Last month, the majority of fans who were surveyed in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll said that the Florida State Seminoles were the best team after the conference championship games and the final BCS Standings were released. It made sense, as FSU was more than a touchdown favorite in the BCS Championship Game over the Auburn Tigers. Yet, while the most fans said that the Seminoles were the best team in the country, they picked the Tigers to win the final BCS Championship Game.
As it turns out, they were wrong. Apparently, even the best of luck can eventually run out.
- My views are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Discover Products Inc. and its affiliates.
In that poll, 30 percent of fans said that Florida State was the best team in the nation, compared to 24 percent who felt that Auburn was college football’s top squad. Conversely, 50 percent of fans picked the Tigers to win the national championship, opposed to 44 percent who chose the ‘Noles. After an exciting game that literally came down to the final seconds, it was Florida State hoisting the crystal ball trophy high in the sky, capturing the first national championship for the school since 1999.
The Seminoles won the game, but it was an extremely hard-fought contest. The Tigers jumped off to a fast start, which could have seen them with an even bigger lead had they not missed out on some opportunities, including a relatively short field goal and a wide open receiver overthrown in the first quarter. While Auburn was clearly the superior team in the first half, they simply could not hold off Florida State late in the game, allowing a game-winning touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining in the game.
The fourth quarter will go down as one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the BCS Championship Game, which will now be replaced with a four-team playoff beginning next season. It will be interesting to see how that will play out, as well as how much controversy will still accompany it next postseason.
* Discover Products Inc. sent me a Gift Card for participating as a Blogger in the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll program
That poses the question, what would have happened had college football implemented the playoff system for this postseason? Would Florida State and Auburn still have met for the title? It is safe to say that both the Seminoles and Tigers would have been selected to compete in the four-team playoff, but would they have won their semifinal matchup to reach the national championship stage? In all likelihood, they would have matched up against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan State Spartans, but anything could have happened.
How do you feel a four-team playoff would have played out this postseason? Would the Seminoles and Tigers have met for the championship? Would anything have changed with both teams having to play another game leading up to the final? Feel free to weigh in below with your thought.
Discover has been an incredible sponsor for college football throughout the entire season, highlighted by participation with the Fan Loyalty Poll, which asks college football fans across the country all sorts of entertaining questions related to their favorite college football team. You can follow Discover on Twitter and Facebook and make sure you use the hashtag #FanLoyaltyPoll!
Make sure that you stay tuned to Boston Super Blog for all of the latest polls and results from the Discover Fan Loyalty Poll. Although the bowl games and the final BCS Championship Game is in the books, college football is a year-long process! Make sure to Like Discover on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!
The Discover Fan Loyalty Poll is conducted twice a month by Rasmussen Reports, a nationally recognized leader in polling, who gathers sentiment by phone from 1500 college football fans who follow games at least once per week on television, radio, in person or online. The Poll leads up to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Discover’s commitment to college football includes relationships with ESPN and Notre Dame Football on NBC.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a direct banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America’s cash rewards pioneer, and offers home loans, private student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit and money market accounts through its direct banking business. It operates the Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation’s leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company.
