It's Not Just the Media...

I would not consider myself a college football elitist, but I have found that most of the general population is ignorant of not only the majority of teams and conferences, but sometimes of even their own team. That's just sad. I understand that not everyone has the time or resources (or desire) to follow college football as closely as others, and I do not fault anyone for his or her lack of knowledge--as long as they don't pretend they know what they are talking about. I won't yell at someone who acknowledges that they don't know everything. Or, in my new language, as long as they don't have insufficient knowledge and yet treat it as sufficient, I won't yell at them. If they do, however, they bear the burden of their mistake.

As a daily reminder of how much I dislike college football idiots, I make it a point to read the Sports Sound-Off in the Mobile Register. Today, I found this little nugget of wisdom. "I hear Texas-El Paso and Toledo are trying to get a game with Auburn...Wouldn't that be something if UTEP beat Auburn?" Yeah, it would. In fact, it would signify the coming of the apocalypse. Now, generally, there is nothing wrong with statements like this. They are just opinions and 'any given Saturday'...yada yada yada. However, UTEP? Are you kidding me? This is one of the worst 8-3 teams you could ever find...right up there with Tulsa, the only team UTEP beat this year with more than six wins. UTEP has beaten four teams with a winning record--three of which were 6-5 in a seriously depleted Conference USA. UTEP's glorious victories came over the likes of New Mexico State (0-12), Tulane (2-9), Marshall (4-7), and Texas Southern (a I-AA team that still managed to go 0-10...that's just special). The "quality" win was over Tulsa, whose victims went 35-54, for an average record of 4.4-6.75. That's just stellar. And then there's Auburn, a 9-2 team in a strong SEC West whose only losses were in the season opener to GaTech as the Tigers broke in a new quarterback and attempted to find a new running back, and to LSU by a missed field goal. I'd say that's pretty respectable. How about quality wins? Well, the dominating victory over Alabama speaks volumes, as does the shoot-out victory over Georgia. But let's not forget the 48-7 pounding of Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks. But hey, games are games. Let's look at some stats too. How about this one. The highest ranked defense UTEP has played against was Marshall (35), followed by Tulsa (37). Meanwhile, Auburn has faced Alabama (2), LSU (5), Georgia Tech (10), and Georiga (11). And yet, Auburn ranks 15th in scoring offense while UTEP falls at 21st. UTEP scores fewer points on far inferior defenses. Complement those stats with the fact that Auburn is ranked 6th in scoring defense and UTEP is ranked 53rd. Ouch. So, long story, short, there is no way UTEP would win against Auburn. Unless the entire team came down with the flu and UTEP found a way to re-recruit Barry Sanders, Doug Flutie, T.O., and Randy Moss, UTEP couldn't even make it close.

Basically, the whole reason for this rant is that it shows how many people look solely at records when they run their mouths, and it frequently comes back to bite them....ahem ahem, Alabama fans. You may have been 9-1, but you were blind if you thought you had a chance against Auburn. But that is another argument for another day.