2 in all defensive categories and Bama is #1 and Oklahoma State is 112th our of 120 Divison I schools. Oklahoma State might make the game interesting for a short period of time attempting to throw the ball all over the field, but I suspect their QB would be seeing a lot more stars than open receivers.
There is scarcely an Alabama fan out there that would not say that after the loss to LSU on November 5th, that they had their shot and blew it. However, Bama had nothing to do with 6 other top 5 schools all blowing their shot in the succeeding three weeks. Must have been the Saban “aura” that caused that. The fact is that everyone else dog choked, and Bama just got a case of the yips with their kickers. Alabama is plenty deserving of a rematch and the only team that can make the game competitive outside of lining up a professional team to play LSU. And that is truly something that every honest and objective fan knows.
Only an avid LSU fan would try to convince you they were the superior team over Alabama on Nov. 5th. LSU clearly won the kicking game because they kept Alabama bottled up inside their 20 yard line a number of times. Twice inside the 10 and once at the 18 and maybe one other time. Even with that poor field position the Tide only had to punt twice, which means that they slugged it out from their own goal line time and time again, just had the misfortune of missing 4 of 6 field goals. LSU only got into scoring position twice in the entire game. Once just before halftime and the second time in the 3rd quarter when Bama’s QB threw an interception that was returned to inside the 10 yard line. Other than that, Bama shut down LSU’s offense pretty darn well. Oh yeah, there was that little suspect call on the interception on the LSU 1 yard line.
If the objective of the BCS is to place the two best teams in the championship game, then they clearly got it right. I suspect the Alabama brand would get a few votes as they should, just the same as an FSU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Southern California and Notre Dame brands would as well. All those schools have a history of producing consistent winners. Are you suggesting that the voters should not look at the dominance of the SEC in producing the last 5 BCS champions in a row? Seems logical to me. Anyone that says the Big 12 is a stronger conference than the SEC is smoking some bad crack. Perhaps there is a bias in those stupid ass computers that obviously give more points to teams that produce a lot of offense. Just a couple of weeks ago, the SEC had the top 3 rated teams in the country. LSU is 1, Bama is 2 for the time being, and Arkansas is 6. Then there are Georgia and South Carolina from the East. And the top three teams in the Big 12 are Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Oklahoma. Gimme a break!
Alabama and LSU would soundly thrash anything coming out of the Big 12 this year. If the computers, who just so happen to be programmed by humans, have the Big 12 rated higher than the SEC the obvious answer is that the computer ratings are highly flawed. If you knew anything about programming computers, you would know that when they get it wrong, the error is generally exponentially wrong.
If you want to see fans snoozing through the BCS National Championship game, then try matching a suffocating defense with a touch football offense. The game would be over by halftime.
Why don’t you try some balanced reporting next time versus your petty biased reporting? I’d say Saban has earned his “aura” and so has his Alabama football team. About the only thing that you have earned is the stench that your articles create.