Hawaii Can Play BCS Monkey Wrench
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Hawai’i (the way the University spells it) has a chance to throw a big, greasy monkey wrench into the well-oiled machine that is the BCS College Football Championship, a system that runs smoother than a baby’s bottom… or perhaps a plot of cacti. As pointed at by Dan Shanoff over at Deadspin, what happens if Georgia shows up to the Sugar Bowl flat and the Rainbow Warriors beat them senseless? Something like a 49-14 game?
While the chances of that, at least on paper, don’t look very likely, how would the men behind the BCS curtain react? Would it send the system into nuclear meltdown mode? What if the BCS title game is a snooze fest and Hawai’i looks something like a Bugatti Veyron during their dismantling of Mark Richt and the rest of the Bulldog nation? Wouldn’t the only undefeated team in the nation, a team responsible for one of the more shocking victories college football (especially if it’s a blowout), deserve a look and perhaps some serious consideration for the outright BCS title?
It’s potential scenarios like these that make my heart cry when I hear athletic department administrators defend the bowl system, saying sure it’s flawed but it does serve the purpose it was intended to serve. What purpose is that? Mass confusion?
Less Fans
Alas, if Hawai’i is to shock the world, they are going to have to do so in front of a smaller group of Warrior fans than was originally intended. According to a report in SI, Hawai’i's administration returned 4,000 of the 17,500 alloted tickets, saying they weren’t confident in their ability to sell them all. Naturally, the folks in Athens, Georgia were more than happy to take the tickets off Hawai’i's hands:
The University of Hawaii decided against taking its full 17,500-ticket allotment for the Jan. 1 game because it was concerned it could not sell them all, so 4,000 tickets were gladly accepted by Georgia.
With Hawaii quickly selling out its reduced allotment of 13,500 tickets by Tuesday, many angry Warriors’ fans and season-ticket holders were left scrambling to find tickets to the school’s first bowl game outside the Aloha State since the 1992 Holiday Bowl.
…which really doesn’t make much sense: If Hawai’i quickly sold their reduced allotment and the Warrior fans that didn’t get in on it were “left scrambling,” why did the University not think they could get rid of all 17,500?
If the Rainbow Warriors shock the world and grind the BCS to a complete halt, they will have done so in front of an extremely hostile, pro-UGA crowd, making their potential victory all the more impressive. It’s almost enough to make me, a noted fan of the SEC, root for Hawai’i. If Georgia losing a game they probably shouldn’t brings changes to the BCS, then maybe we need a sacrificial lamb.
Whaddya say, Georgia fans? Feel like taking one for the greater good of college football?
And for all you Hawai’i fans that didn’t get in on the initial allotment, Ticket Solutions has Sugar Bowl tickets.
Having no rooting interest in the BCS, or much interest in the bowls other than hoping Andre Woodson throws for 500 yards against Felony State in the Music City Bowl, I’d like to see Colt Brennan take a pipe wrench to the whole BCS committee on pay per view.
I think the BCS championship will end up a one sided affair. Doesn’t matter who, because if it is whoever wins will get the crown no matter what Hawaii does.
Hawai’i's chances are probably slim and none. But everyone will reference Boise St and rightfully so. If Georgia doesn’t defend, Brennan will a move the ball. It would be nice to see the BCS get torn apart tho.
Dream on Cowboy! The Dawgs will try to smash the rainbows and show the BCS that you don’t have to win your conference, especially in the SEC, to be qualified for a shot at the National Title. Hawaii is definately good, no excellent. However, everyone holds the SEC teams up as the standard by which they have to compete. Hawaii is no exception. If you win, good job. Should you win big…well lets just say, the Dawgs had an off day. Not very likely to happen.
Fan Belt, I agree with your assessment but don’t forget the WVU bowl game from a couple of seasons ago. Everyone is expecting UGA to handle Brennan and Hawaii, but if this turns into a shoot-out, people will start thinking about Boise St/Oklahoma.
As long as the Dawgs don’t go into the game with a big head, they should be fine.