Monday, November 21, 2011

Not in favor of a rematch? Remember Super Bowl XLII?

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m67/ness6191/greatcatch.jpg
    
     With so many speculations that the BCS Championship will be a rematch of LSU and Alabama, it is impossible to ignore that many people do not want to see a rematch.  I am not a huge fan of the BCS system, in fact, this article was originally intended to be an argument in how this season parallels a playoff, if Division I had one.  Since the first LSU vs. Alabama game, it has been team after team going down and losing their chances at the National Championship, and opening the door for Alabama and LSU to square off again.  This would match up arguably the two best NCAA teams, which is what the BCS system is intended to do.  This year, there looks like there will be no huge standout snub.  Thankfully, there probably won't be a 2003 situation, when USC finished 1 in both the AP and Coaches' poll, but came in third in the computer calculations, leaving them to simply watch the championship game...Unless LSU beats Arkansas, and loses in the SEC Title game, while #2 Alabama and #3 Arkansas (both in the SEC West), do not have to play an extra game.  LSU would have everything to lose, and nothing to gain.  If LSU beats Arkansas, then even if they lost in the SEC title game (by a close margin), it would not be impossible for them to still play in the National Championship.  Although in this situation, there would be a team that would be snubbed in one way or another.
     Assuming we see the rematch of LSU and Alabama, it will be hard not to hear the critics who do not want this.  The first matchup received the second highest viewed college game on CBS since 1987...so there still would be a lot of people who will want to see this match-up.  Perhaps it will draw criticism because there were no touchdowns scored in the first match-up, a 9-6 overtime win by LSU.  College football fans are used to the high powered offenses and this game was a defensive battle.  To all the people who do not want to see this rematch however, I want to remind everyone of Super Bowl XLII. 
     The Patriots and Giants played each other in an exciting game in week 17 of the 2007 regular season, as the Patriots escaped with a 38-35 win to go 16-0 in the regular season.  A little over a month later, the world saw one of the greatest Super Bowl's ever played with the Patriots going for a perfect 19-0.  The rematch of the Patriots and Giants made for an all-time classic game.  It was a game that no one could have scripted, but that everyone was talking about for years to come.  At no point was anyone thinking, "this game is lessened because it's a rematch".  The first game was amazing, and the second was even better.  Why are people so quick to assume that a rematch of LSU and Alabama would not be even better than the first?  It is not as though the first game was a blowout, it was a 3 point game!
     Although I would still love to see a playoff system, where we can have Cinderella stories such as in the NCAA basketball tournament, the BCS system would at least be serving its purpose, whether we disagree with its purpose or not.  If we can't have a playoff system, then we have to make sure the two best teams play each other, and if both LSU and Alabama win out, then there would be no doubt in many peoples' minds, who the two best teams are.  Some may not want to see the match-up again, but no one wants to see a team that should be in the title game left out, just because it would be a rematch.

No comments: