The BCS computer finally gets it right
October 26, 2005
Well folks, it actually happened. The computers of the Bowl Championship Series actually got something right. I was completely prepared to march into whatever IT office houses those machines with a baseball bat and a bad attitude and let those PCs have it, but I don’t think it’s going to happen this year. Why? Because the computer finally knows talent and a good schedule when it sees it.
It finally understands which team is truly the best in the country. Yes folks, this past week, the BCS computers worked correctly. No troubleshooting guide – as was needed the last three or four years – is needed. The Texas Longhorns, the best team in the nation, are number one.
And why shouldn’t they be? They play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, the Big 12. They have one of the hardest schedules in the country, playing Ohio State, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas Tech and coming up, a tough Texas A&M team. None of their opponents have even come close to them. You feel like turning the game off midway through the third quarter, but that Vincent Young is just too fun to watch. The defense, as always, is the most underrated part of this team, allowing an average of just 14 points per game, while its offense scores 46. 46!
Vincent Young will be and should be in the running for the Heisman Trophy, and I believe he should get it. This guy is just too good to not win the trophy. With 14 touchdowns, a 65 percent completion percentage and a QB rating of 109, Young has solidified himself as the top quarterback (yes, he’s better than Leinart) in the NCAA. It’s not just his consistency through the air, but the devastating use of his legs that also makes him lethal to opposing defenses. He’s already rushed for six touchdowns and almost 500 yards, and it’s only the halfway point of the season. Since Michael Vick, there has never been a quarterback that makes everyone in the stadium hold their breath as Vincent Young does. That’s what makes him so good. That’s what makes him the best player in college football.
But what about the mighty men of Troy, you say? USC gets no respect this year, you claim? True, they are the champs. True, they went into South Bend and pulled it out (or did they?). True, the reigning Heisman winner plays behind their line. And true, Reggie Bush is for real. But the question I have always asked, from the beginning of the Trojan resurgence under Pete Carroll, has finally been asked by the computers: Who does USC play that makes them worthy of number one? They beat then-no. 24 Oregon. Big deal. Texas walloped Texas Tech, who was no. 10. USC came back against Arizona State, who has fallen off the map. They just barely squeaked by Notre Dame, their only real quality win of the season. Texas went into Ohio State and, at least, legitimately won that game. So who has USC played? Point made: in the battle of schedules, Texas wins big.
No, I don’t think USC will be undefeated this season. I picked Notre Dame to beat them, but I’m also picking UCLA to upset them in the final week of the season. The way it’s looking right now, USC, with one loss, may not even play for the national title. We may actually see a Texas – Virginia Tech Rose Bowl for the National Championship, and I would love nothing more. Marcus Vick versus Vincent Young. Who is the real second coming of Michael? That’s what I want to see, that’s what America wants to see. Two young, vivacious, fiery quarterbacks in a shootout of both arms and legs. Now that’s what I’m talking about.
Whatever the result of the BCS, I hope this year it’s actually legitimate. I hope this year, it gives America what it deserves. I hope it gives us a Rose Bowl with the two best teams in the nation, whether it be USC, Virginia Tech or Texas.
Whether it be Matt Leinart, Marcus Vick or Vincent Young, there will be two great quarterbacks featured. And no matter what happens, in my mind, Texas will come out on top.
Game of the week: Georgia vs. Florida, Saturday in the World’s Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville. No matter who’s the better team all season, it’s always a war. DJ Shockley isn’t scheduled to play, so that hurts the Dawgs big time. Prediction: Florida and Urban Meyer ruin the Dawgs run and hand them their first loss. Losing Shockley and having to defend Chris Leak will prove too tall of a mountain to climb. Florida, 28-17.