How do you explain the BCS Championship Game?

I'm reminded of Alabama-Miami in 1993.

The SEC's upper eschelon is hands-down the best in the country right now.

Many folks maligned the SEC based upon the performance of some "middle of the pack" teams. But the top end of the conference (LSU, UF, AU) proved they are as solid as they come.

IMO longer layoffs accentuate coaching genius. The prep time allows coaches to truly come up with innovative plans.

In addition, "Heisman Trophy Winner" means virtually nothing anymore. As I said, I think of '93 when Gino Toretta of Miami came in as the Greatest Quarterback since Moses. He was humiliated to the point of not being able to get a pro job. I don't think Troy Smith will suffer THAT fate; but he will suffer a bit in the draft for last night.

Finally...Florida has much better athletes than OSU, IMO

 

My opinion. Long 50 days layoff hurt OSU. And Troy received Hesimann Trophy caused him think off the trak, like, have high exciting and not serious focus Championship game.

I strong feel that NCAA should change football system. Reduce days of layoff, change date of Hesimann Trophy from December to Janauary right after Championship game. Because it would not effect player's mental, who received Heisman Trophy.

Also, I feel NCAA should change on system, removed BCS, and it needs playoff games, reduced length days of layoff.

I know OSU CAN beat Fla for sure. I believe BCS hurt OSU so badly. OSU's play against Fla that was not usually or way as what they were playing during season.

In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!

 

Well, if OSU would have played the schedule Florida did they probably wouldn't have even made a BCS game. They really only played Mich and we saw how good they were vs. USC.

I have never seen a team so dominated in a BCS game. They gained less than 100 yards total and Troy Smith's stock will fall IMHO...

 

Yup - the perfect answer.

 

Some players are just happy to get to the big game.
What hurt OSU, they read the paper and believed what they read. I recall Tn. beating Al. by about 17 points with little time left in the game and Al. won the game and they had a picture of the Bear walking on water in the Sunday morning paper in Tn. They didn't think they could beat Al. and Al. didn't think they could lose to Tn. or they didn't want to face Bear if they did. Most games are won or lost before you get on the field.
Many a coach, like Ray Graves , Bobby Dodd and Bear didn't like the bowls, but they did bring in money. Some coaches went to the bowl game to have fun. Their view was if a bowl was to be played, play it the next week after the last game of the season. They didn't care for their players to have all that free time and get out in the city. The coach does not have full control of the players when there are weeks off, the players mind goes all over the place. But this and the play off, if they have one, is about money not which team is the best.

 

IMO, if OSU played in the SEC, they would have had 2-3 losses, depending on whom they played. Obviously UF would be able to beat them, as shown last night. IMO, LSU, if they were on the schedule would take them out. I also think that there is a good chance that an Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, or South Carolina would have added at least one more loss.

OSU is a good team, mind you, but you just can't compare the Big 10 to the SEC at the highest levels.

 

Below is what I voted for, and I have ranked them in importance as to how they affected the outcome of the game:

1. Florida's coaching
2. Florida has better personnel
3. Florida's underdog status
4. OSU's long layoff
5. OSU's weak schedule
6. Florida's strong schedule

I give props to Scott J and others who touted the SEC and their strength. They were right. And they were right about the Big Ten being overrated this year. They were. Wisconsin may have been the best team in the Big Ten this year.

I am kind of glad that OSU lost, because I hope it will make some of the idol-worshipping OSU fans re-think their lives and priorities. That’s just my perspective living here in Columbus. And don’t tell me that it’s just as bad in other college towns, because I really don’t think it is. There are probably a few others that rival OSU’s obsession – Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee come to mind as having way-too-overzealous fans like OSU.

But I will end with this: Florida showed no class last night, and OSU did (the players, that is). Some of the comments that the Florida players made were classless and unnecessary. Everything I heard from the OSU players was classy, esp. T. Smith. So Florida may have the better players and athletes, but OSU definitely has the better men, and those men will contribute more to society in the long run than the speedy, athletic primadonnas of Florida. The Florida players will hit the NFL in droves and also will be the ones making the news with their deviancies. So at least OSU can be proud of having the better men in life.

 

Ah, so the tune changes. All year long we've been hearing the SEC helped God hang the moon, but now it's suddenly only the upper echelon.

To say OSU's only challenge was Michigan is foolish. OSU beat Texas on the road when Texas was #2. Florida barely squeaked by South Carolina and a couple other weaker sisters.

Would OSU have 2 or 3 losses in the SEC? Who knows. But Florida would probably have 2 or 3 losses as well if they had to play in Happy Valley, The Big House, etc. Even Madison is not easy to win at for a road team.

All we know is that Fla beat OSU and last night they were the better team. They are, consequently, under the current system, national champions, and rightfully so. I do think that Fla and LSU are the 2 best teams in the country right now with USC 3rd. But given another week of games that could easily change the way this season has gone. With no majors undefeated (sorry Boise State) a lot of arguments can be made in a lot of directions.

Here's my top ten to finish the season:
Fla
LSU
USC
OSU
Boise
Wisconsin
Louisville
Auburn
West Va
Michigan

 

Florida was simply the better team. Ohio State was clearly not the best team in the nation and Michigan was not the second best team in the nation.

