27 October 2001
BCS Scramble
This Saturday has certainly scrambled the BCS!
My Oklahoma Sooners, #1 in the first BCS rankings to be released this season, ran into a buzzsaw at Nebraska (BCS #2). Nebraska won with tough defense and by making offensive plays during crunch time -- Oklahoma's formula in winning the national championship last year and running a win streak to 20 games. Oklahoma's offense just didn't get it done against Nebraska, with the receivers dropping WAY too many passes, a problem that has existed all year. Kudos to Nebraska, though, for making plays against the Sooners in the clutch. In the last year and a half, nobody else has been able to do it. This was an impressive "statement" game for Frank Solich.
Games later in the day further scramble the BCS. Previously undefeated UCLA (BCS #3) lost to Stanford, and previously undefeated Virginia Tech (BCS #5) lost to Syracuse.
That means Nebraska should move to BCS #1, and Miami should move to BCS #2 next week. If they both win out (Miami still has Washington and Virginia Tech; Nebraska could face Oklahoma again in the Big 12 championship in Dallas if both teams win the rest of their games, as both will be heavily favored to do), Nebraska and Miami will play for #1 in the Rose Bowl, which would be a great game. If they don't win out.... there is so much season left, it's hard to guess what might happen.
My guess is that next week's BCS poll will go this way: 1) Nebraska, 2) Miami, 3) Oklahoma, 4) Texas, 5) Michigan 6) Florida
Oklahoma still has an outside shot at playing in the Rose Bowl, but must win out, including a possible rematch with Nebraska at Dallas. Texas has an outside shot at the Rose Bowl, but needs to win out (including a likely Big 12 title game against Nebraska at Dallas) and needs Oklahoma to lose at least one more conference game, all of which they will be favored to win (a road game at Texas Tech or a home game against Texas A&M are not "gimme" games, however). Michigan and Florida only begin to factor in if the other guys stumble, if my BCS estimates are correct.
College football could get very interesting this year, with a handful of very good top 6 or so teams, but no major separation from the pack. It would be even more interesting if there were a true college football playoff!
[Posted @ 10:41 PM CST]
