There is no disputing the fact that numerous people, both inside and outside of the college football world would like to create a playoff system. Even Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, whose Longhorns will face Alabama for the National Championship on January 7, has expressed that an eight-team playoff format is something that would work for the sport. And if McCoy wants to see a change, just imagine how strongly teams like Cincinnati, Boise State and TCU want to see a different way of crowning a champion. Yes, seemingly everyone – from news commentators to fans to the athletes themselves – is pining for a playoff. But, it is important to remember that college football at its core has morphed into a multi-million dollar business, and those who benefit most from the 34 bowl games over the next two weeks won’t allow the field to be whittled down to eight, or even sixteen teams.
In the absence of a system that is more objective, we still have games to watch starting this Saturday – something to be celebrated. Last season, the Pac-10 conference went undefeated in their bowl matchups, and looking at the Pac-10 slate for 2009-10, here are the top five games that you shouldn’t miss over the holidays.
Number 5: Utah-California (Poinsettia Bowl, December 23): The expectations were so high for the Golden Bears this season, and that is part of the reason why so many fans may not be thrilled with the team’s 8-5 finish. If you talk to Cal students, some will inevitably tell you that beating Stanford and Heisman trophy candidate Toby Gerhart in Palo Alto was not only the best win of the year, but also the most important. Any momentum from that game did not carry over to their final contest in Seattle however, as the Bears were embarrassed 42-10 at Husky Stadium. Jahvid Best will return from injury to face the Utes. But even without number 4, Jeff Tedford has perhaps the most impressive second option in the country in Shane Vereen, who carried the ball 88 times for nearly 450 yards in the final three games. But it will be important to not underestimate Utah, because even though they rank 54th in total offensive yards and 53rd in points scored, they did manage a 9-3 overall record for 2009. Junior quarterback Terrance Cain has stepped in nicely, completing 63.7 percent of his passes and throwing for over 1,600 yards. He could really exploit a Bears secondary that has been shaky this season.
Number 4: Boston College-USC (Emerald Bowl, December 26): At the start of the season, the talk surrounding Pete Carroll’s USC squad focused on their chances of reach the National Championship. The deck was stacked against them: the first true freshman quarterback to start for the program, the loss of key players on both sides of the football (Mark Sanchez, Rey Maualuga, etc.) which made senior safety Taylor Mays an even more important defensive presence. Even with all of the changes for USC though, nobody could have predicted a spot in the Emerald Bowl. But they will play in San Francisco the day after Christmas against a team that also lost a star quarterback (two years ago) in Matt Ryan. Dave Shinskie is at the offensive helm now, and he has nearly a 1-to-1 touchdowns to interception ratio. Look for Mays and the rest of the Trojan defense to shine next Saturday night. Also, I expect that AT&T Park will serve as The Coliseum “North” for the Trojans, who will basically be playing a home game, compared to the Eagles, who will travel 3,000 miles.
Number 3: BYU-Oregon State (Las Vegas Bowl, December 22): The Oregon State program just keeps surprising the rest of the Pac-10 year after year. Sean Canfield is what feels like his 17th year of eligibility and both James and Jacquizz Rodgers are formidable talents. Now that the trio has been playing together for a decent stretch of time, the chemistry is increasingly evident from week to week. Canfield, who has always seemed prone to throwing the pick, has the same problem this season, but his 3,100-plus passing yards certainly helped the Beavers reach an 8-4 record (6-3 in conference). The ratio of touchdowns to interceptions could be better (21 to 19), but Jacquizz’s twenty rushing scores have made Oregon State 23rd in the nation in points scored. The only question to me is whether or not either team wants to be in this particular game. With a close loss to USC earlier in the season and a defeat at the hands of the Rose Bowl-bound Ducks to end their schedule, that contributed to a less-prestigious game for the Beavers. The Cougars of BYU might have even more reason to complain, however, as they worked their way to a 10-2 record (7-1 in conference), but found themselves in undefeated TCU’s Mountain West. That one conference loss came against the Horned Frogs, 38-7. Max Hall was in the national spotlight at the beginning of the year, and despite thirty touchdowns and a 160 passer rating, BYU could not secure a better bowl berth. This should be a contest that showcases two dynamic offenses, between the Rodgers brothers on one side and Max Hall on the other. Hall has thrown at least one touchdown in each game this year, and had a season-high five against Air Force.
Number 2: Oklahoma-Stanford (Sun Bowl, December 31): Toby Gerhart was this close to becoming the second Stanford football player to win the Heisman last week. Now, he and the rest of the Cardinal will take on an Oklahoma team that lost its star quarterback and last year’s Heisman winner, Sam Bradford, to an injury early in the season. In many ways, Stanford’s season has been both parallel to and opposite of a team like USC. Both had freshman quarterbacks, but USC was expected to succeed in spite of that and Stanford was predicted to struggle as a result of it. Yes, Matt Barkley did well to win against Ohio State and at California and Notre Dame. But, you can argue that Andrew Luck has been better overall, given the expectations. This is a team that defeated USC quite handily (55-21) and even had a close win over Oregon (51-42), handing the Ducks their only conference loss. And Cardinal fans got good news earlier this week that Jim Harbaugh has signed a new contract, so the team could enjoy success for a long time in Palo Alto. For the Sooners, it is hard to remember a faster drop in college football recently. But they are still winning games in the difficult Big 12, gaining an average of about 420 yards in total offense per game. Replacing a Heisman winner, especially due to injury and not graduation, is not an easy task. But for Landry Jones, it is impressive that he can get his team to a New Years eve bowl game in his first year of consistent play.
Number 1: Ohio State-Oregon (Rose Bowl, January 1): As I’ve alluded to, this year has been one of surprises for the Pac-10, and Oregon’s season might just top the list. Mike Bellotti assumes the role of Oregon’s athletic director. Insert offensive coordinator Chip Kelly as head coach (who??). Legarrette Blount punches Byron Hout after an opening night loss to Boise State and gets suspended (sort of). The Ducks then proceed to stomp on virtually the entire conference and knock USC off of its perch as the Pac-10’s dominant program. The emergence of LaMichael James was welcomed by the team and his play contributed greatly to Oregon’s conference title run. A tough, no nonsense attitude from Kelly, added to an immense group of highly entertaining and deep talent on the field has led the Ducks to this moment, against an Ohio State program that has faltered the last three years when it comes time for a bowl game. In 2006 and 2007, the Buckeyes found themselves in the National Championship game against Florida and LSU, respectively. They lost both contests, 41-14 and 38-24. Last year, the Fiesta Bowl invited Terrelle Pryor and company to play Texas, and they lost by a much closer margin: 24-21. The likely culprit in the last few years has been a combination of slightly less talented players and the traditional long layoff after their rivalry game with Michigan to end the season. In their only other game versus a Pac-10 school this season, Ohio State fell in the Horseshoe to USC in the season’s second week. With a more dynamic quarterback in Pryor, the Buckeyes could fare better this year, but Jeremiah Masoli, Ed Dickson and the rest of the Ducks offense will be able to match Ohio State in what should be the best Pac-10 bowl game this season.
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