Hogan Made Wrestling

The USC fanboys here are getting more and more Dama-like and delusional by the day.

This is the least appealing prediction in my opinion. 2 rematches would completely blow. The USC-Notre Dame rematch prediction is largely due to the lack of other appealing at-large choices for the Rose Bowl. Maybe if Florida ends up as an at-large over WVU they could fit there (bigtime program with a large fanbase), but I don't see the Rose picking WVU or Boise State just for a fresh match when Notre Dame is much more of a "money team". If the 2 team/conference limit didn't exist then I'd definitely slot Wisconsin into that game and I bet they would too (bumping Notre Dame to the Sugar Bowl and WVU out of the BCS). A similar problem will likely arise if USC beats Notre Dame and passes Michigan but ND doesn't fall too far down in the BCS. Michigan would obviously end up in the Rose Bowl, and if Notre Dame is eligible I can see them getting selected even with 2 losses including one to Michigan, because it's the best matchup financially. No offense to the Big East teams who I have more respect for than most but I just don't see them getting a ton of respect from the Rose Bowl committee in terms being a big at-large draw, even if it's a fresher matchup.

Yes, fuck a system that doesn't favor losing to a jobber from the Pac-10 over losing to the undisputed #1 team in the country a couple of weeks later into the season!

Since we are on the subject of BCS bids, here's my guess (partially forecasting the rest of the season): BCS: Ohio State vs. Michigan Fiesta: Texas vs. Boise State Rose: USC vs. Notre Dame Orange: Georgia Tech vs. Louisville Sugar: Arkansas vs. West Virginia Key results: -Notre Dame will beat USC next week. The game will be close, so the Rose Bowl will pick Notre Dame as an at-large due to rematch interest, prestige, and fanbase. -Georgia Tech will beat Maryland/Wake Forest/BC in the ACC title game. -West Virginia will beat Rutgers, giving Louisville the Big East title. They will get an at-large bid by virtue of finishing 4th in the BCS. -Arkansas will beat Florida for the SEC title, but lose to LSU beforehand, removing themselves from title game consideration. -Texas beats whoever in the Big 12 title game, BSU finishes undefeated.

There's a rule that says each conference can only send a maximum of 2 teams to the BCS. So Wisconsin is in the Corporate Whore Bowl no matter what happens at this point.

I can't believe I'm going to be cheering for *shudder* Notre Dame next weekend.

That could be all kinds of awesome, in a good way or a bad way. The Ol' Ball Coach running the nation's cockiest program would make the rest of the country hate them even more than before.

That was a crazy good play by that Rutgers linebacker on the goal line. Still Cincy is now up 20-3. Props to Cabbageboy on calling this one.

With Virginia Tech currently spanking Wake Forest and Boston College beating Maryland earlier today, anyone want to make sense of the ACC title picture for me? Thanks in advance. Anyone else think that the Coliseum is pretty unintimidating tonight? The crowd doesn't seem to be all that into the game and Cal is just doing their thing.

This is really the way I'm feeling right now. Assuming Rutgers doesn't go undefeated, we have already watched the national championship game. But that's academic because I don't think any team outside of Michigan has a chance of beating Ohio State.

People keep wanting to say stuff like "if not for the turnovers..." but since when are turnovers not an important part of the game? It would be just as easy to say "if not for one or two missed tackles on those big runs..." but I'm not going to say that. OSU won a game that was never more than 14 points apart. Michigan was an onside kick away from having real shot at tying or winning the game. How is that not close?

Exactly. Everything about a re-match barring the other 4 teams all dropping another game is ridiculous. Put away all the over analyzed breakdowns. Explain how it's logical to re-do a game where the outcome wasn't in doubt. There was no constroversy to justify the re-match. If they couldn't beat them the first time with all that pressure and hype, how the hell would they manage with six more weeks of hype and pressure. Besides, OSU shouldn't have kept the game that close. A rematch would be an ugly blowout. It'll be an ugly blowout against the other three teams in question but it'd least be fresher. I don't see how an argument for Notre Dame over Michigan can possibly be supported. With Florida/Arkansas or USC, yeah there are arguments that can be made either way. But Notre Dame got destroyed by Michigan on their own field in a definitive game.

Yes, let's have a team that lost to an unranked team play for a national title. Yes, let's have a team that lost 50-14 in its opening game play for a national title. Yes, let's have a team that lost by 26 at home to the loser of today's game play for a national title. Yes, let's have a team that scheduled nothing teams for its OOC games play for a national title. You can do this all day, which is why there can't be absolute "rules" as to what eliminates a team from the title game and what doesn't. At this point, Rutgers is the only team who you really can't say anything too negative about (their OOC isn't great, but it's not embarassing) and if they go undefeated they should be there.

Oh well, I'm disappointed, but happy to have watched a classic game.

That last OSU touchdown could be a killer. Michigan had the momentum going until then.

HERE WE GO!!!

28-21, this is nowhere close to over.

GO BLUE!!!! 7-0

ABC's pregame montage for The Game was pretty awesome.

In 2003 I went to see Radiohead. REM played the night before but I didn't get tickets to that, which I regret.

1. Where exactly is the "corruption" here? I disagree with the voters who ranked WVU ahead of Louisville, but it's not like they have some kind of agenda in doing so. The "power ranking" type aspect of poll votes is hardly anything new. 2. What does it matter? If Louisville wins the Big East, they play in a BCS game regardless of where they are ranked. If they don't, they likely arn't playing in one. They almost certainly won't get picked for an at-large berth with OSU/Michigan, Notre Dame, and Boise State likely to take 3 of the the 4. And they arn't going to play in the title game regardless of what happens so their ranking is irrelevant in that respect.

I can't believe I'm going to defend the Badgers, but at what point does Wisconsin move into or around the top 10? They have a respectable loss to Michigan and the only other blip on their record is a close call against Illinois. They are lacking in quality wins but they have at least taken care of business.

Boise State losing to San Jose State 6-7 at halftime. A BSU loss here would benefit all these teams who seem to be trying to lose their way out of hte BCS.

What's the point in going off on a rant over the rankings of two teams who don't have a shot at the championship game? If Louisville had gotten their shit together this week they wouldn't have to worry about where they will end up ranked among the pretenders. And they arn't going to play in a BCS game anyway unless they win the Big East so their ranking isn't really all that important at this point.

With every game played this week, Michigan vs. Ohio State in the BCS championship game becomes closer and closer to being a reality. At this point, there are probably 7 teams that can realistically have a shot at the title game: OSU, Michigan, Florida, Texas, USC, Rutgers, and Arkansas. I'm leaving out Notre Dame because it would be a joke if they passed a 1-loss UM team that killed them on their home field earlier in the season.