BOGUS COMPUTERIZED SHIT STINKS.
Sword of Troy
By FRANK BODANI
Daily Record/Sunday News
Updated: 12/14/2009 01:33:39 AM EST
With a couple of weeks before the big bowl games begin there's still
plenty of time to rail on the BCS and to
examine how Penn State actually lost a beauty contest to Iowa.
All of the undefeated teams ...
All of the upheaval maybe finally starting to lead to some meaningful
change down the road?
The best place to start is with the Fiesta Bowl. And the conspiracy to
force Boise State and TCU to play each other, nothing in the least to
be gained by the outcome.
It's all about protecting the system, it's all about spin and,
strangely enough, it's not about money and TV ratings.
Which means that the BCS bosses really mean business.
Consider that the last thing they want is another episode of Boise
toppling Oklahoma or Utah beating up on Alabama. All Utah did last
year was bring a heat felt all the way in Congress, the kind that's
still causing angst among the game's dictators.
So the best way to avoid more problems?
Make Boise and TCU sit at the kid's holiday table once again. They
don't get a shot to prove themselves against the big boys, don't get
to prove anything while performing a rematch of the Poinsettia Bowl
from last year.
Yawn.
So that takes us to the Orange Bowl.
Certainly, the Big Ten probably was pushing for Iowa to land a BCS bid
-- not necessarily because its leaders dislike Penn State but, rather,
to elevate Iowa's standing in the conference. Another national, prime
time player for the league is a good thing, the thinking goes.
That means the Orange Bowl reps had arms twisted to take the Hawkeyes,
even if they thought of looking elsewhere -- looking at Penn State.
So that leaves us with a very sound, plucky Iowa team with a bland
coach and a bland offense and an injured starting quarterback who
threw more than a dozen interceptions.
Against lukewarm Georgia Tech with its quirky offense.
Yawn.
And don't get me wrong. Penn State did not deserve the BCS bid more.
But given the chance? At least we could have seen some type of
entertaining shootout. because Daryll Clark morphs into an elite
quarterback when he's given some time to throw against suspect
defenders -- and Tech's defense is as about as suspect as it gets.
This one could have been 35-28 with Penn State's legendary coach
stalking the sideline deep into the night, the league's top linebacker
combo finally healthy as they try to prevent the tying score at the
very end.
Instead, the Lions get LSU, which is as intriguing as anything else
out there, just at the wrong time and wrong place.
(Strangely enough, Penn State really didn't gain anything by playing
its best game and blowing out Michigan State in the season-finale on
the road. A loss would still have them in the Capital One Bowl).
So what, then, are we really looking at with the BCS?
We'll make do with defenseless Cincinnati trying to slow the Florida
Gators, who might score 50, even if their hearts and heads are
elsewhere after losing a national title shot.
We do get Ohio State and Oregon in the Rose Bowl -- the best matchup
out there.
And there is the finale, suddenly overwhelming Alabama against
suddenly vulnerable Texas.
Actually, that might not be a bad one.
At least it's two powers who we care about, have feelings about,
expect to produce some sort of competition that could go in different,
interesting directions.
But here's the thing:
I'd much rather look forward to TCU bringing their overlooked power on
both sides of the ball, pumped up high as can be, carrying a nation's
underdog hopes.
The Horned Frogs may be the best team we don't know much about. The
best in years.
And that night would have been great theater.
It would have rivaled anything March Madness could give us, which is
saying something.
But this is college football.
And, as it turns out, that would have just been too much to ask.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the Daily Record/Sunday
News. Reach him at 771-2104 or fbo...@ydr.com.