So...Split National Championship?

[Dick_in_MI]

Bama absolutely dominating tonight. But they lost at home to the same team.

Do you put Okie State above either of these teams? Yeah, I know they lost to Iowa State ... after a plane crash killed two women's hoop coaches.

Seriously, what a mess.

The colleges agreed on the BCS format, so if you vote in the coach's poll you give the nod to Bama.

If you vote in the writers' poll though, it's a tougher call. Bama was dominant against an LSU offense that was ranked about 70th in D1 in yards per game and not in the top 15 in points per game. Takes a little luster off it, no? Also, in two games against LSU...one of which they lost...Bama scored a grand total of 1 TD.

Given that Bama has played only one real non-conference game this year, you have to wonder if they really are the #1 team nationally or if they're just #1 in the SEC.

 

[SWC75]

It would have been more satisfactory if Alabama had had to win their way into this game through a playoff against the other top teams. But, given the dominance of the SEC in recent years and the fact that Alabama avenged their only loss decisively, I don't see how you can vote anybody else #1.

It is what it is and it an't what it ain't.

 

[phil77]

Okie State lost to Iowa State...That is straight trash. No team winning the national title should lose to Iowa State bottom line.

 

[CIL]

The colleges agreed on the BCS format, so if you vote in the coach's poll you give the nod to Bama.

If you vote in the writers' poll though, it's a tougher call. Bama was dominant against an LSU offense that was ranked about 70th in D1 in yards per game and not in the top 15 in points per game. Takes a little luster off it, no? Also, in two games against LSU...one of which they lost...Bama scored a grand total of 1 TD.

Given that Bama has played only one real non-conference game this year, you have to wonder if they really are the #1 team nationally or if they're just #1 in the SEC.

I believe Bama's whooping of PSU happened well before the Sandusky scandal broke. It was also in PSU.

 

[Chip]

I believe Bama's whooping of PSU happened well before the Sandusky scandal broke. It was also in PSU.

Yep, that was a big event in State College, one they had been looking forward to for quite some time, and before anyone knew what ghosts were on their way out of that program.

Penn State, albeit terrible on offense, was still a very strong Rose Bowl contender until the news broke.

I wish Alabama had played one of the more high profile offenses in the country this year, but still, you can't go through a season giving up no more than 14 per game without being disturbingly good on defense. SEC offense can't be THAT bad. Tennessee moved the ball at will against Cincy, as did Arkansas against aTm. As did Auburn against UVA, just after they didn't against Bama.

 

[Scooch]

And Oklahoma St or whoever else you wanted in the game shouldn't have been penalized for losing to Iowa St? Alabama was heads and shoulders the best team in the country this year. Kudos to the BCS for getting it right.

Most people think SU was clearly the "best team" in college hoops 2 years ago.

Last year most people said New England was the "best team" in the NFL as the playoffs started.

In early October the consensus "best team" in baseball was the Phillies.

And yet...

Being acknowledged as the "best team" and ultimately being the champion are often two very different things. Part of being a champion is being able to beat a series of quality opponents, not just winning the most games against disparate schedules.

 

[orange03]

Most people think SU was clearly the "best team" in college hoops 2 years ago.

Last year most people said New England was the "best team" in the NFL as the playoffs started.

In early October the consensus "best team" in baseball was the Phillies.

And yet...

Being acknowledged as the "best team" and ultimately being the champion are often two very different things. Part of being a champion is being able to beat a series of quality opponents, not just winning the most games against disparate schedules.

Not sure the point you're trying to make. All those teams had the chance to advance. None of them did. Would've been a travesty if Alabama wasn't playing in last nights game. The only game they lost was to, at the time the #1 team in the country in a game they clearly outplayed them in. Would be great if some sort of playoff was implemented. Until then, we can only hope the BCS gets the 1 vs 2 game right.

 

[orange03]

It's possible, but we don't really know that do we? Bama basically only played real games within their conference. Kent State, GA Southern, and N. Texas or whatever, and a demoralized Penn State doesn't really tell you anything about what they could do against other major BCS teams. I have to think an Oregon for example might be able to score more than zero points against Bama, even with the Tide's defense.

