BCS Campaigning Season Officially Underway

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Doran Grant (12) is congratulated by defensive lineman Joel Hale (51) after returning an interception for a touchdown against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first half at Ross Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

BCS championship campaign season officially began Monday when Ohio State coach Urban Meyer revealed how he voted on this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll.

Meyer, who has yet to lose through his first 21 games at Ohio State, voted the Buckeyes second behind Alabama.

There’s nothing wrong with Meyer placing his own undefeated team No. 2 on his ballot behind two-time defending champ Alabama. He has every right to place the Big Ten-leading Buckeyes wherever he likes – including at the very top.

Answering how he voted at his Monday press conference, on the other hand, wreaks of the start of the campaign trail.

For the most part, coaches conceal their ballots and the voting. On the Mack Brown Scale of pathetic open pleading, Meyer hoping to get voters to reconsider their positions by revealing his rankings is, maybe, a 2 out of 10.

Still, it becomes a slippery slope from here.

Expect the robo-dialers to start calling any day now. Get out and vote Ohio State, Florida State, Baylor or Stanford No. 2.

Ohio State WR Evan Spencer followed his coach’s lead. And then some.

The junior, who Meyer has since been ruled out of future interviews for his comments, said Ohio State would “wipe the field” with Alabama or Florida State.

Sadly, we almost certainly won’t find out this season. Even if Florida State or Alabama falters – or if both fall – neither is likely to end up in the Rose Bowl and play the Buckeyes.

Making the argument for Ohio State’s body of work in 2013 over Florida State’s is difficult.

Both teams are undefeated and the Buckeyes have played a slightly more difficult schedule – the average Ohio State opponent has a BCS rank of 64^th compared to an average rank of 68^th from Seminoles opponents.

However, Florida State’s average margin of victory over FBS opponents is two touchdowns greater than that of Ohio State’s (39-25). (Though, it should be noted, the Buckeyes did pour it on Florida A&M to the tune of 76-0 while FSU beat Bethune Cookman 54-6.)

The rest of the numbers are more telling. Florida State has twice as many wins over top-25 opponents in the BCS (two) as the Buckeyes (one). The Seminoles have also been more dominant, having been in two-possession games in the fourth quarter for just 10 minutes, 3 seconds. No opponent has been within a score of Florida State during the fourth quarter.

Ohio State, conversely, trailed Northwestern twice in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes have also been tied in the fourth in a game against Iowa.

Ohio State has spent more than 26 minutes in one-possession games during fourth quarters this season and nearly 44 minutes in two-possession games.

Forget Florida State for a minute, Baylor has a more favorable resume than Ohio State when examining those factors.

Yet the Bears – and coach Art Briles – have at least largely kept their mouths shut about the national championship race.

Here is a closer comparison between the top five teams in the BCS standings:

Alabama

Trailed in 4^th: 0:00

Tied in 4^th: 0:00

One-score games in 4^th: 10:20

Two-score games in 4^th: 36:40

Record vs. top-25: 2-0

Record vs. unranked: 7-0

Average opponent rank: 59

Average margin of victory: 30 (excluding FCS games)

Florida State

Trailed in 4^th: 0:00

Tied in 4^th: 0:00

One-score games in 4^th: 0:00

Two-score games in 4^th: 10:03

Record vs. top-25: 2-0

Record vs. unranked: 7-0

Average opponent rank: 68 (1 FCS team)

Average margin of victory: 39 (excluding FCS games)

Ohio State

Time trailing in 4^th: 7:19

Time tied in 4^th: 1:36

Time in one-score games in 4^th: 26:15

Time in two-score games in 4^th: 43:47

Record vs. top-25: 1-0

Record vs. unranked: 8-0

Average opponent rank: 64 (1 FCS team)

Average margin of victory: 25 (excluding FCS games)

Stanford

Trailed in 4^th: 15:00

Tied in 4^th: 0

One-score games in 4^th: 39:03

Two-score games in 4^th: 59:41

Record vs. top-25: 3-0

Record vs. unranked: 5-1

Average opponent rank: 45

Average margin of victory: 13 (excluding FCS games)

Baylor

Trailed in 4^th: 0:27

Tied in 4^th: 0:00

One-score games in 4^th: 13:44

Two-score games in 4^th: 15:00

Record vs. top-25: 1-0

Record vs. unranked: 7-0

Average opponent rank: 64 (1 FCS opponent)

Average margin of victory: 42 (excluding FCS games)