BCS Crap

"Did the BCS get it right this year?"

This question's been asked all week. People want to know if the best two teams are playing for the national title (and you know you've got a good system when you have to hope it all works out in the end). I find this questions funny because the BCS doesn't guarantee that the two best teams will be playing for the national title; the BCS only guarantees that top 2 teams in the final BCS standing will play for the national title, and it is assumed that, since they finished #1 and #2 in the BCS, they are the best 2 teams in the country.

So are Florida and Oklahoma the two best teams in the country? Who knows. Now, will it be a great game? It should be. But so would a lot of matchups between the BCS top 8 teams. But since if the system we've got, we've got to live with it. Some bold (or not so bold) predictions for the 5 BCS bowls games:

-BCS National Title Game: Florida vs. Oklahoma
Again, regardless of whether these are the "best 2 teams in the country," this should be a hell of a game. Tim Tebow had quipped earlier in the year (re: his Heisman vote and the numbers Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Graham Harrell were putting up) that he'd like to see what he could do against those Big 12 defenses. Well, he's going to get his chance. Florida's been on a tear since losing to Old Miss, and I don't think that stops against Oklahoma (who, granted, have been on a tear of their own). I think the difference is that Oklahoma had score the "style points" with voters, so they've been running up lately (60+ points in 4 straight games), and Sports Gods don't like that. Plus, Bob Stoops is winless in his last four BCS bowl games, including 2 title games. It'll be a highly entertaining game, fairly close with lots of scoring, but Stoops's losing streak continues and Florida wins the BCS title.

-Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Texas
Are you shitting me- Ohio State? Again? Have we learning nothing the past few years? Ohio State doesn't show up in big games (unless they get a bullshit pass interference call in the end zone at the end of the game). What about Boise State? All they've done in the past is win possibly the greatest bowl game ever, and they did it playing a Big 12 team in the Fiesta Bowl. They're undefeated and ranked higher than OSU in the precious BCS standings- so why are the Broncos worthy? And what about Texas Tech? They got screwed by the "limit 2 teams per conference" rule, but who wouldn't want to see a Texas-Texas Tech rematch? That was only the best game of the year. No, instead we're left with the Buckeyes. The team that was run out of the stadium by LSU last year and by Florida the year before that. History repeats itself again this year. Texas is pissed, and they'll take it out against OSU. Colt McCoy, coming off his Heisman win (more on this later) will have a huge day and Terrelle Pryor will struggle (couple fumbles, couple interceptions). Texas big in this one, at least 3 touchdowns, and Ohio State is embarrassed once again on the national stage.

-Sugar Bowl: Utah vs. Alabama
Look, I know everyone is going to point to Hawaii in last year's Sugar Bowl against Georgia; they pulled an Ohio State and got blown out. But Utah already has history in the BCS- they beat Pitt in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl (first non-BCS school to crash the part). That being said, do I think the Utes move to 2-0 in BCS bowl games? No, I think Alabama wins this one, but it won't be a blowout like some people are predicting. Now, I'd love to see Utah win and end the year undefeated and show that they can play (and beat) BCS conference teams, but I don't think its going to happen. Saban the Weasel will have the Tide ready to go and Sugar Bowl's proximity to Alabama will give them a home field advantage.

-Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
Ugh. This is why the automatic bids for conference champions needs to end. The Hokies are 9-4, and they're playing a BCS game over undefeated Boise State and one-loss Texas Tech. Just stupid. And nothing against UC, but they're not BCS bowl caliber yet. Don't get me wrong, I think Brian Kelly is going an incredible job and its a good thing for Cincinnati to have some college football success, but they're not ready. They still have a hard time filling 35,000 seat Nippert Stadium, and they expect to sell out their allotment of Orange Bowl tickets? I hope for their sake they do, lest they have to eat the cost like West Virginia had to last year, and because I know Tech will sell out their tickets (because, really, Tech fans have nothing better to do than travel to football games). I really hope Cincinnati wins this game. One, because I alway root against the Hokies, and two, it would so great for UC to win a BCS bowl game in the same year Ohio State loses one (3 touchdown, I'm telling you). So I'm picking the Bearcats based on nothing more than I can never, ever, pick Virginia Tech.

-Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC
After the title game, I think this'll be the second best BCS bowl game. My dad (Penn State alum), wanted this matchup once Penn State was knocked out of the national title picture. I told him he was crazy and that he should be careful what he wishes for because it might come true. And sure enough, it did. Penn State looked unstoppable earlier in the year, then they hit a wall late in the year (close win against Ohio State, loss to Iowa), only to appear to have righted the ship in the final two weeks. USC has the ridiculous defense (averaging less than 8 points a game), but much of that was against the comicly pathetic PAC-10. Penn State's offense will the best one USC's faced all year, and I think they'll be able to crack double digits on the scoreboard. The game is close, possibly right down to the wire, and I'm taking Penn State and JoePa for the win.

And finally, Mr. Irrelavent... er, the Heisman Trophy. Like I said early, I think Colt McCoy will win (note: I don't think he's the best player in the country, I just think he'll win the Heisman). Between him, Tebow, Bradford, and Harrell (the obvious finalist that will be in New York for the ceremony; I can't see anyone else being invited), I think he's show enough to win. While the Heisman has become a meaningless trophy of late, 2 Heismans is still rarified air, and I don't think they bestow that honor on Tebow (yet- if he comes back for his senior year and does it all again, maybe he wins it next year). And McCoy's already beaten out Bradford and Harrell as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (though, curiously enough, he was voted Second Team All Big 12 behind Bradford, and the same writers voted for both awards). In the end, it really doesn't matter because the Heisman has become a joke of a trophy. Winning it almost guarantees failure in the NFL.