Posted on 12/02/2013 8:34:12 AM PST by xzins
With one week to go before the BCS rankings leave us forever, an undefeated Big Ten power missing out on the national championship is somehow an actual worry. Meanwhile, Florida State's sitting pretty. Full standings below.
It doesn't matter that Ohio State went 12-0 last year. It doesn't matter that an unbeaten Auburn was shut out of the BCS National Championship in 2004. It doesn't matter that Ohio State has lost two national title games against SEC teams in recent years. It doesn't matter that the SEC has won seven straight championships.
Or at least it shouldn't.
What will matter, however, is whether the BCS polls and computers rank Ohio State or Auburn No. 2 next week, assuming the Buckeyes and (burnt orange and navy blue) Tigers win their respective conferences. We'd thought we were just about done with the season's series of debates over which team should rank No. 2 and which should rank No. 3, but we've only just now arrived at the biggest one yet.
For now, the updated BCS standings after Week 14's wild weekend:
A win by either the Spartans or the other Tigers would render all this moot (except for Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs suddenly becoming a huge Mizzou* fan, we trust).
* Though Missouri would have a better case for No. 2 than Auburn would, if you ask me, since the (black and gold) Tigers have spent most of the year smashing fools by exorbitant margins. But nobody's asking me. Mizzou's probably too far back to jump that far, barring insanity.
If our new Nos. 2 and 3 win their conferences, the polls would be where Florida State finds its Pasadena opponent. While many voters would fall back on the SEC's presumed strength of schedule and difficulty (and most strength of schedule numbers do rate Auburn's as tougher so far), others would sympathize with a 13-0 BCS conference champion that was ineligible last year. At the moment, the Buckeyes hold that advantage, and would any voters who were unconvinced by an Auburn win over Alabama really be swayed by one over Missouri?
The difference could be Urban Meyer, who's successfully stumped his team into a BCS National Championship before -- and that was an SEC team at the expense of a Big Ten team. But do voters still think of Meyer as they did then? Whether Meyer's national profile has changed since '06 due to various controversies would actually matter. Like, actually help determine the season's champion. That's insane and ridiculous, but it's the system.
We don't know whether Auburn or Ohio State would win the right to go play FSU if the two played on a neutral field. We don't have a playoff yet, not for 12 more months. We do know the Buckeyes have won all but two of their games by multiple scores, while Auburn's won by a single score six times (including the two luckiest, most improbable winning plays of the year). Auburn's also lost a game by 14 points. Gus Malzahn and Nick Marshall have led an immaculate rebuild, but let's not let that loss be a footnote.
So it begins. One more week. The only vital contributions to the debate going forward will be those made by the players on the field in the Big Ten and SEC championship games.
And you have tapped into the C Edmund Wright theory of “the big dis” - when in this situation, where there will be nothing but a solid week of talk about one game…and all that talk will say OSU will lose….this will give OSU a much better chance than otherwise, because they’ll be so sick and tired of hearing they have no chance.
This only happens in certain situations, where there is intense coverage, a lull between other games, and a big assumption of one team over another. Think Texas and Vince Young, having zero chance against S Cal and Reggie Bush, in Pasadena.
Think Lousville having zero chance v Florida in the Sugar last year.
These things matter…...
“Rivalry game...that was Michigan’s entire season riding on the line at home.”
..and a lifetime of accomplishment. Win that game and they are heroes for life.
People who don’t recognize that fact never played sports on the collegiate level.
Anyone who watched Florida last year, would have known Louisville had a great chance in that one. They barely beat Louisiana-Lafayette, and that would have been just as embarrassing as losing to Georgia Southern.
Yep he missed his home state of Ohio...the heart of it all. So he’s comfortable now.
Not sure where you’re headed with 195
Foley made a major mistake in allowing him to come back for his final year at UF, the program still hasn’t recovered, and especially with the Leg-Humper Imposter of a Coach.
Hey weren’t you the one complaining about comparing a single school to an entire conference.
But I’ll take your challenge and say OSU is better then the entire SEC this year.
“BTW, when is the last time OSU beat someone from the SEC? Any southern team for that matter?”
8th ranked Arkansas 2011, in Louisiana, after Arkansas beat 6th ranked LSU (in Arkansas).
Just reiterating my point that there’s not much difference between these teams. (Only being sneaky about it.:>)
That's not a problem. It's a team sport. If a member of the team goes down, the team should be affected.
Three words, "Duke Lacrosse Team".
I'm sure Winston isn't a saint, but after the Duke case, I'm skeptical of these things, as much as I'd like to see FSU go down.
They were much better than they are this year, but tha’ts beside the point. The media gave Florida a huge win over Lousville, and it ticked off UL and they killed Florida.
LOL, that's not saying much.
I think the injuries in football are more frequently devastating to the player. Take out a star qback and you’ve generally ruined a team’s chances.
In basketball with only 5 starters and 2 real subs, it’s easier to hurt a team’s chances. Although Louisville survived it last year.
It’s rare that I do, but I reject your premise on this.
Easy . . . giving Big 10 teams way too much credit for strength of schedule.
He might not be guilty but there is at least DNA evidence of contact. That coupled with the warning given to the accuser by the Tallahassee police department makes this far more than the complete made-BS of the Duke LAX team.
We’ll see.
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