12-08-2013, 07:03 AM
The final projected BCS rankings:
1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Michigan State
5. Stanford
And ESPN projects Oklahoma to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Where to start?
Let's start with this: Stanford has more wins against Top 25 teams than any team in the country. The Pac-12 has eight teams that were at one time ranked in the Top 25 and three that were in the Top 10, including #2 and #4 at one point. Stanford beat all three of those teams ranked in the Top 10, plus ASU twice; once ranked #15 and once ranked #11. Stanford lost to a 9-3 team after the emotional high of beating the team everyone had in the BCS CG, on a last second FG after dominating the game, and lost one in the final seconds at 5,000 elevation.
Michigan State lost to Notre Dame, and is champion of a terrible conference that only played eight conference games. How many Top 25 teams did Ohio State and Michigan State beat combined before playing each other? Three. And of those three, only Wisconsin is in the Top 25, barely, at #23. Stanford is the only Team in the final BCS Top 25 with more than two wins against the final BCS Top 25, with four. And oh by the way, the other three teams in the final BCS rankings from the Pac-12 each have at least one win over the BCS Top 25. The only other teams in the BCS Top 25 with two wins against the final BCS Top 25? Alabama and Auburn.
Yet despite all this, the B1G champion is ranked higher than the Pac-12 champion? This is important, because in a playoff system using the BCS rankings (influenced by hopelessly biased media types) the Pac-12 would be shut out of the playoff when it has by any measure, at least the second most difficult conference in the country, and is the only conference among the B1G, ACC, and SEC that plays NINE conference games.
To pick Oklahoma over Oregon to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl is as preposterous and as much of an outrage as Stanford being ranked behind Michigan State. I hate Oregon, but the Pac-12 deserves the right, and frankly, College Football needs a Pac-12/SEC matchup in the post season to allow the Pac-12 to shed the ridiculous bias it faces from the college football poll voters. Oklahoma will get smoked by Alabama. Oregon and Alabama would be a great game.
In any event, Stanford will be able to go into the Rose Bowl playing the "Rodney Dangerfield card" once again. Maybe a victory over Michigan State will pay dividends for the Pac-12 at this time next season!
1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Michigan State
5. Stanford
And ESPN projects Oklahoma to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Where to start?
Let's start with this: Stanford has more wins against Top 25 teams than any team in the country. The Pac-12 has eight teams that were at one time ranked in the Top 25 and three that were in the Top 10, including #2 and #4 at one point. Stanford beat all three of those teams ranked in the Top 10, plus ASU twice; once ranked #15 and once ranked #11. Stanford lost to a 9-3 team after the emotional high of beating the team everyone had in the BCS CG, on a last second FG after dominating the game, and lost one in the final seconds at 5,000 elevation.
Michigan State lost to Notre Dame, and is champion of a terrible conference that only played eight conference games. How many Top 25 teams did Ohio State and Michigan State beat combined before playing each other? Three. And of those three, only Wisconsin is in the Top 25, barely, at #23. Stanford is the only Team in the final BCS Top 25 with more than two wins against the final BCS Top 25, with four. And oh by the way, the other three teams in the final BCS rankings from the Pac-12 each have at least one win over the BCS Top 25. The only other teams in the BCS Top 25 with two wins against the final BCS Top 25? Alabama and Auburn.
Yet despite all this, the B1G champion is ranked higher than the Pac-12 champion? This is important, because in a playoff system using the BCS rankings (influenced by hopelessly biased media types) the Pac-12 would be shut out of the playoff when it has by any measure, at least the second most difficult conference in the country, and is the only conference among the B1G, ACC, and SEC that plays NINE conference games.
To pick Oklahoma over Oregon to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl is as preposterous and as much of an outrage as Stanford being ranked behind Michigan State. I hate Oregon, but the Pac-12 deserves the right, and frankly, College Football needs a Pac-12/SEC matchup in the post season to allow the Pac-12 to shed the ridiculous bias it faces from the college football poll voters. Oklahoma will get smoked by Alabama. Oregon and Alabama would be a great game.
In any event, Stanford will be able to go into the Rose Bowl playing the "Rodney Dangerfield card" once again. Maybe a victory over Michigan State will pay dividends for the Pac-12 at this time next season!