To say this college football season has been exciting would be a gross understatement. But this year has also been unsettling if you're a traditionalist.
South Florida? Directional universities rarely sit atop any lists.
Kentucky? Kansas? Thought they were only basketball schools.
Boston College? Go study.
Somehow, moved by a bizarre, unseen force, these schools have managed to outshine the Notre Dames and Michigans and Georgias of the college football cosmos. To see Michigan flounder against Appalachian State in Week 1 and then again in the following week against Oregon -- they play football out West? -- set a tone for just how loopy things would get.
The BCS picture always changes as the season develops, but who knows what it'll look like weeks from now? And who knows how things will shape up for Penn State in the Big Ten?
"There isn't one real dominant team or one team that's shown that it can't be beaten," Penn State cornerback Lydell Sargeant said yesterday. "I think what's important to know is that your ranking doesn't matter. The only ranking that matters is at the end of the season. For us, being ranked, it doesn't really matter. Ranked teams have lost all season."
Just last week, then-No. 1 Louisiana State and then-No. 2 California were upset.
It's been a wild and fun -- but somewhat disconcerting -- ride. This is not the way college football is supposed to be. The NFL buzzword for years has been parity. The college game, similarly developed into a big business, is supposed to be about history.
Now, schools like South Florida, ranked second in the BCS, No. 3 Boston College, No. 7 Kentucky and No. 13 Kansas are near the top of the recently released BCS standings. A school like South Florida has only played in the Football Bowl Subdivision for six years. As if any more perspective is needed, how's this: Michigan has won 11 national titles.
Some people love it.
"From a college football standpoint, it's been a good year," Sargeant said.
Clearly something is askew. At this point, no one has found a reason why.
People have made the case that the limited number of scholarships hinder top programs that used to sap the nation's best talent, leaving low-end programs without legitimate talent. The case has been made that football's increased popularity has stolen athletes away from less popular sports like baseball and jammed all the talent into football. The other theory is that there's more TV exposure, so high-profile recruits don't need to go to a school like Miami to play on a nationally broadcast game.
There's no real answer. It's weird. And, if you're like me, it's been difficult to adjust to this new outlook.
College football has always been a sure thing. You're supposed to be able to count on Southern California and Florida to be solid. You don't have that sort of structure this season.
Who knows when things will settle down?
"I think that's the course of college football," Indiana coach Bill Lynch said yesterday. "Over the course of 12 games, you have to look at it and see where it all falls out. I think there's more parity, but I think the good teams are still really good."
Maybe in the end, "the good teams" will still prove to be good and the more typical lens with which college football is viewed will again apply. But in recent weeks, that hasn't been the case. The whole landscape has been unsure and a little unsettling. That said, it has been fun a lot of fun.
Mark Viera is a junior majoring in journalism and English and a Collegian football writer. His e-mail address is mcv5009@psu.edu.
