The Cardinals' convincing victory over the Carolina Panthers tonight shows everything that is good and bad (depending upon your perspective) about a playoff. Carolina, without a doubt, had an incredible regular season. They may have faded a bit down the stretch but they were favorites to at least play for the NFC championship. No one mentioned to the Arizona Cardinals that a team that was 8-8 during the regular season, winning a terrible division, wasn't supposed to advance to within one game of a Super Bowl. Upsets are fun and they really get people interested and the Cards may very well be the better football team right now (I doubt it), either way, they were by far the best team tonight. This game was decided on the field, as every game will be, to determine who is the NFL champion. Other pro sports combat the stunning upset by playing series to determine who advances. Obviously, that is not reasonable for football. However, many people will feel they got cheated if the NY Giants win tomorrow and then pummel the Cards next week. Or, worse yet, the Cardinals have the game of their life again next week and beat the Giants/Eagles and then get drilled in the Super Bowl. It is highly unlikely (although it would be a great story) that the Cardinals will run the table and take home the Lombardi Trophy. Are you wondering where I'm going with this?? To get to the point, college football and the way it decides its champion (in spite of all its perceived flaws) combats the upstart team that has an incredibly lucky game from getting the chance to take home the most coveted prize. Obviously, there were several teams this season that had a legitimate argument as to why they should have gotten a shot at the championship. However, what if Utah really hadn't played anyone worth its mettle before they had the game of their lives against Utah? I realize that they played a few quality opponents and that there is evidence to support the claim that the Mountain West Conference was one of the nation's best this season, those arguments don't need to be repeated. But what if, just what if, they simply played out of their minds in the Sugar Bowl? Yes, sure, it was decided on the field. However, Florida's body of work compares just as favorably as the Utes'. The gauntlet that is the college football regular season in which you run the risk of ruining your chances of playing for the championship with one hiccup, is unique in sports for better or for worse.
Here's the problem In the NCAA basketball tourney and the NFL playoffs there is a second season. In NCAA football there isn't. In the first two if a team goes undefeated, it is the champion no matter how difficult their path to the final. In NCAA football, although you can start the year with a goal of being undefeated and beating the best team you can find in a bowl game, it isn't enough. Some team that didn't show up every week can still take the title from you.
I believe Jake Delhomo just made a killing tonight with the Vegas bookies. There is no excuse for a pro QB in the playoffs to throw 5 INTS against that piss poor defense. Are you shitting me?
The Cardinals are now within a game of the Super Bowl and their lone obstacle in getting there is a 9-6-1 Philadelphia team that most people didn't give a chance of even making the playoffs a few weeks ago, much less the Super Bowl. Now, I can just imagine the amount of whine that would take place in the first year of a major college football playoff if some upstart team from the WAC were to get hot at the right time and, with a lot of luck on its side, win a national title.
I disagree with that, Gipper. NFL teams can win a division, yes. However, college football teams can win a conference title. There's very little difference in the importance of a division title in the NFL and a conference title in college football. In fact, I would argue that with the current D-1 format, a conference crown in college football is much more important than any divisional championship in the pros.
The NCAA basketball tournament winner .... and the Super Bowl winner .... are tournament winners. Are they any more National Champions than an FBS (Div-1) team annointed as such?
I believe that the roster parity in the NFL as a result of salary cap rules (Don't ask me how they work) creates the opportunity for the Eagles or any other "hot" team to do what they are doing. Same with 8-8 Arizona. That kind of situation does not exist in college football, so the likelihood of upsets is diminished. It certainly can happen, but IMO it is less likely than in the NFL. Having said that, it would be funny if it did happen, in terms of the whining you refer to.
Agreed, Gaterz. I understand Gip's point in reference to Utah. However, there is a huge difference in a tournament winner and a season winner.
I think you are on the right track with your post Aquila. When teams play a best of 7 series there is usually no mistaking at the end just who was the better team. The NBA, MLB and NHL are the examples of this. These one time winner take all games are more iffy and in the case of the NCAA BB playoffs most of the time a case can be made that the hot team on a run won the whole shootin match. I will say that when Florida won their second BB title in a row that it seemed more like the dominant team fulfilled it's destiny more than just a hot team won so the one game series idea as a poor barometer does not always hold true. I think in football that a real dominant team can hold serve over the pack in many instances but also a hot team can pull a championship out of the bag as well. In 2006 I think Fla was more of the hot team variety...playing well enough to get into the title game and then the Gators were on fire vs. Ohio State. By contrast this year's Florida team was very dominant going down the stretch and not too many were surprised when UF beat OU for the title.
Well .... setting the "Div 1 playoff" vs "BCS voted" system debate aside for one moment what I do know for a fact is ..... living in a "college town" during National Title season, whether a "basketball tournament" or a "football vote", is really quite an experience. Living in a college town during "four titles in < three years" is a tremendous experience, something only 250K or so people may ever experince.
Well, I kinda know how he feels. I'm doing that exact thing sitting here watching the end of the Gator Bowl DVD.
And the Gators are favored to make that 5 national titles in 4 seasons of BB and football.... OU brings a lot of people back also and then there is Texas. Looks like next year is a repeat of this one almost.