Even though #3 and undefeated Texas Christian absolutely manhandled #5 (and previously undefeated) Utah on Saturday, it was still not enough for them to move up into a slot to play for the college football national title. (If the season ended today) In fact, they didn’t even move up at all, they remained at number three.
If you are a BCS proponent, you are truly running out of credibility (not like you really had much to begin with). There are four undefeated teams left in college football, two power conference teams: #1 Oregon and #2 Auburn, and two “mid-majors” #3 TCU and #4 Boise St.
In the latest rankings, the Big Ten first checks in at #7 Wisconsin Badgers, followed by #9 Ohio State Buckeyes, #11 Michigan State Spartans and #13 Iowa Hawkeyes. Throw in Nebraska next year at #8 and it looks like a really solid, top heavy conference even though there is absolutely no way a conference team plays for the title in 2010.
So if you have two undefeated mid-majors at the end of the year, and neither one plays for the national title…then we’ll have an absolute travesty! Even by the b.s. of BCS standards.
Now imagine if both Boise St. and TCU are undefeated at the end of the year, and they both get passed over for a one-loss power conference team? It could happen, and that scenario takes what little shred of meritocracy left in the BCS, and absolutely blows it to smithereens.
Auburn dismantles a cupcake Chattanooga team, yet the Horned Frogs fail to “leapfrog” them (sorry, sorry…I know that was horribly predictable, but just too hard to pass up) in the standings this week!
Where is the justice in that?
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank