Back in November, the self-described Orville Redenbacher-looking president of Ohio State created quite the firestorm with his belittling comments of schools such as Boise State and TCU.
Specifically, E. Gordon Gee said that those two schools do not deserve to play for a national title because, unlike the Big Ten and SEC, they play a “Little Sisters of the Poor” schedule.
Fast-forward a month and a half, and Gee watched as his school’s conference was embarrassed on New Year’s Day to the tune of a 0-5 whitewashing. Included in that total was Wisconsin losing to TCU in the Rose Bowl.
When reached by Pete Thamel of the New York Times Saturdaynight on his cellphone, a contrite Gee congratulated the Horned Frogs on beating one of the best the Big Ten has to offer. Additionally, Gee offered a little insight into the cuisine consumed by someone who doesn’t “know enough about the Xs and Os of college football.”
“I’m going to New Orleans tomorrow, and Antoine’s is a great restaurant there,” Gee said. “I think they serve crow, and I’ll be eating my portion of that. T.C.U. played a great game, and they deserved to be recognized for that. Obviously T.C.U. is a great ball team.”
Kudos to Gee for publicly crediting TCU for the historic win, but it’s the private attitude Gee let slip in November that’s the major hurdle in ridding college football of the BcS and replacing it with a playoff system.