A lot of people who know me well asked if I was in mourning now that the college football season is complete. My first thought was yes, and I am, but I will talk college football 24/7 anytime of the year with whoever will listen. I love the games and not having any for eight months is disappointing, but there's recruiting right now, spring practice from March until May and then just three months left until kickoff. The true off-season is just three months.
Here's some issues I would like to see addressed before the 2008 season begins. First, collapse the back end of the bowl season. I love all the bowl games, but the major bowls being spread over a week is tough. I know Fox and ABC are rivals, but can't we get the games played in a shorter period of time? Second, put the BCS Championship game on Friday. If the game is going to be a week later and compete against the NFL, at least put the game on a Friday so the fans can watch and not have to go to work the next day. Sorry to the weekend warriors.
Third, do something about the coaches posturing for the BCS Championship game. If your team rattles off five or six wins late in the season, but lost two games in beginning or middle of the season, you still lost games. Saying that your team is playing the best right now is, (1) an insult to the teams that beat you earlier in the season; (2) stupid because it means you are ignoring your total body of work which is blemished; and (3) unproven because almost any good team on a winning streak can make this argument.
Lastly, stop the complaining about scheduling. Almost every good team plays one or two cupcakes during the out of conference schedule. Top teams want the easier games because confernce games are much more difficult. Additionally, the strength of conference play is cyclical - there's two years for the SEC, then there's two years for the Big 10 or Big 12 - it happens. When Ohio State scheduled Washington home and away, they were coached by Neuheisel and a top five team. In 2007, the team was average.
I know it may be difficult to change the bowl dates at this point, but Fox needs to make this adjustment. The NCAA needs to work with the coaches about their grandstanding. I know it's their job to promote their team, but when you lose to Stanford at home and you lost to South Carolina and Tennessee, maybe you don't deserve a shot at the title.
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