College Football 2009 Week 11

Football Political Correctness?

No thanks.

What is political correctness?

It's devious, dumb, and dangerous that's what.

Devious because groups with bullying tendencies try to silence those with different views. They do so with the implied threat of labeling people as racist, biased, whatever.

Dumb because most of the time these bullies simply have a knee-jerk reaction to anyone with a different viewpoint. Oh, that guy disagrees with President Obama ... must be racist.

Dangerous because good people too often avoid speaking their minds (or the truth) for fear of being cast in a bad way. Events of the last week remind us of the danger posed.

Spend the better part of twenty-five years on campus at various colleges and you'll develop a pretty keen sense for the intolerance of those who condemn others in the name of tolerance.

It's rampant and getting worse. When will we do something?

Welcome back to The Campus Game, where you can rest assured that political correctness is the last item on our agenda.

With a somber Veteran's Day 2009 as a backdrop, college football certainly pales in significance to current events ... but political correctness can be pretty pervasive in our little part of the world too.

An example.

Boise State and TCU remain in the hunt for the BCS championship game (although neither will make it), and very much in the chase for BCS bowl bids (both may well get in).

While both teams probably merit a BCS bowl if they finish unbeaten (mainly because many top teams have two losses this season), let's not kid ourselves.

Put either squad in the SEC or PAC-10 and they finish middle of the pack - at best.

Put either squad in the Big Ten or Big 12 and they might contend for the Big 12 North, while finishing anywhere from third to fifth in the Big Ten or the Big 12 South.

Put either squad in the Big East or ACC and winning the league would be a big stretch, but competing for good bowls would certainly be feasible.

Good bowls - not BCS level bowls.

So, while these schools tend to squawk a little about lack of respect ... perhaps they should also be thankful for reaping the benefits of football political correctness.

For the rest of us, let's not be afraid to speak our minds - and stand up to the forces of political correctness.

Around the Nation

This is quite a good weekend for games with conference championship implications ... here is an early projection for the BCS bowls:

BCS Title Game: Florida/Alabama Winner vs. Texas
Rose: Oregon vs. Ohio State
Fiesta: Boise State vs. USC
Sugar: Florida/Alabama Loser vs. TCU
Orange: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati

The Campus Game Top Ten Lists

Top Ten Rankings (Week 11)

10. Pitt ... Panthers getting little love at 8-1.

9. USC ... Trojans face tough test against Stanford.

8. Boise State ... love them or not, the Broncos play an exciting brand of football.

7. Ohio State ... Buckeyes back into control of Big Ten race.

6. TCU ... Horned Frogs face challenge with physical Utes visiting.

5. Georgia Tech ... Paul Johnson loves to use all four downs on offense.

4. Cincinnati ... Does Bearcat coach Brian Kelly have Irish eyes?

3. Texas ... Longhorns marking time until Big 12 title game.

2. Alabama ... Crimson Tide's outstanding kicking game provides support to great defense and adequate offense.

1. Florida ... Gators defense and special teams overshadow offensive issues.

The Campus Game Top Ten Games (Week 11)

10. Penn at Harvard ... venerable Ivy League championship on the line in matchup of teams unbeaten in conference.

9. Idaho at Boise State ... Pat Forde of ESPN calls it the Spud State Super Bowl; can the Vandals (what a great nickname) bust the Broncs?

8. Kansas State at Missouri ... Wildcats try to hold serve on road against Tigers. If K-State and Nebraska win, Big 12 North title will be on line the following week.

7. Georgia Tech at Duke ... Jackets can claim Coastal Division by beating Blue Devils.

6. Arizona at Cal ... Mike Stoops is quietly positioning the Wildcats to play for the PAC-10 title against Oregon, but UA must get past Cal first.

5. Notre Dame at Pitt ... another checkpoint Charlie for the Irish; another loss probably means ND will be looking for a coach. Panthers are very much in contention for Big East BCS berth.

4. Cincinnati at West Virginia ... Big East continues to offer pretty good fare. Bearcats are poised for possible BCS title game if Texas or the SEC schools falter.

3. Utah at TCU ... ESPN Game Day crew makes visit to Fort Worth as the Horned Frogs try to leap the last serious obstacle to a BCS bowl.

2. Stanford at USC ... Cardinal knocked off Oregon last week, can they end SC conference hopes this Saturday?

1. Iowa at Ohio State ... winner gets the Big Ten BCS bowl berth: a trip to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl.

See you at kickoff!