This Week in College Football 11/30 - 12/2

[Bored 0]

Network/Basic Cable Schedule

 

THURSDAY

MAC Championship: Central Michigan vs. Ohio, 7:30/4:30 PM, ESPN

 

FRIDAY

C-USA Championship: Southern Miss vs. Houston, 8:00/5:00 PM, ESPN2

 

SATURDAY

Connecticut at #6 Louisville, Noon/9:00 AM, ESPN

ACC Championship: #17 Wake Forest vs. #22 Georgia Tech, 1:00 PM/10:00 AM, ABC

 

Army vs. Navy, 2:30 PM/11:30 AM, CBS

Stanford at #18 California, 3:00 PM/Noon, FSN

#2 USC at UCLA, 4:30/1:30 PM, ABC

 

SEC Championship: #9 Arkansas vs. #4 Florida, 6:00/3:00 PM, CBS

#13 Rutgers at #15 West Virginia, 7:45/4:45 PM, ESPN

Big XII Championship: #20 Nebraska vs. #12 Oklahoma, 8:00/5:00 PM, ABC

 

#24 Oregon State at #25 Hawaii, Midnight/9:00 PM, ESPN

 

Other Cable TV Schedule

 

SATURDAY

Air Force at TCU, 3:30/12:30 PM, CSTV

 

All Other D-IA Games

 

SATURDAY

Louisana Tech at New Mexico State

Fresno State at San Jose State

Louisana-Monroe at Louisana-Lafayette

Troy at Florida International

Colorado State at San Diego State

[CanadianChris 0]

Sucks that I have to miss the Army-Navy game this year. It's always the most enjoyable game of the year for me, even if it's not particularly close.

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Sucks that I have to miss the Army-Navy game this year. It's always the most enjoyable game of the year for me, even if it's not particularly close.

 

I'll be there

[Black Lushus 0]

Nebraska is going to get rocked...they really wanted Texas again in that Big 12 game. Even if they do win, they're not in the same league as some of the upper echelon BCS teams, they'd get creamed in the Fiesta Bowl.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I think Nebraska would have a good shot vs. Boise. But, I also think they'll have a very tough time beating OU.

 

Games I really like this week since I've rocked at college picks this year:

 

Hawaii (-7.5... hoping for 7 soon) over Oregon State.

Central Michigan (-2) over Ohio.

OU (-4) over Nebraska.

Slight play on Wake (+2.5) over Georgia Tech. Just because of Reggie Ball. I have Dama-like hate for him.

[Slayer 0]

If OU wins the Big 12 title this year, they'll continue their pattern of winning it every even year this decade

[Black Lushus 0]

let's just be thankful Dama is no longer around...

[CanadianChris 0]

let's just be thankful Dama is no longer around...

Some people are hopeful they can one day be thankful Dama is no longer around...

[Guest Princess Leena]

He's actually behaving at DVDVR. Outside of the USC hate.

[CanadianChris 0]

Maybe so, but the USC hate would have gotten him banned here this season anyway, even if the Oregon game never happened. I can't even imagine the flamefests he'd be having right now with Spicy and 909, among others. There's no one there to really goad him, from what I can see, which is a pretty good thing for him.

[Guest Princess Leena]

Oh, definitely. That stretch a couple weeks ago was bad enough as it was.

[cabbageboy 0]

Why exactly hate USC to that degree? They've been a great team the past few years, I don't think they've screwed people out of a BCS bid, etc.

 

I can see hating Notre Dame for the ludicrous bias they get from the BCS and TV networks. I can see disliking Texas a bit as well for using the good old boys network in the Coaches Poll to sneak higher in the polls than they deserve.

 

What has USC done that is so bad?

[iggymcfly 0]

Be on the verge of getting voted into the national championship game over more deserving Michigan and Florida teams on the basis of national reputation alone. I'm not going to be pissed off now about something that Mack Brown did two years ago, but I will be pissed about the team that's unjustly getting into the title game this year.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

Be on the verge of getting voted into the national championship game over more deserving Michigan and Florida teams on the basis of name recognition alone. I'm not going to be pissed off now about something that Mack Brown did two years ago, but I will be pissed about the team that's unjustly getting into the title game this year.

 

Wait, why are Michigan and Florida more deserving? USC played a tougher schedule and arguably played in a tougher conference. Is their still a question that they are the second best team in the country?

[Slayer 0]

let's just be thankful Dama is no longer around...

