Oklahoma State Unappreciated by Unsound BCS: Until Then, No Legit Winner

Wasn’t it so disrespectful, so unfair? We can whine and swing our arms disappointed, gripe over the unsound PCs that generate a debate each year and complain all night that Oklahoma State was devoid of earning the right to meet LSU in the BCS title game. So they’ll meet again, LSU and Alabama in New Orleans on the national stage.

It’s the equivalent of discounting the sexiest women for a beauty pageant and perhaps giving the honors to the ugliest woman in the contest. It may shock you to discern that Alabama, the second-ranked team in the nation finishing second in both the Harris and coaches’ poll by a large enough margin, qualifies for the national title to contend for the crystal football. We, the people, are disgruntled by the BCS formula, a chaotic situation unless there is an eight-game playoff system instituted to crown the true champ. So it should surprise no one that the formula is a testament to the madness and hysteria this season, as there are heated debates over the second-best team in the country, the one worthy in meeting LSU for the title.

If you were to make an argument, a reasonable argument, you as the voter might have craved LSU-Oklahoma State. The point is, maybe the vast majority wasn’t so fascinated with the notion that an overhyped SEC rematch is scheduled to alter the texture of college football. Like it or not, the current formula determines the BCS, a system not created to choose the honest championship and, no matter what we say, it’s not our call to establish a playoff but the committee’s responsibility to culminate the tumult.

The dysfunction, I’m afraid, is doomed to rise before the selection committee has a remedy to inevitably erase the flaws in the current computer formula from manipulating the teams’ fate and stopping all the political absurdity that has drawn more publicity than the game itself. The victims, of all people, is the self-righteous Oklahoma State after pleading their case with a towering 44-10 beatdown of No. 10 ranked Oklahoma Saturday night.

This time, in fairness, the Oklahoma State had proven that it was the nation’s second-best team, but the SEC monopoly continues to manipulate the formula and there’s a sense the best conference in football for years will dominate the BCS until one’s principle is fairly to orchestrate a playoff. The composition of fixing the unbalanced BCS is clearly to design an unbiased and nonpartisan scheme that chooses a championship matchup.

The rest of the nation can dissect any numbers – computer rankings and try to distinguish the nonsense. The rest of the nation can analyze the schedules and margins of victory, but no matter what the BCS are winners every time, until a playoff is inaugurated. There is not a trace of doubt that a playoff would be the right way to crown the winner, a quick fix to please the vast majority of the nation and even fraudulent voters that would end any prejudice and idiocy in a disoriented college football season.

The rationale is that we don’t have a playoff, as we all know, and until we get one, the BCS fraud will continue to insult the team most deserved to play for the national title. The guess is here that the Cowboys were screwed by the system which is a fraud and insult to the third-ranked team in the nation, neglecting them for the national title bid. The voters omitted the Cowboys, arguably the second-best team in the nation, brainwashed by the overexposed and far more superior conference and overwhelmed by the television ratings. It is what it is, unfortunately, a damn rematch that some desired to see again, while others were longing to witness LSU-Oklahoma State, two national powerhouses in the country.

Given the system, LSU-Alabama is the correct call. This is something we have to deal with, until changes are made to improve the system after Oklahoma State was denied of a trip to the BCS title game, even though it had the body of work and could’ve competed against LSU. The masses say that Oklahoma State deserved a shot, and it would have had it won their final two games. The shocker to Iowa State, at the time the Cowboys were only two wins away from securing a spot in the title game, smeared their national title hopes – stunned by a 29-point underdog.

Since then, the Cowboys were automatically ineligible to win the national title, one game that determined their season. The thing is, Alabama lost by three to the undeniable No. 1 team in the country, when Oklahoma State shockingly dropped a loss to the unranked Cyclones, a team that finished 6-6. That’s what the committee saw, if nothing else. That’s where the committee was incorrect. Just because a team loses to one of the mediocre teams in the nation, doesn’t mean they are unworthy of qualifying for the national stage.

