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
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:08 pm
GTBob, for once I agree with you.
Bob
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
“Also, no one seems to have a problem crowning Wisconsin Big10 champs. Shouldnt they play MichSt 1 more time to decide who the real champ is?????” -IveGotTheAnswer
Ah, good question. In the Big 10, you have to win your division to play in the championship game.
BC$ Slave
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
Any playoff system which utilizes the current polls to determine rank is doom to the same failure as what we have now.
The only true playoff system is to match up conference champions. Lower tier conferences could be selected for a couple of at-large berths. But the major conferences can name a champion and those champions can be seeded by a selection committee.
Competition should determine champions……not morons with agendas.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
I think what they have just done renders a BCS title game irrelevant.
OldSnarky
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
This season, I will NOT watch the BCS Championship game. It is nothing but a joke. BCS rules should say that a school can NOT play a school for the second time in a season. What if bama beats LSU By a field goal…what then. The championship game should be between LSU and Oklahoma State. PERIOD! In my mind, if LSU wins, they are national champs. If BAMA wins, then Oklahoma state Must be declared National Champions IF they win their bowl game. GET RID OF THE STUPID BCS AND GO BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS. Let the fans vote as well to determine the national champ.
Blackoutanyone?
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
Like Mark Bradley knows anything about real college football or the NFL or the NBA or MLB.
14th National Championship on the way. Not to mention we OWN the state of Georgia in recruiting as well.
Hate on haters…. ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!
Pat
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
Lsu will be even better next year.
Friday Nights
December 4th, 2011
10:09 pm
BCS Bowls are here to stay unless the Fed’s step in and delcare it illegal. Too many Millions on the line, 5m to 20m going to the schools and confrences for each game depending on the bowl, and thats not to think of what the host cities brings in. Not going to change any time soon, but then again obama was elected.
Gilderoy lockhart
December 4th, 2011
10:10 pm
All okie st had to do to play in the title game was beat a lousy isu team. All Boise had to do was kick a field goal.these other one loss teams have only themselves to blame.
Buckshot57
December 4th, 2011
10:10 pm
You can bet the farm, that if UGA was in the spot Alabama is in, the comments on this blog would be a lot different.
swhite1951
December 4th, 2011
10:11 pm
Hey Realist, gotta update you on current events: http://www.uefa.com/uefa/aboutuefa/organisation/president/news/newsid=1726353.html
The Bear
December 4th, 2011
10:11 pm
Alabama didn’t make this system. Ask Nick Saban or any other FBS head coach and I bet they tell you they want a playoff system. All the Dawg folks on here are just pissed after getting violated by LSU and now they are here crowing about a Saban conspiracy. I think Oklahoma State has a valid argument, all you folks complaining write the NCAA don’t blame Bama. Better yet demand more out of whatever college you follow.
ROLL TIDE
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:11 pm
rad
December 4th, 2011
10:07 pm
So if a nfl team loses to a team in the reg season and plays them again in the sb and wins, they aren’t nfl champions? Nice logic.
____________________________________________________________________________
The difference is that the NFL has playoffs. The season is a playoff in college.
Fan of the Game
December 4th, 2011
10:12 pm
Go back to an 11 game schedule. Finish it in mid November and then have an 8 team playoff. Final two teams play in the NC game the day after New Years. The Rose, Sugar, Cotton or Orange would host on a rotating basis. The other six teams go to one of the other big Bowl games that is not hosting the NC game. Other Bowls get to have their games and everybody is happy. Only negative is taking a game off the 12 game schedule. Conferences having a championship game may have to start the season the last Sat. in August.
IveGotTheAnswer
December 4th, 2011
10:12 pm
The BCS has proven that if you lose late in the season it is almost impossible to recover. OkSt lost after Bama lost so they blew their chance. It also didnt help that it was Iowa St. If they’d have lost to Oklahoma that day instead, then they might be playing LSU
12/4/2011 Evening Edition | collegefootballnewswire.com
December 4th, 2011
10:13 pm
[...] FELDMAN: Program Changer Griffin III My Heisman Pick KING: All-SEC Quarterback In Doubt BRADLEY: Yet Another BCS Whiff – ‘Bama Brand Burns Cowboys HLAS: Oklahoma? Insight? What More Could Iowa Have Wanted? WOJCIECHOWSKI: A Season To Remember [...]
Matt
December 4th, 2011
10:13 pm
Every Game Counts, even the Iowa State game.
GTBob
December 4th, 2011
10:13 pm
All Alabama had to do to make the MNC game was beat Arkansas and not lose to LSU too bad. Not exactly hard to do but good for them for doing it.
swhite1951
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
Oh, and Realist, you might want to check out this site as well: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/index.html
I realize, by the way, the Europe is a part of the world. And it doesn’t really matter whether European soccer has a playoff or not, the BCS should give way to a playoff.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
kerry b they lost what 4 people in a plane crash? go to ALABAMA and just take a look at what we lost.
Blackoutanyone?
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
Haa haa haa like anyone gives a dizzzam if you leg humpers watch? No one watched the SEC Championship game either… zzzzz fest.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
The Bear, No, Dawgs fans are pissed about things being formed to benefit you and not anyone else. Dawgs fans will NEVER get over being slighted in 2007. They kept the Dawgs out of the champioship game using the reasoning that they are not using against you this time. That’s why we are pissed. we knew it was a tall order to win that game yesteday
5IML
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
This the official chardonnay blog.
dirty dawg
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
Just glad the sorry Dawgs are not in the championship game. I hope they never get lucky enough to make it to the big dance. The entire program, fans and players are repugnant!! If they had played the schedule that any of the teams in the West played, they would not be going bowling this year.
