Rematch of Michigan and Buckeyes
ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN OCTOBER 26, 2006 A very common topic is the possibility of a BCS Championship rematch between current BCS #1 and #2 teams Ohio State and Michigan. The thought is that a close game during the November 18th Columbus battle would leave open the possibility of the loser not dropping too far in the polls, assuming USC and West Virginia lose somewhere along the way.
I like how ESPN BCS-guru Brad Edwards addressed this in his weekly chat session on ESPN.com:
Bill (Ann Arbor): If Michigan’s only loss of the season is to the #1 team in the country, why shouldnt they deserve a spot in the national championship game over the other 1 loss teams?
Brad Edwards: Regardless of which team loses the Michigan-OSU game, there is an outside shot at a rematch for the national title, but I don’t think it could happen, barring extraordinary circumstances. For starters, the people who vote in the polls are basically deciding who finishes second, and as fans of the game, I doubt they would want to see a rematch unless there just isn’t another attractive one-loss team out there. Maybe a bigger point, though, is that it would be unfair to the winner of the game. Can you imagine if Michigan went into the Horseshoe and came out with a win, only to be told they’d have to beat the Buckeyes again to get the national title? Barring a multiple-OT classic, I don’t think there’s much of a chance for the teams to meet again in Glendale.
Here are a few takes on this:
1. Each team has 3 games left against albeit weak opponents, but an upset is not out of the question.
2. This scenario assumes that there isn’t another worthy undefeated team [e.g., USC or West Virginia].
3. This scenario assumes that there isn’t a more compelling 1 loss team than the loser of this game.
4. I don’t completely buy Edwards’s “pollsters are fans of the game” argument, but I love his fairness point. Can you imagine if Michigan had to beat the Buckeyes twice? Michigan fans, you’d flip out. But anyhow, barring an anomaly in the computers, the loser of the game would have to fall to 3 at worst in the polls to have a shot.
5. I really only think this scenario could be fulfilled with a close Ohio State win. If Michigan beats the Buckeyes in Columbus, the Buckeyes would surely have to drop a few slots for losing at home.
6. Some interesting scenarios are out there no matter what happens. Can you imagine if Notre Dame passes a 1-loss Michigan, or if Texas passes a 1- loss Ohio State?
7. Not a single major source is predicting a Michigan win in the 11/18 battle, and no one is thinking this rematch scenario will play out.
