Oklahoma vs. Florida shouldn't mean a thing

[klunderbunker]

It shouldn't because this shouldn't be the title game. It shouldn't be the title game because Utah should be the national champions. Think about it: what more does Utah need to prove? Run the table in their conference? Check. Come into the season strong? Check, as the Sugar Bowl was their 8th straight bowl win. If that's not impressive I don't know what is. Beat a big named team? Check, as they beat Alabama into the ground, the same Alabama team that Florida was trailing with six minutes to go and was #1 in the country for 5 straight weeks, in what was in essence a home game for Alabama.

Seriously, what more does Utah have to do? It's not their fault that their conference sucks. The biggest argument against the Utes is that OU or Florida would destroy them. Wasn't that exactly what was said of Alabama? The Tide came in as 9 point favorites and got their asses handed to them.

Who else has a claim on the title? Let's see.

Texas-You squeaked by OSU, the most overrated team in the country. OSU was the king of a conference that went 1-6 in bowl games, and on top of that, Texas has one big win over OU. Fair enough. Their one loss was to Texas Tech, who collapsed after that.

USC-They lost one game to Oregon St. Know who else beat Oregon St? Utah. While that logic of a beat b and b beat c so a beats c is flawed, at the end of the day, USC lost a game and Utah didn't.

OU/Florida-Yes they'll be crowned "National" Champions if that's what you want to call National. The teams with an honest chance to get into the BCS title games are teams in the BCS conferences, which is roughly 55% of the country. Sure OU or Florida would be heavily favored over Utah, but wasn't that the case last week?

So yes, OU and Florida is getting more hype than any game of the year, but that doesn't mean it should. It'll be a great game, but it shouldn't mean anything at all. Utah has been the best team all year, as is proven by the number of losses they have. So throw all the stats you want at me about who is better on paper. On paper Utah should lose, but on the field where it counts, they're the best.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Absolutely right. Utah played everybody on their schedule and beat them and how can you tell those football players that you went undefeated and have no shot at the national championship. The MWC was better than 4 of the 6 BCS conferences. Most big schools are scared to place anybody good on their schedule so in place they play cupcakes. Playing Utah would benefit them just as well as Utah playing the big schools. It gives those schools more quality wins if situations like this year arrive and Utah would have more of a case to play for the national championship. Concerning USC, if they stop losing games they shouldn't lose they would be a dynasty right now. It's four years since they won the BCS championship and they act like they're God's gift to college football. If the Pac-10 was stronger, USC would be in the championship game but they are left on the outside looking in.

 

[Big Sexy]

This Utah love fest is getting old. Yes they went undefeated and they did beat Alabama, but Alabama overachieved all year and the SEC was probably the third best conference in college football. Other then that Utah only beat 2 other ranked teams. Not only that but their non-conference schedule was atrocious. The only team they scheduled that is usually good is Michigan and when you aren't in a major conference you need to schedule 2 or 3 solid teams in your non-conference games because you never know when a good team you schedule is going to have an off year like Michigan. Utah actually should have lost to Michigan. They only won by 2 and if Michigan would have started Threet at quarterback then Michigan probably would have won. They only beat Air Force by 7, they only beat New Mexico by 3, and if they were in one of the major conferences then they would have lost at least 2 games. I know they don't control what conference they are in, and they did have a great season, but they are not the best team in the country. This is just another reason that College Football needs some sort of playoff.

 

[klunderbunker]

First of all there's one conference that can even compare to the SEC and that's the Big 12. What is this mystery conference you're talking about, because I know it's not the Big 10.

It may be getting old because it's correct. Sure Alabama overachieved, but at the end of the day they were #1 and one of the big dogs of the country. They were supposed to squash Utah like a bug and show why Utah doesn't deserve to be there. The exact opposite happened. Sure they didn't have the toughtest schedule. Is that their fault? Nope. THeir conference sucks, and they might have tried to schedule others but no one would take them on. Michigan probably would have won with him at QB? Ok fair enough. One problem though: they lost. Regarding the major conference thing, sure they probably would have, but they didn't. There's one team that has beaten everyone that they've played, both good and bad, and have absolutely no blemishes on their record. How can any other team justifibly be regarded as the best while Utah remains perfect?

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Its unfair to Utah because they did run the table but at the same time I think it would be unfair to a teams like Texas, Oklahoma, Florida or any other major conference team like that if they gave it to Utah. The fact is Texas and Oklahoma each played 5 top 10 teams I think and Texas only lost to one of them on the final play. Would Utah be able to handle playing top 10-15 teams week in and week out like Texas and Oklahoma did? I dont think they would have, obviously we'll never know but considering some of their close victories against far less competition it seems unlikely. With that said I do feel bad for Utah because they cant control what conference they play in all they can do is play their schedule and win which is what they did. This is just another reason why we need a playoff.

 

[klunderbunker]

Absolutely we need a playoff. The best argument that you'll hear from BCS supporters is that the regular season is a playoff and that every week is an elimination game. Ok that's all fine and good. The translation that I see from that would be that OU and Florida would have been eliminated weeks ago and that since the final two teams left undefeated were Utah and Boise St, that's your national title game. Boise St. lost its bowl game, meaning they would be eliminated. So in other words, every game is an elimination game, unless the team is in a big conference. Perfectly fair indeed.

 

[Big Sexy]

What is this mystery conference you're talking about, because I know it's not the

I think the Pac 10 was slightly better then the SEC this year. You look at the bottom of the Pac 10 and you see two horrible teams but other then that the Pac 10 is better then the SEC. The Pac 10 went 5-0 in their bowl games which is slightly better then the SEC 4-2. Not only that but the Pac 10 teams played an all around tougher schedule. The Pac 10 had 31 games against top 25 teams which is the same number as the SEC, but the SEC has two more teams then the Pac 10. No team in the Pac 10 played less then 4 teams that finished in the top 25.

There's one team that has beaten everyone that they've played, both good and bad, and have absolutely no blemishes on their record.

This isn't the NFL. just because you go undefeated is doesn't mean you are the best.

How can any other team justifibly be regarded as the best while Utah remains perfect?

Because they know they played some of the toughest teams in the country, while Utah had mostly a cupcake schedule. It might not be fair but that is the way it is. Until these teams fromm lesser conferences play harder non conference schedules or until there is a playoff, then these teams will never get the opportunity to play for a national title.

 

[klunderbunker]

The Pac 10 was just good though. Yes they were balanced throughout but half of their conference was under .500. The SEC was 8-4 as far as winning records. I'd put the Pac 10 third, but you're right it is close indeed. SEC and Big 12 are in some order of 1 and 2, but I'm not sure which.

I'm not saying that Utah is the best. I'm saying that they deserve the championship based on what's happened so far. If Utah lost one single game all year we wouldn't be having this discussion, but they didn't. Utah was literally perfect this season. OU and Florida both lost this season. It's likely that they would beat Utah, but both of them have already lost once. I just find it unfair that because of the weakness of their conference they have to have a death march of a non conference schedule to be considered equal to a team that they could have a chance against.

For the last part of what you said, I still offer up Alabama. They played four top ten teams this season and won all but one game in which they were competitive. Utah came in and beat them. That to me is proof that the system just needs to give these smaller schools a chance, hence a playoff of some kind. Since Utah simply won't get any consideration at the BCS and the AP will screw them over, the system is completely flawed.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

I go to a SEC school and I say the SEC was down this year. LSU was down this year and Georgia didn't play to their full potential. The only consistent teams were Alabama, Florida, and Ole Miss over the last two months. The Big 12 was better than us this year because Oklahoma State and Nebraska were much improved.