BCS system has crashed yet another time

I like Nebraska football, but it isn’t right. It just isn’t right.

It’s not really a question of who has the right to be the angriest about the national championship game matchup Colorado or Oregon. There’s a lot of anger, most self-directed, out there. Nebraska is still mad that they let themselves be dominated by Colorado. If the Huskers had lost in a close game, much of this BCS flap wouldn’t be taking place. The Tennessee Vols are certainly miffed about seeing LSU invalidate their ticket to the Rose Bowl. Even defending national champ Oklahoma has time to ponder the outcome of the Big 12 title game while it gets ready to take on Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.

I don’t want to go too far overboard in standing up for Colorado’s right to be in the national final. That’s cause I’m mad, too. I’m still steamed about that “Fifth Down” game against Missouri. I guess I don’t mind seeing the Buffaloes absorb a little pain and suffering. Kind of serves them right. Notice that Colorado is talking much about its two losses, one to Fresno State and the other to Texas.

If I had a say, I’d put Oregon, with it’s 10-1 record, in the Rose Bowl. The Ducks have done nearly everything asked of a championship-caliber team. If we are expected to look past Nebraska’s 62-36 drubbing at the hands of the Buffs, why can’t we recognize that the Ducks came ever-so-close to an undefeated season. The Ducks’ 49-42 loss to Stanford after they held a 16- point lead shouldn’t be held against them any more than Nebraska’s loss.

It will be interesting to see how the Nebraska program deals with the pressure in the weeks to follow. If the Huskers get blown out by Miami, which could very well happen, the BCS system will come under even heavier fire. Nebraska, in my opinion, doesn’t have the best shot at beating the Hurricanes, who could probably knock off the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills…and Kansas City Chiefs.

If Nebraska defeats Miami and Colorado beats Oregon, the squawk about who should be national champ will continue inside the Big 12.

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With the Chiefs’ season continuing to sour like a jug of milk left out in the sun, it’s probably not too early to dream about what they could do with a possible #3 or #4 draft pick next spring. However, judging by past failures in the draft, maybe we don’t want to go there just yet.

Is Carl Peterson too proud to admit he still needs help at the quarterback position? Probably. Peterson seems to shun college quarterbacks when there is more than a fair share of quality signal callers coming out in the draft. Maybe he figures that picking no quarterback at all is less risky and less controversial than the prospect of getting stuck with another dud. Even though Carl wasn’t around at the time, Chiefs fans have long memories when it comes to Todd Blackledge, a definite fizzle in a draft that was loaded with future Hall of Fame QBs.

The bottom line, I guess, is just how bad is Trent Green and how awful is Kansas City’s current lineup of receivers? Will the return next season of Sylvester Morris give the Chiefs enough of a comfort margin in which to spend that 1st round pick on another position? I hope so. There doesn’t seem to be very many quality college receivers out there this time around.

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There will be no undefeated Grand River Conference basketball heading into the Christmas break. The final three unbeaten league teams all fell in non-conference action last Friday night.

Stanberry’s girls fell at home against Northeast Nodaway by a 54-51 margin. Albany’s boys absorbed a 61-49 loss on the road to Jefferson. Hamilton’s boys, after starting the season 4-0 for the first time in many years, have lost two straight after a shocking 46-45 home loss to previously winless Lexington on Monday. The Hornets also dropped a road game to Gilman City last Friday.

Also in the HDC, Mercer and North Daviess remain unbeaten in girls play. On the boys side, Gilman City, Tri-County, Grundy County and Mercer have all lost at least once.