Humor

BCS Needs a Name Change For 2012 Bowls

Date: 2011-12-08T06:36:32.283
Author: Zach Turner
Editor note: Nobody is happy except Alabama.
Number of Views: 365

With the announcement of the BCS bowl games on Sunday I am thinking BCS no longer stands for Bowl Championship Series.

The name that appropriately fits this year’s BCS bowls would be Blowout College Sports.

Leaving the National Championship and Fiesta Bowl out of the conversation, because nothing is blowout about a rematch of LSU and Alabama from a 9-6 game, or the best offense in Oklahoma State facing the best pro-style quarterback since Peyton Manning (well that’s what NFL draft guru Mel Kiper says so it must be true) in Stanford’s Andrew Luck.

The other three BCS bowls is what could be classified as good, old-fashioned college football blowouts.

Starting with the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl putting Michigan versus Virginia Tech. The Hokies are coming off their second shellacking of the year, given to them by the hands of the Clemson Tigers. The Wolverines of Michigan are still a bit giddy, similar to Ian Johnson proposing to his girlfriend before Boise States first BCS bowl game, after beating rival Ohio State for the first time in seven years to end their season 10-2.

Also, Boise getting robbed of a BCS bowl in favor of these two teams makes absolute no sense. The Broncos lost one game, not two, and it was to a ranked and very underrated TCU Horned Frogs squad. Boise would make this game a bigger blowout had they played either of these two schools

Although Michigan opens with as a narrow 1.5-point favorite, this game screams Virgina Tech blowout. Denard Robinson is a freakishly fast athlete that can throw the ball deep too if need be. If you have watched the guy play, chances are you haven’t been disappointed. Michigan is 10th in the nation in rushing yards, averaging 239.8 yards per game, but Virginia Tech gives up just 107.8 yards per game on the ground.

Virginia Tech is led by quarterback Logan Thomas and if you haven’t seen him play yet, dude is a physical specimen. At 6-fot-6, 255 pounds, Thomas has the Hokies in a favorable position to bounce back from losing the ACC Championship to annihilating the Wolverines with that 40-12 blowout lost in last season’s Orange Bowl, at the hands of Stanford, still lingering in their minds.

Unless Michigan replicates the Clemson Tigers gameplan 100 percent, look for the Hokies to manage a 38-7 win over the team repping college football’s best helmet.

Now onto the Orange Bowl, West Virginia and Clemson. Is anyone going to watch this bowl? I mean honestly because West Virginia just squeezed their way into the BCS picture by knocking off South Florida and having to rely on Cincy to beat UConn in order to go.

The Mountaineers showed some fight late in the second half against then No. 2 LSU in their matchup early in the season, but they were the lucky average team out of a bad conference to earn the Big East automatic bid.

Clemson lost two consecutive games to end its regular season, but then thrashed Virgina Tech 38-10 to get the ACC automatic BCS bowl bid. The Tigers are athletic and I am sure everyone has heard of freshman sensation Sammy Watkins by now, but quarterback Tahj Boyd is also a tremendous player until he throws an interception then he seems to let it get to him.

With their backs against the walls, the Tigers found some way to manage landing a BCS bowl spot after being ranked as high as No. 7 this season. After finding some confidence once again in the ACC Championship, look for the Tigers to throttle the Mountaineers in their last game as a member of the Big East by the score of 42-13.

Last up, the Rose Bowl, which is a great matchup of recent powerhouses in terms of records. Oregon comes into the game after winning the inaugural Pac-12 Championship game over UCLA and having played in the National Championship just a season ago.

Wisconsin looked to be a team that could have potentially ended the SEC’s Championship streak early in the season, but then lost on late-game Hail Mary plays in two consecutive weeks to Michigan State and Ohio State.

The Ducks and Badgers are a good matchup on paper. Oregon runs an athletic offense that puts up big stats and big scores while Wisconsin puts of big scores relying on a power rushing attack and gritty defense. Oregon, with a similar team to last year, I am sure wants some revenge on losing the National Championship last season and with speedster LaMichael James in the backfield look for them to do just that.

Montee Ball and the Badgers lost in this same game last season to Cinderella of the BCS, TCU, and will lose once again in the Grandfather of all the bowl games by the score of 49-16 to the Ducks.

These are early predictions giving that the games are still over 25 days away, however don’t be shocked if the BCS sees even more ridicule from its opposition when their prized bowls discussed above flop.

BONUS: The Real BCS Bowl Games

Fiesta Bowl

This game intrigues me the most. Oklahoma State straight took it to the Sooners in the Bedlam game, probably dropping quarterback Landry Jones NFL draft stock a bit in the process. Stanford lost just one game as well, but didn’t have as strong of finish as the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State 35 Stanford 27

BCS National Championship

After witnessing Tyrann “Honey Badger” Matheiu live at the Arkansas game return a punt for a touchdown and force a few fumbles, I am a firm believer in how this cat rolls. He is fearless and seems to intimidate the opposing teams that LSU faces. However, Alabama has faced him once and I highly doubt there is anything in this world that coach Nick Saban fears (except the possibility of suffering to Les Miles twice in the same season). LSU did it once, and deep breath, LSU is going to do it again.

LSU 24 Alabama 20

###