On Any Given Saturday...

Heading to the Nats game Saturday evening, I saw a lot of dour Michigan fans on the Metrorail after Appalachian State upset the Wolverines.

Now I don't get the Big "Ten" network so I've seen as much of the game as most of the country has which is just the highlight package, and looking at the box score, it is tough to figure out what went wrong. Yeah Michigan turned the ball over twice, but Appalachian State turned it over 3 times. Appalachian State had a minimal advantage in time of possession and Michigan run up rather respectable numbers rushing and throwing. Looking at the stat sheet, you see why the score was as close as it was because the two teams put up identical numbers.

But what everybody is harping on is that Appalachian State is a 1-AA (or Football Championship Subdivision) team and Michigan was ranked #5. This game shouldn't have been close especially since it was being played in Ann Arbor.

Well, for starters lets remember that Appalachian State is a two-time defending 1-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) champions. Appalachian State has beaten other 1-A teams and has given other 1-A schools all they could handle. I think a good case could be made that Appalachian State belongs in 1-A and not the Football Championship Subdivision. Don't forget, this was the closest Appalachian State was going to get to a Bowl game this year too. If you're looking for some school to relegate in place of Appalachian State's promotion, here's a suggestion.

As for Michigan, well, one has to wonder just why in the world they were ranked #5 to begin with. As a matter of fact, this game is a prime example as to just what is wrong with the college rankings system in the first place. Michigan, just like every other ranked team, had done absolutely nothing to warrant being ranked in the first place. The much-maligned BCS doesn't even bother issuing their rankings until mid-October. Why should the other polls rank teams before then as well?

And it wasn't just Michigan, the Virginia Tech-East Carolina game was tough to watch because neither team wanted to win. VA Tech was getting manhandled on offense and defense but ECU couldn't stop shooting themselves in the foot with penalties and other costly mistakes. VA Tech did not look like a Top Ten team playing a non-BCS opponent. Yeah, there was the whole shooting memorial ceremony but VA Tech came out flatter than a pancake and still didn't wake up after halftime.

As if you needed any more proof as to how bogus the pre-season rankings are, Dook annually gets ranked 25th by their former Head Coach Steve Spurrier. Dook got blitzed by football powerhouse U-Conned on Saturday 45-14 at Dook. The people who vote in them don't take them seriously.

Finally, right now it is halftime of the F$U-Klempsun game with Klempsun up 24-3. The game isn't that close as F$U looks like a Football Championship Subdivision team and not the 19th best team in the nation.

So congratualtions to Appalachian State, a better team than it is being given credit before because they don't want to compete in 1-A every week.