Hlas Gameday column: America, open your mind to non-traditional powers

There's nothing a dashing, debonair type like myself dislikes more than to be considered a rube in flyover country.

So I'll try not to get on some provincial “Why not Iowa?” jag here, because the Hawkeyes football team has all it needs to worry about today in Northwestern.

And yet, when it comes to the BCS … why not Iowa? And why not Boise State? Why not Cincinnati or TCU?

Where is it guaranteed that a) Texas and the SEC champion would really be the two best teams in the nation if they went unbeaten and b) would combine to give America a really good BCS title game?

Like you, I've heard the gnashing of teeth from various ports the last couple weeks. What if (gasp) Iowa sneaks into the national-title game? What if it's (horrors) Cincinnati or (perish the thought) Boise State?

I'm not sure where the fear and loathing is coming from for the current unbeatens that aren't Alabama, Florida or Texas. Sure, it's easy to understand why the BCS conference control-freaks don't want Boise State or TCU crashing their big show. You don't create a money-making, honey-making corporation only to share the profits with the worker bees.

But why do people without a financial interest care so much? What would be so terrible about a Boise State playing for all the marbles? Folks, the Broncos dominated Oregon when they met two months ago. That's saying something.

Or, why not a Cincinnati or Iowa, someone in a BCS conference without the national name-recognition like Alabama or Texas or USC?

Does it take a crazy dreamer to think the nation's sports fans couldn't get behind an underdog playing against a kingpin in the championship? Were books not written and movies not made about sports underdogs like the 1969 Mets and 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, Rocky Balboa and Hickory High, Harry Potter and Shrek?

Fact: The last three BCS title games have pitted marquee teams. Florida-Ohio State, LSU-Ohio State and Florida-Oklahoma.

Fact: None of those games were especially interesting, and all were decided by double-digit margins. So everyone who assumes Florida-Texas or Alabama-Texas would be a magnificent give-and-take assumes a lot.

Fact: The most-memorable BCS bowl of the last three years was Boise State's 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma in a delightful Fiesta Bowl.

That's not to say Florida wouldn't whomp Boise State or Cincinnati or Iowa. But anyone who would expect a blowout hasn't been paying attention to recent college football history.

What is it about this year's Gators or Crimson Tide or Longhorns that makes them particularly special to the nation? Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is a great player. But we've all seen him. Texas and Alabama? Nice teams. Seen them.

Would people not watch a 12-0 Cincinnati just because it's Cincinnati instead of Ohio State? Are we a civilization that obsessed with the rich and famous?

Oops. Dumb question.

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