December 11, 2003

The last weekend of the regular season featured the conference title games and a lot of controversy about the BS system.

While I'm glad that these conference title games are all played on the same weekend, the decisions on which games were televised at what times were a bit strange.

First off, why did they put the SEC title game between LSU and Georgia up against the Big 8 title game between Oklahoma and Kansas City State? Those two games were shown at the same time, which meant I had to set my TV's picture-in-picture thingamabob. Usually I have the picture in picture locked on Cinemax in case they have another Shania Tweed weekend film festival. Never can get enough of flicks like Forbidden Indecent Nightfire.

But the strangest decision was earlier in the day, when I flipped around the dial and tuned in ESPN's Gameplan and saw that familiar looking winged helmet, the one I hope I get buried in. Suddenly I realized I had missed almost all of the Big Ten title game between Michigan and Iowa.

Iowa apparently was the Big Ten north champs, because they had "Northern" on their uniforms, while Michigan appeared to have a special color uniforms too. I just don't get why Floyd Carr changed offenses on us and started running Tubby Raymond's Delaware winged T. And why would a championship game from a major conference like the Big Ten be relegated to regional TV? That seems very strange.

After that game ended I watched the Pac-10 title game between USC and Oregon. That wide receiver from USC made one heck of a catch. He can do more on a football field with one hand than Jill Arrington. I predict that Trojan star Reggie Williams will win two Heisman trophies and three Pulitzer prizes. Coach Holtz must be awfully proud.

Obviously it was a tough year in the Big East, what with Boston College dropping football, Miami moving to the Mid-American Conference, and Pitt being put on probation due to Jackie Sherrill's misdeeds at Mississippi State (apparently the NCCA now has retroactive probation). So the Big East had to settle for two 5-6 teams, Notre Dame and Syracuse, to play in its league championship game.

And, finally, we had the Military Academy league championship game, with Navy rolling over hill and dale and Army.

The major controversy came out on Sunday, when the BS ratings were announced. Now in past years they announced the BS teams in late October when the BS ratings are officially released, then they played the championship game between the #1 and #2 BS teams. In that case it was Oklahoma vs. Nebraska for two years in a row in late October to settle the BS national title. Once they had the BS national champion, we played the rest of the season like we always used to play it.

Apparently they have now tweaked the system where the BS winner is not decided on the field in late October, but rather is named at the end of the regular season, so that the games played in November and December are still meaningful to the BS system. In spite of their loss to Kansas City State, on KC State's home field, Oklahoma was named the BS national champion. Congratulations to the Sooners and coach Switzer on their title!

Well, I'll be back next week with Beeno's Bowel Preview. I'll be closely examining all the bowel action and we'll see what pops out.

See Beeno's 2003 Bowel Preview