2009
THE RANKINGS
B.C.S. Top Ten: 1. Alabama, 2. Texas, 3. Cincinnati, 4. TCU, 5. Florida, 6. Boise State, 7. Oregon, 8. Ohio State, 9. Georgia Tech, 10. Iowa
A.P. Top Ten: 1. Alabama, 2. Texas, 3. TCU, 4. Cincinnati, 5. Florida, 6. Boise State, 7. Oregon, 8. Ohio State, 9. Georgia Tech, 10. Iowa
Andrew: If you thought 2008 was loaded at the top, 2009 actually topped the previous season. Instead of a lot of great one-loss teams, we had a lot of great undefeated teams out of major conferences and smaller ones. To be official, there were five unbeatens at the end of the regular season: Alabama led by Heisman winner Mark Ingram and an awesome defense, Texas led by Colt McCoy and an awesome defense of their own, TCU led by Andy Dalton and (get this!) another awesome defense, Cincinnati led by Tony Pike and offensive guru Brian Kelly, and Boise State led by Kellen Moore and Chris Peterson. I did not even mention Florida, who was a great team at #1 all year-long and unbeaten going into their SEC Championship Game against unbeaten Bama, where they lost 32-13. That team was so good that in the Sugar Bowl, in Tim Tebow’s last college game, the Gators beat undefeated Cincinnati 51-24. Oregon wound up winning the Pac-10 and lost to Big Ten champ Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Another team that was unbeaten going into the last few weeks was Iowa, which had a mediocre offense but a terrific defense and a flair for close wins all year-long before losing to Northwestern and Ohio State. Georgia Tech beat Clemson to win the ACC Championship.
THE COMMITTEE SAYS…
Todd: This year is memorable for TCU taking Boise State’s spot as the hot underdog, the emergence of Saban’s Alabama dynasty and Colt McCoy taking the helm as the Big 12’s best quarterback. Cincy was coached by Brian Kelly this year, before jumping ship to Notre Dame as he’d become the hottest name in the game come season’s end. I think this Bearcats team was very good, but there is a very significant dropoff this year after Alabama and Texas. This is the first year I think it became very apparent how weak the Big East was becoming in football. I’ll keep the Bearcats in their spot for winning a BCS conference and I think Tony Pike is a pretty underrated quarterback, but I think Florida’s beatdown of the Bearcats is more indicative of how they would fare against teams from the SEC, Big 10 or Pac-10. 1. Alabama, 2. Texas, 3. Cincy, 4. TCU.
Nick: It’s very tempting to give Florida a seat at the table, but with so many undefeated’s this season, I just can’t do it. Alabama beat the Gators decisively, earning the Tide the No. 1 spot. Texas takes No. 2. From there, it comes down to a three-team debate between TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State. I think TCU was the best of these teams, as they played solid defense and efficient offense. They were the most SEC-like of the three non AQ contenders, so I’ll go with them at No. 3. The final spot comes down to Cincinnati and Boise State. Cincinnati won the Big East by defeating West Virginia and Pittsburgh, while Boise State had a season-opening win over Oregon. Call me crazy, but I’ll take the Broncos. (1. Alabama. 2. Texas 3. TCU 4. Boise State)
Andrew: Alabama’s strong win over Florida on the same night as Texas’ shocking scare against Nebraska is what convinces me of Bama going #1 and Texas going #2 even though both teams were phenomenal. Then an undefeated team has to get left out, and because they were in the weakest conference overall, Boise State unfortunately is the one sitting back. Florida was really, really friggin’ good, but the loss in Atlanta to Alabama forces them out of the fold, too. That gives us TCU and Cincinnati, and for my money, I thought Cincinnati was a more dangerous team because of that high-scoring offense with NFL talent led by a bright coach. TCU of the Mountain West gets the last spot. (#1 Alabama, #2, Texas, #3 Cincinnati, #4 TCU)
The Decision: Alabama and Texas are inarguable between the three of us for the top two spots, but a lot of intrigue for the last two spots. Andrew and Todd voted Cincinnati #3 and TCU #4 , while Nick bumped up TCU, slotted in Boise State for his last spot, and took the Bearcats out completely. The votes are in, and we have a tie between TCU and Cincinnati. We will have to bring this to an arbitrator, and making a special guest appearance is fellow B.C.S. Buster Scott Criscuolo!
