Bowl Commentary

OK...there are still three bowls left (really only two) but let me get a few things off my chest...

LAS VEGAS BOWLEhhh...not much new to talk about...BYU failed to play all four quarters, showed no passion, no real progress from 2007. They (and we all) started the season with high expectations, they never beat a ranked team and they let the TCU loss get to them and they simply could not go on after that knowing that the "Quest for Perfection" was now impossible. There is a lot of potential returning in the fall but we'll stop on that note.

SUGAR BOWLI've learned never to use the word "impossible" when it comes to predicting college football - but I'm pretty sure I used the "improbable" in some form or another when discussing the Utes chances of beating Alabama. This game just stole the show from the rest of the BCS bowls.

Absolutely astonishing and completely unexpected. An all and out rout. A highly ranked, formerly #1 team from a "real BCS" conference was just trounced by the MWC champion. I would have bet my remaining 401-k (OK...that's not saying much) along with my first born against Utah squeaking out a win, much less completely dominating 'Bama on both sides of the ball. Unbelievable. Utah was all over 'Bama start to finish and just "...stepped on their face with a hobnailed boot and broke their nose." Utah obviously put together a near-perfect game plan, executed the plan to a T, did not let the media talk get to them and 'Bama...well, 'Bama believed the media hype, walked in over-confident and un-prepared for a team that was not only hungry, but also ready to eat.

Hand it to Utah...I'm proud of the boys up north (as hard as that is for me to say since I am a fan of the SEC and 'Bama winning this game was my top confidence pick in the bowl pick 'em contest). No other team outside of Florida and Oklahoma can even come close to making an argument for a national title after this (Florida and Oklahoma can only because the powers that be have already decided it must be one of them).

Will Whittingham really vote Utah #1 as he so adamantly stated after the game? By rule, he can not do that. All 1A coaches have agreed to the BCS rules, one of which specifically states that the winner of the title game must be voted in the #1 spot. (This same issue came up in 2003 with Pete Carroll when USC wanted the title because of their dominant BCS bowl win that was not the title bowl).

ROSE BOWLThis turned out as expected...the Big 10 just has not been that strong (even though I really admire Joe Pa and would have loved to see his team take USC down). But I was glad that Sarkisian leaves USC on a good note...really just glad he is leaving USC (it makes it easier for me to rail on them).

Carroll did not waste any time after his team's win to state that USC should have a shot at the title or split title. Sports commentators had to agree. But after the Sugar Bowl I think all that talk went by the way side...and rightfully so. Hey, Utah beat Oregon State and USC didn't. Utah even beat four ranked teams and held 'Bama to fewer points than Florida. Can USC even come close to matching all that?

BEST BOWLS (so far)
The TCU-Boise State game was a great game along with the Vandy-Boston College game. You gotta love those down-to-the-wire games that have you tensing your muscles and holding your breath (and you don't even know it) and you don't even really care who wins. Great match-ups.

The Georgia-Michigan State game displayed a great defensive first half (or poor offensive half) and then Georgia pulled away in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Just a word or two about UGA's season (since I am a fan):
Much like BYU, Georgia started the season with very high expectations, but failed to beat a ranked team (until the bowl game), lacked signs of dominance and showed little consistency. And again like BYU, after their loss to 'Bama, they notably lost some steam. Head Coach Richt won't make any excuses (because he's a better coach than that) so I'll make a major one for him: Georgia had 19 season-ending injuries. By the end of the season they had a 4th string man playing left tackle. (As a comparison, last year Georgia sustained only two season-ending injuries). As a fan, I'll give 'em a break and look forward to next year and just be proud that they still ended up in the top 20.

BCS says: Germany wins!

If the BCS system had been used to select the winner of WW II:

"Germany put together an incredible number of victories beginning with the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland and continuing on into conference play with defeats of Poland, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. Their only losses came against the US and Russia; however, considering their entire body of work --including an incredibly tough Strength of Schedule -- our computers deemed them worthy of the #1 ranking."

