So I just read a recent column by a fairly respected college football writer, Tony Barnhart at CBSSports.com. He went on and on in horrifying fashion about the possibility of a BCS National Title game without an SEC team in it.
Tony asks with a straight face – might a 12-1 Alabama team be left out of the BCS National Championship game if Oregon and West Virginia go undefeated this season. The fact that we have to even ask this question, disgusts me. OF COURSE THEY DON’T GET TO PLAY IN THE TITLE GAME IF THEY LOST A GAME. Last I checked, Oregon and West Virginia play in BCS conferences called the Pac12 and Big12. They aren’t sleepwalking through the MAAC.
If a 1-loss SEC school gets to play in the BCS Title game over an undefeated team in a BCS conference, then they might as well re-write the entire rule book for college football. The first line should just read: the national championship will feature an SEC school versus someone else every year. I know, in some respects, they did decide to re-write the rule book by having a 4-team playoff. Of course the SEC balked at the idea of having a rule that said, ‘you must win your conference championship to qualify’, with the hopes of getting multiple teams from their conference in the final four.
The reality is someone needs to pop the SEC in the mouth in a national championship game in front of a national audience. This conference will continue to have every unfair advantage to get their teams in position to make it into that 4-team playoff until someone says otherwise. It all starts before the college football season begins when voters throw as many SEC teams into the preseason polls as possible, well, just because.
Don’t get me wrong, Alabama has earned the accolades. Nick Saban has that program running on all cylinders. However, the rest of the conference needs to earn it. LSU this year, let’s be honest, unimpressive on offense once again. Auburn, they are proving their national title with Cam Newton was nothing more than catching lightening in a bottle. Arkansas is a complete mess. Georgia had their annual let down early this year. They typically wait until their game vs. Florida to blow their season. Anybody remember way back when Tennessee was good? I won’t mention the cupcakes in the conference (Ole Miss, Kentucky, Vandy, Miss State – yeah yeah a cute story this year)
Bottom line is this – the SEC has the trophy. They’ve kept it for quite some time. That doesn’t mean someone has to take it from them. This isn’t boxing (or wrestling). If two non-SEC schools go undefeated and the SEC teams don’t – tough luck…you may have to give up the crystal ball this year. I wonder if people in the South would even watch a BCS title game between Oregon and West Virginia. All that scoring might make their eyes bleed.
This is all speculation. My guess is Alabama won’t lose a game during the regular season – if for the simple fact their schedule has turned to puddy. The SEC West stinks. They are basically sitting around waiting to see who their opponent will be at the Georgia Dome for the SEC title game. South Carolina or Florida? If the team from the SEC East comes into that game with 1-loss already and they beat an undefeated Alabama – while Oregon and West Virginia finish their perfect season…..let the whining begin.
Follow me on Twitter: @kidcue