This Week in College Football 11/7 - 11/10

[2GOLD 0]

If Texas and USC go down tonight, the resume for Rutgers gets so much better looking. If they take care of business, they might have the best claim for the big game.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

(hangs self)

 

I've got 2004 season flashbacks. Whoever plays us in a bowl had best be worried as we limp our way to a couple of wins to close out the season. We'll have time to heal up. SEC Champion Arkansas might actually go down with this weird-ass streetball offense. My favorite remains Nevada's offense.

 

Florida State is completely impotent. I hope I get USC/Oregon in some form.

 

At least you beat me in the pickem for the first time ever. By tiebreak.

[Urban Warfare 0]

Texas is not done yet, within 7 with 10 minutes to go in the fourth.

[naiwf 0]

This week Louisville, Auburn and Cal have already lost. Texas is close, but even if they pull this one off I still see Florida, Texas & USC losing games between right now and the end of the year. The rest of the SEC is trash, and Rutgers will probably lose to WVU. At this rate it'll either be OSU or Michigan vs Notre Dame if they beat USC or there will be some 2 loss team bitching that they didn't get a shot when they finish 3rd in the BCS.

 

As long as OSU/Michigan isn't a blowout they should get the rematch since no one else is remotely impressive this year.

[Bored 0]

Thank God we won't have to worry about an Ohio State/Texas rematch anymore.

 

If USC wins, this is my not so educated guess as to what the BCS Top 10 will look like tommorrow:

 

1. Ohio State

2. Michigan

3. Florida

4. USC

5. Notre Dame

6. Rutgers

7. Arkansas

8. Louisville

9. West Virginia

10. LSU

[Slayer 0]

I just got home to catch the end of the Texas/KSU game.

 

Fucking awesome. I would put this as one of the three biggest wins I've ever seen in my time as a KSU fan.

[Secret Agent 0]

Thank God we won't have to worry about an Ohio State/Texas rematch anymore.

 

If USC wins, this is my not so educated guess as to what the BCS Top 10 will look like tommorrow:

 

1. Ohio State

2. Michigan

3. Florida

4. USC

5. Notre Dame

6. Rutgers

7. Arkansas

8. Louisville

9. West Virginia

10. LSU

 

Where is Oklahoma at in this list? This is where getting fucking hosed by the refs in Oregon is causing problems. OU is a 1 loss team if you make the obvious, correct call. Everyone knows it!

[cabbageboy 0]

Slayer I am happy for KSU too since that does nothing but help U of L's SOS. For all those Big East haters I have to mention U of L owned KSU in Manhattan without Bush or Brohm.

 

I just really, really hope U of L can stay ahead of WVU. That's the key. Since if they take out Rutgers and we win out, it's very likely U of L can stay atop the BCS from the Big East.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

Hi Dama!

[Secret Agent 0]

I'm serious! OU should be no lower than 9.

[razazteca 0]

OU is going to have to win the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship to make it into the top ten.

[Slayer 0]

For all those Big East haters I have to mention U of L owned KSU in Manhattan without Bush or Brohm.

*still hates on you*

[teke184 0]

Quick breakdown:

 

Likely automatic bids-

 

ACC: Wake Forest? Boston College?

Big East: Rutgers or Louisville (if a three-way tie at 11-1)

Big Ten: Ohio State / Michigan winner

Big 12: Texas?

Pac 10: USC

SEC: Arkansas / Florida winner (Arkansas clinches an SEC Title Game bid if they beat Mississippi State or LSU)

 

 

 

 

There are now 4 At Large bids.

 

A team finishing in the Top 4 is guaranteed one of these bids.

 

Notre Dame, if their record is at least 9-3, qualifies for one of these bids.

 

A Mid-Major team (Boise State) qualifies if they finish in the Top 12 or they finish better than the worst Automatic Bid recipient (currently projected as the ACC winner at roughly #18).

