The Bowl Championship Series rings in the New Year with the two most deserving teams in College Football. However, few people seem to agree that it works.
In the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, #1 ranked Louisiana State University versus the #2 University of Alabama will replay on January 9, 2012 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La. This is a rematch of a game played earlier this year, ironically dubbed “The Game of the Century” by many sports analysts.
The BCS was born in 1998 to declare an undisputed king of college football. However, since its inception, it has been met with controversy by the public and by recognized pundits such as Mr. Richard J. Vitale.
“Are you kidding me? The BCS – what a flawed system,” he began on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike in the Morning. “And it’s no more evident than this year…One bad day for Oklahoma State…and I think they’re affected by the tragedy the night before that football game.”
Vitale is referring to the tragic plane crash that claimed the life of head women’s basketball coach, Mr. Kurt Budke and assistant Ms. Miranda Serna of Oklahoma State University. The OSU football game versus Iowa State University was almost called off following the announcement of the plane crash.
OSU’s sole loss of the season came at the hands of ISU, costing them what would have been a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. Many, including OSU’s Head Football Coach, Mr. Mike Gundy, were quite vocal about OSU’s championship prospects.
“I don’t think there’s any question that Oklahoma State should play in the big game,” he remarked after dismantling rival University of Oklahoma. The system disagreed, placing OSU at number 3 behind Alabama.
This is not the first time the BCS has caused this kind of commotion. In 2007, LSU backed its way into the National Championship Game with two losses, after then #1 University of Missouri and #2 West Virginia University were both upset in the final week of play. The Ohio State University, who had been idle for the last two weeks, catapulted from #5 to #1.
Almost everyone in the media and the general public seem to agree – the system doesn’t work. The question is, what do we do with it now?
Some suggest a playoff, while others stand by a Plus One system. Everyone has an opinion, but to this point no progress has been made, in part because the BCS is, if nothing else, a cash cow for all participants.
If the National Championship Game draws bad ratings, however, it might be enough to push towards a different postseason format. For the zealots of the playoff, an SEC rematch might just be enough.