Frogs Are Outside Looking In

BLINK BLINK went the little Horned Frog one day,
BLINK BLINK went the little Horned Frog.
BLINK BLINK went the little Horned Frog one day,
and his eyes went BLINK BLINK BLINK.

CHUG CHUG went the BCS one day,
SMUSH SMUSH went the little Horned Frog.
His eyes didn't go BLINK BLINK anymore,
Because they all got eaten by a dog.

A slight variation on a song I used to sing at Camp Eagle Rock as a kid. The little green frog was replaced by the symbol of TCU (which is actually a lizard but when it blinks it shoots blood out of its eye). I thought about changing the last word to strength of schedule but why kill a good rhyme?

The common sentiment in college football this year, and football in general, is that things are wide open. It is good from a spectator point-of-view, every week brings new exciting games with wide sweeping implications. However, with all these new contenders it makes it even more confusing when media, fans, and pollsters rely on reputation prior season performance to place these teams. Now granted there is a long way to go before the season is over. Undefeateds still may fall, Alabama has a great chance of sneaking back into the picture, and we may very well see a logjam at the front of the line.

TCU is one of the best teams in the country. That is not an opinion, it is a fact. They are a great team. The confines of the current system however will not allow them to make the BCS title game in Glendale, even if they go undefeated. I am not going to argue about whether the system is just or not, it is what it is. I simply want to show that the Horned Frogs are playing for a statement BCS game in January, not the crystal trophy. More after the break.

Have you watched TCU play a game? Seriously? More than one? This team is as good defensively as anyone. We will get to the weaker schedule but if Gary Patterson was preparing for any quality opponent I would bet on his defense to make a strong showing. The Frogs rank number 1 in the country in average points allowed, with 9.0. Nine points a game in today's spread it out, fly around college football. They held the high octane offenses of SMU and Baylor under their season averages. Baylor was held to 10 points, while they average nearly 35. The loss of DE Jerry Hughes, who was a beast for them last year led everyone to discount the defense from where it was last year. So far they have proven to be just as good. Gary Patterson is a damn good coach, the incident with the concussed player doesn't speak well for him, but

The offense has not been far behind. They've scored under 30 only once (a 27-0 victory over Colorado State) and rank 7th in points scored. Again, their competition has not been upper-tier all the way through but when you dominate opponents like this consistently, it shows you are that good.

Good enough to make the title game? Again, not under this system. It is not a lack of respect. People know TCU is good. They hear about them constantly and some people give them more credit for not railing against the system the way the folks in Boise seem too. As far as watching them, sometimes it is not that easy. The Mountain West has its own network and sometimes there games are Versus. That right there is not a recipe for eyeballs on your team. They had a showcase against Oregon State in Cowboy Stadium on ESPN on opening weekend, but it aired opposite LSU-North Carolina so not everyone was watching. Most would watch highlights or scan the boxscore. Oregon State is being used as a barometer this season. They played both TCU and Boise State. They are clinging to a top 25 ranking right now but an overtime loss in Washington has them sitting at 3-3. They did manage to beat #9 Arizona making them as of now the only team to play three top 10 teams. The Beavers are a good team, but will their record reflect it after they get through the rest of their schedule? The loss of James Rodgers did not help.

TCU's other BCS opponent this year was Baylor, who wasn't expected to be seen as a quality opponent but the Bears have are thus far undefeated in Big 12 play. As noted above the Frogs hammered Baylor 45-10, but don't expect the strong ranking from Baylor to hold up. They still have Texas, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma on the schedule.

Last year, TCU played at Virginia (not a good team but still a BCS opponent on the road, in Death Valley against Clemson, at BYU (they were ranked 16 at the time they played them and were much better than this year), and Utah at home. It was a schedule that was not too far above the slate they have this year but all the chips began to fall in front of them. After they destroyed Utah 55-28 when gameday came to their campus, people began to take note. The Alabama-Florida winner was guaranteed to get to Pasadena but Texas needed a fortunate clock stoppage and a last second field goal to get the other spot. TCU was left waiting in the wings, 3 in the polls, 4 in the BCS. They were instead forced into the Fiesta Bowl against fellow non-AQ Boise State. Boise had a month to craft their offensive attack, which had routed opponents all year. TCU was up to task as they held them to just 10 points. The difference turned out to be a fake punt from their own 33 for the Broncos in a 17-10 win. It was a bitter defeat, because TCU knew this was the only game when a majority of the country was watching. The Frogs beat the Broncos in 2008 in the Poinsettia Bowl but the stakes were not as high. TCU quarterback Andy Dalton had a nightmare game, throwing 3 picks and constantly derailing offensive drives. I still feel TCU was the better team but you have to prove it on the grand stage.

The leader of the horned frogs, which are actually lizards, rocks a mock turtle.

Enter this year, with everyone talking about Boise State. Mainly because they had a Labor Day showdown with Virginia Tech at FedEx Field. They also did quite a bit of talking about the BCS and how they deserved their shot, since they were also passed over for the title game last year. TCU entered lower in the polls but once again have beaten everyone out there on their schedule. They now sit at #4 in all the polls and the BCS. It seems so tantalizingly close. Another huge showdown with the now #8 ranked Utah in two weeks looms. How far will that vault them if they win? Enough to make up for playing bottom-feeders New Mexico and UNLV? The weakness of those two teams will likely spell doom as far as the computers are concerned. According to the Sagarin poll, the Frogs have the 62nd ranked schedule. It is the biggest factor working against them. If any of the other undefeateds (Oregon, Michigan State, Missouri, Auburn) don't lose, they get to the title game before TCU. A one loss Alabama team gets in ahead of TCU. If TCU is undefeated and there is a one loss Ohio State, Wisconsin, Auburn, Oklahoma, Missouri, etc. team sitting there it is a tough call. Also, what about Boise? Let's say Auburn wins out (don't think they will) and everyone else has one loss. If TCU and Boise are the only other undefeateds does that mean it is down to those two for a shot at the title? Right now it appears the advantage is in TCU's favor from the computers, but Boise is ahead in the polls. Which means they will be ranked number 2 right behind an undefeated Auburn. Will the computers be enough to get TCU ahead of Boise?

To even get to that scenario, TCU needs to win out, which I think they will. Will they get their shot? I remain doubtful. A lot of dominoes have to fall their way. The hardliners in college football will be pointing to TCU's schedule, saying the tough road of a undefeated/1-loss BCS school holds more weight. I cannot sit here and disagree with them. TCU is a victim of what conference it plays in and big schools hesitant to play them consistently. Will that change in the future? Utah is leaving for the Pac 12 next year. Boise is coming in. That seems a swap rather than an upgrade. The ability of playoff expansion, or a plus 1 would give schools like TCU that extra opportunity. If a school from a non-AQ is deemed to have a high rank early in the season, plays quality BCS schools in its non-conference, faces top 25 teams multiple times during the year, and goes undefeated there should be a way to get them an opportunity to face the other worthy teams. Many would disagree, and say the non-AQs don't face the week in, week out tests that BCS conference schools do. Others would argue that there is an opportunity for teams like TCU to make the title game, if all the other AQ schools fall by the wayside. The bottom line this year is that the last scenario is all TCU can hope for. Despite the upheaval in football this year I don't see it happening. The Frogs will remain a great team, but one watching the title game instead of playing it in.

Ratings and rankings were drawn from the polls, but most of the info was based on this week's Sagarin rankings.

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2010 College Football Predictions: The BCS

BCS Title Game: #2Ohio State vs. #1Alabama
Fiesta: Cinicnnati(Big East) vs. Nebraska(Big 12)
Orange: Virgina Tech(ACC) vs. Wisconsin(At-large)
Sugar: Florida(At-large) vs. Texas(At-Large)
Rose: Boise State(At-large) vs. Oregon(Pac Ten)
BCS CHAMPION: Ohio State (/vomits)

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What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been To The BCS Title

Tonight the teams the BCS selected to play for the title will meet on the wonderfully kept field of the Rose Bowl. Intensity from the teams and their fan bases will create a swirl of crimson and burnt orange. At the end of the night the winner will either be rolling or hooking. Both teams were on a mission to make this game after it eluded them last year and now, after emotional conference title games; Bama smoked Florida in a rematch and Texas had to hit a FG with 1 second left to get past Nebraksa.

In case your scoring at home and even if you are not, those games happened 32 days ago. Despite this being the mythical championship game for the 2009 season, it is far removed from those 13 games. It is a season by its self. A one game season after a month of practice, interviews, and much ballyhoo from media members and message boards. There is no momentum, whether it is the positive kind the Tide had after beating Florida or the negative kind Texas may have had after a bad performance in Dallas. It is a new year, a new season and winning this game depends on who has prepared better, who is sharper mentally, and which team exploits their strengths.

