Published: January 05, 2009 10:28 pm            

Ramblin' Reck: Gators and Sooners shouldn’t be only ones considered for national championship

The college football season finally comes to an end this week when Florida and Oklahoma battle for the “official” national championship.

Both teams earned the right to play in the big game and both have lost one game, the same as other teams and unlike Utah, which finished the season 13-0 with a bowl victory over Alabama, a team that was No. 1 for several weeks and was unbeaten until losing its conference championship game and the bowl game.

Thus it is our opinion that other teams deserve consideration for the No. 1 honor but, under the current system, that is not likely to happen since coaches who vote in the official poll are supposed to put the Florida-Oklahoma winner in the top spot on their ballots.

Three teams that deserve the right to be No. 1 are Texas, assuming the Longhorns beat Ohio State on Monday; Utah; and Southern Cal.

Starting with Texas. The Longhorns accounted for Oklahoma’s defeat, and their only setback came in the final minute against Texas Tech. Colt McCoy could be the best quarterback in the country and he says he will be back next year.

Then Southern Cal. Though the Big Ten was not really a power conference, the Trojans deserve attention for the way they handled its top teams — Ohio State and Penn State. But they lost to Oregon State.

Finally, Utah. The Utes beat six bowl teams, beat Michigan at Michigan, handled Alabama in Florida — not exactly neutral territory — and defeated Oregon State.

No matter what we think, either Florida or Oklahoma will reign as the national champ. And we think that will be Florida, even though the Gators lost to Ole Miss.

P.S. — Unless Ohio State beat Texas, Big Ten teams won one bowl game, Iowa beating Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina team.

• • •

• Have a good one — Another year has started and actually is five days old as we write this column. Time flies.

Some of the things we’d like to see in 2009:

• Kurt Warner play in another Super Bowl. Maybe against Baltimore, with Cam Cameron on the sidelines?

• High school boys and girls basketball teams from the Valley do well in the the tournaments. Several have the chance to do well but some might meet before the finals.

• Players in both Illinois and Indiana gain recognition and be chosen for all-star teams.

• Illinois and Purdue battle for the Big Ten men’s basketball championship and both win some games in the NCAA.

• Indiana State end its losing streak in football.

• Terre Haute’s Tommy John be chosen as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s wishful thinking, but he definitely deserves the honor as much as some who already have been voted into the Hall. He failed to win 300 games but overcame a potentially career-ending injury with surgery now that bears his name.

• Pittsburgh finally have a winning season in baseball and the Chicago Cubs play in the World Series. Again, it’s probably wishful thinking.

n The Indiana Pacers rally to make the NBA playoffs and then surprise a team or two.

• Good weather for the USAC and other races at The Action Track and the same for the events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

• Jeff Gordon challenge teammate Jimmie Johnson for NASCAR championship honors and Tony Stewart enjoy success as owner and driver in the series.

Happy new year to all of you out there. May you all enjoy the best of times.



Tom Reck may be contacted by telelephone at (812) 232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.