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Stepping back from the BCS title game
Published: 1/10/2012 12:24 PM
Last Modified: 1/10/2012 12:24 PM

No matter what you think about Monday's BCS title game, it's always a little disappointing when the college football season comes to an end.

The Super Bowl is less than a month away. And there's always March Madness. Plus spring training isn't too far off. But there's just something about the end of the college football season that leaves you yearning for the next one.

So to officially close out this season, here are a few thoughts on Monday night's festivities and other BCS matters.

1. If you expected something different from Alabama-LSU II, you weren't paying attention
In the build up to the BCS national title game, it was funny to read
some who thought the second game between the teams would turn into a shootout. "They have nothing to lose," some said. But the exact opposite was true. The teams had everything to lose. Alabama and LSU may have been even more conservative this time around.

Alabama and LSU aren't great on offense. Sorry SEC fans. But a lot of the rock'em, sock'em nature of the game was created by strategy. LSU needed 3 or more yards on third down nine times in the game. The Tigers ran the ball four times and threw a pass for a loss a fifth time. One of those four runs came on third-and-4 during LSU's opening drive of the fourth quarter when it already trailed 15-0. That's beyond conservative.

2. If you consider body of work, Alabama may still be behind LSU
In our "what have you done for me lately" society, Alabama's convincing win over LSU cemented the Crimson Tide's Associated Press national title, erasing any real consideration of a split championship. But in terms of overall resume, Alabama needed Monday's win just to be in the same ballpark as LSU.

The teams split against each other and both beat Arkansas. But the Tigers have three other wins (Oregon, West Virginia and Georgia) that are as good or better than Alabama's next best win.

Alabama, however, mauled LSU on Monday night and beat the Tigers everywhere but on the scoreboard the first time. Because of that, one of the best regular seasons in recent college football memory will end in a second-place finish.

3. Pay attention to the BCS meetings in the next few months
The 11 conference commissioners, along with Notre Dame's athletic director, meet today to talk about changes to the BCS system.

A story out of New Orleans early Monday predicted the meeting would start a dramatic change. Another story Monday night suggested a college football playoff is imminent.

I'll believe it when I see it.

The BCS was created by the power conferences for the benefit of the highest profile teams in those conferences -- along with the major bowl games. It's a lesson Oklahoma State learned all too well this season. The BCS was made for teams like Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU and USC. Not so much for teams like Oklahoma State. And definitely not for teams like Boise State or TCU.

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I would expect a dramatic shift that would protect the status quo before I would count on a four-team playoff.

And just to be clear, when the conference commissioners and university presidents talk about study time or player safety as reasons against a playoff, here's what they really mean: We don't want to share our money or power with "lesser schools" so we'll say anything to maintain the current system.

Perhaps the most ridiculous reason to support the current system is the "importance of the regular season." Jimmie Tramel had a wonderful blog after the BCS title game matchup was announced that covered this.

You can read it here.

He wrote what I've always felt: the current regular season is only meaningful for certain teams. If all that counts is the national title game, then no regular season game played by a non-BCS conference team counts. Sorry Tulsa, no need to suit up. You're out of the hunt for a national title before the season even starts.

And even if you're in a BCS conference, you're typically done after your second loss. Ask the 2011 Oklahoma team how important a Big 12 title or a Bedlam win is when you've been eliminated from national title consideration.

But how much more interesting would the entire Conference USA season be if the league winner got an automatic berth in the NCAA football playoffs? How much bigger might Bedlam have been if OU and OSU played not only for bragging rights, but for the Big 12's spot in that playoff?

Unfortunately, we don't know. And despite Tuesday's meetings, I don't imagine we'll find out anytime soon.

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Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters has nearly 20 years of daily newspaper experience. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M, he worked at papers in Bryan-College Station, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, and Galveston, Texas, before joining the Houston Chronicle as High School Sports Editor in 2008. While in Houston, he coordinated coverage of the 2008 Texas Class 5A state football championships and the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four.

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