Tag: Florida State

The Mess That Is College Football

Really, is there any sport (or branch of it) that is more screwed up than big time college football?

Although they did expand its quest for determining a national champion by including four teams instead of two, the way they are going about it continues to be completely fouled up.

We can already see a scenario where a champion of a major conference doesn’t get the chance to play for the national title because of the inclusion of a team that doesn’t win the conference title.

For a sport that prides itself on every week being part of a defacto elimination tournament, the possibility of a non-conference champ in the pigskin version of “The Final Four” is a huge problem.

The powers that be who run college football put together a committee to determine who the four teams would be.  Of course, that committee will get together at the end of the conference title games and decide which four squads will get a chance to be the first champion crowned in this matter.

No, instead there are rankings every week, which in and of itself creates a bias.  Currently, the four teams in place are Mississippi State, Oregon, Florida State and TCU.  The guess here is that if those teams win out, which they probably won’t, they will face off in the first playoff games.

However, if their were no rankings, and let’s say a team like Baylor dominates its last three foes (Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and #13 Kansas State).  If there weren’t weekly slots shown to the public, maybe the committee decides the Bears are deserving of a chance to play for the title.

Because of the weekly standings, it’s likely that won’t happen.

Look at how winning the championship last year has Florida State positioned.  Their two quality wins came over 7-2 #19 Clemson and 7-2 #18 Notre Dame.  They certainly aren’t dominating teams, with only three wins by 20 points or more.

Playing in a weak conference on a week in week out basis, and with their only true blowout wins being over Wake Forest (2-7) and a football subdivision team in The Citadel (4-6), why are they sitting in the top four.

And of course we have the whole perception of superiority from the Southeastern Conference.  Yes, Mississippi State gets big credit for its conference wins over Auburn and Texas A & M at the beginning of the season, but since Auburn has two losses and the Aggies have three, how impressive are those wins?

MSU’s non-conference foes?  Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham, and South Alabama.  Not exactly murderers row.

The system favors not playing tough teams out of conference, we get that.  But why do SEC teams not get criticized for this while other teams, yes we are talking about Ohio State, are reviled for it.

There is really only one solution to the process and the college football intelligentsia continues to ignore it for now.  That would be to limit the choices for any committee by putting in automatic qualifiers.

The champions of the five major conferences (SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big Twelve, and PAC 12) would get automatic bids.  The highest ranked team in a determined poll not from one of these leagues would also qualify.

That would leave two teams for a selection committee to choose to fill out an eight team bracket.  It just seems too logical and too simple.

Of course, that’s why it hasn’t been done.

If any other sport determined a championship in this manner, people would be livid.  For some reason, it’s accepted in big time college football.

Ridiculous.

MW

 

Buckeyes Just Taking Advantage of Flawed System

With Ohio State in control of one of the top two spots in the BCS standings, the national media is apparently stunned that a team from the Southeastern Conference may not be part of the BCS title game.

Therefore, we are hearing from multiple sources about how Ohio State isn’t worthy to play for a championship if they indeed defeat Michigan State in the Big 10 title game this weekend.

Right now, there are two teams from major conferences who are unbeaten:  Florida State from the ACC and the Buckeyes. 

Why wouldn’t those two squads play for the title if they both emerge victorious this weekend?  It makes total sense.

The problem people have is with the BCS system, and they are taking out their venom on Ohio State. 

The system rewards teams for going undefeated.  Proof of that is Alabama, who lost on the last play against a one loss Auburn team and now they are seemingly out of the picture.  If it were about putting together the top two teams, then the Crimson Tide would still be alive.

So, why should any team, including Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, etc., take any unnecessary risks by scheduling tough out of conference foes?

Auburn’s games outside of the SEC were against Washington State, Arkansas State, Western Carolina, and Florida Atlantic.  No national powers there, right?

Alabama played Virginia Tech, a quality foe, but they also played Colorado State, Georgia State, and Chattanooga. 

Yes, the SEC is filled with good teams, but both schools have to play them, they aren’t taking any risks with the non-conference opponents either. 

Certainly, LSU is a quality team, and Auburn will have to play another top five team in the SEC Championship Game in Missouri. 

Of course, Missouri has the same record as the Spartans, the Buckeyes opponent on Saturday.

There is no question that college football needs a playoff system, and the automatic qualifiers should be the five major conference champions:  Big 10, Big 12, SEC, ACC, and PAC 12.  The other three teams in the eight team tournament would be the three best teams who do not get automatic bids.

If the champions get in, it eliminates the scheduling issue. 

A school like Ohio State could play, let’s say Tennessee, Miami (FL), and Stanford in non-conference play and not have to worry about the National Championship because if they win the Big 10, they will get a shot at the title.

And of course, that goes for all conferences. 

We would get early season key matchups once again like Ohio State playing Oklahoma, or Alabama playing USC, etc.

The risk of suffering an early season loss would be minimized because teams would still have a chance at the national title.

It would be better for the sport as well.

Another problem is somehow Ohio State has become the poster boy for this horrible system.  According to some rating systems, Florida State’s strength of schedule is less than OSU’s, but no one is complaining about the Seminoles being in line for a shot at the crown.

And this weekend Florida State plays Duke while the Buckeyes take on a one loss Michigan State team.

The problem isn’t Ohio State, it’s with the system.  People complaining about the strength of schedule should blame a formula that rewards teams who don’t lose.

The Buckeyes are just working the system.

MW