Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — “There was some indication that the 13th game made a difference in this selection process. That was the first time we heard that,” said the commissioner of the Big 12, Bob Bowlsby.
For being the commissioner of a conglomerate of higher-education institutions, that comment was beyond naive. In fact, I'm not buying what the Big 12 is peddling.
Really? A 13-game schedule is better than a 12-game schedule?
It cannot be news to the Big 12 that playing a championship game and garnering a late-season win over a top-ranked team would influence rankings and bowl selection?
That was the first time you heard that?
This season, the Big 12 got shutout of the first college football playoffs. No. 4 Baylor and No. 6 TCU had very impressive resumes. Both teams were 11-1 and were crowned co-champions of the conference. They made a good case to be included in the four-team playoff, but were bypassed, in part, because the Big 12 only plays a 12-game season and doesn’t have a singular conference champion.
Unlike the rest of the Power 5 conferences, the Big 12 only has 10 teams and it lacks a championship game between the conference’s top two teams. That 13th — and championship game — gives the other conferences a chance to bolster their argument to be invited to the four-team NCAA playoff.
The Big 12 thinks it doesn’t need to play by the same rules as everyone else. After all, it's the Big 12 dadgummit. It's the old Big Eight that raided the Southwestern Conference for Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech. It whistles its own Dixie.
To be fair, no one wants to play the championship game, just ask Alabama.
In 2008, Alabama was ranked No. 1 by the AP and coaches poll and were No. 1 in the BCS standings. Alabama’s only loss of the season came to Urban Meyer’s Florida Gators in the SEC Championship game. Florida went to the BCS Championship game and a disappointed and deflated Alabama team would go to the Sugar Bowl where they would be blown out by the University of Utah.
"One of the things we really have to do some soul-searching on and ask a few questions around: Is a 13-game portfolio more valuable than a 12-game portfolio?" said Bowlsby.
Let me answer that question. Yes.
Had No. 6 TCU and No. 4 Baylor played in a conference championship game, the winner would have been included in the four-team playoff.
How do I know this?
Neither Alabama, Florida State, Oregon, or Ohio State had a win over a team ranked as high as No. 6 or No. 4.
The Big 12 left their ostrich head buried in the sand and pretended like they didn't hear the message that every conference was sending. The status quo won't continue. You have to adapt to the changing football climate, which means earning your way. No more gimmes.
“If it was really the 13th game, we need to know that. If we don't have a championship game and we also don't find some way to play a 13th game, then we know we're at a disadvantage."
Well, if you say the same thing thrice, you must believe it and any sense I spout — like, add a combination of BYU, Cincinnati, or Boise State to round out your conference — will fall on deaf ears.
Tryin' to teach this ol' dog new tricks would be naive.
