Beyond the BCS

While the BCS coordinators scramble to make sense of the annual "Shakeup Saturday," I sat on a nice, comfortable couch and watched as the system went to hell in a handbasket.

I watched Texas A&M knock off Oklahoma, the No. 1 team in the land. I saw Ohio State dig deep and beat Purdue. I watched Notre Dame, a team previously rated among the best in the nation, nearly lose for the second week in a row to a rebuilding Navy squad. I sat there and watched Syracuse beat Virginia Tech.

As time expired on the later games of the day, I couldn't help wonder what those magical computers would come out with on Tuesday.

Miami will probably be in the top two (finally) due to Oklahoma's stunning loss to Texas A&M. At this point, even the BCS has to give them props for their 31-0 record in the last two years.

Ohio State will be there as well, but they might be punished for their squeaker over Purdue, and Notre Dame might fall further from grace due to a lackluster win over Navy.

But what about Texas A&M? What about Purdue? What about Syracuse who shocked Virginia Tech at the Carrier Dome? What happens to Navy who, despite a spirited game against Notre Dame, drops to 1-9 on the year? Don't they deserve some credit?

Writers and sports radio hosts around the nation are complaining that the BCS isn't doing an effective job of ranking the top teams in the country, yet they do little to help. They offer no real solutions, just whining. So, boys and girls, listen up. The newest statistic to keep track of is guts. Allow me to elaborate.

What exactly is guts? Guts is stepping onto the field against the No. 1 team in the nation and truly believing you can win. (Congrats, Texas A&M.) Guts is busting your humps every day while the rest of the country forgets you still have a program. (Keep working, Syracuse.) Guts is enrolling at a military school and having the discipline to balance football, school work, and soldiering. (God bless you, Navy.)

These teams might not win national titles for their football performances in the next few years, but they will continue to fight. They don't stop because their records are less than adequate. They don't go into a season looking for top 25 rankings, they go into it looking for a big win against some big team and that win will make their blood, sweat, and tears all the more enjoyable.

Guts isn't just found in losing. Notre Dame fought a tough Navy team to squeak out a win. They were a team disheartened by their loss to Boston College last week and you could see that the real fight was gone from their eyes. They were nearly defeated before the opening kickoff. Credit coach Ty Willingham for his refusal to accept any less than 100% from his players. Notre Dame's fourth quarter comeback was inspiring and, more importantly, it put them back into the running for the national title.

Ohio State had no idea that Oklahoma would lose on Saturday. They came out sloppy against the "Spoilermakers" of Purdue, but pulled out a win on a dramatic fourth down touchdown pass.

The BCS has no real eyes in which to see the hearts of players. OSU might be penalized in the rankings despite pulling off a great win. The computers cannot see that the players fight from the opening kick to the final gun. They look at stats and polls compiled by writers and sports directors around the nation.

Guts cannot be measured by a formula, but sit down next week and look through the facemasks and see the eyes of these players. There is a look of pride no matter the score and no matter their ranking. You'll see a kid that's fighting for pride. They are unpaid and unheralded warriors of the gridiron. Look in their eyes. Guts is college football, and it doesn't get any better.