The analysts that were arguing for Michigan being in the BCS Championship Game look quite foolish now.

 

Actually, I never claimed that. Top to bottom...yes, I believe it's the strongest conference. But the middle of the pack teams are competitive with any other conference's middle teams. But the SEC's top teams? Few if any others can touch them IMO.

Playing a Big Ten schedule is not as grueling. The SEC only had two "cupcakes" this year--Ole Miss and Miss State. It does appear that Madison would be a tough go, I'll agree...but I cannot come up with a Big Ten stretch of games that approach the gauntlet Florida had to run mid-season...not to mention a conference championship game to boot.

I disagree.

I agree...OSU was rightfully #1--until last night.

Methinks you underestimate the top-to-bottom strength of the SEC. That's the whole reason I felt Florida was underestimated--more than any other conference IMO you can't take a week off in the SEC.

 

Andy is right about one thing: Florida is classless. Tressel is a class act and so is Troy Smith. Florida has never had class. But last night, they were the better, faster, more athletic team on the field (On both sides of the ball). I also believe that OSU may not have been the best team in the Big Ten (I've been saying that for weeks - Wisconsin and OSU would be a good game). The long layoff hurt OSU (we could've had two playoffs in 51 days). Florida's execution was better.

 

I don't know what one calls class. I didn't hear anything out of line in todays world by either side.

But when players are not kicked off the team for breaking the law and pushing or beating up their girlfriend or wife, or not keeping a passing grade, but can play football, there isn't much class.

Look at the problems OSU, Miami, FSU, Fl. and Tenn. have had over the past few years. But if one can play football, the problem can be over looked. I know, I'm an older guy, but I don't see much class at all.

 

OSU was exposed. Especially on offense. UF's defense dominated them and Moss wasn't too far off in saying that there were 4 or 5 other SEC teams good enough to do the same.

OSU's defense might have been better against another SEC team but UF's D isn't head and shoulders above LSU, Aub, UGA, Bama, Ark, or even UT. Remember that UT gave PSU a short field for 3 pts and then a long fumble return. PSU's offense only got 10 pts.

 

Reasons why Florida won:

1. UF had the better team. It's amazing how a team can get swamped 41-14, but then have their fans state that they still have the better team.
2. UF outcoached and outprepared OSU.
3. Speed, speed, speed. UF has it. OSU doesn't.
4. UF had the tougher schedule. (OSU played Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, and Cinci for 3 of their 4 out of conference games. Gimme a break. And that's after their in conference games against IL, IN, MS, MN, and NW.
5. The 2-4 Big Ten (11) is not the SEC. Ask Tressel who is 0-x against the SEC.

Please do not list the time off as an excuse. If the Big Ten (11) doesn't want the time off, they can always change their schedules. Or perhaps have a conference championship like the SEC, Big 12 and ACC.

 

Someone mentioned UT's off the field troubles with players. Granted, there have been issues. Spurrier had more at South Carolina in his first six months than UT did in three seasons, though, yet UT's made headlines. Maybe if SC was better on the field, their issues would be more news-worthy.

Given that many UT dismissals wind up in starting lineups at Oklahoma, Oregon, et.al., it just drives me batty when someone talks about UT like it's a renegade program.

But enough about that.....

 

Tom, That is correct, Spurrier kicked 20's players off the team his first year, 16 were started the year before, last year I believe there were 12 kicked off the team and their Qb was put off for a game and rode the pine for a few weeks after that. Or that is what I read in the paper down here in Florida. Also read where the UK coach did a little of the same. If one likes him or not Knight has been doing that for years in Bball.

 

Ohio State appeared to have been done with football after they beat Michigan, Troy Smith won the Heisman, and some of their players began appearing on pro scout lists. I think it was a combination of tremendous overconfidence, and a 60 day lay off. And I think that's another good reason why we need a playoff system. 60 days between the end of the season and the championship bowl game should be plenty of time for a playoff without interfering with finals or holidays.

You're kidding about the schedule, right? The Big 10 won both of its other matchups against the "top echelon" of the SEC, with Wisconsin beating Arkansas and Penn State beating Tennessee. Florida's non conference opponents were Western Carolina, Central Florida, Florida State and Southern Mississippi and Southern Miss, an also ran out of the pitiful CUSA, was the best of those four. The best teams Florida faced were LSU, Arkansas and Auburn and they lost to Auburn. Arkansas lost to Big 10 foe Wisconsin. LSU beat a highly over-rated Notre Dame team. Ohio State at least played then top ranked Texas as a non-conference foe. The rest of the SEC was deliberately overmatched against inferior teams from the bottom of the barrel in other conferences, particularly the pitiful ACC and the horrible CUSA. There is no one on Florida's schedule, with the possible exception of LSU, that could have beaten Ohio State.

 

Bob, I hope Spurrier's years in the NFL taught him something about discipline. My Florida friends used to get a laugh out of talking about what a disciplinarian Spurrier was at Florida and how they wished they had a guy like Fulmer to reign in the trouble-makers. Of course, they'd point out how our disciplinarian lost to Spurrier more often than not :BangHead: