Many people think the Big Televen was the big winner out of the conference reorginization that happened over the summer. However, there are some traditionalists out there that think it is the ending of the world that the conference will be split into two divisions when Nebraska joins and makes it the Big Tweleve in 2011. I understand there can be some resistance to change, many fear change. Since I have no emotional attachment to the subject my thought is to just move on and be happy you added one of the best programs in college football and now your BCS teams won't be stale in big games from sitting out almost two months. Most of all, like most people wanted the Ohio State-Michigan game will remain the last game of the regular season. One mouth-breathing tradition preserved at a time.
1. Ohio State- The Bucks are the big dog in the yard, and have been for the decade. I'm taking my disdain for them out of the equation here, I think OSU is going to have a very good year. I'm not expecting fireworks from Terrelle Pryor in the passing game, he won't be facing Oregon so the 300 yard passing games won't be raining down upon us. I do expect him to improve in not turning the ball over. The Sweater Vest has received some criticism for his conservative game tactics, but those tactics have lead Ohio State to be a fixture in the BCS. The Rose Bowl win silenced some critics but not all. If Ohio State makes it to Glendale this year for the BCS title game like I think they will, Tressel and the Bucks will have a chance to silence the entire nation.
In terms of the Big Ten, they have some challenges ahead. At Wisconsin, and at Iowa. The rest of the Big Ten schedule should be doable and that includes Penn State at home. I think they will drop one of those two but it will not cost them one of the top 2 spots. Yes there is a lot of hoopla around week 2 and Miami's visit to the Shoe. I am going to plug my ears that week because I don't want to relive 2002. Winning that game for either team will be huge, but it does nothing in regards to that night in Tempe. Neutral field or South Florida I would give the Canes more of a shot, but I think OSU wins by 10.
2. Wisconsin- Badgers are big and bruising. Their offensive line averages 320 pounds and they have John Clay who is already established as a big time college football running back. They made a statement last year in Orlando beating up Miami in the trenches. This is the quintessential Big Ten power team. Their schedule is pretty luke warm outside of conference but in conference play they face Iowa and Ohio State in back to back weeks. I think big things will be happening in Madison this year, perhaps a BCS at-large, but just shy of national title talks.
3. Iowa- A lot of chirping is coming from the folks over at Kinnick this year. After an improbable string of close victories and comebacks, the Hawkeyes capped the year by winning the Orange Bowl in impressive fashion. There's no doubt Adrian Clayborn is half man, half bear-pig and McNutt at wide receiver needs to be mentioned simply because his name is McNutt. The Hawkeyes need to be more consistent and I know that sounds strange for a team that did as well as them but after a certain amount of time, luck runs out for us all. That said this team is very capable of making its own luck.
4. Michigan State- My word their OOC schedule is appaling. If you are pumping Notre Dame up as your bigtime showdown outside the Big Ten then you know its bad. I know, rivalry game, flags were planted and all that but sheesh. Therefore, I think MSU will get the confidence early on to thrive and build themselves up for the Clemson of the midwest we all know they are. Wisconsin coming to East Lansing has upset alert written all over it. Avoiding Ohio State also helps. But then I am sure some losses will be smattered here and there, like at Iowa and at Northwestern that will crush conference hopes. I feel another trip to Florida for a bowl game, Capital One, Outback, Champ Sports, something.
5. Penn State- The mood is somber when Joe Pa is brought up nowadays. I wonder how the conversations about the legend go in Happy Valley, because outside of there the talk turns downright morbid. We are basically at the point where people are waiting for Paterno to die because he will not retire. He has earned the right not to, but it makes for skin-tearing when the team beings to struggle. Joe quited doubters last decade after PSU won two Big Ten titles and made BCS bowl appearances but now those accomplishments don't seem to justify keeping an aged coach around. It's too early to say but there are rumors about a paucity of recruits coming in. It is a sad commentary but I think other schools are telling recuits not to go to PSU because of JoePa. Unfortuantely any talk of Penn State in the media will begin and end with this topic, which will adversely affect the team. A bowl game waits for the Lions, but not as good as one they want.
