College Football and the BCS

I really don't want to start the whole college football playoff debate thing. So I apologize up front to anybody who reads this, and then winds up in a lengthy argument with a cubemate/co-worker/friend over the justifications, etc... of a playoff format.

Whew! Glad that's outta the way.

I watched the No. 15 Rutgers Scarlet Knights play the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals last night. What a game!!! If you are a college football fan (no matter what team), and you missed this game, you missed one heck of a game.

Having no legitimate interest in either team, I was routing for the underdog -- Rutgers. At halftime, it looked as though Louisville had the game well in hand. But then the 2nd half started and Rutgers took over, and kicked the game winning field goal with 12 seconds remaining.

So... Here's my question/dilemma/conundrum: Louisville and Rutgers were both undefeated and from the Big East. Louisville was No. 3, but obviously now has a loss. Reading the pundits today, most are talking about one-loss teams that are thankful now and will start lobbying for their chance to make the title game.

If Louisville was the No. 3 team, and had a shot at the title game, the fact that Rutgers (still undefeated as of right now) beat them, shouldn't they now be part of the title game talk?

Rutger's win over Louisville wasn't some fluke... The Rutgers defense completed shutdown Louisville (the 2nd ranked offense in the nation) in the second half.. Louisville had 20 yards in it's first five 2nd half possessions.

I've heard arguments that the Big East is a weak football conference, but West Virginia (Big East) was just beaten for the first time last week, by Louisville. West Virginia is currently ranked No. 10 with 1 loss. If WV should win this weekend, I would imagine that all 3 of those teams would be in the top 10, or at least should be. 30% of the 10 top would come from the Big East... Doesn't sound like a weak conference to me.

I've heard arguments that because Rutgers has been a traditionally BAD football program, they won't get the ranking that other teams in their place would get. I think this argument (while probably true) is CRAP! It shouldn't matter if a given team is a perennial powerhouse or joke... They only thing that should matter is their performance that season.

Rutgers still has yet to play West Virginia, so they may yet lose... BUT if they should end up undefeated, I would have a hard time not thinking they deserve their chance to lose to my Ohio State Buckeyes in the BCS Title Game.

Should Rutgers and the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan (Go Buckeyes!) game win out, there will only be 2 undefeated teams that are part of the BCS in the nation. In my mind, short of a playoff system, how can you NOT have those 2 teams play for the national title?

My favorite pundit quote so far comes from Mike Celizic:

You can bet your house, your wife, your kids, your dog, your truck, your Harley and your beer-can collection that the boys from the BCS are at this moment lighting candles in front of the shrine of Amos Alonzo Stagg praying their hearts out that somebody beats Rutgers before the regular season is done.