Computers Got it Wrong Again

For the last time, can college football just get a playoff system? Honestly, it has gotten to the point where the government should hold a Congressional hearing and take over, similar to the way they did with the drug testing policies in professional sports. That was pointless because athletes will always find ways to get around drug tests, but there is no getting around how wrong and unfair this BS BCS system is. Somehow, LSU was given a ticket to the national championship game despite losing at home a week ago. In a sport with a system such as the BCS, it has been proven time and again that the later in the season you lose, the more it negatively affects your status. Not this time. Instead, LSU is granted a free pass, and a trip to a game that a few other teams deserve to be playing in.

In my universe, Virginia Tech would be playing Ohio State for all the marbles. Tech's last loss came on Oct. 25 to Boston College; a game they lost in the final moments on an incredible throw by Heisman candidate Matt Ryan. They just avenged that loss yesterday by defeating the Eagles 30-16. Their only other loss was to LSU, but that came on Sept. 9 in Week 2, which should make it almost irrelevant. After that heartbreaking loss to BC, Virginia Tech was looking at a schedule where three of their five remaining games would be on the road and two of those would be against ranked opponents. The Hokies won their final five games by an average margin of 19.8 points. Tech is the hottest team in the country and it's a shame that they were overlooked by a machine that continues to show its incompetance year after year.

It was also funny to me that Kansas, not Missouri, got the invite to the Orange Bowl. Kansas had a great year, and I believe that they should get more consideration for the title game then LSU seeing as how they have one loss and were at the top of the Big 12 all year, but I digress. Didn't Missouri just go to Kansas and beat the Jayhawks a week ago? And I believe it was Missouri, not Kansas, who won the Big 12 North and earned a trip to last night's conference title game. Not to mention that the computers had Missouri ranked sixth in the BCS, with Kansas two spots behind. Missouri was #1 in the country less than 24 hours ago and now they find themselves playing in a non-BCS Bowl Game. Is there anyone out there who doesn't see that as a serious problem?

Georgia also has legitimate beef here. They finished 10-2 and a tiebreaker away from playing LSU for the SEC Championship last night. They have won six straight since losing to Tennesse in early October and have beaten ranked Florida, ranked Auburn, and ranked Kentucky in the process. Georgia has the same SEC record as LSU, has the same number of overall losses, and their last loss came almost three months ago, whereas LSU lost a week ago. How then did LSU get in over Georgia? You say because LSU won the SEC title? Well to that I say Georgia was just as deserving to be in that game as LSU and they're basically being disciplined for being idel this weekend. Remember, after LSU lost to Arkansas last Saturday, everyone on television and radio agreed that LSU had blown their final chance to cement itself as a National Championship contender.

In closing I would just like to propose this final question: Had LSU beat Arkansas, but lost last night to Tennessee to end up with the same record would they still be playing for the National Championship? No, no, and no. If that were the case, Virginia Tech would be playing Ohio State, and that is just as it should be. Hopefully this debotchery is the final straw in the failing BCS system, and we can let a playoff decide who is the true National Champion.

DTM