So I'm flipping through Phil Steele's college preview guide today, looking at bowl projections and schedules et al, and a terrifying thought occurred to me... What if the BCS Championship Game was Ohio State vs Clemson? Before you laugh, consider the facts: Each plays in a mediocre conference and will be favored in most if not all their games.
Florida and Georgia - considered by most to be the SEC's best shot at yet another title this year - each have much tougher schedules, particularly UGA. While no one with half a functioning brain woulds argue that OSU or Clemson is better than either UGA or Florida, the chances of either SEC team getting through their regular season slate unscathed are very slim. It's just the nature of the beast in the SEC and something that outsiders can't understand, because they're not exposed to it in the lesser conferences like the Big10+1 and the ACC.
While Ohio State has a big road game @ USC early on, that will be by far their biggest test of the season. Everyone outside the Buckeye Nation will be pulling for USC in that one because, quite frankly, no one wants to see OSU in the BCS Championship Game again this year. They've been embarrassed in it for two straight seasons, and that's enough. If they get past the Trojans, they're all but guaranteed an undefeated season and third straight humiliation.
As for Clemson, they're the preseason pick by everyone to win the ACC this season. They open the season on a neutral site against Bama and end the season against South Carolina, but have - obviously - a very manageable conference slate. The biggest problem for the Tigers has been consistent inconsistencies. HC Tommy Bowden's seat has been hot for several years running as his Tigers always drop at least one inexplicable game per season. Phil Steele projects them to be a BCS team this year and with a few lucky breaks, they could end up playing for all the marbles.
Can you imagine that game? I'm talking about Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! It would be like watching an SEC game in slo-motion. The announcers would be working overtime to try and convince the viewing public that the game is worth watching. The Sugar Bowl would have the highest national viewership, as - quite frankly - no one outside the two fanbases would care.
Like I said... Scary Thought
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Scary Thought
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3 comments:
the tigers will never win another national championship. they cheated in 1981 too get their first
Without a doubt the best blog post I have ever read. Nicely written, and you're exactly right.
Clemson in a NC? That's a cute though (if you're a Clemson fan). Too bad they'll choke it away, I gurantee it. In a very good fashion. Possibly more than once. What a joke of a team, and an even bigger joke of a fanbase.
I'll punt a baby if OSU makes it to the NC again. They don't deserve it. They should install the "Ohio State rule." Any team that gets DESTROYED in the NC for two straight years has to take a year or two off from the NC. However, Southern Cal. will beat them. That gives them one loss, and they'll blow away the other teams. Will that get them in the NC, assuming other teams faltered along the way? As you said, the SEC isn't a joke, and even elite teams like Florida and Georgia are going up against rough schedules. Ones that will be hard to run through without something rough happening along the way. It's the SEC, it's gonna happen. Poor Georgia, btw. The year they have "the team" they also have an ungodly hard schedule.
Having said all that, I predict Southern Cal. to be in it. The other team? Who knows. It's OSU I WON'T watch the game. Regardless of who they're playing. I refuse to see them get run out of the stadium for a third straight time.
Good night.
"I'll punt a baby if OSU makes it to the NC again"
This is now my favorite comment ever left on this site and certainly the way most of the nation feels.
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