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Sports Articles by the staff>
NCAAF: 5 Undefeated Teams, Two Will Have a Chance
December 6, 2009
by Budd Foxx
Another college football season is winding down. And it seems that yet again, not without much controversy. Many of us have our own opinions of the BCS system, and criticize it, but then again, just what would be a better solution? USC proved this year that they did not belong in the top 25. So why were they ranked so high to start the season, especially with a true freshman quarterback starting? Because of what they did last year, and the previous years. But that makes no sense at all, especially having many NFL bound seniors graduating. What the BCS should do is let teams play the first month of the season, say four or five games in, and then let the coaches and computers pick the rankings.
If a team were to beat USC at the beginning of the year, and let’s say USC was ranked 5thto start the season, the opposing team would get bonus points for a strength of schedule win, when in reality, they were just beating a team not even ending up in the top 25. To me, a win is a win, and a loss is a loss. If Florida comes out of the gate for their first game of the season, some would call it a warm-up game, to beat Southeast Hawaii State 69-3, or 10-7, it should all count just the same. In the NFL, the 10-1 Vikings do not get penalized because they get to play the lowly Lions twice. Each team in the NFL holds the same weight because they are part of the same league. The Chicago Bears do not play a CFL game to start their season. If TCU can go 13-0, but they played a weaker schedule, then I would argue to lower those weak D1 schools to D2 or 3, otherwise consider them all in the same league, thus a win is a win. It is not TCU’s or Cincinnati’s fault they played a weaker schedule. The talking should ALWAYS be done on the football field, not solved by an opinion or a computer.
If a player goes to TCU or Boise State, what is the coach supposed to say at the start of the year. “OK fellas, we have a helluva football team this year. Let’s go out and do our best. Now, just to let you know, even if we win all our games 49-0, we still won’t have a chance in hell to win a national championship game, but…..” Where is the motivation for TCU, Cincinnati, or Boise State players knowing full well before the first kickoff, they literally cannot win the championship that year. At least with college basketball, though it is a huge long shot, and has never been done to date, a 16thseed at least has a shot to win the championship. George Mason’s coach can dream a little, and so can his players after they make it to the sweet 16. Then they really start believing in themselves, and who knows? We all love the Cinderella story, and there can’t be a Cinderella story in college football. Even when Boise State goes undefeated and wins their bowl game, they are not a Cinderella story. Now, I could accept an argument that an undefeated team, like Boise State a few years ago, perhaps shouldn’t have a shot at a national championship, but when they go undefeated, the schedulers should start putting them against tougher opponents for the next year. Now they go undefeated again, so obviously they are not a fluke program.
The first time around it may be luck, but not twice, give them a chance, I don’t know if there should be some sort of playoff system or what, but I would argue this:
At the end of the year, if three or more teams are undefeated, then all those teams need a playoff. Case in point, let Texas and Alabama play, let Cincinnati and TCU play each other, let Boise State play whoever, and then keep pitting undefeated teams against each other until there is only one one-loss team standing. Let the players speak for themselves. People argue that the season cannot be extended because teams can only play once a week, and the season would end up finishing in March. Well what is happening from now until New years? Nothing! These teams can be playing next week, and the week after that, and still have a couple weeks off to re-group before the bowl season. Again, I am not arguing this for all teams with the same exact record, but strictly for undefeated teams. Because at the end of this season, there will be 3 undefeated teams left, Alabama probably the best of them all, but on any given Sunday, you just never know, so there will always be that doubt.
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