On the eve of the last BCS National Championship Game, let's pause, go back and take a look how one national media outlet, like most others, whiffed on predicting the top teams in college football for the 2013 season.
Sports Illustrated issued its preseason edition of the magazine on August 19 and chose Alabama as its number one team. The top ten was rounded out by Alabama, Stanford, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Oregon, South Carolina, Louisville, Notre Dame, Florida and Clemson. Nope, no Florida State and no Auburn, and no Michigan State or Missouri either. SI had the Seminoles at #13 with Auburn failing to dent the top 25. Missouri also didn't make it into that preseason group as the Tigers weren't chosen over the likes of Virginia Tech (25), Northern Illinois (24), Northwestern (22) and Boise State (20.)
As for the Heisman winner, SI tabbed Jameis Winston as 25 to 1 to win the award, listing him with others who "are a long way from New York City but could replicate Manziel's rise and make an out-of-nowhere run at the Heisman Trophy."
Now, it's easy to yelp about how the media once again failed to adequately predict who would be the winners and who would be the losers in this season of college football. But, isn't that unpredictability what makes this sport great? I'm all for holding these preseason predictors accountable but also love that, each year, there is an Auburn who comes from nowhere with a story that's compelling and sucks us all in.
Here's to another stellar year of college football--let's hope tomorrow night's BCS National Championship Game will be a fitting jumping off to the new College Football Playoff that debuts next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment