I believe I speak for all of college football fans and the sports world (minus Buckeye fans) when i say...no I scream,"Enough already!" I do not want to see Ohio State get whipped in the national championship again.
The buckeyes were pounded by fourteen this past season by the Tigers of LSU and embarrassed two years ago by the Florida Gators. A combined 41 points! That is brutal.
The national championship is supposed to be a battle between the two best teams. I must say that according to the scores from the previous two years the BCS has failed in accomplishing that goal. Can somebody say playoff?
Please do not misunderstand me for some radical "Big Ten sucks!" fan. Ohio State is undoubtedly one of the best programs in college football and their athletes "can" definitely compete with those that are on the top tier SEC teams in the regular season or bowl games.
But...they haven't.
The Buckeyes dropped to 0-9 versus the SEC in bowl games with last years' loss to the Tigers. The problem is not that they have dropped two championships in a row but the fact that they have lost by such huge margins.
We have to face the facts. The SEC is the toughest conference from top to bottom. Teams like Ohio State, Southern Cal, or Oklahoma have more "pushovers" in their conference play than teams in the SEC.
Florida, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, and Alabama have all been in the national championship picture within recent history. The SEC has more teams that can compete for the national title every year than any other conference.
SEC teams have claimed six out of the last 12 national championships while the Big 10 has only one championship which was won by the Buckeyes along with a share of the title in '98 claimed by Michigan.
These top SEC teams beat each other up every year leaving the best teams with two losses. These teams shouldn't be punished for their tough schedule. I've heard numerous sportswriters, TV analysts, and fans rank the top five in college football for this upcoming 2009 season.
I've heard the statement almost every time. Because of their tough schedule, Georgia is No. 2. Tough strength of schedule should be a bonus for teams. We have to stop awarding teams for their weak schedules and conferences.
Karl Marx said," History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce (comedy)." I beseech you fellow fans, coaches and columnists, we cannot let the national championship game end by halftime as it has in recent history.
We deserve an entire four quarters of competition.
We must kick the SEC out of the BCS because of "unsportsmanlike national championship whompings" or ban the Buckeyes from the big game for at least a year or two.
If neither of these two scenarios take place then at least we have the SEC Championship. Until then, I wish you all (including Buckeye fans) a happy 2008 college football seaon.
42 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Mark Csonka 11 months ago
Here, here Andrew Green. Well thought, well written. But PLEEAASE... Karl Marx?
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Jeff Smirnoff 11 months ago
If Ohio State loses to USC then you need not worry your pretty, little SEC pants off. Wouldn't you want your guaranteed win as you seemingly sugest it would be?
If tOSU beats USC and they run the table there's nothing you can do about a potential BCS Title Game appearance unless there are more than 2 undefeated teams. They would not deserve to go in place of an undefeated Oklahoma or Georgia, per say. The Big Ten is week but it is not their fault if the other teams can not handily win their conference.
The BCS system is a joke and until there is a true playoff it will continue to be one. You can't blame tOSU for the system. Maybe if West Virginia, Oklahoma or USC wouldn't have failed at the end of 2007 it would have been different.
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
ola doc. youre right, its not the big 10's "fault" if other teams cant handily win their conference. its also not osu's fault if they go undefeated and are only the third or fourth best team. we dont expect them to to lose on purpose so the "rightful" team gets the nod to go to the big game. the fault is the systems' as you said. if we have a playoff then the teams who have 1 or 2 losses only because of a rough schedule will have a chance to prove that they are the best, if they really are. my point is we should let the teams decide who is the best. champions should be decided on the field of play, not by a poll or vote. and i dont think ohio state would say the SEC pants are "pretty" or "little". have a good one doc.
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Jeff Smirnoff 11 months ago
The SEC is definitely not pretty or little, I was just being facetious. It's the best conference in college football, hand down, right now.
It's just sad there is no playoff. I played D-III and the playoffs are amazing even at that lower level.
Great article.
Dr. P
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Molly Gray 11 months ago
I agree with the Doctor, OSU has fallen privy to the kinks of a faulty system. Playoffs are becoming more and more of a must in college football.
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Justin Goar 11 months ago
i think if osu beats usc and is in position to be in the NC game, let them in. this might be their best team in the last three years.
i'm sticking by my prediction that an SEC team won't make the NC this year.
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
youre right. theres a good chance an SEC team wont make it to the championship. but why? is it because the best team isnt in the SEC or because of the tough schedule that teams in the conference face. i believe its the latter.
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Justin Goar 11 months ago
i believe the teams will knock each other around this year.
