Why I Hate The BCS Even More Tonight

[BaltimoreTerp]

BTerp, do you believe Alabama is the 2nd best team in the country?

I don't know who the second-best team in the country is. And there's no way to find out.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I don't know who the second-best team in the country is. And there's no way to find out.

OK....if you had a vote and had to rank the teams, similar to what they do in the AP or Coach's poll, who would you put second.

[Sports Guy]

So, if Bama wins, they get the title...even though LSU beat them, in Bama.

Its just so odd.

On one hand, I have no issue with these 2 playing..OTOH, I think it sucks.

And how in the hell did VT and Michigan get BCS bowls? That's ugly right there.

[BaltimoreTerp]

OK....if you had a vote and had to rank the teams, similar to what they do in the AP or Coach's poll, who would you put second.

It doesn't matter, because I don't want my vote to decide team rankings.

[mweb]

So, if Bama wins, they get the title...even though LSU beat them, in Bama.

Its just so odd.

On one hand, I have no issue with these 2 playing..OTOH, I think it sucks.

And how in the hell did VT and Michigan get BCS bowls? That's ugly right there.

I agree.

The answer to your question is money as those teams are expected to bring strong followings with them.

[crissfan172]

The BCS actually got it right this year. They have the two best teams playing each other.

Roll Tide.

The BCS, in reality, is designed to have the two teams with the best resumes in the title game. It's a plain fact that Oklahoma State has a better resume than Alabama (which is why the computers have them ranked 2nd). If you can't even make it into your conference championship, you don't deserve a chance at the National Championship.

That being said, I think Alabama is the best team in the country and will win it all, but they shouldn't get that opportunity with the way the system is set up now. Really...we should have a plus 1 system (at least) so we wouldn't need this argument.

[Hawkigizer]

If you want to say that the NFL has playoffs I'd argue that every game for Alabama after the LSU game was basically a playoff because if they had lost any of those they would have been out.

I would argue that every game they played ALL season is a playoff (which is what the BCS has always argued)...thus Alabama lost their playoff game to LSU and should have been eliminated. The BCS and college football has always bragged about the importance of the regular season. With this rematch, they have made the original Bama/LSU game completely meaningless.

BTerp, do you believe Alabama is the 2nd best team in the country?

I personally think Alabama is better than Oklahoma St. However, we KNOW Alabama already lost to LSU at home and thus, by what was determined on the field, is the worse team when compared to LSU. What we DON'T KNOW is if Oklahoma St could beat LSU on the field...which is why they should get a shot. Heck, who's to say Bama doesn't lose to Iowa St on the road on a Friday Night? (I don't think they would, but we don't KNOW.)

It comes down to what you think the BCS's job is. To determine the 2 best teams? Then I think it got it right. To determine the 2 most deserving teams? Then, I think it got it wrong...and that's because the BCS doesn't use logic. Either way, it's a mess.

[CrimsonTribe]

The BCS, in reality, is designed to have the two teams with the best resumes in the title game. It's a plain fact that Oklahoma State has a better resume than Alabama (which is why the computers have them ranked 2nd). If you can't even make it into your conference championship, you don't deserve a chance at the National Championship.

That being said, I think Alabama is the best team in the country and will win it all, but they shouldn't get that opportunity with the way the system is set up now. Really...we should have a plus 1 system (at least) so we wouldn't need this argument.

It's not even close to a plain fact. You just can't lose to a 5 win Iowa State team no matter how good the rest of your schedule looks. That's a resume killer right there.

The plain fact is that once Alabama lost every team behind them had a chance to stake their claim to play LSU in the NC game and they all crapped the bed, some more spectacularly than others. Now we have what most believe are the two best teams in the country playing in the NC game, which is what is supposed to happen. Just because LSU was on Alabama's regular season schedule does not mean that should be held against Alabama when evaluating them against all the other one-loss teams. Alabama played the #1 team in the country to a stalemate and annihilated everyone else. OSU had a tougher schedule, but blew a 17 point 3rd quarter lead to a 4 touchdown underdog.

