FROM THE REAL ART SPORTS DESK
BC MESS

From the AP via ESPN:

Alabama's D embarrasses LSU as five FGs, late TD seal national title

With a smothering display of old-school football, the No. 2 Crimson Tide blew out the top-ranked Tigers 21-0 in the Allstate BCS Championship Game Monday night.

Coach Nick Saban's Tide also moved into the top spot in the final Associated Press poll for the eighth time, tying Notre Dame for the most of any team in college football.

More here.

And again from the AP, but this time via the Huffington Post:

Oklahoma State Gets 4 No. 1 Votes In AP Poll After Alabama Beats LSU

Alabama's convincing victory in the BCS championship wasn't enough to convince all 60 Associated Press college football poll voters that the Crimson Tide is No. 1.

Four members of the media panel had Oklahoma State at No. 1, and Erik Gee, of KNML-AM in Albuquerque, N.M., picked LSU – as he said he would before the game.

"I was a lot closer than I thought I would be to changing my mind," Gee said during a telephone interview Tuesday. "I don't think I necessarily felt good about voting for LSU. But I also didn't feel good about voting for Alabama. I stared at the computer for 10 minutes. It wasn't an easy decision."

More here.

And, oh yeah, this happened, too. From the Houston Chronicle:

Texas QB Ash catches TD in Holiday Bowl win over California

In essence, No. 24 UT’s 21-10 victory over California boiled down to patience. The Longhorns had plenty of it when it came to waiting for David Ash, and absolutely none of it when it came to blitzing Zach Maynard.

Ash overcame an uninspiring start to lead three touchdown drives, and a relentless Longhorns defense made life a nightmare for Maynard, the Cal quarterback who was sacked six times and oversaw an offense that turned the ball over five times.

And even though it wasn’t always stylish, UT used that combination well enough in front of 56,313 at Snapdragon Stadium to reassert their belief it could lead to a higher-profile finish in 2012.

More here.

When it was all said and done, my two teams for the 2011 season had some similarities. Both had excellent defenses; both had mediocre offenses. I mean, this is all on a sliding scale, of course. Texas was coming back from last year's utterly dismal and disappointing season, and had almost no place to go but up. LSU, however, was pretty solid coming off of last year, with an incredible defense, and a great offense that was mediocre only because Les Miles was never able to figure out the quarterback puzzle. That is, LSU was, indeed, great this year, but its fatal flaw was the guy taking the snaps, no matter who was doing it.

But, as they say, you go to war with the army you have, not the one you want.

LSU's stifling defense was able to simply wear down other teams. By the second half, the Tigers didn't really need a brilliant offense, just one that could take advantage of the opportunities the defense set up for them, usually against an opposing defensive line that had become exhausted by the mountains-as-college students LSU kept rotating in on their side of the scrimmage line--like I said, the offense was pretty darned good, just no QB worth mentioning. It was a formula that worked well, smash mouth football essentially, which I like to watch. I mean, they beat everybody, even the national champion. On their home field.

And that's why, once again, the BCS has left the taste of shit in my mouth.

In short, Alabama's experience playing LSU the first time gave them the scouting advantage they needed to put together a game plan that ultimately spoiled the Tigers' admittedly flawed formula for success. Usually, almost never, in fact, does the challenger for the national championship get such a scouting opportunity. I call bullshit. I also think this affected LSU psychologically, and you could see it in their faces on the sidelines. It was almost as if the system said to the Tigers, "It doesn't matter that you went into Tuscaloosa and beat these guys on their home field. It doesn't matter that you played a tougher schedule and won more games. Our formulas and bloviating opinion people want a rematch, and fuck you."

So now, the team that won on a neutral site is called "national champion," even though the team they beat to win this "honor" had already beaten them. On the road. Alabama didn't win their division, and didn't win their conference, but LSU did. This is bullshit.

And, oh yeah, let's not forget Oklahoma State, a one loss team that did win its conference, and also had a harder schedule than the Crimson Tide, was squeezed out. Because the system wanted a fucking rematch. This is also bullshit.

At any rate, things are looking up for both Texas and LSU next year. Both have good defenses. The Longhorns' Ash is definitely improving, and LSU just signed that hotshot QB out of Indiana. I'm expecting good things from both schools. I'm also halfway expecting one or both to once again be fucked by the BCS.

Also, now that both Texas and LSU have lost national championship games to Alabama within just a few seasons of each other, I hate the Crimson Tide with all the darkness and evil I can find in my heart. They suck, suck, suck, and get help from a corrupt and fucked up system that exists only because universities don't want to lose bowl money.

What a way to end the season.


Texas quarterback David Ash throws a pass against California during the first
half of the Holiday Bowl NCAA college football game, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011,
in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

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