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.
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
Roll Tears Roll!
No they didn’t. OSU knowingly used ineligible players and the game was vacated. It does not exist as an OSU win in any NCAA record book.
No they didn’t. OSU knowingly used ineligible players and the game was vacated. It does not exist as an OSU win in any NCAA record book.
“And OSU’s bowl record against the SEC is 0-10.
For current SEC members, in bowls played outside of Florida, OSU is 3-1 in Louisiana, 1-0 in Texas, and 0-1 in AZ.
BTw, the SEC has a losing bowl record against the teams making up the current Big 12. Hook 'em Horns.
And there are differences between conferences in terms of evaluating the teams and their schedules. Any team that wins the SEC must be considered among the top two in the country. 7 straight BCS titles should be confirmation of that reality.
And none of those wins were against SEC opponents.
Yes. They were.
While I don't disagree with the idea that the SEC is the best conference, there should be no automatic entry into the national championship game because you win a particular conference.
According to that idea, UCLA basketball would have won a lifetime entry into the national championship game back into the Wooden Days. Remember, the Bruins won seven straight national titles, BY THEMSELVES.
Oops. Missed one.
For current SEC members, in bowls played outside of Florida, OSU is 3-2 in Louisiana, 1-0 in Texas, and 0-1 in AZ.
We are also talking about many seasons where Big 10 teams are ranked high all season until they get smacked in bowl games.
Here’s a reality check for you. BCS era results for Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State (2002 BCS National Champs against DEFENDING national champion and undefeated Miami Hurricanes):
Michigan’s Bowl Game History
Jan. 1, 1999 Citrus Arkansas W 45-31 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2000 Orange Alabama W 35-34 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2001 Citrus Auburn W 31-28 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2002 Citrus Tennessee L 17-45 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2003 Outback Florida W 38-30 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2004 Rose Southern California L 14-28 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2005 Rose Texas L 37-38 Lloyd Carr
Dec. 28, 2005 Alamo Nebraska L 28-32 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2007 Rose USC L 18-32 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2008 Capital 1 Florida W 41-35 Lloyd Carr
Jan. 1, 2011 Gator Mississippi State L 14-52 Rich Rodriguez
Jan. 3, 2012 Sugar Virginia Tech W 23-20 (OT) Brady Hoke
Jan. 1, 2013 Outback South Caroliina L 23-33
List of Wisconsin Badgers bowl games
Rose Bowl W 38–31 January 1, 1999 UCLA Bruins Barry Alvarez
Rose Bowl W 17–9 January 1, 2000 Stanford Cardinal Barry Alvarez
Sun Bowl W 21–20 December 29, 2000 UCLA Bruins Barry Alvarez
Alamo Bowl W 31–28 December 28, 2002 Colorado Buffaloes Barry Alvarez
Music City Bowl L 28–14 December 31, 2003 Auburn Tigers Barry Alvarez
Outback Bowl L 24–21 January 1, 2005 Georgia Bulldogs Barry Alvarez
Capital One Bowl W 24–10 January 2, 2006 Auburn Tigers Citrus Bowl Barry Alvarez
Capital One Bowl W 17–14 January 1, 2007 Arkansas Razorbacks Bret Bielema
Outback Bowl L 21–17 January 1, 2008 Tennessee Volunteers Bret Bielema
Champs Sports Bowl L 42–13 December 27, 2008 Florida State Seminoles Bret Bielema
Champs Sports Bowl W 20–14 December 29, 2009 Miami Hurricanes Bret Bielema
Rose Bowl L 21–19 January 1, 2011 TCU Horned Frogs Bret Bielema
Rose Bowl L 45–38 January 2, 2012 Oregon Ducks Bret Bielema
Rose Bowl L 20–14 January 1, 2013 Stanford Cardinal Barry Alvarez
List of Ohio State Buckeyes bowl games
Sugar Bowl W 24–14 January 1, 1999 Texas A&M Aggies John Cooper
Outback Bowl L 24–7 January 1, 2001 South Carolina Gamecocks John Cooper
Outback Bowl L 31–28 January 1, 2002 South Carolina Gamecocks Jim Tressel
Fiesta Bowl* W 31–24 2OT January 3, 2003 Miami Hurricanes Jim Tressel
Fiesta Bowl W 35–28 January 2, 2004 Kansas State Wildcats Jim Tressel
Alamo Bowl W 33–6 December 29, 2004 Oklahoma State Cowboys Jim Tressel
Fiesta Bowl W 34–20 January 2, 2006 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Jim Tressel
BCS National Championship Game* L 41–14 January 8, 2007 Florida Gators Jim Tressel
BCS National Championship Game* L 38–24 January 7, 2008 LSU Tigers Jim Tressel
Fiesta Bowl L 24–21 January 5, 2009 2008 Texas Longhorns Jim Tressel
Rose Bowl W 26–17 January 1, 2010 Oregon Ducks Jim Tressel
Sugar Bowl W 31–26 January 4, 2011 Arkansas Razorbacks Jim Tressel
Gator Bowl L 24–17 January 2, 2012 2011 Florida Gators Luke Fickell
A guy I used to work with played for Lloyd Carr in hs and liked him.
Lloyd was one of those guys that was disliked until they replaced him and things never got that good again.
“I may be a Longhorns fan, but I think you’re making the point that OSU tanks when it plays an SEC opponent.”
SEC? Not so much. The State of Florida in January, against teams from Florida, often playing in their home stadium? Likewise LSU in Louisiana from the one contest. Sure.
He says almost to a man, they all despise him.
Auburn has already beaten Texas A&M, Georgia, and Alabama. OSU has only beaten one ranked team, WI.
When I attended Ohio State Earl Bruce was the coach. You probably know how that went. Then they hired John Cooper who year in and year out got some very talented (later NFL) players but could never win the big games including against Michigan.
Jim Tressel came in and in his 2nd season won a BCS National Championship with many Cooper recruited players.
The program is probably in the best hands with Urban Meyer than it has been since the Woody Hayes era.
Auburn beat Georgia on a Hail Mary and Bama on a freak field goal return. Great wins. Not enough to justify jumping an undefeated OSU in my opinion.
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