BCS, Browns and the Heisman

A little house cleaning from the last few days...

BCS: This is not a fresh thought...but it is a joke.  The reasons against a playoff run hollow.

It makes the regular season more important: They like to say the current system makes each week like a playoff and that is true, to an extent, but it isn't fair. A key injury on a given week or a blip the first week of the year can ruin an entire season.  Look at Oregon. They are a machine right now, but lost in a mid-week kickoff classic to Boise State in the very first game of the college season so no shot for them. Are you telling me anyone would want to play them in a playoff right now?  That's my other point...an eight-team playoff still would make each regular season game important!  The fight for being in the top eight at the end of the season would gain just as much interest, like NASCAR's chase for the top 12 spots.

It is too much of a stress academically: Really? Funny how every other division of college football can play playoffs, including the NON-SCHOLARSHIP Division III kids who pay their way to some very expensive schools for an education and they happen to play football too.  Wouldn't it be more of a concern to them?

It preserves the sanctity of the bowls: I think that sanctity is already gone. How many people care about the other games besides the BCS title game? Does anyone care about Iowa vs. Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. No. Football fans and fans of those schools will watch, but there is no majesty to it. Now, with a playoff using the high-ranking bowls as the different rounds, everyone would watch and everyone would care.

ESPN's Jay Crawford tweeted: who wouldnt watch every play of every game 1 bama vs 8 osu. 2 texas vs 7 oregon. 3 cincy vs 6 boise st and 4 tcu vs 5 fla. then rd 2?!?!

And he's right!  The interest in those games and not just the title would be amazing. Remember, television pays the bills and these ratings would be better than they currently are, which would mean a higher contract for the next round of TV negotiations!

Other points:
Every other collegiate sport has a true champion and some claim this is the "pureness" of college football (here's looking at you Bill Plaschke). I'm sure that's what Penn State thought when they went undefeated twice without a shot at a national title and what Boise State, Cincinnati and TCU think this year. I'm sure it is what the various split-titles in the '80s and '90s had in mind too.

Finally, the folks who say it takes away from the minor bowls, I say get your head out of your butt. I am an Ohio University alum. I'm thrilled they are going to a bowl game...any bowl game! Those kids are still being rewarded for a great year, just the same as the current system. The minor bowls will barely know the difference with a playoff.

On to the Heisman...
If I had a vote, it would be: 1. Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska, DT), 2. Toby Gerhart (Stanford, RB), 3. Mark Ingram (Alabama, RB).

Suh is a monster. I can only wish the Browns take him in the top three picks of next year's NFL draft. I'm one to give defensive players their due and what many around the country saw vs. Texas was what he has been doing all year. He led the Cornhuskers in tackles...as a DT!!  That's amazing.

Gerhart was consistent all season long and showed up big in the biggest of games. Ingram deserves a lot of credit for having such a productive year in the best conference in the country.

And the Browns...
Once again, I am left asking myself why I am a fan of this team??  I know it is from birth, which is the ONLY way a Browns fan is developed nowadays. Yesterday was one of the better days of the season and that was with a game that was totally uncompetitive and uninteresting for two quarters but at least gave them a last gasp shot, which most other games (they all seem 31-3, right?) just don't have. 

They showed some things, but made the mistakes bad teams make. Phil Dawson misses a 43-yard field goal (he made a longer one later) and they give up an unexplicable sideline reception right before the half to allow the Chargers a cheap field goal. So instead of it being 10-10 at half, it was 13-7 and the Chargers took it to them in the third quarter to seize control of the game.  Yes, Brady Quinn did ok against the San Diego defense when they started allowing underneath throws, but when you average 6.0 yards per throw you aren't going to win many games.  Did you know the Browns don't have a touchdown on a run by a running back this year??  Sigh...and next up is the Steelers on a Thursday night national game. I don't care the Steelers have lost four straight, they aren't going to lose a fifth.  I don't know why I still care.

Alright, I promise I'll start getting to some fun on this blog and some interesting interviews in the next few posts to come.  I just had to get somethings off my mind.