Does anyone really understand the BCS bowl system? Outside of sports analysts, bookies and a few football geeks, I don’t know of anyone who does. There’s one thing certain about the system this year, if the Kent State Golden Flashes win their final game against Northern Illinois, then someone from the Big 12 is going to be riding home on their huffy bike.
This is only the second MAC title the flashes have had in their 92 year history, with the last one coming in 1972. But the 2012 season tops that last championship by being the team’s first undefeated season in the conference and first undefeated season at home. Eleven wins is also the most the team has ever seen.
Before we can even start to look at who in the Big 12 is going home empty handed, *cough* Oklahoma *cough*, Kent state has to get by Northern Illinois, a team who is riding an eleven game win streak and lost by just 1 point against the Hawkeyes at the start of the season.
To keep things in perspective, the Flashes haven’t had much of a challenge this year as far as scheduling goes and their one loss was an embarrassment to a team who finished the season with just two wins. An ugly 33 point blowout to Kentucky.
Whether or not this is a miracle one off season, such as they had in the seventies is uncertain, but the football program has made a fantastic turnaround and brought a lot of spirit and attention to the school, all in just the second year of head coach, Darrell Hazell’s, leadership.
The former Ohio State assistant head coach came in and turned the 5-7 into an 11-1 championship team with bowl contention. With that comes the honor of being the 2012 MAC Coach of the Year, leading a team who had nine players who also received All-MAC honors.
For what might be the most intriguing game of 2012, the MAC Championship Game, tune to ESPN2 Friday night at 7pm.