Why don’t we call the BCS National Championship Game what it’s become: The SEC champion against Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State or Texas?
Every year in college football it seems like there is less parody with the same schools vying for a chance at the title. Even in upset-filled 2006 — when the No. 2-ranked team in the nation lost seven times — the BCS title game pitted Florida against Ohio State … nothing new.
Cincinnati has become the latest team from a BCS conference to run the table and not have a chance at the national championship. The Bearcats’ snub has a lot to do with the pollsters’ perception of the Big East. Entering the year, there wasn’t a single school from the conference in the Top 25. Now, there are three in the top 17 of the BCS rankings.
The Big East has recently fared well when given the chance in big games — going 3-1 the last four years in BCS bowl games.
The other two undefeated teams reside in mid-major conferences, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t challenge themselves in scheduling.
This year’s Mountain West may have been the toughest mid-major conference ever. But TCU went unscathed, beating the likes of conference foes BYU and Utah — both in the BCS Top 25 — and ACC runner-up Clemson.
The WAC is not nearly as difficult as the Mountain West, but Boise State opened the season with the toughest non-conference game out of all the BCS bowl teams. The Broncos’ convincing 19-8 victory over Rose Bowl bound, Pac-10 champion Oregon may be the most impressive win of the five unbeaten teams outside of Alabama’s victory over Florida in the SEC title game.
Mid-major conferences are currently 3-1 in BCS bowl bids, although that will change to 4-2 after this year because TCU will play Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. So much for giving these schools from smaller conferences a chance to take down one of the big boys.
After impressive undefeated seasons, Alabama and Texas both deserve a chance at the national championship, but so do Cincinnati, TCU and Boise State. This year is unusual with five teams ending the regular season undefeated for the first time in the BCS era, but every year it seems there is some sort of controversy surrounding the national title.
As another regular season ends, there’s another BCS mess and more fans dreaming of a playoff system.
After the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 7, it may not be clear who is the best team in Texas, let alone the country.
