Regular Season Wrapup

We're coming close to the end of the regular season here in college football, and I hate that. Especially because I feel like I've hardly watched any football all year. It's been difficult to get myself in front of the TV this year for various reasons, so I can't figure out where the season went. I've even had to forgo the midweek games that I enjoy so much, due to a project I've been working on for this site. If it ever gets finished, it will be pretty cool... or at least I think it will be cool. But it has been endlessly time-consuming, and there is still much work to be do to get everything done that needs doing. So, it's been a choice between watching football or working on the football site, and the football site won. I'm not sure if that means I have my priorities straight, or if it means I'm missing the point. But, right now, I'm too busy to think about it all that much. So let's just talk football.

The Season

I've got to say that, for all the drama in the games this season, it's been a really, really boring year to be an analyst. The processes of the games themselves were often exciting, but the final results of win vs. loss was pretty much a foregone conclusion for the teams that ended up playing in the BCS National Championship Game. I suppose you could say that Alabama's win over Florida was an upset, but it was pretty clear early on that one of these two teams should play for the title. The only real upset I see was the fact that Alabama put it to Florida but good, rather than the four-quarter fight we were all expecting and hoping for.

Yes, the games were exciting. But every week, it was the same old story: Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Everyone else was just window dressing. Which sucks for Cincinnati, who would have been playing for all the marbles had they won them all last year or the year before. TCU and Boise State, however, were only title contenders because of Utah's win over Alabama last year, so this was really the first year that they would have had any sort of chance at the title game.

I could sense the rest of the analysts straining to find some interesting storylines or tidbits or disaster scenarios out there that could throw everything out of whack even if everything went according to plan... I didn't buy it. They knew it was three straight, parallel lines from point A to point B and the only way to get any real interest going is if two of the parallel lines ended before point B. Listening to other people worry about disaster scenarios was like riding a train while listening to someone worry about whether the engineer had a map and directions.

The BCS Bowls

Whatever else you may think of the BCS bowl selections, I have to say that I really like these matchups as games. There isn't a game in the bunch that isn't worth watching. If the games live up to first impressions, this is going to be a great season in the BCS.

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon

Oregon's season was supposed to be finished when the lost to Boise State. Ohio State's season was supposed to be over when they lost to Purdue. Overall, it wasn't a bad year for two teams who weren't going anywhere.

This game does not require any judgment on the decision of the bowl folks, since the Rose Bowl is predetermined unless the Pac-10 or Big Ten champion goes to the title game. Neither team is great this year, but both are about at the same level of pretty darned good.

I would assume that Oregon will be the favorite for this game. The reasons are not hard to see. Oregon has an explosive offense that is run by a very good quarterback who can beat you with his legs or his arm; and their defense has been pretty effective all season. Meanwhile, Ohio State's defense has been very solid, but they have not seen an offense like Oregon's; and Ohio State's offense has been its own worst enemy at some points in the season, leaving many wondering just what they are trying to do on that side of the ball.

However, I think that the Ohio State defense matches up very well with the Ducks' offense. The depth along their defensive line should allow them to stay fresh for four quarters, despite the breakneck pace that Oregon uses to wear down opposing defenses. Oregon can go stale for most of the game, then pop off a basketball-like run of points that leaves opponents wondering what the heck just happened. A 14-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter are nowhere near safe against Oregon. However, those bursts seem to come late in the game when the opposing team is worn out, and Ohio State may not wear down like other teams.

The Ohio State offense against the Oregon defense may be even more interesting, as Ohio State has run the shotgun spread, spread option, and a pro style I-formation at different points in the season. In fact, I seem to remember that they actually ran all three at different points of the Michigan game; I don't know of another team that has, or even can do that. Anyway, there is not one thing that Ohio State does particularly well, but they are good at a lot of things. It will be interesting to see if Ohio State can use their flexibility to keep Oregon off balance, or if Oregon will be able to exploit the "not-great" limitations of Ohio State's good-but-not-great offense to keep the Buckeyes quiet on the scoreboard.

Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

This game is very hard to judge, because it is almost impossible to know if either of these teams is really up to the BCS bid. These two teams come from two fairly unrespected conferences, and I have little doubt that many people will call this game a Big Ten-ACC pillow fight. But both teams are ranked in the top 10, so they both clearly did something to deserve a trip to Miami.

I'm still not clear on the status of Rick Stanzi, but I would think he will play if he is even on the borderline of healthy. If he doesn't, Vandenberg can and should do a good job in his stead.

