If you are being completely honest, you probably agree that college football has surpassed professional football in enjoyability. There are real rivalries - teams that detest each other. Every game means something. And the game still is somewhat relatable to fans - even though the thought of paying 50 bucks to watch FSU kick Samford all over the field is a big much to stomach. Professional football has become such a business - it is so bloated and promoted and managed - that it is tough to really grab hold of a team any more. Players switch teams like jock straps. It is nothing to see someone jump sides in a rivalry - Brett Favre being the biggest example. It has become like rooting for a company. How many of us would be willing to drop good money to cheer for Coke or Ikea? Actually, I would wager that Apple has more "dedicated fans" than most pro sports teams now. It is rare to have a NFL announcement generate enough buzz to get the national media going for days - Apple does it three times a year.
College sports have better stories. Their players are mostly playing because they want to - only a small number have a shot at anything in the NFL, CFL, AFL, or UFL. There are huge crowds. If you went to a school - or followed it as a fan for years - you have strong loyalty. That isn't going to change just because a player leaves or graduates or holds up a Taco Bell. College football is great.
Except....
There is that one ugly element that is know as the BS BCS. Everything is so great about the whole process. And then, right at the end, when it all should matter, the winner seems to be picked on a whim. Sure, most years things end up okay and the "right teams" play for the title. Or at least that is what the BCS says. There still is something about the whole thing that smells funny. Every year, some team like Boise State or TCU or Utah or BYU goes undefeated and left out in the cold. And they usually end up playing in a BCS bowl against some other team that missed out on an opportunity to play in the title game. And then that frustrated SEC team obliterates the upstart - righting the natural order and "proving" that the non-BCS conferences didn't belong there in the first place.
This year, there has been a lot of coverage about how Boise State may have finally guaranteed themselves a title shot. They started the year ranked third. That means that they don't have as far to climb. Usually they start at 12 or so, and they have to climb up as they go undefeated. Then they end up on the outside looking in. This year, they start higher, so all they have to do is win them all. And there are people who have been complaining they rigged it. WHAT!?! They figured out what they had to do and made it work. Good for them. I hope they do get to the title game. (Watch, they'll lose to Virginia Tech first week and make all the arguments moot.)
The thing I hate about the BCS is that the element of surprise is all but eliminated. The chance that some team could come from nowhere and win it all is gone. If a big conference team made a run, they might have a chance. But the way the system works, a team that starts off unranked has too much to make up. Let's just say that UCF had a phenomenal year. (Stop snickering. It is a hypothetical scenario.) Let's just say that they just went bananas and went undefeated. In the process, they knocked off NC State, Kansas State, Houston, and East Carolina. So they had some decent wins. And let's say they did this in an impressive way - lots of points, strong performances. What are the odds they could even get into the BCS? Slim to none. They would have to get up into the top six to be guaranteed a spot. If they got into the top twelve, they would have to hope that there wasn't a "bigger team" that was available. More than likely, they would end up going to the Conference USA title game, and then earning a spot in the illustrious Liberty Bowl. This is the same thing that BYU was saying when they jumped ship from the Mountain West last week. They figured they would stand a better chance of getting into the national title on their own than working within a conference. (And they don't have to share any money, either.)
That's a problem. I still don't understand why college football won't go to a 16 team playoff system. It makes no sense. The games would be off the chart. The money generated would be ludicrous. And the national title game would be as big as the Super Bowl - or bigger. Last year, Alabama and Texas went at it for the national title. Two of the biggest powerhouse college teams with the biggest legacies out there. And the game just felt meh. It was there, it was hyped, but it wasn't HUGE. Imagine if that same matchup happened after four rounds of games - where Alabama had to beat Florida and Boise State and Texas had to knock off Oregon and Iowa. I bet the title game would have a zoo. But, as always, what I think doesn't matter at all. So I just need to shut up.
Here's some quick thoughts on the Florida teams - with a couple random thoughts too.
- In Florida, we are spoiled. It is a fact. No matter which team you root for, there is a certain pride in knowing that someone from the Sunshine State will still be romping around come January. In the last thirty years, a Florida team has won TEN of the titles. The next closest state has three. When you take into account the other voters - not just the AP, USA TODAY, BCS - Florida teams have been voted National Champ in NINETEEN of those thirty years (some years had more than one Florida team represented). That means that in almost 2/3 of all those years, there was a Florida team with a legitimate claim to the title. We are spoiled.
- FSU - Lots of people around here have this confidence - that since Jimbo supplanted Bobby, everything is going to be ducky. I don't necessarily agree. Here's my basic problems. First, Jimbo has been here the whole time as the train derailed. He was the "de facto coach." He was the mastermind. Soooo, what exactly is going to change now? I was one of the loudest "Fire Bobby" guys out there. I think FSU did what they had to do. But they botched it. They should have paid Jimbo to go too - consider it a dodged bullet. But, they pushed forward. Second, I don't like Fisher. He tried to portray himself as this good ole' boy successor. But he is an arrogant turd. You could sense it back at signing day, when he just rambled on, like we were all blessed to hear his voice. But he's also banned numerous press members, insisted on him being the only voice of the program, basically turned back into Nick Saban - his mentor. Saban gets results. But he is a total jerk. He's also a brilliant coach, as long as he can pay and bully players. (I guess the bullying part was why he failed in the NFL.) I'm not sure Fisher is on the same plane. Although they have had good recruiting classes. I guess we'll wait and see.
