Write On Sports LLC - "Fan Interference; A Reasonable BCS Dream" by Andrew Berg

Fan Interference; A Reasonable BCS Dream

2006-11-27 01:30:03 | By: Andrew Berg

Of course the BCS is not about to start taking fan input in its scheduling; otherwise there would be a tournament to crown a champion, or at least a better system to differentiate between two comparably qualified teams. The current system even takes most of the fun out of setting bowl match-ups, giving the bowl games the power to decide on the most financially viable participants. The old system, where teams from the same conferences would meet in the same game, at least created some sort of inter-conference rivalry that carried from year to year. These days, it is hard to remember who played each other even a year ago. Where is the intrigue in a game like Notre Dame versus Oregon State? It seems to me that the BCS would better satisfy its fans- if that is even their goal- by doing one of two things: either reverting to the old style where match-ups follow predictably along conference lines, or else drop the conference affiliations to make the most exciting and enduring match-ups. This year’s crop of BCS teams seem ripe for the second method. So with that concept in mind, let’s take a look at what the 2007 BCS could be.

BCS Championship Game: Ohio State versus Michigan

Two weeks in a row, I found myself wishing the NCAA would bring back the tie in college football. First, so that Ohio State and Michigan could heighten the anticipation for what would be the most frenzied national title game in memory. Second, I could not bring myself to cheer for USC’s evil empire nor Notre Dame’s eviler empire, so I hoped that a tie would take them both out of the title race. Alas, I had to settle for Michigan and Notre Dame losses paving the way for another season capped by a USC game. Even so, I believe that Michigan did just about as much as could be expected of them in a hostile road environment. After all, the axiom about home field advantage says that the home team gets a three point edge, all other things being equal. And how did the Michigan-Ohio State game end? Yup, three point victory for the home team. No, it was not a tie, but taking Michigan out of such a hostile environment could conceivably make up the difference from the first meeting.

More importantly, consider how exciting it would be to see college football’s biggest rivalry game replayed with the title on the line. If Michigan was truly undeserving of being in the title game, it would mean that winning the game would not make them clear champions. But if Michigan beat Ohio State, only Ohio State fans would likely say they are an undeserving champion, and I am sure they said the same thing in 1997. USC fans would not have much of a complaint, as Michigan would have avenged its one loss, that being to the (next) best team in the country. If Ohio State won again, nobody would argue on USC’s behalf, since Ohio State would still be unbeaten. Finally, what game could be more exciting than this one?

Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame versus Boise State

Many fans may see any opponent for Boise State would ultimately function as the wolves to which they will be thrown. How else would a team go undefeated, dominating its opponents, and only make it to number 12 in the rankings? I do not think BSU would necessarily beat Notre Dame, but as long as they have a chance to be a giant killer, we might as well give them the biggest giant to try toppling. Notre Dame carries so much prestige and history into every game, that they make for one of the most entertaining match-ups with any team. Plus, pitting BSU against another late-comer to the national scene would make their game into a sort of BCS JV. Beating Louisville or Wake Forest would impress some, but on a much smaller stage. As good as Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson are, I am not ready to say that any team would completely run them over, so let’s give them a shot at making an historical upset.

Rose Bowl: USC versus LSU

At last, the 2003 National Championship can be decided in earnest. Remember, LSU won the BCS title game over Oklahoma that year, but the media allowed USC to claim the championship for themselves. All of the talk about back-to-back titles for the Trojans, and they never really did win those titles. To many, it may seem a moot point, since LSU gets to keep the crystal football in the Bayou. To LSU fans, however, this game would be a sweet shot at redemption. USC is Hollywood’s football team; LSU is a resilient and underappreciated product of the South.

On another front, this is the type of game that pits a team that has played very well all season, if not the best in the country, against the team that has come on strong at the end. In recent years, Iowa lost two games early in the year, then dominated down the stretch, creating some argument that they might be the best team. USC also held that position before becoming the dynasty they are today. I think this game would have the same impact on either team, a great game that could give the winner a good deal of momentum going into next season.

Fiesta Bowl: Florida versus Oklahoma

Perhaps it is not a foregone conclusion that Oklahoma will get past Nebraska in the Big 12 title game, especially considering how well Nebraska has played for the last month or so. Assuming that Oklahoma can get into the BCS, we should keep in mind that regaining Adrian Peterson should make them one of the best teams in the country, if only for one game. Before the season, they were projected as a top 10, maybe even a top 5 team until Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team, and they had to go with Paul Thompson at QB. Now that Thompson has proven himself as a legitimate threat at QB (62% completion, 18-7 TD-INT), adding Peterson back into the mix should get them back to where they were before everything went wrong. More impressively, Oklahoma could still win 12 games this year, mostly without their two best offensive players from the preseason. That type of perseverance should be rewarded.

Florida, on the other hand, has had a bizarre season. This week’s victory over Florida State exemplifies their entire season. Watching the game, I was roped into the notion that Florida State’s pure talent and the emotions of the rivalry game were keeping it close. Looking at the box score again the next day, I thought to myself, “That’s just not what a national champion does against a chronic underachiever.” Florida dominated the game statistically, but as usual, kept it close until the very end, beating a six-loss team by only one score. They have somehow put together a one-loss season without a single dominating or truly impressive win on their resume. In other words, this is not the year for the Gators, but just wait until next year.

Orange Bowl: Louisville versus Wake Forest

Maybe Rutgers will beat West Virginia next week, giving themselves a birth in the BCS in spite of the tremendous meltdown against Cincinnati. In that case, the game would take on even more of a JV or AAA feel, as all three of these teams have more basketball history than football. Introduce Wake’s ACC championship opponent Georgia Tech into the mix, and it is more of the same. In fact, why don’t we just make it a Final Four?

No matter who plays in this one, it will be a proving ground over all else. The winner will have a BCS victory on its resume, securing a spot as a football powerhouse. I would pick Louisville considering its recent track record, but Wake has shredded through a lot of talented opponents in the ACC, as well. I realize that this match-up does not have the sort of lasting intrigue which I anticipated in setting up these rankings, but at least the indifference can be focused in one game, rather than letting it spread like a virus into two games. Altogether, I would be very interested in watching the first four games, which is more than I would say for the current system.