Know Who You Are

I'm a big fan of Colin Cowherd. And something Cowherd says all the time is the simple principle of "own your baggage". That is to say, know who you are. I take self-awareness very seriously, I think its a quality that is too rare in our culture. 


I bring all of this up because there is an individual and related group out there who currently are not self-aware and not owning their baggage.


If you've been reading my BCS posts the past few days you know I talking about the Boise State Broncos and their coach Chris Peterson. Peterson, who be sure is a fantastic coach, came out Monday and was extremely critical of the BCS, saying that everyone is sick of the system.


This is not to say I disagree with him. If you've looked, you know I think the BCS is a joke. But let's be clear about something, right now its the system we have and you have to be realistic about how the system works. I called from a mile out that Boise State wasn't going to go to a BCS Bowl, it was obvious. What was their argument? They beat down on an average Georgia team in the first game of the season. Just because Georgia made the SEC championship game and the media played it up for a week like they had a shot to beat LSU doesn't mean they were good. UCLA made the Pac-12 championship game! That's no indication of how good a team is, because don't forget, there are three good teams in the SEC, LSU, Alabama and Arkansas, then Georgia is a distant fourth. Everyone else in the SEC is below average, just like the bottom level of every other conference. It's just that the perception of the SEC is so strong right now you think every team is a juggernaut. Do you really this Ole Miss and Kentucky are any better than Northwestern and Minnesota? 


But this is about Boise, not about the SEC. You can be critical of the system if you want. But you cannot be Boise State and pretend you had a realistic shot. You beat an average team and lost to a team that was average at best. You play a laughable schedule in a laughable league. If you don't go undefeated, you don't get your shot, sorry, that's how it works. 


If feel like I should elaborate, but what's left to be said? Boise didn't do what they had to do. And by the way, I don't want to hear anyone banging on West Virginia or Clemson about them making the BCS and Boise not. I don't think West Virginia is very good, they're very average. But, the one thing I can say about these two schools is they did what we all say we want when we call for a playoff; they did what they had to do on the field. It may not have been pretty and you may not like it, but when these teams got into spots where they knew they had to win a game to get their conference championship and their BCS spot, they did and that is what a playoff spirit is all about. 


You know who didn't get it done on the field? Boise State.


Just be real. Know who you are. Own your baggage. That's what its all about.


More to come
XoXo
-Joshua

Oh What Could Be...

As we sit about five hours out from Super Computers deciding who will play for one of our favorite sport's Championship, let's consider what could be.


What if the BCS did this like other sports? Like, oh say, the NFL? Of course, that P-word that sends a chill down the BCS' spine-playoff.


This is what a playoff of the top two teams from every BCS conference seeded by Champions then record (and starting next week) would look like. [with simulated predictions]

1. LSU (13-0)
2. Oklahoma State (12-1)

3. Oregon (11-2)

4. Wisconsin (11-2)

5. Clemson (10-3)

6. West Virginia (9-3)

7. Alabama (11-1)

8. Stanford (11-1)

9. Virginia Tech (11-2)

10. Kansas State (10-2)

11.  Michigan State (10-3)

12. Cincinnati (9-3)

Round 1 (Dec. 10-11): 

1. LSU/2. Oklahoma State/3. Oregon/4.Wisconsin - Byes

Dec. 10, 3pm ESPN - 12. Cincinnati (9-3, Big-East 1st place tie) at 5. Clemson (10-3, ACC Champion)

Dec. 10, 8pm ABC - 11. Michigan State (10-3, Big Ten Championship 2nd place) at 6. West Virginia (9-3, Big East Champions)

Dec. 11, 3pm ESPN - 10. Kansas State (10-2, Big 12 2nd place) at 7. Alabama (11-1, SEC 2nd place)

Dec. 11, 8pm ABC - 9. Virginia Tech (11-2, ACC 2nd place) at 8. Stanford (11-1, Pac-12 2nd place)

Round 2 (Dec. 17-18):
Dec. 17, 3pm ESPN - 5. Clemson (11-3, ACC Champions) at 4. Wisconsin (11-2, Big Ten Champions)


Dec. 17, 8pm ABC - 11. Michigan State (11-3, Big Ten 2nd place) at 1. LSU (13-0, SEC Champion)


Dec. 18, 3pm ESPN - 7. Alabama (12-1, SEC 2nd place) at 3. Oregon (11-2, Pac-12 Champion)


Dec. 18, 8pm ABC - 9. Virginia Tech (12-2, ACC 2nd place) at 2. Oklahoma State (12-1, Big 12 Champion)


Round 3 (Dec. 24):
Dec. 24, 3pm ESPN - 9. Virginia Tech (13-2, ACC 2nd place) at 4. Wisconsin (12-1, Big Ten Champion)


Dec. 24, 8pm ABC - 7. Alabama (13-1, SEC 2nd place) at 1. LSU (14-0, SEC champion) [how ironic]


Championship Game (Jan. 1):
Jan. 1, 8pm ABC (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX) - 4. Wisconsin (13-1, Big Ten Champions) vs. 1. LSU (15-0, SEC Champions)




So yeah...nobody would be interested in watching any of that...and nobody could make any money from those games. Let's just keep the BCS system we have, it's working out, right?