If a team comes out flat from their respite too bad, this is the only chance they get and the clear football is at stake. Colt McCoy has had nowhere near the year he had last year but he is here and all he needs is one good game. His struggles do not matter because he only has to be good tonight. Problem is the Tide is strong up front and will be certain to apply pressure like they did to Tebow and like Nebraska did to Suh. On the other side Greg McElroy's near perfect game against Flroida in Atlanta does not mean anything now. He has to repeat that performance and it has been a long time since he has taken a live game snap. Texas's defense has been their strength this year and they will have their hands full with Heisman winner Mark Ingram and the big Alabama offensive line. The coaches from both teams know this, and know that the other coaching staff knows they know. Everybody knows. They have had weeks to look at film and craft and hone and implement their gameplans. In one sense, there is almost too much time to prepare because as much as Nick Saban would like to believe, do not live in a bubbleand the longer it takes to take the field, the more time there is for players to lose focus, get overconfident, or get a stomach bug.

My lean, like most of the country, is with Alabama. While I do not expect a performance like the SEC title game from the Tide their advantages on the lines cannot be ignored. The trend has been this bowl season that the team that is more physical up front has won the games, and this game should follow suit. I would like to see Texas give them a good game and I think they will. If Texas is razor sharp for 60 minutes then they will take it. Ultimately I think the Tide wins by a touchdown in a game that will be a letdown to watch. However, before we kick things off between the battle of these "college football storied programs"(look for Brent to say that a lot), let's take a look back on some things that have happened in the world since we last saw a game that had an impact on the mythical national championship about to be decided.

-Dick Clark counted us into a new year and decade...sort of.
-Kimbo Slice won a UFC fight
-Mark Ingram won the Heisman, becoming the first Alabama player to do so.
-Mike Leach was suspended, then fired.
-Tiger Woods....enough said.
-TMZ sports was birthed from the canal of the tabloid hungry sports culture we have created.
-Urban Meyer decided to step down as Florida coach to reconnect with one daughter who was happy to have her Dad back and another who wanted to have a meaninful conversation with him. Then he said screw it, family life and chest pains be damned.
-The Colts pissed on history for what they think is a definite Super Bowl run.
-Gilbert Arena did his Cactus Jack impersonation, and got suspended.
-Laker fans showed how much they disliked the Christmas Day officiating, but stayed classy by only tossing harmless foam fingers.
-George Michael died. No not that one, that one.
-Pacquiao vs. Mayweather ran into problems because of testing.
-Pot Bobby Knight called out kettle John Calipari for questionable practices in coaching integrity.
-Brian Kelly abandoned his undefeated Cincinnati team to coach Notre Dame.
-Chris Henry died after jumping from his fiance's truck.
-The Big Ten thought about expansion.
-The U put on a show for the country and became ESPN's highest rated documentary ever.
-Roy Williams kicked a guy out of a game at the Dean Dome for yelling "Miss it".
-And 34 bowl games have been played that have no bearing on determining a champion.

Enjoy the game which probably means you have will have to mute Brent.

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The BCS Solution: Revisited Once Again

Well here we are once again. The BCS is coming to its rather unexciting conclusion and the debate has arisen as to whether a solution is needed in college football and what it should theoretically be. Last year I was unrelenting on the current system; I railed against the choice of Oklahoma over Texas and how Utah did not get an opportunity to win the title. Listening to the debate that is running this year I realize there are those out there that prefer the system the way it is. For one reason or another they like the BCS. They either like the money it generates, see that their team/conference benefits greatly from the system, or have some kind of circuitous logic about how the sport is unique and pure is some way. One important lesson to learn in life is that other people do not see the world you do and while it may make no sense, you have to at least respect that to a degree if their point of view is not completely illogical. Now it is easy to say that the BCS is illogical but despite being in my mind a sham, it has been in place for over a decade and the Ari Fleischer's of the world are paid to defend it. Questions have arisen as to how to put together a playoff, and my system answers all of them. BCS defenders point out that even if a playoff is instituted there will be dissatisfied people but you will never make everyone happy and if you do not know this already then welcome to life. I believe my system takes as much into account as to be one that most people in college football would agree on. My playoff solution after the break.

The Bracket

I favor a 8 team bracket because I believe that in a given year that is the suitable number of teams that earn a shot at the title. But here is my wrinkle to counter the argument that in some cases teams ranked 7th or 8th do not deserve a shot: The field will be cut to 6 or 7 teams if there are not enough teams to qualify. In this case the two highest ranked teams would get a first round bye. Therefore extreme emphasis will be placed on getting the top two BCS spots, just like it is now. The field cannot fall below 6 however and that will be explained later in regards to the BCS bowls.

The first round of games will be held the 3rd week in December. This gives teams that have played in a conference championship game a week off to rest and prepare. The top 2 seeds will play a game at their home stadium (again emphasis on getting the top two spots) with the 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs 5 games taking place at 2 of the BCS bowls. If only 6 teams qualify, they top two seeds get a bye. If only 7 teams qualify, only the top team gets a bye.

The BCS bowls will rotate spots in the playoff so from year to year a BCS bowl will have a first round game or a semi-final game. The title game will rotate as well. Having 6 teams assures that all the BCS bowls will get a playoff game every year.


The semi-final round will take place on/around New Year's at the 2 remaining BCS bowl sites. The championship game will be played at whatever BCS bowl's turn it is in the rotation approximately 10 days after the semi-finals.

The BCS bowls make good money. A lot of money. This would keep the playoff within the control of the major bowls. In a perfect world this would not be the case but in order to have any chance at getting this approved I think this concession would have to be made. There would also be a rotating choice system for the bowls meaning that the bowls would pick which games they would host. So if a bowl has choice priority they could choose to host a 4-seed Penn State vs. 5-seed USC match-up instead of a 3-seed Utah vs. 6-seed Pitt game.

Tournament Selection

Here is where most fans, even those in favor of a playoff, disagree about what to do. One complaint I always have about the BCS and voters is that there are no standard set of criteria for determining who is the highest ranked team. Again there will always be room for debate but I think these are the most effective regulations for filling the bracket.

A. You must win your conference to qualify
Want to place emphasis on conference play? This is how you do it. Even if a team is good they do not get a pass if they fail to win their conference. This will keep conference championship games as important (if not more) as they are now. Of course there will be certain exceptions which will be detailed below.

B. If you are undefeated and ranked in the top eight, you must receive an invitation
If you have not lost a game, then fulfilling A will not be a problem and if it is the other rules should clarify. If there are more undefeated top ten teams than spots available (don't know how this would be the case though) than the highest ranked team(s) would fill the remaining spots.

C. BCS conferences still receive an automatic bid but in order to receive the bid
i. They must have two losses or less
ii. Be ranked in the top 8
This will be the hard part in convincing the big 6 to sign on but if their conference champion fails to meet i or ii do they really deserve a title shot? It helps prevent teams like possibly Nebraska of this year from backdooring their way into the tournament.

D. All rankings will be determined by BCS rankings.
There is a caveat to this: The rankings need to get their act together. Voters need to be held more accountable and I would suggest a stronger emphasis on strength of schedule be factored in. So, the BCS bowls are intact and so are the rankings which determines a team's place in the standings, looks like we are keeping a lot of elements to the old system people.

E. If they are any conflicts that arise between teams, seedings, or playoff spots the BCS rankings will be the tiebreaker.
This would be put to use for seeding but also if there are less than 6 teams that qualify. In order to fulfill the 6 team requirement for the tournament the team not already part of the tournament with the highest ranking will get the bid. This, along with the requirements for BCS conference winners means that it is possible for schools who fail to win their conference could potentially get an at-large bid but in order to do so they would have to be highly ranked.

F. If a team is ranked in the top 5 of the BCS and the 8 spots are not filled by the above criteria, those teams will receive at-large bids.
This is a prevention to keep teams like Texas and Alabama of last year from a playoff spot. Cincinnati and Virginia Tech were both ranked outside the top ten last year at the final BCS rankings. Their spots would have been occupied by Texas and Alabama. The seedings would have to be re-done because there would be a rule that teams from the same conference would not be allowed to play each other in the first round. Also, these at-large teams would not be allowed to host either of the two first-round games not played at the BCS bowls.

This Year's Example

To see how this would play out to this year we have to make a guestimate of how the conference championships play out but the theory remains the same. Based on this year's rankings the first round would look like this[Updated for final BCS rankings]:

Games played on December 19th
(8)Ohio State at (1)Alabama, in Tuscaloosca
-Ohio State jumped Georgia Tech after Tech's loss to Georgia. It would be a really close call on which team gets in if the rankings are tweaked to favor schedules more. OSU played USC and lost to them and Purdue, while Georgia Tech lost at Miami and to UGA. Here is a major crux of the argument: better to argue over which of these teams gets in than any of the top 4 this year.

(7)Oregon at (2)Texas, in Austin
-Is Texas a fraud? This game will help us find out?

