Top 10 NFL teams BEFORE Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I had to make a quick list of the top 10 teams in the NFL. And with some upsets happening, there clearly has been a change in the top ten… although personally I would have made such a change last week, if you read my last top 10 NFL teams. Nevertheless, let me share my top 10 NFL teams BEFORE the Thanksgiving games, which include three games.
The magic line this week is 7-4, and I have to trim the teams there. There are currently 6 teams with a record BETTER than 7-4, and 7 teams with said record. That means I have to cut 3 teams out. Those teams include, in no order, Colts, Ravens, Patriots, Cardinals, Falcons, Cowboys and Redskins.
In looking at those teams, one of the first teams I had to drop was the Ravens. They are a good team, but of the teams that are 7-4, this team had the weakest impression. I also had to drop the Redskins because they have been slipping lately, and I had to drop the Cardinals because even though they have a great record, they come out of the uber-soft division. I had to select 10 teams, not 14.
So, let’s start the countdown:
#10 Atlanta Falcons (7-4)
Even though they are in third place in their own division, it is a pretty competitive division. It will be hard for them to make the Wild Card, but there still is a chance. But I put them here because of their recent win over the Panthers, and they pretty much own the NFC North, beating both Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit. But their remaining games are not that competitive, but not totally winnable either. Games AT the Chargers and at New Orleans will quickly decide if they are going post season or not. And finishing the season against the Buccaneers, Vikings and Rams will mix in a few wins…and losses.
#9 New England Patriots (7-4)
We are not sure if that big win over Miami was a redeeming win for the AFC Champs of last year. A loss to the Jets clearly makes them touchable, as if we didn’t already know that with a star player out. But the Patriots have three quality games left, the next against Pittsburgh, then a west coast trip to play Seattle and Oakland, before dragging the Cardinals back across the country to play before ending it with Buffalo. Dare we say they can win 3 straight before the final game against the Bills? We know they are not the team of last year, but they are clearly in position to get in the Wild Card, if not even take back the AFC East position.
#8 Dallas Cowboys (7-4)
I know they play Seattle tomorrow, and few expect them to lose, but I have them here because they narrowly edge out Washington. The win over the 49ers was not impressive, that is NOT a good team anyway. But a win over the Redskins the week before may have saved the season for them. If healthy, this can be a great team, and maybe back to where we thought they should be…contending for the Superbowl. The Cowboys’ last four games will be brutal, so they better savor Thanksgiving and the Seahawks, because games vs. the Steelers, Giants, Ravens and Eagles will not be fun.
#7 Indianapolis Colts (7-4)
For me to put the Colts here means that I think they are the best 7-4 team in the NFL. After a rough start, they have won 4 games in a row, including wins over the Patriots and the Steelers. This was one of the favorites to win the AFC this year anyway, and it looks like they got some of that swagger back. And with four games against losing teams, they can be 11-4 before they meet the Titans at the end of the year. I think the Colts can beat the Browns, Bengals, Lions and Jaguars, and if so, might make for a pretty interesting game vs. the Titans at the end of the year. This folks, could be a HUGE game, one that just might have some heavy implications in the AFC race.
#6 Carolina Panthers (8-3)
I should put this team lower, because the signs seemed to be there of how maybe this was NOT the team we thought it was. You simply cannot struggle against poor teams like the Raiders and the Lions before some weakness is shown. This seemed the case when they played the Falcons. Granted they beat the Falcons earlier, but with playoff spots on the line, you can’t be playing around. The Panthers’ final five include going to a desperate Green Bay team, at home vs. the Buccs and the Broncos, and going on the road to play the Giants and the Saints. None of these games are easy, and several of these teams are in great need of making a final push. If Carolina is not careful, they can find themselves on the outside looking in, in short order.
#5 Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
There are four teams in the NFL with an 8-3 record at this moment, and the Steelers are one of them. If you named the top 3 AFC teams in pre season, one might say the Patriots, Colts and Steelers, but you can argue for the Chargers as well. But the Steelers have not looked like the best team, just a good one. The problem here is that Pittsburgh does not have a lot of quality wins, and with the Ravens hot on their trail, they cannot afford too many slipups. A secondary problem is their schedule: Patriots, Cowboys, Ravens, Titans. This is not a favorable schedule for the Steelers, and oh by the way, three of those games are away. Hard times come for the Steel City.
#4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3)
This is odd, because in retrospect I could have moved the Bucs down a spot, maybe two. I mean, sure they beat Carolina, Atlanta, Green Bay and Chicago, but they also had a pretty soft schedule too, and lost to Denver, New Orleans and Dallas. What makes them so good at #4? I put them here because you Tampa Bay does not play easy. In their three losses, none were more than 4 points. They have lost 3 games by a total of 11 points. This means the Bucs are ALWAYS in the game. Their next 3 games will be a true test and they need to distance themselves in the division. They play the Saints, Falcons and Panthers before ending the season with the Chargers and Raiders. We will see if this team can finish off the NFC South and get to the playoffs.
#3 New York Jets (8-3)
Beating the formerly undefeated Titans was a statement for this team, one the management of Green Bay is personally fearful of. We see that an old quarterback still has it, and has brought the Jets to new heights not seen in years. Yes that loss vs. the Raiders was bad, but how did they recover? A win over the Chiefs seemed a scare, but then a crushing blow to the Bills, then Rams before outstanding wins over the Patriots and Titans, back to back. This is a credible team. And yet, the schedule gets a lot softer, which could be a problem. The Jets had problems against lowly Oakland and Kansas City, how will they fare against the 49ers, Seahawks and Dolphins. Mix in a rematch against the Bills and a game vs. the Broncos, and you still have to be careful. Nothing is guaranteed for the Jets, but they do look pretty good.
#2 Tennessee Titans (10-1)
Ok, we can now say what I have been believing for weeks, this was not the best team in the NFL. A very good team, yes but best, no. And yet, we saw it coming weeks ago. Yes they had a soft schedule but the overtime win over the Colts should have been a sign. Close wins at Chicago and at Jacksonville should have been other signs that this team was good, but maybe not so great. The Jets proved that this team was not perfect and beat them in their own home…bad. With games vs. the losing Lions, the bad Browns and terrible Texans, they can get back on schedule, unless these teams have figured the Titans out. If not, then it is likely the Steelers and Colts will by the end of the year. We shall see.
#1 New York Giants (10-1)
Well well, looks like the state of New York could have a personal Superbowl. This is a very good team, and has had several hard games, and as the defending Superbowl Champs, it seems fitting to have them here. Unstoppable, I am not buying into that yet. That Arizona game showed some interesting things about the Giants, and with upcoming games against divisional foes, they will be hard pressed to beat the Redskins, Eagles AND Cowboys back to back to back. Then after that, they get Carolina (if they show up) before ending the season with Minnesota, a team that would like to get into the playoffs. None of these teams are easy, but a true champion can get through it. Who better?
Well, that takes care of my list, wishing you guys the best Thanksgiving, and here’s hoping your teams win.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Should undefeated teams go to BCS Bowls?
Do Undefeated teams deserve BCS?
Last night I was watching Ball State as they won their game, and also going perfect for the year. Because it was on ESPN, there was a lot of talk about whether non-BCS teams deserve to play in the National Championship, or even in the BCS.
There were a lot of people who felt that Ball State, currently 12-0, should have a shot a the BCS National Championship, or at least a BCS Bowl. Others feel that they don’t deserve a shot because they have not proven that they are worthy of such an honor.
One argument centers around the idea of rewarding teams with a perfect season. Where do we stand on it, especially with four undefeated teams left in the nation, as of this moment. Nobody will argue that IF Alabama goes undefeated, they clearly deserve a place in the National Championship, right?
RIGHT???
Come on folks, you don’t have to be an Alabama fan to understand that if a team in a power conference such as the SEC goes undefeated, they are in as one of the best teams in the nation. So there is no argument about that as of now. Don’t give me any cheap talk about “but what if Florida beats them”. We are talking about this very second, not what MIGHT happen.
Right now there are four undefeated teams, and nobody will argue Alabama’s record. But we do have problems with Utah, Boise State and Ball State. Many people want their team, who is currently undefeated, to play in the national championship. See that’s the problem with the “interactive” days on ESPN, most of those people who open their mouths are ONLY speaking out of extreme prejudice.
Ball State fans are obviously going to cry foul and even get mixed up in thinking that their team OUGHT to be one of the 2, or even 4 best teams in the nation. Now don’t get me mixed up here, I came from a small school too, in the Southern Conference, but a real sports fan has to understand if there is a legit argument.
So let’s address that. Do undefeated teams deserve to play in a BCS or National Championship. I can answer that right away with this answer…
NO.
Why? Because if you automatically award teams with a perfect record, you will then encourage teams to pervert the system for themselves. Teams will stop scheduling tougher records and go for softer ones, just to claim the “perfect” record. Let’s understand this folks, being perfect does not always mean being elite.
I say again, being perfect does NOT always mean being elite.
To me, there is an honorable way of winning, and having a perfect season, and then there are perversions to fool people. If having a perfect record was an automatic invite to the BCS or National Championship, then if I am an AD in a Division I school, I would schedule the softest record I can come up with. Imagine if somebody scheduled Washington, North Texas, Idaho, New Mexico State, Utah State, Washington State, and Eastern Michigan and going 7-0. Sure, the strength of schedule would truly suck, but there would still be people whining about “why can our team be in the BCS, we’re perfect so far?”
Awarding teams that way only leads to perversion, because athletic directors will find a way to “cheat the system” just to have a better record. So no, I do not believe an undefeated team should have an automatic invitation to the BCS Championship or BCS Bowl.
But let’s examine those four teams and argue each one. The easiest is the first…Alabama. They come out of the SEC, arguably the best or second best conference in the nation. Now, I will argue their strength of schedule because Clemson has fallen apart, LSU has fallen out of the top 25 and Georgia has been slipping, but I will not argue the strength of the SEC. So I have no arguments that Alabama is the best team in the nation…at this moment in time.
But then from there you drop down to #6 Utah. Now here, there is no question that Utah will be in a BCS bowl, but do they deserve to be in the National Championship? Utah defeats a team from the Big 10 (Michigan), defeats Air Force and ranked teams TCU and BYU, as well as Oregon State who is also currently ranked and headed for the Rose Bowl.. Utah clearly deserves a BCS Bowl, but a National Championship?
This one is hard, but if I had to argue against it, it goes back to the strength of the conference. Personally, I think if there had to be one more power conference this year, it must be the MWC. But we also know that Utah had some cupcakes in 2-10 San Diego State, 4-8 Wyoming and 4-8 New Mexico. The top 3 or 4 teams in the MWC are good, but after that, it’s not that impressive. And playing Weber State does not help either. I won’t argue Utah State, because you gotta keep your state rivals, but overall, this hurts Utah. It’s pretty clear, if you want to be in a serious chase for a National Championship, then PLAY serious contenders. But I say that with the greatest respect for Utah, I really like them.
Next is Boise State, a team that gave college fans one of the best games in recent memory, and one Oklahoma wants to forget. The problem is Boise State is currently #9 on the BCS polls, and will likely get knocked off the list because the BCS has to satisfy all the power conferences.
Now, does Boise State deserve a chance at a National Championship or a BCS Bowl? Remember, this team is undefeated and fans have been arguing that they deserve a shot… but does their schedule show this?
Remember folks, I strongly believe that just because you are perfect does NOT make you an automatic to a National Championship. Perfection can be perverted just like stats to say what YOU want, not what truly is. Of the four teams, Alabama is the only one out of a major conference, one NOBODY will argue on its strength. Utah is from a lesser conference, but NOBODY better argue that this team knocked off 3 ranked foes, and a pretty decent Air Force team.
But where does Boise State fit in? What is their resume? How many teams has Boise State defeated this year that were/are ranked? I think Oregon is the only one, and I will credit them with that game because it was away. But who else?
Idaho State? They are 1-11!
Bowling Green? They are 5-6!
Louisiana Tech? They are the second best team in the WAC at 7-4.
Southern Miss? They are 5-6!
Hawaii? They are 6-5.
San Jose State? 6-6, even though ESPN tried to bill that game up as something big.
New Mexico State? 3-8
Utah State? Even worse at 2-9!
Idaho? 2-10!
And Nevada? 6-5.
Most of Boise State’s teams are UNDER .500, and the conference is clearly not in league with the power conferences. This is where some people get a little drunk and think that Boise State could run the tables in the ACC or Big East… not likely folks. Don’t fool yourselves to think that the Idahos and New Mexicos are the same as Syracuse, NC State or teams at the bottom of POWER conferences.
And this is clearly shown in the BCS polls. Utah is #6 and Boise State is #9 because their conference is weak. Yes they are perfect, but beating lesser foes and becoming perfect does not make you elite. Do I believe Boise State deserves a shot at the BCS Title…absolutely not. Now, do I think they deserve a BCS Bowl?
That is different, because I think maybe they do. But the current system and the way it is set up won’t allow that. This is because the bowls have contractual obligations to those conferences, and something a lot of readers never think about…these bowls are also made in relation to distance.
A bowl in Florida is NOT going to court a team on the west coast unless it is absolutely sure that that university can make the trip and PAY those tickets. I don’t care what you think about the BCS, it is still about money, and each bowl committee has an obligation to make a profit, not put who YOU want in a bowl. So the problem with Boise State is that any bowl is going to want to ensure that the university can sell the tickets so they can make a profit. Can Boise State go to the Orange Bowl, can they sell enough tickets to make it worth while? That we do not know. I do believe that there should be some consideration for Boise State in a BCS bowl, but I also think that there is a way to solve this.
The NCAA added a fifth bowl just for the chance of a non-BCS team making the top 10, why not add one more? Throw in something like the Cotton Bowl, or some other mid-major bowl, creating two more slots. This way, you make more room 12 slots, and giving one or even two undefeated teams a chance to participate in the BCS bowls.
Now, we come to the last team, Ball State. Ball State is ranked pretty low on the BCS, at #15, even with a win last night and a possible win in the MAC Championship. Lots of people whined about them being able to have a chance in the BCS Bowl or the BCS Championship.
Easy question first, NO Ball State does NOT deserve a National Championship. Even though Boise State defeated a ranked team…ONE ranked team, it is one MORE than Ball State.
Ball State has defeated NO teams that are ranked or have been ranked, in the course of the season. NONE. How then can such a team dare to argue about contention for a National Championship? I truly hope that Ball State fans are not missing the point here, because I cheer for the underdog too, and there is great credit to what Ball State has done. But can you HONESTLY say that your record is equal to that of teams that has played tougher competition?
Ok, let’s look at who Ball State played this year: Northeastern, not to be confused with Northwestern. The first win for Ball State is a team currently 2-10. Second is Navy, which is probably the best team on their schedule, even at 7-4.
Akron is currently 5-6, Kent State is 3-8, just like Toledo, and Western Kentucky is 2-9. Yes, Ball State defeated Indiana, from a power conference, but this is the worst team in the Big 10 at 2-9. So tell me again why this perfect record deserves a shot at the National Title, when only 1 team thus far has a winning record?
Continuing, Eastern Michigan is currently 2-9, Northern Illinois is 6-6 and Miami (OH) is 2-9. The record of Ball State’s opponents is what, 31-70? Is THIS worthy of a reward of a National Title? How can you reward such a lofty goal when the road was so easy?
Now, we come to the last two games, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. Now, these two teams are 8-3 and 9-3, but if you check the schedule, neither of these teams beat anybody worthy of mentioning either. In fact, both Central and Western Michigan are examples of soft schedules, and even though the record LOOKS good, they were never ranked. Ball State gets ranked ONLY because they are undefeated, not because they had a tough schedule.
So we have to be honest, does Ball State deserve a National Championship, no. Do they deserve a BCS Bowl? That is hard, because if you reward them for a perfect record in a very soft conference, you then must wonder if they are better than an average team in the power conferences. Do you think a Ball State can beat Virginia, or South Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Michigan State, or Arizona?
DO you?
I think as much as people would like to see Ball State vs. Boise State, I think the matchup should be against one of those teams. Sure, you’d like to see two perfect teams play each other, but what do you gain from it? If you want to make your case for next year, why not play somebody THIS year?
If Boise State cannot get in a BCS bowl, try to get a power conference team in a bowl. If Ball State cannot get in a BCS bowl, try to get a power conference team in a bowl. If you win, you set the stage for next year for serious consideration. We know Boise State beat a legit team, but it was only one legit team. Ball State has not done that, so use this year to earn respect, rather than trying to beg for it.
Until there is a playoff system, which ain’t gonna happen anytime soon with ESPN buying the rights to the bowls, lesser conference teams must earn respect by beating teams, not by having soft schedules and whining about why they are not listed amongst the best.
So….do undefeated teams DESERVE to be in the BCS. No. You earn respect by beating quality teams. If they are not on your schedule, PUT them on the schedule. Alabama deserves it because they survive a SEC conference, Utah ought to be considered because they are out of a tough conference this year and has defeated good teams. Boise State just can’t be considered for a National Championship because their schedule is too weak, but a BCS bowl might be ok. And Ball State… not a chance at a BCS Title, and sadly, not one for the BCS Bowl. Schedule some better teams and earn more respect, and then you force the NCAA to consider you.
Last night I was watching Ball State as they won their game, and also going perfect for the year. Because it was on ESPN, there was a lot of talk about whether non-BCS teams deserve to play in the National Championship, or even in the BCS.
There were a lot of people who felt that Ball State, currently 12-0, should have a shot a the BCS National Championship, or at least a BCS Bowl. Others feel that they don’t deserve a shot because they have not proven that they are worthy of such an honor.
One argument centers around the idea of rewarding teams with a perfect season. Where do we stand on it, especially with four undefeated teams left in the nation, as of this moment. Nobody will argue that IF Alabama goes undefeated, they clearly deserve a place in the National Championship, right?
RIGHT???
Come on folks, you don’t have to be an Alabama fan to understand that if a team in a power conference such as the SEC goes undefeated, they are in as one of the best teams in the nation. So there is no argument about that as of now. Don’t give me any cheap talk about “but what if Florida beats them”. We are talking about this very second, not what MIGHT happen.
Right now there are four undefeated teams, and nobody will argue Alabama’s record. But we do have problems with Utah, Boise State and Ball State. Many people want their team, who is currently undefeated, to play in the national championship. See that’s the problem with the “interactive” days on ESPN, most of those people who open their mouths are ONLY speaking out of extreme prejudice.
Ball State fans are obviously going to cry foul and even get mixed up in thinking that their team OUGHT to be one of the 2, or even 4 best teams in the nation. Now don’t get me mixed up here, I came from a small school too, in the Southern Conference, but a real sports fan has to understand if there is a legit argument.
So let’s address that. Do undefeated teams deserve to play in a BCS or National Championship. I can answer that right away with this answer…
NO.
Why? Because if you automatically award teams with a perfect record, you will then encourage teams to pervert the system for themselves. Teams will stop scheduling tougher records and go for softer ones, just to claim the “perfect” record. Let’s understand this folks, being perfect does not always mean being elite.
I say again, being perfect does NOT always mean being elite.
To me, there is an honorable way of winning, and having a perfect season, and then there are perversions to fool people. If having a perfect record was an automatic invite to the BCS or National Championship, then if I am an AD in a Division I school, I would schedule the softest record I can come up with. Imagine if somebody scheduled Washington, North Texas, Idaho, New Mexico State, Utah State, Washington State, and Eastern Michigan and going 7-0. Sure, the strength of schedule would truly suck, but there would still be people whining about “why can our team be in the BCS, we’re perfect so far?”
Awarding teams that way only leads to perversion, because athletic directors will find a way to “cheat the system” just to have a better record. So no, I do not believe an undefeated team should have an automatic invitation to the BCS Championship or BCS Bowl.
But let’s examine those four teams and argue each one. The easiest is the first…Alabama. They come out of the SEC, arguably the best or second best conference in the nation. Now, I will argue their strength of schedule because Clemson has fallen apart, LSU has fallen out of the top 25 and Georgia has been slipping, but I will not argue the strength of the SEC. So I have no arguments that Alabama is the best team in the nation…at this moment in time.
But then from there you drop down to #6 Utah. Now here, there is no question that Utah will be in a BCS bowl, but do they deserve to be in the National Championship? Utah defeats a team from the Big 10 (Michigan), defeats Air Force and ranked teams TCU and BYU, as well as Oregon State who is also currently ranked and headed for the Rose Bowl.. Utah clearly deserves a BCS Bowl, but a National Championship?
This one is hard, but if I had to argue against it, it goes back to the strength of the conference. Personally, I think if there had to be one more power conference this year, it must be the MWC. But we also know that Utah had some cupcakes in 2-10 San Diego State, 4-8 Wyoming and 4-8 New Mexico. The top 3 or 4 teams in the MWC are good, but after that, it’s not that impressive. And playing Weber State does not help either. I won’t argue Utah State, because you gotta keep your state rivals, but overall, this hurts Utah. It’s pretty clear, if you want to be in a serious chase for a National Championship, then PLAY serious contenders. But I say that with the greatest respect for Utah, I really like them.
Next is Boise State, a team that gave college fans one of the best games in recent memory, and one Oklahoma wants to forget. The problem is Boise State is currently #9 on the BCS polls, and will likely get knocked off the list because the BCS has to satisfy all the power conferences.
Now, does Boise State deserve a chance at a National Championship or a BCS Bowl? Remember, this team is undefeated and fans have been arguing that they deserve a shot… but does their schedule show this?
Remember folks, I strongly believe that just because you are perfect does NOT make you an automatic to a National Championship. Perfection can be perverted just like stats to say what YOU want, not what truly is. Of the four teams, Alabama is the only one out of a major conference, one NOBODY will argue on its strength. Utah is from a lesser conference, but NOBODY better argue that this team knocked off 3 ranked foes, and a pretty decent Air Force team.
But where does Boise State fit in? What is their resume? How many teams has Boise State defeated this year that were/are ranked? I think Oregon is the only one, and I will credit them with that game because it was away. But who else?
Idaho State? They are 1-11!
Bowling Green? They are 5-6!
Louisiana Tech? They are the second best team in the WAC at 7-4.
Southern Miss? They are 5-6!
Hawaii? They are 6-5.
San Jose State? 6-6, even though ESPN tried to bill that game up as something big.
New Mexico State? 3-8
Utah State? Even worse at 2-9!
Idaho? 2-10!
And Nevada? 6-5.
Most of Boise State’s teams are UNDER .500, and the conference is clearly not in league with the power conferences. This is where some people get a little drunk and think that Boise State could run the tables in the ACC or Big East… not likely folks. Don’t fool yourselves to think that the Idahos and New Mexicos are the same as Syracuse, NC State or teams at the bottom of POWER conferences.
And this is clearly shown in the BCS polls. Utah is #6 and Boise State is #9 because their conference is weak. Yes they are perfect, but beating lesser foes and becoming perfect does not make you elite. Do I believe Boise State deserves a shot at the BCS Title…absolutely not. Now, do I think they deserve a BCS Bowl?
That is different, because I think maybe they do. But the current system and the way it is set up won’t allow that. This is because the bowls have contractual obligations to those conferences, and something a lot of readers never think about…these bowls are also made in relation to distance.
A bowl in Florida is NOT going to court a team on the west coast unless it is absolutely sure that that university can make the trip and PAY those tickets. I don’t care what you think about the BCS, it is still about money, and each bowl committee has an obligation to make a profit, not put who YOU want in a bowl. So the problem with Boise State is that any bowl is going to want to ensure that the university can sell the tickets so they can make a profit. Can Boise State go to the Orange Bowl, can they sell enough tickets to make it worth while? That we do not know. I do believe that there should be some consideration for Boise State in a BCS bowl, but I also think that there is a way to solve this.
The NCAA added a fifth bowl just for the chance of a non-BCS team making the top 10, why not add one more? Throw in something like the Cotton Bowl, or some other mid-major bowl, creating two more slots. This way, you make more room 12 slots, and giving one or even two undefeated teams a chance to participate in the BCS bowls.
Now, we come to the last team, Ball State. Ball State is ranked pretty low on the BCS, at #15, even with a win last night and a possible win in the MAC Championship. Lots of people whined about them being able to have a chance in the BCS Bowl or the BCS Championship.
Easy question first, NO Ball State does NOT deserve a National Championship. Even though Boise State defeated a ranked team…ONE ranked team, it is one MORE than Ball State.
Ball State has defeated NO teams that are ranked or have been ranked, in the course of the season. NONE. How then can such a team dare to argue about contention for a National Championship? I truly hope that Ball State fans are not missing the point here, because I cheer for the underdog too, and there is great credit to what Ball State has done. But can you HONESTLY say that your record is equal to that of teams that has played tougher competition?
Ok, let’s look at who Ball State played this year: Northeastern, not to be confused with Northwestern. The first win for Ball State is a team currently 2-10. Second is Navy, which is probably the best team on their schedule, even at 7-4.
Akron is currently 5-6, Kent State is 3-8, just like Toledo, and Western Kentucky is 2-9. Yes, Ball State defeated Indiana, from a power conference, but this is the worst team in the Big 10 at 2-9. So tell me again why this perfect record deserves a shot at the National Title, when only 1 team thus far has a winning record?
Continuing, Eastern Michigan is currently 2-9, Northern Illinois is 6-6 and Miami (OH) is 2-9. The record of Ball State’s opponents is what, 31-70? Is THIS worthy of a reward of a National Title? How can you reward such a lofty goal when the road was so easy?
Now, we come to the last two games, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. Now, these two teams are 8-3 and 9-3, but if you check the schedule, neither of these teams beat anybody worthy of mentioning either. In fact, both Central and Western Michigan are examples of soft schedules, and even though the record LOOKS good, they were never ranked. Ball State gets ranked ONLY because they are undefeated, not because they had a tough schedule.
So we have to be honest, does Ball State deserve a National Championship, no. Do they deserve a BCS Bowl? That is hard, because if you reward them for a perfect record in a very soft conference, you then must wonder if they are better than an average team in the power conferences. Do you think a Ball State can beat Virginia, or South Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Michigan State, or Arizona?
DO you?
I think as much as people would like to see Ball State vs. Boise State, I think the matchup should be against one of those teams. Sure, you’d like to see two perfect teams play each other, but what do you gain from it? If you want to make your case for next year, why not play somebody THIS year?
If Boise State cannot get in a BCS bowl, try to get a power conference team in a bowl. If Ball State cannot get in a BCS bowl, try to get a power conference team in a bowl. If you win, you set the stage for next year for serious consideration. We know Boise State beat a legit team, but it was only one legit team. Ball State has not done that, so use this year to earn respect, rather than trying to beg for it.
Until there is a playoff system, which ain’t gonna happen anytime soon with ESPN buying the rights to the bowls, lesser conference teams must earn respect by beating teams, not by having soft schedules and whining about why they are not listed amongst the best.
So….do undefeated teams DESERVE to be in the BCS. No. You earn respect by beating quality teams. If they are not on your schedule, PUT them on the schedule. Alabama deserves it because they survive a SEC conference, Utah ought to be considered because they are out of a tough conference this year and has defeated good teams. Boise State just can’t be considered for a National Championship because their schedule is too weak, but a BCS bowl might be ok. And Ball State… not a chance at a BCS Title, and sadly, not one for the BCS Bowl. Schedule some better teams and earn more respect, and then you force the NCAA to consider you.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Notre Dame Burning
Notre Dame Burning
I know that sounds offensive, but I don’t mean that in a physical sense. But in a figurative sense, that is what is going on.
Today is Monday as we are heading into Thanksgiving, and I get to blog about the state of affairs of Notre Dame and their recent loss.
Let’s not kid ourselves, this was a TERRIBLE loss. When I blogged about ND a couple of weeks ago, I said they needed to win 6 games just to qualify for a bowl. They had Navy, Syracuse and Southern Cal left on the schedule. I really thought there was a chance that Navy could beat them, but it was still close to call. As it turns out, Notre Dame won a close game, and reached the 6-win mark to qualify for a bowl. So it seemed easy to guess that they will beat Syracuse and get 7 wins, right?
Wrong. To lose to Syracuse is bad enough, but to lose in your HOUSE to a 2-8 team is far past bad. This is an abomination. And their next game is against Southern Cal, who needs to run up the score to help themselves to a BCS Bowl, if possible.
The future is not very good for Notre Dame.
And so we ask ourselves, why? Why has the glory days of Notre Dame gone astray? Some say the head coach should be fired…I place no blame on him.
None at all. If you want to blame somebody, and if you are a Notre Dame fan, try looking in the mirror for once.
This is what happens when rich alumni who are stubborn about the world around them are allowed to lead a program. Blind people leading the blind, and they all fall in the ditch.
So why is Notre Dame going through so many problems? Why can’t they return to the “glory” days of Lou Holtz? It’s obvious Notre Dame wants those days back, they idolized that man in stone (odd, for a religious school to create such a figure…)
But personally I think the university is reaping exactly what it has sown. I do not blame the players, they were merely pawns. I do not blame the students, for they were spectators. I blame the university, from top to bottom, for letting money run the program where there should have been a religious-lead university.
Notre Dame’s last great year was 1993, when Lou Holtz led the Irish to an 11-1 record and beating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl 24-21. You can go back to 1988 when they were perfect and won the National Championship if you want a better day. But just using 1993, that means it has been what, 15 YEARS since Notre Dame has tasted the deep sips of success? What has happened?
There are a lot of reasons, but here are two: media and selfish alumni. The media has played a HUGE role in the falling of Notre Dame, because with ESPN coming on the scene, more television coverage was being given to other Division I schools. Notre Dame was shown on NBC so we were force-fed this team, whether we liked them or not. But once more teams started getting on television, the recruitment of high school players began to change.
Fast forward to now. On any college football Saturday, I can see, with basic cable, about 20 different football games. From the SEC on CBS, to Big 10 games on ESPN, local teams like ECU on local channels, and other games on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN classic, Fox Sports and the VS Channel. There are tons of games on, and for each game, there is a chance to promote that school and team. Notre Dame does not own the only game in town anymore.
And because of this, recruits have more choices. You don’t HAVE to go to Notre Dame, you can go to Utah, Boise State, Florida State, Arkansas, South Florida, TCU, Ball State, Central Michigan, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, ECU or any other school you want now. The playing field is getting leveled, and we also see this with the troubles of Michigan and UCLA. Teams like Notre Dame don’t OWN high schools players anymore, they have to EARN them like everybody else.
But the other big reason is money and pride, which always clouds the judgment of sports. It is a very sad fact that rich alumni with no real heart run most of the college football programs. A hateful man that does nothing for his community can have a major influence on the his school simply because he has money. For lust of pride a rich alum will pour money into a university so he or she can have a strong voice in how the program is run, even if they never took a snap in their lives, or even know HOW to play football.
This is the problem with college football, but this seems to be proven with Notre Dame. When Notre Dame got rid of Bob Davie, they were looking for another coach, and originally courted George O’Leary. Oh that would have just been TOO easy, a coach with an IRISH last name…how original.
But there were some credential issues with O’Leary, so they had to drop him and the university was now looking pretty embarrassed. How can the GREAT Notre Dame NOT have a coach. So they had to save face, and how do we do that in America? We hire an African American coach.
But Tyrone Willingham was a very good hire, because he believed not just in winning, but education. It was important to graduate players, not just use them to satisfy rich alum. So Willingham was hired, and for a moment Notre Dame seemed to have made a solid remark to the nation that truly, a man can be hired by merit, not by the color of his skin.
But that didn’t quite work so well.
Rumors started running that many of the alumni of Notre Dame never wanted Tyrone Willingham, and there was pressure to get rid of him. Notre Dame wasn’t winning National Championships either, but then again, that had not happened since 1988. But Notre Dame had one rule they seemed to always follow. They NEVER fired any football coach, and always let them finish their contract. Surely they would allow Tyrone Willingham to do the same, right?
Wrong. For the first time in this “school of higher learning”, Notre Dame fired their head football coach, from the pressure of the rich alumni. It would seem that the true belly of the school seemed to have emerged, in that unfortunately, race is still a factor in how a man is respected.
I remember the shockwaves of that day and how even the head of the university was quoted as saying how embarrassing this was to the university, not that they fired Willingham, but the actual undertone of WHY he was fired. It seemed clear that in a sport that seemed equal, the head coaching positions of such schools like Notre Dame were not reserved for people of other races UNLESS it was an emergency.
So, the Irish fired Willingham and decided to pick up Weis, from the New England Patriots. Surely a coach from a Superbowl team will take Notre Dame in “a new direction”. But the direction was no different than what they had before, and Charlie Weis could not do any better than Willingham. But yet, Notre Dame GAVE him an extension on his contract for doing NOTHING better than Willingham.
Proving that indeed, the rewards and respect of men are still based on the color of your skin…and I know I say this after our country has just made an exceptional mark in our country’s history…but I would wager it was not good news to those Notre Dame alum.
So Weis gets rewarded for mediocrity, while Willingham gets fired. But the winning is still the same. So now we come to the next to the last game of the year for Notre Dame, but also knowing they will be in a bowl. They must face a very hungry USC team that could easily put 50 points on them…and will probably feel they have to just to make conversation in the BCS Bowls.
I am not a Notre Dame fan, but I am not hating on the fans, students and players of the university. I truly feel that the failure of this school is directly tied to the school’s extreme lack of humanity, and how they seem to let money speak rather than wisdom. I thought this was a school of higher learning and of spirituality? Can’t they see the fruits of their labor was nothing but thorns, instead of grapes?
And why does Lou Holtz slurp this school when he owes no favors to them? I cannot respect a man that brown-noses one of his former jobs as if they are still paying him. I can see if he spent his entire career there, but he did not, only 10 years. Why would a man lie on national television that Notre Dame was going to go 12-0 and win the national championship? Is he a coward, afraid to say what he should, or was he looking forward to that Michigan/Notre Dame game when they would make an idol of him?
Where is the success of Notre Dame? Why has this team, which once was one of the greatest, fallen to a common oddity? Maybe it’s because they no longer focus on winning, rather diplomacy. That’s the problem with rich folks, they don’t know how to make wise decisions, and instead think that because they have money they have the right to get what they want…and I guess they are right.
This is what you paid for Notre Dame…so reap what you have sown. But you also learned something else…money can’t buy National Championships…they have to be earned.
And until the university gets that understood, Notre Dame will continue to be an average team. Of course, they might start scheduling weaker teams to boost their record, but true fans of football will know that they are bogus. So go ahead ND, call your rich folks and ask them who they want you to hire, since you can’t make those decisions yourself. Walk with the blind, and let them lead you… just be careful of that next step.
I know that sounds offensive, but I don’t mean that in a physical sense. But in a figurative sense, that is what is going on.
Today is Monday as we are heading into Thanksgiving, and I get to blog about the state of affairs of Notre Dame and their recent loss.
Let’s not kid ourselves, this was a TERRIBLE loss. When I blogged about ND a couple of weeks ago, I said they needed to win 6 games just to qualify for a bowl. They had Navy, Syracuse and Southern Cal left on the schedule. I really thought there was a chance that Navy could beat them, but it was still close to call. As it turns out, Notre Dame won a close game, and reached the 6-win mark to qualify for a bowl. So it seemed easy to guess that they will beat Syracuse and get 7 wins, right?
Wrong. To lose to Syracuse is bad enough, but to lose in your HOUSE to a 2-8 team is far past bad. This is an abomination. And their next game is against Southern Cal, who needs to run up the score to help themselves to a BCS Bowl, if possible.
The future is not very good for Notre Dame.
And so we ask ourselves, why? Why has the glory days of Notre Dame gone astray? Some say the head coach should be fired…I place no blame on him.
None at all. If you want to blame somebody, and if you are a Notre Dame fan, try looking in the mirror for once.
This is what happens when rich alumni who are stubborn about the world around them are allowed to lead a program. Blind people leading the blind, and they all fall in the ditch.
So why is Notre Dame going through so many problems? Why can’t they return to the “glory” days of Lou Holtz? It’s obvious Notre Dame wants those days back, they idolized that man in stone (odd, for a religious school to create such a figure…)
But personally I think the university is reaping exactly what it has sown. I do not blame the players, they were merely pawns. I do not blame the students, for they were spectators. I blame the university, from top to bottom, for letting money run the program where there should have been a religious-lead university.
Notre Dame’s last great year was 1993, when Lou Holtz led the Irish to an 11-1 record and beating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl 24-21. You can go back to 1988 when they were perfect and won the National Championship if you want a better day. But just using 1993, that means it has been what, 15 YEARS since Notre Dame has tasted the deep sips of success? What has happened?
There are a lot of reasons, but here are two: media and selfish alumni. The media has played a HUGE role in the falling of Notre Dame, because with ESPN coming on the scene, more television coverage was being given to other Division I schools. Notre Dame was shown on NBC so we were force-fed this team, whether we liked them or not. But once more teams started getting on television, the recruitment of high school players began to change.
Fast forward to now. On any college football Saturday, I can see, with basic cable, about 20 different football games. From the SEC on CBS, to Big 10 games on ESPN, local teams like ECU on local channels, and other games on ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN classic, Fox Sports and the VS Channel. There are tons of games on, and for each game, there is a chance to promote that school and team. Notre Dame does not own the only game in town anymore.
And because of this, recruits have more choices. You don’t HAVE to go to Notre Dame, you can go to Utah, Boise State, Florida State, Arkansas, South Florida, TCU, Ball State, Central Michigan, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, ECU or any other school you want now. The playing field is getting leveled, and we also see this with the troubles of Michigan and UCLA. Teams like Notre Dame don’t OWN high schools players anymore, they have to EARN them like everybody else.
But the other big reason is money and pride, which always clouds the judgment of sports. It is a very sad fact that rich alumni with no real heart run most of the college football programs. A hateful man that does nothing for his community can have a major influence on the his school simply because he has money. For lust of pride a rich alum will pour money into a university so he or she can have a strong voice in how the program is run, even if they never took a snap in their lives, or even know HOW to play football.
This is the problem with college football, but this seems to be proven with Notre Dame. When Notre Dame got rid of Bob Davie, they were looking for another coach, and originally courted George O’Leary. Oh that would have just been TOO easy, a coach with an IRISH last name…how original.
But there were some credential issues with O’Leary, so they had to drop him and the university was now looking pretty embarrassed. How can the GREAT Notre Dame NOT have a coach. So they had to save face, and how do we do that in America? We hire an African American coach.
But Tyrone Willingham was a very good hire, because he believed not just in winning, but education. It was important to graduate players, not just use them to satisfy rich alum. So Willingham was hired, and for a moment Notre Dame seemed to have made a solid remark to the nation that truly, a man can be hired by merit, not by the color of his skin.
But that didn’t quite work so well.
Rumors started running that many of the alumni of Notre Dame never wanted Tyrone Willingham, and there was pressure to get rid of him. Notre Dame wasn’t winning National Championships either, but then again, that had not happened since 1988. But Notre Dame had one rule they seemed to always follow. They NEVER fired any football coach, and always let them finish their contract. Surely they would allow Tyrone Willingham to do the same, right?
Wrong. For the first time in this “school of higher learning”, Notre Dame fired their head football coach, from the pressure of the rich alumni. It would seem that the true belly of the school seemed to have emerged, in that unfortunately, race is still a factor in how a man is respected.
I remember the shockwaves of that day and how even the head of the university was quoted as saying how embarrassing this was to the university, not that they fired Willingham, but the actual undertone of WHY he was fired. It seemed clear that in a sport that seemed equal, the head coaching positions of such schools like Notre Dame were not reserved for people of other races UNLESS it was an emergency.
So, the Irish fired Willingham and decided to pick up Weis, from the New England Patriots. Surely a coach from a Superbowl team will take Notre Dame in “a new direction”. But the direction was no different than what they had before, and Charlie Weis could not do any better than Willingham. But yet, Notre Dame GAVE him an extension on his contract for doing NOTHING better than Willingham.
Proving that indeed, the rewards and respect of men are still based on the color of your skin…and I know I say this after our country has just made an exceptional mark in our country’s history…but I would wager it was not good news to those Notre Dame alum.
So Weis gets rewarded for mediocrity, while Willingham gets fired. But the winning is still the same. So now we come to the next to the last game of the year for Notre Dame, but also knowing they will be in a bowl. They must face a very hungry USC team that could easily put 50 points on them…and will probably feel they have to just to make conversation in the BCS Bowls.
I am not a Notre Dame fan, but I am not hating on the fans, students and players of the university. I truly feel that the failure of this school is directly tied to the school’s extreme lack of humanity, and how they seem to let money speak rather than wisdom. I thought this was a school of higher learning and of spirituality? Can’t they see the fruits of their labor was nothing but thorns, instead of grapes?
And why does Lou Holtz slurp this school when he owes no favors to them? I cannot respect a man that brown-noses one of his former jobs as if they are still paying him. I can see if he spent his entire career there, but he did not, only 10 years. Why would a man lie on national television that Notre Dame was going to go 12-0 and win the national championship? Is he a coward, afraid to say what he should, or was he looking forward to that Michigan/Notre Dame game when they would make an idol of him?
Where is the success of Notre Dame? Why has this team, which once was one of the greatest, fallen to a common oddity? Maybe it’s because they no longer focus on winning, rather diplomacy. That’s the problem with rich folks, they don’t know how to make wise decisions, and instead think that because they have money they have the right to get what they want…and I guess they are right.
This is what you paid for Notre Dame…so reap what you have sown. But you also learned something else…money can’t buy National Championships…they have to be earned.
And until the university gets that understood, Notre Dame will continue to be an average team. Of course, they might start scheduling weaker teams to boost their record, but true fans of football will know that they are bogus. So go ahead ND, call your rich folks and ask them who they want you to hire, since you can’t make those decisions yourself. Walk with the blind, and let them lead you… just be careful of that next step.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thanksgiving warnings for college football
Pre Thanksgiving warnings to College Football
In less than one week, Americans like myself will be celebrating a time-honored tradition…Thanksgiving. A time where we can all come together, if only with family and friends, and give thanks for the country in which we live.
At this time of year, we should be all full of warmth and kindness to one another… but for many there will be feelings of disappointment and guilt because they will find a loss in their column. I’m talking about several college football teams, and before I sink my teeth into MY Thanksgiving meal, I must gather my strength to warn them.
Shall I warn Ohio State as they face Michigan…nope, pass me the next game please….
Shall I warn NC State in their need to win against UNC just to try to qualify for a bowl? Nope…pass me the next…wait, maybe I need to send a minor warning. We all know that in-state rivals are hard to defeat, and regardless of the records, UNC must be very careful of the Wolfpack. In order for NC State to qualify for a bowl, they MUST win their remaining games…no mistakes! But we also know that apparently the ACC has a new rule where whoever is ranked MUST lose to an unranked opponent (I speak as a fool). So maybe UNC must be warned of the danger…but moreso NC State must be warned that a loss here ends their season, and they will be left alone like thanksgiving leftovers.
Be warned Louisville, for once I had great faith in your powers, but alas you struggle to make the post season like I struggle to put down one spoonful of cranberry sauce…I mean, what IS that stuff anyway, and why must I eat it?
I warn you Louisville, you are razor thin to being left out of this year’s post season, and to make it you must defeat West Virginia. In a conference that has not truly shown the powerhouses of the Big East, this is in fact a game you can win, but many think this may be the year you hit rock bottom. Do not fail you Louisville Cardinals…
And while you’re at it, call your Big East friends at Rutgers and warn them as well. You both have major issues and concerns to make the post season. While it may be true that Rutgers has a strong conference record, the big fact is that they are 5-5 and need a win like I need another scoop of whipped cream on my pumpkin pie. Rutgers has it easier though, playing the likes of Army, so maybe our warnings are not quite needed…
But a double heaping of warnings go out to BOTH Clemson and Virginia. Of the remaining 4 ACC teams trying to make it to post season, you both have the best chance. The problem is this…if Clemson loses, they must find that 6th win vs. South Carolina, while if Virginia loses this game, they must find their 6th vs. Virginia Tech. In both cases you would be underdogs, so this very game you must play against each other could very well be THE game that puts you in…or takes you out. I warn both of you, your very season hangs like Thanksgiving decorations, soon to be taken down to make way for Christmas décor…do not fail us Clemson, or Virginia.
And while we are at it, shame on you Florida, for playing Citadel. You’re like the big man sitting at the kid’s table with your big plate of food, while the kids that sit around you eat much smaller portions. We will not acknowledge your greatness this week….
And what is this I hear from you, Tulsa? Were you not as celebrated as a relative visiting from across the country on a great holiday? Did we not sing praises on your success as one of the last undefeated teams, and one that could give Conference USA a boost? But what is this rumor I heard of you having SEVENTY points scored upon your souls? How the mighty have fallen. But I warn you, this weekend’s game vs. Tulane must prove that you are still amongst the best in your conference. I warn you Tulsa, reclaim your place as the best of Conference USA, or slip further into obscurity.
Must I warn Penn State, as they prepare for the game that will launch them to the Rose Bowl, or knock them out? A favorite team of mine like the delicious gravy that warms the stuffing, I was truly rooting for Penn State to go undefeated, but alas, that will not be. But the Rose Bowl is a most worthy prize should you defeat Michigan State. Yet I am confused as to who I would like to see win, for I also admire Michigan State as well. I even bought a Michigan State hooded sweatshirt to show my support when they played Notre Dame. Both I can pull for, but of the two, Penn State has more to lose, so the warnings I send to them.
And where has all the glory for Wake Forest gone. Like a kitchen after a great feast, there is none left to claim glory. With an offence that was as dry as an ill-prepared turkey, Wake Forest has shown greatness, then lost it as quickly as they received it. You play Boston College in a game that still has great meaning. Yes you are qualified for a bowl, but we were almost ready to place you in a BCS Bowl.
But wait, is there yet hope? You are still within SOME hope of going to the ACC Championship. Do you not have the tie breaker with Florida State? IF Maryland should lose, and if you win, there just might be a chance…but to do so, you MUST win. There is still a chance for you to make the ACC Championship…but only if you win.
And finally, a warning to Texas Tech and Oklahoma, in a game that has major implications to the BCS Championship. We expect as great an abundance of points as the Thanksgiving spread we shall also enjoy. But for one of you, the dream of the BCS will end, like the finger lickings of the last serving of the meal. Oklahoma needs this win to stay in the hunt, and POSSIBLY jump into the top 2, Texas Tech needs the win to clinch the shot in the Big 12 Championships, possibly against Missouri. For one of you, the chance to play in the National Championship will live on for another week, for the other, hopes dashed for such a prize. I warn both of you, give us all the treat of a great game, so that we may sing the praises of your game for weeks to come…or else fall to the wayside and let the true BCS champs emerge.
We shall see what shall happen this week and the weeks to come, in the mean time, I hope you all enjoy your holiday and that your favorite teams win. Oh, and let me be the first to say, Season’s Greetings.
In less than one week, Americans like myself will be celebrating a time-honored tradition…Thanksgiving. A time where we can all come together, if only with family and friends, and give thanks for the country in which we live.
At this time of year, we should be all full of warmth and kindness to one another… but for many there will be feelings of disappointment and guilt because they will find a loss in their column. I’m talking about several college football teams, and before I sink my teeth into MY Thanksgiving meal, I must gather my strength to warn them.
Shall I warn Ohio State as they face Michigan…nope, pass me the next game please….
Shall I warn NC State in their need to win against UNC just to try to qualify for a bowl? Nope…pass me the next…wait, maybe I need to send a minor warning. We all know that in-state rivals are hard to defeat, and regardless of the records, UNC must be very careful of the Wolfpack. In order for NC State to qualify for a bowl, they MUST win their remaining games…no mistakes! But we also know that apparently the ACC has a new rule where whoever is ranked MUST lose to an unranked opponent (I speak as a fool). So maybe UNC must be warned of the danger…but moreso NC State must be warned that a loss here ends their season, and they will be left alone like thanksgiving leftovers.
Be warned Louisville, for once I had great faith in your powers, but alas you struggle to make the post season like I struggle to put down one spoonful of cranberry sauce…I mean, what IS that stuff anyway, and why must I eat it?
I warn you Louisville, you are razor thin to being left out of this year’s post season, and to make it you must defeat West Virginia. In a conference that has not truly shown the powerhouses of the Big East, this is in fact a game you can win, but many think this may be the year you hit rock bottom. Do not fail you Louisville Cardinals…
And while you’re at it, call your Big East friends at Rutgers and warn them as well. You both have major issues and concerns to make the post season. While it may be true that Rutgers has a strong conference record, the big fact is that they are 5-5 and need a win like I need another scoop of whipped cream on my pumpkin pie. Rutgers has it easier though, playing the likes of Army, so maybe our warnings are not quite needed…
But a double heaping of warnings go out to BOTH Clemson and Virginia. Of the remaining 4 ACC teams trying to make it to post season, you both have the best chance. The problem is this…if Clemson loses, they must find that 6th win vs. South Carolina, while if Virginia loses this game, they must find their 6th vs. Virginia Tech. In both cases you would be underdogs, so this very game you must play against each other could very well be THE game that puts you in…or takes you out. I warn both of you, your very season hangs like Thanksgiving decorations, soon to be taken down to make way for Christmas décor…do not fail us Clemson, or Virginia.
And while we are at it, shame on you Florida, for playing Citadel. You’re like the big man sitting at the kid’s table with your big plate of food, while the kids that sit around you eat much smaller portions. We will not acknowledge your greatness this week….
And what is this I hear from you, Tulsa? Were you not as celebrated as a relative visiting from across the country on a great holiday? Did we not sing praises on your success as one of the last undefeated teams, and one that could give Conference USA a boost? But what is this rumor I heard of you having SEVENTY points scored upon your souls? How the mighty have fallen. But I warn you, this weekend’s game vs. Tulane must prove that you are still amongst the best in your conference. I warn you Tulsa, reclaim your place as the best of Conference USA, or slip further into obscurity.
Must I warn Penn State, as they prepare for the game that will launch them to the Rose Bowl, or knock them out? A favorite team of mine like the delicious gravy that warms the stuffing, I was truly rooting for Penn State to go undefeated, but alas, that will not be. But the Rose Bowl is a most worthy prize should you defeat Michigan State. Yet I am confused as to who I would like to see win, for I also admire Michigan State as well. I even bought a Michigan State hooded sweatshirt to show my support when they played Notre Dame. Both I can pull for, but of the two, Penn State has more to lose, so the warnings I send to them.
And where has all the glory for Wake Forest gone. Like a kitchen after a great feast, there is none left to claim glory. With an offence that was as dry as an ill-prepared turkey, Wake Forest has shown greatness, then lost it as quickly as they received it. You play Boston College in a game that still has great meaning. Yes you are qualified for a bowl, but we were almost ready to place you in a BCS Bowl.
But wait, is there yet hope? You are still within SOME hope of going to the ACC Championship. Do you not have the tie breaker with Florida State? IF Maryland should lose, and if you win, there just might be a chance…but to do so, you MUST win. There is still a chance for you to make the ACC Championship…but only if you win.
And finally, a warning to Texas Tech and Oklahoma, in a game that has major implications to the BCS Championship. We expect as great an abundance of points as the Thanksgiving spread we shall also enjoy. But for one of you, the dream of the BCS will end, like the finger lickings of the last serving of the meal. Oklahoma needs this win to stay in the hunt, and POSSIBLY jump into the top 2, Texas Tech needs the win to clinch the shot in the Big 12 Championships, possibly against Missouri. For one of you, the chance to play in the National Championship will live on for another week, for the other, hopes dashed for such a prize. I warn both of you, give us all the treat of a great game, so that we may sing the praises of your game for weeks to come…or else fall to the wayside and let the true BCS champs emerge.
We shall see what shall happen this week and the weeks to come, in the mean time, I hope you all enjoy your holiday and that your favorite teams win. Oh, and let me be the first to say, Season’s Greetings.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
How many bowl seats left for college football?
Last seats for a bowl game
As of Thursday, November 20th, 2008, I counted 61 teams in the Division I, or FBS, that are now eligible for a bowl. I also count 34 different bowls, meaning there is room for 68 teams to enjoy a post season game. If I do the math, that means at this very moment, there is room for 7 more teams to qualify for a bowl, out of the almost 120 teams in the FBS.
That means there is seven more seats on this train to post seasonville, who wants a ticket?
Before we talk about who can get it, let’s first clear out who ain’t getting it. There are about 32 teams that no longer qualify for a bowl, meaning that there are about 26 teams left out there to fight for those precious 7 spots.
Hmmm, interesting. That means in most cases the record of the teams that have yet to qualify, but also are not DISqualified would be somewhere along the lines of 4-6, 5-5 or 6-4. Let’s take a look at some of these teams by conference and see what their chances are to make a bowl…if at all.
ACC: I made a blog awhile back on how this was the only conference that has the possibility of putting EVERY team in post season, or at least having a .500 or better record. That is still very true, as 4 teams are still in the hunt. NC State saved themselves with a big win, but with games vs. ranked UNC and ranked Miami, all it takes is one loss to end the season. Both Clemson and Virginia are 5-5, and this weekend’s game is huge because the winner qualifies for a bowl, IF the Citadel and South Carolina State games count for Clemson. If not, the Tigers must win their last two games against Virginia and South Carolina, or they are out. Virginia needs one more win, if the Richmond game counts, to make it to post season, and they can get it from either Clemson or VA Tech.
And then there is Duke, who needs to win their last two to qualify, but beating either UNC or VA Tech is not good news, and it looks like their time is coming to an end. I think one more team, likely Virginia, can become bowl eligible here.
Big 12: Only Colorado sits in limbo, trying to make it to a post season bowl. At 5-6, they need one more win to qualify…unfortunately it is against Nebraska. Granted that is not like the end of their season, but this is a game they must have. Can Colorado win this game and qualify? They are 0-4 on away games….that might be your answer.
Big East: Rutgers and Louisville have yet to qualify, and both teams are 5-5, meaning they have a pretty good chance to make it in the post season. With Rutgers having a 4-2 record in the conference, the chances seem greater for them than with 1-4 Louisville. But for either team, one more win is what they need. With Rutgers riding a 4-game winning streak, and playing Army, this ought to be the win they need. If not, it would come down to them and Louisville in their final game. For Louisville, they face two tough opponents in West Virginia and Rutgers. I can’t see how they can beat BOTH, but it is possible for them to beat one of them. It is quite likely they can qualify, along with Rutgers.
Big 10: Illinois is the lone remaining team that still has to fight to qualify for a bowl, at 5-6. With their biggest win of the year over hapless Michigan, and many embarrassing losses, it will be hard to see if Illinois can defeat Northwestern, who is having a pretty good year. Winning only one game away, this might be an uphill battle for them, and it is possible they may not qualify for a bowl.
A pause to note that we have identified 8 teams thus far, and of those, I think one more will qualify out of the ACC, and likely two from the Big East. I just don’t think the Big 12 or Big 10 will put any more in the post season. If that is true, then we have 3 seats filled, making a total of 64 teams…four seats remain.
Conference USA: This conference actually has four teams trying to make the post season. Yet here is a problem, with four teams already qualified, how deep can this conference really go in the bowls? For example, the ACC had 9 slots promised to them, but can Conference USA be so favored? Marshall is the most desperate team, at 4-6 they cannot afford another loss. But with games vs. the two best teams in the West Division, those being Rice and Tulsa, you can pretty much mark them out of post season.
That leaves Southern Miss, at 5-6, who MUST win their last game against SMU…well, that seems like a gimmie. Let’s assume Southern Mississippi wins, that still leaves Memphis and UTEP, both at 5-5. Memphis draws Central Florida, which isn’t a bad team, and finally Tulane, which should not be too much of a problem. I see Memphis splitting the two, but still qualifying. UTEP has Houston and ECU, both teams with a winning record. I think Memphis has a better chance of making it to a bowl than UTEP, if I had to choose one or the other, I’d have to take Memphis. So I think two more teams out of Conference USA can qualify.
Mid-American Conference: Two teams from this conference still have time to qualify: Bowling Green and Akron, both at 5-5. I think even if one or both qualify, they still may not go bowling if there is an abundance of FBS teams. But let’s see if they CAN qualify. Bowling Green has Buffalo and Toledo, the mix of a strong team and a weak team. If you can split it down the middle, then we can all agree that Bowling Green can get in the post season. Akron has it easier, playing Ohio and Temple, and could beat both.
But this plot goes a bit deeper. Both Bowling Green and Akron are fighting for the MAC Championship, and could get an extra game in the conference championship game. Akron would need a lot of help since they are in third, and have lost to the two ahead of them. Bowling Green needs to beat Buffalo, so that will be a huge game. But of these two teams, I can see both Akron and Bowling Green winning enough to qualify for a bowl.
Now, another pause, as we have now identified 14 teams, and of that I think four more teams can qualify, two from the MAC and two from CUSA. Technically that means all the seats are filled, but that isn’t very true. Just because we have the seats filled does not mean these teams will take those seats. There is still more to be decided.
Pac-10: Stanford, UCLA and Arizona State still vie to make it to the post season. Of these teams, UCLA and Arizona State are in trouble, needing 2 wins. And ironically enough, UCLA and Arizona State play this weekend, with the loser being knocked out. Both teams are 4-6 and cannot afford another loss, but one will get one. And IF Arizona State wins, they must play Arizona and win to qualify. IF UCLA wins, they must play USC…and we KNOW that won’t be good. It is quite possible that neither of these teams will qualify. But what of Stanford? With one game left, they face California to determine if they can go to a bowl or not. This will be a very tough game to call, and we’d like to think that maybe they can give Cal a run for their money, but I think it will be a stretch for Stanford to qualify. I didn’t say it was impossible, I said it would be a stretch. So I can’t see any of these teams qualifying for a bowl.
SEC: Arkansas and Auburn are in the last legs of their journey, trying to buy time for an extra game after the regular season is over. For both teams, a loss ends the season. For Arkansas, a 4-6 record means they MUST win out, meaning wins over Mississippi State and LSU…maybe they can win one, but not both. Auburn is 5-6 and must win just to qualify, but have only one game left….unfortunately, that last game is against Alabama, the number one team in the nation. Everything hangs on this huge game…I won’t doubt that Auburn CAN beat them, but I am not sure if they can.
Sun Belt: This little-known conference has FIVE teams that can still qualify for a bowl…but who are we kidding? They might put 3 in at best. Middle Tennessee State must win their last two games to qualify, one against lowly North Texas. While that should be an easy win, they must also play LA-Lafayette. It would be hard to expect them to win two, so I might rule them out. But the way the Sun Belt goes, it is almost even for the top 5 or 6 teams, so who can really tell?
Arkansas State actually has 3 games left, so must win 2 of three. With one being against North Texas, and one being against the top team in the Sun Belt (Troy), you can split the difference. The game vs. Florida Atlantic will be the deciding factor, and again, this is hard to call. Speaking of Florida Atlantic, they are 5-5 with two games remaining, those being Florida International and Arkansas State. Again, with a conference so tight, you might just play it safe and split it down the middle. That means we can have 3 more teams from the Sun Belt qualifying for a bowl.
Florida International is another of those 4-5 teams that must face LA-Monroe, Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky, needing to win 2 of those three games. It could come down to the WKU game, a 2-9 team that might just help Florida International to become bowl eligible. That leaves LA-Lafayette, with a 5-5 record, needing one win out of two remaining games. They have Troy and Middle Tennessee State, so again, we might be looking at a split. If so, the Sun Belt could possibly provide SIX teams, but we know they won’t all get in, so it might be about who has the BEST record outside of the Sun Belt Champion.
MWC: Colorado State and UNLV are left with a single game to win to qualify for a bowl, both are 5-6 and need that win like Scooby Doo needs a Scooby snack. Colorado State has a good chance because they play Wyoming who is currently 4-7, while UNLV must face San Diego State, which is even worse at 1-10. You can pretty much put two more teams into post season eligibility. And when you consider that this conference has tough teams like Air Force, Utah, BYU and TCU, this could make Colorado State and UNLV attractive to some low-level bowl.
WAC: And finally there is Hawaii, amazing how much a year changes things. With three games left, and with a 5-5 record, they need to win at least six games to qualify. With games vs. Idaho, Washington State and Cincinnati, all at home, they can easily qualify with two wins. I think they will get that, but it is a FAR cry from one year ago, when they shocked the nation.
So, that brings us to 27 teams I have identified that can become bowl eligible. We know they won’t all qualify, and as we said at the top there is only about 7 spots available. I believe of those 27, I can see about 12 teams qualifying, but several coming from the Sun Belt. This means that the bowls will have all the teams they need to fill all those bowls, and will probably be enticed to add yet ANOTHER new bowl next year. As I see it, there may be 6 to 8 teams that may qualify, but not play.
We’ll see how this all plays out.
As of Thursday, November 20th, 2008, I counted 61 teams in the Division I, or FBS, that are now eligible for a bowl. I also count 34 different bowls, meaning there is room for 68 teams to enjoy a post season game. If I do the math, that means at this very moment, there is room for 7 more teams to qualify for a bowl, out of the almost 120 teams in the FBS.
That means there is seven more seats on this train to post seasonville, who wants a ticket?
Before we talk about who can get it, let’s first clear out who ain’t getting it. There are about 32 teams that no longer qualify for a bowl, meaning that there are about 26 teams left out there to fight for those precious 7 spots.
Hmmm, interesting. That means in most cases the record of the teams that have yet to qualify, but also are not DISqualified would be somewhere along the lines of 4-6, 5-5 or 6-4. Let’s take a look at some of these teams by conference and see what their chances are to make a bowl…if at all.
ACC: I made a blog awhile back on how this was the only conference that has the possibility of putting EVERY team in post season, or at least having a .500 or better record. That is still very true, as 4 teams are still in the hunt. NC State saved themselves with a big win, but with games vs. ranked UNC and ranked Miami, all it takes is one loss to end the season. Both Clemson and Virginia are 5-5, and this weekend’s game is huge because the winner qualifies for a bowl, IF the Citadel and South Carolina State games count for Clemson. If not, the Tigers must win their last two games against Virginia and South Carolina, or they are out. Virginia needs one more win, if the Richmond game counts, to make it to post season, and they can get it from either Clemson or VA Tech.
And then there is Duke, who needs to win their last two to qualify, but beating either UNC or VA Tech is not good news, and it looks like their time is coming to an end. I think one more team, likely Virginia, can become bowl eligible here.
Big 12: Only Colorado sits in limbo, trying to make it to a post season bowl. At 5-6, they need one more win to qualify…unfortunately it is against Nebraska. Granted that is not like the end of their season, but this is a game they must have. Can Colorado win this game and qualify? They are 0-4 on away games….that might be your answer.
Big East: Rutgers and Louisville have yet to qualify, and both teams are 5-5, meaning they have a pretty good chance to make it in the post season. With Rutgers having a 4-2 record in the conference, the chances seem greater for them than with 1-4 Louisville. But for either team, one more win is what they need. With Rutgers riding a 4-game winning streak, and playing Army, this ought to be the win they need. If not, it would come down to them and Louisville in their final game. For Louisville, they face two tough opponents in West Virginia and Rutgers. I can’t see how they can beat BOTH, but it is possible for them to beat one of them. It is quite likely they can qualify, along with Rutgers.
Big 10: Illinois is the lone remaining team that still has to fight to qualify for a bowl, at 5-6. With their biggest win of the year over hapless Michigan, and many embarrassing losses, it will be hard to see if Illinois can defeat Northwestern, who is having a pretty good year. Winning only one game away, this might be an uphill battle for them, and it is possible they may not qualify for a bowl.
A pause to note that we have identified 8 teams thus far, and of those, I think one more will qualify out of the ACC, and likely two from the Big East. I just don’t think the Big 12 or Big 10 will put any more in the post season. If that is true, then we have 3 seats filled, making a total of 64 teams…four seats remain.
Conference USA: This conference actually has four teams trying to make the post season. Yet here is a problem, with four teams already qualified, how deep can this conference really go in the bowls? For example, the ACC had 9 slots promised to them, but can Conference USA be so favored? Marshall is the most desperate team, at 4-6 they cannot afford another loss. But with games vs. the two best teams in the West Division, those being Rice and Tulsa, you can pretty much mark them out of post season.
That leaves Southern Miss, at 5-6, who MUST win their last game against SMU…well, that seems like a gimmie. Let’s assume Southern Mississippi wins, that still leaves Memphis and UTEP, both at 5-5. Memphis draws Central Florida, which isn’t a bad team, and finally Tulane, which should not be too much of a problem. I see Memphis splitting the two, but still qualifying. UTEP has Houston and ECU, both teams with a winning record. I think Memphis has a better chance of making it to a bowl than UTEP, if I had to choose one or the other, I’d have to take Memphis. So I think two more teams out of Conference USA can qualify.
Mid-American Conference: Two teams from this conference still have time to qualify: Bowling Green and Akron, both at 5-5. I think even if one or both qualify, they still may not go bowling if there is an abundance of FBS teams. But let’s see if they CAN qualify. Bowling Green has Buffalo and Toledo, the mix of a strong team and a weak team. If you can split it down the middle, then we can all agree that Bowling Green can get in the post season. Akron has it easier, playing Ohio and Temple, and could beat both.
But this plot goes a bit deeper. Both Bowling Green and Akron are fighting for the MAC Championship, and could get an extra game in the conference championship game. Akron would need a lot of help since they are in third, and have lost to the two ahead of them. Bowling Green needs to beat Buffalo, so that will be a huge game. But of these two teams, I can see both Akron and Bowling Green winning enough to qualify for a bowl.
Now, another pause, as we have now identified 14 teams, and of that I think four more teams can qualify, two from the MAC and two from CUSA. Technically that means all the seats are filled, but that isn’t very true. Just because we have the seats filled does not mean these teams will take those seats. There is still more to be decided.
Pac-10: Stanford, UCLA and Arizona State still vie to make it to the post season. Of these teams, UCLA and Arizona State are in trouble, needing 2 wins. And ironically enough, UCLA and Arizona State play this weekend, with the loser being knocked out. Both teams are 4-6 and cannot afford another loss, but one will get one. And IF Arizona State wins, they must play Arizona and win to qualify. IF UCLA wins, they must play USC…and we KNOW that won’t be good. It is quite possible that neither of these teams will qualify. But what of Stanford? With one game left, they face California to determine if they can go to a bowl or not. This will be a very tough game to call, and we’d like to think that maybe they can give Cal a run for their money, but I think it will be a stretch for Stanford to qualify. I didn’t say it was impossible, I said it would be a stretch. So I can’t see any of these teams qualifying for a bowl.
SEC: Arkansas and Auburn are in the last legs of their journey, trying to buy time for an extra game after the regular season is over. For both teams, a loss ends the season. For Arkansas, a 4-6 record means they MUST win out, meaning wins over Mississippi State and LSU…maybe they can win one, but not both. Auburn is 5-6 and must win just to qualify, but have only one game left….unfortunately, that last game is against Alabama, the number one team in the nation. Everything hangs on this huge game…I won’t doubt that Auburn CAN beat them, but I am not sure if they can.
Sun Belt: This little-known conference has FIVE teams that can still qualify for a bowl…but who are we kidding? They might put 3 in at best. Middle Tennessee State must win their last two games to qualify, one against lowly North Texas. While that should be an easy win, they must also play LA-Lafayette. It would be hard to expect them to win two, so I might rule them out. But the way the Sun Belt goes, it is almost even for the top 5 or 6 teams, so who can really tell?
Arkansas State actually has 3 games left, so must win 2 of three. With one being against North Texas, and one being against the top team in the Sun Belt (Troy), you can split the difference. The game vs. Florida Atlantic will be the deciding factor, and again, this is hard to call. Speaking of Florida Atlantic, they are 5-5 with two games remaining, those being Florida International and Arkansas State. Again, with a conference so tight, you might just play it safe and split it down the middle. That means we can have 3 more teams from the Sun Belt qualifying for a bowl.
Florida International is another of those 4-5 teams that must face LA-Monroe, Florida Atlantic and Western Kentucky, needing to win 2 of those three games. It could come down to the WKU game, a 2-9 team that might just help Florida International to become bowl eligible. That leaves LA-Lafayette, with a 5-5 record, needing one win out of two remaining games. They have Troy and Middle Tennessee State, so again, we might be looking at a split. If so, the Sun Belt could possibly provide SIX teams, but we know they won’t all get in, so it might be about who has the BEST record outside of the Sun Belt Champion.
MWC: Colorado State and UNLV are left with a single game to win to qualify for a bowl, both are 5-6 and need that win like Scooby Doo needs a Scooby snack. Colorado State has a good chance because they play Wyoming who is currently 4-7, while UNLV must face San Diego State, which is even worse at 1-10. You can pretty much put two more teams into post season eligibility. And when you consider that this conference has tough teams like Air Force, Utah, BYU and TCU, this could make Colorado State and UNLV attractive to some low-level bowl.
WAC: And finally there is Hawaii, amazing how much a year changes things. With three games left, and with a 5-5 record, they need to win at least six games to qualify. With games vs. Idaho, Washington State and Cincinnati, all at home, they can easily qualify with two wins. I think they will get that, but it is a FAR cry from one year ago, when they shocked the nation.
So, that brings us to 27 teams I have identified that can become bowl eligible. We know they won’t all qualify, and as we said at the top there is only about 7 spots available. I believe of those 27, I can see about 12 teams qualifying, but several coming from the Sun Belt. This means that the bowls will have all the teams they need to fill all those bowls, and will probably be enticed to add yet ANOTHER new bowl next year. As I see it, there may be 6 to 8 teams that may qualify, but not play.
We’ll see how this all plays out.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
5 BCS Bowls
The Nature of Sports Blogging
I started sports blogging a couple of months ago, and I currently blog on three different sites; Blogspot is my main home for blogging, and I also have Blogster and Wordpress. In the last two months I have written about 100 blogs, mostly on college football, and on the NFL. I have also written some blogs on wrestling, something I am interested in as well.
But I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on the nature of blogging, or in this case, sports blogging? Why do I do it…why do WE do it? For some, it’s just a way to voice an opinion to the world, or whomever will read it. For others, there is money involved, as some sports bloggers are hired to write for newspapers or different sites and such.
To me, I enjoy the idea of debate, and sports is the safest way to do that. Now some of you may not agree, because often times sports fanatics are the most brainless people in the world, but in the most extreme, the world of sports is just a part of humanity.
For those who read my blogs, I truly thank you, because it means I am not just talking to the wall. We all have things we think are important, and often times we disagree, but I hope that we can get to a point where IF we disagree, then we can at least do it with some respect.
I don’t say that as a perfect person, because I am at fault when my emotions take over. For example, some readers out there are fans of Notre Dame… you know where I stand on that if you have read my blogs. But even though I am not a Notre Dame fan, that does not mean that every Notre Dame fan is worthless in my eyes. If I get to that point in my life where I place my faults of a team on their fans, then I am less than an honorable man.
Heck, I am an Oakland Raiders fan, but I know we stink. I know Mr. Monty Burns is running things with an iron talon, and unless he changes, there is little to root for, but it is still my team. Good or bad, I have to still have a place for them. So I understand how others may feel about their favorite team, even when things are not going to great. One of the better examples I can share is with Green Bay, and their Packers.
I personally felt that the organization screwed Brett Farve by running him out, and making sure he would never set foot on Lambeau Field as a player ever again… dirty rotten scoundrels. But as angry as I was against the organization, there was no way I could say that about the fans, because that was their team. Good or bad, it was still their team, and they had to root for the Packers. As much as I would like to smile at their 5-5 record while the Jets are 7-3, that would only be prideful, because I understand that the Packer Nation stands by their team, which is greatly honorable.
But that’s the nature of sports, to support YOUR team as best you can, even when things are not going so well. No different with sports blogging either. When I talk about sports, I know that anything negative said might be taken out of context by a fan of that same team. If I said something negative about Alabama, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about Duke Basketball, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about the Lakers, somebody might take it the wrong way. But I also understand that this is the life of a sports blogger.
When I blog, I try to be as fair and respectful of teams as I can, but I am not so pure in thought that I can’t get upset about certain things in sports. I don’t like the way Notre Dame ditched their former coach, and paid their current coach for a less than impressive career. I don’t like the way Nebraska ran out their former coach because they expected to win National Championships every year. I don’t appreciate how Southern Mississippi kicked out their coach who only won bowl games and graduated players, because they felt it was time for a mid-card team to rise to national prominence.
I don’t like how Kentucky Basketball kicked out their coach who led them to a National Title, heck, there are a LOT of things I don’t like, and sometimes I get more emotional about that when I blog. But most times I try to keep a fair temper about me, understanding that the teams I may not like have strong supporters because those people live in that area, or went to school there, or have some strong tie with that team.
Sports blogging by a lot of folks is just a platform to claim why their team is better than anybody elses…that isn’t what I am here to do. I have loved sports for a long time, and truly enjoy the debates of what sports bring. I love talking about the BCS because it proves that no matter how you do it, it will never be perfect…simply because man isn’t perfect. I love talking about the NFL’s greatest running backs, because even though I have my thoughts, there are only my opinions. I love talking about wrestling because not everybody likes wrestling, but some do.
Sports blogging is my way of asking you to let me in your head, and debate some things with you. And if you allow me, then I am very grateful. We don’t have to agree on everything, but if we can just agree that we love sports, then I can live with that.
I started sports blogging a couple of months ago, and I currently blog on three different sites; Blogspot is my main home for blogging, and I also have Blogster and Wordpress. In the last two months I have written about 100 blogs, mostly on college football, and on the NFL. I have also written some blogs on wrestling, something I am interested in as well.
But I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on the nature of blogging, or in this case, sports blogging? Why do I do it…why do WE do it? For some, it’s just a way to voice an opinion to the world, or whomever will read it. For others, there is money involved, as some sports bloggers are hired to write for newspapers or different sites and such.
To me, I enjoy the idea of debate, and sports is the safest way to do that. Now some of you may not agree, because often times sports fanatics are the most brainless people in the world, but in the most extreme, the world of sports is just a part of humanity.
For those who read my blogs, I truly thank you, because it means I am not just talking to the wall. We all have things we think are important, and often times we disagree, but I hope that we can get to a point where IF we disagree, then we can at least do it with some respect.
I don’t say that as a perfect person, because I am at fault when my emotions take over. For example, some readers out there are fans of Notre Dame… you know where I stand on that if you have read my blogs. But even though I am not a Notre Dame fan, that does not mean that every Notre Dame fan is worthless in my eyes. If I get to that point in my life where I place my faults of a team on their fans, then I am less than an honorable man.
Heck, I am an Oakland Raiders fan, but I know we stink. I know Mr. Monty Burns is running things with an iron talon, and unless he changes, there is little to root for, but it is still my team. Good or bad, I have to still have a place for them. So I understand how others may feel about their favorite team, even when things are not going to great. One of the better examples I can share is with Green Bay, and their Packers.
I personally felt that the organization screwed Brett Farve by running him out, and making sure he would never set foot on Lambeau Field as a player ever again… dirty rotten scoundrels. But as angry as I was against the organization, there was no way I could say that about the fans, because that was their team. Good or bad, it was still their team, and they had to root for the Packers. As much as I would like to smile at their 5-5 record while the Jets are 7-3, that would only be prideful, because I understand that the Packer Nation stands by their team, which is greatly honorable.
But that’s the nature of sports, to support YOUR team as best you can, even when things are not going so well. No different with sports blogging either. When I talk about sports, I know that anything negative said might be taken out of context by a fan of that same team. If I said something negative about Alabama, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about Duke Basketball, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about the Lakers, somebody might take it the wrong way. But I also understand that this is the life of a sports blogger.
When I blog, I try to be as fair and respectful of teams as I can, but I am not so pure in thought that I can’t get upset about certain things in sports. I don’t like the way Notre Dame ditched their former coach, and paid their current coach for a less than impressive career. I don’t like the way Nebraska ran out their former coach because they expected to win National Championships every year. I don’t appreciate how Southern Mississippi kicked out their coach who only won bowl games and graduated players, because they felt it was time for a mid-card team to rise to national prominence.
I don’t like how Kentucky Basketball kicked out their coach who led them to a National Title, heck, there are a LOT of things I don’t like, and sometimes I get more emotional about that when I blog. But most times I try to keep a fair temper about me, understanding that the teams I may not like have strong supporters because those people live in that area, or went to school there, or have some strong tie with that team.
Sports blogging by a lot of folks is just a platform to claim why their team is better than anybody elses…that isn’t what I am here to do. I have loved sports for a long time, and truly enjoy the debates of what sports bring. I love talking about the BCS because it proves that no matter how you do it, it will never be perfect…simply because man isn’t perfect. I love talking about the NFL’s greatest running backs, because even though I have my thoughts, there are only my opinions. I love talking about wrestling because not everybody likes wrestling, but some do.
Sports blogging is my way of asking you to let me in your head, and debate some things with you. And if you allow me, then I am very grateful. We don’t have to agree on everything, but if we can just agree that we love sports, then I can live with that.
BCS Playoffs, scenario #4
BCS Playoffs, Scenario #4
In light of the idea that our President-Elect says that he would like to see an 8-game playoffs in the BCS, I thought I’d open the portals of the alternate worlds and see how that would shape up.
Now, we know that with ESPN now dropping money on the BCS, they are not likely to do anything for awhile. Ironic, since a lot of their sports broadcasters have been whining for a BCS Playoff…will they have a gag order by Mickey Mouse?
(get it?)
So, I went to the secret parts of my house, and opened my closet to find the portals to the other universes, where there actually ARE playoffs. After getting lost and ending up in Narnia, I found the right portal and looked at how this year’s playoffs would have presented itself. This is what I saw:
In this world where there was a BCS Playoff, it was decided that the top 8 teams would represent the NCAA, and the best teams play the lesser teams. From the current top 25 BCS Standings, this was the initial matchups:
As the current #1 team in the nation, Alabama would face the lowest ranked team, that being #8 Penn State.
As the current #2 team in the nation, Texas Tech would then face the second lowest team, that being #7 Utah.
Texas, being the third ranked team in the BCS, would play the sixth ranked USC Trojans, and the fourth and fifth ranked teams would play against each other, that being Florida and Oklahoma.
The highest ranked winning teams would face the lowest ranked team that advanced, and the other two winners would play each other. In what I could make out, I saw Texas Tech defeat Utah and advancing on to the semi-finals. I also saw Texas defeating USC and Florida in a close one over Oklahoma. I really can’t make out the winner of the Alabama vs. Penn State game, but I think Penn State might have won… not quite sure.
If that is true, then Texas Tech becomes the highest remaining team, and would then play Penn State, while Florida plays Texas. From the cloudy mists I think I make out that Texas Tech was a bit too much for Penn State, although I was rooting for Penn State. And in a very classic match, I can’t see who wins that Florida/Texas game, but I would pay to see it again.
So it looks like Texas Tech plays either Texas in a rematch, or Florida. It will either be another classic Big 12 game, or the end-all of “who’s better”. The Big 12 vs. the SEC in a historic matchup. I wanted to see who won that game, but it started getting a bit too cloudy for me…but I think I saw some orange….
Yet this was not without controversy. Although the top eight teams were involved by BCS standards, other teams were not happy with the result. Boise State, ranked #9, was not happy that they were not involved, even with a perfect record, and even though well out the picture, ranked at #17, Ball State felt that they should have been considered as well.
In addition, other conference were also disappointed. The ACC was upset because even though they had no top 10 teams, they were clearly the most competitive conference in the nation, having 8 teams currently qualified for post season play, and currently NO teams disqualified. No other conference could say that. The Big East argued similar points, although they didn’t have as much credibility as the ACC. Both conferences felt that Utah, Boise State and Ball State would not have been so great if they were in a better conference.
It would appear that more work is needed to fix this problem, as the debate continues about the BCS Playoffs. Maybe if I find another portal I can see how other universes solve this problem….until then, we still have great bowls.
In light of the idea that our President-Elect says that he would like to see an 8-game playoffs in the BCS, I thought I’d open the portals of the alternate worlds and see how that would shape up.
Now, we know that with ESPN now dropping money on the BCS, they are not likely to do anything for awhile. Ironic, since a lot of their sports broadcasters have been whining for a BCS Playoff…will they have a gag order by Mickey Mouse?
(get it?)
So, I went to the secret parts of my house, and opened my closet to find the portals to the other universes, where there actually ARE playoffs. After getting lost and ending up in Narnia, I found the right portal and looked at how this year’s playoffs would have presented itself. This is what I saw:
In this world where there was a BCS Playoff, it was decided that the top 8 teams would represent the NCAA, and the best teams play the lesser teams. From the current top 25 BCS Standings, this was the initial matchups:
As the current #1 team in the nation, Alabama would face the lowest ranked team, that being #8 Penn State.
As the current #2 team in the nation, Texas Tech would then face the second lowest team, that being #7 Utah.
Texas, being the third ranked team in the BCS, would play the sixth ranked USC Trojans, and the fourth and fifth ranked teams would play against each other, that being Florida and Oklahoma.
The highest ranked winning teams would face the lowest ranked team that advanced, and the other two winners would play each other. In what I could make out, I saw Texas Tech defeat Utah and advancing on to the semi-finals. I also saw Texas defeating USC and Florida in a close one over Oklahoma. I really can’t make out the winner of the Alabama vs. Penn State game, but I think Penn State might have won… not quite sure.
If that is true, then Texas Tech becomes the highest remaining team, and would then play Penn State, while Florida plays Texas. From the cloudy mists I think I make out that Texas Tech was a bit too much for Penn State, although I was rooting for Penn State. And in a very classic match, I can’t see who wins that Florida/Texas game, but I would pay to see it again.
So it looks like Texas Tech plays either Texas in a rematch, or Florida. It will either be another classic Big 12 game, or the end-all of “who’s better”. The Big 12 vs. the SEC in a historic matchup. I wanted to see who won that game, but it started getting a bit too cloudy for me…but I think I saw some orange….
Yet this was not without controversy. Although the top eight teams were involved by BCS standards, other teams were not happy with the result. Boise State, ranked #9, was not happy that they were not involved, even with a perfect record, and even though well out the picture, ranked at #17, Ball State felt that they should have been considered as well.
In addition, other conference were also disappointed. The ACC was upset because even though they had no top 10 teams, they were clearly the most competitive conference in the nation, having 8 teams currently qualified for post season play, and currently NO teams disqualified. No other conference could say that. The Big East argued similar points, although they didn’t have as much credibility as the ACC. Both conferences felt that Utah, Boise State and Ball State would not have been so great if they were in a better conference.
It would appear that more work is needed to fix this problem, as the debate continues about the BCS Playoffs. Maybe if I find another portal I can see how other universes solve this problem….until then, we still have great bowls.
Nature of Sports Blogging
The Nature of Sports Blogging
I started sports blogging a couple of months ago, and I currently blog on three different sites; Blogspot is my main home for blogging, and I also have Blogster and Wordpress. In the last two months I have written about 100 blogs, mostly on college football, and on the NFL. I have also written some blogs on wrestling, something I am interested in as well.
But I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on the nature of blogging, or in this case, sports blogging? Why do I do it…why do WE do it? For some, it’s just a way to voice an opinion to the world, or whomever will read it. For others, there is money involved, as some sports bloggers are hired to write for newspapers or different sites and such.
To me, I enjoy the idea of debate, and sports is the safest way to do that. Now some of you may not agree, because often times sports fanatics are the most brainless people in the world, but in the most extreme, the world of sports is just a part of humanity.
For those who read my blogs, I truly thank you, because it means I am not just talking to the wall. We all have things we think are important, and often times we disagree, but I hope that we can get to a point where IF we disagree, then we can at least do it with some respect.
I don’t say that as a perfect person, because I am at fault when my emotions take over. For example, some readers out there are fans of Notre Dame… you know where I stand on that if you have read my blogs. But even though I am not a Notre Dame fan, that does not mean that every Notre Dame fan is worthless in my eyes. If I get to that point in my life where I place my faults of a team on their fans, then I am less than an honorable man.
Heck, I am an Oakland Raiders fan, but I know we stink. I know Mr. Monty Burns is running things with an iron talon, and unless he changes, there is little to root for, but it is still my team. Good or bad, I have to still have a place for them. So I understand how others may feel about their favorite team, even when things are not going to great. One of the better examples I can share is with Green Bay, and their Packers.
I personally felt that the organization screwed Brett Farve by running him out, and making sure he would never set foot on Lambeau Field as a player ever again… dirty rotten scoundrels. But as angry as I was against the organization, there was no way I could say that about the fans, because that was their team. Good or bad, it was still their team, and they had to root for the Packers. As much as I would like to smile at their 5-5 record while the Jets are 7-3, that would only be prideful, because I understand that the Packer Nation stands by their team, which is greatly honorable.
But that’s the nature of sports, to support YOUR team as best you can, even when things are not going so well. No different with sports blogging either. When I talk about sports, I know that anything negative said might be taken out of context by a fan of that same team. If I said something negative about Alabama, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about Duke Basketball, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about the Lakers, somebody might take it the wrong way. But I also understand that this is the life of a sports blogger.
When I blog, I try to be as fair and respectful of teams as I can, but I am not so pure in thought that I can’t get upset about certain things in sports. I don’t like the way Notre Dame ditched their former coach, and paid their current coach for a less than impressive career. I don’t like the way Nebraska ran out their former coach because they expected to win National Championships every year. I don’t appreciate how Southern Mississippi kicked out their coach who only won bowl games and graduated players, because they felt it was time for a mid-card team to rise to national prominence.
I don’t like how Kentucky Basketball kicked out their coach who led them to a National Title, heck, there are a LOT of things I don’t like, and sometimes I get more emotional about that when I blog. But most times I try to keep a fair temper about me, understanding that the teams I may not like have strong supporters because those people live in that area, or went to school there, or have some strong tie with that team.
Sports blogging by a lot of folks is just a platform to claim why their team is better than anybody elses…that isn’t what I am here to do. I have loved sports for a long time, and truly enjoy the debates of what sports bring. I love talking about the BCS because it proves that no matter how you do it, it will never be perfect…simply because man isn’t perfect. I love talking about the NFL’s greatest running backs, because even though I have my thoughts, there are only my opinions. I love talking about wrestling because not everybody likes wrestling, but some do.
Sports blogging is my way of asking you to let me in your head, and debate some things with you. And if you allow me, then I am very grateful. We don’t have to agree on everything, but if we can just agree that we love sports, then I can live with that.
I started sports blogging a couple of months ago, and I currently blog on three different sites; Blogspot is my main home for blogging, and I also have Blogster and Wordpress. In the last two months I have written about 100 blogs, mostly on college football, and on the NFL. I have also written some blogs on wrestling, something I am interested in as well.
But I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on the nature of blogging, or in this case, sports blogging? Why do I do it…why do WE do it? For some, it’s just a way to voice an opinion to the world, or whomever will read it. For others, there is money involved, as some sports bloggers are hired to write for newspapers or different sites and such.
To me, I enjoy the idea of debate, and sports is the safest way to do that. Now some of you may not agree, because often times sports fanatics are the most brainless people in the world, but in the most extreme, the world of sports is just a part of humanity.
For those who read my blogs, I truly thank you, because it means I am not just talking to the wall. We all have things we think are important, and often times we disagree, but I hope that we can get to a point where IF we disagree, then we can at least do it with some respect.
I don’t say that as a perfect person, because I am at fault when my emotions take over. For example, some readers out there are fans of Notre Dame… you know where I stand on that if you have read my blogs. But even though I am not a Notre Dame fan, that does not mean that every Notre Dame fan is worthless in my eyes. If I get to that point in my life where I place my faults of a team on their fans, then I am less than an honorable man.
Heck, I am an Oakland Raiders fan, but I know we stink. I know Mr. Monty Burns is running things with an iron talon, and unless he changes, there is little to root for, but it is still my team. Good or bad, I have to still have a place for them. So I understand how others may feel about their favorite team, even when things are not going to great. One of the better examples I can share is with Green Bay, and their Packers.
I personally felt that the organization screwed Brett Farve by running him out, and making sure he would never set foot on Lambeau Field as a player ever again… dirty rotten scoundrels. But as angry as I was against the organization, there was no way I could say that about the fans, because that was their team. Good or bad, it was still their team, and they had to root for the Packers. As much as I would like to smile at their 5-5 record while the Jets are 7-3, that would only be prideful, because I understand that the Packer Nation stands by their team, which is greatly honorable.
But that’s the nature of sports, to support YOUR team as best you can, even when things are not going so well. No different with sports blogging either. When I talk about sports, I know that anything negative said might be taken out of context by a fan of that same team. If I said something negative about Alabama, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about Duke Basketball, somebody might take it the wrong way. If I said something negative about the Lakers, somebody might take it the wrong way. But I also understand that this is the life of a sports blogger.
When I blog, I try to be as fair and respectful of teams as I can, but I am not so pure in thought that I can’t get upset about certain things in sports. I don’t like the way Notre Dame ditched their former coach, and paid their current coach for a less than impressive career. I don’t like the way Nebraska ran out their former coach because they expected to win National Championships every year. I don’t appreciate how Southern Mississippi kicked out their coach who only won bowl games and graduated players, because they felt it was time for a mid-card team to rise to national prominence.
I don’t like how Kentucky Basketball kicked out their coach who led them to a National Title, heck, there are a LOT of things I don’t like, and sometimes I get more emotional about that when I blog. But most times I try to keep a fair temper about me, understanding that the teams I may not like have strong supporters because those people live in that area, or went to school there, or have some strong tie with that team.
Sports blogging by a lot of folks is just a platform to claim why their team is better than anybody elses…that isn’t what I am here to do. I have loved sports for a long time, and truly enjoy the debates of what sports bring. I love talking about the BCS because it proves that no matter how you do it, it will never be perfect…simply because man isn’t perfect. I love talking about the NFL’s greatest running backs, because even though I have my thoughts, there are only my opinions. I love talking about wrestling because not everybody likes wrestling, but some do.
Sports blogging is my way of asking you to let me in your head, and debate some things with you. And if you allow me, then I am very grateful. We don’t have to agree on everything, but if we can just agree that we love sports, then I can live with that.
NFL top 10, week 11
NFL Top 10 Teams, week 11
Lots of things stay the same, but we are slowly learning a little bit more of who the best teams are. We are also seeing that some of the teams that started out great are faltering, and a couple of teams that fell on their face have been slowly waking up. But are those teams on the top 10? Let’s find out.
This week starts out kinda tough, because there are 8 teams that are 6-4, but of those eight, I only have room for 3 to fit in my top 10. With seven teams with better records, I have to allow them place. So now I have to decide which of these 6-4 teams are worthy to get in the top 10.
This was pretty tough, and there are some quality teams that are not on the top 10, but that tells you how tough the second half of this season is going to be just to make the wild card. But I digress…
#10 New England Patriots (6-4)
This could be the last time I put the Patriots here based on merit and last year’s loss in the Super Bowl. They are still the AFC Champs, and until someone knocks them out, the are still there. But a 6-4 record will not hold up long with teams like the Ravens, Broncos and Dolphins looking at that playoff spot. The loss to the Jets hurt them but they must recover quickly and play the Dolphins and the Steelers back-to-back. Few see them winning both…some see them winning neither.
#9 Indianapolis Colts (6-4)
It has been awhile since the Colts made my top 10, and it seems that they could be getting back into form. I had to put the Colts on the list this week because they have had a tougher schedule that most teams, and still have a winning record. That includes wins over the Ravens, Patriots and Steelers. Those are quality wins, in addition to being on a 3-game winning streak after losing to the Titans. With the next 5 games vs. losing record teams, the Colts can see 10 wins before seeing the Titans at the end of the season. Ten wins should get them in the playoffs, don’t you think?
#8 Arizona Cardinals (7-3)
Logic dictates that a 7-3 team should be ranked ahead of a 6-4 team, but I don’t agree so much with this situation. I would love to see the Cardinals do well, and their record certainly shows that, but in a division that just stinks, you can’t help but win 6 games. But you add on wins over Dallas, Buffalo and Miami, and you still have a pretty good team. All their losses came from quality teams, so this is indeed a good squad this year. They have a big game vs. the Giants before they face the Eagles, some think they need to steal one of those to stay in the top 10, but they place is likely assured since they will win the NFC West.
#7 Washington Redskins (6-4)
This spot was actually hard to place because it was the last spot available and I had to choose between the Redskins and the Cowboys. It was one or the other, and in several factors these two teams were pretty much dead even. They both beat each other, they have the same record, they both lost to the Rams. The only way I can justify the Redskins here is by the simple fact that I had them higher last week, and I didn’t want to drop them out of the top 10 completely. I still feel they are better than the Cardinals, and deserved to be higher than the Colts, who were not even ranked last week, and with the Pats slipping I had to at least acknowledge the AFC Champions one more week. But with 3 more quality opponents, we will see if this team can get to the playoffs. The Skins are showing some flaws in their armor…
#6 New York Jets (7-3)
If the playoffs started today, the Jets are in with this great record. It even creates the possible scenario of an all New York Superbowl….hmmm. But I worry about this team. Yes, this is the team that beat the Cardinals big… but didn’t they also lose to the Raiders? Yes this is a team on a 4 game winning streak, but wasn’t one of those wins just BARELY against the lowly Chiefs? Which team are we looking at? Their last six games will not be easy, beginning with the Titans, then with AFC West leader Denver, before facing the Bills and Dolphins once more. That AFC East title is not locked up yet, and neither is the playoff spot. Much work to do.
