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
Dawgs Suck
December 5th, 2011
9:29 pm
Maybe Bradley should go ahead and start his yearly article about how Georgia is the best team in the land and has at least 13 Heisman candidates in the wings. “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.”…..Are you kidding? Bama would destroy Georgia….just like LSU did. You guys should have rolled out the vaunted “Black Out”. That may have been what pushed you over the top.
Losers! ROLL TIDE.
gcs
December 5th, 2011
9:34 pm
Do you know who else did not win their division or conference?
1 – Super Bowl Champs Green Bay Packers – #6 seed out of 6 who made the playoffs on the last game of the season.
2 – World Series Champs St Louis Cardinals – who made the playoffs on the last game of the season.
3 – NBA Champs Dallas Mavericks
4 – NCAA Champs UConn Huskies – who finished NINTH in the Big East.
.
gbal
December 5th, 2011
9:34 pm
Bama 13 – youve been sleeping dude. Absolutly out of it. ESPN has been nothing but LSU Bama. I am for it too but your dead ass wrong in your post. gbal
BamafaninGA
December 5th, 2011
9:42 pm
Still reeling from the blackout huh? You really should move past that. You and all the AJC writers. OSU had their chance against IOWA STATE!!! They blew it!!!!! They lost to a 28 pt underdog. Championship teams dont do that. Stanford at least lost to a decent Oregon team. If you have to win your division or your conference, what will happen if Notre Dame ever gets up there (not likely I know) The BCS is set up to match the two best teams, Mission accomplished. The Pac 10 and “big” 12 had the opportunity a few years ago to set up a plus one and they said NO. How’s that working out for you now? You talk about Bama not having to paly USC or UGA. Did you mention the ONY reason UGA made it to the SEC title game was that they didnt have to play Bama, LSU or Arky in the regular season. After what I saw Sat, plalying UGA and USC would have been about the same as playing…..VANDY or UT. Auburn beat USC for heavens sake. At least have a better argument than that and get over your Bama envy and realize this year UGA was second, excuse me, third rate in the SEC. What was UGA score against UF? What was the Bama score against UF? How about UGA Vandy? Bama Vandy? UGA UT? Bama UT? Need I go on? USC lost to Arky, What did Bama do to Arky? Lets see, OKIE Lite beat Tex A &M by one point, What did Arky do to A&M? Did I mention Iowa State anywhere? Oh Yeah, Oki Lite lost to them by 6 points…..
George
December 5th, 2011
9:45 pm
Have you reviewed the OKSU schedule & results? There is not a team on there that could beat UGA, much less LSU, Bama, or Arkansas. LSU would have destroyed OKSU. Georgia , USC gamecocks or Arkansas should be in Sugar bowl. The Bowl greed are the problem and are preventing playoffs and the athletic directors let them do it . The bowl games stink this year. Death to the BCS. Roll Tide.
gbal
December 5th, 2011
9:47 pm
dudes –
Uga fans are not against a bama lsu rematch. Why do you ahols keep postine this crap . Year we do believe uga should have gotten in in 07 but no reason to be against bana this year. Go to bed dudes ,
George
December 5th, 2011
9:52 pm
@BamafaninGa…….. You tell them brother. I could not have said it any better. The SEC east was a joke this year . Vandy was more competitive on a game by game view than anybody from the East. Go Dores .
gbal
December 5th, 2011
9:53 pm
BSC got it as right as it could. Not that pokitics were not involved,,,, but the two best shoukd be in this 2 team playoff, HOR TO DETERN=MINE THE TWO BEST NEEDS SERIOUS WORK. playoff the only way
lsu robbed
December 5th, 2011
10:04 pm
i feel sorry for lsu. lsu has been denied the chance to prove it is the best team in the nation.
Trey
December 5th, 2011
10:08 pm
You actually insult and discredit your colleagues by suggesting that your logic is superior to theirs. Voters in the AP, Harris, and Coaches polls all reaffirmed Alabama as superior to OSU. Furthermore, Sagarin reaffirmed the same. Say what you will about the voting and computers, but they all have the same information you have to make a decision. Ive read much more thoughtful commentary from you, and this column is utterly pedestrian and juvenile. To wit, you spend time mocking Alabama and regurgitating ESPN’s production. Anybody can do that. Why don’t you spend time attacking the problem that got us here in the first place – a broken system driven by a stubborn legacy and tv money. C’mon, you certainly have better ideas and perspective than this garbage…don’t you?
Woodstone
December 5th, 2011
10:13 pm
Voters – not ESPN determined the matchup. What were the voters supposed to do – provide their view of the #1 and #2 teams in the country or predict which matchup was more fair? Not a single person has suggested that BAMA is not the #2 team in the country. The BCSNCG will present #1 vs. #2 – exactly as planned.
