Monday, October 15, 2012
What a Load of BCS
What They Got Wrong
BCS ranked Florida Gators at No. 2
It's not that the Gators are a bad team, or even a mediocre team. It's just hard to imagine a team with an offense that disappears for stretches as often as this one does going to the championship game. While I know that probably isn't part of the algorithm used by the computers, the human voters should know this, and they still ranked Florida at No. 3 and No. 4 in separate polls.
In a game that has become increasingly and unfairly tipped in favor of the offensive units, I'd rather have a team that had a fighting chance at scoring 30 points against a mediocre defense — this team doesn't. That being said, I'd rank them at No. 8.
BCS ranked USC Trojans at No. 10
This one is a little less obvious, but nonetheless just as much of an oversight. They've lost only one game, on the road against a top-25 team, which makes them sound good enough, but it gets better. They've got a roster filled with almost entirely underclassmen, and the only remaining games on the schedule that should challenge them too much ( games against Oregon and Notre Dame) are both at home, where they're outscoring opponents by an average score of 39-16 so far this year.
They might not win both or either of those games, but if they do, and end the year with only one or two losses, people will be wondering why they were ranked so low. I'd rank them at No. 6.
What They Got Right
BCS ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 5
I've heard a few people rank them lower, and few more rank them higher, but in my opinion this is the perfect spot for the Fighting Irish. On the one hand, they've got an unbelievable defense that's giving up less than 9 points per game, but on the other hand, outside of two games against really bad defenses, they're scoring less than 20 points per game.
I know that makes it sound like I'm down on this team, but the way I look at is that as long as they keep scoring at least two touchdowns each week, they'll at least make every game interesting. I think they'll lose one by the end of the year, but that shouldn't bump them from the top five.
BCS ranked Florida State Seminoles at No. 14
There isn't a more enigmatic team than Florida State. A team outscoring opponents by 35 points per game should seem like a lock for the top 10. But when that team has done so against less than mediocre competition, and gone 1-1 while giving up more than twice as many points per game against quality opponents, a lower ranking is in order.
I see them losing at least one more game this year, and with a poor strength of schedule, two losses will be too many for serious consideration in the top 10.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.