Difference makers

Now that the college football season is over and we have crowned LSU as the national champion, what do we make of the season? What is it that defines the game as it was played in 2007?

Most people will remember 2007 as the year of the upset. It started out with one of the biggest upsets in college football history when, on the very first weekend, No. 5 Michigan lost to lower division Appalachian State. Then, No.1 ranked Southern California lost to a Stanford team that was a 40.5 point underdog. And finally, on the very last weekend, No. 2 West Virginia, all dressed up and ready to go to the BCS championship game, lost, at home, to their backyard rival Pittsburgh, although favored by more than three touchdowns.

System offenses were everywhere. Teams never considered among the power programs were dominating the top 10, and they were doing it with offensive schemes that placed more emphasis on where you lined players up and how you used them than who those players actually were. There were spread offenses, no-huddle offenses, zone-read offenses, and up-tempo offenses that snapped the ball every 12 seconds. Defense, typically the key to winning football games, seemed to be a day late and a dollar short in matching up with the innovative offensives.

Dual-threat quarterbacks also changed the way the game was played. There was a time when you could win a championship with a quarterback who would just run the ball and there was a time when you could win with a quarterback who would just pass it. Now, the trend seems to be moving toward the QB who can do both – and well. West Virginia's Pat White, Oregon's Dennis Dixon, and Missouri's Chase Daniel are prime examples of quarterbacks who can hurt you with their arms and their legs. They led their teams to outstanding seasons. But maybe the greatest example of the new generation quarterback is Tim Tebow of the University of Florida. Not only did Tebow become the first college quarterback in history to throw for 20 touchdowns and run for 20 touchdowns, but he also became the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy in only his sophomore season.

Then, there are the motivational tactics some of these Dr. Phil wannabes are coming up with to elevate their athletes' level of play. Stanford's Jim Harbaugh convinced USC that they were the greatest team ever to play the game, except, of course, when they were playing Stanford. Coach Mark Mangino of Kansas convinced his players that there really is no "I" in TEAM, and Georgia's Mark Richt took a 15-yard penalty – and a lot of flack from the old-guard SEC – by letting his entire team leave the bench to celebrate a touchdown on their way to a huge victory over Auburn. He also pulled the old come-back-in-the-locker-room-before-the-game-and-find-a-different-color-jersey-in-your-locker trick to get another big win this season.

Was it the year of the upset, the system offense, the dual-threat quarterback, or the head coach turned motivational guru? Actually, it was a little bit of all of those things. And, the common denominator was great coaching. Every one of those factors was a bi-product of great coaching. This year was more about great coaching than great athletes. It was about great coaches who got their kids to believe they could beat the unbeatable. It was about great coaches who found new ways to run an offense and more ways to utilize a quarterback. It was about great coaches who weren't afraid to psychologically play the game before the game was ever played.

Which brings us back to the national championship game.

Great coaching might have defined the season, but when it comes to winning the national championship … it still comes down to athletes. Great coaching can make a bad team good and even a good team great. But if you are going to win it all, you better have the best football players. National championships can't be won with smoke and mirrors or inspirational ploys. With a month to get ready and everything on the line, great coaching – which LSU and Ohio State surely had – becomes nothing more than a push.

When all is said and done, LSU and Ohio State had the best athletes in the country. Agreed, USC is right there, and Georgia is not far behind. But nobody lines up with better athletes on the field than LSU. According to Rivals.com, LSU has had top-10 recruiting classes four of the past five seasons and top-five classes in three of the past five. According to one source close to the team, when it comes to NFL quality athletes, LSU will see at least eight players selected in this year's draft. Of LSU's 22 starters in the national championship game, 19 are projected to eventually be drafted.

Great coaching might define a football season but it does not define the national champion.

Only great athletes can do that.

Terry Bowden is Yahoo! Sports' college football analyst. For more information about Terry, visit his official web site.

Send Terry a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.

Updated on Monday, Jan 14, 2008 12:39 pm, EST

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