College Football Rant
December 9, 2004
It has been a few days since the BCS bowls were announced and while I would have liked to post something on Monday about it, I have been busy and I wanted to think for a few days about what I really wanted to say. After thought, I have decided that the BCS, while good intentioned, needs to go. First off, the Rose Bowl is mucked up once again. There was even a good chance of getting a Big 10/Pac 10 match up with Cal and MEEECHIGAN, but Mack Brown’s whining got them in instead. If we are keeping the bowls because of tradition, then why is it so easy for the tradition of the Grand Daddy of them All to be ignored so easily. I want to go over the Rose Bowl for the last 4 seasons in the BCS to see what would have happened if the Rose Bowl was not part of it:
2002 - Miami vs. Nebraska for the National Championship
This game did not have either a Big 10 or Pac 10 team in it, so if the Rose Bowl was not part of the BCS, this national championship game could have been played in one of the other BCS bowls. We still would have crowned Miami champ and we would have had an Oregon vs. Illinois match up for the Rose Bowl. Seems OK to me.
2003 - Oklahoma vs. Washington St.
This game happened because Ohio State was in the NC. Even with Ohio State leaving, the BCS could have made this right by having Iowa in the Rose Bowl, but the politics with the BCS allowed the Orange Bowl to take Iowa instead. If the Rose was not part of the BCS, this would have been Ohio State vs. Washington St. because OSU was undefeated and Iowa had the still sad loss to the Clowns. This would have had Miami play USC most likely and who knows what would have happened. Best case scenario, OSU is undefeated, USC beats Miami and OSU is still national champ, or OSU loses and Miami wins leaving Miami national champ. Worst case scenario, both win and there is a split championship or both lose and Georgia is likely the champ.
2004 - Michigan vs. USC
No changes at all, we end up with the split national champ anyways.
2005 - Michigan vs. Texas
If the Rose was not in the BCS, this would be a rematch of last year and would likely move OU vs. Auburn in the BCS bowl. Since we are likely to have two undefeated teams this year anyways, all not having the Rose in the BCS does is change who plays who. I personally don’t think this is a bad thing.
All of this ranting is really meant at looking at next year where Iowa will have a decent chance at winning the Big Ten again. Next year the Rose Bowl is host for the National Championship again, so unless Iowa goes undefeated for the whole year, it is not likely they will be playing in the Rose Bowl even if they win the Big Ten. Again, I understand this is some hardcore looking ahead as we have to play at Wisconsin and OSU next year, but to know that we have to go undefeated to play in the bowl the Big Ten champ should be in is rough. From my analysis, I would say that the Big Ten, Pac Ten and Rose Bowl have not gained anything by being part of the BCS and have lost a lot of tradition. So I say have the Rose Bowl move out of the BCS and let college football go back to how it was. Anyways, I shouldn’t complain too much, I am headed to Orlando with thousands of other Iowa fans for the Capitol One Bowl.