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Mark Rupert 11 months ago
Andrew you hit the nail firmly on the head. The problem with the BCS is they do award teams that play a weak schedule and conferences.
The SEC will again have at least four teams competing for the MNCG. Like last year OS and USC will win their weak conferences, and will reap the BCS benefits.
Doctor. SEC fans don't want a guaranteed victory, we would much rather see a competitive MNCG.
Competition is what it's supposed to be about.
If we had a playoff, GA and LSU for instance were undefeated and played a very tight SECCG, with the looser being one of, or the only team with one loss, then we could conceivably have a GA vs LSU rematch for the MNCG. Could some out there be against a playoff for fear of a SEC monopoly? One thing is sure ,The BCS guarantees this will not happen. Who would you rather see playing the SEC champ for the MNCG, a one loss SEC team or OS?
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A.J. Mealor 11 months ago
Georgia didn't play LSU last season. UT lost the championship game against LSU. I'd love to see 4 11-1 or 10-2 SEC teams to see if there were anyway we could get a All-SEC championship game which would be impossible but amazing at the same time.
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
aj, we may not have the the perfect national championship right now but at least we have the SEC championship. we both know that a four team SEC playoff for the national championship would be awesome. but it would be unfair to leave the weaker teams like osu, usc, and ou out of the picture. i cant wait to recieve the hatemail from this post. ps congrats on getting munson back in the booth for next year.
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Dan Alexandre 11 months ago
No doubt the SEC is tougher than the BigTen. But I've always been of the mindset that if you don't win every single game you can't complain about not making it to the NC game. Was Georgia more deserving than Ohio State last year? Sure, maybe, whatever, but it doesn't matter. If you lost a game, you can't complain. And yeah, they're playing against harder competition but a true championship team should be able to beat ANY team. Now Auburn in 2004? Sure, I can see a legitimate gripe there. Is the system flawed? Slightly. But there's a simple solution. Win every game. If it doesn't get you to the NC game (which rarely happens in the modern era) then you at least have an argument why you're the best.
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A.J. Mealor 11 months ago
A better solution is a playoff. Don't give me that mess about you have no right to complain unless you win every game. Why is that an okay answer for CFB but not for any other sport, or even CFB at any other level?
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Darth Dawg 11 months ago
Great job my friend. It about time someone said it! Quit punishing Georgia for having the schedule that Florida and LSU had when they won it all. Very nice indeed.
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
muchos gracias neighbor!
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Paul Witten 11 months ago
Why would you ban OSU from a national title game? I mean, Florida got CRUSHED by Nebraska and Oklahoma got beat 55-19 in the 2004. By the way, this article has no credibility considering OSU lost by 14 to LSU, not 17. SEC teams should not be rewarded for their schedules. it's not like they have control over their in conferece schedule. people make it out to seem that the SEC schedules the titans of college football year in an year out. your OOC in incredibly weak as a conference. honestly, when was the last time you were in a massive regular season game? the SEC is top and bottom the best? agreed, but football is cylical so dont act as if you've been the best since the days of the Romans.
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
? arghh!!! you disovered my worldwide plot to make people think that osu lost by 17 instead of 14!!argh!!! even though we both know the score doesnt tell the true tale of the whipping. massive regular season game? the SEC is full of them. osu has maybe 1 or 2 every year. the big time sec teams have about 3 or 4 big games. not including the conf championship!!! your nuts! get it? buckeyes?......why so serious?
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Mark Rupert 11 months ago
What is more impressive, a one loss SEC team or a 12-0 OS, who deserves to advance, who has more quality wins, who had a tougher road to navigate. If you could choose a one loss FLA or LSU team over a 12-0 OS who would you put in MNCG? (Easy the one who is more deserving).
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DAN R 11 months ago
FL & LSU MAY DESERVE THOSE NC WINS ON THE FACE OF IT, BUT HOW MANY OF THEIR PLAYERS LEGITIMATLY GRADUATE FROM THE FREE COLLEGE EDUMUKASHUN? HOW MANY ACTUALLY DESERVE THEIR COLLEGE ROSTER SPOT? HOW MANY CAN SPELL ALL OF THEIR CLASSES LET ALONE SAY WHEN THEY'VE BEEN THERE? HOW MANY DESERVE TO PLAY WHEN THEY'RE ONLY OUT OF JAIL FOR A WEEKEND PASS? HOW MANY OF THEIR BLOGGER FANS KNOW 38 - 24 = 14 NOT 17?
HEY Y'NO I'M JUS-SAYIN'...
