IF THE CAMPUS BCS CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT HAD BEEN PLAYED

Senior Analyst Mark Noe has done a masterful job of putting together a ten team playoff to settle any and all National Title debates.  I like his proposal; I really do.  But now that the bowl games have all been played and the BCS is patting itself on the back for “getting it right”, I still can’t help from wondering: did they?  Better yet, could there have been an even more interesting match-up for the crystal football?

The more I looked at Mark’s pairings, the more I started to think that there really could have been a very different outlook to the championship game.

The season may be over with, but we can still have a little fun.  Here’s a look at what might’ve been.

PLAY IN (aka “Wild Card” round)

#8 Florida vs. #9 Boise State

The Broncos looked pretty good against TCU (and Oregon in the first week), but there were some other games that were a little closer than they should have been.  Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, and Nevada were within striking distance of upsetting the best team in the WAC.

Florida was the top team in the nation right up until they dropped the SEC championship game to ‘Bama.  They had their own close calls along the road.  Tennessee was within ten points (as was South Carolina), and Arkansas came within three points of upsetting the defending National Champs.

The way I see it…

That’s all but the end for the Big Ten season. Illinois and Wisconsin have taken the bold step of playing games beyond the conference schedule, but the other nine teams are waiting for bowl selections or are done for the year. There weren’t too many surprises this week, but few loose ends were sewn up.

I’ve got a few thoughts about it all…eleven to be precise.

1. Ohio State: The throw-back uniforms looked good, but didn’t help your performance.

I liked the old uniform. Of course, I’m the type that tends to think simple is better – not that their current uniforms aren’t simple.

The rivalry game against Michigan lacked a lot of luster in more ways than one, though. It’s been well documented for a couple of years now that the game just doesn’t mean as much as it used to. That’s thanks, of course, to Michigan’s collapse. This game used to decide the conference championship, and often who would get a shot at the national title.

The last couple of years, though, Michigan hasn’t even been bowl eligible, let alone conference title eligible. The game has been more of a layup before bowl selections for Ohio State than a real rivalry.

The conference title has been decided. Ohio State’s in; Iowa’s out. Just as importantly, the rest of the bowl picture is coming into focus.

I’ve got some thoughts on the Big Ten – eleven of them to be precise.

Well, that cleared some things up…and muddied some more. What a difference four quarters can make to an entire conference outlook! Welcome back to the lead Ohio State, good-bye Iowa.

Wow, what a weekend! There were some fantastic comebacks and last second dramatics. The conference race is now just a shade clearer than it was Friday, and there were a few statements made in the process.

I’ve got a few thoughts about what happened over the weekend – eleven of them to be precise.