Five Thoughts on CFN

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Five Thoughts on CFN

2. The BCS actually worked ... to a point

Please people it’s called a television. Learn how to use it.

California might have one of the nation's most complete offensive teams, but it beat a whole bunch of no one. As predicted, everyone conveniently dismissed the 28-27 should’ve-been loss to an Oregon team that’ll sit home for the bowl season. Most were too busy watching the SEC and Big XII title games to see Cal struggle until late to put away a mediocre Southern Miss team. What’s Cal’s claim to fame? Losing to USC in gallant fashion. That’s fine, but that was still a loss.

For some reason, USC couldn’t do anything wrong in the eyes of the pollsters. Auburn has been blasted for a “poor” performance against Tennessee despite outgaining the Vols 559 yards to 297 and 31 first downs to nine. (A couple of great Gerald Riggs Jr. runs appeared to have erased everyone’s ability to comprehend how good a team is.) But USC had even bigger problems with a UCLA team that’s worse than Tennessee. Everyone swept it under the rug.

As predicted, everyone has conveniently dismissed USC’s 31-28 close shave to Stanford, fog bowl 28-20 performance against Oregon State (that the Beavers gacked away with early turnovers) and the 23-17 win over a slightly overrated Cal.

Only two teams came within single-digits of Auburn; LSU and Bama. Two teams came within single-digits of Oklahoma; Texas A&M and Oklahoma State and both are better than Stanford and Oregon State. The problem is that everyone’s brain melts when they consider the possibility that USC might not be the number one team in America. It’s O.K. to watch every game, and it’s more than O.K. to look back and review what happened this year. No one is saying USC and Cal aren't among the best teams in the country and no one's saying the Trojans shouldn't be playing for the national title, but the top Pac 10 teams got away with average performances other teams didn't ... until the final BCS tally. Texas was the second best team in the best division in America while Cal was the second best team in arguably, the fourth best conference in the country. USC in the Orange and Cal in the Holiday; that's an even balance.

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at least some of the media are seeing things clearly.