Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s argument about which football game of the 2009 college season will be the most important, and why.
With teams like Florida (yes, I am calling out Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, and the rest of Gator Nation) choosing the cupcake path of least resistance to hopefully ensure their spot in BCS play, there are other more respectable schools that have chosen to prove their worth through a trial by fire… and the entire nation of college football fans appreciate their boldness and daring!
As a result, we will be treated to two matchups, before we even see the third week of the season, which will shape the BCS picture for the entire year. The first of these games features #5 Alabama on the road against #7 ranked Virginia Tech, September 5th. The second is a September 12th rematch of last year’s hyped matchup with #4 Southern Cal travelling to Columbus to take on #6 ranked Ohio State.
Both games feature top-10 teams, each from a different major conference. In each case, the teams involved have some a chip on their shoulder, and each team has an opportunity to position itself for very early BCS consideration. Both are “can’t miss” games and both should be very entertaining. But in the discussion of which is most important, one of those two games emerges as the clear choice.
While the Alabama-Virginia Tech game provides both teams with an opportunity to prove that last year’s success was more than just luck, it is the USC-Ohio State matchup with much farther reaching implications.
For going on ten years, Ohio State and USC have been the respective kings of their conference. Ohio State has won at least a share of the Big Ten championship for four consecutive years (many expect 2009 to be a fifth), and a total of five conference titles since 2002. USC has had similar success, winning at least a share of every Pac-10 title since 2002. Both have also played in multiple BCS Championship games during that time frame, with Ohio State winning the title in 2002, and USC taking the crown in 2004.
While fans of the Trojans and Buckeyes are happy to see their teams annually compete in BCS matchups, extended periods of dominance like those seen by Ohio State and USC can have a secondary impact which is not good. People may be happy to credit those programs with long-term success, but they begin to doubt the relative strength of the competition those teams face. As a result, the Pac-10 and Big Ten have come under much fire in recent years for being sub-standard conferences.
What has given the Big XII and SEC so much leverage in recent seasons is the increased level of competition within the conference. How can Texas (for example) dominate the Big XII year in and year out when teams like Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Kansas, or Missouri, continue to also perform at exceptionally high levels? Within the SEC, Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia are regularly discussed in BCS conversations.
But in the Big Ten (for example), it is Ohio State, then Penn State, and then everyone else. None of the teams have provided any real level of competition to elevate the play of the conference. Michigan, who USED to be the class of the Big Ten, has not beaten Ohio State in six years, and has recently lost to Appalachian State and Toledo. The Big Ten has also failed to perform during Bowl games, turning in a record of 1-6 last year, and a record of 8-20 in Bowl Games since the 2005 season.
As for the Pac-10, it has not been much of a conference at all since Pete Carroll came to town. As head coach for the USC Trojans, Carroll has compiled an astonishing record of 85-15, complete with seven conference titles in only nine years at the helm.
This lack of depth has diminished the credibility that a Big Ten or Pac-10 schedule once had. Last week, Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com even went so far as to say that the ACC is a better conference, placing them at third on his conference rankings with the Pac-10 (fourth) and Big Ten (fifth) in tow.
So what, exactly, is at stake?
For the winner – They will be able to claim a QUALITY win over a very talented opponent. That team will have staked their bid for the National Championship game before teams like Florida, Texas, or Oklahoma have even had an opportunity to get their clothes dirty. They will be in full control of their own destiny, and will have a relatively uncontested path towards yet another conference title, complete with a probable BCS invitation.
For the loser – The damage done to the reputation of the conference may be insurmountable. This game will serve as further proof that the losing conference is very deserving of the criticism they have received thus far. The “best” that the conference has to offer was not good enough when matched against another quality non-conference opponent, and the entire conference will suffer.
Talk about PRESSURE!