Games played on December 18th
(6)Boise State vs. (3)Cincinnati, at rotation determined BCS bowl
-Battle of undefeateds, no shortage of offense, take the over.

(5)Flroida vs. (4)TCU, at rotation determined BCS bowl
-

Semi-final round:

Games played on Saturday January 2nd
(5)TCU vs. (1)Alabama, at rotation determined BCS bowl
-If I had to pick I would say Bama wins and TCU beats Florida. Just a gut feeling but even if the Gators win it would be part 2 of the big game.

(3)Boise State vs. (2)Texas, at rotation determined BCS bowl
-Texas gets by Oregon at home, and I think Boise beats Cincy at its own game.

Final Round:

Game played January 11th(played on Monday because NFL playoffs start that weekend)
(2)Texas vs. (1)Alabama, Rose Bowl (since that is this year's championship site)
-Forget whoever makes it to the title game, it would a blockbuster either way and if it ends up being these two, no one can debate that they did not prove that they deserve to be there.

Will It Work?

I do not see any reason why not but there would have to be compromise by different parties and that is always a tricky proposition. But the important thing to remember about the system I just proposed:
-The big 6 conferences still have the advantage to getting teams in but deserving non-BCS schools have their shot to earn their way to the title. This year TCU will get shuttled to a BCS bowl to play most for a game that means only as much as Utah's did last year. Boise has gone undefeated and despite being ranked in the top 6 at the moment may not get the table-scrap BCS bid at all.

-I think that in order for the BCS conferences to sign on, you would have to guarantee them some kind of slice of the pie if one of their teams fails to make the tournament. With all the money this would generate and consider that ESPN owns the BCS starting next year and this tourney would be under the umbrella of the BCS, profits would explode and you could make sure a non-qualifying conference would get theirs.

-There will be the same, if not more money made through this system. All of those games are good match-ups that will get tremendous ratings. It will be like March Madness times Avagadro's number, everyone in the sports community will be discussing the games.

-I would keep all the other bowls the way they are now. Let Central Michigan play Middle Tennessee or whatever. It will not diminish these bowls anymore than they have already been diminished by the BCS.

-No more low-rated BCS games. Even if you had a Orange Bowl like last year (V Tech vs. Cincy) people will tune in because the game means something and the winner advances.

-There is a huge advantage to securing the top 2 spots in the BCS.

-The regular season would not only still be relevant, it would be more relevant now.

Answering the Problem

In an effort to shoot down playoff proposals, the BCS in their infinite wisdom has a site called playoffproblem.com. You really need not visit the site because I will answer their "tough" questions right here.

They ask: Who would participate?
I answer: 6-8 teams, conference winners only, ranked in the top ten, or top 5 ranked at-large

They ask: How many automatic qualifiers?
I answer: 6 from the BCS conferences, undefeated teams in the top ten, possibly 2 at-large.

They ask: What would be the criteria to qualify?
I answered that above in my criteria section A-F.

They ask: What would be the criteria for seeding?
I answer: BCS rankings, the same ones they use for their current system.

They ask: Where would the games be played?
I answer: Two games at the top 2 seeds home stadium, the rest at rotating BCS bowls.

They ask: When would the games be played?
I answer: First round would be the 3rd week in December, Semi-finals the closest Saturday to New Year's, Championship game 8-10 days after the Semi-finals.

They ask: If you could resolve all that(I just did) would everyone be satisfied?
They already answer "NO" (they used caps!) but you would have to have the brain capacity of a troglodyte to say yes to this question. As I mentioned earlier there will always be detractors but I think this proposal satisfies the most arguments from as many people as possible. BCS bowls stay intact, the Big 6 BCS conferences are pretty much guaranteed a spot unless their champion is ranked low, the non-BCS conferences are given a shot to win the title, not just play in a BCS bowl, there will still be tons of money to be had, undeserving teams cannot sneak their way in, and those chanting for a playoff get one.

They then come up with this gem of reasoning:

Just try to create an eight-team playoff based on latest rankings (November 23rd). Should a one-loss Georgia Tech (10-1, #7) get in but not a one-loss Pittsburgh (9-1 #9)? Should a two-loss Oregon (9-2, #8) get in but not one-loss Pittsburgh or any of the SEVEN teams with two losses: Ohio State (10-2, #10), Iowa (10-2, #11), Oklahoma State (9-2, #12), Penn State (10-2, #13), BYU (9-2, #19), Utah, (9-2, #19), or Houston (9-2, #23)? If you think the BCS is controversial, try sorting that out. A playoff would guarantee bigger problems, more controversy, more disappointed teams and more frustrated fans.

I did just come up with an 8 team playoff based on the latest rankings. Georgia Tech got in(projecting they beat Clemson) and Pitt did not because they lost to Cincy(again projected). After that happens(if it does) they would have two losses and be knocked out of the top ten. Oregon would get in because they won the Pac-Ten and be ranked in the top ten with two or less losses. Ohio State gets in the same as Oregon but they have to go play at the Swamp, Iowa lost to Ohio State for the Big Ten, Oklahoma State did not even make the Big 12 title game and has not beaten anyone of note. Penn State? No one can argue they deserve a playoff spot. BYU lost to TCU and is ranked 19th in the BCS, Utah is 21st and Houston 23rd. There will always be frustrated fans but it is possible to craft a system.

The last thing about the site I will address is their introduction of what they call "bracket creep". This alludes to the expansion of tournaments such as the NCAA basketball tournament which now features 65 teams and the FCS. The FCS, in case you do not know, has been running a playoff for years now with few, if any, problems. They will expand to 20 teams next year. The BCS has you imagine a frightening scenario where the brackets expand and more teams get in and the regular season is diminished and the bowl system changed forever. I do not see this happening with my scenario in the near term and if it does so what? If the logistics are feasible to add two play in games then it will expand to ten, but the majority of people beleive it is better to keep the number of teams as low as possible. They act like bracket creep is the blob or something where once it starts spreading the number of teams will multiply into a hideous mass until the FBS season is just one large bracket with all 100+ teams.

So there it is. Not plain and simple and I agree not without flaws but I believe it is the best that can be done with the current circumstances. I do not see this system not helping college football become more popular than it already is. I have no silly delusion that this will assuage both sides of the argument but in the end my only hope is that something is done to make the great sport of college football crown a legitimate champion.


Note: This post has been amended a few times for accuracy and in interest of crafting the best possible system and may be tweaked again, it's an ongoing process.

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The BCS Agenda Delivers the "Best"

It's time once again to take a look at the BCS. Many other bloggers, writers and pundits are playing "what if" with Iowa, USC, TCU, Boise State and others, which is ironic considering the entire system is designed to remove all chance. Last season we took a look at the computer polls, pointing out several of the flaws, while conceding the inherent problems of the polls, but now it's time to take aim at the whole of the system. Often times people will refer to BCS voters having an 'agenda,' here's a look at what that just might mean.

The BCS is the sports version of American Idol minus the teenie boppers voting on their cell phones. It's one big popularity contest. Some talking heads lament the possibility of the dark horses in the National Championship, 'Do you really want to watch Cincinnati vs. Alabama? Ugh', but that's not the way sports works (or should work). We didn't get LeBron-Kobe even though it would've gotten better ratings, because the Cavs lost. We haven't had a Manning Bowl, Yankees-Dodgers world series since 1981 or an all-Canada Stanley Cup Final in twenty years, because sports has no script. The great fallacy of the BCS and why some are tricked into believing the system is either a) working or b) is "better than what we had" lies in the desirability of the match-up. While various fanbases get upset annually, by and large the masses are pleased due to the marquee nature of the Championship Game. Look back at the Finals teams from all the major sports in the last decade. Every one of them has Tampa Bays, Georgia Techs, Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Cardinals and New Jersey Nets sprinkled through out them and yet the BCS has never had a team that's not one of the winningest or iconic programs of the last twenty years. Look quickly at the list of teams that have competed for the crystal football since the BCS came about: Oklahoma (4x), Ohio State (3x), Florida State (3x), Florida (2x), Miami (2x), USC (2x), LSU (2x), Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Not one dark horse program and of those only Virginia Tech is not considered football royalty, but in addition to being one of only two BCS conference teams undefeated that season (going into the bowl) they also had a once-in-a-lifetime dynamic player in Michael Vick. On the flip side, consider the lesser teams that have been part of the discussion, but ultimately left out of the game: Kansas St., Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Auburn, Wisconsin, and Louisville among others. Even among the power players there's a pecking order, with several seemingly deserving teams being hurdled by late season voting shenanigans. There's a reason. College football is the golden goose of sports and the select few who get those golden eggs annually are not interested in sharing.

