University of Texas head coach Mack Brown didn’t have long to savor his team’s 26-13 victory over in-state rival Texas A&M. Minutes into his post-game press conference the mood turned sour, as Brown, incited by a reporter’s question, was forced to emotionally campaign for his Longhorn’s right to a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bid.
“This team deserves to be in the BCS,” Brown said. “Last year, we were already in (a BCS bowl), and then Kansas State and Oklahoma screwed it up. I understand last year because it was the system. This year, if it’s the votes, to me the voters should put us in. They put us in last year, and this team is better than what we had last year.”
Despite finishing with a 10-1 record, it looks as if the No. 5 Longhorns will once again be turned away by the system. As it stands now, it would take a dramatic change of heart by poll voters to give Texas its wish. In the latest BCS rankings, the Longhorns came in fifth – sandwiched between No. 4 California and No. 6 Utah. With only two available at-large bids, one of these three schools will be left out, and all signs point to Texas. Utah, because of a rule that gives non-BCS conference teams that finish in the top six an automatic bid, is assured a spot, meaning Texas’ only chance is to push ahead of Cal.
The Longhorns could pin their hopes on Cal losing its regular season finale to Southern Mississippi, but that would likely drop the Golden Bears significantly and could open the door for No. 8 Boise State, a non-BCS conference team, to claim that all-important sixth spot.
Confused? You should be – the BCS is not often accused of being a simple or rational system. Whatever happens, things don’t look good for Texas, and even an Aggie can see that something is not right with that.
Longhorn fans will once again point to a loss against hated rival Oklahoma as the reason for the snub. But, unlike previous seasons, Texas was able to beat the remaining 10 teams on its schedule.
After losing by 12 points to Oklahoma, the Longhorns didn’t throw up their hands and give up on the season; rather, they fought back and won their final six games by an average of more than 16 points.
“We have played very well through the second half of the season, and I think that deserves recognition,” said Texas sophomore quarterback Vince Young. “We have a very good team.”
And yet, Texas will be left out of one of the big money BCS bowls so that teams like No. 19 Pittsburgh, winners of the depleted Big East Conference, or Michigan, a team that limped to the finish line to win the Big 10 Conference, can go and compete.
I have trouble saying this, but I’m starting to agree with Brown. Maybe it is time to “give the conference champs a ring and a hug and let the top eight teams play.”
Regardless of how the system is fixed, the point is, it needs to be fixed. Texas has a legitimate argument this time, as it has proven to be a top tier team. To deny the Longhorns a chance to prove it on a national stage is wrong (choke), but with each passing year it doesn’t seem like much about the BCS is right.
And, by some freakish occurrence, the situation unfolds where Boise State gets a bid, then college football might as well join Fredo on the fishing boat, because it will all be dead to me.