Mike Szvetitz

Sports Editor

A lot going on this weekend … and a little BCS talk, too

Like high school sports?

Good.

There’s going to be plenty going on in the Opelika/Auburn area (and around the state) this weekend.

Let’s see ... The Class 4A-Area 6 softball tournament starts today at Beauregard. Tomorrow, No. 1 Opelika will host McGill-Toolen in the quarterfinals of the AHSAA Class 6A playoffs in the best two-of-three. Also tomorrow, the Class 6A-Area 8 softball tournament begins at West Ridge Park in Opelika, the AISA state softball tourney gets cracking in Montgomery and the state track and field meets begin at Gulf Shores (4A-5A-6A) and Troy (3A-1A).

Oh, and Saturday, the Auburn High boys soccer team hosts Fairhope at Duck Samford for a quarterfinal playoff game, while the girls team travels to Mary Montgomery.

College baseball fan? Auburn hosts Mississippi State in a three-game series this weekend at Plainsman Park. First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 6 p.m. Friday.

There’s enough going on this weekend where if you don’t want to cut the grass or do any yard work, you can find plenty of excuses not to. And I here the golf courses are pretty nice this time of year.

So do yourself a favor, get out and take in a ballgame or two and save the yard work for another weekend. That’s what I’m going to do.

*** Well, we’re not going to have a playoff, or even a plus-one game, any time soon in college football.

Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

Money talks. And the BCS and bowls generate a lot of dollars for colleges and universities.

But it seems to me, the only schools and/or conferences who are for a plus-one or playoff are the schools/conferences who have been burned by the BCS. Maybe the reason the Big Ten and Pac-10 don’t want a playoff—and are using the Rose Bowl as a cover—are because whenever they have a team close to being “the best” they always get a nod into the national title game.

Did Ohio State really deserve to be there last year? Discuss.

Anyway, for now, we’ll have to deal with more bowls and less on-the-field problem solving.