| It's not so much about who deserves it as it is about putting the 2 best teams in the nation in the title game. That's why the BCS exists, is it not? 2 weeks ago Michigan was 80 some odd points ahead of Florida in the Harris poll and another 30+ points ahead in the USA Today poll. Then USC jumped Michigan - how I don't know since they beat Notre Dame by 20 points in LA when U of M beat them by 26 points in South Bend. Then when USC lost Florida suddenly jumps up. So wait a minute...the voters very clearly think Michigan is the better team, but then change their minds? Even though Michigan hasn't played a single down since Nov 18th? Michigan is a better team. Florida is going to the title game on politics and sympathy votes. It wouldn't matter if Michigan played through the MAC. We're in agreement that OSU is the #1 team in the nation. Michigan lost to the #1 team in the land by a mere 3 points (and shouldn't have lost at that) while Florida lost by 10 points to the now #9 team. And as far as that being on the last play of the game...I don't remember the entire game play for play, but I do remember that Auburn took the lead in the 3rd quarter and shut Florida out in the 4th. So it didn't come down to the last play unless I'm confusing that game with another.
As far as no one wanting a rematch...how did Ali vs Frazier II and III go? Or how about the Georgetown-Villanova Final Four? Or any other sporting rematch. In the words of Gene Wojciechowski (ESPN analyst) "if you threatened to take away his precious sweater-vest if he didn't tell the truth, I bet you Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel would rather play Florida than have to face the Wolverines again (Tressel declined to vote in the final coaches' poll)." Why? Because Michigan is the better team. I do think that Michigan had their chance and blew it. But put those teams together, on neutral ground and see what happens. The championship should be about the best teams. Not who's played who and who thinks who should have a shot.
Conference championship means little when some conferences have title games and others don't. And besides...if conference championships mattered all that much one could make a strong case for Boise State since they won their conference outright and are the only team besides OSU to finish undefeated. And feel free to show me the rule in the BCS that says a team must be conference champs to play for the title.
If you want to compare Michigan and Florida, ask a team that both of them played. Vanderbilt. Now I realize that Vanderbilt ain't exactly a powerhouse of a team, but you can bet they'll tell you who the better team is and it ain't gonna be Florida. Michigan beat them by 20 points. Florida by 6. As far as that goes, they shut Florida out in the 4th quarter as well.
Until there is a playoff like there is for every other NCAA sport, this kind of thing will happen virtually every year. It's a system based on politics, speculation, popularity and human error. What would have happened if Arkansas won the SEC? Would LSU then have leapfrogged up to the title game even though they're a 2 loss team and not conference champions? Or would Arkansas have gone? Or what about Louisville? What if Rutgers hadn't lost to WVU and went 11-1? The posibilities are endless and without a playoff there is no definitive way to crown a champion.
Like I said, I was hoping for a rematch. But that's based on the fact that OSU and U of M are clearly the best 2 teams in the country. If by some miracle Florida pulls a win out in the title game I'll eat my words. But I'm not exactly planning on having to. As much as I'd like to see them beat OSU, I don't think Florida stands a chance. |