College Football is Bedlam

Well, the college football season is wrapping up *tear* and for some teams, the end has come more quickly than others (lol@Texas). So what can we glean from the past 12 weeks of action and craziness?

May I just reiterate that college football is the very best sport there is? Love it or hate it in its present form, you can't deny that it is totally awesome in terms of the volume and quality of debate it spurs. From 3-way-ties, to non-AQs, and conference changes in between, there is always something to talk (read: argue passionately) about. But we'll get to some of those topics in a sec.

First of all, could anyone have predicted how this season would turn out? I would say, yes and no. We've got a non-AQ at present sitting on the outside looking in. Not much of a surprise there. OU is going to another Big 12 Championship- again, pretty much a given. BUT what about Texas? I want to go shake the hand of anyone who predicted before the season that Texas would end up below .500 and left out of the 70-team bowl field. And then I want to go with them to Vegas. I am seriously shocked at the whole thing. Pleased, but shocked.

Which brings me to another point: While I have absolutely loved seeing our hated rival struggle so profoundly, I hope this is a one-season anomaly. With the shrinking (and, by extension, weakening) conference that looms ahead next year and beyond, we need a Texas team that we can compete with, or I guess I should say, can compete with us. After all, what is Batman without Joker? We proved yet again this year that we have a little brother "rival" that we can take care of business against year in and year out- we need an in-conference foil to our greatness to enhance the perception of said greatness. And I really worry for the perception of the strength of our conference with the removal of the CCG as other power conferences are adding CCGs. As you will recall, I carried a very pro-Big 12 retainment position as conference realignment talk was at a fever pitch, but now I will be very curious to see how the Big 12-2 will fare amongst strengthening conferences.

Speaking of conferences... TCU to the Big East. Dang, did not see that one coming! I think they will do fine there, but boy did they do a number on Boise State. Boise finally makes moves towards a conference with some perceived competition (Utah, TCU, BYU), and they all bolt! As much disdain as I have for Boise 'Statue of Liberty' State, I do feel bad for that situation, and for their kicker. There were a lot of underdog, fairytale, everyman hopes hanging on that leg. Fortunately though, we don't have to hear anymore about Boise needing to "get their chance." Sorry, but when you play nobody teams every week, you don't deserve the chance just based on the theory that you could beat anyone if given the opportunity. Well, you don't really play anyone, so you are s.o.l.

But enough talk about losers, let's hash it out over some winners (sort of). Cam Newton. Wow. I feel like he has become almost an enigmatic figure of college football. He rose out of obscurity, has a shady past which has flowed over into a shady present, and he just tears up the football field every week. With all of this controversy surrounding him, though, it's interesting to wonder how people feel about him. It seems almost certain that he will win the Heisman at this moment in time. People (me) were annoyed with the deification of Timothy Tebow in Heisman ceremonies past, how will the public feel about a Heisman winner who is embroiled in so much scandal? Just curious. It will also be interesting to see the long-term ramifications of the ongoing investigation, and what else is found out, if anything at all. I have a feeling this will not have a pretty ending all tied up in a gift box on Cecil Newton's doorstep. We shall see.

I gotta say, props to Texas A&M for finishing off a fine season (and for finishing off Texas). If they had started out with Tannehill from week one....woah.

Let me take a minute now to talk about one fantastic team.... the Oklahoma Sooners! Ok, that was my token rah-rah bias statement for the posting today. But seriously, I am very proud at how these men have begun to play; they have finally hit their stride. All the ghosts of games past came to a head in the frenetic and aptly-named Bedlam game on Saturday. Instead of caving in the 4th quarter, Landry made perfect throws. The receivers caught passes and turned the jets on. Jimmy Stevens made every single kick! It was very satisfying to the elements that are normally our downfall become our game-savers. But I feel that this newfound confidence, if harnessed properly, can take us to another Big 12 Championship, and hopefully a bowl win. Good stuff. Also, let me throw a number at you regarding the Bedlam series: 82-16-7. I'd hardly call it a rivalry, people. It's so funny to listen to OSU fans whine about how we don't deserve to go to the Big 12 game- they have such an OU complex. We beat you, fair and square. You had a nice season, but we're still better than yOU.

This is going to be another exciting weekend of football. I am ready to enjoy it, as they are slowly slipping away from us. I guess it's good that we get a large off season to recover from all the madness. Soak it in, y'all. Boomer Sooner!