BCS Chaos, Anarchy, Destruction, Plus the Vegas Top 25
Why did I watch the fourth quarter of that Oregon State game, praying for the B's to cease with their bizarre implosion and hold on for the win? Because I wanted to see some BCS chaos, naturally. I used to scoff at those people who went on and on about college football's glorious past and the ridiculous bowls and how you couldn't mess with tradition, but I will say that I completely endorse the tradition of national championship mayhem. It's just so much darn fun. If the system ever made sense, it would significantly decrease the pleasure of rooting for doomsday.
Anyhow, here's what the Vegas Oddsmakers' Top 25 looks like this week. To repeat, for the 17th time, this data comes from Las Vegas Sports Consultants, who rank teams based on injuries and performance and skill and game location, not on won-loss record and not on which teams will draw the greatest or least betting action. (The books handle that.)
AP rankings are in parentheses. The most striking thing, IMO, is Auburn's continued low rankings in Vegas (No. 14), and continued high ranking in everything else (sixth in AP, coaches, Harris and BCS). Also, for the people who incessantly write to me in praise of head-to-head results, Tennessee beat Cal, and Florida beat Tennessee, and Auburn beat Florida, and Arkansas beat Auburn, and Southern Cal beat Arkansas, so Southern Cal should be the highest-ranked one-loss team and in line for a spot in Glendale, right?
1. Ohio State (1)
2. Michigan (2)
3. Texas (4)
4. LSU (13)
5. Florida (7)
6. Cal (10)
7. West Virginia (3)
8. Louisville (5)
9. Southern Cal (9)
10. Notre Dame (11)
11. Wisconsin (17)
12t. Tennessee (8)
12t. Clemson (19)
14. Auburn (6)
15. Oklahoma (18)
16. Oregon (24)
17. Arkansas (12)
18. Virginia Tech (23)
19. Rutgers (15)
20. BYU (NR)
21. Boise State (14)
22. Boston College (16)
23. Georgia Tech (20)
24. Washington State (25)
25. Nebraska (NR)
Not ranked by Vegas: Texas A&M (21st in AP), Wake Forest (22nd).
By Dan Steinberg |
October 30, 2006; 9:40 AM ET
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College Football
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Posted by: B | October 30, 2006 11:20 AM
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BCS - The fact that they tweak the criteria just about every year is itself a testament to the fact that the BCS is useless at resolving a true national champion. This system really isn't better than the old ways, and it still produces a "mythical national championship" just as much as it ever did.
This year, the BCS is not only still problematic, but downright irrelevant. The national championship game this year (barring a monumental upset) is being played in Columbus, Ohio on November 18th. The other games are just extra fluff, including BCS bowls, to determine second place.