- UF - Superman is gone. What now? We've all read about how much better of a "true quarterback" Brantley is. And that is probably true. But there are some things that makes me wonder about UF. First, this offseason was tumultuous. That doesn't happen in Gainesville. They are very business like - come in, get ready, go win. With the stuff loss of Tebow, there was a huge upheaval. And the Meyer health issues made it worse. I think that Urban is not going to let that hurt UF, but still, that is a lot of distraction for a team that usually doesn't allow that junk. Second, UF has to deal with the Tebow issue. He was a unbelievably popular player. That's why there are so many Broncos fans now. You don't lose a player of that stature and just pop back up like nothing happened. Look at the Packers, for example. Were they better off in the long run without Favre? No doubt. Is Rodgers a great QB? Yup. But the void left by #4 leaving took years to get over - and it still flares up whenever Favre comes to town. Even though they filled the position, they can't replace the icon. How do they get past that?
- THE U - Miami is back in the picture. That is for sure. How far will they go? That is the question. The ACC is going to be tough - with several ranked teams. They play six ranked teams - including Ohio State and Pitt. It is not an easy schedule. But Miami has too much swagger to not be able to get up for those big games. I'm glad to see they moved the FSU game off the first week - that was just a bad idea from the start. With Miami, they have seemed like they are on the verge of a break out for a couple years. People still fear them - even though they haven't been players for a while. But that schedule could kill them. First five games include at Ohio State, at Pitt, at Clemson, and home against the Seminoles. They could walk out of that 1-4 or 5-0. If it is the former, they are going to struggle all year - since they still play UNC, Georgia Tech, and VA Tech. If they get through the first half, they just will need to keep from having a brain fart against USF.
- UCF - What to do with the Knights? They have not had two winning seasons in a row since George O'Leary came to town. And it isn't even close. They wildly veer between atrocious and very good. Either they are going to give Texas a run for its money, or they are going to get trounced. They are like Star Trek movies. Hit or big miss. This year is supposed to be their down year. Last year they were surprisingly good - went to a bowl and lost, as always. This year, according to their light switch approach to football, they should be off. BUT, the problem is that they are a more talented team this year. They return a butt load of players. And they have a great schedule. Normally they have a couple big conference teams scheduled to destroy them. This year, those teams are NC State and Kansas State - neither one ranked or powerhouses. The toughest team they play may be Houston. East Carolina - a major nemesis to the Knights - will be down thanks to losing their coach. If it was any other team, it wouldn't be a stretch to think they could run the table. But this is UCF....
- USF - Da Bulls. They have always been so impressive in how together they were. From the very beginning, they had a plan and executed it well. They weren't afraid of anyone. They felt they could compete with every team - and did. Big games brought out the best in them. They knocked off ranked teams. Put them up against a non-conference big shot, and that guy was going down. But they were channeling their coach. Jim Leavitt was the heart of that team. It had his personality. It is hard to find another pairing of coach and team that was more in sync. This off season, Leavitt went and pulled a Bobby Knight and got himself fired. You can't choke players any more. They can rape, pillage, rob, whatever. But you can't touch those precious china dolls. Or you get sent packing. Enter Skip Holtz. A good coach with a good lineage. But, there has got to be some interruption of service at USF. You don't rip your heart out and be good to go the next minute - even Will Turner needed a couple minute in Pirates of the Caribbean. I think the ceiling for USF is higher with Holtz. They used to get so hyped for big games and then lose stupid conference games to UConn. He should help them even out. But, there is a long term issue, as well. Leavitt was never leaving USF. He had turned down so many offers - including his alma mater Kansas State. Holtz doesn't have that commitment level. If they get too successful, they may have to go through this again.
- North Texas - To be fair to our one team that is not beholden to a Florida team, we should look at the Mean Green. Um, they play Clemson, Kansas State, FIU, FAU, Army. And, uh, they seem, uh, like they mean well. Yeah, they suck.
- Just for the record, I still hate Ohio State. Why were they ranked second in the preseason poll? It just makes it easier for them to make it to the BCS games to get destroyed by some team from a real conference. Every year,...
- I have mixed feelings about all of the rejiggering that happened with the conferences this year. I am excited to see what happens with Colorado and Utah in the Pac 10. Utah could really throw a monkey wrench into the USC juggernaut. Nebraska going to the Big 10 just means there is another boring team over there, so I could care less. And the other swapping just seemed kind of pointless - like getting a better seat at the kids' table. I have no doubt this is far from over. It seemed like these moves were just the calm before the storm. I fully expect another round after this season. On the other hand, I am excited that at some point UCF may luck into a seat at the table. When everything gets consolidated into four mega-conferences, they will need some other whipping boys like Vanderbilt and Duke. Maybe UCF can fill that role.
- Lane Kiffin is such a jerk. Normally, when I find out some famous person is my age, it makes me feel bad that I haven't done more with my life. Not him. He is such an awful person that I actually am glad that I sit home. I have to wonder just how bad he can get. What more can he do? He's offended so many people. Will he be out of coaching by the age of 40? Once he bails on USC or runs it into the ground - where will he go next? I think he should coach there for one mediocre year, then go sign with the Dallas Cowboys. Then he can say he left because USC was stupid and got into trouble - nothing was his fault. Then when he goes to Dallas, he should publicly urinate on a Indian reservation - to show his disdain for the Redskins. He should violate the rules for free agency ten times in five minutes. Then, call out Jerry Jones in a press conference - later calling it a joke. And then make a bunch of comments about New York being gay. Maybe then he'll get hit by a battery during a game or they'll find his body in a river.
I know, this was largely useless. But you should be used to it by now. Plus, I was trying to write this while Gabe was tearing around the house causing problems. Natalie was begging for dinner. And Josiah was walking in circles with a fake microphone narrating some stupid story about something - very loud. Heather, conveniently enough, was not here. She had a "commitment" at the school until 8pm. You can't expect Pulitzer Prize stuff under those circumstances. Next week I'll tackle the NFL,
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