I couldn't wait until Wallpaper Wednesday for this one...
Just in case you have been living under a rock -- Florida won the BCS* National Championship Game on Thursday. It was a choppy and sloppy game -- frankly both teams looked to me like they would lose to USC by 2 touchdowns. But things being what they are, Florida is your National Champ and Tim Tebow is somehow being discussed as the best college football player in history. I think the voters have already awarded the 2009 Heisman and National Championship to the Gators. At one point today I thought ESPN was going to rebrand itself "Tebow TV". I thought I would get into the Tim Tebow love fest. I still smile every time I think about Lloyd Carr's last game -- I think Terrance Taylor does too.
True story: I watched the BCS game at the house of a good friend who happens to be a Florida grad. I was polite to his wife, did not eat too many chips, and never broke it to him that I would rather see OU win than another SEC confetti party. I allowed him the appropriate space to rant when Tebow threw the ball directly into the Oklahoma defensive tackle's belly and never verbalized how stupid I thought Bob Stoops was for refusing to kick field goals in the first half. When it was over I congratulated him and humbly stated that I hope I live long enough to see my team win another one.
He smiled and replied "Thanks Andy we may have won tonight -- but you and I both know that Florida is still Michigan's bitch after last year..."
Amen Brother, Amen.
*Big Conference in the South
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5 comments:
I heart you.
Yes, "superman"'s national championships are sandwiched by his loss to Michigan.
I apologize in advance for this extremely long post.
I would rather be Florida's bitch in between national championships than be in our current state... so I can't say that I'm satisfied, or if I were a Florida fan, I can say that I would not be envious of Michigan just because they beat us in a bowl the year before while I have two titles in three years and a Heisman.
It wasn't not going for field goals that killed OU's title shot, it was Florida's refusal to let them in the end zone and maybe some questionable play calling. I despise Florida as much as almost any other school (the whole being from the state of Florida, Urban Meyer and gator chomp thing (what a pussy mascot)) and hate the media's coverage of Tebow. I think he is a great kid and hate that he went to Florida. His example is hard to hate, but going to Florida makes him hard to like.
The game and the following coverage showed us how puketastic and spun the impression of Tebow is. He threw two shitty pics, and it was his ability to buy time, and when they were ahead in the 4th, his ability to get 1st downs that won it. Not outstanding, will-bending QB play. He will not impress any NFL scouts looking at him as a QB like several others this year will.
Bradford was painted as the lesser QB, but he moved it well and it was 4 runs that failed on the first goal line stand and a horrible tip drill that was not his fault for the second goal line failure. His other pic was also not his fault. He played a good game, but alas, could not run like Tebow. Tebow is a Herschel Walker type stud that will be remembered for a long time to come in college football, but Bradford is a far better passer, proved it in the title game, and will have a far better NFL career.
I also feel that this year finally converted me to a playoff proposal over the disputed BCS not-clear National Champion bullshit format. I just wanted to preserve the integrity of the bowls before and I actually believe that we can do so even better than the BCS has (they fucked up the Rose Bowl). It is just getting sickening how other teams who have equal resume's get left out. I can't say that I'm upset that USC is not the 5 time defending champs (as I feel they would be if there had been a playoff the past few years). All the one loss teams, and Rick Reilly with Utah convinced me something must be done. Reilly pointed out that Utah had the 31st toughest schedule and that if that had been the U (which happened playing in that shotty Big East several years ago) they would have awarded the AP National Title to the undefeated U. That convinced me that Utah got robbed of the title by the BCS, which is guilty of anti-trust.
Example: In '84 undefeated, and untied BYU beat Michigan 24-17 (who finished 6-6) in the Holiday Bowl to get the title over Washington (who had a 16-7 loss to USC). Washington beat the no. 2 Sooners in the Orange Bowl (28-17) and had beat common opponent Michigan in the Big House (20-11) when Michigan was ranked no. 4 and still had Harbaugh who had not yet broken his leg. BYU was also the first team to win a title without beating anyone who finished in the final top 25 poll. Utah had virtually the same scenario happen this year (but had a far better strength of schedule and bowl win and lack of common opponent with the BCS/AP winner), but because of the BCS situation it doesn't get the title 24 years after it's biggest rival won it under more debatable circumstances.
Here is my playoff recommendation:
We must keep bowl traditions, the importance of the bowl season, and have a playoff lead to the crowning of a real, undisputed National Champ. So here it is.
The bowls are played with traditional alignments (Pac-10, Big Ten in the Rose Bowl etc). We must also take into consideration that the bowls may and should take a couple of days after the New Year so the Orange, Fiesta, and or Sugar can have primetime slots all to themselves. After the bowls are over there is a final poll and the top eight from that poll are then advanced into the playoff. 1 hosts 8, 4 hosts 5 etc. Two Saturdays after the last bowl game the playoff begins (so as to negate a serious advantage for New Year's Day or prior bowl winners who end up in the top 8 as they would have a significant rest advantage... no short week should ever lead a Sugar, Fiesta, or Orange Bowl winner into the playoffs) and continues for the next three Saturdays. That would place the title game by itself on the bye weekend before the Super Bowl at the end of January(which may become the Pro Bowl weekend) so that it does not compete with the NFL playoffs. The teams play a single elimination just like the Elite 8 in March with the top ranked team hosting in the quarter and semifinal rounds to award those with a "better" regular season/bowl performance. The National Championship will be at a neutral site and have all the built up festivities of a current title game, but this time the winner would be the undisputed champ (barring interference by refs). You keep the traditional alignments and rivalries in bowl games, and have them mean something more than before as a win or loss could be the difference between staying at home or going to the playoffs.
Shorty:
My friend was not being envious (he has 3 NCs in football and 2 in basketball during his life) -- he was being kind.
If you don't mind, I may take your "long post" and make a blog post out of it. It will frame a good discussion that T9 and I have been seeking. You are a perfect example of why I think a playoff system is inevitable. Eventually there are going to be too many people that are sick of the current system and want a change. It may take 5 years it may take 10 years, but it will change. The system, the way it is now, does not work.
Andy,
No problem with the post. Your friend was nice to go through the appropriate host protocol for said situation... nonetheless I pine for Florida's current glory. The darkened gloom must dissuade at some point... I sure hope it happens soon.
Love the wallpaper Andy, Thanks, that is a healing pic for me this year! I have that game on DVD, I should pull it out and watch it. Although I am enjoying watching Michigan Basketball show just what they are made of this year!
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