If you're a WVU fan, here's the best part about the very real possibility the Mountaineers are going to play in the national championship game: No one wants them there.
Missouri fans no doubt feel the same way.
The drumbeat of coverage from the national sports media has already begun and it goes like this: WVU and Missouri in the national title game? This, surely THIS, is the reason why the current system is broken and we need a playoff.
CBS Sportsline's Mike Freeman wrote that he cheered a WVU-Mizzou matchup because no one outside of the two states would watch the game, which would inevitably lead to a playoff. He prefers a game between Ohio State and Southern Cal, clearly the two best teams in the country.
Tonight at halftime on ESPN's Monday Night Football, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debated what they called – as everyone is calling it – the "BCS mess." Kornheiser referred to WVU and Mizzou as "anonymous." Wilbon said the system is broken.
Well, guys, too bad. We're here, we're 'Eers! Get used to it!
The truth of the situation is the critics don't think the system is broken. They think it's broken this year. The system worked fine when it delivered Texas and Southern Cal and when it delivered Ohio State and Florida. But when it delivers WVU and Mizzou, obviously it's broken.
If I were Nick Saban, I might compare the Mountaineers and Mizzou Tigers in this year's BCS title game to, oh let's see, loving gay couples who seek the same rights and responsibilities that loving hetereosexual couples seek. Or maybe I'd compare them to the Clampetts in Beverly Hills. Or maybe even Martin Luther in 1546. But I would not do that and I did not write those things, though Nick Saban might.
The establishment fears change because it upsets The Man's hegemony and grip on power. That's what WVU and Mizzou are doing. Please, God, the frightened establishment beseeches, let Oklahoma (at least we recognize them) beat Missouri so there will be at least one team we recognize and know – Ohio State – in the title game!
When that doesn't happen, they can fall back on the Irrefutable Because They Are Unproveable assertions: "Well, maybe Missouri and West Virginia are in the title game, but everyone knows Southern Cal and Ohio State are really playing the best football right now."
Oh, would those be the Southern Cal and Ohio State teams that scored 66 points in their most recent game? The Southern Cal and Ohio State teams that just beat the nation's No. 2 team? Those teams?
My favorite version of their reasoning is the Idiot's Rationale, which goes like this: The best teams (i.e., LSU, Florida, Ohio State, Southern Cal, etc.) have all lost too much, that's why they're not in the big game.
Just think about that for a minute. I always thought the best teams actually didn't lose. But I guess that's just my backward, unedjoocated hillbilly thinking.
The situation is also reminiscent of second-generation immigrants decrying the flood of new immigrants coming to American and stealing jobs. To those who think the BCS-is-a-mess, only teams that have won or played for a national championship should be allowed to play for it again. (But, how do you get there in the first place? Oh, never mind with those details!)
This is fabulous. This is radical evolution, to borrow a phrase from a colleague. It's frightening and upsetting to the establishment but it's thrilling to those of us on the cutting edge
25 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
Great essay. Let's shake things up a bit! It's good for college football!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Great essay. Let's shake things up a bit! It's good for college football!
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Major Kelchner about 1 year ago
I hate Pitt.
Like it or not... here come the Mountaineers
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
i think its great and i am not sure ohio state and USC are playing the best football. Ohio State beat a michigan team that lost at the same place to APPY ST. and who cares about usc they lost to a team that notre dame beat. STANFORD!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Right here Right now! Destiny has placed us in a DEVINE situation.
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k j about 1 year ago
why do people think that west virginia doesnt belong.... they started the season ranked #3 and have been in the top ten every week except one..... also are top ten in offense and defense... i hope ohio state makes it so, the so called experts can come up with different logic as to why wvu does not belong.... i mean for gods sake they have finished the season ranked in the top ten in 2005 and 2006
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Tyler Smith about 1 year ago
Who do you score 66 points against? Oh, that's right, UCONN. And UCONN played teams like Maine, (they have football?), Duke (Lacrosse?) Temple (BB?) Syracuse (note; Mcnabb is long gone). Of all the one-loss teams, WVU is atop the polls. THAT shows how flawed the system is. Football is played in 3 coferences, Big Ten, Big 12, and the SEC. Period. Do you even know where modern day football originated? And by who? And where all the talent comes from? And where the NFL Hall of Fame is? These factors are not an accident. So tip your hat to the great state of OHIO, where football was born. Now, try to tell me I'm wrong without making yourselves look to ignorant.