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Ryan Staab 11 months ago
I already posted this in a similar article on this site, but its worth repeating:
"Apparently the 2007 Season is proof that Ohio State never plays anybody good. Never mind that when the Washington game was scheduled, the Huskies had won the Pac-10 title. Never mind the Home-and-Home with Texas in 2005 and 2006, and if Ohio State manages to beat the Trojans in the Coliseum this year, it'll be because "USC didn't have enough time to prep for the game, what with it happening so early in the season and all. Lets see that same matchup happen in November and USC will surely kick Ohio State's ass because that's how college football is supposed to work."
For what its worth, I am curious to see what kind of excuses the pundits will make for USC if Ohio State does win that game, because surely the Buckeyes couldn't win that unless there were some unforseen handicaps that prevented USC from kicking the everloving snot out of them, right?
And furthermore, I'm curious to see how an SEC team would handle playing a Big Ten team in typical Midwestern November weather conditions. I seem to recall it not boding well for LSU when they played Ohio State twenty years ago (maybe that game was played earlier that season, I don't remember?)"
As for "going 12-0 in 2006 on a creampuff schedule" even with the embarassing loss to the Gators, I don't recall any other team in 2006 playing three teams ranked #2 in the AP polls...How in the hell is that considered a creampuff schedule?
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Ryan Staab 11 months ago
And for what its worth, I too think its asinine that Georgia gets punished for having a tough schedule. If anything, my 2008 preseason top five would look like this:
1. Georgia
2. Oklahoma
3. Florida
4. USC
5. Ohio State (yeah they've got a lot of guys returning, but this is the same group of guys that lost by 14 points to LSU in last year's title game)
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
i like the looks of your top five, ryan. im just afraid my gators' defense might not be good enough to hold that #3 spot for very long.
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Paul Dagnall 11 months ago
Although I agree that the SEC is the best conference (at the moment), I disagree with those who claim it's "considerably" better than the BigTen.
BigTen/SEC Bowl match-ups in the last 5 years; 9-9. Is that domination? The Florida team that whomped OSU couldn't beat Michigan despite Hart fumbling twice in the red zone. Wisconsin (4th in the BigTen) gave the Volunteers (SEC East Champs) about all they could handle in a thriller. But I won't deny that the SEC is a little better (for now). I will call you silly if you say it's dominant.
Note: The Buckeyes were picked to finish 3rd in the BigTen in 2007 because they had to rebuild their D-Line and the whole offense. Expect a lot of improvement in 08 with nearly all starters returning.
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Andrew Green 11 months ago
the florida team that got beat by mivhigan was not the same team. i remind they lost 9 starters on defense. our starter at qb, rb, our go to wr, and multiple o line players. we werent not even close to the same team seeing as how multiple freshmen were starting....call me silly.
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BabyTate 11 months ago
Ohio State has 1 victory against an SEC team since 1935.
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Paul Dagnall 11 months ago
Andrew, you're right it wasn't the same team but it was a quality SEC program. People tell me they're supposed to dominate. I remind that Michigan had a lot more trouble against Appalachian State. Again I'm not claiming the BigTen is better; just that the SEC is not "far" superior.
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CB 11 months ago
he does have a point with the appy state and fla comment. you got to admit that.
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Bob Gallagher 11 months ago
All of you need to understand a couple things.
There is NO playoff system in the near future. That would totally destroy the bowl system that is deeply entrenched and contributes many $$$ to all the conferences, etc. Also, consider the problems associated with a playoff system. Multiple games for the players and fans to travel to and the extended season associated with it. We're not talking the same thing as the smaller divisions where the interest and demand is not nearly as high.
As far as the SEC's superiority and the Big Ten and other conferences' weaknesses I have a remedy for that. Realign the conferences and spread the SEC teams throughout the weaker conferences so they can have the opportunity to face each other in the National Championship every year. Of course they couldn't all call themselves the SEC but they could have representation throughout the country and more evenly distribute that SEC speed. That seems to be the only fair solution to give teams from the SEC the opportunity for the four or five best teams in the country (all SEC of course) to play each other to really determine the absolute best team in the country.
This is not intended to make any more sense than any of the other posts I read from all over the country all the time. So what's new?
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Darth Dawg 11 months ago
Ok Paul. So you're saying that SEC teams shouldn't be rewarded for their schedules?! In that case, Hawaii and Boise State should have gone to the national championship game because they went undefeated. If your team plays several others teams that rank in the top 25, that should matter. It just so happens that the SEC has a lot of top 25 ranked teams. But because they are in the same conference, then they shouldn't be reward for their wins week after week. Come on Paul, I know your smarter than this.
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Adam Rothlisberger 11 months ago
I won't even speak on the last two years NC games... I've said it many times before that Ohio State shouldn't of been there.. and wouldn't of been there if Missouri or West Virginia would have won their last games. I see why people complain but lets be honest... would an SEC vs SEC championship be very fair either.... not at all. Playoffs are needed terribly right now... and right now it isn't going to happen. But to just add to what you said about Ohio State this year... if they are 12-0 and beat USC, Wisconsin, Illinois and even Michigan who isn't even close to what they were last year... (remember that Big 10 Michigan team with no speed that beat that fast Florida team) then absolutely nobody can complain about them going 3 years in a row.
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kymberly beyer 11 months ago
I believe Penn State beat the Volunteers in Tampa the year before too! (and that was with Morelli)
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Darth Dawg 11 months ago
I can see what you're saying Adam, but there's one problem. You said that an SEC vs SEC championship wouldn't be fair. I don't care what conference they're from, if they are the two best teams in the country, let them play to decide who's on top. Then you said that we needed playoffs. If there were such a wonderful thing as playoffs in college football, two SEC would have played for the Title last year. A plus-one format would have been perfect to get the Dawgs in the big game with LSU.
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Adam Rothlisberger 11 months ago
I mean right now with the BCS rankings system it wouldn't be fair to place two SEC teams in the NC game because either the 2nd team in lost the SEC championship game or didn't even play in it... know what I'm saying... same thing would go if it were Big 12. If they had a playoff and that's how it ended up then I'd be fine with it.
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Lauren Green 11 months ago
Hit the bullseye with this article! There's actually a small part of me that hopes that Ohio State will make it to the championship against an SEC team again.... and then get pummeled again. That would just be humorous. Great article.
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john brewer 11 months ago
the assumption over and over on bleacher is that if ohio state beats usc they are a shoe-in for the NCG. talk about throwing in the towel on your own conference.
maybe that assumtion is the problem. maybe ohio state wants to play in a conference which will challenge them and the fans will like more. being favored in every game. not because you are so good but because your opponents are so bad isn't that much fun.
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Adam Rothlisberger 11 months ago
umm... it is fun actually... and they aren't favored in every game for no reason either... it is not their fault that they have one of the best recruiting classes year in and year out. Besides I never said all they had to do was beat USC.. I have an article on here talking about them losing to Wisconsin this year.... what people say is if they beat USC and end up 12-0 then nobody can complain about them being the NC.
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Ryan Staab 11 months ago
Agreed Adam. The Buckeyes' biggest Big Ten traps are at Wisky and Illinois.
If Ohio State beats USC, I'm curious to see what excuses the experts will give for the Trojans, though.
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SEC Idiots .com 11 months ago
The scary part of OSU making last years NC game was that they almost got to play Missouri or West VA instead of an SEC school. Even Kansas had a shot late in the year. LSU was #2 in BCS rankings and would have been on outside looking in if not for late MO or WVa losses.
And the year before, OSU almost got Michigan in NC game again. We came close to hearing ESPN/ABC talk about how they were the two greatest teams in history.
I agree OSU doesn't "suck." They're good and consistent, just not as good as the best teams.
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Adam Rothlisberger 11 months ago
so because they have lost the last 2 NC games they are all of a sudden not as good as the best teams?!... was the 02 Miami Hurricanes not one of the best teams?.. seriously.. and you got it all wrong by the way. Missouri and West Virginia both losing at the end of the year is what put Ohio State in the NC game... Ohio State went from #7 in the BCS rankings back to #1 in three weeks because LSU, Oregon, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and West Virginia all lost a game. So although I can admit easily that last year they should have not been in the game... you cannot say they didn't deserve it.. it is not their fault that 6 teams ahead of them lost and put them back in the NC game... but see this is why a playoff is needed.
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CB 11 months ago
The system is what it is. SO KEEP ARGUING, because NO ONE IS RIGHT. The BCS will compute its rankings and numbers no matter what any of you say. So, keep wasting your time, tirelessly coming up with different stats or figures to demonstrate that your argument is correct. Everyone knows that you can skew the stats to back up ANY argument. SO LET IT GO.
GO BUCKS!!!!
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Stephen Sterling 11 months ago
by the way, if you look at the stats from that bcs game last year...osu out gained lsu, if it werent for three tournovers by osu to 1 by lsu then who knows how that game would have ended up?
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GeorgiaDawg 11 months ago
Hey Stephen, If "ifs and buts were candy and nuts".. !! Gee are you kidding? Turnovers ALMOST always help determine the outcome of a game. Here's another good one for you to use... "if OSU had scored more points than LSU they would have won" !! Deep stuff !!!
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