Bring on No. 21 Liberty, the undefeated champion of um ... um ...
A little help here?
Conference USA.
Right, thank you. Conference USA’s indefatigable champion, the University of Liberty ...
Liberty University.
The Liberty University ... Patriots?
Flames.
Ah, yes. The Fl — Wait, the Liberty Flames?
Right.
OK ... The Liberty Flames of C-USA, who, on their path to undefeated gridiron glory, toppled such powerhouses as ...
Middle Tennessee State and New Mexico State.
I said, “Such POWERHOUSES as ...”
Sam Houston State.
Isn’t that an FCS school?
Not since last year.
You’re telling me that one of the undefeated Liberty University Flames’ Conference USA wins was against a team that was in the FCS last season?
No, no.
Oh, good.
Two of their wins. There’s also Jacksonville State.
Well, OK. I suppose they can only play who’s on their schedule. Even the Ducks lowered the boom on Portland State. I’m sure the Flames at least played some Power Five teams, right?
No.
Not even UConn?!
Not even.
But they’re in the Fiesta Bowl?
Right.
Against Oregon?
That’s what it says here.
All right, let’s move on. Liberty University, based in...
Lynchburg, Virginia.
Lynchburg, Virginia! Where the whiskey comes —
That’s Tennessee.
But in The Old Dominion State ...
Oh, they played Old Dominion, too.
... established, no doubt, in the earliest days of our great nation ...
1971.
... by one of our Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson? Patrick Henry? “Give me liberty or give me ...”
Jerry Falwell.
No, that’s not how it goes.
He’s the guy who founded it.
The one with the ...?
His father.
Well, that’s good. At least ...
Jerry Falwell Jr. ran it until three years ago.
Oh. Oh my. OK. So, Liberty University, undefeated champions of Conference USA, with wins over a host of former FCS teams and not a single win over a Power Five opponent, is playing in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon.
Mmhmm.
Oregon was good, right?
Very.
Could have made the playoff?
Yeah.
One win shy of a Rose Bowl semifinal against top-ranked Michigan?
Probably.
Good. At least I’m not hallucinating. So, how did they end up playing Liberty?
Liberty won all of its games.
Did anyone else win all of their games?
Yeah. Michigan, Washington and Florida State.
And they all made the playoff?
Well ...
Who decides this stuff?
The committee.
What rules does the committee have for making these decisions?
There are none.
None?
Well, the best non-Power Five team is guaranteed a spot in one of the biggest, most prestigious bowl games, no matter what.
And that’s the undefeated Liberty University Flames of Lynchburg, Virginia?
Apparently.
So Oregon’s reward for going 11-2 is playing the heavy against a lesser opponent who’s getting a token invite?
You could say that.
But if the Liberty Flames are the best Group of Five team, that means that they’ve been in the top 25 of the playoff rankings probably, like, all year.
Since Week 12.
Oh. Wow. But if they’ve qualified for the Fiesta Bowl, then it should be a close game, at least. What’s Vegas say?
Oregon is a two touchdown favorite.
Oh, so the Ducks will cruise.
If their best players actually play.
Huh?
Some guys will probably opt out to focus on the NFL draft.
Doesn’t finishing the season strong matter anymore?
Eh.
Fabulous. Anything else I should know? What happened to the rest of the Pac-12?
Arizona is playing Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
But we are ranked higher than Arizona. We’re eighth and they’re No. 14.
Yes.
And Oklahoma is ranked 12th.
Yes.
My head hurts. So the Ducks are playing Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl and the lousy Huskies took their spot in the playoff. At least the Beavers are probably playing some real bums.
Notre Dame.
NOTRE DAME? The Fighting Irish? Of South Bend, Indiana? Of Rudy and Rockne? The Golden Domers? Weren’t they one of the best teams in the country this year?
They were.
Nearly beat Ohio State?
Heckuva game.
And we beat the Beavs?
By 24 points.
So why is Notre Dame playing Oregon State and not us?
Lost too many games.
Were the Irish better than Liberty?
Oh, no question.
So, why do they still have these games if the results don’t matter, players might not play and a team as good as Oregon doesn’t face a more similar opponent?
Nobody knows.
This system stinks. Any chance they’ll change it?
Yes. Next year the playoff field expands to 12 teams.
Oh! Great! I can get behind that. So, something like this will never happen again?
Um ...
I just don’t get it. Why did this have to happen to my Ducks? Why didn’t somebody at Oregon do something?!
They could have.
What? Why didn’t they?
Not sure.
What could have been done?
They could have beaten Washington.
Get out.
Stories by Bill Oram
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