#5 Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
Like the Jets, if the playoffs started today, the Steelers would be in, but with a one game lead over the Ravens, there is little margin for error. Unfortunately, the Steelers has one of the toughest schedules down the stretch. They face division foe Cincinnati, and then face the Patriots, then the Cowboys before another divisional confrontation against the Ravens. THEN you face the Titans before closing the season out against the Browns. If we can agree that no division foe is ever easy, then all of these games are big for the Steelers. And with very little margin for error, this could make the difference on winning the AFC Central or watching the playoffs from home.
#4 Carolina Panthers (8-2)
I know I should put them just a bit higher, but I can’t. Their recent track record leaves me wondering what this team is really about. They shut out Kansas City 34-0, fine. Then lose to Tampa Bay, a division foe. They beat the Saints, which is not having a good season, then barely beat Arizona at home when we all know that western teams traveling to the east coast almost NEVER win. Then there’s those two close games to the Raiders and the Lions. How can you barely beat these teams and still be great? With the next 5 games against teams scrapping to make the playoffs, we will see if the Panthers are as good as the record, or just paper champs.
#3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
I know the Buccs record isn’t better than the Panthers, but they did BEAT the Panthers, so I put them ahead. This is a team that, if they don’t win the division, they could steal a Wild Card spot from somebody. They’ve already beaten Atlanta and Carolina once, so they have an advantage, but they did lose to the Saints. They virtually own the NFC Central beating everybody except the Lions, and oh by the way that is who they play this week. This is a surprising team, not many are talking about them, and their schedule is favorable to will over 10 games. It might take 12 games to lock on a playoff bid, because they still have to play the Falcons and Panthers again, not to mention the Saints. Not many are taking notice, but they will soon.
#2 New York Giants (9-1)
I am VERY tempted to make the Giants the number 1 team because they are playing the tougher schedule, but their only blemish is that loss to the Browns, which prove that they CAN be beaten. Close games vs. the Bengals and Eagles, prove they are not completely dominant, but other than the Browns, nobody has put an “L” to the column. But the season is not over for the Giants, not by a long shot. Each of their last 6 games will be a battle. The Giants face NFC West leading Arizona, then 3 straight division games vs. the Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys, before facing NFC South contending Carolina and then finally the Vikings, currently in a 3 way tie in the NFC Central…oops, North. Even with a 3 game lead, that is not secure, so the Giants still have many wars to fight before they can be considered a lock in the NFC Playoffs.
#1 Tennessee Titans (10-0)
I am very tempted to switch these two teams, because I am STILL not convinced this is the best team in the NFL. The best AFC team…likely, but not the best NFL team. The Titans have only beaten 2 teams with a winning record, those being the Colts, who just recently jumped over .500 and the Ravens. I am sorry folks, I just can’t keep putting this team as the best, when they beat teams like the Chiefs, Jaguars, Bengals and the like. And with the Lions, Browns and Texans still coming up, they could easily win 13 games and get knocked out in the first playoff game they play. Yes they play the Jets, and finish the season against the Steelers and Colts, so we will see how great they really are. Undefeated season, I can’t see it. In a year where the AFC has been kinda down, it has been advantageous for the Titans to have 12 games in the AFC and only 4 NFC games, and none of those coming from the uber-competitive NFC East or the NFC South.
But having said all that, I still have to give them credit. They ARE undefeated, and as I said before, I cannot fault the Tennessee Titans for their schedule. It’s not the players fault, it’s not the coaches fault, it’s not the fans fault. They have to play the teams on their schedule. So for now, I leave them at number 1...but it will be limited.
So those are my top 10 teams of this week. If the playoffs were to start today, the NFC would have the Giants, Cardinals in for sure, with the NFC North scrapping for position and the NFC South with Carolina and Tampa Bay fighting for supremacy. This leaves a lot of things to happen in the next few weeks. In the AFC, we know the Titans would be in, along with the Jets, Pittsburgh and Denver, with the two wild card spots up for grabs between the Ravens, Colts, Dolphins and Patriots. Lots of things can still happen. We’ll see how that develops as time goes on.
Until next time……..
Lots of things stay the same, but we are slowly learning a little bit more of who the best teams are. We are also seeing that some of the teams that started out great are faltering, and a couple of teams that fell on their face have been slowly waking up. But are those teams on the top 10? Let’s find out.
This week starts out kinda tough, because there are 8 teams that are 6-4, but of those eight, I only have room for 3 to fit in my top 10. With seven teams with better records, I have to allow them place. So now I have to decide which of these 6-4 teams are worthy to get in the top 10.
This was pretty tough, and there are some quality teams that are not on the top 10, but that tells you how tough the second half of this season is going to be just to make the wild card. But I digress…
#10 New England Patriots (6-4)
This could be the last time I put the Patriots here based on merit and last year’s loss in the Super Bowl. They are still the AFC Champs, and until someone knocks them out, the are still there. But a 6-4 record will not hold up long with teams like the Ravens, Broncos and Dolphins looking at that playoff spot. The loss to the Jets hurt them but they must recover quickly and play the Dolphins and the Steelers back-to-back. Few see them winning both…some see them winning neither.
#9 Indianapolis Colts (6-4)
It has been awhile since the Colts made my top 10, and it seems that they could be getting back into form. I had to put the Colts on the list this week because they have had a tougher schedule that most teams, and still have a winning record. That includes wins over the Ravens, Patriots and Steelers. Those are quality wins, in addition to being on a 3-game winning streak after losing to the Titans. With the next 5 games vs. losing record teams, the Colts can see 10 wins before seeing the Titans at the end of the season. Ten wins should get them in the playoffs, don’t you think?
#8 Arizona Cardinals (7-3)
Logic dictates that a 7-3 team should be ranked ahead of a 6-4 team, but I don’t agree so much with this situation. I would love to see the Cardinals do well, and their record certainly shows that, but in a division that just stinks, you can’t help but win 6 games. But you add on wins over Dallas, Buffalo and Miami, and you still have a pretty good team. All their losses came from quality teams, so this is indeed a good squad this year. They have a big game vs. the Giants before they face the Eagles, some think they need to steal one of those to stay in the top 10, but they place is likely assured since they will win the NFC West.
#7 Washington Redskins (6-4)
This spot was actually hard to place because it was the last spot available and I had to choose between the Redskins and the Cowboys. It was one or the other, and in several factors these two teams were pretty much dead even. They both beat each other, they have the same record, they both lost to the Rams. The only way I can justify the Redskins here is by the simple fact that I had them higher last week, and I didn’t want to drop them out of the top 10 completely. I still feel they are better than the Cardinals, and deserved to be higher than the Colts, who were not even ranked last week, and with the Pats slipping I had to at least acknowledge the AFC Champions one more week. But with 3 more quality opponents, we will see if this team can get to the playoffs. The Skins are showing some flaws in their armor…
#6 New York Jets (7-3)
If the playoffs started today, the Jets are in with this great record. It even creates the possible scenario of an all New York Superbowl….hmmm. But I worry about this team. Yes, this is the team that beat the Cardinals big… but didn’t they also lose to the Raiders? Yes this is a team on a 4 game winning streak, but wasn’t one of those wins just BARELY against the lowly Chiefs? Which team are we looking at? Their last six games will not be easy, beginning with the Titans, then with AFC West leader Denver, before facing the Bills and Dolphins once more. That AFC East title is not locked up yet, and neither is the playoff spot. Much work to do.
#5 Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3)
Like the Jets, if the playoffs started today, the Steelers would be in, but with a one game lead over the Ravens, there is little margin for error. Unfortunately, the Steelers has one of the toughest schedules down the stretch. They face division foe Cincinnati, and then face the Patriots, then the Cowboys before another divisional confrontation against the Ravens. THEN you face the Titans before closing the season out against the Browns. If we can agree that no division foe is ever easy, then all of these games are big for the Steelers. And with very little margin for error, this could make the difference on winning the AFC Central or watching the playoffs from home.
#4 Carolina Panthers (8-2)
I know I should put them just a bit higher, but I can’t. Their recent track record leaves me wondering what this team is really about. They shut out Kansas City 34-0, fine. Then lose to Tampa Bay, a division foe. They beat the Saints, which is not having a good season, then barely beat Arizona at home when we all know that western teams traveling to the east coast almost NEVER win. Then there’s those two close games to the Raiders and the Lions. How can you barely beat these teams and still be great? With the next 5 games against teams scrapping to make the playoffs, we will see if the Panthers are as good as the record, or just paper champs.
#3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)
I know the Buccs record isn’t better than the Panthers, but they did BEAT the Panthers, so I put them ahead. This is a team that, if they don’t win the division, they could steal a Wild Card spot from somebody. They’ve already beaten Atlanta and Carolina once, so they have an advantage, but they did lose to the Saints. They virtually own the NFC Central beating everybody except the Lions, and oh by the way that is who they play this week. This is a surprising team, not many are talking about them, and their schedule is favorable to will over 10 games. It might take 12 games to lock on a playoff bid, because they still have to play the Falcons and Panthers again, not to mention the Saints. Not many are taking notice, but they will soon.
#2 New York Giants (9-1)
I am VERY tempted to make the Giants the number 1 team because they are playing the tougher schedule, but their only blemish is that loss to the Browns, which prove that they CAN be beaten. Close games vs. the Bengals and Eagles, prove they are not completely dominant, but other than the Browns, nobody has put an “L” to the column. But the season is not over for the Giants, not by a long shot. Each of their last 6 games will be a battle. The Giants face NFC West leading Arizona, then 3 straight division games vs. the Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys, before facing NFC South contending Carolina and then finally the Vikings, currently in a 3 way tie in the NFC Central…oops, North. Even with a 3 game lead, that is not secure, so the Giants still have many wars to fight before they can be considered a lock in the NFC Playoffs.
#1 Tennessee Titans (10-0)
I am very tempted to switch these two teams, because I am STILL not convinced this is the best team in the NFL. The best AFC team…likely, but not the best NFL team. The Titans have only beaten 2 teams with a winning record, those being the Colts, who just recently jumped over .500 and the Ravens. I am sorry folks, I just can’t keep putting this team as the best, when they beat teams like the Chiefs, Jaguars, Bengals and the like. And with the Lions, Browns and Texans still coming up, they could easily win 13 games and get knocked out in the first playoff game they play. Yes they play the Jets, and finish the season against the Steelers and Colts, so we will see how great they really are. Undefeated season, I can’t see it. In a year where the AFC has been kinda down, it has been advantageous for the Titans to have 12 games in the AFC and only 4 NFC games, and none of those coming from the uber-competitive NFC East or the NFC South.
But having said all that, I still have to give them credit. They ARE undefeated, and as I said before, I cannot fault the Tennessee Titans for their schedule. It’s not the players fault, it’s not the coaches fault, it’s not the fans fault. They have to play the teams on their schedule. So for now, I leave them at number 1...but it will be limited.
So those are my top 10 teams of this week. If the playoffs were to start today, the NFC would have the Giants, Cardinals in for sure, with the NFC North scrapping for position and the NFC South with Carolina and Tampa Bay fighting for supremacy. This leaves a lot of things to happen in the next few weeks. In the AFC, we know the Titans would be in, along with the Jets, Pittsburgh and Denver, with the two wild card spots up for grabs between the Ravens, Colts, Dolphins and Patriots. Lots of things can still happen. We’ll see how that develops as time goes on.
Until next time……..
Friday, November 14, 2008
More college football warnings!
Team that must be careful
For many weeks I have tried to warn teams of college football, to warn them of the dangers of the games they face. With now just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, there is so much on the line for so many teams…
Will they hear my cries of warning?
Will Rutgers and South Florida hear me? Or will they continue to believe that last year is THIS year, when there was so much success? Time has not been kind to either of these two teams. Neither of these two teams are the talk of the conference, and to be honest, the Big East has not had much to talk about. But there is still pride on the line, and a chance for a bowl still out there. And there is still an outside chance for Rutgers to still steal the Big East Title, but lots of things have to happen. And what of the great South Florida? Has all the fame and glory gone out the window, like their rankings. I warn both of you teams, your post season is on the line, even if South Florida is 6-3. Lose this game, and we will forget about last year’s success.
There must also be a warning to Michigan, although it won’t mean much. This year marks a dark day, one that will not see you participate in the post season. A 3-7 team is an absolute embarrassment to the Big 10 and your university. But we wonder, have the Wolverines packed it in for the year, or will they fight until the bitter end. Your fans better see the best you got against Northwestern, or else this loss will be most bitter. You were warned.
Who then shall warn Duke and Clemson, in a game that could very well determine if one or the other may see post season play? Do not brag too loud about the fact that the ACC still has a slim chance to put EVERY team in post season, and currently has 8 teams bowl eligible…for you two are NOT amongst them. Duke has lost 4 of the last 5, and their record is exactly that…4-5. Your margin for error is slim, fail this game, and you may very well fail the season. And what of the great Clemson team we were led to believe would dominate the ACC. Yet now, you, like Duke are 4-5 and dangerously close to being knocked out of post season. I warn BOTH of you, a loss here makes it hard for either of you to make a bowl, but there are reportedly NINE bowl games with an ACC name on it…Eight now are qualified. Will you be the ninth?
And who deserves greater warnings than Notre Dame, who must travel to Navy this weekend? What is this rumor I have heard of the rich alumni getting upset at their head coach, whom they just given a 10 YEAR extension? How hypocritical of your “educated” alumni, in kicking out a good coach, hiring his replacement and rewarding him for mediocrity. Now just after giving this coach millions of dollars for an average performance, they are getting upset. Many say that your failures are deserved, but now the team must perform on a much higher level…they must beat Navy.
How then will you meet the challenge, Notre Dame? Your wins were all at home, with the exception of beating lowly Washington away. And every team on your schedule that is at least average has beaten you…Navy seems to be BETTER than average. Your coach has a warning on him, to beat Navy or heads may roll…how then will the great Notre Dame face this challenge. I warn you, your names will go down in history should you lose…you were warned…
Does Florida need to be warned of the coming of their former great head coach as South Carolina visits them? Is it necessary to warn the Gators of the importance of this game, not just because of who coaches against them, but also the fight for the National Title just might land right in their laps.
A National Title seems within reach of Florida, if they can just win the SEC Championship…but is it possible that MAYBE they will look past South Carolina, who are currently ranked at #25? South Carolina needs this win to validate their standings, and create havoc in the BCS, but will anyone give them a shot of knocking off Florida? We DO know that they can be beaten, and by an unranked foe at that…I warn you Florida, look past this game, and it will cost you a shot at the National Title.
And finally, another warning to the ACC, specifically Florida State? What is this I hear of you and all your receivers getting in a fight? What is it, some gang or something? Who is Florida State that these player act as great as a warrior, but struggle to win their own division? Shame on you for acting like petty thugs in a school of higher learning, and I warn you greatly, you may have but great risk on your team this weekend. Boston College comes to see you, and although both of you are bowl eligible, there is still an issue. The Atlantic Division is not sown up by you, with a game with Maryland still in the future. Lose this game to Boston College and you will show us just how undisciplined you are. I warn you Florida State, prove your power and defeat Boston College or we may turn our backs on you and your up-and-down season. And to think…you still must play Florida….
You teams have been warned! Now, let’s watch some FOOTBALL!
For many weeks I have tried to warn teams of college football, to warn them of the dangers of the games they face. With now just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, there is so much on the line for so many teams…
Will they hear my cries of warning?
Will Rutgers and South Florida hear me? Or will they continue to believe that last year is THIS year, when there was so much success? Time has not been kind to either of these two teams. Neither of these two teams are the talk of the conference, and to be honest, the Big East has not had much to talk about. But there is still pride on the line, and a chance for a bowl still out there. And there is still an outside chance for Rutgers to still steal the Big East Title, but lots of things have to happen. And what of the great South Florida? Has all the fame and glory gone out the window, like their rankings. I warn both of you teams, your post season is on the line, even if South Florida is 6-3. Lose this game, and we will forget about last year’s success.
There must also be a warning to Michigan, although it won’t mean much. This year marks a dark day, one that will not see you participate in the post season. A 3-7 team is an absolute embarrassment to the Big 10 and your university. But we wonder, have the Wolverines packed it in for the year, or will they fight until the bitter end. Your fans better see the best you got against Northwestern, or else this loss will be most bitter. You were warned.
Who then shall warn Duke and Clemson, in a game that could very well determine if one or the other may see post season play? Do not brag too loud about the fact that the ACC still has a slim chance to put EVERY team in post season, and currently has 8 teams bowl eligible…for you two are NOT amongst them. Duke has lost 4 of the last 5, and their record is exactly that…4-5. Your margin for error is slim, fail this game, and you may very well fail the season. And what of the great Clemson team we were led to believe would dominate the ACC. Yet now, you, like Duke are 4-5 and dangerously close to being knocked out of post season. I warn BOTH of you, a loss here makes it hard for either of you to make a bowl, but there are reportedly NINE bowl games with an ACC name on it…Eight now are qualified. Will you be the ninth?
And who deserves greater warnings than Notre Dame, who must travel to Navy this weekend? What is this rumor I have heard of the rich alumni getting upset at their head coach, whom they just given a 10 YEAR extension? How hypocritical of your “educated” alumni, in kicking out a good coach, hiring his replacement and rewarding him for mediocrity. Now just after giving this coach millions of dollars for an average performance, they are getting upset. Many say that your failures are deserved, but now the team must perform on a much higher level…they must beat Navy.
How then will you meet the challenge, Notre Dame? Your wins were all at home, with the exception of beating lowly Washington away. And every team on your schedule that is at least average has beaten you…Navy seems to be BETTER than average. Your coach has a warning on him, to beat Navy or heads may roll…how then will the great Notre Dame face this challenge. I warn you, your names will go down in history should you lose…you were warned…
Does Florida need to be warned of the coming of their former great head coach as South Carolina visits them? Is it necessary to warn the Gators of the importance of this game, not just because of who coaches against them, but also the fight for the National Title just might land right in their laps.
A National Title seems within reach of Florida, if they can just win the SEC Championship…but is it possible that MAYBE they will look past South Carolina, who are currently ranked at #25? South Carolina needs this win to validate their standings, and create havoc in the BCS, but will anyone give them a shot of knocking off Florida? We DO know that they can be beaten, and by an unranked foe at that…I warn you Florida, look past this game, and it will cost you a shot at the National Title.
And finally, another warning to the ACC, specifically Florida State? What is this I hear of you and all your receivers getting in a fight? What is it, some gang or something? Who is Florida State that these player act as great as a warrior, but struggle to win their own division? Shame on you for acting like petty thugs in a school of higher learning, and I warn you greatly, you may have but great risk on your team this weekend. Boston College comes to see you, and although both of you are bowl eligible, there is still an issue. The Atlantic Division is not sown up by you, with a game with Maryland still in the future. Lose this game to Boston College and you will show us just how undisciplined you are. I warn you Florida State, prove your power and defeat Boston College or we may turn our backs on you and your up-and-down season. And to think…you still must play Florida….
