BCS squashes the little guy

Two years ago the Boise State Broncos went into the Fiesta Bowl as 21 point underdogs against the Oklahoma Sooners. Many people believed that Boise State had no business being in a BCS bowl, despite a 12-0 regular season record. Many people also believed that Oklahoma should be playing in the national championship game against Ohio State instead of Florida.

That made what Boise State did seem like nothing short of a miracle. Trailing by 14 with under five minutes left, the Broncos found a way to battle back and tie the game, sending it into overtime. In overtime, Oklahoma opened things up with a quick touchdown run by Adrian Peterson. Following a clutch fourth down conversion, Boise State scored of a touchdown of its own. Instead of sending the game into a second overtime, the Broncos elected to go for two and decide the game with one play. Quarterback Jared Zabransky faked out the defense, sending them to the right side of the field, and handed the ball off to Ian Johnson behind his back. Johnson took the ball to the left side of the field and by the time Oklahoma’s defenders realized what was going on, the game was over and David had taken down Goliath.

If I ranked all the games I’ve watched in my many years as a football fan, this one would definitely be the only ten. As a matter of fact, if I ranked this game as a ten, I don’t think I would be able to rank any other game above an eight, nothing comes close – it was just THAT good.

Ohio State went into the national championship game two years ago as a huge favorite over two-loss Florida. The game was supposed to be an easy win for the undefeated Buckeyes, after all, they were playing a team with two losses. Four quarters later, the Gators had shown the nation that the Big Ten’s best was absolutely no match for the best the SEC had to offer. A year later, the Buckeyes were once again in the national championship game, this time with one loss. They once again were facing the SEC champion, this time it was a two-loss LSU team. Four quarters later, the Tigers had shown the nation that the Big Ten’s best was still absolutely no match for the best the SEC had to offer.

Neither of these games provided a whole lot of entertainment for the fans. They were both decided pretty early and it was clear that Ohio State was in way over its head. From watching, it looked like they didn’t even belong in a BCS game, even though they had only lost one game one of the years and none the other.

In the final BCS standings at the end of this regular season, an undefeated Boise State team was ranked ninth. Right behind them at 10th was a two-loss Ohio State team, not a lock for an automatic BCS bid because it had finished second in the Big Ten, behind Penn State. So what does the BCS do? It puts Ohio State in a BCS bowl and tells Boise State, “Thanks, but no thanks.” You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s already ridiculous enough that each of the past two years they’ve put two Big Ten teams into BCS bowls only to watch them go 0-2 each year and get outscored by at least two touchdowns in all four of the games. This year the Big Ten finally doesn’t get a team in the national title game and they give them a team as an at-large bid anyways.

Boise State has to be sitting there thinking, “What do we have to do?” The truth is, there’s nothing they can do. The BCS is a joke and is in love with the major conferences. They already let one little guy, Utah, in this season and that’s all they’re going to be letting in. Sorry, unless you’re in a major conference or you’re Notre Dame, it doesn’t really matter what you do. There are men in suits and ties who don’t care about good games, who don’t care about what’s best for the sport, who only care about making more money and making the school’s athletic directors happy who are making these decisions. Sorry, Boise, next time you’ll just have to beat the major-conference team by three touchdowns. That is if the BCS ever wises up and gives you a next time.

I have an idea. Let’s argue ourselves in a circle!

45-35. That’s all you’ll hear when you talk to a Texas fan about who should be going to the Big 12 Championship game. That’s the score the Longhorns beat Oklahoma by earlier this season. The two teams both finished the season with 11-1 records, 7-1 in the conference. So it seems only fair that Texas should represent the Big 12 South in the conference title game, right?

Wait just a second now. Texas Tech finished the season 11-1, 7-1 in conference. That means it’s a three way tie. But Texas fans still don’t seem to care. They’re holding up signs at all the games, complaining to the media and they even have some media personalities on ESPN in their back pocket talking about how Texas should go to the game instead of Oklahoma because they beat them head to head. The truth is, you absolutely cannot use head-to-head to make your argument in a three-way tie such as this one. Let me tell you why.

