Thoughts on LeBron James

It’s finally over. The most over-hyped media circus in the history of sports is finally over. And as usual, it didn’t end well for Cleveland.

Being from Ohio and a Cavaliers fan, I definitely bring a biased opinion to the table, but from an unbiased standpoint, there are a few things that stand out to me regarding the LeBron James saga.

First of all, I think it’s important to point out that LeBron James had to make the decision that was best for LeBron James, and that he didn’t owe anything to the city of Cleveland. If the Miami Heat presented the best opportunity for LeBron, then so be it.

With that being said, I think the way James handled the situation was classless. The fact that he scheduled a one-hour special on ESPN to announce his decision was already enough to show his egotistical nature. But the fact that he would go on national television and stab a stake into the heart of his hometown, I mean, who does that?

The fact that he chose to leave Cleveland is not the problem, it’s the fact that he would put himself in that spotlight and then proceed to break the hearts of his most loyal fans.

Bill Simmons, a sports columnist for ESPN.com reiterated my point through a Twitter post, “Totally fine with LBJ switching teams. But doing that to Cleveland via a one-hour TV show was absolutely brutal. An unprecedented Eff You.”

A few comments made by LeBron during the special also stood out to me as a bit ungracious. LeBron used the word “humbling” to describe the recruiting process. Humbling? In what way?

LeBron may be a better basketball player, but I think I have a better grasp on the English language, especially on a word like “humbling.”

Last time I checked, teams and cities throwing money and praise at you, telling you you are the greatest basketball player on the planet isn’t the most humbling experience.

Another point that has often been brought up is if James leaving Cleveland could tarnish his legacy.

In my opinion, it could. Think of the all-time greats in basketball: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant – they all did it with one team. Even in other sports today, the most respected players are the ones who have consistently won with one team: Derek Jeter, Payton Manning, Tom Brady, Tim Duncan. Even Dwayne Wade, who is widely considered second tier to James, was able to win a championship on his own.

LeBron said it himself, a championship is a championship, but there is no doubt there is a lot more respect for a guy who is able to win on his own, especially in a city that hasn’t won a major championship in 46 years.

But what if LeBron never wins a championship? I mean, outside the big three, the Heat don’t have much. As I write this, they don’t have enough players on their roster to count on two hands. Are James, Wade, Bosh and a few guys off the street enough to get it done?

If he can’t win with two of the top eight players in the league, then there is no doubt the legacy is tarnished.

One thing we can say in favor of LeBron is that he stepped away from conventional wisdom and didn’t follow the money. That’s one act most professional athletes cannot relate to.

Regardless of your feelings on LeBron, or the way the situation was handled, one thing we know for sure is that “The Decision” will go down with The Catch, Red Right 88, The Drive, The Shot, The Fumble and The '97 World Series as the most infamous moments in Cleveland sports history.

Cooper Earns All-Freshmen Honors

Ohio point guard D.J. Cooper was recently named to CollegeInsider.com’s freshmen All-America team along with 19 others across the country including Kentucky’s John Wall, Kansas’ Xavier Henry, and Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors.

Rather than assembling a first, second, third, and fourth team like many publications do, College Insider listed all 20 players as one squad.

During his rookie campaign, Cooper averaged 13.5 points per game for the Bobcats as well as 5.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per contest.

In Ohio’s final three games of the season against Akron, Georgetown and Tennessee, Cooper scored 62 points while leading his team to the MAC Tournament Championship and a birth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Cooper scored a career-high 33 points in a Feb. 14 game at Akron.

The Ohio point guard lead the Mid-American Conference in assists, steals, and minutes, and was second in assist to turnover ratio. He was also among the leaders in points, rebounds, and free-throw percentage.

Nationally, Cooper ranked in the top ten in assists per game, and 14th in steals and is one of only two players to be ranked in the top 15 of each of these categories.

The freshman phenom also broke a school single-season record for steals with 85.

Previously this month, Cooper was named MAC Freshman of the Year, the fifth Bobcat to receive the honor.

Skilled in many aspects of the game, Cooper came close to a few triple-doubles and even a quadruple-double in some games this season.

In a Mar. 4 game against Bowling Green, Cooper showed his versatility by totaling 6 points, ten rebounds, eleven assists, and 7 steals.

Cooper came into the season as Ohio’s most heralded recruit, but it was not until the postseason that he made a name for himself nationally.

When Cooper dropped 23 points on Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and led his team to a commanding win over the Hoyas, coaches around the country were all asking the same questions. “Who is this guy? And how did we not recruit him?”

After a 9th place finish in the MAC in 2010, expect D.J. Cooper and company to take the conference by storm in 2011.

Why Evan Turner, not John Wall is College Basketball’s Player of the Year

Since 1969, when the Atlanta Tipoff Club presented the first Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award to Lew Alcindor of UCLA, no player from either Ohio State or Kentucky has ever won the award.

This year however, it is likely that one of these schools is going to receive its first Naismith Award. The only question is, is it Ohio State’s Evan Turner, or Kentucky’s John Wall?

To me, it’s Evan Turner, and it’s not close. Here’s why:

As Jay-Z once said, “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.” Turner leads Wall in nearly every major statistical category including points per game, rebounds per game, and field goal percentage.

Turner averages 19 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game compared to Wall’s 17, 3.8 and 6.4. Turner also shoots 55.4 percent from the filed while Wall shoots 47. 5 percent.

With his 19 points and 9.4 rebounds a game, Turner nearly averages a double-double, a feat accomplished only a few times in the history of college basketball.

Turner has also recorded two triple-doubles this season, an accomplishment even more rare. Coming into the year, there had been only one triple-double ever recorded in Ohio State history. Turner posted two in just over two weeks.

Another important aspect of a player of the year is the effect he has on his team. In the six games that Turner did not play after suffering a broken back on Dec. 5 against Eastern Michigan, Ohio State was 3-3. Since Turner’s return however, Ohio State has gone 9-1, including nine straight Big Ten wins. The lone loss coming on the road to No. 8 West Virginia.

Since Turner’s return, Ohio State has posted wins at No. 4 Purdue, over No. 14 Wisconsin, and at Illinois.

Big players make big plays in big games. In the biggest games of the year, Turner has shown up and led his team.

In back-to-back games against then 4th ranked North Carolina, and 12^th ranked California, Turner scored 23 and 26 points respectively, and posted double-doubles in points and rebounds in both games.

At No. 4 Purdue on Jan 12, Evan Turner posted a career-high 32 points while leading his team back from a 13-point deficit to claim a 70-66 win.

Against ranked opponents, Turner is averaging 23.2 points and 9.8 rebounds.

Turner has scored 25 points or more five times this season compared to Wall who has only eclipsed the 25-point mark once.

With two-years more experience than Wall, Turner has proven to be the more mature player.

Wall is in the top 10 in the nation in terms of turnovers per game. His 98 total turnovers include four 7-turnover games this season.

Wall has also had a few run-ins with head coach John Calipari.

“I just try not to listen to him and go out and play basketball and try and help my team win,” Wall said of Calipari after a seven-turnover game against Vanderbilt on Jan 30.

Because of the impact he has on his team, and his ability to do more than just score points, Evan Turner is the most compete player in college basketball, and should be acknowledged as such.

Bobcats ink 17 on signing day

With the passing of signing day, the Ohio football team has added 17 new players to the team including 11 incoming freshmen, four junior college transfers and two four-year transfers.

Although the class is smaller than those in years past, Ohio head coach Frank Solich is satisfied with the group they have brought in.

“I’m pleased with the results of what our staff has accomplished,” Solich said. “The numbers in the class are very good. The quality of this class is very good.”

The class includes players at eight different positions, and from seven different states, seven being from Ohio.

“We have been able to attract players from the state of Ohio and we want to continue to have Ohio be the basis of what we’re all about in recruiting,” Solich said.

Two of the bigger names on the list of commitments are Kenny Ashley, a running back transfer from El Camino College in Torrance Calf. and Chase Cochran, a receiver out of Lebanon Ohio.

A highly touted recruit out of high school, Ashley originally committed to USC before transferring to El Camino where he rushed for 693 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

“We think he is going to be a tremendous back in our system,” Solich said. “He is a big, physical running back with really good movement. We expect him to be dragging some players down the field.”

Solich also spoke highly of Cochran, who was first-team All-Ohio as a high school senior and also earned All-Ohio in track as a sophomore and junior.

“Chase is a speed guy. He has great hands, great speed, and he goes up and gets the ball,” Solich said. “He’s the type of guy that can replace Taylor Price.”

The class also includes Nathan Carpenter, the brother of former Ohio State linebacker and current Dallas Cowboy Bobby Carpenter, as well as the Leftwich twins, Omar and Octavius who are also junior college transfers.

“They’re a very talented group,” Solich said of the twins. “Omar is a lockdown corner, we won’t be afraid to put him against any receiver we face. They’re both capable of stepping on the football field and playing for us right away.”

Along with the Leftwich brothers, Solich believes there are others among the class that can have an immediate impact for the Bobcats.

“They all come with the mindset of being that guy,” Solich said. “But it is clear that there is the ability for some guys to challenge for a starting position.”

Although the class includes some with the ability to start right away for Ohio, Solich believes that they have built the program to the point where it is not necessary for a freshman to start.

Coach Solich also announced the departure of recruiting coordinator Scott Isphording, who recently left the Bobcats to become the quarterbacks’ coach at the University of Toledo.

Perfection

Perfection is a term rarely used when speaking of the National Football League. In fact, only one team, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, has ever finished the season with an undefeated and perfect record.

In a time where teams seem more concerned with resting for the playoffs than the number in their loss column, we may never again see a perfect season.

Take for example this year’s Indianapolis Colts. Through 15 weeks, they stood unbeaten and 14-0, and only two regular season and three playoff wins away from the second perfect season in NFL history.

However, with a 15-10 third quarter lead over the New York Jets in week 16, Colts’ head coach Jim Caldwell removed quarterback Peyton Manning and multiple other starters from the game.

The Jets went on to score 19 straight points and defeated Indianapolis 29-15.

After the game, the team seemed unaffected by the loss. Coach Caldwell even stated that a 16-0 regular season was not one of the team’s goals.

“The most important thing for us is obviously to make sure we're operating on all cylinders come the playoffs,” Caldwell said. “That's key. That's important. That’s our focus.”

Indianapolis again rested their starters in week 17, and lost 30-7 to the 6-10 Buffalo Bills.

The New Orleans Saint also pushed their record to 13-0 before losing their final three games, two of which to non-playoff teams.

Not only does a team resting its starters in preparation for the playoffs affect the record books, it also affects the playoff hopes of other teams.

Entering week 17 of the 2009-10 season, five AFC teams: New York, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, and Pittsburgh, stood at 8-7, and were among seven teams competing for the final two spots in the playoffs.

For New York and Baltimore, it was win and you’re in. The other five teams however, needed help.

In order to make the playoffs, the Texans needed a Bengals win over the Jets, and the Steelers needed a New England win over Buffalo, and also a Cincinnati win over New York.

The only problem for these two teams was that New England and Cincinnati had already qualified for the playoffs and won their division, thus rendering their games virtually meaningless and giving them little incentive to win.

Steelers’ linebacker LaMarr Woodley went as far as saying that the Patriots and Bengals would “lay down” for their opponents in order to keep Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.

Both New England and Cincinnati lost, eliminating the 9-7 Steelers.

A similar scenario occurred in 2007 when the 10-6 Cleveland Browns needed a Colts victory over the 9-6 Tennessee Titans in order to secure a postseason birth.

Having already earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage, Indianapolis again rested their regulars, leading to a Tennessee win, and denying Cleveland their first playoff appearance in five years.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently addressed the issue, stating that it is something he would ask the NFL Competition Committee to take a look at.

While Goodell says he does not blame the Colts for their decision to rest their starters, he also stated in an interview with CBS that the league would consider various incentives to prevent teams from benching starters.

Such incentives could include draft position. Goodell also stated that teams would need to make it clear to the public which players would not be playing, similar to what is done with injury reports.

While some contend that it’s important to keep the starters rested and healthy, others would argue that these teams forget how to win and come out flat by the time they play their first postseason game.