Another primary difference between the BCS and American Idol; the BCS voters have a vested interest in the outcome. It's difficult to assess how much being a voter for the national championship is worth, but it certainly has value. Being voters for the National Champion gives the pollsters' opinions weight, generates more exposure for them and their employers and therefore puts more money in their pocket. Inserting a non-BCS conference team into the national championship may not be the death knell for the current system, but establishing the precedent could lead to the erosion of the system that gives the writers the current stature they enjoy. Not to go all conspiracy theorist, but the BCS polls being released midway through the season is no coincidence. College football enjoys the most passionate fanbases of any sport in America, other rankings provide us with a general lay of the land week to week and the top teams know from this point on the must win out in order to ensure their place in a BCS bowl. So why do they need to be released? College basketball doesn't seed March madness weeks out and inform us who's in and who's out. Could it not be argued that the BCS is unwilling to take a multi-million dollar gamble by preventing the pollsters from seeing how the rankings stack up before the final week? Let's say Iowa stays perfect and finishes ranked third in the polls behind the SEC and Big 12 champions, but as it stands the computers love the Hawkeyes and could potentially push them into the National Championship game. If you stood to make millions more on a marquee national championship game, particularly in a down economic time, would you take the chance that Iowa could unseat Texas by not releasing the results until the final day? This way pollsters are able to see which teams the computers will eliminate (Boise State) and conversely the pollsters can see which teams the computers love and need to be wary of, so they can justify them down slightly in the polls. Consciously or subconsciously, pollsters will do what they think is needed to ensure the "best" national championship match-up. We saw this manipulation at work last year with Oklahoma receiving a late push in the polls on the strength of the margin of victory over Texas Tech.

Even more so than the voters, the primary TV networks benefit from always having a chalk match-up in the title game. ESPN and CBS both root for the SEC and ESPN has contracts with all of the BCS conferences. If a Mountain West team were to play for a national championship, it would be a tremendous boost to the Versus network. While it seems ludicrous to suggest at this point, but having the National Champion of college football and (dare I say) the NHL would provide a tremendous foothold for Versus towards creating a dent in the juggernaut that is ESPN and we know they don't like competition in Bristol. ESPN loves their "bracket busters" in college basketball, but why not in college football? They want to protect their interest in the big conferences. ESPN stays out of the picture when it comes to non-conference scheduling in college football, but they regularly pitch ideas like the ACC/Big 10 challenge in basketball, because they know those games will be money makers and the conferences need not worry about the impact on teams making the NCAA tournament. In college football, they don't have that luxury and playing such games (after the Kickoff Classic) only serves to potentially hurt their investments. When listening to the talking heads at any of these networks, remember that they themselves are in invested in these conferences and seeing someone else's team in the national championship making the other guy money instead of them, isn't in their best interest. (That said, I believe you will see ESPN slowly turn up the heat on the possibility of a college football playoff, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Discussing the "what if" scenarios of college football through out the season can be equal parts fun and maddening, but in reality few if any of those scenarios have any chance of coming to fruition regardless of the outcomes on the field because they just don't fit the agenda. The big six conferences rely on their guaranteed money from BCS games and are not eager to share and both the voters and the TV networks have vested interests in delivering what those conferences want. Unfortunately, the best sport America has is currently run like Olympic figure skating. Style points and what flag you play under are just as important as performance. There is a man behind the curtain and he has no interest in getting the right National Championship game, only the best one. It's the only way they can keep their money and the masses satisfied. That's the BCS, the Business of College Sports.

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Wednesday Links

I am not sure how many people tuned in for the marathon game between the Tigers and Twins last night, but after 4 hours of baseball it turned out to be a pretty darn good game. The Tigers blew many opportunities to close the Twins out which mirrored their run through September. The Metrodome fans seemed a little exhausted after going through the Favre Bowl the night before but the Homer Hankies were still being waved. In the infinite wisdom of MLB, the Twins now have to hop on a flight to New York and play the Yankees less than 24 hours after securing the AL Central. [SI]

Braylon Edwards will be dropping passes in New York from now on. Glazer again gets the first scoop and says Edwards was dealt for LB Jason Trusnik and receiver Chansi Stuckey. [Foxsports]

In other WR news, Michael Crabtree has finally inked a deal it is reportedly 6 years in length and MC Hammer helped him finally get signed. I bet you think I was going to make some kind of old school Hammer song reference like "Can't Touch This" or "Too Legit to Quit" but I maintain "Pumps and a Bump" to be his best work. [TBL]

Favre Bowl has largest Cable audience ever. Thank you ratings system for enabling more ESPN Favre fellating. [Awful Announcing]

So um...this high school shirt..well just see for yourselves. [Sportress of Blogitude]

It's trivia Wednesday. Did you know Steve Young was the first left-handed QB inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Well we didn't last week and it cost us the game. If you are a glutton for punishment, try this BCS quiz. [Sporcle]

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Initial BCS Rankings Are Out

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Houston
5. Mother Nature

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Bowl Games are Run by Liars?

Dan Wetzel's a hawk and this time Alamo Executive Director Derrick Fox is in the crosshairs. Fox told Congress that nearly all bowls are put on by charitable groups, but as Yahoo! reports:

In fact, 10 bowl games are privately owned and one is run by a branch of a local government. The remaining 23 games enjoy tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, but combined to give just $3.2 million to local charities on $186.3 million in revenue according to their most recent federal tax records and interviews with individual bowl executives.

Dr. Saturday weighs in with some additional links.

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The BCS: Something Doesn't Add Up

Politico ran a story late last week, that former congressman and Oklahoma quarterback J.C. Watts has been on the BCS payroll as a lobbyist to the tune of $620,000 over the last five years. While paying over $100,000 a year to a year seems questionable given that after all it's just a game... right? But its when looking at the NCAA's BCS revenue distribution report form last month that some questions are raised. From 2004-2009 the BCS has brought in between $122,000,000 and $148,000,000 annually, but according to the documentation 100 percent of the revenue has gone to schools or conferences. So where is the lobbying money coming from? If it is coming from hidden BCS coffers, why is it not reflected in the NCAA's document? Or is it coming from the big conferences under the auspices of being from the BCS? It's hard to imagine the eight conferences that made just $200,000 to $225,000 green-lighting an amount that's more than half of their share to a lobbyist. With reports that $200,000 (as of 2001?) go to the BCS poll operators and $120,000 going to Mr. Watts, that's at least $320,000 a year that is not accounted for per the NCAA documentation. If the NCAA's document is accurate, then can we assume that the big six conferences are paying $20,000 each to protect their cash cow? If they are and are doing it under the auspices of the BCS, they're attempting to present a unified front that clearly doesn't exist.

According to opensecrets.org the ACC, Mountain West and SouthEastern Conferences all employ or have employed lobbyists in the last ten years.

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College Football: C.R.E.A.M.

"How is this fair?" asked the subcommittee chairman, Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois, who has co-sponsored Barton's bill. "How can we justify this system ... are the big guys getting together and shutting out the little guys?"

"I think it is fair, because it represents the marketplace," Swofford responded. (AP via TBL)

This exchange between a member of Congress and the head of the BCS illustrates exactly why college football is broken. Keeping the little guys out isn't because the Big Six conferences have the best teams, its all because of the money. The BCS Bowls and the National Championship aren't about rewarding the best of the best, its about the bottom line. This doesn't bode well for Tebow Haters next season. Be prepared to hear a lot more of this:

 

Perhaps most ironic is that teams from the Big Six are getting screwed just as often. USC has had the same record as the national champions the last two seasons, but have been left out. NFL teams have selected 21 Trojans in the last two years, 3 more players than the last two national champions (LSU and Florida) combined. Ability to translate to the next level does not make them more deserving, but that combined with having the same records during the seasons mean Captain Twitter's team should have an opportunity.

The NCAA loves to show their "most of us will be going pro in something other than sports" commercials, they love to play their sportsmanship spots, but as the cliche goes actions speak louder than words. They're being greedy at the expense of the product on the field, but if/when a player acts greedy just as they do every year, the NCAA is ready to crack down (unless he goes to USC... they weren't going to get off the hook). The NCAA is so tightly tied to fairness with Title IX, but when there's no legal ramifications they're ready to cash in the biggest check they can and the student-athletes be damned.  

As long as college football gets driven not by the results on the field, but by the marketplace, the majority of schools, student athletes and fans will suffer, and John Swofford's insistence on protecting "Old Money" with the current bowl system points to a good ole boy network that enjoys cashing in on the labors of strong, unpaid young men. Yeah, I said it.

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Mountain West Conference Wants to Play

A college football post just days before Carolina v. Duke? When it involves a playoff system, our focus can be shifted. The Mountain West conference is taking the banner of smaller conferences themselves to the BCS ivory tower. They propose that conferences that have a better than .400 winning percentage against the BCS conferences over a two-year proposal, a new system that would grant only themselves an additional automatic bid. They also suggest a tremendous shift in the selection of the teams, moving away from polls and the computers to a 12-man selection committee.