6. Northwestern- It's hard not to root for a guy like Pat Fitzgerald. He is doing at Northwestern what many people thought was possible but not likely: create a consistant winner. Now can he elevate them to a higher status? It would be an amazing thing if he could. The Wildcats don't exactly reload so easily and offensive line losses and the loss of Mike Kafka will metamorphosize into a slighty worse team this year.
7. Purdue- The Robert Marve era has begun in West Lafayette. Having seen everyone of Marve's games when he played at Miami, I can say that the guy is athletic. His throwing can be erratic and he can try to force the ball at times, and while had had to sit out last year he also tore up his knee and had to sit out for awhile. I think Marve can help Purdue reach for that .500 mark this season, especially with the easy OOC that only has Notre Dame as an opener. Just don't go thinking he is a savior for the Boilermakers.
8. Michigan- As we slog down to the end of the Big Ten, there are some teams that make you shake your head, but Michigan makes you scratch it. People are not sure where to peg this team. Rich Rod is installing his program theory in a conference that is completely counter to it. He has not brought in the best players even for his system and now there are rumors of his seat heating up even though he has not had a full recruiting cycle there. A lot of questions will be answered in Michigan's first two games. UCONN comes to the Big House and then they travel to South Bend. If they lose both of those, it is going to get ugly in Ann Arbor.
9. Minnesota- The Gophers lost their fast white receiver? How will they ever recover.
10. Indiana- At least the Hoosiers know where they stand in football. They want to make a bowl, and get some bowl money, and not be seen as a complete smushsmortion of a football team so they scheduel Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron, and Arkansas State out of conference.
11. Illinois- It's been said that Ron Zook pisses intensity. It appears he has a urinary tract infection because there has been nothing intense about the Illini the last couple years.
Player to watch: John Clay, Wisconsin
Exceeds expectations: Michigant State
Fails expectations: Penn State
In-conference game to watch: Ohio State at Wisconsin, Oct. 16
Out of conference game to watch: Miami at Ohio State, Sep. 11
Thursday, September 2
2010 College Football Predictions: The Big Ten
Monday, June 7
Conference Expansion: Taking the Next Step
Again this week talk of conference expansion has sprung up through out the internet. Boise State to the Mountain West. Who wins the Texas raffle? Who do they have to take in addition? Will Notre Dame finally bite the bullet and join the 21st century? All of these recurring questions are yet to be answered, but several things have become clear, most notably: Cash Rules Everything Around Me. With the ever expanding world of college athletics on the doorstep of yet another evolution (or de-evolution) the powers have proven they do not care about the fans or more importantly the student-athletes. Increased travel? Who cares? A diluted product? If it brings in more money, so be it. The idea that conferences can put out an increasingly unbalanced product that erodes rivalries and deprives fans of marquee matchups will continue to produce larger revenue is flawed. Eventually, their will have to be a truly seismic shift in college sports to continue increasing revenues? Why not skip this era of bloated conferences and jump to the biggest money grab in American Sports history. Beyond the break lies just that possibility.
In the SEC they currently use a 5-2-1 format for their football scheduling. This means a team plays their five division opponents plus one permanent non-division opponent and then two rotating non-division opponents. With this system the biggest of the big dogs Florida and Alabama play four out of every ten years. As sports fans we've been fortunate enough to get them in the SEC championship the last two seasons, because if not the last two national champions would not have met. If the SEC expands, these matchups would likely grow even more rare. The same case be can be made for many marquee matchups that don't serve as primary rivals (OSU-Michigan would be preserved... right? right?!?!) if conferences continue to expand. The increased load of a conference schedule would also likely have a negative impact on already meager non-conference scheduling. That's why I choose now to present my idea to not only make the schools more money, but to also provide the fans with a better experience.
My idea? The League of Extraordinary Teams!
What is it? A collection of the 40 best college athletics programs broken into five divisions. Each division would operate as a regional mini-conference. It would represent a return to the Pac-8, Big-8 eras where rivalries were at their apex. Schools would be selected not solely based on the success of their football teams (although in some cases they might), but on the overall success of their athletics programs. The LXT would be creating a year round cable network that would showcase many of these programs. So who makes up the LXT?
