Now let's be clear, right off the bat. What happened, happened. Nothing we can say or do can change that.
Now that we're clear on that, let's begin.
Big 12 Mess
The biggest news from last week actually happened after everything was finished on the field. The BCS rankings decided the Big 12 South Division, putting Oklahoma in the Big 12 conference championship game and excluding Texas from it.
Numbers and phrases had been thrown around everywhere...45-35 (Texas over OU)...Neutral field...39-33 (Texas Tech over Texas) and 65-21 (OU over Texas Tech)...28-24 (Texas over OK State) and 61-41 (OU over OK State).
In the end, it all amounts to a fundamental problem with the system. Even though I'm happy with the outcome (I'm a native Oklahoman and a Nebraska fan; there's no love for Texas in there anywhere), I can still admit that something has to change.
Texas beat Texas A&M (4-7), and Oklahoma beat No. 12 Oklahoma State (9-2). As an admittedly-biased Nebraska fan, that speaks enough for me.
And the No. 1 team in the country is...
Though there's a struggle for No. 2, America's No. 1 team asserted its authority and made it clear it deserves that ranking (and earned them the picture for this article, for my friend Cameon).
Top-ranked Alabama shut out bitter rival Auburn, 36-0. The defense was stifling, forcing three turnovers and keeping the Tigers from evening finding the end zone with just 170 total yards allowed. The offense was consistent, led by senior quarterback John Parker Wilson and powerful runners Glen Coffee and Mark Ingram. The duo led the team to 234 total yards rushing, making things simple for Wilson, who was 8-of-16 for 134 yards and a touchdown.
The Tide controlled the ball, holding it for more than half the game, only getting one penalty for four yards, and not having any turnovers.
The game was thought to be a possible trap game for the Crimson Tide, but Alabama eliminated any doubt in voters' minds that it belongs at the top with a decisive victory. 'Bama showed why it's the only legitimate undefeated team in the country.
Bring on Florida.
Marketing schemes
Speaking of the Gators, they crushed cross-state rival No. 20 Florida State, 45-15.
Florida amassed 502 total yards of offense, crowned by Tim Tebow's performance of 260 total yards and four touchdowns (three through the air, one on the ground).
The Gators forced four turnovers and dominated the Seminoles the entire game, allowing Florida State to convert on only three of their 14 third-down situations.
Nevermind that most of Florida State's talented wide receivers were either in jail or on the way, the Gators did enough for the "unbiased" news media to fawn for another week as the Gators sustained their No. 2 spot in the AP poll (No. 4 in BCS).
Which begs the question: Why did the sportswriters vote Florida No. 2 in the first place? My thought: marketability.
How nice is it going to be for ESPN and the other various respected sports outlets to market a No. 1 versus No. 2 SEC championship game? It opens doors upon doors of possibilities for creativity.
They could talk about every other No. 1 vs. No. 2 game that's happened over the years (three of those belonging to Nebraska and Oklahoma). They could theorize how, if Oklahoma got beat by Missouri in the Big 12 championship and Florida beats Alabama in the SEC championship, the national championship could be an SEC title rematch game (because Texas likes to be forgotten, anyway). They could just make an ad that says: "NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO. SATURDAY." and everyone would watch it just because.
This love fest must stop. Yes, the Gators look great. Yes, they are a very deserving team because of what they've accomplished. But what about the Big 12 teams?
Boy, wouldn't things be nice for Florida and the media if those pesky Big 12 teams weren't there?
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