I thought long and hard about what to write this week. I had a few options. A certain anniversary that every Cubs fan wants to forget forever. A game I attended in Norman, Oklahoma, that started to have a certain feel that Sooner fans are familiar with. I'll save those for some other time, though, because I got what I wanted last night when the BCS rankings were released---something I can rant about!
I found myself watching the BCS show last night. I suppose it's because I had heard that my Sooners were going to be #1 in the standings, and I wanted to get angry with ESPN. I could have told you what was going to be said, and with the exception of Kirk Herbstreit, I would have been correct.
You see, my alma mater, rightfully so, has become a media whipping boy. Losses in three straight BCS Championship games and five straight BCS games will do that to you. So, when the standings were released, the shock and dismay was thick on the air. Even today, there are all kinds of tweets, articles and rants about what a sham it is that Oklahoma is ahead of Boise State and Oregon and how the system is somehow "wrong". One of my favorites was a tweet by Pat Forde saying that he couldn't believe that Oklahoma got so much respect for blowing out Iowa State. Newsflash, Pat, the respect has nothing to do with the Iowa State win and EVERYTHING to do with the Texas and Florida State wins, two teams Oklahoma beat. That's the way the system works.
Here's the underlying problem: The formula itself is not broken. It works the way it's supposed to work. That's not to say that I like the system. I don't. In fact, I'd scrap it tomorrow if I could. But, because the media doesn't have complete control of the system, they whine every time it works. They've changed it twice due to the fact that the computers overruled the people. Isn't that what the computers are there for? They're supposed to even out some of the media bias, right? So, when they do, they change it to where the computers hardly even matter anymore. That makes a lot of sense.
Which brings me to the point of my rant. Oklahoma has been #1 in the BCS more often than anyone since the system was implemented. They've been in the top 5 more than anyone since this system was implemented. And, despite what E(SEC)PN might want you to believe, it's not because Oklahoma plays in an inferior conference. It's because they have the system figured out. It's not hard to figure out, but the other schools (ahem...Auburn) would rather whine than do what it takes to put themselves in a position to win it all.
Oklahoma has a strict scheduling policy for non-conference games. They play one major conference "power". That team might not be on top when they play them, but it's a name school. This year it's Florida State. In the future, it's Notre Dame, Tennessee & Ohio State. Oklahoma doesn't duck road games against powerhouses. Next year, Oklahoma goes to Tallahassee. Again, this is all by design. They supplement that game with two mid-major conference games. This year, those were Air Force and Cincinatti. In the past, this game has bitten the Sooners (see BYU last year and TCU a few years back). These games are typically at home. The fourth game (which will go away with the new Big "12") is a weak opponent. This game has hurt OU in the past, but typically can be offset by the other three.
This scheduling system has put Oklahoma in the title game over USC in 2003, Auburn in 2004, and Texas in 2008. It's the schedule that puts Oklahoma, at the angst of the media, ahead of their darlings. In 2003, no one could believe that an SEC team could be left out of the BCS Championship Game without a loss. USC had the biggest beef. Their schedule was respectable. Auburn's non-conference schedule: Louisiana Monroe, The Citadel and Louisiana Tech. Texas in 2008: Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Rice & a bad Arkansas team.
So, for all of those media members who refuse to support a college football playoff, please allow the system to work the way it is built to work. Everything will work itself out in the end, or it won't. Either way, it's the system we have. They act like they don't know it is. I don't buy it. They should be more studied up on the system than anyone.
I'm all for a playoff. Every other sport has one. Every other division in college football has one. There's no reason that the FBS cannot have a playoff, other than peoples' pockets getting lined.....which reminds me, I can't wait to read Dan Wetzel's new book. I was going to save my BCS rant until after I read it, but I'll probably have more to rant about at that point.
In the meantime, enjoy the ride that is the college football regular season!
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