Spring Break
BCS Got It Right, Florida Deserves To Play Ohio State
College Football
Mike Mauro
Issue date: 12/5/06 Section: Sports
Last week, I was dead set on writing this week's article about the great tradition of the Army-Navy game and all the emotion that is involved in the great event. I have been fortunate to attend the game five or six times and it is by far the greatest sporting event I have ever been to. The game this year was better than it has been in recent history, but Navy once again pulled it out 26-14.
However, after the final weekend of the college football regular season wound down, and the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, shock and uncertainty filled the sport. Pete Carroll and the mighty Trojans were a lock to face Ohio State in the BCS title game with a win over struggling rival UCLA. Many figured the game was a mere formality and USC would make its third straight championship game appearance. However the passion of a rivalry must never be undervalued as UCLA came out fast and pressured USC quarterback John David Booty all day. In the end the Bruins held on for a 13-9 victory and sent the BCS into controversy once again.
The general consensus if USC lost was that Michigan would move up to the No. 2 spot since they were No.3 in the BCS. However, to ensure a berth in the title game they needed a loss from Florida in the SEC Championship game against Arkansas. Florida was still holding hope that if they could defeat the Razorbacks they could leapfrog Michigan and make it to the title game. With an impressive 38-28 win over a very tough Arkansas team, the Gators and Wolverines played the waiting game until Sunday night to see who would face the Buckeyes.
With some campaigning by Florida coach Urban Meyer and a more conservative attitude from Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, the voters in the Harris Poll and Coaches Poll weighed the two teams to decide who was worthy.
Then the final BCS ranking came out late Sunday night and it was the Florida Gators who would be facing off against the Buckeyes in what will be the first-ever meeting between these two perennial powerhouses. And you know what? The voters and computers made the right decision.
However, after the final weekend of the college football regular season wound down, and the final seconds ticked off the scoreboard at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, shock and uncertainty filled the sport. Pete Carroll and the mighty Trojans were a lock to face Ohio State in the BCS title game with a win over struggling rival UCLA. Many figured the game was a mere formality and USC would make its third straight championship game appearance. However the passion of a rivalry must never be undervalued as UCLA came out fast and pressured USC quarterback John David Booty all day. In the end the Bruins held on for a 13-9 victory and sent the BCS into controversy once again.
The general consensus if USC lost was that Michigan would move up to the No. 2 spot since they were No.3 in the BCS. However, to ensure a berth in the title game they needed a loss from Florida in the SEC Championship game against Arkansas. Florida was still holding hope that if they could defeat the Razorbacks they could leapfrog Michigan and make it to the title game. With an impressive 38-28 win over a very tough Arkansas team, the Gators and Wolverines played the waiting game until Sunday night to see who would face the Buckeyes.
With some campaigning by Florida coach Urban Meyer and a more conservative attitude from Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, the voters in the Harris Poll and Coaches Poll weighed the two teams to decide who was worthy.
Then the final BCS ranking came out late Sunday night and it was the Florida Gators who would be facing off against the Buckeyes in what will be the first-ever meeting between these two perennial powerhouses. And you know what? The voters and computers made the right decision.
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