BCS and Who's #1

The polls are out and they are split, Florida is #1 in USA/ESPN poll and Alabama is #1 in the Associated Press poll. The BCS rankings are out and and Florida is one and Alabama is two.

So what did we learn from this weekend?

We learned that Florida got all they could handle from Arkansas. A final second field goal by Caleb Sturgis sealed the deal for the Gators. The Gator Nation though was on edge all game as the Razorbacks put up a fight more than was expected. After Arkansas missed their field goal toward the end of the game and left the Gators around two minutes to come up the field was their any doubt that Tim Tebow would not get the Gators in field goal range. Every game is not easy but the Gator are being exposed a little on offense, Tennessee, LSU and now Arkansas proved that the Gators are very beatable.

While Alabama dispatched South Carolina is was not without a fight either. The Crimson Tide again proved that if they win the National Championship they will do it by riding their defense. The offense is very serviceable and sophomore running back Mark Ingram is now getting whispers of some Heisman Trophy recognition after his big game against the Gamecocks.



Texas handed the Oklahoma Sooners their third loss of the season and stayed undefeated. More importantly though, the Sooners have lost Sam Bradford possibly for the season. A lot of questions came up when Tim Tebow when out with his head injury and whether or not he came back to early. No one questioned the Bradford injury but after reaggrevating the shoulder against the Longhorns maybe Bradford was the one that came back to soon.

The University of Southern California escaped a land mine in South Bend, IN by a nose against Notre Dame. A goal line stop ended the Irish dreams of getting into the BCS mix. The Irish though proved that they are on the mend and can hang with the big dogs of major college football.

The Purdue Boilermakers shocked Ohio State. With the loss the Buckeyes are now on the outside looking in for a BCS bowl bid. In other the Big Ten football the Iowa Hawkeyes keep plugging along, picking up a win over Wisconisn this weekend. The Hawkeyes are now undefeated, but ranked #11 and will find it very difficult to leap frog the teams in front of them. Kirk Ferentz has done a masterful job coaching the Hawkeyes this season but an undefeated season may be all they have to show for it. They are going to get no chance to play for National Championship or even be considered, even if they run the table.

So what have we learned, the battle for the National Championship is muddled and proving once again that a playoff system is needed in major college football. Too many good teams are going to be left out of the loop when the BCS Bowls are announced. We also learned that the Heisman Trophy picture is also as muddled as ever as well. Right now no player has had that marquee game to separate himself from the field.

One thing we all know is that if we are going to preach that parity if good for the game of college football then we need to let the teams settle it on the field and not in the polls and not by a computer. Who is the best team in the country, many of them have an argument but only two will get to prove it on the field.