by Slate Quicksilver
First and foremost, let's get down to brass-tacks. TCU or Boise State should have been in this game. That is abundantly clear, however in the BCS Kremlin (situated somewhere in the depths of a cave 4 miles down where even the strongest of communication bands cannot reach them), it would not be allowed for a non-BCS conference powerhouse to up-end a real BCS conference team in a BCS game for the fourth time this decade.
The underground bunker features several offices, a meeting space, a longwave band one-way radio communications room manned by Tim Cowlishaw to promote the most glorious and complete bowl system EVAR and a torture room for those weak enough to turn to the rebel side which is headed up by BigTen commissioner Jim Delaney. Also included are dry supplies and a tap to an aquifer that will last them for the next 50 years. Don't worry about getting in touch with them, they will get in touch with you and it will be with a 1000 volt electrode to a valuable part of your reproductive organs until you repent your seditious words. It's a long way to the surface when you are underground by 4 miles and the only way up is a key to a rope lead elevator held by ACC commish Jim Swofford. That's why we haven't heard from "Tim Brando" in weeks. (Quotation marks are necessary because if the BCS has their way, he will be an "un-person").
That being said in more words than I wanted to use, let us talk again about why TCU and Boise State should be there. It was massively unfair to shaft both teams to play each other. Let's think for a minute about the possible scenario where Michigan State didn't send a 6 blitz on the last play of the game from their own 6 yard line against Iowa. In this hypothetical situation Iowa does not win the game and thus is not in a BCS bowl. So where does the 3rd team come from? It could have been the fightin' Mormons had they not lost in the one game Florida State showed up in this season. More likely is Pittsburgh, if they didn't miss a single extra point against Cincy to close the season. And what if Clemson won the ACC championship? Would Georgia Tech still be in a BCS bowl? The ifs and buts (which are candy and nuts) keep adding up to show just how lucky the BCS Kremlin was because barring each of those scenarios, which are hardly implausible and are in fact likely in terms of probability (remember that flipping a coin and being correct 4 times in a row is a 6.25% chance), they would have had to put TCU or Boise in a different game.
If any of those things happened, TCU and Boise would not have been in the Fiesta Bowl. Those were two evenly matched teams and it was a solid game. TCU wanted a low scoring game, but Boise's defense showed up. Frankly, TCU versus GT's 1930s offense would be worth the price of admission. Boise State would have been a delight in the Sugar Bowl instead of an uninspired and sleepy Cincinnati team (No, losing your coach is not an excuse because Bill Stewart lead West Virginia to a BCS win as the interim coach with a far worse team).
The overarching point is that the Orange Bowl is bad matchup of dubious terms. Not that Georgia Tech isn't a good team. Their offense is fun to watch and their defense is... well... it is present. Present as in there is usually 11 players on the field. GT needs this game to shootout because that defense is less than stellar. Luckily for them, Iowa's offense has been effectively dead all season. They are in the bottom quarter for rushing and in the middle for passing. This helps GT.
Iowa is admittedly decent even though this fine site has been screaming uncontrollably all year that they are extremely overrated. As previously mentioned, their offense is not good. But the defense is something to be proud of. They are in the top of D1 in third down success rates (for defense). Stopping the option on 3rd and short is a goal of any team playing GT, so this could bode well for the Corn.
Thus I like the Corn to win this somehow. They won at least 4 games this year that they should have lost (all to far worse teams). Because Tech is better than them, this one just screams win for Iowa.
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I had to read this 3 times to 3 different people to share with. The description of how the BCS lives and how they never seem to have a clue about any bit of public opinion or interest is dead on. They really are clueless. Have you seen their twitter feed? It's hilarious. They even created twitter accounts to post on that page applauding their effort. It's wonderful how absolutely clueless they are, yet sad how there doesn't look like there is an easy exit.
ReplyDeleteWell played, sir, and I will be returning to this site more and more.
Thank you "Masked Reader" for reading the site and enjoying this. We 100% agree that the BCS is terrible and we have looked at the twitter account and it is a joke. Not sure about the made up accounts, but it spits "cluelessness."
ReplyDeleteAnyway keep on reading and keep commenting. We always appreciate a good line dropped in from time to time.
--Slate
Well it looks like I may not be the only commentor anymore. Glad to have you here stranger.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, that's an excellent description of why the BCS committee have their heads up their ass. Living in a 4 mile down cave makes perfect sense.
That being said, I still think that this site is wrong to bash the BigTen, but Iowa has avoided more disasterous losses than anyone. I think Iowa will roll (they are already up 14-0 so I'm already right!).