Best of 2007: College Football Moments That Make the Ranking Systems Look Silly...

The 2007 College Football season has been engulfed with talk about mid-major conferences impacting the way the BCS and AP rank football programs.

Moreover, the unpredictability and excitement that continues to rage this season is emblematic of why weekends are spent hanging with friends, tail-gating in parking lots waiting for the next big game. It’s the fact that we all root for the underdog—we all want to see our own Cinderella story come true…
 
It's no simple David and Goliath story; it’s deeper than that. Let's not forget why we follow sports period, its for the excitement of the game, that anything can happen at any given moment. And as seen this 2007 season, no odds, no spread is ever certain—and it is those unpredictable wins that keep us buzzing with excitement.

I couldn't come up with one particular moment, but decided that the four pivotal moments that impacted the 2007 College Football season were the following:
 

Boise State vs. Oklahoma

In one of the most entertaining finishes I've ever seen, Boise State's win over Oklahoma at last year’s Fiesta Bowl foreshadowed the erratic 2007 season to come. A mid-major team beating Oklahoma in the final minutes with miracle plays just goes to show what can happen on any given Saturday out on the gridiron. Even Adrian Petersen needed a few days of recovery after ending his 1000 yard season with a mere 78 yards rushing against the Broncos.
 

Appalachian State vs. Michigan

Some say—actually most say—that the Mountaineers' win over Michigan was one of the most monumental wins of the 2007 season and set the tone for this year's impromptu fall of most schools in the Top 10. However, this year every week was more relentless than the last. Appalachian State might have kicked a last second field goal, but Michigan still ended up 8-4 overall, and in the Top 25 up until their final loss to Ohio State.
 

California vs. Oregon

Okay, I think Cal is the best example of why the ranking systems might be a little inflated and without substance. Again, even the BCS and AP felt like rooting for the underdog in this case, but the Golden Bears did open up an explosive season and sent the Volunteers home with a vengeance. Yet, beating Oregon with a miraculous fumble didn’t show the strength and consistency of a team that almost rallied to No. 1. And to continue on a streak of losses to end their season shows us why Tedford and the rest of the school should let the tree-huggers sit in for a few more seasons.
 

USC vs. Stanford

Since the Raiders left LA, it feels like everyone wears red in Southern California. And even after Vince Young walked in a few touchdowns at the Rose Bowl, USC opened the season with an arsenal of players and more depth than a pro team. However, losing to Stanford—a team made up of more than a dozen merit scholars—shows the vulnerability of any top-ranked team. Not that merit scholars can’t be amazing athletes, but I mean I’m sure curves may be a little skewed at USC—just look at Florida State.

With a myriad of wins to choose from, the 2007 College Football season kept me on my feet up until the end. As the post-season comes to a close, it's important to look back and enjoy those wins—or losses—because one day the BCS will change its system, and all hell will break lose when there isn’t a voted-in national champion.