As a digression, how far are we from no longer feeling obligated to give Notre Dame special treatment? They're treated as holier than thou by the BCS and this proposal, which guarantees them a seat at the selection committee table. We've reached the point that no one outside of South Bend expects them to do much, and they can either fall in line or fall further behind. At this point, they're just another program and the top bowls are no better or worse without them.

What about that playoff? The Mountain West offers an 8-team playoff, with the 9th and 10th place teams playing in a BCS bowl, but not part of the playoff. This attempts to keep the "power" conferences appeased, but avoiding a 20th ranked team in the playoff (Cincinnati, they're referring to you). Assuming the seven (if the MWC is added) automatic bids, it would only allow for at most three at-large bids, which is a fair compromise, but that 5th BCS game would be such a scarlet letter for the conferences involved, that no one would go for this idea. The need to include more than eight again points to our suggestion of the sixteen team playoff. Full Proposal

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Return of Heisman Finalists is Not a Good Thing

That is, unless you are a fan of those three schools. With the news that Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow, and Sam Bradford are returning to school next year, the preseason polls will most likely have these teams as the top three especially since Mark Sanchez is rumored to be entering the draft. Each new college football season is supposed to be a clean slate, a new journey that is "unique" to sports. You think the media coverage of these three, especially Tebow was overblown this year? You haven't seen anything yet. With the ESPN goliath controlling the SEC/Big XII along with CBS showcasing SEC football it is going to be a steady diet of these three quarterbacks and their schools. Think you have sat through superfluous montages of Tim Tebow before? There will be one on ESPN almost everyday of the 2009 college football season. Gameday will be at most of these team's games and at the very least will be discussing the teams all year long.

The only hope we have is for these teams to lose or the players to struggle. I do not feel you should be rooting simply for a player to do poorly but otherwise the scene in New York for the doorstop trophy will be the same as it was this year, just with different voting. Of course we know that even if these teams lose it will not stop them. All three teams lost early in the season but Oklahoma and Florida were there at the end, aided no doubt by the affinity the media has for them. The non-stop coverage will detract from other stories in college football, the other teams and players will get a brief mention during their highlights or a 30 second segment, but the conversation will again turn to the big three. As long as they have similar numbers to this year, they will be Heisman finalists again.

So perhaps the only hope is to have the schools lose multiple times, which eill depend on how improved their conference foes are, because these teams rarely travel to an out of conference game of much value. It looks very much like next year there will be a handful of one-loss teams in the conversation for the BCS title and perhaps one undefeated non-BCS school but we know how they will be treated. The teams that will rise above and get the invitation to the championship bowl game will be the ones with the best reputations, not necessarily the best team. It appears college football has become at best a high school class president election and these three are the coolest kids in school.

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Bowl Season is Put Out of its Misery

It was the ending we all deserved: a poorly played game, with horrible officiating, and the worst television production and broadcasting I have ever seen in a championship game. I knew it was going to be a bad night when I saw the officiating crew, Ron Cherry and the ACC. I watched this crew "operate" all year and the horrible officiating you saw last night was par for the course. The Florida Gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in the title game last night in the BCS title game. The Gators now have 3 titles since '96 and are on their way to becoming the Miami of the 1990s and 2000s. Anyone who watched the game witnessed the full-on fellating of Tim Tebow which was unbearable. More on the game, FOX's debacle they called coverage and the results of our ASD bowl picks after the break.

A rational person cannot tell me that seeing the way the two teams played last night that Utah would not have won versus either if they played like they did in the Sugar Bowl. Also, you don't think USC could handle either of those sqauds? I must throw in at this point that Florida won the game and are champions and they were certainly deserving of being in the game. The problem is not with the Gators, it is with the system. After my brilliant idea of a quad national championship I introduce yesterday, the AP poll refused to comply. In the coaches poll, Kyle Whittingham showed he has balls in addition to the only undefeated team in the land by voting his Utah team number 1.

Oklahoma blew this game on failing to capitalize on mistakes by Florida and Tebow but Florida won the game by making the plays and getting into the endzone. I don't think anyone expected the Oklahoma offense to struggle like it did, even though no one was expecting 60 points which enforces my thought that the offense played a bad game more than the defense was so dominant. The Sooners went with the running game early, which gave them success, but down at the 1 yard line OU ran it 4 straight times and got stuffed. Isn't that a Heisman trophy winner at QB? The game seemed to be taken out of Bradford's hands, and then when Bradford had the ball in his hands at halftime he threw a pass into traffic short of the goal line when his team was out of timeouts. Oklahoma picked off Tim Tebow twice and got a roughing the kicker penalty to extend a drive but did not score on any of those opportunities, and that's your game.

Once again Percy Harvin was the difference maker for Florida. After Tebow could not rush the ball in from the 1, the ball was given to Harvin behind center and he ran it in for the Gators' second touchdown. When OU tied the game at 14 the first play from scrimmage was a hand off to Harvin who ran it 52 yards which set up the go-ahead score. Harvin finished with 171 yards but yet again will not get the accolades his quarterback will. Aaron Hernandez, the athletic UF tight end was another big difference maker as he made two big plays on shovel passes from Tebow. Tebow struggled early, and made some good plays, but this win was one by the Florida defense and the offensive weapons around him, not just one player.

Thom Brennaman cemented his legacy last night after his blowfest of Tebow last night. From now on, anyone who watched that game will associate Thom with his calling of that game. All of the FOX BCS coverage was horrid with last night topping it all. They tried to implement their fast cut-scene coverage that worked so well for baseball, but these are two different animals. Football is not as slow as baseball, cut scenes to the band and cheerleaders after every freaking play is distracting and more than a few times caused them to miss the snap. The lack of replays was inexcusable. It took Thom and Charles Davis about 3 minutes, which was about 2 minutes and 49 seconds longer than everyone in the country to realize it was 3rd down instead of 4th. The Tim Tebow worship was the worst of all though. The one thing these media people that kneel at his altar don't realize, the hate comes from you, you created this monster. If they did not give him credit for a 5 yard run like he just cured cancer, there would not be such a backlash. At this point the large portion of the sports viewing audience just want Tebow to go away. You know, Shawn Bradley went on a religous mission, and so does everyone at BYU. We get it, he is a good guy, he is pious, he does service work, he is a great player. On a final note it was nice to see lord Tim gesticulating like a donkey all over the field while the game was still going on and getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with minutes to go. You stay classy.

Final Results of our bowl picks.

Cleet: 19-15
Catfish: 16-18

My last word on college football this year besides my reinforcement of the quad-champions of Florida, Utah, USC, and Texas is that next year, no matter the records or the situation, Ohio State and Oklahoma play each other in a bowl game.

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For Texas, Winning Should Be Enough

Florida and Oklahoma will play for the college football national championship a crystal football tonight, but I have one more bone to pick with the system we call the BCS. Before I begin I must state that in this post I will do the unthinkable, yes I will actually defend Ohio State. It makes me feel unclean and I far from enjoy it but objectively I must call it how I see it. Monday night Texas defeated Ohio State 24-21 in the Fiesta Bowl. That fact is immutable and indisputable. Texas won, it is a victory nothing more nothing less. Somehow between the time Quan Cosby lunged into the endzone and today the Longhorns have been almost completely washed out of the national title picture. Like everything involving this vomitous creation we call the BCS, it should not be that simple.

I'm going to get my Buckeye defending out of the way first. Yes it was another loss in the BCS for OSU and their three year run of losses creates embarassment and a bad reputation, which actually gives me a lot of satisfaction. It is a no brainer I was rooting for Texas in the game simpy because of my aversion for Ohio State, there was no other motive so please do not take this post as me having a secret love for Texas. See how I'm stalling on the Buckeye praise? OK let's get down to it. First off, Ohio State is not an elite team in college football, but they gave the best effort they could give in Glendale. It had been 44 days since Ohio State had seen the football field in real time, almost a week longer that Texas, and that is a long layoff for anyone and I believe that has hurt OSU in their previous BCS bowls. It truly is a whole new season when these teams take the field now. In the dry air of Arizona, a lot of Ohio State players were suffering from cramps. Moving from the cold midwest to the arid desert and then playing at game speed takes a large toll on the body in terms of dehydration and muscle fatigue. The falling out of so many players to the sidelines told me that the players were giving it everything they had, the Buckeyes wanted this win, badly. The group of 28 seniors they had wanted to end their college careers with a statement win over a big time program on a national stage, where they had practically been made fools of the previous years. This meant Texas was in for a fight, it was not going to be a walk-through even if they were the superior team.

