Alabama, Florida and LSU. What do these schools have in common? They are the last three universities to win the BCS Championship. Each of them dominated the college football landscape for a year, and in the end, came away with the ultimate prize.
They also share another distinction that is far less celebrated.
Mortality.
Like the Oregon Ducks this past week against California, all three of these teams met a stumbling block at some point in their magical seasons. Squads that looked unstoppable suddenly looked anything but.
Consider the Crimson Tide. Last year, en route to a perfect season, Alabama faced off with a Tennessee team that was puttering around at 3-3. It was a home game in Tuscaloosa and looked like another easy victory for Nick Saban’s minions.
Not so much. The Crimson Tide barely eked out a 12-10 victory with a blocked field goal as time expired, and was outscored 7-3 in the second half. Then it reeled off six straight wins to end the season.
The low point was even worse for Florida and LSU. The Gators famously lost a 31-30 heartbreaker at home against Mississippi, prompting Tim Tebow to apologize profusely to fans who wondered if Florida had been overrated.
LSU, meanwhile, lost two games on the way to its championship, one to Kentucky and the other to Arkansas.
So why do I bring all of this up? Well, mainly to point out that what happened to the Ducks on Saturday was not out of the ordinary. Rather, fans should consider the California game as just another rite of passage in what could be a special year.
No team can win every game by double digits. When you think about it, the fact that the Ducks managed that feat through the first nine games of the season is pretty extraordinary. Before Saturday, the Arizona State game was the closest of the season (an 11-point victory).
As much as the media likes to paint it as such, this team is not a machine. The ESPN College GameDay features about the offense are fun, but it is simply unrealistic to expect 50-point outbursts every week. I’ll admit that I was one of the people drinking too much Kool-Aid; I predicted an easy win in Berkeley last week.
It is too much to ask, especially for a team that clearly needed a bye week. Watching the offensive line repeatedly miss blocks, and LaMichael James hobbling off the field as the final whistle blew, only one thought crossed my mind: “This team is tired.”
Tired from taking a team’s best shot week in and week out. Tired from the impossible expectations placed upon them by a fan base desperate for a championship. Tired from people like me asking silly questions like, “How does it feel to be number one?”
California didn’t expose glaring issues with the makeup of this Oregon team, just as that matchup with Tennessee did little to show a weakness in Alabama. No one remembers Florida’s loss to Mississippi, or LSU’s struggles in 2007.
People remember championships, and as of this week, Oregon is still on the right track to play for that crystal ball come January. For now, they can rest up and get ready for these last two games. Judging by Saturday’s performance, this team needs a breather.
So if you’re panicking about a two-point win against California, well, don’t. Every team is entitled to an off day, even the best of the best.
Don’t believe me? Well, Alabama, Florida and LSU have some championship rings they’d like to show you.
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