BCS Rankings Reaction: Ducks Okay in Third
By Brian Spaen
By .0099 in the BCS rankings, Florida edged out Oregon for second place, putting them against Alabama if the national championship was played today.
October 6, 2012; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back De
Obviously, none of us are happy with how much bias the SEC gets. Does Florida really deserve to be ranked this high? Are all those SEC teams deserving in the top ten? It’s hard to really say because it’s a completely different style of football.
With Oregon, fans are used to seeing fast offense and especially this season, the defense has gotten faster and are creating turnovers. You could say that Fresno State was the only team that had a real chance in the second half with them. Since that game the Ducks have destroyed their competition every week.
Alabama is about as close as it comes on the offensive side. Quarterback A.J. McCarron is playing at a more efficient level this season. Florida, South Carolina, and LSU do not have flashy offenses. They beat you pushing over your line, running the ball, and then passing it. They want to have physical, ugly games and they generally will with their great defenses.
Looking at the season so far, Florida’s offense has improved since Bowling Green and Texas A&M. They had 555 total yards against Tennessee and over 400 against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. No, those teams don’t showcase the defense in the SEC, but the running attack is deadly with running back Mike Gillislee and quarterback Jeff Driskel. With only 111 pass attempts, Driskel makes it count with his 67 percent efficiency.
It’s something I’ve preached all season long – Oregon had a weak non-conference schedule and that’s what kills them right now in the computer’s minds. The Ducks still control their destiny because Alabama and Florida will have to play in the SEC championship game should all top three teams finish out their schedule. With Oregon still having to play a good Arizona State team, Stanford, USC, and Oregon State, there’s no worries of Kansas State or Notre Dame to pass them.
Save arguing for another day. Regardless of whether or not Florida deserves to be in second place, all the Ducks need to do is keep winning the day, and they’re in.
Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Autzen Zoo. See his banter with other FanSided writers and love for his favorite west coast professional teams by following him on Twitter.
Read his other work on the Iowa State blog, Clones Confidential, and Lacrosse the Web.