Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee Proves What Is Wrong with College Football

Ohio State University president E. Gordon Gee recently made comments about how Boise State and TCU don’t deserve the opportunity to play for a national championship, because they don’t play as tough of a schedule week in and week out as Ohio State does.

I forgot that Ohio State is playing top-10 caliber teams every week in the Big Ten.  How did that ever slip past me?  Oh wait, that’s because it isn’t true.  There are some strong teams in the conference to be sure, but this isn’t like the Big East’s basketball program where there are usually about eight teams ranked in the top 25 at any given moment.  That’s a conference schedule that’s truly a gauntlet.

Based on his logic, a team from the Big East football conference deserves a chance before Boise State or TCU.   Yes, the same BCS qualifying conference that doesn’t have a team with more than seven wins at the moment.

The top teams from the traditionally strong conferences won’t schedule Boise State.  TCU may be on the verge of joining the Big East, but given how “strong” that conference is this year, the Horned Frogs could win it next year and still hear the arguments of how they don’t play anyone.

Even last year, the BCS committee was unwilling to give Boise State and TCU the chance to prove what they could do against major conference teams.  They chose to have the two outsiders play each other instead.  Someone tell me how that gave either program the chance to prove how good they are.

Mid-major schools have been proving their mettle by winning some big games over the past few years.  Utah has defeated Pittsburgh and Alabama in BCS bowls within the past few years.  Boise State defeated Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.   When given the chance to prove it, they’ve stepped up.

How many times has Ohio State gone to major bowl games, including national championship games, and lost?  Maybe they were just tired from “running the gauntlet” week in and week out.  I forgot how challenging it was to play teams like Ohio, Marshall and Eastern Michigan.

Gee went on to say that the traditional bowl system is better for the game than the BCS.   He claimed that by having a true playoff system, the game would move closer to the point of professionalism.  That’s got to be the lamest excuse against a playoff I’ve ever heard.

I have a news flash for you Mr. Gee: College football would be a lot more exciting if it actually came up with a legitimate way to give the top teams a chance to prove their worth on the field.

How amazing would it be if the big conferences accepted the challenge of these schools, instead of making excuses for why they aren’t worthy? 

How about a trendsetter emerges to propose a true playoff system and give a chance to those teams that earn it on the field?   

Put your money where your mouth is Mr. Gee, and tell your athletic director that you want him to schedule a series with Boise State.  I mean, if your team is so much better, why not take the chance to put the Broncos in their place?

I guess you’re just afraid that your “battle-tested” team will be too tired from running the “gauntlet” of the Big Ten.   

I still hold out hope that college football will eventually do what’s right and adopt a playoff system.

Until that happens, all we’re left with is a bunch of blowhard university presidents who freely admit they don’t know the “X’s and O’s” of football.  Maybe next time you shouldn’t comment on something you don’t understand, Mr. Gee.