ACC Nightmare
The Gold Sheet
Notes from across the college football map after an interesting opening weekend of action...
Sam Bradford's shoulder injury wasn't the only news from last week's stunning BYU 14-13 upset over Oklahoma. Indeed, we couldn't help but be amused, or perhaps it was disturbed, at one particular reaction we heard after the Cougs' upset win at Jerry Jones' new football palace in Arlington, Texas last Saturday night.
Granted, now that we're living in Las Vegas, we can understand some of the pride felt here in Mountain West territory after such a monumental win by a conference team. But when we heard how Las Vegas Bowl officials, at nearby Sam Boyd Stadium to watch hometown UNLV win its opening game vs. Sacramento State, were whooping it up when hearing about BYU's landmark triumph, it frankly got our blood boiling a little bit.
The reason? We can understand the giddiness at the thought of a highly-ranked BYU participating in the upcoming Las Vegas Bowl. But it's the thought of the champion of a good football conference, like the Mountain West, having to settle for such crumbs at the college football table, and forced to look forward to facing a 5th-place team from the Pac-10 in the Las Vegas Bowl, that seems more than a bit unjust. Worse, arrogant sorts from BCS conferences (and there are no more arrogant sorts than the Pac-10 schools) act as if events such as the Las Vegas Bowl, and champions from non-BCS leagues such as the Mountain West, should be honored at the privilege of playing any of their teams in the postseason. It was a bit sad to hear the Las Vegas Bowl officials acting particularly happy a few months ago just because they has secured a distant Pac-10 also-ran for their featured postseason football game. Sorry, but a 6-6 UCLA or Stanford facing off in December against BYU, TCU, Utah, or whoever else wins the Mountain West, just doesn't seem right, especially when the MWC champ should be playing a more-worthy opponent. We think a better and more-fitting attraction would be pairing up the Mountain West and WAC champions, although each of those winners will always be dreaming about a shot at one of the BCS bowls instead of a trip to Vegas.
Of course, BYU has suddenly taken the pole position for all potential "BCS busters" after that shock win over the Sooners, and we suppose that if either the Cougs, TCU, or Utah indeed run the table this fall, any would have a good shot at cracking the BCS bowl lineup. But it won't be easy to go unbeaten, and the thought of one slip on the many banana peels on the schedule (where any from among Colorado State, Air Force, or an improved UNLV could also provide sticky going for the MWC contenders) effectively removing the Mountain West champ from BCS consideration is particularly regrettable. Just refer to a year ago, when eventual MWC champ Utah was extremely fortunate to survive a 13-10 decision over TCU at Salt Lake City, a result that if reversed would have made the Horned Frogs the league champs. But with one non-conference loss vs. Oklahoma, TCU would have been unlikely to receive a BCS bid. And the Utah team that had a chance to whip Alabama, 31-17, in the Sugar Bowl would probably have been playing in the Poinsettia or New Mexico Bowls instead while TCU happily took its invitation to the Las Vegas Bowl.
The bottom line is that the Mountain West cannot do much more to prove it belongs in the regular BCS lineup. Certainly the Mountain West is at least as formidable these days as the Big East or ACC. Last season, two MWC entries, Utah and TCU, finished in the final Top Ten rankings. The Utes embarrassed Alabama, which had played eventual national champ Florida much tougher, in the aforementioned Sugar Bowl. One of the best bowl games of last season featured 1-loss TCU beating an unbeaten WAC champ Boise State, 17-16, in the Poinsettia Bowl. In the past five seasons, Mountain West has twice produced a BCS buster, both times being an undefeated Utah (2004 & '08), and both times the Utes ended up rousing winners in their BCS bowl opportunities. Mountain West teams mostly dominated Pac-10 opposition in last year's intersectional action, including BYU rolling up a 59-0 win over UCLA. And we don't think the Big XII would argue against the Mountain West being granted the same respect as the ACC or Big East, especially after last weekend when the Sooners lost to BYU and Colorado was humbled at home by a supposedly-rebuilding Colorado State contingent.
Then again, what is the BCS anyway these days, besides the championship game? Big money, yes, but the muffled atmosphere at every BCS bowl, save the title contest, is more fitting of a minor bowl. If there were any bigger anti-climaxes last postseason than the Orange and Fiesta Bowls, and, to a degree, the Sugar (only Utah's presence added a bit of pizzazz to the festivities), we've yet to find them.
