Why not combine two rants into one? This week the story broke that TCU had finally decided to get rid of Gary Patterson. He coached the Horned Frogs for an amazing 20+ years, starting as Defensive Coordinator under Dennis Franchione. Under Patterson, TCU won 181 games and lost 79. They were invited to numerous bowls and had a 11-6 record. Considering where TCU was in the 70s and 80s, it was a spectacular and successful run.
I Come To Bury Patterson, Not To Praise Him
I wish no ill on TCU or Patterson. Truth is I like TCU and enjoyed their run. The school is very similar to mine - SMU. Whatever they accomplish, we should be able to do it twice as well. But as time drifted on, a much more sinister side of Patterson emerged. He made it much more difficult to appreciate their success.
If you like winning, running up the score, watching your players rip the helmets off their opponents and angrily toss them downfield, Patterson was your man. And if you ignored your teams criminal behavior and unsportsmanlike antics, and yet amplified your opponents mistakes, Patterson was your kind of coach.
I respect him now, much like you would respect any strange discoloration on the body that will not go away. Yes, he won lots of games, beat SMU soundly many times. But even in the "good times" he was still an unhappy Grimace - a rotund, purple being of indeterminate species with short arms and legs. He was a sore loser and a sore winner. He blamed everyone but himself for the losses, and gave himself tons of credit for the wins. He was always complaining, demanding respect from others, while giving little in return.
Maybe there were brief moments where he expressed love for his team, humility, and respect for his opponents, but it rarely came out when the cameras were on him. May he find peace in his next career, and a very dependable towel girl to wipe his sweaty brow.
A statue of Gary Patterson remains outside TCU's stadium. And that is exactly where it belongs, outside and alone, never to do any more harm to the program. And its likely too heavy to move.
The College Football Playoff Must Change
The suits crunched their numbers, cooked the books, and came up with their Playoff Rankings. And as expected, Cincinnati was demoted from a comfortable, and well deserved #2 spot, down to an outside looking in #6. Gone were Houston and SMU, both ranked in the polls, and the final chance for UC to face ranked opponents.
The national media sees the problem, but they are unlikely to push for a solution. From ESPN:
The CFP selection committee reminded us all once again that the Group of 5 need not apply to the playoff, that it is judged by a different set of rules, that it might as well be playing for crumpets and not national championships.
I take this personally. I want to believe that SMU, and other teams like them, do have a legit shot at the playoff. But the system is flawed. The votes go to the anointed conferences, and then our wins against unranked teams are dismissed. SMU is now 7-1. They started with wins over Abilene Christian, North Texas, and Louisiana Tech before facing a then-ranked #26 TCU. After the first three wins I did not expect to be ranked, and of course we were on nobody's radar. After a SOLID victory over TCU, SMU starts getting votes, but remained outside the top 30. TCU fails to get a vote in either poll. It wasn't until week 6 at 5-0 did SMU crack the Top 25 at (24). And there is at least one writer who has never voted for SMU, even after going 7-0.
And that's just SMUs experience. Imagine if you are Cincinnati cruising along unbeaten, with victories over everyone's favorite Notre Dame, and Indiana from the Big 10 - where its required that every team be ranked - no matter what they do or accomplish, it will not be enough. By some ridiculous measure, the suits will find a way to diminish what UC has done in order to lift up one of their P5 darlings. Its just terribly wrong.
What makes March Madness so spectacular is that everyone HAS A CHANCE. Fans LOVE IT when some little school like Abilene Christian #14 takes the mighty Texas #3 to the woodshed. Or the great and powerful Ohio State #2 is humiliated by Oral Roberts, the #15 seed. They may not go far, but at least there's a chance. And that makes for a great fan experience. Cinderellas normally don't stay very long at the ball, but make quite an impression.
So again this year, a tiny group of suits will sit around a table in a cold dark room and decide the fate of college football. They will pick 4 teams and arbitrarily declare them to be the best of the best. All sorts of statistics will be unveiled to defend their choice. And defend they will, twisting themselves into a pretzel to prove that they chose wisely. Like lemmings, sports fans will crowd around their TV to watch Big 10 teams find ever creative ways to lose to their more powerful friends in the SEC and Big 12. And then we will have two teams that remain. We will be told that whoever wins this final game will be the best in the land. There could be 5 unbeaten teams remaining not in the playoff, but that does not matter. The Playoff Committee has spoken. Let it be written, let it be done.
Its been a very long time since I watched a BCS or playoff game. Its just another meaningless game to end the season. The irony is that by elevating this playoff, they have made the bowl games worthless. At least in the past, a handful of teams might have a shot, and depending upon who won or who lost their bowl games. Then the sports writers would vote, and we would spend the next year arguing about who was the best. Is this system any better?
Give me a 16 team playoff. The winner from every FBS conference gets an automatic bid. Pick a handful of teams as at large participants. Seed them fairly, and let nature take its course. Now, you have a true playoff, and several games that must be watched. Do it, do it now, or else.
Heisman Candidate Tanner Mordecai, QB SMU
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