After last weekend’s slate of conference championships for the NCAA’s upper division of college football teams, the contestants for this year’s Bowl Championship Series (BCS) have been selected by their all-knowing, all-wise selection panel. According to their website, the BCS selection group is tasked to determine which four teams should be selected to participate in a playoff to determine college football’s national championship.
Sounds good. Alas, politics, television ratings, and “brand” recognition have a lot to do with the selection process. How else can the lone remaining undefeated college football team (out of 130 NCAA D-1 schools) be left out of such a playoff? Heck, the BCS college football snobs ranked the only undefeated college football team as the #12th best team in the nation. WHAT?
The University of Central Florida defeated Memphis 62-55 in double overtime last Saturday to win the American Athletic Association conference championship and finish with a perfect 12-0 record in 2017. Their reward? A 12th place ranking by the chiefs of the BCS.
The UCF Knights are the best story which the sports media has ignored for most of this season. UCF has company, though. These undefeated teams were also dissed by the BCS in prior years:
The 2004 Utah Utes (11-0 and ranked #6 by the BCS) and the 2008 Utah Utes (12-0, ranked #6 and defeated #4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl).
The 2006 Boise State Broncos (12-0 and ranked #8 by the BCS) and the 2009 Boise State Broncos (12-0 and ranked #6 by the BCS)
The 2007 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (12-0 and ranked #10 by the BCS)
The 2017 UCF Knights (12-0 and ranked #12) will be ranked lower than any of the above teams.
Your benevolent and generous BCS committee has not totally ignored the University of Central Florida. As the #12 seed, they will be sent to Atlanta for a New Year’s match-up with #7 Auburn (with a record of 9-3) in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. A good payday and national television exposure is great for UCF. But, your SwampSwami would like to see how they would match-up on the field with the so-called Big Boys.
The BCS Final Four is as follows: #1 Clemson (ACC) vs. #4 Alabama (SEC) while #2 Oklahoma (Big 12) plays #3 Georgia (SEC).
Who are my Final Four? #1 UCF vs. #4 Georgia and #2 Oklahoma vs. #3 Clemson.
Being the only undefeated team left standing, I believe UCF deserves a shot at the National Championship in this four team playoff. In my rankings, Alabama would be left out. I say, “Why not?” Alabama lost to Auburn and finished third at the end of the SEC’s regular season anyway!
UCF leads the way in this special “BS to the BCS” Top 25 College Football rankings:
| # | Team | W | L | Best win this season | ||
| 1 | UCF | 12 | 0 | Beat 12-2 Memphis 40-13 at home | ||
| 2 | Oklahoma | 12 | 1 | Beat 11-2 Ohio State 31-16 @ Ohio St | ||
| 3 | Clemson | 12 | 1 | Beat 10-2 Miami 38-3 @ ACC Champ. | ||
| 4 | Georgia | 12 | 1 | Beat 10-3 Auburn 28-7 @ SEC Champ. | ||
| 5 | Alabama | 12 | 1 | Beat 9-3 LSU 24-10 at home | ||
| 6 | Ohio State | 11 | 2 | Beat 11-1 Wisconsin 27-21 – Big10 champ | ||
| 7 | Wisconsin | 12 | 1 | Beat 8-4 Michigan 24-10 at home | ||
| 8 | USC | 11 | 2 | Beat 9-3 Stanford 42-24 at home | ||
| 9 | Washington | 10 | 2 | Beat 9-3 Washington St. 41-14 at home | ||
| 10 | Miami (Fla) | 10 | 2 | Beat 9-3 Notre Dame 41-8 at home | ||
| 11 | San Diego State | 10 | 2 | Beat 9-4 Stanford 20-17 at home | ||
| 12 | Penn State | 10 | 2 | Beat 8-4 Michigan 42-13 at home | ||
| 13 | Toledo | 11 | 2 | Beat 8-4 N. Illinois 27-17 at home | ||
| 14 | Memphis | 10 | 2 | Beat 7-4 Houston 42-38 @ Houston | ||
| 15 | South Florida | 10 | 2 | Beat 6-6 Temple 43-7 at home | ||
| 16 | Troy | 10 | 2 | Beat 9-3 LSU 24-21 @ LSU | ||
| 17 | LSU | 9 | 3 | Beat 10-3 Auburn 27-23 at home | ||
| 18 | Auburn | 10 | 3 | Beat 11-1 Alabama 26-14 at home | ||
| 19 | TCU | 10 | 3 | Beat 9-3 Okie State 44-31 @ OSU | ||
| 20 | Washington State | 9 | 3 | Beat 10-2 USC 30-27 at home | ||
| 21 | Boise State | 10 | 3 | Beat 10-2 San Diego St. 31-14 @ SD St. | ||
| 22 | Northwestern | 9 | 3 | Won 3 OT games + 9-3 Mich. St 39-31 | ||
| 23 | Michigan State | 9 | 3 | Beat 10-2 Penn State 27-24 at home | ||
| 24 | Notre Dame | 9 | 3 | Beat 9-3 Michigan St. 38-18 @ MSU | ||
| 25 | Oklahoma State | 9 | 3 | Beat 7-5 W. Virginia 50-39 @ W.Va. |