BCS Trouble

[DKW 86 7,419]

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Let the whining begin for Auburn

By Barker Davis

The Washington Times' national college football writer takes a look at the week that was:

    Once again we come to the midpoint of a season with a BCS disaster looming on the horizon.

    Though the number of unbeatens was halved over the weekend, leaving just seven unscathed squads, college football's national title picture grows ever more muddled. When the first set of BCS standings comes out later today, Oklahoma and Southern California are projected to head the list. And while perhaps that position is to be expected for the two teams that have been atop the polls all season, expect to hear some serious whining from the War Eagles.

    Why? Because of the five remaining major-conference unbeatens (USC, Oklahoma, Auburn, Miami and Wisconsin), Auburn is performing at the highest level. While the Trojans and Sooners have spent the last month slithering past substandard league opponents on alternating weekends (see Stanford and Kansas State), the Tigers (7-0, 4-0 SEC) have been busy euthanizing members of the nation's toughest conference.

    Auburn didn't just beat its most recent SEC opponents (at Tennessee and vs. Arkansas), it put them down in cold, clinical fashion. Against the Vols and Hogs, two teams nobody relishes playing, the Tigers took second-quarter leads of 31-3 and 30-0, respectively, before sending in the subs and shutting down in the second half.

    Senior quarterback Jason Campbell, forced to learn his fourth different offense in as many seasons, finally has flowered under former UCLA offensive whiz Al Borges, who installed a run-centric version of the West Coast offense on the Plains this season. And with Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown behind the suddenly stellar Campbell, Auburn's offense has been nothing short of overwhelming.

    And yet, if USC, Oklahoma and Auburn win out, and they will be heavy favorites in all 15 of their combined remaining games, the Tigers almost certainly will get shafted by the system. The same thing, of course, can be said to a lesser extent about Miami and Wisconsin. But neither of those teams has Auburn's gripe. The 'Canes have been outplayed at home twice (by Florida State and Louisville). And Wisconsin dodges Michigan in an already down Big Ten.

    No knock on USC and Oklahoma, but neither the shallow Pac-10 nor the morphing Big 12 compares favorably to the SEC, not with Nebraska and Oregon down and Washington and Kansas State out. When all you have to do to notch an undefeated season is sit through the Mack Brown Memorial in Dallas (Oklahoma) or clip Cal at home (USC), you don't deserve the nod over an Auburn team that will have beaten LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and tacked on an added exclamation point in the SEC title game.

    It's coming people. And if you think there was BCS caterwauling last season when three one-loss teams were involved, just imagine the exponential jump in indignation if this season's BCS controversy surrounds an unbeaten SEC team.

    Game balls and gassers

    Speaking of Auburn, the first individual game ball goes to Campbell, who was a sparkling 17 of 19 for 297 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Tigers' 38-20 trouncing of Arkansas.

   

[AU4Ever 0]

Do you think we are getting some nation-wide attention with this team? Seems like every sportswriter is pulling for us. Except, of course, the ones who vote in the polls.

[aubiedog 0]

I would expect the sports writers to be a bit more patient.. If AU wins the remainder of the season, I will not be surprised to see USC and AU 1 and 2. And I'm not convinced USC will be on top.

The votes are changing each week. We passed Miami in the AP this week. Look for the margin to widen. As it does, the BCS will turn. Also, we narrowed the gap in the Coaches poll. It may sit still for a couple of weeks, but a win over UGA will have to be taken seriously.

The poll voters are waiting to give Auburn the votes AFTER they beat GA, UAT, and win the SEC championship - not before. But, I'm glad to see writers bringing the point to the surface early to remind the poll voters to change their vote at the appropriate time - immediately following the UGA game.

[AU4Ever 0]

I think eventually the powers that be will be forced to come up with some sort of a playoff system. (No1 vs No4, No2 vs No3, maybe). If the BCS has another disaster like last year, the college football world will be screaming.

[bammanmr 0]

I sent the guy an e-mail thanking him for his support. Nice article.