So Texas fans feel that they should go to the Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City because they beat Oklahoma. Ok, that makes sense. Well, tell that to a Texas Tech fan. They beat Texas. So I guess Texas Tech should go to the Big 12 Championship game. Well, then there’s Oklahoma. Oklahoma beat Tech head to head. So I guess they should go. Texas isn’t happy once again. Let’s let them go. Notice a trend? This doesn’t work. In a three way tie where each team has beat one of the others, this just doesn’t work. I’m sorry Texas fans, but there has to be another method to decide who goes to the title game. You may not be happy with the method the Big 12 uses, but the truth is, there is no perfect method. There’s always going to be someone who gets left out, someone who beat the team who gets to go head-to-head.

Turn ‘er around

In it’s previous four seasons to the arrival of Turner Gill as head coach, Buffalo had won five games. They’d never been to a MAC championship game. They’d never been to a bowl game. Last Saturday the Bulls won their seventh game of the year to put their record on the season at 7-4, 5-2 in conference. This clinched the MAC East for Gill and Buffalo and a Dec. 5 matchup against undefeated Ball State for the MAC title. It also guaranteed that Buffalo will be playing in a bowl game this year.

Gill arrived at Buffalo just three years ago and has turned a team that averaged 1.25 wins in the four season before he got there into a MAC contender and a bowl-bound team. The coaching job he has done there should not only have him up for MAC coach of the year, but also consideration for national coach of the year.

What Gill has done in just three years at Buffalo is unheard of in college football. The quick transformation from bottom-feeder to king in a conference is rare. When it does happen, it happens at schools that were at the top, fell to the bottom for a year or two, and then rose back up to the top. Buffalo was never at the top. Teams like that take years to build up to a program that can compete for a conference title. Things like this don’t just happen – unless a great coach like Turner Gill is calling the shots. His investment in the players not only on the field, but off the field as well, has proven to be one that more coaches should try. He’s taken Buffalo to the next level and undoubtedly will soon have the opportunity to take a BCS conference school to the next level.

Always looking for something new

The sports media always loves to look for someone new. Jason White put up better stats his senior year at Oklahoma than he did his junior year when he won the Heisman, but he failed to win the award again. The same thing could very easily happen to Tim Tebow this season. The sports media is constantly looking for someone flashy, someone new to praise.

Well, baseball found their guy. His name is Tim Lincecum and he just won the National League Cy Young Award. He definitely deserved to be in consideration for the award. The 24-year-old righty won 18 games with a 2.62 ERA, throwing 227 innings. His numbers were up there above everyone in the National League. Everyone but Johan Santana, that is. The New York Mets left-hander clearly had better stats than Lincecum in every category. He had one noticeable flaw, however. He has won the award before, twice. Both times while pitching in the American League.

Santana won 16 games with a 2.53 ERA while pitching 234.1 innings for the Mets. Lincecum’s bullpen blew one of his wins throughout the season. Santana’s blew five of his. He had a lower ERA. He threw more innings. He threw more complete games. More shutouts. But he didn’t deserve the award? Why not? I think I know why. He wasn’t somebody flashy. He wasn’t somebody new. He wasn’t a 5’11 starter with a seven-foot stride toward home every time he threw a pitch. The media loves finding somebody new to anoint as the next great thing. That came at the expense of Santana’s third Cy Young Award. As a baseball purist, I find that very sad.

Future politicians? I don’t think so…

With politics seeming to be the main topic of discussion everywhere lately, I found it only appropriate to write about players who won’t be running for office anytime soon. Although there have been former athletes such as Bill Bradley, Heath Shuler, J.C. Watts and Jim Bunning who have went on to serve in congress, the following players will not be doing that when their playing days are over.

Randy Moss: When he isn’t busy running into police officers in his car, the talented wide receiver is too busy mooning fans to have time to serve his country. My guess is that this germ-freak who won’t even open up a door without using a kleenex will find a nice, secluded place after retirement, far, far away from his good friends in the media.

Roger Clemens: A year ago, Clemens probably would have been one of those athletes who could have run for public office. Not anymore. Following his whole steroid fiasco and mention in the Mitchell report, don’t be on Clemens being in Washington anytime soon. Unless, of course, congress calls him back to question him again. Maybe this time he’ll tell them the truth.

John Daly: If Happy Gilmore was modeled after any players on the PGA Tour, it was undoubtedly Daly. Although Gilmore may take some of Daly’s to the extreme and leave out the excessive drinking and smoking, it does a pretty good job of depicting a crazy golfer who causes trouble on the tour. Unless congress is going to allow cigarettes and cases of beer through its doors, don’t expect to see Daly serving there.