It could be a convenient excuse to keep Oklahoma State out of the national title game, just as it’s another way to praise Alabama and observe the rematch over again. We can assume, by now, that the Big 12 was as superb as the SEC, probably even better had it not been for LSU. At least, the large range of computer rankings says the Big 12 was the best conference in the nation, but sadly blinded by the obsession with the SEC. In the end, four-one loss teams weren’t eligible for a shot at the national title. This is, though the Cowboys may have been the second-best team in the land, the society of college football – a system that is mired in much disarray.

It never makes any sense but as we’ve always said, you have to deal with it, live with it. The fact that Oklahoma State defeated seven teams with winning records and five teams that were ranked in last week’s BCS Top 25 wasn’t good enough. The fact that Alabama had beaten only three winning teams was good enough. It’s the time we live in, a period in college football that the SEC is adored and evidently claimed to be better than most leagues. To us, though, well, to most of us anyway, the Big 12 deserves the nod rightfully so.

There’s nothing in it for Oklahoma State, now that it is ranked No. 3 in the nation but deservedly so it was worthy of the No. 2. And, in this case of college football, we can now suggest perhaps it’s all about politics with evidence that the SEC is overly appreciated and has a top-dollar TV deal with ESPN. And then, just in recent years, the Southeastern Conference had more star power and appreicated athletes from the South, where folks care about football and has been an integral part in the Southern culture, much like a Saturday ritual for the folks in the dirty South.

The presence of Alabama in the BCS title game creates a controversy, but it’s not an absolute travesty either. If that sounds incorrect, you probably haven’t seen Alabama’s defensive dominance, you probably haven’t seen their old-school style defense. This can actually make for a watchable BCS title game, although I’d have preferred LSU vs. Oklahoma State. The Crimson Tide and the Tigers play the best defense in the nation, ranked 1-2 in scoring defense and total defense. As I say so often, defense wins games, whether you like it or not.

By now, you know that each team is fast and physical and had no flaws defensively. If that’s pretty damn good, then why are we startled? It’s because there’s no playoff, there’s no actual proof that Alabama earned the nod over Oklahoma State, yes, maybe on paper but we don’t know if they legitimized that they are better than the Cowboys. This season alone, LSU averaged 41 points per game, while Alabama amassed 39. And then, when they faced each other in “The Game of the Century,” a campaign that was hyped and brainwashed our senses to become infatuated by a rematch, they scored two field goals apiece in regulation.

Still, because Oklahoma State thrashed Oklahoma, there is a sense it was not taken into consideration as the Sooners are the Big 12, not the SEC. Believe it or not, Georgia is an SEC school, and with further evidence, the Bulldogs even played in the SEC title game on Saturday ranked ahead of Oklahoma in the Top 25, albeit that they hadn’t won anybody in the Top 25. What’s a true honor for the Bulldogs, not the fact that they played in the SEC championship game, but the fact that they are in the SEC, which may explain why Georgia was ranked No. 12 entering Saturday’s game.

Being in the wrong conference doomed Oklahoma State, and as a result, they had fallen short of stepping onto the national stage. It’s admittedly good to state that the Cowboys have trounced almost everybody this season, and unfortunately lost once, a heartbreaking loss in overtime that came hours after a plane crash killed two OSU women’s basketball coaches. The Crimson Tide already once lost 9-6 to LSU back on Nov. 5. I recall that night, because I covered it.

Why see it happen again?? It has been a season of controversy, from the BCS fraud to the damn expansions and realignment in conferences. The computer formulas are mathematically incorrect and make the average person cringe. The formulas aren’t honest — the formulas are deceiving, and with plenty of debate about how inaccurate a treacherous system really is when trying to award the real winner. Each season, it seems, the BCS is politically incorrect.

The wise thing is to eliminate the BCS. Until then, we’ll never know the legit winner.

LSU Merits Appreciation Not Disregards

Clearly in the huddle, in midfield of Cowboys Stadium, Jarrett Lee stood in place of suspended quarterback Jordan Jefferson. For now, the responsibility lies at the feet of Lee, whose a stellar passer if not an aristocrat of quarterbacks for a unit with national championship ambitions -- and maybe even the accountability lies in the hands of LSU head coach Les Miles.

The vast majority who disliked Lee, though, tried hard to influence him to transfer discontent with his performance on the field. He could have easily descended because of the booing, jeering and utmost disrespect, but he earned his respect. He could have fled the university and gave up on himself, but he chose to endure the challenge and has risen as a fine thrower with a gifted hand.

It's an obligation the Tigers should consider taking on now, and the folks of Southern hospitality in Baton Rouge should be rooting for the fifth-year senior. Miles is probably now angling to name Lee his everyday starter -- and for one reason only -- LSU can actually win.

Before he does evaluates and switches the toughest position on the field, giving it to the hottest passer or the man worthy of handling the pressure as the starter, he might want to look in a mirror and ask himself does Jefferson merits the role or does Lee. It's not too difficult to name Lee the starter -- rightfully so -- after he clearly gave it his divine effort.

The off-the-field troubles of an egregious bar fight and, more incredibly, losing one of the finest playmakers to NCAA violations wouldn't matter. The latest chapter in the midst of tumult is that LSU still can win without a splendid player ineligible for a bar fight and his actions off the field. There's nothing that stopped the Eye of the Tigers.

There was a little bit of a message sent to everybody nationally for doubting LSU and its depleted roster. The Tigers had been preparing for hours and now they proved to the nation that they are ready to contend for a national title. The mood quickly shifted and LSU prevailed in an eventful showdown -- pulverizing No. 3 Oregon by a score of 40-27 for an opening-night win, a rout to awaken the nation, to presumably favor LSU of landing atop the rankings in the next few weeks if teams somehow disappoint and drop in the rankings.

It was so lopsided, that the Tigers' perennial power was an overmatch for Oregon -- thought to be administered on opening night as cupcake games usually are seen in the early weeks of the season, but it definitely was unexpected for this particular showdown that turned into an annihilation. For another night in Death Valley it seems -- it's time to turn all eyes towards LSU and, yes, after one game the Tigers are proven to be elite and noteworthy.

What defied all confidence was the Tigers defense, only a year after losing three defensive players chosen in the 2011 NFL Draft. All things considered, the most unbelievable surprise of the night came from LSU as a whole. The players at the center of trouble, however, are Jefferson and Russell Shepard suspended by the NCAA, each ineligible for the violation of NCAA rules.

An ugly stormed stemmed from Jefferson and Russell, but it seems certain that the Tigers aren't affected by the ghastly messes and instead commits to teamwork, executes a convenient game plan and plays diligently. In the wake of the downfall, it has brought the team and athletic program closer together unified as a whole and energized to silent the nation by being one of the dark horses in college football.

Meanwhile, Shepard -- a junior who was believed to be a starter and an explosive wideout if not a target offensively -- has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA and missed the season opener, and could miss more than one game for consulting with a teammate regarding an NCAA investigation. Even after catching 33 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown last season, he wasn't missed. Even after rushing 32 times for 226 yards and two more touchdowns, his versatility wasn't required to demoralize the Ducks and the Quack Attack in one of the largest, spacious palaces in sports.

It took the suspension of Jefferson to mend LSU, and while there's a chance the Tigers may be the best program in the nation if they continue to shine, this team needs to win to cure the anguish and purge the badness. The Tigers are now in conversations to climb into the No. 3 spot in the nation, following a beautiful date with the Ducks on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, a ranking that respectively declares LSU's relevancy viewed a national power in college football.