I can pick up the nonsensical rambling flames, if people are feeling that sullen over his absence

[iggymcfly 0]

The bottom of their schedule was tougher, as in Stanford was better than Western Carolina and Washington was better than Vanderbilt. However, the top performances against good competition clearly favor Florida over USC, and Michigan over either one.

 

Here's something I wrote on 2+2 comparing USC's resume to Florida's and I think we can all agree that Michigan's a better team than Florida is right now:

 

"Actually, it's too close to say confidently either way, but I think when you look at their entire resumes this year, Florida deserves a title shot more than USC.

 

Their big road win (over Tennessee with Ainge completely healthy) was better than USC's big road win (over Arkansas with McFadden getting 9 carries and no QB). Remember, Arkansas just wasn't that good at the beginning of the year as if Vandy and Alabama could kick FGs, the Hogs would have started 1-3.

 

Their big home win (by 13 over LSU getting the benefit of a lot of turnovers) was better than USC's big home win (by 20 over Notre Dame getting the benefit of a lot of missed 4th down conversions). I don't think anyone would argue that ND's as good as LSU right now. If they played, I'd give it to the Tigers by at least two touchdowns.

 

And Florida's loss was nowhere near as bad as USC's was. For all the talk about Auburn being overrated, they went 10-2 in the SEC. Oregon State went 8-4, and lost to Boise State and Cal by 4 TDs each. More recently, they gave the most anemic offensive performance I've seen from a Top 30 team in a loss to UCLA.

 

If we're looking one more game down, I'd say a neutral site win over Arkansas in the SEC championship, the way they're playing now, with McFadden and Jones pounding the ball for 200 yards a game would be better than a home win over Cal, no matter what the score.

 

Both teams had close calls against low-to-mid-level opposition whether it's South Carolina and Florida State or Washington and Washington State, and I really could care less if Stanford's better than Western Carolina. At the top of the schedule, Florida accomplished more than USC and thus deserves to be in the championship game over the Trojans.

 

Now why did I spent six paragraphs arguing who the #3 team in the country is? I have no idea. I will say without hesitation that Michigan deserves to be #2 over either USC or Florida. That's an argument I'll save for another time though."

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Dama hates USC because:

 

1. They play in Los Angeles. They get the celebrities and the bandwagon fans. That's a no-no to Dama. Plus he hates the city.

 

2. ESPN constantly gives them verbal blowjobs, which Dama hates. He cites guys like Mark May and others who'd claim USC would be undefeated forever and ever, or that kind of nonsense.

 

3. Their cockiness. He hates guys like Carson Palmer who said that it sickened him to think an OU player could win the Heisman or Matt Leinart who claimed USC was still the better team, right after losing to Texas in the Rose Bowl.

 

4. The ESPN verbal blowjobs.

 

5. The people who listen to ESPN and takes their word as gospel, therefore THEY give USC verbal blowjobs.

 

That's the basis of it.

[Hawk 34 0]

Dama must have missed the OU blowjobs the year before USC got their turn in line.

[Guest Princess Leena]

It's mostly because Dama hates the way Cali people are. Usually rich and arrogant.

 

ESPN doesn't really hype USC much. They hype their players, because they're usually the best in the nation. Now, if ESPN had Pac-10 games, that probably goes out the window.

[Bored 0]

All MAC invites went out today, making the title game irrelevent, including Ohio going to the GMAC Bowl which is their first bowl since the 1968 Tangerine Bowl.

 

All Pac-10 invites went out as well with the only surprise being UCLA to the Emerald Bowl instead of Arizona State even though UCLA still needs to upset USC to get to 7 wins. Arizona and Washington State are officially now staying home for the bowl season.

[Slayer 0]

Dama must have missed the OU blowjobs the year before USC got their turn in line.

Not to turn to Dama Jr here, but I don't believe OU ever got any... love (I know we're all latent homosexuals here, but do we have to keep making fellatic references vis-a-vis the sports media?) during their big run earlier this decade. When they won the title in '00, the sports media was pretty much "meh" and for the next few years, as far as the sports media was concerned, the Big XII was still just Nebraska and Texas.

 

To be fair though, I dunno where the whole "ESPN loves USC" thing comes from, especially considering ESPN's longtime noteriety for ignoring most of the goings on in the Pac-10 because it's "way the hell over there"

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Dama must have missed the OU blowjobs the year before USC got their turn in line.