Stephon Marbury: His coach dislikes him to the extent that he won’t play him. His teammates dislike him to the extent that they have publicly stated that they don’t consider him a teammate. He hasn’t seen a minute of playing time all year and the media doesn’t seem to sympathize with him at all due to his arrogant attitude. It looks like its time for Starbury to fade off into the sunset so that we don’t have to hear about him anymore. We’re all sick of him.

Terrell Owens: During California’s recall election in 2003, ESPN ran a mock video promoting Owens for the position of governor. One may laugh, but look at the list of those who ran, and look at who won, and you probably won’t laugh quite as hard. Either way, we certainly don’t need any more loud-mouthed congressmen. Especially not ones when they cry as easily as Owens. Perhaps instead of “That’s my quarterback,” he could cry, “That’s my bill,” after one of his bills didn’t pass.

Hold your heads high, Tampa Bay

If someone had told me at the beginning of the season that the Rays would have won 50% of their games this season, I would have laughed at them. If someone had told me that the Rays would make the playoffs, I would have told them they were insane. If someone would have told me they were going to make the World Series, I probably would have suggested that they check into some sort of mental institution and get professional help.

The oddsmakers would have agreed with me. Tampa Bay was at 200 to 1 odds to win the World Series. Only two teams had worse odds, the Pirates and the Royals. Essentially, nobody was giving the Rays a shot in 2008. Nobody but the people in their clubhouse.

The Rays defied the odds and proved everyone wrong. Even though they didn’t win it all, they have nothing to be ashamed of. Beating out the ginormous payrolls of teams like the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East to claim the divisional crown and then to go on and defeat the Red Sox in the playoffs was an astounding feat for a team with a payroll of just over $40 million. Things like that just don’t happen in baseball unless you’re the Oakland A’s or Minnesota Twins. The Rays made it happen this year, though.

Who knows, maybe next year the Royals or the Pirates will make the World Series. Don’t try to tell me that before the season starts, though. I’ll probably still laugh at you, tell you you’re insane or that you should seek professional help.

Oh joy, the NBA is back (Yawn)

It’s that time of year again. Defenders standing around not really caring if their man runs around them to the basket. As long as that man lets them do the same thing on the other end of the court. Teams losing 55% of their games and still getting into the playoffs if they’re in the Eastern Conference. Teams coasting through the year knowing they have nothing to worry about because half of the league makes the playoffs. Gotta love the NBA, right?

Yeah, not so much. There really is no reason to watch “the league” during the regular season. The teams at the top don’t really try all that hard and the bottom-feeding teams that don’t make the playoffs aren’t worth watching, anyways. The problem is, the top teams know that they’re going to make the playoffs and they figure it’s better to be healthy and well-rested when they roll around than to exhaust their energy and risk injury during the regular season. It’s almost sad to sit in front of the TV and watch these teams go at it half-heartedly.

So what does the NBA need to do? Prove that it cares more about the sport and the level of basketball that is played than about playoff revenues. Cut the playoffs down to eight teams total, four from each conference. When 16 of your 32 teams make the playoffs, there really isn’t much of a point to your 81-game regular season. What’s the incentive for the Celtics to go 68-14 and earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference so they have to beat the 35-47 Knicks who backed into the playoffs with a ridiculously bad record? The Knicks would have no business being there, and things like this happen all of the time in the NBA. Something needs to be done to give more emphasis to the regular season so players start trying and it’s worth watching. Until then, I’d rather read a book than watch the NBA regular season – and that’s saying something.

Sorry Jet fans, you’ve been Favre’d

I was at Brett Favre’s first ever Monday Night Football start in 1993. He’s made 38 more since that start. I remember watching Favre lead the Packers to a Super Bowl Championship in January of 1997. I remember watching him when he was one of the game’s best quarterbacks. I remember watching him begin to struggle and begin throwing his teammates under the bus. I remember the drama at the end of each of the past five seasons when Favre would do everything he could for attention when deciding whether or not he would retire. The Packers finally got sick of it and decided to deal him, sticking the poor Jets with him.

Since the start of the 2004 season Favre has thrown 79 touchdowns and 70 interceptions. He did all of this in 70 straight starts. Jeff Garcia hasn’t been able to hold a starting job because he doesn’t have the “physical tools” Favre does, supposedly. But since the start of the 2004 season he’s thrown 40 toucdowns and 23 interceptions. This is in 52 games, 48 of which he started.

I’m no math major, but I’m thinking Garcia’s numbers are far better than Favre’s. He’s completed a higher percentage of his passes and he’s had a far better touchdown-to-interception ratio. Just think if maybe he’d have had the opportunities Favre has had just because of who he was.