South: Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Kansas, Oklahoma St, and pick one: Missouri, Arkansas, Texas AM, Baylor, and Tex. Tech
North: Ohio St, Michigan, Wisconsin, ND (they have to accept or relinquish all relevance), Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana
East: UNC, Duke, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and pick two: Miami, FSU, Clemson, GT, and SCar
West: UCLA, USC, Stanford, Oregon, Arizona, and pick three: Washington, Arizona St, Oregon St and Cal
North East: UConn, Cuse, Penn St, UVa, VT, Pitt, and pick two: Maryland, WVU, Rutgers, and BC
Don't get caught up on who made the list and who didn't. It's a rough hack and with college sports being as political as they are concessions would have to be made (Texas wants Baylor in? They're in, sorry somebody else). What these teams represent, however, are the very best in both college football, college basketball as well as many other non-revenue sports such as baseball, volleyball, wrestling, etc. Having dominance through out the sports year would allow the LXT to start a cable network similar to the Big Ten, but with a nationwide following and a ton more star power.
Fantasizing about a nationwide sports conference is fun, but why could it happen? Money. Currently the NFL sets the bar for TV contracts, not only because football is king, but also because the teams negotiate as one. People often regard the NFL as the gold standard in American Sports at this time, but the NFL's reach pales in comparison to that of college football, so if
the biggest and best decided to join forces, not only could they provide one season's worth of games, but four. The LXT network could be like the Big 10 network times 1000 in terms of content. Regional contracts could still be signed and networks would be lining up (similar to the NFL) to get a piece of the premiere college sports conference.
With all of the teams playing under one conference banner, the League would have nationwide reach and all money would be kept "in house" and distributed amongst the schools. Currently NFL schedule release day is the only one in American Sports that has become a big deal. With the LXT, the schedule makers could ensure that marquee games are staggered and release day would become a bigger phenomenon than NFL release day. How many prime time games does my school get? Who are the inter-division games? Every fan base would be buzzing. Just as the NFL works to maximize it's feature games the LXT could do the same. Four games every Thursday at two start times. Saturday's would feature a staggering number of games, but the marquee games would also be staggered so as to avoid conflicting. Week after week would feature various must see LXT games in primetime.
At the end of the regular season, the five division champions as well as the top seven non-division winners would compete to crown one LXT champion. The format would be similar to the BCS playoff proposed here previously. Of course, the LXT no longer needs the BCS skimming money off the top. Even more money kept in house.
Looking ahead to college basketball, the Christmas tournaments could be entirely LXT events ripe with desirable inter-division matchups. The return of mandatory home and homes within each division would restore some of the lost luster of rivalries and individual division tournaments would feed into a small LXT Elite Eight style tournament.
A move such as this would be unprecedented, but so would the financial gain for the schools. It would change the landscape forever, but the product would be better. As it stands, the landscape is changing, but not maximizing the money earned or the product on the field/court. Both the fans and the schools would win. every would win, except for of course the other division one schools, but when there's money to be made that doesn't matter. The schools are already proving that on their own.
Wednesday, December 9
Big Ten Supporters Should Not Throw Stones
On a friendly message board recently me and a chum got into a debate about the Big Ten and the ACC. This stemmed from him being an Iowa fan and thinking his Hawkeyes are going to put a cork in the triple option. I am not a big Georgia Tech supporter but I do think they win the Orange Bowl. He then let fly with an attack on the ACC being "soft". Truth be told the ACC fell way below expectations this year; from dropping important out of conference games to the better teams playing down to their competition in confrence play the ACC dissapointed without a doubt. However, for a Big Ten supporter to hurl this kind of vitriol at another BCS conference is rather ridiculous. Once again the Big Ten has two teams in BCS bowls so once again they will get paid and their ardent fan followings assure the BCS, the conference, and the schools of that. Yet looking at the Big Ten's 1-6 bowl record from last year and 9-20 mark over past four years, it does not seem apropo for banner-waving from this contigent of college football. They have lost their last 6 BCS bowl games and this year have two more shots to end that streak. The ACC has a one-game win streak at least. My response to the ACC attack is after the break and is copied verbatum so there may be a S-bomb or two.