The only other team to run the table in the regular season was the 2007 New England Patriots, who continued to play their starters even after securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

The Patriots won all 16 regular-season games plus their first two playoff games and were a freak helmet-catch away from winning the super bowl and going undefeated.

There is also the issue of the team’s supporters. Fans pay money expecting to see the stars on the team play, and expecting to see their team put their best effort into winning.

Why should fans pay to watch games less competitive than the four exhibition games that took place five months ago?

If teams like the 1-15 St. Louis Rams or the 2-14 Detroit Lions go out every week fighting to win despite knowing a win could hurt their draft status, shouldn’t teams like the 14-0 Colts and 13-0 Saints play by the same standard?

Just saying.

The Heisman

The Heisman Trophy is perhaps the most prestigious individual award in all of sports. To receive the award, is to become a legend. And while it is supposed to be presented annually to the nation's most outstanding player, some would argue that is not always the case.

On the eve of the 75th presentation of the award, we take a look at this year's finalists and the history of college football's most coveted award.

The Heisman Trophy Trust has presented the award since 1935, when Chicago University halfback Jay Berwanger took home the first bronze statue.

Since then, 69 of the 74 winners have been either quarterbacks or running backs. Only one defensive player, Michigan's Charles Woodson, has ever won the award.

Among the finalists this year are two quarterbacks, two running backs, and one defensive tackle.

Recent history would lead one to believe that it will be a quarterback walking away with the trophy come Saturday.

Since the year 2000, only one non-QB has been awarded the trophy, and of the previous nine winners, eight of them have been on teams playing in a BCS Bowl. Seven of the nine have played for the national championship.

So, if history serves us right, Texas' Colt McCoy will come away with the trophy tomorrow night.

McCoy came in second last year in Heisman voting to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, and although his 3512 yards passing and 27 touchdowns are a drop-off from his 2008 numbers, McCoy appears to be the perfect candidate.

McCoy is the quarterback for the unbeaten Texas Longhorns and lately, the Heisman is more about hype, and what one accomplished last year, and what your team has done over the last ten years, rather than about what has been done this year.

If McCoy did not have the success he had last year, and if he did not play for second-ranked, and unbeaten Texas, would he still be invited as a finalist? Unlikely; here's proof:

As previously stated, this season Colt McCoy has thrown for 3512 yards, 27 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and compiled a 147.5 passer rating.

While these are good numbers, McCoy does not place in the top five in any other these categories.

Houston's Case Keenum has thrown for 5449 yards, 43 TD's and a 159.3 passer rating while only tossing 9 interceptions.

Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen threw for 3722 yards, 28 TD's and a 161.4 passer rating with only four picks.

Boise State's Kellen Moore has compiled 3325 yards passing, 39 touchdowns and a 167.3 passing rating while throwing only three interceptions.

On paper, all three of these players appear to be more deserving than McCoy, however, none of them are playing for the national title, and none of them had the pre-season hype that McCoy did.

"The Heisman Trophy is one of those awards that has evolved to 50 percent of it is about pre-season hype, 25 percent is about giving it to somebody on the undefeated team, and 25 percent is about what the player is accomplishing," said Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, whose running back Toby Gerhart is also a finalist for the award.

Among the other 2009 finalists are Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, Alabama's Mark Ingram, and Florida's Tim Tebow.

Tebow won the award as a sophomore in 2007, and was a finalist again a year ago. But what has he done this year to deserve another invitation?

He ranks 49th nationally in passing yards, 39th in touchdown passes, and 112th in passer rating.

However, the gators are the reining national champions and finished with an 11-1 record in 2009.

If the award was really given to college football's most outstanding player, Suh might be the clear winner. However, since Suh is a defensive lineman, the cards are stacked against him.

On the season, Suh has 82 tackles, 12 sacks, and an interception.

Also, don't be surprised if Colt McCoy stays away from Suh at the ceremony after he was harassed by the Nebraska lineman last weekend. Suh sacked McCoy four and a half times.

Stanford running back Toby Gerhart leads the nation in both rushing yards (1736) and rushing touchdowns (26).

Ingram is 5th in yards with 1542, and 14th in touchdowns among backs with 15. However, Ingram plays for undefeated Alabama while Gerhart plays for 8-4 Stanford.