The defense of Ohio State was led by Linebacker James Laurinaitis who is a stud and will be playing on Sundays and another future pro Malcom Jenkins. Ohio State's defensive strategy was simple; we are not the fastest team out there so keep the Longhorns in front of us and do not get burned by the big play. It worked the entire first half. Keith Wells and the defensive line neutralized any run game the Longhorns tried to get going and Colt McCoy was pressured and forced to get rid of the ball quickly. The Longhorns resorted to a quick strike passing game which the Buckeyes were able to prevent from getting in the endzone in the first half. It is a strategy I have seen in the NFL many times, particularly since I watch so many New England Patriot games; bend but don't break if you can't break the other team with your defense. The second half is when Texas proved how good of a team it was by making the adjustments they needed to win the game against a ough opponent. The biggest thing Texas did to get in the endzone was to speed up their offense and continue to go no-huddle which wore down OSU. By the end of the drives, the OSU defense was so tired they were unable to keep up and Texas took the lead. Credit should go to McCoy and the Texas offense for finding a way to get it done, including the final drive of the game.

On the offensive side of the ball Ohio State knew they had to move the ball in the air to keep the ground game viable. This meant Todd Boeckman was getting in there and making the throws they did not want Terrelle Pryor making. Pryor has great potential but he will need to work on his throwing. His athleticism however is magnificent. He was eluding tackles and making first downs(except when he went out of bounds before the marker) with his legs and adding a dimension that was needed against the Texas defense. Beanie Wells ran undaunted through the tough Texas run defense and unfortunately got injured in the second half which limited his time on the field. Daniel Herron scored the go-ahead TD with over two minutes left, which was more than enough time for Texas.

Overall it was a gutsy performance for Ohio State and one that I think proved that they are not completely incapable of playing with an upper eschelon team and that if they improve in some areas they could once again get into the national title picture. Of course, I would prefer that not to happen. The stigma against the level of OSU's team quality had taken its biggest hit back in September when USC beat them 35-3. However, the Buckeyes were without Beanie Wells that day and Pryor had yet to be fully integrated into the offense. I am not saying Ohio State would have won that game in Los Angeles but if they were at the point in their team identity that they were against Texas I do not think the score would have been as lopsided.

With all this being said, Texas should not be punished for their victory Monday night. We have already discussed the disturbing trend of style points in college football but the eyeball test fails in so many ways because there are too many variables to take into account when disecting performances. The win-loss comparison is finite and crystal clear. If people do want to roll out that argument than Texas's résumé still holds up against any of the other contenders. Texas's lone loss was at Texas Tech on a last second play, Oklahoma's blowout came at home off a bye week. Texas ran the gauntlet of Oklahoma, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech four weeks in a row. And of course let's not forget the victory in Dallas over Oklahoma. The Longhorns won that game by 10, and won every other ame by double digits except for their game against Oklahoma State and the Fiesta Bowl. They beat Arkansas 52-10, while in the SEC the Razorbacks had a loss of 31 to Florida in what was actually a competitive game until the last quarter, lost by two to Ole Miss and beat LSU. Texas finished its season by beating a rival of theirs Texas A&M 49-9 and that is with Mack Brown calling off the dogs at the end.

The case for Texas is a strong one, as strong as any of the other worthy candidates for a title. People are trying to find a solution for this mess of college football and while it is important to establish an effective system for future seasons, this season is already about over. I think to tackle a solution to this imperfect system should be an imperfect resolution. Therefore, I propose a quad-split championship. The winner of tonight's Florida-Oklahoma game wins the BCS title and receives the number 1 ranking in the coaches' poll, while the AP vote for number 1 is split three ways between Utah, Texas, and USC. It would be fitting for a season and a sport that is constantly giving so much argument to multiple teams and multiple dimensions every year, multiple champions. So each school can craft a gaudy trophy, stick it in a glass case, and print this year as a national championship in their media guides. Congratulations to all the winners, you guys earned it!

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Steve Smith and His Alma Mater Utah Share Similar Lack of Recognition

Both are respected because they overachieve and are mentally tough. Both are seen as the little guy that plays bigger than they are. Utah and their former wideout Steve Smith have made the sports media take notice of their success, but they still do not receive their just due. Utah is the only undefeated team in the FBS and has just beaten Alabama in the Sugar Bowl yet they will finish behind one-loss Florida or Oklahoma or USC or Texas in the final polls. Steve Smith returned from an early suspension to finish 3rd in the NFL in receiving yards and made multiple big catches down the stretch, but many people do not mention him as one of the elite receivers in the league. I would only rank Larry Fitzgerald above him as the one receiver I would want on my team right now. Ever since Smith was at Utah, the two schools have experienced a rise to the pinnacles of their respective categories yet they get short-handed; Utah out of a national championship, Smith out of respect in the NFL. Steve was on the sidelines to watch his Utes in the Sugar Bowl, and he no doubt had a huge grin on his face at the end. I'm sure Smith had a chance to talk with some of the Utah players before the game and they drew inspiration from him and as the Panthers begin their playoff run, Smith can draw inspiration from the Utes.

The aftermath of media coverage following the Sugar Bowl really grinds my gears. Those that want to discount the Utes from the national title discussion are arguing from both sides of their mouths. The first point to be made is that many people who claim to be knowledgeable about college football have not even seen the team play before the Sugar Bowl. Worse yet is that people who vote in the Harris Poll, a poll that factors into the complex and nonsensical BCS formula failed to view a Utah game as pointed out by Dan Wetzel. These people are responsible for determining who the best teams in the country are and they have no clue what is going on besides from the games they watch on mainstream TV or see the highlights of. Stop and ask yourself, how many Utah games have you seen this year? I watched the Oregon State game the week after the Beavers knocked off USC(which according to the pundits does not count for much because it was at home and Utah only won by 3), I saw them grind out a tough win over TCU, and Catfish and I made it a point to find a sports bar to watch the game against BYU which secured their spot in the BCS. I have no say in the national championship but at least I have watched the Utes play multiple games this year.

Yes Utah did struggle in conference games this year, but they won. If margin of victory and style points are going to become the basis for pollsters to pick teams, why even play the games in the first place, just have a vote American Idol style on who people think should be the best teams. The point is Utah won every contest they played, if you want to look at numbers stare at the 0 in the loss column. The Boise State weak schedule argument does not apply as the Utes played four top 25 opponents. Also, if people had bothered to find the BYU game on the Mountain Network, they would have seen how Utah was playing at the end of the year. The Utes thrashing of the Cougars in a heated rivalry game displayed clear evidence of what they could do to Alabama; they hit, they tackle, they have speed and they are strong up front on both sides of the ball.

The credit for the victory in the Sugar Bowl, which I know a lot of people did not watch since it was not an enticing match-up and fell on a Friday night, was a back-handed compliment at best. Despite few people giving Utah a chance to win the game because Alabama was just too strong, the excuse was then laid out that the Tide was disenchanted about missing a title shot and not giving their best effort. This puzzles me. You are saying that these bowl games are a showcase for the conferences and shows which programs are for real yet if the supposedly SEC powerhouse loses it is because the game means nothing. If these games are pointless why the hell are we playing them and don't crap out and say money I am talking in context of the sport's bowl system. The Sugar Bowl was not close, Utah blew up Alabama on both lines and the Crimson Tide secondary had no answer for Freddie Brown and the receivers. John Parker Wilson was put on his back 8 times and picked twice. Brian Johnson, whom no one discussed this year as a good quarterback despite finishing just shy of 3,000 yards and throwing 27 TDs, threw for 336 and 3 TD on a elite SEC defense. Alabama without a doubt suffered from the suspension of Andre Smith, but it was not a outcome-altering difference.



It is being said that Utah should just be happy to get a slice of the pie, especially by the "big" names at ESPN. On the very day the bowl match-ups were announced Kirk Herbstreit was asked if the Utes or similar teams would ever deserve a title shot. Kirk, who I do find insightful and wise when it comes to college football analysis, slapped every team not in the BCS in the face by saying they do not deserve it or never will due to who they play on their schedules. It is not my intent to attack Herbstreit but rather his attitude about non-BCS schools like Utah who prove themselves throughout the season and fail to lose a game. Why should Utah be denied a shot at the title? They put the tough games on their schedule and proved it on the field and when every one of their games finished they were ahead on the scoreboard. The disturbing effect of the BCS conference-only thought process is that when a worthy team like Utah comes along or whatever incarnation it is in the future, from the outset of the season that team is going to be told they have zero chance to play for a national championship. As talented assistants take their first coaching jobs in non-BCS conferences and as more talented players choose non-big name programs in order to secure playing time schools like Utah and Boise State will continue to improve.