Questioned about the #4 ranking of the United States, the BCS commissioner stated: "The US only had two major victories --Japan and Germany. The computer models, unlike humans, aren't influenced by head-to-head contests, they consider each contest to be only a single, equally-weighted event..."

German Chancellor Adolph Hitler said: "Yes, we lost to the US; but we defeated #2 ranked France in only 6 weeks...". Herr Hitler has been criticized for seeking dramatic victories to earn "Style points" to enhance Germany's rankings. Hitler protested "Our contest with Poland was in doubt until the final day and the conditions in Norway were incredibly challenging and demanded the application of additional forces...".

The French ranking has also come under scrutiny. The BCS commented "France had a single loss against Germany and following a preseason #1 ranking, they only fell to #2...".

Japan was ranked #3 with victories including Manchuria, Borneo and the Philippines.

If Only...

I know, I know...ifs and buts, candy and nuts. But, lets look at a few BYU ifs anyway...

If only...BYU had not given up on the season after the TCU game.
If only...they took every opponent seriously.
If only...they would have showed passion in the remaining games.
If only...they had used the run more in the Utah game.
If only...they understood that you have to play all four quarters.
If only...they played with more passion and less entitlement.
If only...what happens in Vegas really would stay in Vegas.

Like Max Hall said, it was a good season but not a great season. Little progress was shown over the course of the season. BYU would not have ended up in the same bowl if progress had been made over last years results. At least there were a lot of good games this year with plenty of excitement (think the UW game and UCLA), and there is always next year to progress. Hoepfully there was a lot of lessons learned this year that will carry over to next year.

BCS Bashing 2008

Sometimes the system works and sometimes it doesn't...and it is never agreed upon completely.

But the fact that the system only works some of the time indicates that it is broken. Dan Wetzel put it all in perspective with the comment shown below (read the entire article here) and another Wetzel BCS column here that answers the playoff nay-sayers.

"In the end we get Florida vs. Oklahoma; an intriguing and possibly great matchup. Both are fantastic teams and are as qualified as anyone. It’s as good of a pairing as any other.

Not better, mind you, but just as good.

You can’t definitively say it is any more correct than USC-Florida or Texas-USC or maybe even Utah-Oklahoma. What about Penn State-USC, which actually will be played but due to the system has no more value than the Motor City Bowl.

No one can say those games are better than UF-OU. And no one can say they aren’t....

That six or seven teams have a legitimate claim on a spot in the BCS title game is how it is now and will be going forward. Like the NFL, college football is too competitive for perfect seasons to be common.

Yet the championship system is built for just that thing. It’s built for the 1990s.

Four conference commissioners – the Big East’s Mike Tranghese, the Big Ten’s Jim Delany, the Big 12’s Dan Beebe and the Pac-10’s Tom Hansen voted last spring to refuse to even discuss a forward-thinking plan brought forth by the ACC and SEC. Tranghese and Hansen were pathetic enough to vote against the future only to promptly announce their retirements.

Clearly college football is lacking courage, vision and competency. Those commissioners fear that any adjustment to the current antiquated system would prove so popular and profitable people would want more and more of it.

So they prefer this inexplicable crap shot. They prefer voters who don’t even know who’s undefeated. They prefer to keep the parking brake on the sport, stick their heads in the sand and pretend this is working."

Week 15 2008: The Stage is Set

Most predicted that the title game would come down to SEC vs Big 12...but not everyone is happy with the teams. Both UF and OU are 1-loss teams...and they have plenty of company.

There are five other 1-loss teams in the top eight - each with a decent argument for being in the title game. Although the 1-loss handed to Florida, USC and Penn State were from very low ranked (#25) or non-ranked teams. Texas and TT have a better argument than the others.

For a complete bowl schedule (teams, dates, times), click here.

BYU NEWS THIS WEEK
Once again the Cougars are headed to the Las Vegas Bowl...to play Arizona (again) who lost five games compared to BYU's two losses. I'd much rather see BYU in San Diego against undefeated BSU...but TCU gets that chance. And, now with Sarkisian going to UW it'll be easier for me to rail on USC. Gotta believe in anyone ready to take over a 0-12 team.

And for a good laugh: click here.