Bammer
December 5th, 2011
10:14 pm
Trey,
Absolutely spot on man. Notice the barking from the Georgia fans has quieted down somewhat since Helen Hunt came out and said HE voted Bama #2 as well? What say ye UGA and Bradley? Richt get it wrong too?
Cloudodust
December 5th, 2011
10:28 pm
lsu robbed , Gee. The polls, the coaches, Vegas and the dang computers want to give them that chance to ‘finish the drill.’ Where have I heard that slogan before?
01HAWK
December 5th, 2011
10:29 pm
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Buford (Georgia) tight end Kurt Freitag has committed to Alabama, according to Scout.com.
Freitag chose the Crimson Tide over Florida, and will sign in February.
Freitag joins high school teammate linebacker Dillon Lee, who committed to Alabama in May.
“It has really always been those two schools for me,” Freitag told Scout.com. “I changed my mind a few times between them, but I just kept feeling Alabama was the best fit. They are a strong running team, but they know how to use their tight ends too. I like their balance.
Freitag (6-4, 240 pounds) is the 21st verbal commitment for Alabama.
01HAWK
December 5th, 2011
10:33 pm
8 recruits out of GEORGIA for BAMA…………………….WE RULE THIS STATE.
01HAWK
December 5th, 2011
10:48 pm
“If we had taken care of business at Iowa State we would not be having this discussion,” said Gundy.
At least he is honest……………………Not like UGA fans.
01HAWK
December 5th, 2011
10:48 pm
“If we had taken care of business at Iowa State we would not be having this discussion,” said Gundy.
BC$ Slave
December 5th, 2011
10:54 pm
Black:
You call me milk brains? It is you, kookaid drinker, that have not figured it out.
If I am milk brains you are no brains.
There may be too many “teams” as you say, but not too many conferences.
And yes, it would mean the end of independents (if they want to get into the playoff)
You see…if you support Alabama or Oklahoma or others team who are advantaged by the bias in the current system…then I can understand your moronic stance.
However, the only way for teams like Boise State, or TCU to have any FAIR shot at a TRUE NC, we have to have a playoff.
What is so hard for you to comprehend?
I’m not here to talk to you…you can’t see anything with Crimson koolaid in your eyes.
You probably should just ignore my lame suggestions.
I have been at this for 7 years…not 17 hours.
I’m sick of seeing the game I love sold to the highest bidder.
I’m sick of it being ruined by ESPN and greedy college presidents.
I’d rather see us go back to the days when we didn’t try to play a NC game because the current system is so corrupt and biased it only makes a mockery of the sport.
Just play the bowls and be satisfied with that.
There have many credible playoff scenarios put forward which use several variations on the conference champ idea.
Apparently, I’m not the only one in this discussion with “milk brains”.
How’s that Alabama education working out for you? Not too well.
Tide Roll
December 5th, 2011
10:55 pm
Bama is the best team in the country–that loss to lsu was just due to missing easy field goals and a bunch of bad calls. In the BCS game, Bama beats lsu easily—Bama will win another title—book it!!
Bama > osu
December 5th, 2011
10:59 pm
Bama Tide would beat osu by 17+—they aren’t even close in talent. Bama and lsu are the two best teams—forget some silly argument about conferences.
at the 10...5...TD!
December 5th, 2011
11:01 pm
I don’t think the BCS was ever put together to make sense nor be fair. It was designed to 1. make a ton a money for the NCAA off tv rights. 2. make a ton of money off a bunch of kids that many don’t even belong academically in institutes of higher learning and 3. keep a majority of the country interested and involved so the TV people will be happy with viewership. Having said all that LSU and Ala will be at least competitive. The big 12 has shown they play zero defense out there. ESPN and FOX will hype this and get their money and the NCAA will police and make sure we are only shelling out some of our hard earned on licensed products etc. This is a televised ponzi scheme from the word go. But, the college pimps, err, presidents wanted it this way and the pimps, err coaches signed off on it. We keep buying tickets and watching it.
BC$ Slave
December 5th, 2011
11:05 pm
I live in Alabama…so I support them. Even if I didn’t, I would in this game because if they win it is going to be interesting to see what the poll voters do with LSU after that. Bama and LSU will be 1-1 against each other this year. Bama’s loss against LSU didn’t keep them out of the championship game. So will voters hold it against a 12-0 LSU team who have defeated Bama this season?
In other words, is it possible that LSU would still be ranked #1 even if Bama beats them?
Anything is possible in the BC$ system. Anything.
at the 10...5...TD!
December 5th, 2011
11:08 pm
BC$lave…and that’s the issue that people have with it.
