After the top ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team lost at home to the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies Nov. 10, Kansas State, Notre Dame and Oregon fans’ mouths started to water at the opportunity of moving up in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings.
When the BCS rankings were released the next day, Kansas State stood atop the college football world taking the number one spot, followed by Oregon, Notre Dame and Alabama.
On Saturday night, the top two teams in the nation, Kansas State and Oregon, were upset.
Unranked Baylor hammered the No. 1 ranked Wildcats 52-24 at Waco, Texas and the 13th-ranked Stanford Cardinal rolled into Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., and knocked off No. 2 Oregon 17-14 in overtime.
Due to the most recent shakeup, Notre Dame is probably the new No. 1 team in the land and the Alabama Crimson Tide will most likely be right behind them. The Sentinel went to press before the most recent BCS standings were revealed.
But is Notre Dame really the best team in the nation?
Perhaps I’ve been brainwashed to think that Alabama is the toughest team in the nation despite its fall to Texas A&M about a week ago.
Notre Dame remains unbeaten in college football at 11-0 and it has passed tough tests like Michigan, Stanford and Oklahoma.
Its defense has led the way so far this season but their offense can be as shaky as say, the BCS.
Many fans complain about the BCS system and many others are in favor of some kind of playoff.
But one aspect I do not like about the BCS or any of the other polls is that a No. 1 or 2 team drops, sometimes significantly, in the rankings if it loses.
Take Alabama. It dropped from one to four overnight after its loss.
But just because it had one hiccup along the way in the toughest conference in America, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), all of a sudden the BCS folks and computers are saying that Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame would all beat Alabama if they matched up.
Wasn’t it not too long ago that ESPN analysts were debating whether this year’s Alabama squad could defeat a National Football League team?
I think the argument is ridiculous but the fact that they were even talking about it proves how tough and talented Alabama is.
Oregon and Kansas State will drop a spot or more with their losses.
Obviously, Oregon will no longer be No. 2, but I still think the Ducks and the Crimson Tide would beat Notre Dame.
Bottom line, if Oregon and Alabama win out, they should be the ones competing for the BCS National Championship in Miami.
Oregon can improve its season resume with a win over Oregon State in the annual Civil War game, and Alabama can help its case for a national championship bid with a win over Auburn at home next weekend and then another win in the SEC championship game, which of course will be against a very quality opponent.
As for Notre Dame, I am not so sure it can travel to Los Angeles and beat the Southern California Trojans.
One thing is certain. The debates will rage on about who should compete for the national championship.
Let the madness continue.
Columns
BCS standings shaken
By
garrett cabeza
After the top ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team lost at home to the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies Nov. 10, Kansas State, Notre Dame and Oregon fans’ mouths started to water at the opportunity of moving up in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings.
When the BCS rankings were released the next day, Kansas State stood atop the college football world taking the number one spot, followed by Oregon, Notre Dame and Alabama.
On Saturday night, the top two teams in the nation, Kansas State and Oregon, were upset.
Unranked Baylor hammered the No. 1 ranked Wildcats 52-24 at Waco, Texas and the 13th-ranked Stanford Cardinal rolled into Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., and knocked off No. 2 Oregon 17-14 in overtime.
Due to the most recent shakeup, Notre Dame is probably the new No. 1 team in the land and the Alabama Crimson Tide will most likely be right behind them. The Sentinel went to press before the most recent BCS standings were revealed.
But is Notre Dame really the best team in the nation?
Perhaps I’ve been brainwashed to think that Alabama is the toughest team in the nation despite its fall to Texas A&M about a week ago.
Notre Dame remains unbeaten in college football at 11-0 and it has passed tough tests like Michigan, Stanford and Oklahoma.
Its defense has led the way so far this season but their offense can be as shaky as say, the BCS.
Many fans complain about the BCS system and many others are in favor of some kind of playoff.
But one aspect I do not like about the BCS or any of the other polls is that a No. 1 or 2 team drops, sometimes significantly, in the rankings if it loses.
Take Alabama. It dropped from one to four overnight after its loss.
But just because it had one hiccup along the way in the toughest conference in America, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), all of a sudden the BCS folks and computers are saying that Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame would all beat Alabama if they matched up.
Wasn’t it not too long ago that ESPN analysts were debating whether this year’s Alabama squad could defeat a National Football League team?
I think the argument is ridiculous but the fact that they were even talking about it proves how tough and talented Alabama is.
Oregon and Kansas State will drop a spot or more with their losses.
Obviously, Oregon will no longer be No. 2, but I still think the Ducks and the Crimson Tide would beat Notre Dame.
Bottom line, if Oregon and Alabama win out, they should be the ones competing for the BCS National Championship in Miami.
Oregon can improve its season resume with a win over Oregon State in the annual Civil War game, and Alabama can help its case for a national championship bid with a win over Auburn at home next weekend and then another win in the SEC championship game, which of course will be against a very quality opponent.
As for Notre Dame, I am not so sure it can travel to Los Angeles and beat the Southern California Trojans.
One thing is certain. The debates will rage on about who should compete for the national championship.
Let the madness continue.
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