Gazzolo: The BCS is a big ole mess, as usual
Last Modified: Monday, October 15, 2012 9:35 PM
By Jim Gazzolo / American Press
Well, it’s true. The South has risen again.
Maybe it’s that southern hospitality the good folks down here provide, or maybe too much Southern Comfort is being consumed by those who decide such things, but the south has once again risen to the top of the college football world.
The annual free-for-all debate that is the BCS began in full force Sunday when the first of the weekly standings was released.
Fans from all over the country have their weeks made or broken by just where their teams are slotted by the strange formula that takes into account both human votes and computer figures.
After all the data is entered into this process a ranking is provided. A game of rock, paper, scissors makes just as much sense.
It seems like a clear case of garbage in, garbage out.
At the end of the year, two teams will be given a chance to play for the national championship.
I hesitate to say they will have earned the spot, for it seems only a playoff — which is coming — will prove that to be the case. For now, we have the BCS.
It is what it is, and that is still messy.
One thing is for sure, the computers love the Southeastern Conference. Always have. It makes you wonder if most of those programmers who helped create this system aren’t from Vanderbilt.
When it comes to us electing teams to play for the national title, the only real swing states all are home to SEC schools.
Last year it gave us the rematch of the century, which people in our parts now must refer to it as the mismatch of New Orleans.
Sequels never live up to the originals so Alabama winning big over LSU should not have been a total shock.
What is, however, is the fact that the BCS machine could be setting the tables for another all-SEC title tilt.
Not sure the rest of the country would be able to stomach that, but it would sure fill the bellies of those loyal to the SEC.
To that end, the first official BCS standings gave us Alabama at No. 1, which was expected, and Florida at No. 2, which was not.
The Gators, who are ranked third by the humans, get a big boost from those nasty computers, who seem to believe any win within the SEC is worthy of more than a few bonus points.
It’s good that those computers don’t have eyes so they are saved the horror of watching the likes of Kentucky and Auburn, just to name a few of the lower-level foes in the conference.
Truth is, the SEC is top heavy when it comes to good teams. It is not a well-rounded conference this year. Maybe if Texas A&M and Mississippi State prove worthy of the early hype, then the conference will get longer. For now it’s five good teams at best.
But how good is the question.
The SEC’s biggest nonconference win to date is still Alabama over Michigan. That’s not a thunderous statement by any means.
Yet the computers found Florida, thanks really to its one big win, over LSU, to be worthy of No. 2. Apparently, they have forgotten how mightily the Gators struggled over Bowling Green in the season opener — at home.
Meanwhile, Oregon gets bummed by Florida and Oregon State can’t get any love. The Beavers are undefeated but ranked No. 8 despite having two wins over top-25 teams and a victory last weekend at BYU with their backup freshman quarterback.
And we haven’t even gotten into LSU being the top one-loss team at No. 6 despite winning by two at Auburn and being spanked at Florida.
While the Tiger defense may deserve such billing, the offense clearly does not.
Of course this all blows up if Notre Dames finishes undefeated and doesn’t make it to the title game despite perhaps the toughest schedule in all of college football.
Then again, that might be just what we need to break up the BCS for good. Oh wait, we do start a playoff next year with a four-team showdown.
Wonder if the BCS formula can figure out a way to make that four SEC teams.
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Jim Gazzolo is managing sports editor. Email him at jgazzolo@americanpress.com
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