There are other, more delightful things to discuss about LSU, such as its defense and how it precisely has withstood the drama and disturbance, not only Jefferson's alleged involvement in a bar fight or Shepard's loudmouth. If anything, the Tigers have grown from the havoc, hungrier and fiercer to win.

It was a ferocious blowout, the kind of blow where large fangs and sharp claws were used to physically overpower the third-ranked Ducks. It's a shame Jefferson would violate curfew, wind up in a bar fight and be arrested on a felony battery charge, and as a result, get suspended indefinitely by Miles when Baton Rouge police determined there was enough evidence to issue the warrants.

The common denominator right now, for each team that is, happens to be defense. By the time the game was over, however, LSU was still faster, stronger and more physical as the Ducks couldn't handle or slow down the Tigers. It was too much for Oregon to handle. It was too much pressure. It was too much athleticism to endure. And it hurt.

Having Oregon head coach Chip Kelly around isn't enough, even if the Ducks earned relevance and praise by winning a multitude of games with speed and talent, from quick plays to speedy players. At one point, Oregon came with a package of aggressiveness and toughness. It used to be the Ducks wearing down a defense, and then crazily taking off with the game in the second half. Not this time.

It was LSU doing what Oregon used to do to other teams in the past. What's hard to believe is that people honestly believe that the SEC is an overhyped conference, such as was the case when Oregon came all so close before losing in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game against Auburn in January and had hearts broken, leaving the desert without the crystal ball trophy.

And now Oregon drops one of the most critical games to LSU, unsuccessful in employing the rush attack against SEC teams and has not ran longer than 14 yards in two games. There was LaMichael James, a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, but he was ineffective and useless against the Tigers, rushing for a total of 54 yards and looking too damn hesitant on a series of plays.

It was bound to happen for a team with no passing game to counterbalance for a prolific ground attack, but Darron Thomas isn't directed to throw it more frequently to balance the offense. Much credit belongs to LSU cornerback Tharold Simon and the Tigers defense. Those defenders were too agile and explosive in an onslaught to outrun and outplay the Ducks, a team that never had a completion longer than 18 yards, unable to break away or run pass LSU's almighty defenders.

It's not a myth, but defense truly win games and LSU studies show that LSU's defenders forced four turnovers and three of those miscues led literally to Tigers' touchdowns. Even with the answer so glaringly conspicuous, Miles prepared his players for the challenge and had his players run grueling drills in nearly every practice, since the spring. It paid off as well, running two separate offensive teams at the defense on consecutive plays.

This is one way of getting away from troubles -- winning games -- and when there's really no need to wonder if Jefferson will return for the next game after allegedly kicking a man in the face during a brawl outside Shady's, a well-known bar in Baton Rouge, there's reason to believe in the Tigers. It was as if the season was a total lost for LSU and as if a damaged blow was enough to hinder the Tigers from bidding for a BCS bowl game.

It turns out, after all, that Lee, Jefferson's replacement, isn't as bad as people make it seem. He has the experience and has played in plenty of football games for the Tigers during his five-year span, despite a horrid track record of 17 career touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. Whether his numbers were awful, he can still be given the starting nod, finishing 10-of-22 for 98 yards. He had one throw for a highlighted play when he hurled a beautiful touchdown pass to Rueben Randle, competent of handling LSU's offense.

But mainly, LSU forced fumbles to set up opportunities to score and it was successful when Oregon punt returner Kenjon Barner fumbled to give the Tigers six points. Before he turned it over, he retrieved a punt inside the Ducks' 10-yard line, and then he turned to the onrushing LSU defender. Running after Barner was cornerback Tyrann Mathieu, a fast runner, stripping the ball loose, recovering it and returning it for his first collegiate touchdown.

This time, as opposed to the previous season, LSU is still in good position to prevail, even though the program is faced with heartaches and distress, the kind of distractions no team needs at the beginning of a brand-new season. The Tigers, for what it's worth, depended on their defense, survived by their defense and dominated by their defense.