And regarding the farce that is the "didn't win their conference championship" argument, I think Andy Staples put it best after the Iron Bowl:

The chief argument against Alabama is that it will not win its conference. Actually, the Crimson Tide didn't even win their own division. Here's the problem with that argument. Alabama would have won the ACC. Alabama would have won the Big East. Alabama would have won the Big Ten. Alabama would have won the Pac-12. Alabama would have won the Big 12. When Alabama and LSU helped found the SEC in 1932, it's safe to assume they didn't envision a day 79 years in the future when their shared interests and geographical proximity would be the chief reason why they shouldn't be considered the two best teams in the country -- even though they are the two best teams in the country.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/11/26/alabama-auburn/?xid=cnnbin

[CrimsonTribe]

The BCS is ridiculous. Alabama doesn't win it's conference and gets to go to the title game and face a team that already beat them once. Why should LSU have to beat them twice?

Why should Alabama be ruled out of the title game automatically because they had to face LSU in the regular season?

[crissfan172]

It's not even close to a plain fact. You just can't lose to a 5 win Iowa State team no matter how good the rest of your schedule looks. That's a resume killer right there.

The plain fact is that once Alabama lost every team behind them had a chance to stake their claim to play LSU in the NC game and they all crapped the bed, some more spectacularly than others. Now we have what most believe are the two best teams in the country playing in the NC game, which is what is supposed to happen. Just because LSU was on Alabama's regular season schedule does not mean that should be held against Alabama when evaluating them against all the other one-loss teams. Alabama played the #1 team in the country to a stalemate and annihilated everyone else. OSU had a tougher schedule, but blew a 17 point 3rd quarter lead to a 4 touchdown underdog.

And regarding the farce that is the "didn't win their conference championship" argument, I think Andy Staples put it best after the Iron Bowl:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/11/26/alabama-auburn/?xid=cnnbin

Whether or not Alabama would have won the other conferences is an opinion, not a fact. Alabama has beaten two ranked opponents all season, one of which is a Penn State team that is nowhere near as good as their 9-3 record. Oklahoma State's schedule was tougher, and they beat 5 teams that finished in the BCS top 25. Florida lost to Ole Miss in 2006 and still made the national championship over Michigan. It would have been stupid to have a rematch then, and it's stupid to have one now. The whole argument for the BCS is that the regular season is supposed to be their version of the playoffs. If you can't win your conference, you shouldn't get a chance to win the National Championship. LSU shouldn't have to beat them twice. Hell, they're getting screwed even more than Oklahoma State. I'd rather just give the title to LSU than have a rematch.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Why should Alabama be ruled out of the title game automatically because they had to face LSU in the regular season?

Because that is how the system works, or so we are told.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Whether or not Alabama would have won the other conferences is an opinion, not a fact. Alabama has beaten two ranked opponents all season, one of which is a Penn State team that is nowhere near as good as their 9-3 record. Oklahoma State's schedule was tougher, and they beat 5 teams that finished in the BCS top 25. Florida lost to Ole Miss in 2006 and still made the national championship over Michigan. It would have been stupid to have a rematch then, and it's stupid to have one now. The whole argument for the BCS is that the regular season is supposed to be their version of the playoffs. If you can't win your conference, you shouldn't get a chance to win the National Championship. LSU shouldn't have to beat them twice. Hell, they're getting screwed even more than Oklahoma State. I'd rather just give the title to LSU than have a rematch.

The LSU part of it is important. LSU already beat Alabama. Under the system we are being force-fed, that should be enough.

[Sports Guy]

I like Bilas' tweet.

All of those "important" games yesterday meant NOTHING!

VT gets blown out, again...Their reward? A BCS bowl.

Mich St plays a great game, loses by 3? Do they get a BCS bowl? Nope...Who does? Michigan? Name one of the teams Mich lost to? You guessed it..Mich St.

OSU blows away a major team in what was perhaps the most impressive win by any team all season..still miss out on title game.

What a joke.

[Sports Guy]

I agree.

The answer to your question is money as those teams are expected to bring strong followings with them.

Yea I know that...its still bs.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I like Bilas' tweet.

All of those "important" games yesterday meant NOTHING!

VT gets blown out, again...Their reward? A BCS bowl.

Mich St plays a great game, loses by 3? Do they get a BCS bowl? Nope...Who does? Michigan? Name one of the teams Mich lost to? You guessed it..Mich St.

OSU blows away a major team in what was perhaps the most impressive win by any team all season..still miss out on title game.

What a joke.

@EveryGameDoesn'tCount