Not to turn to Dama Jr here, but I don't believe OU ever got any... love (I know we're all latent homosexuals here, but do we have to keep making fellatic references vis-a-vis the sports media?) during their big run earlier this decade. When they won the title in '00, the sports media was pretty much "meh" and for the next few years, as far as the sports media was concerned, the Big XII was still just Nebraska and Texas.

 

To be fair though, I dunno where the whole "ESPN loves USC" thing comes from, especially considering ESPN's longtime noteriety for ignoring most of the goings on in the Pac-10 because it's "way the hell over there"

 

Last year leading up to the Rose Bowl they had a series where they compared the 2005 USC squad to the collegiate greats of all time, and each of the "experts" picked '05 USC each time execpt one, I think it was '02 Ohio State. Plus, their unhealthy addiction to Reggie Bush, including the "Race for Reggie Bush," weekly comparisons of the NFL teams with the worst records. Thier draft coverage was awful as well: I recall them treating Mario Williams, the #1 OVERALL PICK, like an afterthought, as well Young, as the first QB taken, and spent a large majority of the down time talking about Bush (Who wasn't #1) and Leinart (Who had 9 guys ahead of him).

[iggymcfly 0]

The OU thing didn't last long, but yes it was just as bad as the USC stuff now for most of the year that LSU won the title. Oklahoma was being compared to other teams to see if they were "the best of all-time". Bob Stoops was the best football coach since Ara Parseghian. Jason White led the most explosive offense in college football history.

 

Then they lost to Kansas State and not only did they lose "best team ever" status, but they became the poster children for everything wrong with the BCS. Dama really is like a jilted lover here, as USC basically displaced OU as the object of ESPN's affection.

 

Edit: When I say the USC stuff "now", I really mean the USC stuff last year. USC gets a little bit too much credit in the media, but it's nothing like last year.

[Guest Smues]

Arizona and Washington State are officially now staying home for the bowl season.

 

bahahahahaha awesome UW cost WSU a bowl birth. I love it.

[Guest]

I can't even imagine the flamefests he'd be having right now with Spicy and 909, among others

No, this year it was shut the fuck up time for me. USC does the talking for me.

[cabbageboy 0]

First off, I don't really know who is conclusively better between Michigan and USC. It's irrelevant really since Michigan didn't win the Big 10 and to me if you don't win your conference you don't play for the title. It's not like Michigan is getting fucked over THAT bad...they've got the Rose Bowl, after all.

 

I've watched Florida a few times this year and frankly they don't amaze me one iota. They're kind of a dull team to watch. And even moreso I don't honestly buy into the SEC as this juggernaut of a conference this year. Hell, UK finished 3rd (and really should have finished 2nd) in the east and UK is still a team any legit team should maul. I don't care who Arkansas had hurt, they still got the shit kicked out of them 50-14 by USC at home.

[iggymcfly 0]

Since there's not a whole lot going on right now, I'm going to post my plans for how I'd run I-A football if I had the option:

 

1. Regular season ends the last week of November.

Conference championship games, USC/UCLA, and everything else is all finished by the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Also, 12 games is the absolute maximum, so if your conference holds a championship game, you only get to schedule 11 regular season games.

 

2. 8-team playoff is implemented to crown a national champion.

16 teams would be too many and would devalue the regular season as teams started to clinch playoff berths far ahead of time. 4 teams isn't a real playoff. It's just another way to set up a big game. If a team like Boise State or Utah goes undefeated, I think they should have at least a chance at a national title.

 

3. Teams qualify for the I-A football playoffs as follows:

(i.) All independents ranked in the Top 8 of the final BCS standings automatically get in.

(ii.) The top 6 conference champions in the BCS rankings qualify regardless of conference affiliation.

(iii.) Any remaining spots are filled by at-larges by BCS ranking.

 

4. Quarterfinal games are played at campus sites the first week of December.

At-larges are ineligible to host first-round games, but independents are not. The top four conference champions/independents in the BCS rankings are seeded 1-4 and all host quarterfinal games. The highest seed will face the lowest BCS ranked team, the second highest will face the second lowest, etc., unless two teams from the same conference are set to meet in the first round. If so, the high seed will switch pairings with the team ranked directly below them.

 

5. The bowl system remains intact.

Most of the lower bowls will still function the same way that they always did. A few useless ones will be removed, but for the teams out of the national title race, the postseason will remain largely the same.