I am really not picking GT over Iowa because of the ACC, I really just think they are going to win the game.
Nice of you to dodge the whole bowl record thing but again to state the glass houses theorem, I will hit your precious Big Televen with some knowledge.
Illinois: 3-9, including a 30-0 loss to Ohio State, and a 53-52 loss to Fresno State..at home.
Indiana: Their wins are: Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan, Akron, and the aforementioned shitty Illinois team. And lo! What's this? They lost to, to use your words "horrible" Virginia Cavaliers 47-7. I repeat 47-7. So if you lose to a horrible team by 40, what does that make you?
Iowa: I acutally rooted for your Hawkeyes to be a BCS buster so I have nothing bad to say, other than they are not a truly elite team, they squeaked out more than a few wins and you know it. It is really a shame that Stanzu got hurt against Northwestern. An ankle and pipe dreams shattered on one play. If Iowa had run the table, you know they would be behind Texas and Bama in the rankings though right? That would have been more frustrating.
Michigan State: Ahh, the Clemson of the midwest. They lost to Central Michigan at home. They lost to Notre Dame(yeah that's not a good loss considering they had a chance to win). They lost to your Hawkeyes 15-13, wow what a barn burner that was. They play Texas Tech in the Alamo bowl, should be interesting.
Michigan: A bunch of frauds. Their coach is a rule-breaking shit-eater. Lost 5 in a row to close out the season. Committed 15 turnover against Iowa and still had a chance to win the game at the end. They did beat Notre Dame, but so did 5 other teams. Their largest win was at home 63-6...against Delaware State. Back to Back bowless seasons.
Minnesota: Only decent win was against Northwestern, depending on whether you think NW is decent. They got shutout twice this year. They play Iowa State in their bowl game....AWWW Shit, Daly[Ed Note: Our own Walterpeck] has got to be pumped.
Northwestern: 8-4 is impressive for a school like NW. And hey! they destroyed Iowa's season! However let's check the OOC schedule: Towson, Eastern Michigan, Miami(Ohio), and Syracuse. And they lost to Cuse, with Greg Paulus at QB! Rofl, that is like losing a hopscotch game to Christy Brown. [I'll pause while you google that reference]. They play Auburn in their bowl game...oof that is going to be ugly.
Ohio State: Fuck em. You know I hate them but they along with Iowa are one of the conference's decent teams. They dropped a close one at home to USC thanks to the hymm of prayer rank 18 cast by Matt Barkley, but then again USC finished 6th in the Pac Ten. The Rose Bowl against Oregon should be intriguing.
Penn State: Bigges fraud of a 2 loss team out there. OOC schedule: Akron, Syracuse, Temple, Eastern Illinois. Lost to the only 2 decent teams they played this year (Iowa, OSU). Playing LSU in their bowl game, if not for LSU's lack of offense and their dumbass coach, they would have no shot.
Purdue: Alma mater of Drew Brees AND Kyle Orton. They upset Ohio State, that's about it. They beat Notre Dame at home...right after they lost to Northern Illinois at home.
Wisconsin: They are ok, but nothing to scream about. 9-3 is a good record, but again they lost to Ohio State, Northwestern and Iowa, the other decent teams in the conference. I'm searching for their landmark win but can't decide between Fresno State(by 3 in double OT), Wofford, Northern Illinois, or Hawaii. I guess Fresno. They play the U in their bowl game in Orlando, I'm cautiously optimistic that if Northwestern can put up 33 against them, Miami can manage a good day offensively.
Wow, you're right the ACC is so weak compared to these teams.
Tuesday, October 27
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.
Friday, September 25
Present Your Ocular Atttention To These Games
Starting tomorrow at noon there will be a parade of games that are worth tuning into. There may be no shifting on the national landscape of college football but there are some critical match-ups and a chance to get a sense of where teams stand.