I searched and searched through the statistics trying to find a quarterback who has performed as poorly over the past five seasons and had the opportunity to play every game like Favre. I couldn’t find anybody who even came close with the gun-slinger.

With his no touchdown, two interception performance yesterday against the lowly Raiders, I don’t doubt Favre will begin to do what he’s always done when he’s struggled – blame his teammates. After all, he’s Brett Favre. Sorry Jet fans, you’re not going anywhere with this guy under center.

Chad Pennington, anyone?

Tommy Tubervillain

Since Tommy Tuberville took over as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers in 1999 his teams have been near the top of the country defensively each season. Flip the coin over, and the picture hasn’t looked so pretty for Tuberville’s offenses.

Luckily for Tommy T, the defenses have been so remarkably good that he’s managed to compile an 82-34 record at Auburn. This includes an undefeated season and SEC Championship in 2004 as well as four other appearances in the SEC Championship Game.

Expectations were high for the Tigers coming into this season, as they were ranked in the top ten in both polls. Tony Franklin had taken over before last season’s Chick-fil-A Bowl game against Clemson and had the offense looking impressive as they put up 23 points in a 23-20 win.

Franklin was Tuberville’s sixth offensive coordinator in eight seasons. This may seem like a lot, and that’s because it is. Unfortunately for Franklin, the Tigers offense has gone back to a typical Auburn offense this season. They’ve continued to do what they always do – score fairly consistently in the low teens.

And as usual, the defense for Auburn has remained outstanding. Because of this, the Tigers are still ranked nationally and have won four of their six games. The only thing different this season is that Franklin was fired after just seven total games as the team’s coordinator.

I’m guessing Tuberville was maybe feeling a little heat. Maybe some people were getting mad that he can’t take it to the next level and win his team a national championship and were calling for a change. Just maybe he was fearing for his job. So what does he do? Fire his offensive coordinator, of course. It’s worked countless times before.

It must be nice to be a head coach. To constantly point your finger at either the offensive or defensive coordinator and cast all the blame at them seems like an easy job. But I have a different theory than the one Tuberville wants everyone to believe.

Maybe the problem isn’t Tony Franklin. Maybe the problem has never been Tuberville’s offensive coordinator. Maybe the problem is Tuberville himself. Maybe what Auburn needs is a head coach who can put together a solid product on both sides of the ball.

Tommy Tuberville doesn’t want you to think that. He wants to keep finding new offensive coordinators to throw under the bus and fire. After all, when you’re making $2.6 million a season, who wouldn’t point a finger at someone else to save his job? I wouldn’t want to coach for this guy.

Coin flips shouldn’t decide divisions

Some may argue that when two divisional rivals end the season in a tie in the standings the team that won more head-to-head matchups should flat out win the division, end of story. Some would argue that the team that won the season series should get to host some sort of playoff game to decide who wins the division. Both scenarios seem to at least attempt to be fair.

 

Not many would argue that the team that lost more head-to-head matchups should host some sort of playoff game to decide who wins the division. This scenario seems to make no sense at all, penalizing the team that won the season series. On Tuesday night when the Chicago White Sox hosted a one-game playoff against the Minnesota Twins, this scenario is exactly what happened.

 

Major League Baseball decided the best way to decide who should host the one-game playoff was not by who was better between the two teams in their head-to-head contests. To them, a simple coin flip is more just, more scientific. I’ve got one. How about more messed up?

 

The White Sox were 7-2 against the Twins in Chicago this year. The Twins were 8-1 against the White Sox in Minnesota. It wasn’t a guarantee that the home team would win the playoff game because nothing is guaranteed in baseball, but it was clear the home team would have an extremely large advantage. Major League Baseball decided it would give the large advantage to the team that deserved it least, the team that won less head-to-head matchups. In doing so, they aided the White Sox to the American League Central Division title and helped push them right into the playoffs as they defeated the Twins 1-0 in the game.

 

Now does this mean that the Twins would have necessarily won at home? Not at all. As I said before, this is baseball and nothing is a guarantee. But take a look at the numbers. In 19 games between the two teams, the home team won 16 of them. If Major League Baseball is going to give a team a better than 80 percent chance of winning an important playoff game, I say next time they give it to the team that is more deserving of the advantage. If they’re not going to do that, they need to play it at a neutral stadium.