BBQ MAN
December 4th, 2011
10:15 pm
answer is obviously playoffs but qw are stuck with choosing the best 2 to play and any OBJECTIVE football fan can see that Bama is clearly one of the best two teams. just look, actually look at them play
Mets
December 4th, 2011
10:15 pm
Answer this– If okla st had beaten iowa and was undefeated going into yesterdays game against ok and they lost a close one, they would NOT get in the game so why does losing to a worse opponent allow for them to get in a few weeks ago???
christophorm
December 4th, 2011
10:16 pm
IF this is a 11-0 florida and a 10-1 Georgia and Georgia did’nt make the championship game then, noway this happens…I remember Auburn had 3 nfl players, went undefeated and did’nt get in a few years back.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:16 pm
puppies
December 4th, 2011
10:14 pm
kerry b they lost what 4 people in a plane crash? go to ALABAMA and just take a look at what we lost.
_______________________________________________________________________
Completely idiotic comment. That’s like saying you just lost a bunch of people in trailers.
swhite1951
December 4th, 2011
10:16 pm
Hey, Buckshot, I’ll take that bet. I can guarantee you that if it Stanford was undefeated, Oregon was ranked second, and Alabama was third and the BCS gave the rematch to Stanford/Oregon your comments would be entirely different from what they are now.
5IML
December 4th, 2011
10:17 pm
kerryb,
In 2007, UGA lost two games. You lost to a .500 S. Carolina team and got a rump stomping at the feet of Tennessee. This is not the same situation. You guys need to stop with the revisionist history.
Alphare
December 4th, 2011
10:17 pm
GTBob,
OSU had its chance but lost it by losing to a 6-6 team.
BAMA had its chance but lost it by losting a #1 team.
But now you are saying OSU got it back? how?
Fan of the Game
December 4th, 2011
10:17 pm
Dirty Dawg – I see where you got your name from.
5IML
December 4th, 2011
10:19 pm
At what point in 2007 was UGA ranked #2 in any pole? Again, stop it with the revisionist history.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:19 pm
51ML, LSU lost 2 games and lost to Arkansas at home the last game of the year. Just like now everyone was saying USC and UGA were the best 2 teams at the end of the year but they didn’t get to face each other in the title game. Now they are saying,” lets get the best 2 teams in the game”. They’ve made a so-called NC a big joke.
Shine
December 4th, 2011
10:20 pm
Michigan and Ohio State got screwed in 2006 then. Nobody besides Alabama and maybe LSU wants to see thse two play again. What a black eye and dark day for college football. May as well go back to the way it was or play 10 regular season games and have a playoff. Disgraceful, sickening, pathetic….even rigged comes to mind.
Fan of the Game
December 4th, 2011
10:20 pm
Somebody tell me why Va. Tech goes to the Sugar Bowl and Boise State doesn’t?
BC$ Slave
December 4th, 2011
10:20 pm
Tide fans are delusional.
I know because I live in Alabama.
If we had a playoff system, the Tide could play in a bowl, but would be ineligible for the playoff.
LSU is the only team from the SEC who actually EARNED that right.
Alabama was voted in my judges.
It is a beauty contest.
Dan
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
kerry you idiot. lsu lost twicein 07 like you but there losses were no where near as bad as YOUR losses. you got blown out in one game. lsu lost in triple ot twice and beat tenn who blew you out. It’s not even close to the same comparison. Alabama is the second best team. They didn’t get beat by a 6 or 7 loss team. Quit whining. If it was uga you would be calling people whiners and saying you belong.
Lil dawg
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
Two best teams are playing..so cry no more!
GTBob
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
Alphare, OSU should have made it because of the one thing that we know for sure. That Alabama is not as good as LSU. It was proven. They lost to them at home. We have no idea if Ok St is better then LSU or if they are better then Alabama. Thanks to ESPN, we will never know.
The Bear
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
I think everyone here agrees there needs to be a playoff. But trying to make this into an Alabama conspiracy is silly.
Joseph Pulitzer
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
The BCS will not get my prize.
5IML
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
kerryb,
Do you think UGA should have played LSU back in 2007?
puppies
December 4th, 2011
10:21 pm
them sorry puppies dont want none of them people in them trailers. if they would have been throwing beer cans instead of footballs i bet ga players would have caught all of them
icedawg
December 4th, 2011
10:22 pm
Not interested in the repeat.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:22 pm
51ML, Matter of fact LSU lost to both Arkansas and Kentucky that year but still got to play for the title.
Realist
December 4th, 2011
10:22 pm
Hey swhite1951, those aren’t TEAMS, those are COUNTRIES… like the Olympics. I can assure you the English Premier League, La Liga, etc, don’t have playoffs. Bonus points on your google ability though… and you should watch Euro 2012. It will be great fun…
UGA fan
December 4th, 2011
10:23 pm
The BCS is wrong. LSU beat Bama already. Bama didn’t win there division or conference. It’s all about money and tv. If Bama want to be in the championship game, they should have beat LSU. I’m a Dawg fan, but Go LSU. I totally dislike Bama !!!!!!!!!
Tom
December 4th, 2011
10:25 pm
ESPN blows
Cloudodust
December 4th, 2011
10:26 pm
Personally I like the rematch of LSU-Alabama. Call it Alabama backdoor if you want and in reality, you’re logically right but the system this year says you’re wrong. SEC. Dominance…