In theory, the award should be given to either Suh or Gerhart, but will that be the case? History says no.

BCS: A Mess

Nearly every year since the Bowl Championship Series has been in place, someone has been left out. Whether it be an 11-0 Tulane in 1998, or an undefeated Auburn in '04. The system was put in place eleven years ago to end all controversy and crown an undisputed champion. Since 1998 however, there has rarely been a year left undisputed.

To fully examine the fairness of the BCS, we will have to look at how it has worked in the eleven previous years it has been in place. We begin with the year of its inception.

The year is 1998, Ohio State enters the season as the number one ranked team in the land. But, with an Oct. 30 loss to Michigan State, at home, the Buckeyes fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, and watch their title hopes come crashing down.

However, with losses to every team in front of them except the Tennessee Volunteers, Ohio State regains its sights on the title game.

But, the Buckeyes hopes are crushed once again when the computers choose 11-1 Florida State to play Tennessee for the national championship rather than the 11-1 Buckeyes.

This is where the controversy lies, even though Florida State lost by a margin much greater than the 28-24 defeat Ohio State suffered (24-7 to NC State), the Seminoles were given the birth in the Fiesta Bowl to play for the title.

Florida State was defeated by Tennessee in that game 23-16, while Ohio State defeated Big-12 champion Texas A&M 24-14 in the Sugar Bowl, leaving some wondering if Ohio State would have been a better choice to face Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl.

Furthermore, 11-2 and 3rd ranked Kansas State, was completely left out of a BCS bowl after losing the Big-12 title game to A&M.

A year later, a rule was devised known as the "Kansas State Rule," which stated that a team ranked in the top four of the BCS standings would automatically receive a birth into a BCS bowl.

However, Kansas State was once again left out of the BCS after finishing 6th in the final BCS poll. The Wildcats were instead passed over by number eight Michigan.

Even more controversy came with the end of the 2000 season when the BCS computers decided to send 10-1 Florida State to its third straight title game and leave out 10-1 Miami, even though the Hurricanes had beaten Florida State in the regular season and were ranked higher in both the AP and Coaches' polls.

The Seminoles went on to lose again, 13-2 to undefeated and number-one ranked Oklahoma.

The 2001 season was even more controversial. The computers placed 4th ranked Nebraska in the title game against undefeated Miami even though Nebraska did not even play in its conference championship game.

This raised the question, "How can a team be the best in the country if they are not even the best in their conference?"

Nebraska was chosen over one-loss and Pac-10 champion Oregon, who went on to beat 3rd ranked, and Big-12 champion Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nebraska, like every other scrutinized school placed in the championship game, was defeated handily, 37-14.

With exactly two teams going undefeated in 2002, the BCS worked to perfection, pairing unbeaten Ohio State against unbeaten Miami in the Fiesta Bowl.

For the first time since the system was put in place however, a member of the Big-10 did not play in the Rose Bowl, leaving Rose Bowl officials vocally upset.

The Orange Bowl selected before the Rose Bowl and took at-large winner Iowa.

Controversy returned in 2003, and in a big way.

At season's end, three teams had one loss, Oklahoma, LSU, and USC.

USC lost a triple overtime thriller at Cal, LSU lost at home to Florida, and Oklahoma was trounced 35-7 in the Big-12 championship game by Kansas State.

LSU and Oklahoma, despite not even winning the Big-12, were chosen to play for the championship, leaving USC to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

LSU defeated the Sooners 21-14 in the title game while USC defeated Michigan 28-14 in the Rose Bowl.

After the games, AP voters voted USC number one, despite not playing in the championship game, giving college football its fist split championship since 1997.

In 2004, three power conference teams: USC, Oklahoma, and Auburn all went undefeated, leaving the BCS with a mess to figure out.

In the end, Southern Cal and Oklahoma were chosen to play in the national title. Auburn, was left to face ACC champion Virgina Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

The Trojans crushed the Sooners 55-19 while Auburn remained undefeated, beating Virginia Tech 16-13.

Controversy arose again in 2006 when the BCS selected one-loss Florida to face unbeaten Ohio State in the title game instead of one-loss Michigan.

While Florida lost 27-17 at number 10 Auburn on Oct 14, Michigan's only loss was to number one and unbeaten Ohio State, on the road by three points.

