POWERHOUSE CONFERENCE MUST BATTLE TO CONTINUE ITS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN
Johnny Manziel – a.k.a. “Johnny Football” – may have killed the Southeastern Conference’s run of six consecutive national titles. The Texas A&M redshirt freshman quarterback had the game of his life last weekend against defending national champion Alabama – leading the Aggies to a 29-24 upset of the top-ranked Crimson Tide.
In addition to entering the Heisman Trophy discussion in dramatic fashion, Manziel’s heroics – and a late interception by A&M defensive back Deshazor Everett – knocked Alabama from the top spot in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings.
For the first time since the initial BCS standings in 2010, a team from the all-powerful SEC is not currently ranked among the top two teams in the nation. And the clock is ticking … with only two weeks remaining in the season (not counting the conference championship games).
Despite its loss, Alabama remains the top SEC team in the rankings – although Nick Saban’s squad is now ranked No. 4 nationally behind Kansas State, Oregon and Notre Dame, all of whom remain undefeated. Behind Alabama is a veritable logjam of SEC powerhouses – Georgia (No. 5), Florida (No. 6), LSU (No. 7), Texas A&M (No. 8) and South Carolina (No. 9).
Kansas State has games remaining against unranked Baylor and No. 15 Texas. Oregon on the other hand has a pair of ranked opponents left on its schedule – No. 13 Stanford and No. 16 Oregon State. Notre Dame? The Fighting Irish play Wake Forest at home before wrapping up their season on the road against No. 18 Southern Cal.
All three of these undefeated squads have multiple wins over ranked opponents this season – but none of them have beaten an SEC team. In fact Kansas State and Notre Dame only have one win each against a Top Ten opponent – with both of them knocking off overrated Oklahoma.
And while it’s inconceivable that a one-loss, SEC champion squad wouldn’t leap frog at least one of these “mid-major” conferences in the BCS standings – can they climb two spots?
We’ll find out soon enough …
Whether the SEC has zero, one or two teams in the national championship game – it doesn’t alter the fundamental unfairness of the BCS system. That’s why this website has consistently lobbied on behalf of scrapping the current system and implementing an eight-game playoff system.
(To read our most recent thoughts on the matter, click here).
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BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES STANDINGS (November 11, 2012)
1. Kansas State .9674
2. Oregon .9497
3. Notre Dame .9396
4. Alabama .8534
5. Georgia .8328
6. Florida .7955
7. LSU .7331
8. Texas A&M .6621
9. South Carolina .6349
10. Florida State .6071
11. Clemson .5921
12. Oklahoma .5797
13. Stanford .5705
14. Nebraska .4679
15. Texas .4259
16. Oregon State .4161
17. UCLA .2925
18. USC .2769
19. Louisville .2159
20. Louisiana Tech .1911
21. Michigan .1665
22. Rutgers .1529
23. Texas Tech .1416
24. Oklahoma State .1088
25. Washington .0850
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20 comments
Good. Makes for an interesting season, that’s for sure.
GOD has just become a college football fan.
God has been a Clemson fan since 1889.
Frank is right. It’s true.
By Frank Howard November 12, 2012 at 1:46 pm
God has been a Clemson fan since 1889.
By Nölff November 12, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Frank is right. It’s true.
Hmm. Sounds like an insinuation of how y’all’s “damning” actually came to be. ;-p
Absolutely incredible that the SEC has 6 of the top 9 teams in the BCS standings.
It’s a self fulfilling prophecy though. SEC teams are all highly ranked at the beginning of the year, then tend to only schedule out of conference cupcakes. Thus, losses are only to other highly ranked SEC teams and they never drop because the losses “look” impressive, especially to voters who don’t have time to watch all the games. Rinse and repeat each year. Slive knew what he was doing when he cooked up the BCS.
Haters be hating. You sound like every other crybaby out there. If you cant beat em, try to claim its all because of special treatment.
Unless my Tigers can find a way to end USC’s streak at 3 and FSU can whoop the Gators, I wish the ACC would just forfeit our right to be in the BCS this year. The conference needs those quality wins because quite honestly, all of our opponents have sucked ass this year. Auburn, our one big (non rival) matchup has decided to fold up their tent leaving us with a loss to the only other semi-decent team we’ve played.
Va Tech and Miami were supposed to be solid football additions to the conference, but have tanked as of late. We could also count on GT, NC State, Maryland, and Virginia to have a decent year every now and then – but that sure hasn’t happened.
Best game of football on the tube all season bar none.
I for one love it because I get to see these young men in tight pants patting each other on the behind. It makes me wish I had a friend that would do that to me.
just add cock at the end brad
You might want to have that moving period checked out.
The computers will be kind to Alabama. They will be number 3 and will play number 1. Bet on it.
I’ve always found BCS polls meaningless.
I want Ricky Martin to be all mine
Forgot the S this time douchebag.
I love gay porn
So we’re just skipping letters hoping some SC educated idiot won’t notice?
Apparently no one told the Aggies that they were supposed to lose one for the team (SEC).