No matter, in a world of so many insufferable and egotistical characters masquerading as college head coaches, we thought the reaction of BYU's Bronco Mendenhall following the Sooner upset was quite refreshing. Mendenhall was the epitome of class, respecting the opposition and expressing concern for Bradford and acknowledging that the Sooner QB's injury had indeed altered the game (although OU, breaking in a mostly-new OL, was hardly rolling through BYU with Bradford on the field). Most of all, however, Mendenhall acted like a very pleasant chap amid the postgame hoopla and subsequent interview barrage. There are few coaches these days who behave as decently as Mendenhall, or for that matter his counterpart at blood enemy Utah, Kyle Whittingham.
Moreover, BYU should be applauded for having the guts to take on the Sooners in what was essentially a "home/neutral" game for OU at Arlington. The Cougs will also be facing Florida State in a couple of weeks in Provo. Compare that to the absolute joke of a schedule put together by a BCS/Big Ten darling, Penn State, this season. Indeed, if the Nittany Lions and Cougars both end up 12-0 this season, it would be a substantial crime if Penn State received preferential BCS treatment because of the schedule.
Let no one also accuse BYU of ducking anyone, although the Cougs, with their 65,000-seat stadium, can usually get home-and-home arrangements with the sort of high-profile opposition that would be reluctant to make similar trips to Utah or TCU (although, for what it's worth, Texas is strangely traveling to Wyoming this week, for reasons we cannot fathom other than the connections the Horns had long ago with the Cowboys after hiring Fred Akers from Wyo in 1977).
Still, the Mountain West is forced to settle for crumbs at the college football table. So, for the moment, we suppose, winning with class and dignity will have to do until the BCS makes some alterations. And if Orrin Hatch wants to give 'em some hell in Washington, more power to him!
JOHN SWOFFORD'S NIGHTMARE
The ACC has taken a lot of abuse on the gridiron the past few seasons, and for good reason. Indeed, until Virginia Tech dumped Cincinnati in last January's Orange Bowl, an ACC entry had not won a BCS game since Florida State beat the same Hokies (then a member of the Big East) in the 1999 title game. Last weekend, however, could not have been an easy one for league commissioner John Swofford and other ACC supporters to watch.
When the dust finally settled, the only win by a conference rep over a BCS-level foe was Clemson's triumph over Middle Tennessee State, which itself might warrant an asterisk because the Blue Raiders compete in the Sun Belt. The only other victories (three of 'em) by ACC teams were notched against FCS, or former Division I-AA, opposition.
But other FCS foes also inflicted damage upon the ACC. In particular, a couple of CAA entries that went on the road to score wins over the big boys. Granted, Richmond was considered formidable after winning the FCS crown last year, and if the Spiders were indeed expected to go into a supposedly-improved Duke and win, they didn't disappoint in a 24-16 triumph. More galling for the ACC was William & Mary trekking up to the bigger state school in Charlottesville and popping UVa, 26-14. Al Groh's new spread-like offense helped contribute to the mess by committing 7 turnovers vs. the Tribe, which scored arguably its biggest gridiron win since Marv Levy's 1967 team, led by future Buffalo Bills QB Dan Darragh, went to Annapolis and took down a 19th-ranked Navy squad coached by Bill Elias.
Elsewhere, perhaps the highlight of the night was Virginia Tech hanging in there vs. Alabama before finally succumbing in Atlanta, 34-24. Maryland, which beat Cal 35-27 last season, was humiliated by a 52-13 count in the return match at Berkeley. Wake Forest, which won at Baylor in last season's opener, lost to the same Bears, at Winston-Salem, no less, by a 24-21 count. NC State, favored at home vs. South Carolina, was bottled up by the Gamecocks all night in a 7-3 defeat last Thursday. Granted, Miami and Florida State put on quite a show Monday night in Tallahassee, but both made a season's worth of mistakes, and neither appears to have the sort of defense that can threaten other BCS heavyweights.
There are still some unblemished teams left in the ACC, and two of them, Clemson and Georgia Tech, meet Thursday night in Atlanta. Overall, however, it was an ugly week for the ACC. And there's no guarantee things get much better this week, even against FCS opposition. James Madison, a solid entry, invades College Park to face Maryland, but before dismissing the Dukes, remember that they're a CAA team. Just like Richmond and William & Mary, which also went into ACC country and emerged with wins last week.
Not as if John Swofford needed any reminding.