Sunday, September 14, 2008

Guru: PAC-10 sucks

Our friend Sam, the BCS Guru says the PAC-10 sucks. Well, not exactly but if you read between the lines that's the impression that you get:

In the last six years, USC has won the Pac-10 title every year. Went to a BCS bowl every year. Dominated the conference with a 44-6 record. And while USC finished no worse than 4th in either poll over those six seasons, no other Pac-10 team has been in the top 8 in the same span. No other Pac-10 team has been to a BCS bowl since 2002.

While USC was busy pummeling the Buckeyes on Saturday night, the rest of the Pac-10 just laid a giant egg. The Nine Little Dwarfs went 2-7 on the weekend, going 1-4 against non-BCS teams and 1-3 against BCS conference opponents, snatching a single victory when Oregon survived at Purdue.

UCLA made the biggest splash by getting mauled by Brigham Young, 59-0. The last time the Bruins lost that badly - in 1929 - the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began shortly thereafter.
Here's the thing, if USC is playing in a league of its own, how do we know how good they really are? We don't and we won't until perhaps the BCS Championship. Unless something unforeseen happens USC will be cruise to that game and there's about 15 teams vying for the other spot. Still think we don't need a playoff?

6 comments:

Andrew said...

USC plays dirty... did anybody else catch Brent Musburger's comment after USC set an obviously illegal pick on a wheel route TD to Damian Williams? And I quote, "It's only cheating if you get caught!" That pretty much summed it up.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I still think we don't need a playoff.

Henry Louis Gomez said...

Anon,

That's fine. That sentiment is consistent with someone who doesn't think there needs to be a legitimate national champion. And that's OK. But if you feel like I do, that not having a legitimate championship makes college football less than what it could be, then there's no choice but to want a playoff system that is large enough to where it would really capture enough teams that it's highly likely that the best team comes out as the "champion".

Andrew said...

I don't want a "playoff" either... let's have a "play-in". One game before the championship for the top 4. There's no way a team outside the top 5 deserves a shot.

Henry Louis Gomez said...

119 teams in Division 1A. A four team playoff is only marginally more legitimate than the current 2-team playoff. I think you need to have an 8 team tourney and you have to win your way in.

Andrew said...

Name a year where 8 teams even deserved a shot... Outside the top 5, there usually isn't much debate.