Yup, WEEEEEber State…here’s why, while channeling my inner-Kevin Bacon:
Its so easy in sports, when your team was the ONE team (or one of few, I suppose) that took down the eventual Champion. Much is the case, when it comes to the minimal margin or error, or better put, parity within a sport that has 22 moving parts, that are typically colliding with each other on any given play. And to further this sentiment, when we’re talking about FBS (1-A) Football, we’re talking about the only sport, at the only level of play, at the only division where subjective voting determines a champion. Yes, they now have a “mini-playoff” now, but who picks those 4 teams?
So, anytime “our team” beats the eventual champ we’re left pondering, who really is the true national champion–why not us? How can they be crowned, when we beat them? Think Virginia Tech in 2014, Texas A&M in 2012 all the way to Rutgers in 1869 (who have one of the more legitimate beefs, since they were 1-1, along with “National Champion” Princeton, who they played 2x that year, yeah…think about it). So, lets just say for a minute, that logic holds, not debating for or against that today, but rather, if that were true, where do you draw the line? When does the “if that, therefore this” thinking come to an end? Let’s take a look at last year’s National Champion, and see how it could shape out (spoiler, its really good for Waldo the Wildcat).
Alabama wins the National Title.
1BUT they lost to Ole Miss.
2BUT they lost to Memphis.
3BUT they lost to Temple.
4BUT they lost to South Florida.
5BUT they lost to Maryland.
6BUT they lost to Indiana.
7BUT they lost to Rutgers.
8BUT they lost to Washington State.
9BUT they lost to Portland State.
10BUT they lost to Northern Colorado.
11BUT they lost to Weber State.
And there it is. If Weber State “is better than No. Co.”, and “No. Co. is better than Port. State” and so on, till you have your argument.
PS – digging this up was a lot more fun than expected (seriously)…give it a try, check out your team, and see how may “Degrees of Kevin Bacon” it takes till a title.
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