Imperfect Perfection

The BCS Carousel Picks Up Steam

By Chris Landers

You could almost hear the laughter on Saturday night, as Ohio State got all it could handle and more from a game Northwestern team. It was a sort of mix between national indifference and derision, the product of years of futility on the biggest stages. This is what the Big 10 has brought on itself, for better or worse — a narrow win on the road against the Wildcats, a very good team with a lot of speed and skill position talent, was turned into another punch-line.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Buckeyes cleared what might be their biggest hurdle this weekend in Evanston, their winning streak intact and another undefeated season in sight. Elsewhere, unbeaten Louisville keeps rolling along, blitzing cupcake after cupcake on their way through the tissue-soft American Athletic Conference. You can see the BCS controversy brewing from a mile away; there are simply too many good teams at the top for everything to have sorted itself out by the time December rolls around — even if only two undefeated teams are left standing, there will be a whole lot more who want in on the conversation.

So the question must be posed, as we head deeper into the fall: Just how much is that perfect record worth? If, say, one-loss LSU runs the table the rest of the way, do they really deserve to be left out in the cold because a Big 10 team had a shinier record? 

Ohio State would be able to hang with the big boys better than people think, but the issue is whether or not they can earn the chance to prove it. They’ve looked less than dominant in back-to-back marquee matchups — Wisconsin and Northwestern and both good teams, but Ohio State failed to really separate itself in either game. The simple fact is that a one-loss SEC or Pac 12 team will have multiple wins that are more impressive than anything on Ohio State’s resume, and chances are that loss will be nothing to hang your head about.

Sticking with LSU, a 12-1 season would include wins over Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M at least — all of which would (and should) mean more to voters than a victory over Michigan. A tight loss on the road to Georgia would hardly seem reason enough to disqualify the Tigers from consideration, especially when the alternative is a team that has yet to prove itself as an elite team — and despite what we may think of them, the Buckeyes have yet to definitively prove that on the field.

The same can be said of Stanford and Oregon, Florida State and Clemson, Georgia and half the SEC West. All of those teams may suffer a tough loss somewhere down the line, but all of them will have plenty of quality wins to compensate. It may not be Ohio State’s fault, but the burden of proof falls on them, and so far they’ve come up short. Yes, Northwestern is underrated, and yes, a win at night on the road is a win at night on the road, but if the Buckeyes want to have a legitimate argument come December they need to do more.

Ohio State and the Plight of the Big 10

If the Buckeyes run the table and no one is listening, does it make a sound?

By Chris Landers

Yesterday should have been a celebration for Ohio State. Braxton Miller made his triumphant return (and stayed healthy for four quarters), and the Buckeyes cleared one of the few hurdles on their schedule, dispatching Wisconsin 31-24 to move to 5-0.

 

AP Photo/Jay LaPrete

But there was a lingering sense of anxiety, a pall that hung over the Horseshoe as the Badgers hung around just long enough to keep things close — is this going to be enough? Ohio State’s schedule is tissue-soft, the product of a weak conference and a system that dissuades scheduling big non-conference competition. (Although it is worth mentioning that the Buckeyes are far from the worst offender in this area, with future matchups scheduled with Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Oregon.)

The SEC is the same bloodbath it’s always been, and the tops of the Pac 12 and ACC are shaping up to be entertaining all season long. Just about every national title contender is going to have their turn in the spotlight, a marquee matchup to prove themselves to the country and the voters: Clemson and Florida State, Oregon and Stanford, the SEC and, well, the SEC.

Everyone, that is, but Ohio State. A primetime matchup against Northwestern next week will be key, especially considering Gameday will be in town, but beyond that the only hurdle left is a trip to the Big House at the end of the year — and given Michigan’s recent struggles, it’s anyone’s guess how much that win would be worth.

All of which is to say that it’s not enough for the Buckeyes to simply win; they have to win with style, and make people look bad doing it. They certainly checked that box in September, piling up video game numbers with Kenny Guiton at the controls. But that was against California and Florida A&M. And with each passing week, somebody is stealing headlines —this week it was Georgia, whose win over LSU puts them in position to leapfrog the Buckeyes despite having a loss.

The fact is that the Big 10 seems to have disappeared from the national consciousness entirely. Ohio State will spend a month and a half putting up 50 points in obscurity, cruising along as the rest of the country looks to Baton Rouge or Eugene or wherever this week’s titanic clash is taking place. The Buckeyes rarely have all eyes on them, and when they do, they have to make it count.

Ohio State looks like a team that can compete with just about anyone. The work Urban Meyer has done to improve team speed is nothing short of remarkable, especially compared to the rest of the Midwest. But unfortunately, his conference mates aren’t giving him much of a chance to prove himself. Did somebody say playoff?

Painting the BCS Picture

EP gives you a look at the projected BCS Bowl Games 

By Brett Samuels

Heading into Saturday’s slate of games, there was plenty at stake for several teams. The SEC, Big 12, and Big Ten were all still up for grabs, as was one spot in the national title game. When the final whistle blew, the nation had a pretty good idea who would be playing where in the BCS landscape.

(AP Photo/Dave Goldman)

Alabama tipped Georgia in an SEC championship game for the ages. The Tide stopped the Bulldogs five yards short of the end zone to preserve the 32-28 victory, and all but secure a spot in the BCS title game against Notre Dame.

ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach wrote that the SEC title game set a high standard for what the BCS title game will have to live up to.

“We can only hope the contest between two of college football's most storied programs will be half as exciting as Saturday's SEC championship game at the Georgia Dome,” Schlabach said.

Other games across the country had a lot on the line, but not quite the same amount of drama as the matchup in Atlanta.

Wisconsin put up 70 points on Nebraska en route to a blowout win that earned the Badgers a trip to the Rose Bowl for the third year in a row. However ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg isn’t so sure that the Badgers big win is good for the league.

“While the Badgers undoubtedly saved their best for last, their advancement likely will increase criticism and mockery of the Big Ten after a rough season,” Rittenberg said.

The victory means 8-5 Wisconsin will take on Stanford in the Rose Bowl in a battle of two teams with big time running games.

The Big 12 was up for grabs at the start of the day, and when Oklahoma beat TCU they earned at least a share of the conference title. However Kansas State handled Texas in the second half to get a 42-24 win, which means the Wildcats will receive the conference’s automatic BCS berth.

In the ACC Florida State squeaked by Georgia Tech to win their conference and an automatic BCS bowl berth, leaving only a few at large bids for teams looking to sneak into the BCS picture.

Outside of the conference champions and Notre Dame, there are still a few teams that will likely earn a place in BCS games. Oregon, Florida, and Oklahoma are considered likely picks. However, if Northern Illinois jumps into the top 16 of the BCS standings, they will be given an automatic spot in a BCS bowl based on a technicality that says if a non automatic qualifier conference is ranked higher than a team from a major conference (in this case Louisville), they are guaranteed a BCS berth.

While the final standings will fully determine how that situation shakes out, the following matchups are likely at this point:

BCS National Championship: Notre Dame vs. Alabama

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Oklahoma

Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Oregon

Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Stanford

Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Louisville

This could all change if Northern Illinois is ranked high enough, or if the bowl selection committees find certain at large teams more attractive. Regardless of how things shake out in the final standings, there are bound to be at least a few appetizing matchups in the BCS this year.