Some of the meida talking heads are bemoaning the fact that the conference championship games next Saturday will be falling well,short of their perceived standard.
Neither Pitt nor Northwestern have one FBS non-conference win to their credit. (In Pitt’s case, an excuse exists because the Panthers played a really tough slate that included Penn State, Notre Dame and the defending national champs, UCF). Utah’s 3 conference losses will not keep them from a rematch with Washington.
Memphis was considered dead a month ago yet they finish 5-3 in the American Athletic West. Good enough to win the division and get a rematch of their 31-30 spine tingler with a UCF team allergic to losing. If not for Tulane blowing a 9-point, 4th quarter lead against SMU a few weeks ago, the Green Wave would have been UCF’s opponent next Saturday. Now, that would have been a great story out of New Orleans!
Oh no, the agony, the media wails. Greg McElroy wants the best two teams to meet in the conference championship a la the Big 12. Is this really a good idea? “Hell no!” says the Odyssey.
In general, rematches diminish the uniqueness of college football. You should only get one shot a year. Michigan fans are going to have to suffer for 365 painful days after their latest drumming in Columbus. Instead, suppose the McElroys of the world got their way. It would be both anti-climactic and unfair for Auburn-Alabama or Michigan-Ohio State to ever play on consecutive weekends. Why are those games one of the epic tilts in any sport each year? One of the reasons: You only get one shot.
The Big 12’s Oklahoma-Texas rematch is unfair to the Longhorns. After a walk-off field goal by “Dicker the Kicker” climaxed their epic at the Texas state fair, the Longhorns deserves to be the Big 12 champ. Today! Yet, they have to unfairly deal with the nightmare of defending Kyler Murray again and beat OU a second time.
And what about the uplifting sagas of redemption? Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Memphis should be lauded for having the gumption to turn their seasons around, not derided for being unworthy. Yes, Northwestern lost to Akron. Yes, Pitt looked like a high school team in Orlando (After Pitt’s performance yesterday against Miami, maybe the Panthers should never venture into the Sunshine State). Get over it.
So, go Wildcats! Upset the Buckeye apple cart. Pitt, play loose against Clemson as nobody expects you to win. Pretend like you are Rocky Balboa!
As for you misguided media souls: not to worry, Trust me, you will still be getting your fixes for Alabama and Clemson come playoff time. In the meantime, please let the rest of us enjoy the improbable story lines this week.