 

No conference can have more than one team gain an At Large bid. (I call this the Texas rule, as Texas went to the Holiday Bowl in 2003 when K State got the automatic bid and Oklahoma State went to the Sugar Bowl for the title game)

 

 

Potential At-Large bids:

 

Big Ten: Ohio State / Michigan loser, Wisconsin?

Independent: Notre Dame

WAC: Boise State

Big East: Louisville, West Virginia, Rutgers?

SEC: LSU (Arkansas can clinch the SEC West with a win over Mississippi State, so even a loss to LSU won't hurt them.)

 

The ACC and Big 12 currently have no teams that would qualify for an At Large bid.

 

 

The politics in this would become interesting depending on who goes where.

 

The Fiesta is contractually obligated to take the Big 12 champion. Also, as last choice, they'll assuredly be stuck with Boise State.

 

The Rose Bowl is contractually obligated to take the Pac 10 champ and will likely take the Ohio State / Michigan loser to have their traditional Big Ten / Pac Ten game. Notre Dame is another possibility, should they pass on the Big Ten runner-up.

 

The Sugar Bowl is contractually obligated to take the SEC champion. If Florida goes to the title game, LSU gets this bid instead. (That assumes a 10-2 LSU with a victory over Arkansas) If Arkansas goes to the title game, Florida could possibly get this bid as an At Large. The second team will be most likely the Big East champion or Notre Dame.

 

The Orange Bowl is contractually obligated to take the ACC champion. Their other team could be the Big East champion, Notre Dame, or LSU. (If they take a Big East team as an At Large, it would likely be West Virginia because they travel better than Louisville or Rutgers.)

 

 

 

Anyone have any comments?

[Art Sandusky 0]

Did anyone else catch that ungodly long replay review during the Oregon/USC game? I'm rooting for Oregon so we have yet another team falling that totally fucks up the works. That and Oregon looks so good doing what they do.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

USC wins. Now they just need Florida and Michigan to lose, and they're back in it... provided they don't trip up from now to the end of the season.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I think both of those will happen, and we get USC/Ohio State if USC runs the rest of the table.

 

So hey, why not Wake Forest/Ohio State if Wake wins all the way through the ACC Championship? The ACC has more cred than the Big East even if Rutgers goes undefeated, so why not send their champion since no other conference could offer a better team? Keep in mind that these others losing would let West Virginia move up to an automatic at-large bid. This season is nuts.

[teke184 0]

I just took another look at the final scores for this week.

 

Wake 30, Florida State 0.

 

 

If Bobby doesn't fire his kid at the end of the season and hire a REAL offensive coordinator, we'll be hearing a LOT of "put him out to pasture" talk around Tallahassee.

[lomasmoney 0]

This whole fucking thing stinks...I am convinced that a Michigan-Ohio State rematch is in order, for the sole fact that if that game is close, the loser can say they lost to the legit #1 team in the nation, and that was it. Everyone else has some absurd loss on their resume. Provided Rutgers loses to West Virginia, you have something like this, USC lost to Oregon State, Florida lost to Auburn( who lost to a down Georgia team), Arkansas got smashed by USC, USC/Notre Dame lost the Notre Dame/USC, and Notre Dame has played shit this season outside of Michigan. Texas is done with two losses. All the Big East teams are fucked because they all beat each other. Any team out of the ACC should not be considered for the national title. It's not any indictment against any of these teams, it just gives more evidence that some sort of multi team playoff is needed. Why should Michigan or Ohio State be punished for losing to the best team in the nation in November moreso than USC would be for losing to Oregon State, Florida for losing to Auburn, or god forbid....Notre Dame getting smashed at home by Michigan in September

[iggymcfly 0]

OK, here's my new Top 25:

 

(Previous week's ranking in parenthesis)