It's clear.

 

[Scooch]

Not sure the point you're trying to make. All those teams had the chance to advance. None of them did. Would've been a travesty if Alabama wasn't playing in last nights game. The only game they lost was to, at the time the #1 team in the country in a game they clearly outplayed them in. Would be great if some sort of playoff was implemented. Until then, we can only hope the BCS gets the 1 vs 2 game right.

The point is that you said Bama was "head and shoulders" the best team in the country this year, and my point is "so what?".

Getting #1 vs #2 "right" is entirely a matter of opinion, not fact.

 

[phil77]

The point is that you said Bama was "head and shoulders" the best team in the country this year, and my point is "so what?".

Getting #1 vs #2 "right" is entirely a matter of opinion, not fact.

So in your mind who should have been playing LSU?

 

[orange03]

The point is that you said Bama was "head and shoulders" the best team in the country this year, and my point is "so what?".

Getting #1 vs #2 "right" is entirely a matter of opinion, not fact.

I realize it's subjective, but I think it was crystal clear the best team in the country. I said so after they lost.

I question anybody's knowledge of football who thinks Alabama shouldn't have been in the game or that they should split the polls.

 

[Scooch]

So in your mind who should have been playing LSU?

I don't know.

I wouldn't have a system that only picks 2 teams out of 118 who play wildly different schedules.

There has to be some arbitrary cut-off, like 68 in hoops, but unilaterally deciding that #2 is "head and shoulders" better than #3 with literally zero direct comparisons seems insane, no?

 

[orange03]

I don't know.

I wouldn't have a system that only picks 2 teams out of 118 who play wildly different schedules.

There has to be some arbitrary cut-off, like 68 in hoops, but unilaterally deciding that #2 is "head and shoulders" better than #3 with literally zero direct comparisons seems insane, no?

Who else could it possibly have been? OK State lost to Iowa St. Iowa St. Oregon was manhandled by that LSU team and lost to SC later in the year. Stanford was never a real threat. Alabama lost to the #1 team in the country in a game where they clearly outplayed LSU the majority of the game. People are blinded by the fact that OK State has a real pretty offense. The Bowl system sucks, but as long as they get the championship game right I don't care.

 

[Scooch]

Who else could it possibly have been? OK State lost to Iowa St. Iowa St. Oregon was manhandled by that LSU team and lost to SC later in the year. Stanford was never a real threat. Alabama lost to the #1 team in the country in a game where they clearly outplayed LSU the majority of the game. People are blinded by the fact that OK State has a real pretty offense. The Bowl system sucks, but as long as they get the championship game right I don't care.

See, you're going through this exhaustive resume comparison process that I find silly.

I don't care who "else" could have been in a 1 vs. 2 game having to determine a 1 vs. 2 seems absurd to me.

We're totally arguing past each other.

 

[orange03]

See, you're going through this exhaustive resume comparison process that I find silly.

I don't care who "else" could have been in a 1 vs. 2 game having to determine a 1 vs. 2 seems absurd to me.

We're totally arguing past each other.

Unfortunately it's the system in place. I'm with you that a small tournament should be in place, but that's probably a long way away. I just think it was pretty clear this year who the best 2 teams were. It's the people that want to split the polls that make me shake my head. Theoretically, if we ended up playing and beating Memphis in the '03 title game, would anybody on here think a split title was just? The better team won and was crowned.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

If Ok St doesn't lose to Iowa St, then they play in the national championship game. Losing to an unranked opponent will derail your national championship season with a 12 game schedule. Stanford, Boise had their chances. Bama's loss was the less of all the evils because they loss to the #1 team, not perfect but not without any merit or decent explanation either. Why is this so hard to understand? In addition, The SEC has clearly been the best conference as well, I don't like it but it's true. Somebody like Oregon, Stanford, or Ok ST needed to step up and they didn't. Hell, the ducks lost to LSU first game of the year and then loss to USC, that would have been interesting had they beaten USC, that would have been the rematch right there.

I think USC could compete next year to win it all.. Somebody needs to step up outside of the state of alabama