Rutgers: Respect

I've got an early nominee for the biggest goat of the week, the Gay Louisville defender who jumped offsides right before Rutgers shanked their first attempt at the game-winning field goal last night. He gave them 5 extra yards and that all important second chance to make the field goal and win the game, which they did.

Despite the fact that we will never know what might have happened in OT, I'll hand one to Rutgers and the state of New Jersey, who, let's admit, has been down for a long time. Probably since they and Princeton invented college football. It looks like someone High and Mighty wanted them to win this game.

And that Guy, whomever he may be, is not a fan of the BCS. Because now we've got a problem on our hands. Admittedly, I welcome this problem, because it takes care of the whole Big East issue: Louisville getting a Nat'l Championship Game Bid. They demonstrated their unfitness last night, thank you Rutgers. And Rutgers, as another example of the unjust ranking and BCS system, probably doesn't have a chance of getting to the Nat'l Championship game even if they go undefeated.

But it's looking bad at the top as iBlogForCookies (Permalink, Man!) points out the new nightmare scenario for the BCS :

1. Ohio State / Michigan winner
2a. Ohio State/ Michigan loser
2b. Notre Dame or Texas

Take the case of Notre Dame. If Ohio State beats Michigan on the 18th, neither option is palatable. Notre Dame being selected for the title game over Michigan despite Michigan's 26 pt win in South Bend would make a mockery of the notion that you are trying to pit the two best teams against each other, while Michigan being selected for an immediate rematch with Ohio State not only is unappealing but has the potential to expose the futility of any system that tries to definitively answer the question "who is the best team"?

If when Ohio State beats Michigan you take that as proof that Ohio State is the superior team, then there is no reason for Michigan to get a second shot. If you don't accept it as proof, then what do you make of a potential Michigan win in a rematch. Surely that's no more conclusive than the first matchup.

That's if Ohio State wins. What if Michigan wins? A Michigan vs. Ohio State rematch still has the same problems, while a Michigan vs. Notre Dame rematch has those problems + the likelihood that even if Michigan does beat OSU it will not do so as conclusively as they beat Notre Dame. If, say, Michigan beats Ohio State by 4 points then how can you justify selecting Notre Dame over Ohio State for a title berth?

A similar problem arises should Texas be the other option for the 2nd berth in the title game.

I couldn't have said it better myself, so I didn't. But I will object to iBlogforCookies suggestion of Florida as the best opponent for the Michigan/OSU winner, at least until such time as they dominate the rest of their SEC season and win the SEC Championship game with authority. Their wins just haven't been that impressive.

So now I'm looking West. I'm putting my faith in Cal who's a different team since losing to Tennessee back in September and lighting up the Pac 10. I think they're primed to whip USC for total Pac 10 domination and get my nod as the next best team in the land thanks in part to Erik Ainge's bad ankle and their freedom from the circle of sticky injustices mentioned above re: Texas and Notre Dame. Go Bears!!!!!