Saturday
(9)Miami @ (11) Virginia Tech, 3:30 on ABC
Even as a Miami fan I am tired of the question of whether the U is back or not. I still say no but just look at the commenting thread on any of the bevy of articles on UM this week and you will see such gems stating how the U is back and cannot be beat. Anyone can be beat in Blacksburg and as Tyrod Taylor showed last week, the Hokies do not even need to be in control of the game to pull one out. Still, as Chris Brown points out the passing attack of the Canes has been formidable even in its simplicity. This game more than likely comes down to Miami offensive coordinator Mark Whipple vs. legendary defensive coordinator for Tech Bud Foster. Whoever wins gets a leg up in the ACC and will be in the top ten come next week.
(6) Cal @ Oregon, 3:30 on ABC
You may be saying, "Cleet, these first two games are at the same time?!" Well while I will be paying full attention to the game above, no reason why this game should not occupy your attention during commercials and timeouts. Last week in casual conversation Catfish mentioned to me how Michigan State was the Clemson of the midwest. Clemson is known for being a team with high expectations from their fans who attract good talent and maybe have one year or two where their program was the best in the land yet always fall flat on their faces. I concurred with his observation and took it further by saying Cal is the Clemson of the west. Here is step 1 to proving me wrong. Cal travels to Eugene tomorrow to take on a Oregon team that just snapped the longest FBS winning streak in the country by beating Utah. When Cal has high hopes, it usually drops one of these Pac-Ten games. Now with USC losing to Washington, Cal has the inside track on the conference title if they can beat the Ducks and then beat USC next week at home. It is a tall order for sure, but the Bears have been hyped up and they have the premiere player in Jahvid Best. You know how when each season starts the Heisman hype is beyond annoying and the lead candidate usually lacks the big performances to back it up? Well enter Best who is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and has 8 rushing TDs through 3 games. I will pause a moment to allow that to sink in. If Oregon wants any chance in this game, they have to put Best on the ground.
Iowa @ Penn State, 8:00 on ABC
I am really not being ABC's boy here, I swear. Most mention of this being the Saturday night big game is being met with groans and eye rolls. However, considering Penn State has played Akron, Syracuse, and Temple nobody really knows what they can do. There is the revenge factor for the Lions since Iowa crushed their title hopes a year ago, but to me this is more of a battle for who will occupy the spot of contender for the Big Ten title with Ohio State. Iowa fans have been praying for the Kirk Ferentz to take the big leap with the program and once again their hopes are high. Do not expect many fireworks here, both teams will put forth solid defensive efforts and the 20 point barrier may not be crossed, by both teams combined. But if Penn State loses the Big Ten will have a huge identity crisis now that their two featured schools will be all but out of the title picture.
Thursday, March 12
Shackleford Files 011: Bubbling Over (Updated)
It's bubble discussion time and if any schmo that can run his motorcycle into a tree can offer his opinions on bubble teams, we figure why can't us (it worked for Phillies fans, after all). Cleet and I take a look at all of the potential bubble teams, what work they have left to do and who's definitely in or out. Due to the length we've broken the podcast up by conferences. First up, the ACC...
For those of you that would rather listen to the podcast in it's entirety, you can listen or download it HERE.
ACC
In: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, and Boston College.
Bubble: Miami, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.
Big Ten
In: Michigan State, Illinois, and Purdue.
Bubble: Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, and Northwestern.
Big XII
In: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Texas (with yesterday's win).
Bubble: Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
Big East
In: UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, and Syracuse.
Bubble: West Virginia (split decision) and Providence.
Pac-10
In: Washington, UCLA, Arizona State and Cal.
Bubble: Arizona.
SEC
In: LSU (begrudgingly) and Tennessee.
Bubble: South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky.
WCC
In: Gonzaga.
Bubble: St. Mary's.
Atlantic 10
In: Xavier and Dayton.
Bubble: Rhode Island.
Mountain West
In: BYU and Utah.
Bubble: San Diego State and UNLV.
The Rest of the Story
In: Memphis.
Bubble: UAB and Creighton.
Out: Davidson.