[rolltoomer 0]

Didn't like his choice of "whining" that Auburn would be doing.

Would have preferred "roaring with righteous outrage".

Still, a good, supportive article.

I believe our coaches would play anybody, anywhere, any time.

The emphasis on the polls this year does have a drawback--the political influence of demographics and regional bias on the voters' part. It is probably the real reason Peyton Manning did not win the Heisman.

[CalcoTiger 0]

If the strength of schedule component was in it like last year that would definately help Auburn this year . But since Little USC was left out they had to fix it. Talk about whiners and had you have to include that pantywaist Petey ( Little Boy ) Carrollllllllll.

USC is not out of the woods yet either. They have only really played 1 team worth anything so far and that was Cal . and you saw what Cal did to them. Beat em all over the field but lost. Doubled them in yardage.

Someone is going to put it all together and take them out.

Just keep your eye on the ball and take em one at a time.

I can see Auburn - Oklahoma for the Oarange bowl if you take care of business.

Miami should not be there and Berlin will blow a game that's for sure. When it comes nut crunch time Berlin will blow it.

Geaux LSU Tigers

[zeebish 0]

All this pontificating about getting screwed is ridiculous. Somebody is going to get beat. It always happens. The way I see it, if runs the table and wins against whoever in the Sugar Bowl, we will at least be co-national champs.

But there is too much football to be played to even think about it right now.

Beat

[TigerinBham 1]

Why aren't the Alabama sports writers voting us #1? If Bama was in the same position, they would get number 1 from them.

[bigsixfive 327]

Why aren't the Alabama sports writers voting us #1? If Bama was in the same position, they would get number 1 from them.

112645[/snapback]

You're right, Bama would get the #1 votes. They're probably getting some pretty good rankings from them right now.

You forget.... we're .

[GoAU 1,600]

Obviously winning games in very convncing manners will be the best way to make statements to the voters in the polls, but press coverage like this will sure help our cause too!

WDE!!!

[MDM4AU 332]

Is there a way to find out who voted and how?

[bigsixfive 327]

Obviously winning games in very convncing manners will be the best way to make statements to the voters in the polls, but press coverage like this will sure help our cause too!

WDE!!!

112653[/snapback]

Thats exactly what I was thinking. With all the whining and boo hooing about an overrated USC team not getting in this year, any national complaint against the BCS about us not getting in will only help us out...

OR, it could hurt us for all those who hate the BCS... crap, why did I just think of that? I was so hopeful!

[CarolinaTiger 0]

sounds to me like this author wanted a reason to whine about the BCS, and used auburn as the excuse to do so.

he's certainly counting our chickens before we've even found the eggs, much less hatched them.

ct

[TigerGlide 1]

All this pontificating about    getting screwed is ridiculous.  Somebody is going to get beat. It always happens.  The way I see it, if    runs the table and  wins against whoever in the Sugar Bowl,  we will at least be co-national champs.

But there is too much football to be played to even think about it right now.

 

Beat 

112641[/snapback]

USC and Miami have 6 games left each, Oklahoma also has 6 if they make the Big XII CG, Wisconsin has 4 (3 tough games) and Auburn has 5 if we make the SECCG. That is 27 college football games. There will be losses along the way...I just hope they don't belong to Auburn.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Is there a way to find out who voted and how?

112654[/snapback]

I actually read a article in USA Today last week that was talking about that. They discussed it with Stoops and he said he would have no problem revealing who he voted for if it was made mandatory that all coach's had. I think he said that he beleives it should be revealed.

Course then it took Barnharts side where he said that with the internet and all that it would be bad to reveal them because they would get hate mail and death threats and stuff from the fans if the fans didn't agree with their choices.

It discussed the idea that coach's should be held accountable because they have agenda's, basically voting for certain teams to set their conference and their team up in a better position to look good.

As much as we like to knock and talk about how big idiots the TV analyst in the studios are, they are really probably the only ones that watch a good chunk of all the teams games.

[TigerinBham 1]

Auburn's 2 # 1 votes came from Knoxville and Washington. Whos votes in Alabama?