The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) has stumbled again, folks. The season ended with three undefeated teams in Div. I-A college football, two of them coming from major conferences. Yet only one national champion has been crowned.
The Auburn Tigers, playing in the SEC, which many consider to be the toughest college football conference in the country, own the greatest claim to injustice. Going into the Nokia Sugar Bowl ranked third in the country, the Tigers defeated ninth-ranked Virginia Tech by a count of 16-13 in what proved to be a battle of two of the stingiest defenses in the country.
Auburn controlled the game throughout, despite the close score at the end. Three Auburn field goals in the first half put the Tigers up 9-0 at halftime. Coach Tommy Tuberville's Tigers extended their lead by posting a quick touchdown in the third quarter as QB Jason Campbell connected with Devin Aromashodu for a five-yard score, putting Auburn up 16-0. The Tigers had the game wrapped up from there. Virginia Tech posted two meaningless scores late in the fourth quarter, making the game seem closer than it actually was.
After the game, Tuberville was asked about being left out of the national title game. His response?
"Neither [USC or Oklahoma] is better than us. We'll play them anytime, anywhere," he told ESPN.com.
The rest of his team felt the same way. "People just don't understand how hard it is to go 13-0," Campbell said. "I'm not going to sit here and say we're No. 2 behind anybody."
The other undefeated team left out of the title hunt was underrated Utah. The Utes posted a massive victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, capping off an undefeated season with a 35-7 victory. The Utah offense put up five scores, catalyzed by four from sensational QB Alex Smith, who also threw for 328 yards and no interceptions. The Utes' defense held the Panthers to a paltry seventeen rushing yards and one score. Despite a 12-0 season, the 35-7 win still wasn't enough to land the Utes higher than No. 5 in the BCS final standings.
Unfortunately for Auburn, and to a lesser degree Utah, the only game that mattered in the eyes of the national title voters was the FedEx Orange Bowl, featuring No. 1 USC against No. 2 Oklahoma. The game wasn't even a contest, as USC blew out the Sooners 55-19. Trojan quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart threw an Orange Bowl-record five touchdown passes en route to securing the Trojans' second consecutive national title.
Unsurprisingly, the USC players felt exactly like the Auburn players.
"I think we proved tonight that we are the No. 1 team in the country without a doubt," Leinart said. "No doubt."
So who is the true champion? We're left with three undefeated teams, but everyone responsible for the final polls seems to think that USC, without a question, is the best team in the country. Many, including "Inside College Football," think that Auburn and USC should be co-champions, just as occurred last year between LSU and USC. But then again, our opinion doesn't matter. Many people are calling for the implementation of an NFL-style eight or four-team playoff. But the BCS mittee issued a statement saying that a playoff system is not in the near future.
Why not? BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg said there was no interest from presidents and chancellors in such a system. As often is the case, the real answer probably lies in dollars and cents, as many speculate that changing to a playoff system would be less profitable for several parties at hand.
But there is one thing for certain. With Leinart's recent announcement that he will return to USC for his senior season, the Trojans appear nearly impossible to beat next year. They return Leinart, all-purpose back and Heisman candidate Reggie Bush, who could be the best all-around player in college football, WR Steve Smith, and RB LenDale White. The Trojan men will be hunting for their third straight national title in 2005.
