Is the BCS Ranking Making the SEC Conference Too Powerful?
As the Louisiana State University Tigers gear up to play the Alabama Crimson Tide, fans inside the Southeastern Conference are enthusiastic while fans outside feel neglected.
After ranking one and two in the Bowl Championship Series poll respectively, Oklahoma and LSU have shown the dominance of the SEC-creating the atmosphere of a great BCS National Championship Game Jan. 9 in New Orleans.
Despite the great match-up, some critics feel the BSC rankings are geared specifically for teams from the powerful SEC to play for the coveted championship title.
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“Still, it's not exactly a game the public was clamoring for -- at least outside of Southeastern Conference territory,” said ESPN. “And it will do nothing to quiet the critics of the Bowl Championship Series or the calls for a college football playoff.”
“But like it or not, the system has ensured that the SEC -- home to both schools -- will run its streak of BCS championships to six in a row,” ESPN continued.
Six BCS championships in a row could give the appearance that the BCS rankings are rigged for conferences like the SEC, creating a haven for powerful conferences – rather than powerful teams.
Lately, it is rare to see teams like Boise State, Texas Christian University and Houston –programs from lesser-known conferences– break the mold and play for a National Championship.
The balance of power in college football conferences has livened the discussion of their being a legitimate playoff system where the best teams from all conferences can reach the championship by their play on the field, rather than be selected by a perceived political ranking system.
One example why critics are against the BCS Championship is the reason the Virginia Tech Hokies were selected to play in the Sugar Bowl, despite other teams performing better.
“They are in the Sugar Bowl, while teams like No. 7 Boise State (11-1) and No. 9 Kansas State (10-2) are left in lesser bowls despite actually beating ranked teams,” said Eric Ball of Bleacher Report about Virginia Tech’s selection. “What makes matters worse is that Sugar Bowl officials admitted that the enormous Hokies fanbase was a factor in their decision to pick them.”
Until the BCS can decide better system to select who plays for the National Championship, and teams from the SEC continue to dominate the championship game annually, fans and teams outside the Southeastern region will continue to advocate for a national playoff system.