Scott Criscuolo (co-founder of Place To Be Nation): I like TCU.
So it is said, and so it shall be done! TCU goes #3 and Cincinnati goes #4.
THE FINAL FOUR
#1 Alabama vs. #4 Cincinnati in the Fiesta Bowl, #2 Texas vs. #3 TCU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl
Todd: To spite Criscuolo, I’ll say while I love TCU’s defense in 2009, I will go with the winner of a BCS conference every time, even if it is the farce that is/was the Big East. With what we have though, I’ll take Alabama by 20, in true Saban fashion, the Tide could destroy a Big East gimmicky offense team by 50, but wouldn’t. I think TCU has enough of a pulse to stagnate Texas under 30 points, which is impressive given how damn good McCoy was this year. I say Texas over the Frogs 24-17. Alabama and Texas move on.
Nick: Come on, man. While there technically had to be four teams in the playoff, Alabama and Texas were clearly the top two teams in the country that year. Blowouts abound, as both Bama and the Longhorns win by 17.
Andrew: Okay, let’s hypothetically say that Brian Kelly stays with Cincinnati for the bowl game because of the opportunity to play for the national championship. I am sure they would have looked better than they did in the Sugar Bowl against Florida without him, but Alabama’s defense would have made mince meat out of the immobile Tony Pike. Texas and TCU is an intriguing Lone Star State match-up in the Georgia Dome, but McCoy and Muschamp’s defense is too much to handle for the Horned Frogs. Alabama and Texas win.
THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#1 Alabama vs. #2 Texas
Todd: Given what we’ve seen this year, I’ll have to borrow a line if I may and call this, VINTAGE SABAN! McElroy played awful, but he was the definition of “game manager”. The SEC gets a rep for having old timey football, but this Alabama team really was a back to basics squad. And it executed those basics on a quasi-NFL level. Having seen both with my two eyes, the difference in Big XII and SEC football is in the trenches. Oklahoma and Texas are the only schools that get close to SEC lines, but this Alabama team had two lines that could probably start for the Cleveland Browns. I think a healthy McCoy gives the Horns more than a puncher’s chance, but I think that this iteration of the spread played right into the SEC’s hands. I’ll take Alabama 38-31. As a side note, Greg McElroy was not only the moppy haired quarterback of the most powerful program in college football and a Tuscaloosa demigod, but if I recall correctly, he was this close to being a Rhodes Scholar and his dad is a big wig for the Dallas Cowboys. Sometimes, life’s not fair. Luckily, I don’t think Musberger panned to show whatever supermodel McElroy was undoubtedly dating at the time while simultaneously winning a national championship and holding down a perfect GPA.
Nick: Now, the difference here between what we got in real life would be the health of Colt McCoy. That certainly would have made for a closer game. However, that Bama defense was just too good, even if McElroy did struggle against the Texas defense. Alabama rides its defense and running game to a 21-20 win over Texas.
Andrew: Here is where I will play the devil’s advocate, even as a self-confessed SEC fan. If Colt McCoy does not get injured in this championship final, I say Texas wins. Alabama’s defense was going to be a rough deal no matter who played quarterback, but it has to be mentioned how god awful Greg McElroy was against a lights-out Texas defense led by Earl Thomas. 58 passing yards and an interception?! The only saving grace was the running combination of Ingram and Trent Richardson, but is that enough against a ready and able Colt McCoy? I say no. Texas wins and breaks the streak.
The 2009 B.C.S. Busters Champion is… the Alabama Crimson Tide!
Next on B.C.S. Busters: TCU tries to become the first school outside of the original B.C.S. conferences to get to the title game, LSU and Alabama face the gauntlet before a potential rematch, and who plays Oregon in Chip Kelly’s last game? Find out in our final installment, featuring the Hard Traveling Fanboys!
