Game of the Century Rematch Defies Purpose of Championship Game

The matter of opinion is what’s the matter with college football these days. 

Media and voters react in the preseason based off their perception of what one school should be or what another school isn’t. I don’t have a problem with preseason rankings. In fact, I love them as they make games early in the season more interesting to watch and talk about. I also have no problem that within this type of system there are some huge swings and misses in the rankings. 

If the media’s perception of teams was always accurate, Oklahoma and Alabama would be playing for the national title game, the ACC champion Florida State Seminoles would be BCS bound, and Texas A&M looks like it could take the SEC by storm.

If the media’s perception of teams was always accurate, we would all be wondering if Bill Snyder should’ve stayed retired, who will replace Dabo Swinney, and if it’s going to be 10 or 20 years before Baylor sees their next bowl game. None of these teams received a single vote in the AP preseason poll.

 I guess it’s a damn good thing they played out the season after the preseason poll was released.

My real problem is the way the media spins its perception of a team with a herd mentality and refuses to be individually objective. A current example would be the national media’s conviction that Alabama is the second best team in the nation.

Are you sure? Can you prove that with 100% factual positivity? 

It’s mind boggling how the majority can emphatically exclaim this in unison when college football is a sport that annually carries so many unknowns.

Fans and media that constantly clamor for a playoff system don’t seem to realize this season has presented an opportunity for them to see the closest thing to one. If LSU takes on a worthy opponent they haven’t faced this season, like OSU, it will be the closest thing to a playoff type of champion college football has ever seen.

The Tigers have been the country’s most dominating team this season (by far) and are the only AQ team left unscathed. They’ve decisively defeated the probable champs of the Pac 12 and Big East and both teams would likely receive automatic berths in many proposed playoff formats. LSU also beat Arkansas, who is a top ten team this season and a potential candidate for an at large bid in many playoff formats.

In the game of the century, LSU went into ‘Bama's turf and wa able to leave victorious. Do you realize the significance of  home field advantage in Tuscaloosa? That fan base is rabidly, foaming out the mouth, passionate for Alabama football and the Crimson Tide were unable to win this game with 102,000 screaming fans making life a living hell for the LSU players. What on earth makes people certain they can beat them on a neutral site?

If this was a playoff, LSU would be in the championship game and Alabama, Oregon, Arkansas, and West Virginia would be eliminated.

The ironic thing is Alabama hasn't been eliminated. Instead, they are in line to get a second chance to try and beat LSU because of the popular OPINION they are a better football team than Oklahoma State. LSU being a better team than Alabama is a FACT proven on the actual football field.

Where is the factual proof that Oklahoma State isn’t the better team?   

Is it fact because the media says so? Has the media watched and dissected football enough this season to where they are sure Oklahoma State wouldn’t present any match-up problems for LSU or Alabama? Did I miss where European scientist cloned Alabama and Oklahoma State’s teams and had them play a game in which Alabama won or something? How do they know this for sure?

These are the same people who thought Florida State was the 5^th best team in the nation at the beginning of this season. These are the same people that ranked Auburn #22 to begin last season. These are the same people who almost gave us a rematch in 2006 when they thought Ohio State and Michigan were the two best teams in the country, which was clearly not the case. 

Everyone has been wrong before. The difference is Florida State got a chance to prove they are not the 5th best team, Auburn was able to prove on the field they were better than #22, and Ohio State had already proven they were better than Michigan. 

I understand the desire to put who we think are the two best teams in the national championship game, but how can we know for sure? Since we already know LSU is better than Alabama, why do we need a second opinion? Why not put a team in there who has no proven result against the best team in the nation?

Oklahoma State is being penalized heavily for losing to a bowl eligible opponent on the road in double overtime. Yes, it was a bad loss. However, in 2008, Florida lost at home to a mediocre Ole Miss team and still played for the national championship. Instead of penalizing them for losing at home, the voters instead noted they had great wins against Georgia and Alabama, the only teams they beat in the regular season that were ranked in the final BCS Poll.

If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, they will have beaten five teams currently ranked in the BCS Poll and become conference champions. That’s three more top 25 victories than Florida had in 2008. Why can’t Oklahoma State be rewarded for their quality wins and winning their conference like the Gators were just three years ago?

Also, why was the national media prepared to give OU a pass for losing at home in regulation to Texas Tech? Before Oklahoma lost to Baylor, the media cited the Sooners could pick up a marquee win for the polls if they are able to beat Oklahoma State. Why would it be a marquee win for one school but not the other?

If the Pokes beat the Sooners and the media was alright with Oklahoma playing for the national championship, why shouldn't they be fine with Oklahoma State? Iowa State throttled Texas Tech 41-7 in Lubbock. Isn't a road loss in overtime to Iowa  State better than a loss at home to Texas Tech, especially when you consider the extenuating circumstances facing Oklahoma State on that tragic Friday?

The media assumptions and bias in favor of traditional powerhouses or the SEC is ridiculous and could prevent the fans from assurance of who is the true champion.

The consensus wants to put a weighted emphasis on losses rather than quality wins when it comes to the resumes of the one loss teams. This is fine with me as long as they are consistent about it. If losses are weighted more than quality wins, then let’s vote undefeated Houston into the national championship game. They are ranked 6^th in the BCS and don't have any bad losses (don’t roll your eyes at me).

I'm tired of hearing, without reason, that Alabama is the second best team in the nation. They might be, but they also were able to avoid Georgia and South Carolina, who are both 10 win teams and both may have provided Alabama with an upset. At least Oklahoma State beat all the marquee teams in the Big 12.

I’m not saying it’s my opinion Oklahoma State would beat either Alabama or LSU if they were to play. I just think asinine, preseason-like, assumptions leave too much to be desired in college football. This is the one season the voters can feel, with certainty, they know who the best team in the country is.


I've never seen an opinion throw a touchdown pass, make an open field tackle, kick a field goal, or run a two minute drill, but I have seen football players do it.

Even if people are truly convinced Alabama is the second best team in the nation, I think it would be idiotic not to let Oklahoma State prove otherwise assuming they beat Oklahoma. Alabama had their shot to prove they were the best and lost against LSU. When a heavyweight boxer wins a title fight, they take on challenges from different competitors to prove they are the best. They don't beat the same guy up four times in a row. Consider the Tigers college football's heavyweight champ.

Is the point of having a championship game to find out who the best team in the country is or who the two best teams in the country are?

Can the BCS really stand behind their slogan that “Every Game Counts” if a rematch is awarded to Alabama?

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