This isnt news. he biases are all known and expected. Some of those votes have no other logical basis. When humans vote that should be expected. There is also a reason every computer is different - some dufus that never even played football thinks he has the secret formula. Heck you have a guy like Billingsley living in some shit town in Oklahoma sipping from his OU mug admittedly "tweaking" his system each week - and there is zero oversight of the computers. Every computer had Texas w a stronger SOS than OU - not even including the D2 game, yet OU ranked higher. Probably some logical explanation but nobody questions it. But all those same computers that put OU in the dance have Texas ranked higher than Florida. Ironic.
I dont say this as sour grapes, but rather to say it is what it is - whether it helps you or hurts you the system is crap. I have always said that once you lose its tough to bitch- of course dont tell that to Auburn. And it really makes no sense when you get left out by a team you beat with the same record, but these dumbasses did this as well in 1993 to Notre Dame and 2001 to Miami. People point out how absurd it is but they keep doing it anyway. So this isnt new.
I have no idea what the answer is- even a playoff would rely on this crap to decide who is in, how seeded, etc. And the only way there is ever a playoff is 8 teams, the winner of each BCS conference is in (never gonna get approved otherwise), and an exception for a non-BCS team (Utah) and a wildcard. So this year with an 8 team playoff there would - assuming Boise isnt in also - one spot for Texas Tech, Texas and Bama (assuming OU in) - so it's still a disaster.
Look who votes in the Harris Poll - some of these guys admittedly dont watch any games. There are rumors of Harris voters selling their votes. And how can coaches who generally watch NO games other than their own vote with any sense at all? Chizik and Dodge voted Texas No 1 which could arguably be justified - but lets face it they did it because of ties to Texas. All of Stoops's cronies vote for OU. Leach got his job thanks to his time at OU - he didnt vote how he did without an agenda. All the SEC guys vote Florida and keep Bama high. Funny thing is Mack Brown might have had the most credible vote - he didnt vote Texas No 1, but rather 2 behind Florida, which was the worst way he could have voted to improve Texas' chances. And he is getting chastised down here for not voting Texas No 1 to help his team.
Then you have the ESPN crowd trying to influence. I was a bit stunned to her Snot burger and Herbie cheering OU running up the score. But they cant question anything since ABC is stuck with the BCS for the next several years. Danielson said he wouldnt even watch the title game if Florida wasnt in - at least thats what I thought he said but it was hard to understand while he was chugging Tebow's schlong.
You have to come to this board to know that on body of work Florida was the least deserving team - nobody cares. I think they are the best team but what you do during the year needs to mean something. Only team to lose a home game, and to the weakest team. SEC more down than ever. Poor Tebow has a whole network smoking his pole because CBS wants to build up the SEC - the only thing it broadcasts. Let's face it - nobody involved cares about getting it right - it's all about agendas.
We should all hope for years like 2005 when there are 2 teams far and ahead of everyone so there isnt any controversy and nobody gets jobbed. If this year doesnt force a playoff - and it clearly wont - it just isnt going to happen.
The system is a debacle. Those who have something to gain or lose shouldn't have a say. Neither should folks who don't study the game.
There should be a committee in football like there is for the NCAA hoops tournament. Make the membership as impartial as possible. Let them take into account all the factors, and make a decision as to who plays for the title (however that is decided).
One thing is certain, there will always be bitching, playoff or no playoff. The cry will simply be "we're number 8" instead of "we're number two".
Personally, I like the idea of a 4 team playoff after the bowls. Return to a 4 BCS game system, play em all on January 1st as they used to. Orange at 12:00, Rose at 3:30, Sugar at 7:00, Fiesta at 10:30. Leave the entire bowl system in place with the conference tie-ins. After it's over have a committee decide who the 4 are based on a season long resume including the bowls. Make the only prerequisite of being in the playoff that you have to have won your bowl game. Therefore you have no bowl rematches.
This year you'd potentially have:
Rose: USC vs Penn State
Sugar: Florida vs Texas
Fiesta: Alabama vs OU
Orange: VT vs Cinci
The winners of the Rose, Sugar and Fiesta would all obviously advance to the 4 team playoff. The committee would decide who the 4th is. Perhaps Utah if they won a lesser bowl game this year? In any case, the committee would decide and everyone would know the rules. Win your bowl game, or STFU.
Pick ONE site for the final four. If up north, make sure it's on field turf. No sloppy fields, but cold weather is OK. First game the weeknight that makes sense after the bowl games. Have the second game the Saturday night following This year, say Thursday the 8th and Saturday the 10th. Have the Title game a week before the Super Bowl at the same site as the final four.
There would still be pissing and moaning, but it would keep/improve the current bowl system and give us a more worthy champion.
