College football is a game of tradition and deep seeded history. The connection with the past is one of the sports greatest strengths and one of its biggest weaknesses. It is a strength because it builds bonds between players and fans across generations. Unlike in the NFL a College team really can stay near the top of their conference for a decade at a time. However, the fascination with the past, particularly by sportswriters, hurts the game by improperly rewarding schools for what they did in past seasons, and, in the case of Rutgers, punishing them for their past ineptitude.
Rutgers has a long standing history of really bad football teams. I mean really, really bad teams. But this year they aren't really bad, in fact they are really, really good. Sure their offense is nearly one dimensional; depending heavily on the performance of Rice (RB). But their QB, Mike Teel, has only lost 1 game as a starter in his entire football career (high school and college) and that was last season to Louisville; so he clearly has the mystical "it" quality that makes someone a winner. Combine Rice, the nations third best RB averaging 150+ yds/game, with the incredibly fast and aggressive Rutgers defensive unit and you have a force to be reckoned with.
Last week, against Louisville (#3 in the nation), Rutgers fell behind in the first half and it looked as if their chances at a dream season were gone. But something happened - Rice and the Defense both stepped up and took control of the game. The Defense held Louisville, the #2 offense in the country, to just over 50 yards of offense in the second half while Rice ran for 75 yards in the fourth quarter alone (131 yards total and 2 tds).
Rutgers remained undefeated in the big East - a conference that has three teams in the top 10 of pretty much every poll. Only one other conference can claim to have 3 top ten teams - the almighty SEC; yet - somehow - three one-loss teams are ranked ahead of Rutgers in the BCS; Florida, USC, and ND.
Florida's one loss came to Auburn (a 2 loss team and one that is ranked 14th in the BCS). Auburn looked pretty good most of this year; but they have lost two really bad games. Florida scraped by in a few of their games - and they lost to Auburn. I just don't understand how they are ranked third; in the top ten, absolutely heck, maybe even the top five - but definitely not #3.
USC - Their one loss came Oregon State (a 6-4 team). How they aren't punished more for this loss boggles the mind. Nobody can justify USC being ranked this high - even compared to other 1 loss teams they shouldn't be ranked 4th! I could see them being in the top 10, but no higher than 8th.
There is, however, one 1 loss team I could be convinced deserves to be ranked ahead of Rutgers - but barely - and I must say, it pains me to admit it; that team is Notre Dame. I know, they get way too much love without doing anything at the beginning of the season, and they have won a lot of ugly games - but they have won - except against Michigan; the clear cut #2 team in the nation. Based on that one loss I can see an argument for having ND in 3rd (even though they were destroyed by Michigan). However, Rutgers still hasn't lost. They just beat the #3 team in the nation (Louisville) in an impressive come-from-behind struggle.
Even with all of this said I keep hearing sportswriters, and various fans, say Rutgers doesn't have a chance to make it to the BCS championship game because of their non-conference schedule. If Rutgers finishes the season undefeated and they aren't given a reasonable opportunity to play in the Fiesta Bowl, it will be nobodies fault but the sportswriters. The only other championship game scenario I could understand at that point would be a rematch of OSU and Michigan assuming their game on the 18th is really close. Finishing undefeated in a major conference is no small feat and it should be rewarded - even if the team getting the accolades is Rutgers.