1. Ohio State 11-0 (1)

2. Michigan 11-0 (2)

3. Florida 9-1 (3)

4. Rutgers 9-0 (12)

5. USC 8-1 (14)

6. Arkansas 9-1 (15)

7. LSU 8-2 (7)

8. Notre Dame 9-1 (9)

9. Louisville 8-1 (4)

10. West Virginia 8-1 (10)

11. Boise State 10-0 (13)

12. Texas 9-2 (5)

13. Oklahoma 8-2 (16)

14. Auburn 9-2 (6)

15. Wake Forest 9-1 (19)

16. Wisconsin 10-1 (17)

17. California 8-2 (8)

18. Georgia Tech 8-2 (18)

19. Maryland 8-2 (20)

20. Tennessee 7-3 (11)

21. Boston College 8-2 (22)

22. Nebraska 8-3 (NR)

23. Virginia Tech 8-2 (24)

24. Clemson 8-3 (25)

25. Brigham Young 8-2 (NR)

 

Close: Hawaii, Penn State, Georgia, Oregon

 

Couldn't bear to put Texas A&M or Oregon State in the last close spot this week, so there's only 29 teams with any kind of official ranking, although they'd be kinda close, along with Oklahoma State.

 

As for all the "OMG, the BCS has gone crazy!" stuff, I think everyone needs to chill out. If Auburn, Texas, and Cal had all won, then Florida would probably still be #3 in the BCS this week. They're the challenger for the OSU/Michigan winner until anyone proves different. The only really tough game left on their schedule now is the SEC championship which looks like it will almost certainly be against Arkansas.

 

Also, Rutgers will be ranked no lower than #4 in the BCS rankings next week since the computers love them, and the pollsters will put them ahead of all the one-loss teams that just got dropped this week. I didn't look at all the computer rankings, but the official Sagarin ratings taken by the BCS just moved them ahead of Ohio State at #2. If they win out, they will almost certainly face the Ohio State/Michigan winner in the championship.

 

Basically, here's how it breaks down for the championship right now with my convenient tier format:

 

Tier 1: (win out and you're in, lose and you've got a shot)

Ohio State, Michigan

 

Tier 2: (win out and you're almost certainly in, lose and you've got no shot)

Rutgers

 

Tier 3: (win out and you're probably in)

Florida, Arkansas

 

Tier 4: (you've still got a shot, but you need lots of help)

USC, Notre Dame

[dh86 0]

This whole fucking thing stinks...I am convinced that a Michigan-Ohio State rematch is in order, for the sole fact that if that game is close, the loser can say they lost to the legit #1 team in the nation, and that was it. Everyone else has some absurd loss on their resume. Provided Rutgers loses to West Virginia, you have something like this, USC lost to Oregon State, Florida lost to Auburn( who lost to a down Georgia team), Arkansas got smashed by USC, USC/Notre Dame lost the Notre Dame/USC, and Notre Dame has played shit this season outside of Michigan. Texas is done with two losses. All the Big East teams are fucked because they all beat each other. Any team out of the ACC should not be considered for the national title. It's not any indictment against any of these teams, it just gives more evidence that some sort of multi team playoff is needed. Why should Michigan or Ohio State be punished for losing to the best team in the nation in November moreso than USC would be for losing to Oregon State, Florida for losing to Auburn, or god forbid....Notre Dame getting smashed at home by Michigan in September

 

I have been trying that to say over and over...and there is virtually no chance of a blowout next week in Columbus so to me....an undefeated Rutgers or maybe a 1 loss SEC champion could stake a claim maybe....after last night...Arkansas really looks to have a better resume than Florida does particularly with the Razors being undefeated in conference play...USC now has and Cal left but now that Cal game is diluted a little and they are the only team out of the 1 loss teams to have lost to a fringe bowl team...Notre Dame,Wisconsin,Wake Forest,West Virginia I think are all in the same boat in not deserving any consideration....but in any case im confident in a Michigan win in six days...our edge on both lines will be the difference

[iggymcfly 0]

I'd agree that a one-loss Notre Dame, WVU, Louisville, or Wisconsin team should be left out in favor of the UM/OSU loser. If Rutgers ends up undefeated though, or if USC, Arkansas, or Florida gets through the season with one loss, they deserve a shot.

