Maura might not like this but there are certain times of the year when our blog will be infiltrated and turned into the sports page. The first time is December/January(football), and then again in March/April (March Madness).
After their rout of the Cougs on November 22nd (48-24, just had to proclaim it again) the Utes completed an undefeated 12-0 regular season and is undeniably the front runner for an at large bid into the BCS (second time in 4 years). BCS projections are now flying and changing day to day. Where is the Utes destiny? The following are projections from 5 highly respected Analysts.
Finally, this post isn't long enough for me to tear apart the BCS system , and I think everyone agrees with me when I say its broken and needs a serious overhaul. This much I will say, it is better to loose earlier rather then later in the season. Not only does the BCS need an official review, but conference rules also need to be looked at.
You probably could have guessed that yes, I am referring to the B12. Texas gets hosed by a rule that states in the event of a 3-way tie, the team with the highest BCS ranking get the bid to the conference championship game. Texas, who has been ranked above OK since their 35-45 victory in the cotton bowl in mid October was jumped by the Sooners in the latest BCS polls by .0124. Because of the identical records of OK, Tex, and TT, the Sooners will play for the Big 12 championship and inevitably, barring a miracle from the heavens will advance to the National championship game. Why is OK more deserving then the Horns? They're not! I do agree that there is no hotter team in college football right now save Florida then the Sooners. However, the Horns beat the Sooners. The SEC tiebreaker rules state that the team with the highest BCS ranking advances to the conference championship unless the second team is within 5 spots. Then the tiebreaker goes head-to-head. If the Big 12 had the same rule as the SEC, Texas would have the tiebreaker, win the Big 12 and play for the national title.
Because of this I am placed in a very interesting spot. The committee of the Fiesta bowl gets the first selection on Dec. 7th. We know they will take Texas, but its their second pick that could be interesting. The committee could elect the Buckeye's of Ohio State, or The Utes. Honestly, I think the second pick will be the Utes. Where does that put me? Being from Texas, my whole life I have supported the Horns and know as an alum from the U (in a month), I am torn on who to back for the game. Some say it doesn't matter because I will be happy no matter who wins. It's the exact opposite. One team still has to loose and that's the hard part. The mountain West deserves respect and winning another BCS game will hopefully pound the respect they deserve into pollsters. The MWC finished the season with 3 ranked teams, and 2 in the top 15, a very impressive feat for a non BCS conference. unfortunately, I am not sure the Utes have what it takes to knock off a team like Texas. Therefore it would be better for Utah to get a sugar bowl bid and play a team like Alabama. Alabama has sat at the top of the rankings for most of the year, but I am still not sold. 'Bama to me seems a bit over-ratted with a mediocre offense that the Utes defense could tear apart. If Brian Johnson comes out and plays like he did against Michigan, Oregon State, SDSU, and BYU, the Runnin' Utes could stun the BCS by topping an SEC giant. Needless to say, I think the Utes will not get the chance and will fight hard against Texas. If it turns out, Maura and I will be in AZ on January 5th.
the following are my Bowl projections and winners for the 5 BCS games.
Orange - Boston College vs Cincinnati - Cincinnati
Rose - USC vs Penn St. - USC
Sugar - Ohio State vs Alabama - Alabama
Fiesta - UTAH vs TEXAS - Congrats to the Utes for a great season, Texas wins
BCS National Title Game - Florida vs Oklahoma - Its tough but Urban Meyer and the Gators get business done
And that's me...Any thoughts football fans?
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