The final contention we are hearing from the mainstream media is that if Utah were to get a chance to play a big program for the title such as USC, Florida or Oklahoma, then the Utes would not even be favored to win. They love to spout off about, "Would you bet on Utah to win that game?" Of course a betting man would choose the traditional powers, and right now I don't think Vegas would have anyone favored over the Trojans. But isn't that what is great about sports? Utah would only have to win one game, on the field. I believe Utah could beat any of those teams in a one time scenario if they played like they did against Bama. If the other sports took college football's attitude then we never would have had Jimmy V in '83, the Giants of last year, or the wild card in baseball. Right now FBS has only 65 of its teams eligible for the title, 66 if you include Notre Dame. The rest of the teams are playing for a spot in a bowl game telecast a week before Christmas or a week after New Year's or a possible BCS game that is "just an exhibition". It can be said that Utah may not be as good on paper as the other teams, but to say outright they would have no shot against them is ludicrous after the way they beat Alabama.

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New Year's Football Thoughts

It is the second day of 2009 and I am back in the office today for one day of work before the weekend. Yes, everyone has pointed out how strange it is to be off since before Christmas and then come in for one day but luckily I still have the after effects of a bad cold, the dreary gray sky, and a half-emptied office to cheer me up. It has been awhile since I last visited our little online haven and I have collected a few various thoughts from the past week and a half of sports. Read on for the brain smatterings.

The NFL

- The Jets seriously let down the Patriots in their last game, but that is exactly why you never want your fate in someone else's hands. As I have said all along the Pats get zero sympathy from anyone, and the failure to win that game in Indy proved very costly. Still, Belichick deserves props for what he did this year even if he deservedly will not get any. The Matt Cassell quandry will not dominate the off-season media coverage as mystery surrounds Brady's knee and it will be interesting to see how it will effect the team if Scott Pioli bolts for the Browns. Eric Mangini got sacrificed at the alter of Farve and I do not see how the Jets can turn this into a positive unless they let Farve loose and snag Spagnuolo.

- It was interesting to see how the Panthers were able to move the ball into sure-fire field goal range for kicker John Kasay in a game they needed against the Saints to lock up the 2 seed. If they had been that aggressive in getting Kasay a closer kick the previous week in the Meadowlands they could have had the 1 seed. With that said I don't think it will bother the Panthers to have to travel to New York again if necessary.

- A lot is being made of Arizona and Minnesota having problems selling out their playoff games. Certainly in the case of Arizona it can be stated that the fanbase is not as loyal as others, but when you look at the Vikings case, I think this is an economic situation more than anything else. People are more obliged to say for get the expensive ticket and trip to the stadium I will just sit back on the recliner and follow the game from home. It is not so much that people are not interested, it is that in times like the ones we are facing a grossly over-priced upper-deck ticket for an opening round play-off game is not high on the budget.

- I was not completely shocked by Mike Shanahan getting axed. The fact that he was in charge of the personnel moves was the biggest factor in my mind. There was probably no way he was going to give up the GM duties aand the Broncos had to cut ties. ESPN loved rolling out Shanahan's record with and without Elway. It is as if he was supposed to be that dominant after losing Elway and the rest of that team. What? You mean that the coach will not win as many games after losing one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play? Madness! Also, it was not just like Shanahan lost only Elway; Terrell Davis succumbed to injuries, Atwater and the secondary retired or moved on, Romanowski hit the prescription center a little too much, Neil Smith retired, and the dirty strong O-line was re-tooled as well. Shanahan did take Denver to some playoff appearances and almost made the Super Bowl with Jake Plummer at the helm until Jake chose his horrible turnover game of the year for the AFC Championship. Mike will be back somewhere, and I think it will be a good hire when he is unless he gets GM control again.

- The Eagles are similar to the Giants of last year and could end up doing to the Giants what they did to the Cowboys last January. I have yet to speak with someone or read somewhere that someone is picking the Vikes.

- It is always the case, but this year whoever these teams hire as their new coaches is so crucial to whether the teams turn around. A strong hand is needed in Cleveland where talent is substantial on the offensive side of the ball, the Jets need someone who can rally all the discontent veterans together, the Broncos need...a lot of help.

The Bowls

- Thanks to ESPN for turning Chase Daniel's family into another edition of Brenda Warner. Hey, there was a false start on Northwestern, let's get a shot of the Daniel clan, it will really pump up the drama.

- Is there anyone who does not think the bowl season is spread too long and too thin? There were some great games, but a lot is lost in not having the cluster of good games on or around New Year's. It is another freakin week until the faux-champion is even crowned.

- As with baseball, Fox just does not get it. It's the Orange Bowl, the match-up is week and you are rolling out kick-off after 8:30 EST? When you consider the Doobie Brothers extended halftime, the game did not end until around or after midnight (I went to bed) and if you consider I have a stronger inclination for watching sports than most, who was left watching? They will do the same for the title game, which is ridiculous, get ready for the same kind of ratings you got with baseball.

- As a Miami fan, alum, former employee, and all together huge supporter I am pissed. The clock/game management at the end of the Emerald Bowl against Cal was some of the worst I have ever seen. From the players to the coaches it was not a sharp performance. Holding a timeout with 2:27 left down 7 and letting the clock tick down to :06 at midfield is inexcusable. I have championed Randy Shannon since day 1. It is good to have a positive minority role model in place at the helm and his disciplinarian tactics have virtually eliminated off-field problems, but in the end you have to do that AND win games. The firing of offensive coordinator Patrick Nix was welcome to most Hurricane fans including myself, but then Nix stated that it was Shannon, not he who elected not to spread the field and open up the offense. Shannon fired his defensive coordinator after last year and his offensive one this year, next year he has no excuses, none. Robert Marve is gone and Jacory Harris is the starter, he has the summer to improve his decision-making and learn how to hold on the ball. No excuses next season, Randy and believe me, I'm rooting for you.

- The call for a playoff is louder than ever in college football and after some putrid bowls, it cannot be denied that it is what should happen. Even if the retarded, inbred cousin of the playoff system, also known as the +1 comes to fruition, it will still not be good enough. With the bowl games being featured on their own now and not bunched together as in years prior, unless you have a rooting interest it is so transparent how college football is suffering from the bowl system as it is now. By suffering I mean from a sports philosophical point of view, financially they are doing quite well thank you.

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The Shackleford Files: 001

 

After weeks of phone tag, our schedules finally cleared up for the first ever broadcast of The Shackleford Files. We discuss the BCS, upcoming bowl matchups, and what could've been if we had a 12-team playoff. From the NFL we look at a potential fall from the NFC 1 seed for the Giants, show Coach Singletary some love, and take a gander at all the 8-5's in the AFC East. Well worth the listen, if for no other reason that to hear Cleet's voice crack. Check it out, leave your thoughts, send us hate mail, let us know what you think. If you'd prefer to listen while you run, Christmas shop (I want a Tyler Hansbrough Fathead) or while you pretend to watch Miracle on 34th Street with your girlfriend, you can download it... ...here.

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College Football Recap: Prepare for the Theatre of the Absurd

The rankings are in and final, there is nothing we can do about who plays where come January, but we do not have to accept it. There already is and will be a rush of sports pundits coming to the defense of the BCS. Not surprisingly, many of them will come from ESPN, who recently bought the rights to the BCS starting in 2011. The debate is really unneccessary, the system is not changing now or in the near future and there is no true defense for the system currently in place. There are currently nine teams that have a legitimate argument to be able to play their way for a championship. Catfish broke down how the current system works, and if that is not enough to shake your confidence then you might just be a Sooner or Gator fan. The two teams will face each other one month from today for the BCS "title" and a crystal football. The others are left to play in games they are being told are meaningful but will maybe only have bearing on their national perception and irrational as that sounds it will play a part on how they are ranked and voted on in future seasons. A recap of the "unique" college football championship system and other intriguing bowl match-ups after the break.

Sooner or Gator

I have no contention with stating that Florida and Oklahoma are two of the top teams in the country if not the top two. But it is hardly an open and shut case and the trends it highlights in the BCS system are a dangerous president being set for upcoming years. Both teams have one major flaw about their ascension over the other contenders that is either overlooked by voters or not factored in enough by the computers. Texas beat OU 45-35 on a neutral field, and with both teams having one loss, you would think that puts the Longhorns ahead of Oklahoma for a second ignoring the third party involved. Florida lost to an Ole Miss team that has entered the rankings smply due to the SEC's national perception. Mississippi beat FLorida in the swamp which deserves praise, but after losses to Vandy, South Carolina, and Alabama, they defeated Arkansas, Alabama, and LSU. Only the Bama loss would be considered a good loss at this point. Throw in wins over Samford and Louisiana-Monroe and bam, that 8-4 record for an inflated SEC looks impressive.

Let's forget for a second where Ole Miss stands. They are a good team and will face Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl on January 2nd. The loss is still a loss for Florida. They were rewarded by losing before the first BCS standings came out. I maybe confused but doesn't college football stake its claim on every game being a playoff? Did this loss just send Florida into a fictional loser's bracket? Florida did play extremely well the latter part of the season so in the minds of voters and computers this nullifies a loss at home to a team that only recently cracked the top 25? This is not an arguement to discount the Gators and the same goes for OKlahoma; both teams deserve a shot at the title, but so do the others.

