The BCS Blues: Postseason Has Become Anti-Climactic

It’s the first week of September and the beginning of college football season.  Rabid fans are salivating finally the day has arrived. The enthusiastic millions cheer loudly for their teams and in week one most walk away winners, save those in Ann Arbor.

The emotional ebb and flow of the autumn wars come full force.  Spectators cringe at costly turnovers and celebrate game changing big plays.  New stars emerge, America watches as Heisman hopefuls ascend and fade. 

Then comes rivalry season the one or two games a year that truly define a team’s overall success in the eyes of its fan base.  Some friends come together for the last tailgate. They relish the memories and begin to focus on expectations for the following season.

The defeated rant on message boards and rumble about their coaching staffs, the victors bask in the light of triumph and deride the opposition for 365 days. Ultimately, the pageantry and excitement lead to the most anti-climactic set of events in all of sports, the bowl season.

Much is made about the BCS formula’s validity in determining the two best teams, and while that is frustrating to those who feel left out at season’s end, the biggest transgression of the system are the matchups created in the remaining bowls. 

When implementing a system that pits No. 1 vs. No. 2, does it not make sense for No. 3 vs. No. 4 to play and then on down the line. The overlying fact is that the conference tie-ins hurt college football and diminish the chances for mid-major conference teams to become traditional powerhouses. 

Two years ago, Boise State took down Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, a “BCS Bowl” played on a national stage. Boise State has now gone undefeated for the second time in three years. Under these circumstances Boise deserves another shot at taking down a traditional college football behemoth.

A second win in a game of this magnitude would further legitimatize their accomplishments and garner additional support for the program. 

TCU is good and a match up of these teams will probably make for an entertaining game, but Boise has won 10 or more games in five out of the last six seasons. The midmajor teams who have exhibited the ability to sustain success should be given the opportunity to take their programs to the next level.

This would also create interest for the game among parts of the population that would otherwise be apathetic. It’s human nature for people to rally around the little guy in the David vs. Goliath situation. 

Put Texas as second on the "Teams Who Were Shafted" list. Forget about going for a split national championship by way of AP voting. Texas does not have a vote-altering worthy opponent. 

Ohio State has been demolished in the last two BCS Championships. USC dismantled them in Los Angeles in September and although their play improved as the year progressed pitting them Against Texas in the fiesta is a calamity.

Ending up just a few percentage points away from playing for the National Championship Texas will now kick it off against the No. 10 BCS ranked team. What gives?

Let’s do the fans justice by playing Texas against either Alabama or USC. If the Longhorns were to thrash the No. 4 or 5 ranked BCS team then the possibility of a split national championship would remain on the table. 

The Cotton Bowl in Dallas features another matchup open for criticism. Ole Miss’ defensive line and improving offense will give the Texas Tech Red Raiders all they can handle, but something looks awry when BCS No. 25 and No. 7 are squaring off.

Again set up by way of conference tie-ins, Texas Tech was fighting for a championship birth a few weeks ago, now the boys from Lubbock prepare for a four loss team. 

In this decade USC has dominated college football like few other teams, winning the conference every year since Pete Carroll’s second season in 2002. The SEC is considered by the majority as the strongest league in the land from top to bottom, but since USC begin its reign of terror college football has failed to deliver a USC/SEC post season matchup. 

It is written into the selection process that the Rose bowl will host the Big Ten and PAC-10 champion.  It is the only bowl to automatically include two major conference champions.

Maybe Penn State can sneak up on a bored USC this year. The Trojans have beat the last four Big Ten opponents in the Rose Bowl by a combined 81 points, everyone tune in for this exciting matchup as the beach boys yawn their way onto the field. 

The Sugar Bowl in New Orleans isn’t looking so sweet for Nick Saban and Alabama.  Utah is a good football team and a feasible opponent, but this is somewhat of a no-win situation for the Tide. Finishing the season with a better than expected 12-1 record Alabama now finds itself in a game it must win to maintain its reputation nationally. 

A possible rearrangement scenario:

Fiesta: Texas vs. USC

Give spurned Texas recompense after being exiled from a chance to secure a place in college football history. The Fiesta would provide for a rematch of one of the greatest division I games of all time, the 2006 BCS Championship, else it would break the monotony that has become the Rose Bowl.  

Sugar:  Alabama vs. Penn State

The two teams are post season rivals who having fought it out at the Super Dome before.  The last time they were here, 1979, the game came down to a goal-line stand that landed Alabama the national championship. 

News of the event would reverberate through Happy Valley and Tuscaloosa with the resonance of a Jimi Hendrix string bend, alas the system does not account for history and public interest, it only serves to crunch numbers and follow its bylaws.

The system is too scientific.

Rose: Ohio State vs. Boise State

A big name opponent and traditional college football power served up for Boise.  As stated earlier it once again gives Boise the opportunity to prove that they can be a premier program. 

Cotton: Texas Tech vs. Utah

Utah still has its shot at a top-10 major conference squad and Texas Tech faces off with an unbeaten team. 

Has the bowl season become a joke outside of the championship game?  One thing is certain if we keep the politically laced conference tie-ins the fans will always be cheated out of the best possible year end match-ups.