 

6. The national semifinals will be held at bowl sites.

The Rose, Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, and Cotton Bowls will play host to the two national semifinals as well as three other major bowl games. The higher ranked team will determine the site of the semifinals. If the higher ranked team in the semifinal is from the Pac-Ten or Big Ten, the semifinal will be played at the Rose Bowl. If the higher ranked team is from the SEC, it will be the Sugar Bowl. If from the Big XII, the Fiesta Bowl. If from the ACC, the Orange Bowl. If an independent, Big East, or mid-major is the higher ranked team, the semifinal will be played at the Cotton Bowl. If a Pac-Ten team is #1 going into the semis and a Big Ten team #2, the Big Ten team will play at the Cotton Bowl site. In the reverse situation, the Pac-Ten team would play at the Fiesta Bowl site.

 

7. The teams narrowly missing playoff berths will play "snub games" at major bowl sites.

The lowest-ranked conference champion that loses in the first round of the playoffs will play the highest-ranked conference champion that misses the playoffs in a BCS game. Likewise, the lowest-ranked at-large/independent that loses will play the highest-ranked at-large missing the playoffs. If no at-large/independent loses in the first round, the 2nd lowest ranked conference champion will fulfill this obligation. The two remaining first-round losers will also play a game at a major bowl site.

 

8. The two semifinal winners wil square off in an officially recognized NCAA Championship game.

This game will be played on the first Monday that is at least a full week after the 2nd semi is played on January 2, at the site of the bowl game of the highest ranked team entering the semis. This gets the title game site set a month in advance and also allows fans of the best team in the country to not have to make multiple travel plans.

 

 

Here's an example of how the playoff field might look this year:

 

Quarterfinals

Oklahoma at (1)Ohio State

LSU at (4)Louisville

 

Boise State at (2)USC

Michigan at (3)Florida

 

 

Major Bowl games:

 

National semifinals

Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Louisville

Cotton Bowl: Boise State vs. Michigan

 

Games of interest

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Oklahoma

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. USC

Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame vs. LSU

 

Obviously, the semifinals would be even more guesses than the quarterfinals would, but I wanted to give an idea how the "snub" concept could make the bowl games with no title implications more interesting.

[Hawk 34 0]

That alongside "logistics"(a popular word from the old white boys club) would be instant counters to that oft-proposed concept.

 

It'd be a nightmare situation and you'll just have corporate heads in the stands ruining the aura of the game like the Super Bowl currently is. The NCAA tournament is planned out in advance and the fans are aware of where the teams will play. NCAA usually makes an effort to keep keeps nearby for the opening rounds.

 

What you didn't mention was if there would be time between the quarterfinals, semi's and finals.

 

I'd have the Quarters on the opening week of December (A thursday night, friday night, saturday afternoon and saturday night-so each game gets attention), wait til' the third week of December for the semi-finals. Play the secondary bowls on new years week and actually hold off on the national title game to the second week of January. That gives the NCAA two weeks of hype, allows the proper fanbases to be able to plan the trip.

[iggymcfly 0]

I already said the quarterfinals would be played at campus sites the first week of December. The students would still be there, and you'd have just a regular home crowd for those games. The semifinals would be January 1 and January 2.

 

By having the championship game at the same site as the semifinal of the highest ranked team (i.e. at the Rose Bowl in my above example), it allows the fans of that team to extend their reservations and stay for the championship game. I didn't state it explicitly, but I was thinking that (for instance) Ohio State fans who had semifinal tickets would automatically be able to get championship tickets if their team won the semifinal.

 

It would be tough for fans of the other national championship team to get there, but it would be no different than a Florida or UCLA fan trying to snap up Final Four tickets last year at the last minute after watching a regional final game across the country. I did try to make it possible for fans to travel to the games, but I think keeping the bowl system intact is also necessary for a playoff to function.

 

The tradition's just too strong with the bowls to completely abandon them, and if all the major bowls are meaningless to the championship, the whole system will start to crumble. I thought that keeping the championship at the same site as one of the semifinals was a good compromise between incorporating the playoffs into the bowl system, and still making it possible for fans to see both games without busting their budgets.

[2GOLD 0]

Why say Independents? Why don't you just say Notre Dame since Navy, Temple, and Army have no shot in hell of ever getting into the Top 8 of the BCS standings?

 

Although you having Boise State knocking off USC is awesome in every way. Nothing against USC, just love any team that plays on blue grass.