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k j about 1 year ago
how can anyone say that OSU's schedule is any more difficult than WVU's... all the big ten is this year is a bunch of names on helmuts.... i do agree that the big east is not the strongest conference, but it certainly is not the weakest..... personally i would love to see OSU play WVU for the title, after watching what the Illinois spread did to them with the poor mans version of Pat White, i dont think they could match the speed..... but WVU has not faced a defense as good on paper as OSU... just hope they meet in New Orleans so this argument will finally be settled
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Major Kelchner about 1 year ago
Uconn has the 56th toughest schedule.
Ohio State has the 56th toughest.
I don't think there is room to strut around and act high and mighty.
Hmmm... while we are at it, let's compare the Big 10 v. the Big East
(remember this is just what the experts say)
Big East is the THIRD strongest conference.
The Big Televen comes in at... drum roll please... 6th.
That's right... behind the SEC, Pac-10, Big East, Big 12, ACC and just ahead of.... the Mountain West...
I'd say you're wrong... and you look ignorant.
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Major Kelchner about 1 year ago
Uconns schedule is 59th, not 56th.
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k j about 1 year ago
honestly i dont think Ohio St. could score 66 points in 8 quarters against uconn, after that huge 14 they put up on michigan
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Tyler: Before ranting on about the great SEC, I think you should go back and review the outcome of the 2006 Sugar Bowl between the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs and the Big East champion WVU Mountaineers. Scoreboard, idiot. The 1950s were a long time ago. Time to update your rankings of conferences. Oh, by the way, the first college football game was played between Rutgers and Princeton. I think that most of the Big 10 teams were still wiping cow manure off their boots at that time.
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Jim Covey about 1 year ago
I hope Oklahoma beats Missouri so the Mountaineers can run all over Ohio State.
I don't think the Buckeyes can hang with the Mountaineers.
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Sherrie Bowman about 1 year ago
I'm a West Virginian that currently attends The Ohio State University. I've followed both teams my whole life and have been to games of both teams THIS SEASON. I have to say that if they meet, OSU's defense will be the toughest that WVU has faced. They're fast and they're smart and they will stop everything...except a well executed spread offense. That was apparent in the Illinois debacle. Illinois learned their offense from WVU's coaching clinics and has nowhere near the amount of speed that WVU has. An OSU/WVU national championship game would be fun. It'd be a physical game and both teams would need to play well on both sides of the ball. In all fairness though, assuming WVU doesn't shoot themselves in the foot with turnovers, WVU would win.
As an aside, I really wish LSU could have toughened up and held their number one spot til the end of the season. A WVU/LSU game would have been a real test on how good the SEC is and how bad the Big East isn't. Oh well...maybe next year!
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Sherrie,
I agree with everything you just said.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
"The best teams (i.e., LSU, Florida, Ohio State, Southern Cal, etc.) have all lost too much, that's why they're not in the big game. "
I don't mind seeing a Mizz-WV Final.
But hasn't Ohio State lost the same number of games as WV and Missouri. How is that too much in comparision to the top teams.
I have no problem with saying Missouri and West Virginia have the top 2 season at this point but it isn't that clear cut. The obvious problem of poll anchoring doesn't get enough criticism. I really think we should credit the teams with the best seasons not who is playing the best at the end. But the situation with WHEN you lose is given too much importance. The static positioning of teams week after week is really ignorant reasoning. Way to often, these pollsters that count, don't go back and look re-evaluate what teams really accomplished during the season.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Well, just let the teams play and on 1-8-08 we will see who is the better team. Parity is the key word, coaching ability will make the difference and good luck to all who think they have a chance.
Go Bucks !!
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Svlad Jelly about 1 year ago
The assumption is that teams are supposed to get BETTER as the year progresses -- as rookies get more experience and things come together -- therefore teams with an early loss carry more weight than those with a late loss. I agree with that. After ten games to work out any kinks and prepare for what they'd face, OSU shoulda beat Illinios, and if they were a number one team they would have.