Georgia Tech will be at full strength and ready to bring their ballyhooed triple option to Landshark Stadium. Iowa's defense will be tested heavily by this very unfamiliar scheme; however, Iowa has a solid defensive line that might be able to disrupt the Yellow Jackets on the line of scrimmage; and the Hawkeyes force turnovers at rates that are simply obscene. If Iowa can keep from staying on the field too long on defense, they have a workmanlike offense that can lull you to sleep before they blow up for a run of quick points that seem to come from nowhere. One minute you're cruising to an easy win, the next minute you're down by seven and unsure why or how.

But, at the end of it, we have two top-10 teams that are outside the "great" envelope. But both teams are very good and they provide a very intriguing matchup for viewers. And they seem to be pretty evenly matched, so this should be a good one.

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati

This game is the simplest to break down: If Cincinnati can keep Tony Pike upright all game long, he will be able to pick apart Florida's defense and get the win. If Florida gets consistent pressure on Cincinnati's quarterback, this game will get ugly quick. Supposing Florida is not too down on themselves after their loss in the SEC championship game, they can and will put up points on Cincinnati's defense. The question is whether Cincinnati can return the favor at their usual, frenetic pace.

Of course, an even bigger question is, "Who is going to be coaching in this game?" Charlie Strong is heading to Louisville and Brian Kelly is heading to Notre Dame. Two vital people who helped get these teams to the BCS will be elsewhere, so I have trouble imagining that it will not have an impact on the final result. It may actually hurt Florida more, as Charlie Strong has a more direct hand in play-by-play decisions, and he is brilliant at creating the pressure I see as the key to beating Cincinnati.

By the way, I feel bad for Urban Meyer in this game. When he beat Ohio State for the title in 2006, I got at least a general sense that he kind of liked Ohio State, despite the beating he was about to administer to them. After all, he did get his start as a grad assistant there. But now he's attempting to ruin the storybook season of his alma mater, which I'm very sure he has a very distinct soft spot for. I don't like playing against my alma mater on the Xbox, I can only imagine how it feels in real life.

Fiesta Bowl: TCU vs. Boise State

I thought the very same thing everyone else thought when they saw this game on the BCS Selection Show, "These teams should get a chance to measure themselves against big teams, not each other." I still think that. But I also think that this looks like it will be a very good game; the Fiesta Bowl did very well to grab both of them.

Both TCU and Boise State have been blowing away their conference competition with pretty frequent regularity. Both teams field solid defenses and big-number offenses with a surprising lot of balance for non-AQ schools. Both teams are hungry to prove themselves.

It will take some of the bite out of this game when they have to square off against each other, as neither power-that-wants-to-be will see one of the powers-that-be on the other side of the field. Plus, these two teams played each other last year in the Poinsettia Bowl, and repeat performances are hard to get fired up about.

But let's not forget that last year's Poinsettia Bowl was a classic. Those two teams put on one of the best shows all season when they lined up against each other in a game that turned into a battle for every yard. Here's hoping that they can do that again this year.

As I said once before, I am intrigued by TCU vs. Florida. However, if TCU went to the Sugar Bowl, I don't see another team that would be an interesting matchup for Boise State. There are only three true giants this year: Florida, Texas, and Alabama, and only one is available. Cincinnati, for a BCS school, is pretty much a BCS buster too, and they are getting their own shot at one of the big boys in the Sugar Bowl. Ohio State would be interesting, but they are already locked in to play Oregon. Neither Iowa nor Georgia Tech would be a truly huge game; both teams are considered to be on the borderline, so a win would be meaningless, and a loss would confirm everyone's worst ideas of non-AQ teams. As a traditional power, Penn State would be a nice choice, but that means Iowa (who beat Penn State during the season) gets jobbed. So there really wasn't a better scenario available.

Should these teams be able to play traditional powers? Sure. But there aren't enough of those to go around. So I'm afraid we're just going to be forced to watch an evenly matched, hard-fought, well-played football football game between two top 10 teams. Damn that BCS!

BCS National Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas

Most everyone has already written off the Longhorns in this one, but I am not among the naysayers. Admittedly, Nebraska wreaked havoc on Texas and things could get ugly in this game if Alabama can do the same thing. But Nebraska is very familiar with Texas and its players, and they have two very strong, very quick defensive tackles who are so difficult to handle that they can create matchup problems everywhere else on the field. Alabama has Terence Cody, but I see him as more of a rock in the run game than a penetrating pass rusher. If Colt McCoy can get a little bit of time, he will make throws that will confound the Alabama defense. My bigger concern for Texas is whether his receivers will catch those balls. Colt McCoy can thread a needle from 40 yards, but his receivers' hands have been unreliable in the last couple of years.