Tuesday, December 2
Same Old Same for VT, Somehing New for Duke in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Tonight five more games will be played. Duke will head to Purdue in a rare true non-conference road game for the Blue Devils. It will be the first time Duke will play on a ranked opponent's campus, since 2005 when they faced #17 Indiana in Bloomington.It's their first time facing a top 10 team on the opponent's home court since 2003, when they fell in Lansing to #5 Michigan State. The last time Duke faced a ranked opponent not in the ACC/Big 10 challenge was in 2000, when they faced #17 Temple in the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. Clemson and Illinois meet for the first time in challenge history. Ohio State and Miami will face off in a rematch of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. The Hurricanes will be well-served to interfere with new freshman phenom BJ Mullens if they hope to win. Virginia heads up north to Minnesota, and Cavalier husbands would be wise to keep an eye on their spouses heading to the bathroom. The Iowa Hawkeyes face off with The Tyrese Rice five at Boston College.
Tomorrow, North Carolina and Michigan State meet in Detroit's Ford Field. It will be the first time a North Carolina school has been to Ford Field since Davidson and Stephen Curry's historic run last March. It also represents the one chance for a Michigan-based team of any sort to get a win in Ford Field this year. The probation-riddled Hoosiers of Indiana will limp into Winston-Salem to face Ish Smith and the Demon Deacons. Michigan and Maryland will battle for relevance in College Park, while Florida State will be at Northwestern in the battle of Rhode Scholar schools. Georgia Tech faces a familiar challenge foe in Penn State. The last two challenge home games for the Jackets have been against the Nittany Lions.
The ACC has won all nine previous ACC/Big Ten challenge Commissioner's Cups and 56 of the previous 86 contests. One of the primary advantages enjoyed by the ACC has been homecourt advantage, going 33-4, compared to 23-17 for the Big Ten.
Monday, October 20
The BCS, a Soapbox, and a Schedule
College football is poised for one of the greatest stretch runs in recent memory. Every year since 2002 there has been at least two and as many as eight two-loss teams in the top twenty five at this point in the season, but entering this past weekend there were zero. With Missouri and Kansas losing there are now two two-loss teams in the top 25, but it’s hard to dispute that parody in college football has reached the tipping point (or what should be). The bowl season should be incredible (provided we don’t get the “We deserved a better bowl” attitude from too many teams) and it hopefully will grant many of the matchups that fans long for, but due to geography, scared athletic directors, or scheduling incompatibility have yet to occur.
All of these tremendous weeks, bowls, and at the end of it lays not a pot of gold, but a steaming pile. Looking ahead, what potential national championship matchup will appease the masses? Any game that involves Penn State will be discounted by SEC or Big XII fans (which ever gets left out). If any undefeated team gets left out (most likely Penn State), the critics will crow. A game that features USC, but neglects other one loss teams will be derided by everyone outside of Compton. Invariably, the question will be asked, “Did the BCS get it right?” This question is as biased as campaign advertisements, and with no clear cut criteria, how can it be accurately answered? When a team hoists the trophy on January 8th, they will not be undisputed and more than likely it will be based largely on the matchup they got in their final game. Matchups in the championship game playing a huge role are nothing new. Last year, if Missouri or West Virginia had won on the final weekend, we’d have had a different matchup and a different champion. But looking ahead, college football has never had as many teams that could stake a claim to the big game.
The college football mantra, “Every Game Matters,” will continue to haunt fans, as a late loss by any number of teams will rob their schools of a shot at the big game. Looking at USC, how many of the BCS top ten would be favored in a national championship game against Pete Carroll’s squad? Potential betting lines should not be used to pick a national championship game, but would anyone feel comfortable giving points to the Trojans? The two most likely candidates to be favored are Texas or Alabama, both schools which have tough remaining schedules as well as conference championships to contend with. A loss to Oregon State early in the season should not end the Trojans season, nor should it cost the fans an opportunity to see them compete for a national championship. With the current BCS top ten, there are no less than seven guaranteed losses left (not including conference championships). When these teams lose a single game it should not preclude them from the quest for a championship. “Every Game Matters” makes a great soundbyte, but as parody continues to prevail it will only continue to rob these schools and fans of the best matchups that college football has to offer.
Stepping off my soapbox, here’s a pocket composite schedule for the rest of the season for the BCS top 20 as well as a few teams of interest to me.
Final Note: Are they going to invite several candidates for the Heisman trophy or just award it to Colt McCoy now. Even if they don't end up in the national championship game, he's going to win it. Right?