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Tyler Smith about 1 year ago
So- SPEAKING OF LATE LOSSES.............
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Thank you for writing this article. It's a very intelligent observation. Too often the BCS gets the flak when it doesn't produce the results that people *want* to see. No team that loses to Stanford should be anywhere near a title game the same season. I think this season is actually fairly straightforward. If the big name schools wanted to be in the title game, they shouldn't have lost the games they did
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Please back up your statement of the only football is played in the Big Ten(eleven learn to count), Big 12, and SEC. Just look at the Sagarin conference ratings (The Sagarin ratings are used in the BCS)
1 SOUTHEASTERN (A) = 80.74
2 PAC-10 (A) = 78.92
3 BIG EAST (A) = 78.77
4 BIG 12 (A) = 77.36
5 ATLANTIC COAST(A) = 76.43
6 BIG TEN (A) = 75.81
We can dispute biased opinions all you want but the numbers don't lie. Lets take a look at the one loss teams and where they lost.
Mizzou - At then #6 Oaklahoma 41-31 Oaklahoma now 9
WVU - At then #18 USF 21-13 USF now 21
OSU - at home UR Illinois 28-21 Ill now 15
Kan - neutral site #3 Mizz 28-36 Mizz now #1
Out of the one lost team it looks like OSU is the least deserving losing at home to an unranked team. And I already know your next response and its that those team dont play anybody.
Lets look at the Sagaring SOS
Mizz - 34
WVU - 35
OSU - 56
KAN - 90
Well at least OSU does look better then at least one team in this department.
Now, try to dispute those facts without making yourselves look to ignorant, biased, jackass.
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Stephen Zirilli about 1 year ago
Good luck arguing with these facts boys and girls. Both Pitt and Ohio State fans can kiss my ass.
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sherrie bowman about 1 year ago
That's why the Sagarin ratings are useful...but only one component of the BCS rankings. Some things simply can't be taken into consideration by a computer. You know, teams like Hawaii and Boise State are an extreme example of why human voting is still a factor. Few people would argue that if they go undefeated they shouldn't get a shot at a big game...but the computers (including the beloved Sagarin ratings) would leave them out. Way out. The same is true with the 1-loss teams this year, it's just not as blatant.
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Smith J. Howard about 1 year ago
I don't believe that Missou and WVU are getting that bad of a rap in the national media.
Do they belong in the title game over the other 117 teams? There's not much evidence to say yes or no.
But, do they *deserve* to be in the title game over the 117 teams? Undoubtedly, yes. The BCS put them at 1 and 2 - and that's all that matters right now. WVU knew coming into the season that if they win say, 3 key games - they'd be in. It just so happens that the loss to USF earlier in the season doesn't matter now because of the crazy parity. That's the current system and West Virginia did what they had to do. Put them in the SEC - now thats a different story.
All I'm saying is that I wouldn't bet on either WVU or Missouri even making it to a Title game *had* there been an 8 or 16 team playoff. From what I've seen from both the 'neers and tigers there is almost no way they could win 3 in a row against top 15 teams. BUT, and i say but - if they *did* win 3 in a row over legit top 15 teams, then there are unquestioned as the champions.
Congrats WVU and Missouri fans. Have fun while it lasts. Everyone else, appeal to your AD and head coach to schedule easier nonconference schedules (unless you're Hawaii - you need to beef yours up). Because as long as the BCS system is in place - we'll see this Kansas, Missouri, WVU "problem" each and every year. Suck it up.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Personally, I don't see Kansas, Missouri, and WVU being included in the national title picture as a "problem", I see it as a welcome change. Too often teams that are traditionally sumpepowers begin the season ranked in the top 5 based on what they have done in the past. Look at Notre Dame. It has taken them having a terible season to keep them from bumping a deserving team from a post season game. If they are to be considered in the BCS picture in the future, make them join a conference. Aren't they in the Big East in basketball. Actually I'm not sure if they are or not, but is not really my point. If a team from a bcs conference finishes where WVU and Missouri appear they are going to, I say great job. I hope to see much more of these teams in the years to come, and OSU and the other traditional powerhouses had better wake up or they will be joining the likes of Notre Dame, FSU, Miami, and Nebraska as has beens. Lets GOOOOO Mountaineers!!!!!
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