On the flip side of the equation, Texas has a very good defense that may be better able to stand up to Alabama's physical style of play than the SEC defenses that rely on smaller, quicker defenders. If Texas can hold their own at the line of scrimmage, the Tide will not be able to set up the pass with the run in the manner they prefer. That will mean trouble for the Tide.

I don't expect it will be easy for Texas, but they do have the ability to not only make it a game, but make it a win. I don't think it should be easy for Alabama either, as they are facing a very unfamiliar foe with a different style of play than they are used to. I'm hoping that the two of them together can turn out an exciting show in the title game.

Coaching Changes

It was just another year of coaching changes this year, as underperforming teams dropped the coaches who couldn't deliver all the promises they offered at their introductory press conferences. I was happy to see that there weren't any travesties this year, as even Charlie Weis—who I defended while it was possible—completely screwed the pooch this season with a 6-6 record against a pretty mediocre schedule. However, I was disappointed in Notre Dame's decision to prevent their team from going to a bowl game. It might not have been a good bowl, and it might have been an unmotivated bunch going to whatever lower-tier bowl they ended up in, but it was something those kids earned. At least give them one last hurrah together, and one final chance to play a game in the blue and gold.

I was surprised, however, that Dan Hawkins held on at Colorado. His tenure there has been a disaster, and I can only assume that the buyout on his contract is the only thing holding up the administration. But I have little doubt that they are saving their nickels in Boulder.

Finally, I was disappointed, but not surprised to see Bobby Bowden put out to pasture at Florida State. Things were not going well at Florida State and they were only getting worse. But Bobby Bowden was a coach and, as a coach, he believed that he could and would turn things around. If he wasn't the sort of man who thought that way, he would never have taken a dead-end job at a piss-poor football school, such as Florida State was in the 1970's.

While I would not say that the game passed him by, but it had caught up with him. For one, he was no longer one of the few coaches playing a speed game rather than a size game. Second, he joined a conference, which meant that he played several schools who could and would get to know his game that much better. And as the ACC became more familiar with Florida State, they were able to play him much more effectively. Florida State is still a bear of a matchup for most non-conference schools, but those teams who became familiar with Florida State are now able to play them very effectively.

The State of the Game

And speaking of things that I have defended while it was possible, much of what I love about this sport is dissolving before me. The Republic of College Football is slowly crumbling under the internal desire for some force to destroy the system that many view as unfair. And powerful people are attempting to force that change in order to demolish the very uniqueness that makes it stand out. Nobody trusts the electorate to make good decisions, nobody trusts their own eyes to determine whether those decisions are correct, and everyone everywhere has decided that we need to throw out everything and start over because people are tired of thinking and making decisions that are important, if only in the world of amateur football.

I have frequently announced and described my objections to any plan that demolishes the Republic, but it has been getting more and more difficult each year. A continual stream of new and successively more ridiculous circumstances and scenarios has made it almost impossible to say anything good about the BCS. Meanwhile, the incessant stream of commentary deriding the BCS, the voters, the system, the teams in the bowls, the bowl selections, and everything that makes college football unique among all sports... well, it's only making the wind blow harder in the same direction. People have actually starting rooting and hoping for teams to get screwed by the system just so more allies can be accumulated against the bowls and polls. Something about that just seems wrong to me, but I do understand the sentiment.

My objections to doing away with the bowl and poll system have been voiced so many times that I am running out of breath. I'm starting to wonder if this is how Cicero felt when he was trying to save the Roman Republic from the military dictatorship that it was to become under the Empire. Unfortunately, there isn't much more that I can say... especially when circumstances seem to be conspiring against me. And it seems that Congress isn't far behind, as they are shortly to sign a bill into law that will prevent the term "National Championship" from being used for a championship determined by a method other than a playoff. It will be interesting to see how the law is applied, as it will not be much of a change or a stretch to then prevent individual teams and universities from advertising their non-playoff national championships from 1869 to the present. If they take that tack, it would be interesting to see how fans react.

On a more personal note, I find it more than a bit disturbing that Congress may decide that a group of informed, presumably intelligent people cannot come to correct conclusions when determining something as mundane as who the two best college football teams are. Perhaps you may understand my concerns about the fight against the BCS when you extrapolate the implied conclusion of the previous sentence to other realms.