Friday, November 21, 2008

It's Rivalry Week and yes, Evil walks among us once again.


Because of some scheduling shifts and down years for fabled programs (Michigan vs. Ohio St.), this year’s Rivalry week ain’t what it once was but… it’s still Rivalry week.

First, the BCS rankings going into this weekend:

1. Alabama .9787
2. Texas Tech .9698
3. Texas .8911
4. Florida .8755
5. Oklahoma .8388
6. USC .7873
7. Utah .7643
8. Penn St. .6957
9. Boise St. .6559
10. Ohio St. .6154

Obviously, the biggest game this weekend is the defacto BCS quarterfinal matchup between Texas Tech and Oklahoma in Norman. If Tech wins then it’s on to the defacto semis in the Big 12 conference championship against Missouri and then to the BCS title game. Tech, of course, controls its own destiny but does Oklahoma? Will an Oklahoma victory (currently, a 6-1/2 pt. favorite) vault them over Texas to whom they lost by 10 earlier this year? We’re going to find out because we like Oklahoma at home though we’re finding it difficult to root against the magic carpet ride that has been Tech’s season thus far.

We're ready. Consider it done. After contemplating this move since before last season, we’re pleased to confer “Evil” status upon Florida Gator head coach, Urban Meyer. After a 56-6 pasting of South Carolina and the last coach to hold “Evil” status, Steve Spurrier who also coached at Florida while wearing the crown, the symmetry was too perfect to pass up. Just one year seperated from winning the BCS title, Meyer has reloaded, is absolutely crushing his opponents since that loss to Ole Miss at the end of September and is ready to get back to the BCS title game with victories over the Citadel(?), Florida State and ‘Bama in the SEC championship game. Obviously, there are no guarantees but Florida is, as they say in the biz, “playing the best football in the nation, right now”.

But, “USC fatigue”…? Stewart Mandel of SI.com points out that the country’s infatuation with Pete Carroll’s Trojans has faded somewhat as the Big 12 South has garnered, and rightly so, the lion’s share of the country’s affection. No superstars (Bush, Leinart), a weak conference and more baffling in-conference losses the past 2-3 seasons have the viewing and voting public casting their gaze elsewhere. Look, SC is still a hottie but college football fans are always looking to upgrade.

And for all you BCS haters out there and we know you are legion there appears to be a simple solution to all the potential confusion, particularly for those non-BCS conference teams like Utah and Boise St. who, should they win out, might find themselves conveniently air-brushed from history.

"Yes, Boise State and Utah are undefeated, but if there are no such teams as Boise State and Utah, considering them for a national title shot becomes a nonissue," said David Frohnmayer, chair of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee, who acknowledged that many BCS voters already used a limited version of the technique."


Oh, don’t laugh, Oklahoma. You may be getting the same treatment should you go all chaos on the BCS and beat T-Tech on Saturday. More here from The Onion.

Enjoy the games!

2 comments:

Ohioan@Heart said...

"Yes, Boise State and Utah are undefeated, but if there are no such teams as Boise State and Utah, considering them for a national title shot becomes a nonissue". What superb logic. Let's use it...

"Yes, there are several good conferences in the BCS, but if there are no such conferences, considering them for a national title shot becomes a nonissue". Hence Utah would be the National Champion. Q.E.D.

B-Daddy said...

You guys are also forgetting Ball State.