Thoughts From The Valley

The Hangover

How I am feeling: Validated. I have been saying all season that college football does not need a playoff. Now I know I'm right. See below.

What I am drinking: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. It's been a long, beautiful, exhausting, exhillerating season. And so I toast The Season That Was with a nip o' whiskey. I am Irish, after all. And Irish people drink whiskey.

What I am listening to: The Penn State Blue Band, "The Nittany Lion." The season just ended and I miss it already.

My thoughts on the weekend: Sometime earlier this season, I underwent a significant life change: I stopped advocating for a college football playoff and became, instead, one of those people (yes, we are out there; and we have all of the power on our side) who believe the current college football bowl system, for all of its faults, is still better than any playoff formula anyone could think up.

And, strangely, even in the midst of the chaos and uproar over this year's Mythical National Championship game--the debate that has been raging since Saturday night about who should get in, and who should not get in--I feel more strongly about this than ever.

Here's why: If college football had a "playoff," folks, the beautiful insanity that was this past weekend--the incredible upheaval caused by that stunning Pitt win over No. 2 West Virginia, that painful-to-watch Rich Rodriguez news conference afterward, the shameless shilling by used-car salesmen Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops about why their teams deserve a shot at the title, and, of course, the whining and moaning from television sports personalities (NFL guys, no doubt) who can't understand why college football operates the way it does--would not have been possible.

And what a shame that would have been. I mean, come on. Admit it: These last few weeks have been fun. Precisely because our system is so utterly and beautifully weird.

As for you pro-playoff, folks? Well, let me tell you what I think: I think we already have a playoff system. It's just a playoff system that is, well, a tad more nuanced, imperfect and simply better than that system in the NFL--you know, that system that is both perfect and incredibly boring.

Our system is better. Sure, the rules change daily. But the general idea remains: If you want to win it all, don't lose.

See, from my point of view, it appears as though both West Virginia and Missouri had "playoff" games on Saturday. They both lost. So they don't get to play for the national championship. And that's sad.

But you know what? They still get to go to some pretty cool bowl games.

Their fans get to go someplace warm and celebrate great seasons. The entire Missouri and West Virginia campus communities have an excuse for a big year-end party. And party they should. They are going bowling.

But you know where Missouri, West Virginia and their fans would be going right now if we had a playoff, and they just lost in it?

They'd be going nowwhere. They'd be going home. And what fun is that?

I guess my point is this: If all you care about is choosing a national champion, then maybe a playoff makes sense. But if you, like me, believe there's much more to college footbal than choosing just one team out of 119 to call "the best," well, then the current system is about as good as it's going to get.

It's imperfect. It doesn't always work. It's frustrating and convoluted and it's everything that the NFL playoffs are not.

But you know what?

That's fine with me.

Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust

Three ...: I am going to go out on a limb and say that West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez was a bit upset on Saturday night. If you haven't yet seen his post-game press conference, I'm sure you will soon enough. The man was crestfallen. His already famous quote about his team's crushing defeat to Pitt, which cost them a chance to play For The Whole Enchillada? “It was just a nightmare. The whole thing was a nightmare, just a flat-out nightmare." I think I know why Rodriguez appeared so thoroughly crushed, and it's not just because he just blew a chance to play in the Mythical National Championship game. All due respect to the 'Eers, but the fact is, they are not an Ohio State, LSU or USC. West Virginia gets a shot to play for it all about once every 20 years. And there's one reason: Because they play in the Big East, West Virginia can typically only expect to make the title game if: a) They go undefeated (which simply does not happen very often), and; b) Two teams from stronger conferences aren't also undefeated. This season was that one miracle season in which the 'Eers had a chance to win their way into the title game even though they had a loss (to South Florida). And I'll tell you what: That opportunity may not return for another 20 years. So yeah, Rich-Rod is right: Saturday night was a nightmare. One that he'll not forget for the next 20 years or so.

 

Two ...: If you didn't know who LeSean "Shady" McCoy was before this weekend, well, I'm sure you know now. McCoy, a Pennsylvania high school legend who endured a tumultuous senior year in high school, then landed at a prep school before ending up at Pitt, may prove to be the latest in the Panthers' long line of great tailbacks. In fact, he may well end up being the very best (all due respect to Tony Dorsett). As a true freshman this season--and while spiltting time, by the way, with LaRod Stephens-Howling--McCoy rushed for 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns. But he saved his best performance for The Backyard Brawl. Against West Virginia on Saturday night, McCoy carried the ball 38 times for 148 yards, and supplied basically all the offense Pitt needed to pull The Biggest Upset In College Football Since USC Lost To Stanford In October. Said McCoy afterward: "This was my first [Backyard Brawl] and the atmosphere of it was great. Before that bus ride coming in, I always said to myself, 'Man, why these guys hate West Virginia so much?' Now I understand why. It was a different game. I'm so happy we won that game, I'm just so happy for us."

One ...: I just thought of one more reason why the BCS worked this year: As I type this, it is rather apparent that LSU and Ohio State are going to meet for the Mythical National Championship. Even though I'm not totally convinced LSU deserves that bid, I am quite frankly overjoyed that USC didn't get it. Any year that we don't have to put up with those guys (and Pete Carroll) in the title game has to be considered a success. Los Angeles does not deserve to win anything football related. They should stick to surfing.

Touchdown ...: So I suppose you may be wondering: "Does Your Editor have a prediction for the Mythical National Championship Game?" Well, turns out, I do. And here it is: Ohio State will win. I am not sure how, I am not sure why, but they will win. And I base my prediction on two factors. The first factor? How about the fact that everyone seems to assume that LSU is going to manhandle the Buckeyes--basing their prediction, I suppose, on the fact that Florida did in fact manhandle Ohio State last year. Nevermind the fact that this is an entirely different Buckeye team. But this assumption (and it is a real leap in logic, in Your Editor's Not So Humble Opinion) means the Bucks will arrive for this one with a signficant chip on their shoulder (which, in college football, is always a good thing; see Ohio State vs. Miami, 2002). The second factor? Simple: Sen. Jim Tressel will not allow his team to be embarrassed two years in a row. That may sound dumb. Maybe it is. But I've been watching Jim Tressel win championships for years now--some folks may not know that, before arriving at Ohio State and leading the Buckeyes to their greatest stretch of success since the Woody Hayes era, Tressel built a dominant program at Division I-AA Youngstown State. Tressel's formula? Simple: Tough defense. Great, near-perfect special teams. An offense that is just good enough. And a bunch of smart football players. Look, LSU is a fine team. Les Miles may well be a fine coach. But I can only base my predictions on what I've seen. And what I've seen is Sen. Tressel dominate the Big Ten like no coach in recent memory. Prediction: Ohio State 23, LSU 16