 

As dominant as OSU and Michigan have been this year, they really haven't faced the toughest competition. Texas is the only ranked team that Ohio State's faced all season, and they looked very vulnerable against Kansas State last night. Michigan's resume is a little better with the two big wins over ND and Wisconsin, but I still wouldn't put them ahead of a Florida squad that beat Tenn, LSU, UGA, and Arkansas or a USC team that beat Arkansas, Oregon, Cal, and Notre Dame.

[dh86 0]

I'd agree that a one-loss Notre Dame, WVU, Louisville, or Wisconsin team should be left out in favor of the UM/OSU loser. If Rutgers ends up undefeated though, or if USC, Arkansas, or Florida gets through the season with one loss, they deserve a shot.

 

As dominant as OSU and Michigan have been this year, they really haven't faced the toughest competition. Texas is the only ranked team that Ohio State's faced all season, and they looked very vulnerable against Kansas State last night. Michigan's resume is a little better with the two big wins over ND and Wisconsin, but I still wouldn't put them ahead of a Florida squad that beat Tenn, LSU, UGA, and Arkansas or a USC team that beat Arkansas, Oregon, Cal, and Notre Dame.

 

when you say ranked..do you mean a team that was ranked when the game was played or ranked today?

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

It wouldn't really matter. Ohio State is probably going to be the national champions when it's all said and done.

[iggymcfly 0]

Ranked today. It's not like Iowa was good early in the season; they were just overrated as shit.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Let's say Florida loses another game. Michigan loses to Ohio St. Notre Dame wins their last two games. Could Notre Dame move ahead of Michigan in the BCS?

[iggymcfly 0]

They could and probably would. It wouldn't be fair, but the pollsters would artificially inflate the Irish's ranking just to avoid a repeat in the championship and since the computers can't see margin of victory, they'd probably be pretty split.

 

 

In order for an OSU/Michigan rematch to happen, we'd probably need all of the following:

 

1. West Virginia beats Rutgers

2. LSU beats Arkansas

3. Arkansas beats Florida

4. Cal beats USC

5. USC beats Notre Dame

 

 

If Michigan loses on a last-second FG or something, they could make the title game over a one-loss ND team, but they still aren't getting in over a 1-loss Florida, Arkansas, or USC.

[naiwf 0]

I'm guessing this week's BCS looks something like this.

 

1. OSU

2. Michigan

3. Florida

4. USC/Rutgers

5. USC/Rutgers

6. Notre Dame

 

If Florida loses, they're done.

 

A Notre Dame 2-0 finish eliminates USC naturally.

 

If Michigan gets blown out by OSU, the human polls will drop them well behind Notre Dame, so it comes down to Rutgers beating WVU to see whether ND or Rutgers gets the # 2 spot in the final BCS standings in that scenario.

[cabbageboy 0]

You guys are still horribly overrating Rutgers. I mean Rutgers going undefeated? They're more likely to get smashed by WVU 35-14 to end the season and maybe lose to Cincy to finish 10-2 than they are to go 12-0. And even in the new BCS poll I can't see Rutgers moving up to anywhere beyond #7. I can't see them passing Florida, USC, or Notre Dame. In fact the Big East may well have the 7, 8, and 9 spots unless Arkansas moves up into the top 10.

[naiwf 0]

Rutgers will gain more points in the human polls than either Florida, USC or Notre Dame can based on where those teams were ranked last week. As such, they will move up a lot more than those teams. No one has them ahead of Florida in the BCS, but they will be right there with USC and Notre Dame.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

I think USC would beat Notre Dame anyways. Their biggest threat in the final three games would be Cal.