You teams have been warned! Now, let’s watch some FOOTBALL!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
BCS and BCS Busters
BCS Busters?
I wanted to make a quick blog about this issue since I hear it so much on television. For the novice to college football, I will back up just a bit to explain what I am talking about:
In Division I-A (now called FBS, or FCW or ECW or WWE or CBS or something) there are several conferences, and currently 4 Independent schools. The “power” conferences are the big six, which consistently have the best teams in the nation. Those conferences are, not in any order, ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10 and SEC. From these schools come your national champions (in most cases).
But these are not the only conferences in Division IA, there are a few others. I mentioned there are 4 Independent schools, those being Navy, Army, Western Kentucky and Notre Dame (of which many read my blog on “The Fate of ND”)
But as mentioned, there are other conferences. These conferences include Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, The Mountain West Conference, Sun Belt Conference and the Western Athletic Conference. These conferences are known as the “lesser” power conferences, but I do not say that in any ill will to them.
When the NCAA began putting together the BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, it was designed originally to pit the best teams against each other, but initially it did not include the Rose Bowl. The Bowl and their contracted conferences, (Big 10 and Pac 10) didn’t want change, and was from the onset a problem to the BCS. The idea was to try to pit the #1 and #2 teams in a true Championship, but this was a problem if any team from the Pac 10 or Big 10 finished at the top.
But this was soon fixed and it then included the four major bowls, the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl. These bowls now seemed to be in unison that the NCAA could not present the fans of college football with a true National Championship. But the problem was that in doing that, the lesser conferences were left out of the picture.
This was ignored for a few years until teams like Fresno State, Boise State, TCU, Hawaii and others began to put pressure on the NCAA. It forced people to wonder, what if a team like that finished undefeated? Shall the NCAA ignore their success while catering to the “fat cats” of the BCS?
So taking another step, the NCAA created a fifth bowl, thus allowing 10 slots for Division I teams. The purpose for this fifth bowl was to allow room for a non-BCS team to compete in the major bowls instead of leaving them out. Now…having said that, it should be understood that if the NCAA created a fifth bowl FOR the opportunity for a non BCS team to get involved, then it stands to reason that these teams don’t have to “bust” in.
The term “BCS Busters” doesn’t make sense because to “bust” in is to intrude to enter where you were not allowed. To force entry. This is not the situation folks, because the bowl now gives PLACE to such a team that qualifies. If there is a question on this, it is, at this point of the year, WHO will be that team.
“Well why not all the teams that qualify?”
That sounds credible, especially now. If you check the current rankings you will see that currently 7 teams outside the BCS conferences are on the top 25. Of those, we focus more on the top 3, being Utah at #7, Boise State at #10 and Ball State at #14. But if you do the math, you know that with 5 major bowls, there is only room for 10 teams. So how might this play out, and how does this involve the non-BCS schools, or as some call them, “BCS Busters”.
To know how this works, you also must remember that there are certain rules that must be applied first. The first and foremost is that the National Championship game is called the FedEX BCS National Championship Game, which WILL take the #1 and #2 teams. They get the first pick, and if it ended today, we know it would be Alabama and Texas Tech.
But after that, it gets a little different.
You see, many of you assume that the second best bowl will take #3 and #4, in this case being #3 Texas vs. #4 Florida, but that is not quite how it works. There are a lot of sub plots going on that make these selections different, and it does impact the “BCS Busters”.
The order of the bowls this year (which rotate yearly) are: Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and BCS Championship, in reverse order. The greatest games being last. If the season ended today, the BCS Championship must place Alabama and Texas Tech in this bowl.
After that, certain things apply.
The second biggest game would then be the Fiesta bowl, which has a contractual obligation to the Big 12. This means that normally they would have to take the best Big 12 team, as per their contract with the conference. But this would be different, because this year, Texas Tech, a member of the Big 12, is in the National Championship. That means they are no longer obligated to take a Big 12 team….
But they COULD if they wanted to…and with Texas sitting right there at #3, it is very likely that they would take the Longhorns…but would they take Florida?
You’d think they would…but then there’d be another problem. Just as the Big 12 as a contract with the Fiesta Bowl, the SEC has a contract with the Sugar Bowl. The Sugar bowl has the right to the best SEC team UNLESS they are in the National Championship…and guess what. Alabama is an SEC team. So that then frees up the contractual obligation. On paper, it might seem that the Fiesta Bowl could indeed have the #3 and #4 teams compete.
Now keep in mind that with these 5 bowls, ALL of the power conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, SEC and Pac-10) MUST be involved. Right now we have two bowls, and four teams, but ironically they both pit the SEC vs. Big 12. So let’s just assume that for a moment and look at the third bowl and see how it plays out and how it involved the BCS Busters.
So the third bowl would then be the Sugar Bowl. As we mentioned, this bowl has an obligation to the SEC, but Alabama is in the National Championship. Normally we’d think that it would then select Florida, but we are not sure if the Fiesta Bowl will select them or not…I assure you, many fans would LOVE to see that matchup. But let’s assume that Florida goes to the Fiesta Bowl. Who then would the Sugar Bowl take?
If you go to the next team on the BCS Rankings, that would be Oklahoma at #5. The Sugar Bowl could have Oklahoma face the next team on the list, that being #6 USC, right?
Wrong.
This creates a problem, maybe two problems. To this point we still have not satisfied the ACC, Big East, Big 10 and Pac 10. Those four teams have to be in the BCS. While the Sugar Bowl could pick Oklahoma, it could not pick USC because the Rose Bowl has contractual obligations to both the Pac-10 AND the Big 10 conferences. And since neither is in the National Championship, they have the rights to both…meaning #6 USC and #8 Penn State.
We’ll get back to that in a sec, but that means the Sugar Bowl must select another team. THIS is where the non-BCS teams come in because Utah is currently ranked #7. This means that it is clearly possible for a non-BCS team to compete in the BCS bowl, that being the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Oklahoma vs. Utah…quite possible.
If things go as me mentioned, then the fourth bowl on the list is Orange Bowl, which is contractually obligated to the ACC. This means they must take the best ACC team into their bowl. This is interesting because right now, the best team in the ACC is UNC, way down there at #16. But the Orange Bowl would have to take them, and would also have the option of another team.
Now notice what just happened. IF this plays out like we mentioned, then the BCS bowls would then NOT be guaranteed to the top 10 teams, since UNC is ranked 16. This means that somebody in the top 10 will NOT be going to a major bowl. The Orange Bowl can’t drop UNC because they are obligated to the ACC, so they must now pick one of those top 10 teams. And since the highest ranked team left is #6 USC but we know they must be given to the Rose Bowl. #7 is taken (Utah) and #8 is Penn State, which is likely obligated to the Rose Bowl. This drops us down to #9 Boise State,
But that creates a problem.
Remember folks, the power conferences must all have a representative in the BCS. The ACC has UNC in the Orange Bowl, the SEC has a rep in the BCS Championship and likely the Fiesta Bowl. The Big 10 and Pac-10 will meet in the Rose Bowl. The Big 12 will be in the National Championship and a Fiesta Bowl…that leaves out one conference…
The Big East.
They HAVE to be involved, so they there may be no choice. And according to the BCS rankings, Pittsburgh is ranked #21...but likely the candidate to play UNC in the Orange Bowl…leaving Boise State out of the picture.
And actually they would not be the only team snubbed. The #10 team is currently Georgia, and would be left out of a major bowl. But you also add undefeated Ball State. We know that #17 and #18 are BYU and TCU but with Utah being in, nobody is going to argue. This still makes it difficult for more than one non-BCS team to enter the bowl series, but it does acknowledge that at LEAST one can get in.
So….BCS Busters? Not really. This isn’t about allowing 2 or more non-BCS teams in the major bowls, this is about giving the BEST non-BCS team a chance to play against the best teams in the nation. I am not saying it is a perfect system, but hey, it certainly is better than it was a few years ago, when these same teams had NO chance.
You gotta start somewhere.
I wanted to make a quick blog about this issue since I hear it so much on television. For the novice to college football, I will back up just a bit to explain what I am talking about:
In Division I-A (now called FBS, or FCW or ECW or WWE or CBS or something) there are several conferences, and currently 4 Independent schools. The “power” conferences are the big six, which consistently have the best teams in the nation. Those conferences are, not in any order, ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10 and SEC. From these schools come your national champions (in most cases).
But these are not the only conferences in Division IA, there are a few others. I mentioned there are 4 Independent schools, those being Navy, Army, Western Kentucky and Notre Dame (of which many read my blog on “The Fate of ND”)
But as mentioned, there are other conferences. These conferences include Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, The Mountain West Conference, Sun Belt Conference and the Western Athletic Conference. These conferences are known as the “lesser” power conferences, but I do not say that in any ill will to them.
When the NCAA began putting together the BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, it was designed originally to pit the best teams against each other, but initially it did not include the Rose Bowl. The Bowl and their contracted conferences, (Big 10 and Pac 10) didn’t want change, and was from the onset a problem to the BCS. The idea was to try to pit the #1 and #2 teams in a true Championship, but this was a problem if any team from the Pac 10 or Big 10 finished at the top.
But this was soon fixed and it then included the four major bowls, the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl. These bowls now seemed to be in unison that the NCAA could not present the fans of college football with a true National Championship. But the problem was that in doing that, the lesser conferences were left out of the picture.
This was ignored for a few years until teams like Fresno State, Boise State, TCU, Hawaii and others began to put pressure on the NCAA. It forced people to wonder, what if a team like that finished undefeated? Shall the NCAA ignore their success while catering to the “fat cats” of the BCS?
So taking another step, the NCAA created a fifth bowl, thus allowing 10 slots for Division I teams. The purpose for this fifth bowl was to allow room for a non-BCS team to compete in the major bowls instead of leaving them out. Now…having said that, it should be understood that if the NCAA created a fifth bowl FOR the opportunity for a non BCS team to get involved, then it stands to reason that these teams don’t have to “bust” in.
The term “BCS Busters” doesn’t make sense because to “bust” in is to intrude to enter where you were not allowed. To force entry. This is not the situation folks, because the bowl now gives PLACE to such a team that qualifies. If there is a question on this, it is, at this point of the year, WHO will be that team.
“Well why not all the teams that qualify?”
That sounds credible, especially now. If you check the current rankings you will see that currently 7 teams outside the BCS conferences are on the top 25. Of those, we focus more on the top 3, being Utah at #7, Boise State at #10 and Ball State at #14. But if you do the math, you know that with 5 major bowls, there is only room for 10 teams. So how might this play out, and how does this involve the non-BCS schools, or as some call them, “BCS Busters”.
To know how this works, you also must remember that there are certain rules that must be applied first. The first and foremost is that the National Championship game is called the FedEX BCS National Championship Game, which WILL take the #1 and #2 teams. They get the first pick, and if it ended today, we know it would be Alabama and Texas Tech.
But after that, it gets a little different.
You see, many of you assume that the second best bowl will take #3 and #4, in this case being #3 Texas vs. #4 Florida, but that is not quite how it works. There are a lot of sub plots going on that make these selections different, and it does impact the “BCS Busters”.
The order of the bowls this year (which rotate yearly) are: Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and BCS Championship, in reverse order. The greatest games being last. If the season ended today, the BCS Championship must place Alabama and Texas Tech in this bowl.
After that, certain things apply.
The second biggest game would then be the Fiesta bowl, which has a contractual obligation to the Big 12. This means that normally they would have to take the best Big 12 team, as per their contract with the conference. But this would be different, because this year, Texas Tech, a member of the Big 12, is in the National Championship. That means they are no longer obligated to take a Big 12 team….
But they COULD if they wanted to…and with Texas sitting right there at #3, it is very likely that they would take the Longhorns…but would they take Florida?
You’d think they would…but then there’d be another problem. Just as the Big 12 as a contract with the Fiesta Bowl, the SEC has a contract with the Sugar Bowl. The Sugar bowl has the right to the best SEC team UNLESS they are in the National Championship…and guess what. Alabama is an SEC team. So that then frees up the contractual obligation. On paper, it might seem that the Fiesta Bowl could indeed have the #3 and #4 teams compete.
Now keep in mind that with these 5 bowls, ALL of the power conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, SEC and Pac-10) MUST be involved. Right now we have two bowls, and four teams, but ironically they both pit the SEC vs. Big 12. So let’s just assume that for a moment and look at the third bowl and see how it plays out and how it involved the BCS Busters.
So the third bowl would then be the Sugar Bowl. As we mentioned, this bowl has an obligation to the SEC, but Alabama is in the National Championship. Normally we’d think that it would then select Florida, but we are not sure if the Fiesta Bowl will select them or not…I assure you, many fans would LOVE to see that matchup. But let’s assume that Florida goes to the Fiesta Bowl. Who then would the Sugar Bowl take?
If you go to the next team on the BCS Rankings, that would be Oklahoma at #5. The Sugar Bowl could have Oklahoma face the next team on the list, that being #6 USC, right?
Wrong.
This creates a problem, maybe two problems. To this point we still have not satisfied the ACC, Big East, Big 10 and Pac 10. Those four teams have to be in the BCS. While the Sugar Bowl could pick Oklahoma, it could not pick USC because the Rose Bowl has contractual obligations to both the Pac-10 AND the Big 10 conferences. And since neither is in the National Championship, they have the rights to both…meaning #6 USC and #8 Penn State.
We’ll get back to that in a sec, but that means the Sugar Bowl must select another team. THIS is where the non-BCS teams come in because Utah is currently ranked #7. This means that it is clearly possible for a non-BCS team to compete in the BCS bowl, that being the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Oklahoma vs. Utah…quite possible.
If things go as me mentioned, then the fourth bowl on the list is Orange Bowl, which is contractually obligated to the ACC. This means they must take the best ACC team into their bowl. This is interesting because right now, the best team in the ACC is UNC, way down there at #16. But the Orange Bowl would have to take them, and would also have the option of another team.
Now notice what just happened. IF this plays out like we mentioned, then the BCS bowls would then NOT be guaranteed to the top 10 teams, since UNC is ranked 16. This means that somebody in the top 10 will NOT be going to a major bowl. The Orange Bowl can’t drop UNC because they are obligated to the ACC, so they must now pick one of those top 10 teams. And since the highest ranked team left is #6 USC but we know they must be given to the Rose Bowl. #7 is taken (Utah) and #8 is Penn State, which is likely obligated to the Rose Bowl. This drops us down to #9 Boise State,
But that creates a problem.
Remember folks, the power conferences must all have a representative in the BCS. The ACC has UNC in the Orange Bowl, the SEC has a rep in the BCS Championship and likely the Fiesta Bowl. The Big 10 and Pac-10 will meet in the Rose Bowl. The Big 12 will be in the National Championship and a Fiesta Bowl…that leaves out one conference…
The Big East.
They HAVE to be involved, so they there may be no choice. And according to the BCS rankings, Pittsburgh is ranked #21...but likely the candidate to play UNC in the Orange Bowl…leaving Boise State out of the picture.
And actually they would not be the only team snubbed. The #10 team is currently Georgia, and would be left out of a major bowl. But you also add undefeated Ball State. We know that #17 and #18 are BYU and TCU but with Utah being in, nobody is going to argue. This still makes it difficult for more than one non-BCS team to enter the bowl series, but it does acknowledge that at LEAST one can get in.
So….BCS Busters? Not really. This isn’t about allowing 2 or more non-BCS teams in the major bowls, this is about giving the BEST non-BCS team a chance to play against the best teams in the nation. I am not saying it is a perfect system, but hey, it certainly is better than it was a few years ago, when these same teams had NO chance.
You gotta start somewhere.
BCS Playoffs, scenario #3
BCS Playoffs: Scenario #3
After looking into the portal of the alternate universe and seeing how the NCAA handled the BCS Playoffs in scenario #2, I wanted to check another portal to see if there was another situation. I found one, and wanted to explain that to you.
Remember, this is a scenario of the “what ifs” in college football. In this particular portal, I see that the NCAA has adopted the playoffs as so many people cried for, but I am not sure about where the games are played, which bowls sponsor them and those kinda details, I can only see who is playing.
In the second scenario, the NCAA went with six teams, giving the top two teams a bye while the others fought it out. The higher seed played the #2 team and the lower seeded team remaining played the #1 team. In that scenario, we saw Florida vs. Texas, but this portal is slightly different.
This universe believes that not six, but EIGHT teams should be in the BCS Playoffs. The idea here was that often times the non-BCS teams don’t get to make it in the top 5, which will likely keep them out of the playoffs. To increase the number to eight gives them a fair shot to compete should they make it that far. It would virtually mean an undefeated season, but it is quite possible.
The BCS Playoffs looks like this: the #1 team plays #8, the #2 team plays the #7, while the #3 team plays the #6 and finally the #4 team plays the #5. The highest seeded team remaining plays the lowest seeded team, and the two remaining teams play one another. The final two play in the BCS National Championship.
With those being the qualifiers, this is what I see in this alternate universe….
#1 Alabama draws #8 Penn State in a classic duel and the attempt of the Big 10 to earn some respect for their conference.
#2 Texas Tech takes on #7 Utah in the great matchup to see if indeed this non-BCS team can hang with the likes of the high scoring Big 12.
#3 Texas faces #6 USC as both 1 loss teams try to take a shot for the National Title.
#4 Florida plays #5 Oklahoma as both teams shake off early losses to try to claim the grand title.
From what I think I see in this universe, Texas Tech wins their game, as do Texas, and I think I see Florida defeating Oklahoma in a classic game. The Alabama vs. Penn State game is very cloudy, I can’t really make it out. It’s possible that there MIGHT have been an upset.
If so, then Penn State, as the lowest seeded team, would draw Texas Tech, and Florida and Texas face off. I can’t swear by that Alabama/Penn State game, but I am hearing a lot of talk about “upset” so I will just assume Penn State won.
But if so, I also see that it would be their only win, as Texas Tech defeats them and advances to the National Championship. The Florida vs. Texas game is another classic, as Florida seems to continually show us their greatness, and I just can’t see clearly enough to tell what hue of orange comes out of that game.
So Texas Tech faces the winner of Florida and Texas in what would promise to be a great game. But there is still controversy.
Boise State, ranked #9 and undefeated, is disappointed in how the NCAA has ignored them, when 3 teams out of the same conference made up almost HALF the playoffs. Even the ACC cries foul even though their best team, UNC is ranked #16 by BCS standards.
It would appear that the playoffs didn’t fully solve the matter of who was the BEST team, when undefeated teams are still left out, and the power conferences don’t all have a representative in the games. The Big East does not have a lot to argue, but they are considered a BCS conference.
It would appear that the issue of playoffs is still not resolved in this universe either…
After looking into the portal of the alternate universe and seeing how the NCAA handled the BCS Playoffs in scenario #2, I wanted to check another portal to see if there was another situation. I found one, and wanted to explain that to you.