BC$ Slave
December 5th, 2011
11:12 pm
at the 10:
You are exactly right about the purpose of the BC$.
The money grubbers are ruining the sport of college football.
Its why I won’t be watching the MNC.
I didn’t watch for the last few years.
I’m done with the BC$ and ESPN.
I will watch games with my team only.
I won’t watch their analysis shows, highlight shows, or anything other than my team playing on their network.
When I watch…I listen to the play by play on my local radio station.
I will not support ESPN until they start calling for a conference champ playoff system .
at the 10...5...TD!
December 5th, 2011
11:17 pm
I hear ya BC$lave. I’m not an Auburn fan but I have not watched since they got robbed in ‘04. ESPN tells us in August who will or should win the Heisman, Outland, Bilitnekoff etc. They tell us who is a top ten team in April, based largely on bias and who is returning the most lettermen and let’s not forget fanbase viewership. It’s a waste of time.
Charles Knight
December 5th, 2011
11:21 pm
Oh yes Alabama has an aura, one that extends far beyoud Nick Saban and the most recent polls. Maybe you are sore because your Bulldogs play in the same conference. You are getting better and should have your chance again next year against one of the two west division elites. With 22 SEC championships and no one else even close there is a long crimson shadow that extends over this conference. Throw in 13 National Championships and you really do have an aura.The SEC is a conference of champions of which several teams are going to make an impact in the coming years. Get over it. Oklahoma State has give up way too many points and yardage to be in the title game.
BC$ Slave
December 5th, 2011
11:25 pm
at the 10:
It is meaningless. If people start to realize the truth, enthusiasm would begin to wane. Profits would begin to suffer. I’m sick of ESPN and other media having so much influence over the sport. Polls will never get us a true champion. Only playoffs will.
MarkDawg
December 5th, 2011
11:31 pm
Why is it that everyone seems to forget that Ok st loss was the day after a horrible loss in their athletic department. If you watched the game you could tell it had a impact on the coaching staff. Any other night Ok st wins.
01HAWK
December 5th, 2011
11:34 pm
Nabbing Freitag just gets this class one step closer to signing yet another top overall class.
With more big names coming closer to signing, this is almost certain to become a class that could possibly be one of the best Saban has signed since coming to Alabama.
tim
December 5th, 2011
11:40 pm
1
mike quinn
December 5th, 2011
11:44 pm
HEY BIG MIKE IF YOU THINK MARK IS A GREAT WRITTER..I CAN SEE WHY YO THINK LIKE YOU DO. HE WAS A SORRY WRITER WHEN I WORKED FOR THE PAPER AND HE IS WORSE NOW. THE SYSTM IS THE WAY IT IS SO STOP CRYING BOUT BAMA BEING IN THE BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN. YOU PROB VOTED FOR OBAMA. HE WOULD HAVE FOOTBALL SCREWED UP WORSE THAN HE HAS SCREWED UP THIS COUNTRY. THE BEST 2 TEAMS IN THE COUNTRY ARE PLAYING SO GET OVER IT. GO SHARE YOUR CRYING TOWEL WITH MARK
Nashville4UGA
December 6th, 2011
12:41 am
Think of this, Had OSU’s FG to beat ISU in regulation been 6 inches to the left, OSU is in the MNC. 6 inches! And no one is even having this conversation. I still think OSU got screwed royally.
7576DAWG
December 6th, 2011
12:47 am
Maybe some of you will now support what a lot of us have been demanding, that the true champion be determined on the field. People need to vocally get behind so kind of play off. Any kind is better than none.
TGT
December 6th, 2011
1:06 am
I refuse to watch this game. I’m tired of more worthy teams getting screwed(UGA-07,OK State this year). Who cares!
Cooter51
December 6th, 2011
1:19 am
So it’s ok for North Carolina to play Duke twice during basketball regular season and lose, then play in the confrence championship and lose to Duke again and not win their confrence, but be able to come back and win the National Championship, but Alabama is not given that same chance because it’s football. How fair is that? Throw everything out and look at the two losses. Alabama lost to the #1 team in the nation in overtime by 3 points, Okla State lost in double overtime to a team that they were favored by 30 points to win. Who should go!!!! Don’t even put a name there just say who should play. The team that lost by 3 to the #1 team in the nation Yes there needs to be a play-off, but the BCS got it right this time, #1 vs #2 LSU vs Alabama….If Okla State had played in the SEC and Alabama in the Big 12 and everything was reversed then Okla St would have went….Defenses win Championship’s always have and always will ie, Oregon vs Auburn.. Don’t blame Nick Saban or Alabama because the voters voted the way they did. Next year it might be Oklahoma and Okla St who knows. Oh by the way Mark you need to get a new job, maybe selling baby clothing or something, because your not a unbiased sports reporter. Have you ever thought that might be why your not on ESPN or any other TV analyst. You have gone about as far as you can go and with an article like this I see why…….
