thats all I was asking, not how many crystals are handed out. just your opinions. maybe if thats what i was asking.
The AP Poll put Southern Cal at #3, giving them a single 1st place vote (#2 Utah got 16 first place votes). The Coaches Poll, obligated to give all their 1st place votes to the winner of the BSCCG, gave all 60 of their first place votes to Florida.
USC could absolutely be the best team in the country right now. There should be no Big 12 arguments. The Big 12 was propped up by the media this year as being ultra strong when the fact was that all those supposed "high powered" offenses did very little when they played teams that play real defense. USC easily had the best defense in the nation similar to the strong defense that LSU had last year when healthy but with bigger linebackers that hit harder and a superior defensive backfield. LSU would have had the edge on the defensive line IMO. However, we're talking about a USC defense that may end up with all 11 starters from this years team being drafted in the NFL. I'm fairly certain that is a feat that has never been accomplished. At the END of the year USC shows three wins over teams in the top 10. That is not playing a weak schedule. By contrast Oklahoma shows losses to TWO end of the year top 10 teams with wins over NO top ten teams. Now which team has the better resume again? Add to that the fact that the PAC 10 went 5-0 in bowl games this year and I begin to believe that the only people that deny the fact that USC is as deserving as any other team this year and probably should have played Florida for the title instead of Oklahoma feel so because they can't get past their anti-USC bias. As a Buckeye I dislike USC as an opponent as much as anyone but I'm not going to allow that dislike to cloud my judgement when it's fairly clear how good their football team is this year.
Let's take a look at the previous BCS winners. LSU (2) Florida (2) Tennessee Florida State Miami USC Texas Ohio State Oklahoma Who routinely has the easiest road to the title game? LSU, Florida, & Tennessee play in the toughest conference and have to win a conference championship game. Texas & Oklahoma play in a tough conference and have to win a conference championship game. Miami & Florida State are now in the ACC (a quality conference) and have to win a conference championship game. That leaves two teams...USC and Ohio State Without the BCS, these two teams would play in the Rose Bowl Parade game and probably get at least a share of the title. No top team has a clearer (and easier) path to the title game than USC. They get ranked high enough to start the season that they don't have to worry about undefeated teams keeping them from the title game. They also don't have to play an additional conference championship game. Other than playing at Ohio State next season, they should have no problem defeating their remaining 11 opponents. The SEC, Big 12, and ACC will have to beat each other up in hopes of getting a shot while USC can waltz right in. I'm tired of the excuses made for Pete Carroll. They have an easy path and when they screw up, we're still supposed to consider them as the best team. Thankfully the voters and computers got it right this year. With 30+ million people in California alone...and very few quality programs on the left half of the country, USC should be playing for the title every other year. Instead USC has won one title in 30 years. People are questioning Bob Stoops for losing 3 of 4 title games. Maybe they should be asking why Petey Carroll keeps blowing their opportunity by losing to weak teams. The USC fans and media are blaming the system when they should be blaming the program.
"Without the BCS, these two teams would play in the Rose Bowl Parade game and probably get at least a share of the title." (purple tiger) The reason for the BCS formula in the first place is the fact that there is a media bias of opinion towards the teams in the region(s) that produce the ratings that keep the media people employed. Originally, the computer rankings were designed to produce an impartial, and fair component in the selection of the national champion. The previous posts are making an argument that USC got shafted by the process. THIS year it may well be true. That is why the media and the talking heads on TV are sponsoring the USC/Pete Carroll love-a-palooza. But they do this every year whether it's merited or not. They are trying to make a case for the playoff system as if this will solve all the problems. But I'm here to tell you that a playoff system will NOT end the USC or Notre Dame love-a-thon by the media. It will NOT end the annual claiming that "someone else deserves to be the champs" pronouncements because the media will simply start complaining about the playoff system itself. They'll argue that the seedings for the playoff are not fair or that the rankings the seedings/pairings are based on are biased etc. And the TV and print media people will bash the playoff system because they will ALWAYS play to the audience that produces their ratings. Nothing will really change.
