COTTRELL COLUMN: BCS controversy starts early

Let the screaming begin!

The final BCS standings are out and already there is reason for outrage, as Oklahoma jumped Texas in the standings to clinch its spot in the
Big 12 title game, thanks to the conference’s tiebreaker rules.

Longhorn fans sang to the heavens about their head-to-head win over the Sooners in October, and Mack Brown went on every TV show except “Face The Nation” to plead his case to no avail.

Should Texas’ 45-35 win over Oklahoma factor into voters’ minds in a three-way tie? Or should the fact that Oklahoma has decimated everyone it’s played except the Longhorns?

The computer polls were clearly more impressed with what the Sooners had done.

I tend to favor the computers on this one.

Sorry, Texas fans, but Oklahoma has looked more impressive throughout the year, and in their loss to you, the Sooners lost their starting middle linebacker to an injury in the third quarter. You outscored them 25-7 after the injury.

Is this fair? No.

But it’s the system we live in, and it’s the tiebreaker your conference agreed on.

Now, the Sooners prepare for a Missouri team that just lost to Kansas, and assuming they win should sail into the BCS title game.

Speaking of conference championship games ...
The SEC has the juiciest conference title tilt in history this week, as No. 1 Alabama faces No. 2 Florida for the SEC championship and a trip to the BCS title game.

The Tide has appeared to be a team of destiny all season, rising from the ashes of several mediocre seasons all the way to the top of the college football world.

Florida looked like it wasn’t even particularly interested in September, then caught fire after Tim Tebow’s dramatic speech following the Ole Miss loss.

Heading into the game, all the advantages would seem to be Florida’s.

The Gators’ offense has been unstoppable, their defense has been impregnable and they have players with big-game experience.

But way too many people have eagerly jumped on the Gator bandwagon for me to be totally comfortable giving them the win.

And if you think Nick Saban hasn’t been studying tape of them since early November, devising ways to stop the Tebow monster, then you don’t know him very well.

Will any of that make a difference?

Who knows?

But my money’s on Alabama, even if I really have no logical reason to think so.

And the powers that be chortled ...
In case you were wondering what that “Whoosh” you heard around 10 p.m. Saturday night was, here’s a tip:

It was the Rose Bowl Committee, the BCS, USC, ABC and Ohio State all breathing huge sighs of relief.

Thanks to Oregon’s 65-38 decimation of Oregon State in the Civil War, now all USC must do is beat a pretty terrible UCLA team this week for
the Pac-10 title.

An Oregon State-Penn State Rose Bowl rematch certainly wouldn’t have been a ratings winner, and also would’ve wound up locking in another at-large bid, which would’ve gone to USC.

That would’ve knocked out the Buckeyes.

So everyone’s happy in this scenario.

Except the Beavers, of course.

Tim Cottrell is sports designer of the Opelika-Auburn News. He will write a weekly column on college football during the season. You can also read him on the O-A Sports Blog at oanow.com. He can be reached at 737-2511 or tcottrell@oanow.com.