Rob
December 6th, 2011
2:58 am
BC$ Slave: I just have to toss my two cents in as another one who thinks you’re insane regarding your earlier proposals for a playoff system (approx. pages10-14). That’s probably why not one single person has stepped in to support your ideas. Back on page 14 you were just grasping at straws. You tried to justify the crazy things you wrote when questioned about the details, but you just came across like a 7 year old on a school playground trying to make your argument for why Superman is better than Batman. I will add now though it seems you have backtracked a bit, though I admit to not fully reading everything that’s been posted since then.
Anyway, as I said before, I have some questions regarding those ideas of yours. Here we go: If it’s obvious, as it was this year, that the best two teams in the land are from the same conference, even the same division, thus one is unable to even play for the conference title, how can you possibly keep that other team out of the playoffs? In some cases the best three-four teams in the nation might be from the same conference. How on earth would it be fair to allow only one of them in? Don’t bother spouting out stuff about conferences realigning, etc. as we know that isn’t going to happen.
Conference champions should be a small part of it, if at all. The NCAA Basketball selection tournament process would be the template to follow for the most part. Under your system, some conference champs would get in that would have no business even in the playoffs, while many NC caliber teams would go home just because they didn’t win their conference. Totally asinine.
superiorblogman
December 6th, 2011
2:59 am
SEC rules stop the hate
clay
December 6th, 2011
3:05 am
Damn MB, your writing some good stuff lately.
tenn.DAWG
December 6th, 2011
6:17 am
Great article Mark,if a plus one isn’t born from this debacle I’ll lose all hope that we’ll ever have a true National Champion.
Tommy Tuberville
December 6th, 2011
6:51 am
Hey everybody, it’s me, Coach Tubs. Have there been any calls for me? anyone?
Seriously?
Tommy Tuberville
December 6th, 2011
6:55 am
I’m waiting for Achie manning’s call. (Anyone have his number? I mean just in case…….)
Tech Engineer
December 6th, 2011
8:10 am
Only two coaches voted Stanford ahead of Oklahoma St. They were the Stanford coach and Lou Saban. Saban is dirty.
Gbal
December 6th, 2011
8:17 am
Hearing a lot of ppl saying that IF a playoff system were adopted, say 8 teams, that teams would be selected for the playoffs by winning their confrence.
I think this would creat a weaker playoff field and that the best 8 teams would never make the field. I am for a BCS ranking system as we have now and the highest 8 ranked teams making the playoff.
What are otheres thoughts?
bob
December 6th, 2011
8:19 am
Alabama is clearly the 2nd best team. OSU lost to a 28 point underdgo. If they had won that game they would be playing in the BCS championship.
Buy a ticket and see the SEC in action.
Gbal
December 6th, 2011
8:22 am
Cooter — Read your post again buddy. Are u suggesting that ESPN reporters are unbiased??? You kidding me? Agree with the rest of your post BUT… ESPN Unbiased?
PapaDawg
December 6th, 2011
8:31 am
I DON’T like Bama and I really don’t like Napolean Saban but their one loss was to the #1 team and who did Oklahoma St lose to. A Nobody. With the current BS BCS rules the two best teams are playing. There I said it now I’m puking. PLAYOFFS
DC
December 6th, 2011
8:32 am
I agree with the matchup…this is from an AU fan…but i also agree that its not fair to OK State..there needs to be a playoff system in place…
If bama fans dont think they got extremely lucky and its not a slight job to ok state you are fooling yourself…
crossdawg
December 6th, 2011
8:37 am
The AP voters that named crowell as top freshman musta been smoking out of his bong. I’ll be surprised if he’s around next yeat.
Gbal
December 6th, 2011
8:37 am
Q –
We can question till the cows come home whether OSU or Bama is most deserving. Point is the voters said it’s Bama and under the current system, Bama it is.
So lets imagine we have an 8 team playoff. Should Bama be in the field? Or not, since they didnt win their confrence?
I say its a shame to have weaker confrence winners automatically in over stronger confrence 2 and 3.
reality Gator
December 6th, 2011
8:39 am
MB Georgia the best team in the East ha, ha, you got thrashed by 32 by LSU, Bama only lost by 4, and you have the nerve to talk about Bama shedule.
Puppies won 10 straight against teams combine 12-57 in the SEC, and 0-3 against wining teams, Bama would have beaten Puppies by at least 40, this why UGA has not won anthing since 1980, MB is a joke””