Remember, this is a scenario of the “what ifs” in college football. In this particular portal, I see that the NCAA has adopted the playoffs as so many people cried for, but I am not sure about where the games are played, which bowls sponsor them and those kinda details, I can only see who is playing.
In the second scenario, the NCAA went with six teams, giving the top two teams a bye while the others fought it out. The higher seed played the #2 team and the lower seeded team remaining played the #1 team. In that scenario, we saw Florida vs. Texas, but this portal is slightly different.
This universe believes that not six, but EIGHT teams should be in the BCS Playoffs. The idea here was that often times the non-BCS teams don’t get to make it in the top 5, which will likely keep them out of the playoffs. To increase the number to eight gives them a fair shot to compete should they make it that far. It would virtually mean an undefeated season, but it is quite possible.
The BCS Playoffs looks like this: the #1 team plays #8, the #2 team plays the #7, while the #3 team plays the #6 and finally the #4 team plays the #5. The highest seeded team remaining plays the lowest seeded team, and the two remaining teams play one another. The final two play in the BCS National Championship.
With those being the qualifiers, this is what I see in this alternate universe….
#1 Alabama draws #8 Penn State in a classic duel and the attempt of the Big 10 to earn some respect for their conference.
#2 Texas Tech takes on #7 Utah in the great matchup to see if indeed this non-BCS team can hang with the likes of the high scoring Big 12.
#3 Texas faces #6 USC as both 1 loss teams try to take a shot for the National Title.
#4 Florida plays #5 Oklahoma as both teams shake off early losses to try to claim the grand title.
From what I think I see in this universe, Texas Tech wins their game, as do Texas, and I think I see Florida defeating Oklahoma in a classic game. The Alabama vs. Penn State game is very cloudy, I can’t really make it out. It’s possible that there MIGHT have been an upset.
If so, then Penn State, as the lowest seeded team, would draw Texas Tech, and Florida and Texas face off. I can’t swear by that Alabama/Penn State game, but I am hearing a lot of talk about “upset” so I will just assume Penn State won.
But if so, I also see that it would be their only win, as Texas Tech defeats them and advances to the National Championship. The Florida vs. Texas game is another classic, as Florida seems to continually show us their greatness, and I just can’t see clearly enough to tell what hue of orange comes out of that game.
So Texas Tech faces the winner of Florida and Texas in what would promise to be a great game. But there is still controversy.
Boise State, ranked #9 and undefeated, is disappointed in how the NCAA has ignored them, when 3 teams out of the same conference made up almost HALF the playoffs. Even the ACC cries foul even though their best team, UNC is ranked #16 by BCS standards.
It would appear that the playoffs didn’t fully solve the matter of who was the BEST team, when undefeated teams are still left out, and the power conferences don’t all have a representative in the games. The Big East does not have a lot to argue, but they are considered a BCS conference.
It would appear that the issue of playoffs is still not resolved in this universe either…
BCS Playoffs, scenario #2
BCS Playoffs: Scenario #2
If you read my blog on scenario #1, then you may understand what I am talking about. If you have not, this is just an idea of how the playoffs COULD work if there was such a thing in the FBS.
Personally for me, it does not matter, a playoff would not solve anything because of the example I am going to give in a sec, and what I mentioned in scenario #1. But let’s suppose that we could look into the portal of an identical universe, one exactly like ours except they did have the BCS Playoffs. What info could that world provide for us?
As mentioned in the first scenario, there was much talk about how many teams would compete. Immediately the idea of 32 and 16 teams were ruled out because it would be foolish to think that any team outside the top 10 has any REAL shot to compete for a National Title…otherwise they would have already BEEN in the top 10.
The idea of an 8 team playoff was strongly debated, but defeated because in the history of the NCAA, no team outside the top 5 were worthy enough to be considered as THE elite of the NCAA. But the argument of the non-BCS teams brought in the idea that it ought to be fair to try to allow at least one in, if they can manage to prove that they are amongst the best. Still, eight teams was too much, meaning the National Champion would have to play 3 extra games.
So the idea was a split, a compromise, for six teams. The BCS playoffs would have six teams, and the #1 and #2 teams would get a bye, saving them from one game. Of the remaining teams, the #3 team would play the #6 team, and the #4 team would play the #5 team. It was also decided that the lowest seed advancing would play the number one team, and the higher seeded team would play the #2.
And so we peek into this universe to see how this plays out:
Because Alabama is the number one team in the nation, and Texas Tech the number two team, both teams sit back and see whom they will play. As the #3 seed, Texas would play #6 USC and #4 Florida would play #5 Oklahoma. As far as I could see it, it appears that the Big 12 would win AND lose, but I am not quite sure which one falls and which one moves on. It looks like Texas defeats USC and Florida knocks off Oklahoma.
If that is true, then Alabama would then play Florida in order to advance to the National Championship, and Texas Tech would then play Texas. There is a lot of confusion here, because lots of fans are crying foul in that the National Championship is made up of only two conferences, and they are playing familiar foes. The lack of a new matchup brings a lot of criticism to the NCAA. Nevertheless, I see Florida vs. Texas in the National Championship, and although I can’t see the winner, I see that it is a very good game.
But the season still has great controversy, as the Big 10 cries foul for being left out of the BCS playoffs. In addition, Utah and Boise State are very disappointed in not being invited to the playoffs, even with perfect records.
Sports writers and media protest the way the NCAA has performed this playoffs, and some want more changes to allow more teams, while some want to make sure that all major conferences get a shot in the playoffs. More turmoil seems to come about even as the NCAA tries to fix this situation….
We’ll have to look at another portal to see how another world tries to solve this BCS problem…although I don’t really see a problem in what we have now. But it’s interesting to see what could play out…until next time…
If you read my blog on scenario #1, then you may understand what I am talking about. If you have not, this is just an idea of how the playoffs COULD work if there was such a thing in the FBS.
Personally for me, it does not matter, a playoff would not solve anything because of the example I am going to give in a sec, and what I mentioned in scenario #1. But let’s suppose that we could look into the portal of an identical universe, one exactly like ours except they did have the BCS Playoffs. What info could that world provide for us?
As mentioned in the first scenario, there was much talk about how many teams would compete. Immediately the idea of 32 and 16 teams were ruled out because it would be foolish to think that any team outside the top 10 has any REAL shot to compete for a National Title…otherwise they would have already BEEN in the top 10.
The idea of an 8 team playoff was strongly debated, but defeated because in the history of the NCAA, no team outside the top 5 were worthy enough to be considered as THE elite of the NCAA. But the argument of the non-BCS teams brought in the idea that it ought to be fair to try to allow at least one in, if they can manage to prove that they are amongst the best. Still, eight teams was too much, meaning the National Champion would have to play 3 extra games.
So the idea was a split, a compromise, for six teams. The BCS playoffs would have six teams, and the #1 and #2 teams would get a bye, saving them from one game. Of the remaining teams, the #3 team would play the #6 team, and the #4 team would play the #5 team. It was also decided that the lowest seed advancing would play the number one team, and the higher seeded team would play the #2.
And so we peek into this universe to see how this plays out:
Because Alabama is the number one team in the nation, and Texas Tech the number two team, both teams sit back and see whom they will play. As the #3 seed, Texas would play #6 USC and #4 Florida would play #5 Oklahoma. As far as I could see it, it appears that the Big 12 would win AND lose, but I am not quite sure which one falls and which one moves on. It looks like Texas defeats USC and Florida knocks off Oklahoma.
If that is true, then Alabama would then play Florida in order to advance to the National Championship, and Texas Tech would then play Texas. There is a lot of confusion here, because lots of fans are crying foul in that the National Championship is made up of only two conferences, and they are playing familiar foes. The lack of a new matchup brings a lot of criticism to the NCAA. Nevertheless, I see Florida vs. Texas in the National Championship, and although I can’t see the winner, I see that it is a very good game.
But the season still has great controversy, as the Big 10 cries foul for being left out of the BCS playoffs. In addition, Utah and Boise State are very disappointed in not being invited to the playoffs, even with perfect records.
Sports writers and media protest the way the NCAA has performed this playoffs, and some want more changes to allow more teams, while some want to make sure that all major conferences get a shot in the playoffs. More turmoil seems to come about even as the NCAA tries to fix this situation….
We’ll have to look at another portal to see how another world tries to solve this BCS problem…although I don’t really see a problem in what we have now. But it’s interesting to see what could play out…until next time…
ACC Football
Some love for ACC Football
It’s very interesting that only a month or so ago, many believed that the ACC was so beat up that they might only get 5 teams in post season play. When I looked at teams like Virginia and Clemson falling apart, I thought that this team of 12 would get less than half of the members into a bowl.
But things have changed quite a bit hasn’t it?
It’s interesting that lots of fans of other smaller conferences like to say that their teams could beat ANYBODY in the ACC or the Big East. I remember watching ESPN on their “Interactive Tuesday” games and read a lot of the comments people put about their non-BCS teams. Lots of people believe that their teams like Ball State, Tulsa or Utah could beat any team in the ACC.
This is because they claim that the ACC is very soft this year, and I saw this as well. But maybe we have misinterpreted that from “soft” to very competitive. Let me show you what I mean.
There are 9 bowls…NINE that have courted ACC teams. That is a heck of a lot of bids out of a conference of 12 teams. And as I said earlier, I thought that maybe 5 would get there. But at this very moment, as of November 13th, 2008, there are not five, but EIGHT teams now qualified for a bowl.
From the Atlantic division Florida State leads the way at 7-2, followed by Wake Forest and Maryland, both at 6-3. Boston College makes the fourth, also at 6-2, but with a tough conference record.
On the Coastal division, you have UNC on the top at 7-2, followed by Virginia Tech and Miami, both at 6-3, with Georgia Tech below them at 7-3 because of conference records. Eight teams now qualified for a bowl.
And get this…NO teams in the ACC are excluded. NONE.
The Big 12 can’t say that because they have 2 teams out of post season contention, and 7 teams currently eligible.
The Big East can’t say that because they have one team out of the post season, and only 5 currently eligible.
The Big 10 can’t say that because they have 3 teams out, and 6 teams currently eligible.
Conference USA can’t say that because they have 4 teams out, 3 currently eligible.
The MAC? Nope, they have SIX teams out, three teams in.
Mountain West? Two teams out, 4 teams in.
Pac-10? Two teams out, 5 teams in.
The great SEC? Nope, Tennessee is out and they have only 6 teams now eligible.
Sun Belt? Not hardly. Two teams out and only one has qualified.
And the WAC? Two teams out, two teams in.
So for all the critics who said the ACC was garbage, your proof is in the fact that this is the ONLY conference in Division IA (FBS) that had the MOST teams already eligible for bowl season, and at this moment has NO teams excluded. That makes this conference pretty competitive, doesn’t it?
I didn’t say it was the BEST, so don’t say something silly, I said they were the most competitive.
But here is something interesting…can they put MORE in post season? Let’s see:
Of the four teams in “limbo” we start with Virginia. The Cavaliers are currently 3-3 in ACC play and 5-5 overall. We know they have 2 games left, against Clemson at home and vs. Virginia Tech away. With wins over UNC and Georgia Tech, there is still a shot that Virginia COULD still take the division, but they need UNC to lose, and they need to beat Virginia Tech. I am not sure if the Richmond game they played earlier counts, if it does, then one win is all they need. If not, they need to win both games, which is pretty tough to do. But there IS a good chance for Virginia to qualify for a bowl if they can beat Clemson.
What of Duke? Sure they are 1-4 in conference, but 4-5 overall. With three games, they need two wins. But I gotta tell ya, I can’t see it. There might be a slight chance against Clemson, but playing in Death Valley won’t be good for Duke, and then to turn around and go TO Virginia Tech…nope. Then to end the season against currently ranked UNC could spell 3 losses in a row. But if they can steal ONE game, they might have a shot. A longshot, but still a shot.
I mentioned Clemson, they too still have a chance, even at 4-5. They too have 3 games remaining, first at home vs. Duke. Even in difficulty, I can still see Clemson beating Duke, but it is not automatic. If they can beat the Blue Devils, then they would be 5-5, needing one more win. Their last two games are against Virginia and a home stand against South Carolina. It’s not out the realm of possibility for Clemson to win 2 games, but I really don’t see it. It’s just a tough road.
And then there is NC State, who is actually the closest team to being knocked out of post season. At 3-6, any loss will finish them off. It’s actually amazing that a team that logs on so few miles the entire season can play so poorly. Have you seen their schedule?
Of their 9 games, FIVE have been home in North Carolina. Of the four away games, one was in Durham, and TWO was in South Carolina! Up to now the only time NC State has left the Carolinas was when they played Maryland. And yet, only 3 wins?
Of their last 3 games, get this…they STAY at home to play ranked Wake Forest, and then have an away game to Chapel Hill. It’s quite possible that the Wolfpack may have logged the fewest miles in the nation before their big trip to Miami to finish the season. But regardless of how you slice it, if they lose ONE game, their season is over. I see no way they can get through playing 2 ranked teams and then making a trip completely out of their comfort zone to end the season, knowing by then that it’s just a game.
So of the four teams in the ACC trying to make a bowl, mathematically there is still hope for NC State, but maybe a 1% chance to win 3 games in a row. Duke has maybe a 3% chance because they need two wins instead of 3. Clemson has maybe a 10% chance because they are playing 2 teams with a losing record, and is it possible they could beat them both. But if they cannot, the won’t beat South Carolina. And for Virginia, they need only one win (if Richmond counts) so I give them a 25% chance.
So show some love for the ACC guys, there is a slight chance that they can do something probably never done…put ALL teams in post season….ok stop laughing, I know it’s highly unlikely… but as of this moment, no other conference can say that…
Can they? I didn’t think so.
It’s very interesting that only a month or so ago, many believed that the ACC was so beat up that they might only get 5 teams in post season play. When I looked at teams like Virginia and Clemson falling apart, I thought that this team of 12 would get less than half of the members into a bowl.
But things have changed quite a bit hasn’t it?
It’s interesting that lots of fans of other smaller conferences like to say that their teams could beat ANYBODY in the ACC or the Big East. I remember watching ESPN on their “Interactive Tuesday” games and read a lot of the comments people put about their non-BCS teams. Lots of people believe that their teams like Ball State, Tulsa or Utah could beat any team in the ACC.
This is because they claim that the ACC is very soft this year, and I saw this as well. But maybe we have misinterpreted that from “soft” to very competitive. Let me show you what I mean.
There are 9 bowls…NINE that have courted ACC teams. That is a heck of a lot of bids out of a conference of 12 teams. And as I said earlier, I thought that maybe 5 would get there. But at this very moment, as of November 13th, 2008, there are not five, but EIGHT teams now qualified for a bowl.
From the Atlantic division Florida State leads the way at 7-2, followed by Wake Forest and Maryland, both at 6-3. Boston College makes the fourth, also at 6-2, but with a tough conference record.
On the Coastal division, you have UNC on the top at 7-2, followed by Virginia Tech and Miami, both at 6-3, with Georgia Tech below them at 7-3 because of conference records. Eight teams now qualified for a bowl.
And get this…NO teams in the ACC are excluded. NONE.
The Big 12 can’t say that because they have 2 teams out of post season contention, and 7 teams currently eligible.
The Big East can’t say that because they have one team out of the post season, and only 5 currently eligible.
The Big 10 can’t say that because they have 3 teams out, and 6 teams currently eligible.
Conference USA can’t say that because they have 4 teams out, 3 currently eligible.
The MAC? Nope, they have SIX teams out, three teams in.
Mountain West? Two teams out, 4 teams in.
Pac-10? Two teams out, 5 teams in.
The great SEC? Nope, Tennessee is out and they have only 6 teams now eligible.
Sun Belt? Not hardly. Two teams out and only one has qualified.
And the WAC? Two teams out, two teams in.
So for all the critics who said the ACC was garbage, your proof is in the fact that this is the ONLY conference in Division IA (FBS) that had the MOST teams already eligible for bowl season, and at this moment has NO teams excluded. That makes this conference pretty competitive, doesn’t it?
I didn’t say it was the BEST, so don’t say something silly, I said they were the most competitive.
But here is something interesting…can they put MORE in post season? Let’s see:
Of the four teams in “limbo” we start with Virginia. The Cavaliers are currently 3-3 in ACC play and 5-5 overall. We know they have 2 games left, against Clemson at home and vs. Virginia Tech away. With wins over UNC and Georgia Tech, there is still a shot that Virginia COULD still take the division, but they need UNC to lose, and they need to beat Virginia Tech. I am not sure if the Richmond game they played earlier counts, if it does, then one win is all they need. If not, they need to win both games, which is pretty tough to do. But there IS a good chance for Virginia to qualify for a bowl if they can beat Clemson.
What of Duke? Sure they are 1-4 in conference, but 4-5 overall. With three games, they need two wins. But I gotta tell ya, I can’t see it. There might be a slight chance against Clemson, but playing in Death Valley won’t be good for Duke, and then to turn around and go TO Virginia Tech…nope. Then to end the season against currently ranked UNC could spell 3 losses in a row. But if they can steal ONE game, they might have a shot. A longshot, but still a shot.
I mentioned Clemson, they too still have a chance, even at 4-5. They too have 3 games remaining, first at home vs. Duke. Even in difficulty, I can still see Clemson beating Duke, but it is not automatic. If they can beat the Blue Devils, then they would be 5-5, needing one more win. Their last two games are against Virginia and a home stand against South Carolina. It’s not out the realm of possibility for Clemson to win 2 games, but I really don’t see it. It’s just a tough road.
And then there is NC State, who is actually the closest team to being knocked out of post season. At 3-6, any loss will finish them off. It’s actually amazing that a team that logs on so few miles the entire season can play so poorly. Have you seen their schedule?
Of their 9 games, FIVE have been home in North Carolina. Of the four away games, one was in Durham, and TWO was in South Carolina! Up to now the only time NC State has left the Carolinas was when they played Maryland. And yet, only 3 wins?
Of their last 3 games, get this…they STAY at home to play ranked Wake Forest, and then have an away game to Chapel Hill. It’s quite possible that the Wolfpack may have logged the fewest miles in the nation before their big trip to Miami to finish the season. But regardless of how you slice it, if they lose ONE game, their season is over. I see no way they can get through playing 2 ranked teams and then making a trip completely out of their comfort zone to end the season, knowing by then that it’s just a game.
So of the four teams in the ACC trying to make a bowl, mathematically there is still hope for NC State, but maybe a 1% chance to win 3 games in a row. Duke has maybe a 3% chance because they need two wins instead of 3. Clemson has maybe a 10% chance because they are playing 2 teams with a losing record, and is it possible they could beat them both. But if they cannot, the won’t beat South Carolina. And for Virginia, they need only one win (if Richmond counts) so I give them a 25% chance.
So show some love for the ACC guys, there is a slight chance that they can do something probably never done…put ALL teams in post season….ok stop laughing, I know it’s highly unlikely… but as of this moment, no other conference can say that…
Can they? I didn’t think so.
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