If the number two team goes on the road to face the number one team and losses a close game by three points, doesn't that mean that the rankings were correct, shouldn't that team stay number two?

Many believe that voters did not want to see an Ohio State, Michigan rematch, so Florida was given the opportunity to play in the championship game rather than what appeared to be a more deserving Michigan team.

In 2007, a two-loss LSU team was placed in the title game to face one-loss Ohio State, despite Kansas only having one loss.

In 2008,12-1 Oklahoma was chosen over 11-1 Texas to face Florida in the championship game despite having lost to the Longhorns during the regular season.

2009 has brought even more trouble to the BCS. As it currently stands, four power conference teams are undefeated. (Florida, Alabama, Texas, and Cincinnati)

Florida and Alabama will most likely play each other in the SEC title game, eliminating the loser. But, if the others win out, we will again have three undefeated automatic qualifying teams vying for a spot in the championship game.

Along with the four undefeated AQ (automatic qualifying) teams, there are two other undefeated teams, TCU and Boise State.

These non-automatic qualifying teams have also been a problem for the BCS.

Non-BCS conference teams are eligible for a BCS bowl if they are ranked in the top 12, or if they are ranked in the top 16, and higher than at least one BCS conference champion. However, no more than one team from a non-BCS conference is allowed in.

Since 1998, nine teams have met these qualifications, yet the rule was not put in place until after the 2005 season.

Non-AQ teams have a 3-1 record in BCS bowls.

This season, undefeated TCU and Boise State are ranked 4th, and 6th respectively in the latest BCS standings. If both teams were to win out, they would both qualify for a BCS bowl. However, since only one non-BCS team is allowed in, the lower ranked team would be left out, despite meeting automatic qualifications.

So if the BCS is not the best system, what is?

Many would like to see the bowls return to the old system, where the winners from each conference play in their respective bowl, and voters determine a champion after the bowls have been played.

The good thing about this system is that it preserves the sanctity of the bowl system, and gets rid of all controversy about who plays in which bowl.

However, under this system, there will be split championships, and no one wants that, because no one likes to tie. It's the reason we have overtime, right?

Others would like to see a playoff, similar to how every other sport crowns their champion. But there are pros and cons to this as well.

The great aspect of a playoff would be that all controversy would be decided on the field. Each team would have a chance to prove that they deserve to play for the title.

Say an eight-team playoff is adopted, with the six BCS conference champions receiving automatic bids and two others receiving at-large bids. The eight teams duke it out and our champion is crowned.

Sounds like the perfect system, right? Well, not so fast.

How are the two at-large teams determined? If the playoff was in place this year who would receive the at-large bids?

As is stands, the automatic bids would go to Ohio State (Big Ten), Texas (Big 12), Cincinnati (Big East), Georgia Tech (ACC), Florida/Alabama (SEC), and Oregon/Oregon St. (Pac-1o).

The question now is, who gets the other two spots?

TCU and Boise are both undefeated, but play in week conferences. The loser of Florida/Alabama would have one loss, but it would be to the SEC champion. So who gets left out?

Regardless of how many teams are let in the playoffs, someone will always be left out, and there will always be controversy.

The playoff systems also ruins the tradition of the Bowls, a staple of college football.

So although a playoff may seem appetizing, it may not be the answer.

Another option would be a plus-one system.

Under this system, the bowls could return to their old form and their old conference tie-ins.

Thus, the winner of the Big Ten would face the winner of the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl, Big East verse ACC in the Orange Bowl, SEC against an at-large in the Sugar Bowl, and the winner of the Big-12 against an at-large in the Fiesta Bowl.

After the bowls, the top two teams would be voted on, and would play in the national championship game.

Although there still could be some controversy over the top two teams after the bowls are played, the games would at least give the voters an opportunity to see the teams against other highly ranked teams.

The system also preserves the sanctity of the bowl system.

If this system had been in place in previous years, all the teams that were snubbed out of the title game but went on to win their game, (Ohio State, Miami, Oregon, USC, Auburn, and Texas) would have had the opportunity to play for the championship.

In reality, there may be no perfect system, but there has to be one better than what we have now.