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Wednesday, 01 November 2006
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The murky waters of the college ranking system are rarely so easy to navigate. In fact, in most cases it is just down right complicated, and at times, pointless. Mano a mano is a luxury seldom afforded football fans, who have circled this date in anticipation of that day of reckoning.
Part of the fun of the polls are the debates that they inspire, debates that are often contested through a series of ‘what ifs’ as they relate to common opponents and what most would consider a lot of here say.
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Take Boise State, for example, currently 8-0 and number 14 in the coaches’ poll, not to be confused of course with the AP or the Harris Interactive Polls or the BCS computer rankings. The Broncos are 2 slots behind LSU, losers of 2 games in the ultra competitive SEC, with 7 other 1 loss teams ranked ahead of them before Louisville which sits at number 5 in all four of the rankings.
Boise fans, in order to justify a higher seeding, would argue the merits of their 42-14 early season thrashing of Oregon State, who conquered previously unbeaten USC this past Saturday, no doubt contending that they should be slotted ahead of the number 9 Trojans on the strength of logic. Right!
Detractors would cite Boise’s recent struggle with the Idaho Vandals, who themselves were out gained by Div I AA Idaho State, trailed Washington State 35-3 at halftime en route to a 56-10 shellacking, got pummeled by Hawaii 68-10 and lost to the same Oregon State team 38-0.
In that Idaho game, Boise led by only 2 midway through the 4th period before two late touchdowns accounted for the 16 point margin of victory
Close calls appear to be the rule rather than the exception for Boise. Allowing 500 + yards to New Mexico State in a non impressive 40-28 win certainly does not advance their cause, nor does a 7 point win over Wyoming in which the final margin of their 17-10 victory came courtesy of a 61 yard interception return.
In 1984, then QB Robbie Bosco led BYU to a 13-0 record, and the honor of being the only undefeated Division IA football program in the nation that year. The season was capped off by a 24-17 Holiday Bowl victory over a Michigan team that was not ranked in the top 10. Then Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer labeled the Cougars schedule Bo-Diddley Tech”, as he and others made reference to the patsies that BYU faced on the road to that perfect season.
If Switzer cares to comment from his Lazy Boy it would be interesting as to what he would label Boise’s schedule with upcoming games against Fresno, San Jose St, Utah State, and Nevada, taking into account that Hawaii was arguably the toughest opponent they faced year to date, a game in which they prevailed by a score of 41-34.
Clearly, Boise does not control their own destiny which is not the case of undefeated Rutgers, who with 4 games remaining on the schedule takes on two undefeated Big East powerhouses in Louisville and West Virginia. The Scarlet Knights stand at 7-0 and are shadowing Boise in all 3 of the polls as well as the BCS rankings. Should Rutgers win out it seems likely that they will end up playing the winner of that Ohio State vs. Michigan clash in the BCS Championship game to be held in Arizona on January 8th.
Arguably, one of the more challenging aspects of the ranking system occurs when the competitive barometer lacks consistency, much like the problem of comparing athletes from different eras. Whether Babe Ruth could have been as productive today as he was in his day is not a question that can be answered with any degree of certainty nor could can the question of how many games Boise would have won had they been going up against competition from the Big 10.
A 12-0 Boise record appears inevitable, unless they happen to get tripped up by Nevada in their finale, which is to be played on November 25th in Reno. If Nevada can’t knock Boise from the ranks of the unbeaten, there are sure to be some gripes emanating from the potato fields of Idaho about lack of respect and all those ‘what ifs’ and ‘we could have’ since the Bulldogs will not be invited to play for the National Championship.
Instead Boise will be dealt the same fate as the 1984 BYU Cougars who ended up playing in a non New Years Day Bowl versus Michigan who they held to 120 rushing yards on 49carries, and defeated 24-17 on the strength of a late touchdown pass.
Boise’s problem is that they will not be they only undefeated team, and whatever one loss wonders amongst Texas, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, USC, and Notre Dame that can survive, can cite strength of schedule and the fact that their losses came in early to mid season as paramount factors as to why they are more deserving than the Broncos.
The stars aligned for BYU that year as Nebraska suffered a late season loss to Oklahoma, and unbeaten South Carolina was upset by Navy. The Huskers finished 4th in the polls while the Gamecocks were knocked clear out of the top 10. Aside from their Holiday Bowl victory, BYU’s only significant out of conference hurdle was their 47-13 slaying of the Baylor Bears, whose Big 12 legacy could be defined as mediocre at best.
If Boise State ends up on the outside looking in, they have nobody to blame but themselves. The Broncos take on conference foe Fresno State tonight, and are prohibitive favorites to extend their unbeaten streak to 9. While the Bulldogs have been a disappointment this year in having only one win against 6 defeats, coach Pat Hill has made it a practice to take on one, if not several, formidable opponents outside of the WAC, which is hardly known for smash mouth football. Fresno gave both Pac 10 opponents all they could handle in 31-24 and 21-20 losses to Oregon and Washington, but were soundly defeated by LSU in Baton Rouge by a score of 38-6 almost 2 weeks ago. Boise’s only other non conference affair outside of their 42-14 opening win over Oregon State, was their opener over Big Sky Powerhouse Sacramento State, who happens to be Div I AA. The final score incidentally was 45-0, but does that really matter?
Of course all of this is moot if the Broncos happen to get upset over the course of the next few weeks. That would spare us the controversy, but what’s college football without a good old fashion debate as to who is really number one? Wouldn’t that rain on the parade? Paul Bovi's picks can be found at www.PanoramaSports.com. Panorama Sports will offer a variety of different packages to fulfill your needs, both on a pay before you win, or a pay after you win basis. If you opt to go the 'pay after you win' route, your credit card will only be charged if the play 'covers the number' based on the following guidelines.
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 01 November 2006 ) | |||||||
If you enjoy a good sports debate, mark November 18th as the day a little rain will fall on your parade. On that third Saturday of November, all verbal sparring will cease and desist as the top ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State will square off against the second ranked Michigan Wolverines in Columbus, effectively deciding the number one team on the playing field instead of through the court of public and professional opinion.