This Is Why They Play the Games...

Saturday served as a reminder of why championships are not decided within the columns of writers, the posts of bloggers, or on message boards. Defying expectations, five of the top ten teams in the USA Today Top 25 went down to defeat.

The first four weeks of the regular season had precipitated a great deal of debate regarding the potential for three teams (USC, LSU, and Oklahoma) to contend for two spots in the BCS championship, reprising the 2003-2004 season where the same three teams battled for the national championship. That debate has been silenced as a result of Oklahoma's defeat at the hands of a rejuvenated program at the University of Colorado. Columnists and fans largely looked at this past weekend as a set up for a "Showdown Saturday", with the Red River Shootout (Oklahoma-Texas) and Florida visiting LSU on the slate for next weekend. Many Oklahoma fans were lamenting their potential fate should all three teams finish their respective schedules undefeated. Oklahoma fans can now root for the future opponents of those teams ranked above them.

Each season, college football provides a reminder of why the games are actually played, with upsets littering the landscape and altering the consensus perceptions of the public. In spite of that, anguish and speculation continue to be emblematic of the early weeks in college football, when teams feast on non-conference opponents, who are unfamiliar with their oppositions' schemes and personnel. Teams build reputations based on these performances but, regardless of how dominant those performances might be, they must be placed in perspective. Danger resides amongst those familiar opponents (see Kansas State's and Auburn's two consecutive defeats of Oklahoma and Florida, respectively).

At this time next year, similar debates will undoubtedly proliferate through the public domain. It is also likely that the debate will reflect back upon this season, when early perceptions were quickly altered and altered again. It's also likely that all the surprises of this season have not yet been unveiled. Familiarity, combined with depth, will play large roles in two of the biggest games looming over the remaining season. Cal and head coach Jeff Tedford, who have demonstrated an ability to attack the defense of USC over the years, will provide a stiff test for the Trojans, particularly as they continue to suffer personnel attrition on the defensive side of the football. Florida visits Baton Rouge to take on an LSU team which is struggling with injuries on both sides of the football, ranging from the ankle of QB Matt Flynn, to the questionable health of WR Early Doucet, and the loss of DT Charles Alexander, and demonstrated difficulty in establishing an offensive rhythm in the first half against Tulane.

There are lots of games remaining this season and it looks increasingly likely that each week will see teams continue to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. The early talk about the dominance of USC, LSU, and Oklahoma is now shifting. The current arguments over who deserves to be ranked #1, USC or LSU, is one which will be decided over the coming weeks (and one which only serves to provide fodder for the pundits nationwide). In the end, it is increasingly possible that both of these teams will be clawing their way back into the race after suffering their own unexpected surprises.