In arguably the craziest and most unpredictable college football season in recent memory, it only makes sense that the last weekend of the regular season would make history.
For the first time in the BCS era, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams were upset in the final weekend of the regular season. The top-ranked Missouri Tigers lost a not-so-close 38-17 to the perennial stronghold No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 championship, while the No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers fell to the unranked Pittsburgh Panthers, 13-9.
Missouri and West Virginia's setbacks allowed the Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes and the SEC champion LSU Tigers to sneak into the BCS title game. The Buckeyes, whose regular season ended with a victory over the arch-rival Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 17, will make their second consecutive trip to the national championship game and their third under head coach Jim Tressel. Last season, the heavily-favored Buckeyes were trounced by the Florida Gators, 41-14.
LSU, meanwhile, will be looking for its second national crown since 2003, having earned its way into the championship game after slipping by the Tennessee Volunteers 21-14 in Saturday's SEC title game. LSU seemed destined for the Sugar Bowl at best after a deflating triple-overtime loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend dropped the Tigers from the No. 1 spot in the BCS rankings. But the weekend's slew of upsets allowed the Tigers to reclaim a top-two spot.
The weekend did everything BCS supporters had hoped it wouldn't - throw a complete wrench in the system and once again bring up the need for an end-of-year playoff system. The problem with the current system is that the rankings simply haven't held up. There has been an unprecedented incidence of No. 1 and No. 2 teams being upset this year, culminating in the final weekend's stunning results.
Despite taking an early lead with a field goal and still being tied at halftime, Missouri still managed to lose its Big 12 showdown by three touchdowns. What the Tigers lacked was more than a tenacious defense or a high-powered offense - they needed to come through in the clutch.
In four trips to the red zone, the Tigers managed only one touchdown and three field goals, including a collapse after a second-and-goal on the Sooner 1. In comparison, the Sooners' offense made good of all six of its red zone trips, scoring five touchdowns and a field goal. Furthermore, the Tigers converted only six of 15 third-down attempts, a number that simply won't cut it in big games.
Who's to blame for the Tigers' problems? First of all, Oklahoma's outstanding defense. The Sooners held Heisman hopeful Chase Daniel to only 59 percent passing and locked the Tiger offense down in the red zone. But most importantly, the Sooners held the Tigers under the century mark in rushing, limiting Missouri to 98 yards on the ground.
In contrast, the Sooners' offense, though not quite brilliant, managed to come through when needed. Oklahoma, led by freshman quarterback Sam Bradford, mustered 375 total yards of offense. In the air, Bradford fared well, connecting on 18 of 26 pass attempts for 209 yards, a completion percentage of 69.2. Bradford had two touchdown passes and was not sacked or picked off.
Aside from the Sooners' 13 penalties for a total of 113 yards, Oklahoma played better in all facets of the game, giving the Tigers only their second loss of the season. The setback was enough to knock Missouri out of the BCS picture, as the Tigers were awarded a bid to the Cotton Bowl last night. For Oklahoma, meanwhile, the victory earned the Sooners their fifth conference title since 2000 and an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl.
Oklahoma's opponent in Tempe, Ariz. will be West Virginia, which won the Big East title despite a devastating loss to the Panthers in Morgantown, W.Va. Saturday night. The two teams managed a mere 408 total yards combined. It was a day of sloppy play, with many poor passes, sacks, fumbles and general offensive incompetence. The Mountaineers, playing much of the game without injured starting quarterback Pat White, completed nine of 16 pass attempts for 79 yards, while the Panthers managed an equally unspectacular 10 of 19 completions for 67 yards.
The remaining bowl schedule was also announced last night. In the Orange Bowl, the Virginia Tech Hokies will take on the Kansas Jayhawks, while the Rose Bowl will pit the USC Trojans against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
The Georgia Bulldogs, who made a strong case for a national title berth after posting three victories against top-25 teams in its final five games, will have to settle for the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs chances at a bigger prize were likely doomed when the squad failed to win its conference. Georgia's opponent will be the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, the only team to finish the season undefeated.
