I find Ohio State and Michigan State fans bitching about Michigan fans bitching hilarious. It’s one of the many ironies in this entire situation. The bottom line is this system sucks. There is no logical reason for the greatest sport in the world to have the worst system in place. I don’t really have a problem with Florida being in Glendale. Florida is a very good football team and they are certainly deserving. But, should I, as a Michigan fan, not be upset with how things went down? For every argument I hear from an Ohio State, Michigan State, or Florida fan… I have a perfectly logical reason why they are wrong. Let’s start with my own argument.
1. Michigan is better.
Are we trying to find the team that’s most deserving or the 2nd best team in the country? Michigan and Florida’s offense are both very efficient. Both have (eventual in Michigan’s case) four year starters at the helm who run the particular offense very well. Michigan doesn’t turn the ball nearly as much, but Florida has Percy Harvin. Call that a draw. Michigan’s defense is, simply put, better. They are more physical and more disciplined. Both struggle at times with stopping the pass but Michigan obviously stops the run much better. On special teams, there’s no comparison. Florida’s kicker is horrendous. Garrett Rivas is first-team All Big Ten. Zoltan Mesko can kick the ball almost as far as Ryan Mallett can throw the ball. Huge advantage to Michigan there. In terms of coaching, Urban Meyer gives you a great game plan but Lloyd Carr has won a championship. I’ll give a push there to be nice to Florida.
Here’s the arguments I always hear..
2. Florida’s schedule is better.
Is it really? The main argument behind putting USC at number two was that their OOC schedule was so tough. I completely agreed with this. This is the only part of the schedule that you can control. USC’s OOC schedule was brutal, and they would’ve deserved to go to Glendale. Now, compare Michigan and Florida. I hate Notre Dame as much as the next guy, but they are better than Florida State. Notre Dame is overrated… but the difference between the two teams is that ND beats up on the bad teams and FSU gets outgained (in yardage) by Western Michigan. The next best teams are probably Southern Miss and Central Michigan. Central won the MAC and Southern Miss was runner-up in CUSA… end of story there. Vanderbilt has to be a tougher matchup than UCF because they are in the almighty SEC. Ball State sucks in the MAC… but Western Carolina sucks in Div. 1-AA.
3. The SEC is way better than the Big Ten.
Again.. is it really? Both have played two very good teams. Michigan has played Wisconsin and Ohio State, Florida has played LSU and Arkansas. The jury is still out on the rest of the teams, as far as I’m concerned. Tennessee and Auburn have looked like world beaters at times, and at times looked awful. Every year we’re told how great the SEC is.. and every year they prove otherwise in bowl games. If the SEC is proven to be better in the bowl games, then so be it. But, the difference in quality isn’t as glaring as most seem to think.
4. Michigan had their shot.
You’re right, and so did Florida. Once you lose, you lose the right to bitch. I’ve always felt that way. But why does that only apply to Michigan this year? Florida lost their right to be guaranteed a spot in Glendale when they lost to Auburn.
I wouldn’t be as upset if Florida had jumped Michigan immediately. But, Florida jumped Michigan because voters didn’t want to see a rematch. Talk about taking the easy way out. Had USC beaten UCLA, Michigan would’ve remained #3. There’s no reason that USC’s loss should change which team is better/more deserving. Is there something in the voters’ contract that says on the last week of the year, they are supposed to vote against a rematch? Because in the other 12 weeks of the year, they vote for who they think deserves each individual spot. Nothing occurred in the SECCG to suggest that Florida deserved a spot ahead of Michigan.
The irony in this situation is ridiculous. Lloyd Carr advocates a playoff in 2005 and gets screwed because there isn’t one in 2006. Michigan’s last BCS opponent (Texas) was there because their coach kicked and screamed to the media. Michigan’s BCS opponent this year is changed because of a coach kicking and screaming. Michigan State fans bitch about something they will, in all likelihood, never realize. Ohio State fans bitching, but conveniently forgetting 1996 and 1998. Lloyd Carr, a professed whiner, losing a spot in Glendale because he refused to whine. And, what I feel the biggest irony… the only objective factor in this whole process—the computers—declaring a tie. Once again, the computers got it right. Let’s figure it out on the field.
