What have we proven?

When it came to determining champions, this season was very disappointing to me.  I have also come to learn there is a difference between being a champion, and being the better or best team.




First, on the big scale, we have the National Championship:  LSU vs. Alabama, a game that was played twice.  The teams split the series.  So, which team really is better?  LSU is still SEC Champs, but then Alabama, who didn't even win their division, are national champs.

We seem to be stuck in this weird place.  LSU won in the first boring game, and then put together the most embarassing performance in a BCS bowl ever to lose the National Championship.  Meanwhile, we have Oklahoma State on the outside looking in, never having a chance to prove themselves.

There are three teams that have somewhat legitimate arguements about whether they are the best team in the country.  But only Alabama is the champion.

Then, on a smaller scale, we can look to the ACC.  While Virginia Tech had the best record in the conference, Clemson won it by completely dominating the Hokies twice in 2011.  That should have been a way for Clemson to cap off a dominating season, except they dropped off in the final month, being embarrassed by NC State and South Carolina.

So, Clemson goes to the Orange Bowl as ACC Champs, and VT goes to the Sugar Bowl as an at-large.  There was some discontent among some college football fans about VT's selection.  But they played a close game, only losing by 3 in overtime.  (They should have executed better and they could have run away with it, but that's not what this post is about.)

But Clemson....they embarrassed themselves and the entire ACC by their lack of performance against West Virginia.  In the only BCS bowl that wasn't close, WV scored 70 points to Clemson's 33.

So, Clemson is the ACC Champ, and obviously a better team than Virginia Tech when it comes to head-to-head, but are they really the best team in the ACC?

Some readers might think all of this is more arguments for a playoff.  Maybe it can be, if looking at the LSU-Alabama example.  But the ACC situation is just the nature of the game, and I don't think that can really be changed.  Except for the team that wins the conference to actually show up for their bowl game and not be on the receiving end of the biggest BCS blowout of the year (if not all time).