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
IlliniDawg
December 4th, 2011
10:55 pm
Interesting that the only folks ripping MB and defending ESPN are Bama fans. But I guess if the shoe were on the other foot, we Dawg fans would probably be doing the same thing. In the end, I wonder if Bama fans care one bit that a vast majority of the country does not want to see this game again.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:56 pm
I guess to decide the championship this year you have to play the best 2 out 2 if you’re LSU. In Alabama’s case it will be the best 1 out 2.
Bob
December 4th, 2011
10:56 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 makes no sense. If the SEC is the best conference in the country, then the SEC champ is the national champion, end of story. The Hat’s already won it, Bama fans just haven’t figured it out.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
10:56 pm
uga has a coach that is 3-16 against ranked teams in his last 19 tries. i wouldnt even call the east a division.
GTBob
December 4th, 2011
10:56 pm
So will people feel good about Alabama being National Champions if they win a close game against LSU?
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
10:57 pm
I suppose the difference between this year and 2007 is the fact that Alabama is a top tier program with a tradition for winning big games and championships.
wesley
December 4th, 2011
10:58 pm
This is to bama grad, well alabama doesn’t deserve to be there either, they didn’t win their division or conference for that matter, funny how the argument about winning your conference doesn’t apply to saban and his minions, but let it be any other team, i.e., UGA in 2007 and those rules are strickly enforced, funny how that happens huh?? au had their shot and they blew it the first time around, you know it, the country knows it and ESPN sure as hell knows it, but they can’t keep their collective noses out of saban’s ass long enough to realize it) that Ok St belongs in the National championship, not bama, not by any stretch, hope LSU rips bama a new one…..
Crenshawcrusher
December 4th, 2011
10:58 pm
I Won’t watch either, LSU should play OSU and then if LSU won, they would have beaten Conference Champions from Big East, Big 12, Pac 12, etc.
This isn’t sports, this is American Football Idol.
Had the Baseball playoffs been run this way, we would have let the Phillies go to the World Series over the Cardinals since they were supposed to be the better team. They should ban all conference championships if they don’t mean anything. If there is ever a real championship, sometimes the most popular teams do not get to the championship games.
Every Game Counts unless you have a large ESPN contract with the conference, then some games count for more.
War Dang Dawg
December 4th, 2011
10:58 pm
“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.”
Bingo, it’s not a system, it’s a farce. But that’s nothing new, the concept of a “national champion” in college football has always been a farce. At least in the past they played all of the major bowl games and then sorted it out. Now, they deem only two teams worthy of being crowned and pit them in a winner take all match. It’s a joke.
Eric C.
December 4th, 2011
10:58 pm
DP, most analysts agree that LSU is a better team now than the one that faced Bama earlier as Jefferson has gotten on track. Also, LSU lost to Kentucky and Arkansas in 2007…TN was the freaking east div champs. Anyway, Bama will get their behinds handed to them and will have nothing to show for this season.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
10:58 pm
DP, I think what he is saying is that UGA was #4 in the BCS when the 1 and 2 teams lost and didn’t get to move up. A team that beat it’s last 6 opponents by 30 points in each game and was playing better than anyone in the country at that time.
BAMAFAN
December 4th, 2011
10:59 pm
ROLL TIDE ROLL. I named my son Saban after one of the best football coaches. ROLL TIDE ROLL.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
10:59 pm
people are hating because they all watched the first game and know who should have won and this time we will.
Caligula
December 4th, 2011
10:59 pm
Bradley has had a major case of redazz against UA since his tea and crumpets buddy Curry ran from competition to Kentucky. I LOL at the butthurt
DP
December 4th, 2011
10:59 pm
Bradley can’t bring himself to mention that Georgia was only in the SEC championship game this year because they didn’t play any of the best 3 teams in the league, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas. We saw yesterday what happened when they finally played one of them. But then Bradley writes that Alabama didn’t play Georgia, as if Alabama wouldn’t have welcomed the chance to beat Georgia like a drum.
What a pathetic joke.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
10:59 pm
UGA fans: perpetually jealous of the Tide.
Boycott 'em....
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
hit ‘em where it hurts, don’t watch the game….. Boycott the BCS Championship! I am a lifetime SEC fan but think the “Re-match” is a bunch of bs. Let the LSU and Bama fans watch the game, everyone else tune into Andy Griffith re-runs.
I don’t get these Bama fans either who think they should get a re-match and have been talking about since the second the first game ended. How can you lose at home, miss however many field goals it was, not win the division or play for the conference title, and still expect to play in the national championship. If Bama is fortunate enough to win then what will they be, “Co-Champions”…the record will be the same 1 – 1. Shouldn’t they then play another game to REALLY decide who is champion. If the first loser gets a mulligan shouldn’t the second? I am sure Bama fans will find some way to justify things.
I say Boycott the BCS….maybe if the viewership is appallingly low for the game it will help stir the pot for a playoff system. Hit them where it hurts, in the wallet.
Blackoutanyone?
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
GTBob… ohhh hell yea. I’ll take 3-0 and feel great about it. You?
the inconvenient truth
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
poor Eric C…………………..go do what all good “dawgs” do after getting a national TV humiliating ASSWHUPPING from a better team…………………go lick your wounds…………..you know what i mean, dont you, loser????? Watch Bama……………learn how a winner plays in a big game………….they may win or lose, but they WONT CRAP THEIR PANTS LIKE THE MIGHTY DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOD WHAT A SMALL PROGRAM YOU FOLKS HAVE……………..1 NC WIN IN 31 YEARS, AND YOU DIDNT PLAY BAMA THAT YEAR……………….
WHEN IS YOUR NEXT BLACKOUT ERIC???????????
LOOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Dick B
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
dan alabama fans, you guys have to come in the great state of GA to get the 4/5 state recruits, the state of bama dont have the caliber of players ….hahaha
rudy
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
Bradley eats feces for breakfast…always has.
wesley
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
to kerryb, the reason they met again in the Super Bowl you idiot is because one team is from the NFC and one from the AFC and the NFL does have something called the playoffs, make sense now?? Thing before you speak……
puppies
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
eric c did you see jefferson play yesterday? bama would have defenitely blowed them out.
Crenshawcrusher
December 4th, 2011
11:01 pm
Time to Occupy BCS and boycott the BCS championship game and any of their sponsers.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:01 pm
Justice would be that no matter what happens in this game they should name LSU champs.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can Stop it!!!
December 4th, 2011
11:01 pm
You can’t lose your division and play in the title game. Right Dawgs?
You know the best thing about this season? More years of Mark Richt to come!!!
5IML
December 4th, 2011
11:01 pm
wesley,
There is no rule about winning your conference, division, state, or zip code. Can you guys let 2007 go?! You had two horrible losses that year. It was four years ago.
BC$ Slave
December 4th, 2011
11:02 pm
What all this proves is that we have a system that makes the national championship game meaningless to everyone but koolaid drinking fans of those two “LUCKY” teams.
The teams in the MNC are LUCKY because voters are fickle.
That’s the point made very clearly in the arguments about past BCS mistakes.
The rules in voters minds change every year.
It is nothing more than a beauty contest.
tyler
December 4th, 2011
11:02 pm
So many of your points were absolute nonsense….We both know that Bama is the second best team in the nation. Period. You can’t lose to a 6-6 team and play for a natl title. Your article may have had some validity if it weren’t for the fact that winning your conference is NOT part of the requirements to play in the Natl Championship Game (a rule that was prob put in place b/c of Notre Dame). You can’t compare Ok St and Bama fairly anyway- no common opponents- all you can do is look at the body of work. Now, do you honestly think that if Bama had lost to, say Vandy (6-6) that they would have had the opportunity to still play for the title? No way. Wouldn’t happen. And don’t give me “well, if vandy was their only loss then that means that they would have beaten LSU”…leave them out- let’s say Bama’s best win would have been Arkansas (comparable to Ok St)…who gets in then? I would have to say things would probably have turned out differently…..think about it
Blackoutanyone?
December 4th, 2011
11:03 pm
Eric C…. wrong. Iron Bowl Champions lol… that means more in this state than you can imagine.. even if Aubarn is pathetic this year.
BCS Logic
December 4th, 2011
11:03 pm
OK, here’s the deal guys. LSU, if you can beat Alabama twice in the season, you will be the national champs. Alabama, if you can beat LSU once in the season, you will be the national champs. Hey, it worked that way for FSU and Florida in ‘96 so why not do it again?
Fair? Not really, but Alabama’s 80-year “body of work” gives them a slight edge over LSU in the “eyeball test.”