In Oklahoma's case, racking up over 60 points in 5 straight games is impressive no matter who you are or who you play. Some of the defenses they faced though were not exactly stingy. Having watched a replay of the Kansas-Mizzou game it can easily be seen that Missouri could not cover a three-toed sloth wearing clogs in thirty degree weather. All the teams they hammered (save Texas Tech) have not been bastions of defense in college football this year. Four teams OU faced were ranked 75 or below in the NCAA in overall defense. The highest ranked Big XII team is Texas at 21. Some of that is due to explosive offenses, and some of it is due to horrible defense. Oklahoma's ascension highlights the dangerous trend of putting more and more consideration into margin of victory. This factor was eliminated from the computers years ago but in the minds of the voters it is becoming more of a tipping point. Oklahoma's crushing of Texas Tech 66-21 gave the Sooners the edge over Texas after Texas lost to the Raiders 39-33 in Lubbock at the last second. Catfish made the strong point of saying if you really look at that game between OU and Tech the Sooners were no doubt the better team that night, but the score was inflated. Tech never got into rhythm yet Mike Leach was trying to win and score the whole time. This included going for it in his own territory and continuing to pass even after the game was well in hand. On the other side, Bob Stoops knew he was going to have to make a statement, and merely winning the game was not enough so he did not call the dogs off. Is this really what we want to see in college football? "I'm sorry we kept throwing the ball all over the field coach in the 4th quarter, but you know we are trying to get a lot of votes over the next few weeks. No hard feelings but your team sucks, try stopping us next time we have computer averages to boost." It's almost becoming American Idol, and how do you like that, the two coaches who run up the score the most are in the national championship, go figure.

Lots to Prove, Lots to Lose

The Fiesta Bowl will feature the aforementioned Longhorns against Ohio State. OSU returns to the friendly confines of the Fiesta Bowl against a Texas team who feels they were robbed of a rightful place in the championship game. The Buckeyes felt they would be headed to Miami for this year's title game after dissapointing blowouts the last two seasons. If Ohio State wins, they can get a measure of national respect back for themselves and the Big Ten since they did not even win the conference. If Texas wins and wins big, it will be a statement of how they deserved the nod to play for the championship. Texas's situation is similar to Miami's in 2000. The Canes' only lost a tough road game that year at Washington and beat Florida State yet the Seminoles were placed in the national championship ahead of Miami where they promptly scored 2 points in a loss to Oklahoma. Texas Tech probably feels like Washington that year since the Huskies got no title consideration. In Miami's Sugar Bowl appearance they handliy beat Florida 37-20 in Steve Spurrier's final game as Gator head coach. There was nothing Miami could do, they made their statement and even received a few first place votes and were voted the national champion by the New York Times, whatever that is worth. If Texas wins convincingly, I expect them to get a few first place votes in the AP poll, but I doubt it will end up being a split title.

The One BCS Certainty



I know Kirk Herbstreit does not speak for the entire BCS body, but he echoed their sentiments regarding non-BCS conference schools like Utah who go undefeated: you have no chance of ever winning a national title. That's it for the Utes, take your Sugar Bowl berth and like it. The game will not be an easy task for Utah as they face Alabama in what will seem like a home game for the Tide, but Utah is not simply a finesse team from the Mountain West. Utah ranks 12 in the nation in defense, and they have a balanced attack on offense. Alabama may have a let down after fading in the SEC title game, but they are still the prohibitive favorites. If Utah wins it will be a big statement, perhaps even larger than the Boise State win over Oklahoma. If they can come into an SEC atmosphere and beat a top-ranked team, it will say a lot for the non-BCS crowd. I don't know how teams like Utah are automatically discounted from national consideration when they go undefeated, beat teams from BCS conferences, and beat tough, ranked teams within their own conference. The 6 big conferences are the bullies is what the system is saying and the best the others can hope for are some scraps from the table.

Lions in Winter...Again?

Penn State would most likely have caused complete havoc in the BCS had they not slipped against Iowa. Their loss in Iowa City is considered the worst of the one-loss contenders but Iowa currently sits 8-4 with a trip to the Outback Bowl. The Hawkeyes sit 4 spots below Penn State in total defense. The one element people often forget when factoring into the Nittany Lions' loss are the elements. PSU lost on a frigid, windy day and aside from that slip they beat everyone who came across their path. I have already stated their case before they lost this game but it is amusing to me they were completely eliminated from any kind of national title contention after their loss while other one-loss teams enjoyed the spotlight. Anyone else lining up to go play a night road game at the Horseshoe? People simply think a Rose bowl berth is enough to keep them happy in Happy Valley.

Their opponent is another team that feels they have been left out of a rightful place in the championship. USC was number one and seemingly unbeatable after trouncing Ohio State. A slip against Oregon State sent the Trojans in a free fall as far as the rankings went. No matter what USC did they could not recover from that loss. People even went as far as saying they were not scoring enough points. Hard to see that as a problem when you have the number 1 defense in all of college football. The Rose Bowl should be a defensive battle and a competitive game and the Big Ten needs one after their recent performances there against Southern Cal.



The Ratings Bowl

Following the Rose Bowl on New Year's day is the Orange Bowl. It features Virginia Tech from the ACC where no team could stand up and definitively take the title and upstart Cincinnati who conquered the equally mediocre Big East. These are two quality teams but neither packs the big punch of the best from the other four conferences. Cincinnati has equaled 10 wins in its last two seasons and coach Brian Kelly says he is not going anywhere after this year and wants to build the program there. Unfortunately we can no longer take coaches at their word so we will have to wait and see on that one. The Hokies have been dissapointing all season starting with a loss to ECU and BC, FSU and Miami in the ACC, but once again they have done it with defense and special teams. Beamer ball is not fun to watch, especially when they have so many new faces but it is effective and thanks to a couple of games that they pulled out early against North Carolina and Georgia Tech, they have the spot in the BCS game. The game may not be a sexy match-up, but it is imperative that Va Tech put a notch on the ACC's belt as far as the BCS is concerned. The ACC has not won a BCS game since 2000 and needs to raise their perception in all their bowl games this year.

Some Other Non-BCS Bowls to Look at

How will the ACC do?: As I just mentioned, the ACC has been labled a poor conference since they have no marquee team, but I think it is more of a case of a lot of decent teams that beat each other up. It is going to be interesting to see how the conference does overall and I believe they have some favorable match-ups.
Clemson-Nebraska: Gator
LSU-Georgia Tech: Chick-fil-A
Vandy-BC: Music City
Nevada-Maryland: Humanitarian
Rutgers-NC State: Papa John's
Miami-Cal: Emerald
FSU-Wisconsin: Champ Sports
UNC-West Virginia: Meineke Car Care

The conference should be able to win most of these games, with the headliner probably being the Chick-fil-A Bowl. If the Jackets can pound LSU like they did Miami and Georgia, it will go a long way for their team and the ACC. If Georgia Tech wins that game and BC beats Vandy it would mean the ACC went 8-4 against the SEC this year.

The game we should not be seeing: Pontsettia Bowl
Boise State is currently undefeated and beat Oregon in Eugene. TCU has the number 1 defense in the land agaisnt the rush giving up less than 50 yards per game and their only two losses came at Oklahoma and at Utah. These teams deserve better, they deserve the chance to play a high profile team from a high profile conference. How are we going to know how legit they are if they do not get the opportunity to slay a dragon. I believe both of these teams are for real but after this match-up we will only know which one deserved the shot at a giant more.

Notre Dame gets...punished?: Hawai'i Bowl
So the Irish played a weak schedule and lost to teams they had no business losing to and were destined for a bad bowl, and Weis and company will head to the cold harsh land of...Hawai'i. Even if they lose this game who cares, their perception cannot get worse than it is now and they get to spend a week or so in Hawai'i.

Holiday...celebrate: Holiday Bowl
This game will be another conference statement contest as Oklahoma State who's only losses were to the big three of the Big XII takes on Oregon from a supposedly weak Pac Ten.

More conference reputations on the line: Cotton Bowl
Texas Tech deserves a BCS bowl, a lot more than Virginia Tech or Cincinnati, but the "system" will not allow a third team from any conference. The only thing the Red Raiders can do is flatten the Ole Miss Rebels in Dallas. If they beatdown the Rebs then they can at least say they had some argument in a BCS title appearance. The worth of having that arguement may not be much, but if they stay competitive they may gain a positive reputation with the pollsters in the future.

Turner Gil deserves some sort of award: International Bowl
I suppose college football in Toronto will go over as well as the NFL did? Nevertheless, Turner Gil has done the unthinkable at Buffalo. Eight wins, a conference title and a defeat of previously undefeated Ball State(sorry Whitlock but I liked the article). He may not get coach of the year, but the man should be getting calls from a lot of schools soon. The Bulls take on Connecticut on January 3rd.

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