College Football Final Word

To almost no one's surprise the Florida Gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS Title Game, 24-14. Neither of the two heralded quarterbacks, Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford, played an outstanding game, with each throwing two interceptions. However, Tebow did rush for 109 yards and the Florida defense confirmed what some of us at TheDailySportsHerald.com have suspected: Big 12 offenses are not nearly as potent as the weak Big 12 defenses made them look.

Now that the season is officially over, it is time for the AP to decide who to crown its National Champion. I have openly argued for the AP to defy the BCS and split the title for the sole purpose of helping destroy the ridiculous BCS system. They will of course not do this as the writers are not known for having either a backbone or a healthy dose of common sense. In any case, I myself will also forego such "political" considerations in giving my own rankings.

In fact, I have decided to do two sets of top 10 rankings. The first poll I will rank the teams 1 thru 10 based upon who I believe most "deserves" to be ranked highest based upon the entirety of the season. In my second poll I will give my Top 10 based simply upon which teams just looked the best to me and who I believe would win on neutral fields.

Poll #1 - "Fairness Poll"

1. UTAH

Why? Undefeated almost says it all. Also consider wins over Alabama, TCU, Oregon State, and BYU. They even get points for having Michigan on their schedule. (Who knew back then that Michigan would suck?) Many a champion has had a less impressive resume.

Why not? One could criticize their conference strength. But it wasn't that much weaker and they looked just as good out of conference.

2. USC

Why? Absolute domination over a 1-loss Penn State team was the best performance of the Bowl Season. The defense dominated every team they played with the exception of an early season road loss to Oregon State, who will finish in the Top 20. Pac-10's 5-0 Bowl record helps the cause as well. Plus, they pounded Ohio State much worse than Texas did.

Why not? They lost to a team that was dominated by Penn State and Oregon.

3. FLORIDA

Why? Winning the SEC still gets more props than winning any other conference. Defeating Oklahoma on the big stage also deserves a lot of credit. Florida's one loss is also looking better in light of the Cotton Bowl domination of Texas Tech by Ole Miss, who should finish in the Top 15.

Why not? They did lose a game and didn't exactly look great in the BCS Title Game. But why are they really not at least #2? Because they lost at home.

4. TEXAS

Why? Dominated most Big 12 teams and their only loss was bascially on the last play of the game against a tough road opponent in Texas Tech. Played better defense than Oklahoma all year long and deserved to be ranked ahead of them at the end of the regular season. Solid win over a game Ohio State team.

Why not? The Big 12 isn't nearly as dominant as some have alleged. Being better than Oklahoma doesn't make you worthy of a #1 ranking. They should have blown out Ohio State like USC did if they wanted serious consideration.

5. ALABAMA - Solid overall season and they deserve this spot because the SEC was still the toughest conference this year.

6. OKLAHOMA - Impressive wins over TCU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Missouri still count for something.

7. TCU - Loss at Oklahoma and a closs loss at Utah are the only blemishes. Pulled out solid win against previously undefeated Boise State.

8. BOISE STATE - Only loss was a squeaker to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. Pretty much blew out the competition in conference. However, the only other real highlight win was at Oregon.

9. PENN STATE - Nearly went undefeated in the regular season but was clipped at Iowa. Yeah, they got blown out in the Rose Bowl, but it was against SC.

10.OREGON - Handled Oklahoma State in a Holiday Bowl shootout. Ended the season strong with wins over bowl-bound Arizona and Oregon State. All 3 losses came to teams who should finish in the Top 25 (USC, Boise State, and Cal).

Poll #2 - "Beauty Contest" Poll

1. USC
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Utah
5. Oklahoma
6. Penn State
7. Oregon
8. TCU
9. Georgia
10.Alabama

Why? That's just what it looks like to me.

Manish Pandya
Staff Editor for TheDailySportsHerald.com