Oklahoma State? Never heard of ‘em.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
11:03 pm
no matter what happens we will never have to get on here and say anything abot ga. their play shows that.
bitter thats capitalism
December 4th, 2011
11:03 pm
folks we all fell in love with corporations and wounder why we get upset with coruption
play off is fair and just but —money and fairness have nothing in common
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:04 pm
wesley
December 4th, 2011
11:00 pm
to kerryb, the reason they met again in the Super Bowl you idiot is because one team is from the NFC and one from the AFC and the NFL does have something called the playoffs, make sense now?? Thing before you speak……
______________________________________________________________________________
Hey nimrod, why don’t you bother reading or learn how. That’s what I was saying. The NFL has a playoff. That’s how two teams meet during the season and in the playoffs. The season is the playoffs in college. Usually you lose you’re out. You must be from Alabama
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:05 pm
Wrong again kerry. Those pesky facts.
Sat, Nov 3 Troy W 44-34 —
Sat, Nov 10 (18) Auburn W 45-20 —
Sat, Nov 17 (22) Kentucky W 24-13 —
Sat, Nov 24 at Georgia Tech W 31-17
Caligula
December 4th, 2011
11:05 pm
Good post tyler. One would think Bradley, college basketball guru that he is, would stop being disingenuous and bringing up the conference champs argument . Hello UConn
Elementary my Dear Watson
December 4th, 2011
11:06 pm
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.
A great point Bradley. If Bama does when the BCS championship game, why would they be declared champions? Or would they? LSU/Bama split two games, why would Bama be champ? I know, they won the big game and lost regular season game.
A playoff is needed, but it makes to much easy sense for it to ever happen. We are a smart country and we have smart minds, we need to make it happen. This 35 + bowl games a year make me sick and is ridiculous. The next time I hear a team needs to win to become ” Bowl Eligible “, I think I will puke.
DP
December 4th, 2011
11:06 pm
The agenda of Bradley and the rest of Dawg Nation is clear. Go after Alabama to change the subject from the beating LSU put on Georgia at the Dome yesterday.
Georgia laid down and quit yesterday the first time it encountered adversity and Bradley says it’s a sign of progress.
Eric C.
December 4th, 2011
11:06 pm
“puppies,”
I saw UGA hold LSU to 12 yds in the first half…but LSU has too much depth. They just wear you out. When Bama plays LSU on a neutral field, it will be all LSU…I’m sorry but that is life. If UGA played Bama yesterday, it would have been much closer in the end. LSU is better than Bama…they beat Ark worse, they beat Auburn worse, and they beat Bama in Bama. It’s already been decided.
GTBob
December 4th, 2011
11:06 pm
kerryb, I agree 100%. Honestly, even if Alabama wins, I don’t see how they could be considered champions over LSU. They would have both beaten each other and LSU has a much better resume.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:07 pm
DAn, they still didnt lose the last game of the year at home like LSU did. Usually you lose late your out.
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:07 pm
You both had 2 losses kerry. Your 2 losses were worse than lsu’s that year. Again they lost in triple ot twice. You got blown out by tenn. They BEAT THEM. Man are you dumb.
Bob
December 4th, 2011
11:07 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!
5IML
December 4th, 2011
11:08 pm
Hey LSU fans,
I will be in New Orleans Sunday afternoon and ready to party til Tuesday morning–win or lose. (Please note: This message is intended solely for fans of the 2012 BCSCG participants.)
Dan
December 4th, 2011
11:09 pm
Note the key word usully. They also won their last game beating a team that blew you out. Get a clue.
Caligula
December 4th, 2011
11:09 pm
Puppy fans on here should not discuss big boy football . Got hit in the mouth yesterday and quit.
kerryb
December 4th, 2011
11:09 pm
At least Okie State would have given LSU a game. Their offense is 10 times better than Alabama’s and LSU already knows how to stop that.
puppies
December 4th, 2011
11:10 pm
ok st lost and their out.
Shine
December 4th, 2011
11:10 pm
2006, Michigan ranked second in AP and third in Coaches poll after losing to Ohio State. USC was ranked third in AP and second in Coaches. Florida 4th in both.
USC loses last game, Fla wins SEC title game and Michigan has no more games just like Alabama didnt this week. Florida jumps Michigan but OSU doesnt jump Bama after winning its Confernace title against a top 10 opponent?
Shameful, disgraceful, pathetic, rigged.
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