Michigan State whacked Wisconsin 49-14.
Latest bowl predictions by CollegeFootballNews.com.
Auburn vs USC in Orange Bowl - the championship game.
Michigan vs California in Rose Bowl
Boston College vs Miami in Sugar Bowl
Oklahoma vs Utah in Fiesta Bowl
Miami, OH vs Ohio State in Motor City Bowl
Cincinnati vs Bowling Green in GMAC Bowl
Toledo vs Minnesota in Houston Bowl
Navy vs Marshall in Emerald Bowl
Wyoming vs Notre Dame in Las Vegas Bowl
I never heard of some of these bowls.
posted by jr at 12:54 P.M. EST on Sun Nov 14, 2004 #
Everyone has a fair playoff system, except NCAA Div, I. Football - even NCAA Football lower divisions. I don't see large amounts of Div.II students failing academically because they have to play a couple of games after the regular season ends. High school football players have been doing it since the Neanderthal Age.
It's pure and simple greed that prevents us from having a real champion each year. The BCS schools follow dollar signs like moths to a light bulb. The bowl committees have too much to lose, they think.
But in truth, the bowl games can be inserted as a framework for the last round of the playoffs, with earlier games at school or regional sites. Timing would be similar to the regular schedule.
It sounds so simple, right? Just try telling that to the greedy.
posted by Chaz at 09:34 P.M. EST on Mon Nov 15, 2004 #
Chaz has it right, it's all about money in Div 1A college football, and that's why there is no playoff system and why there won't be one like in the other divisions.
I'm familiar with the playoffs in the other divisions of college football from my brother playing football at a Division III powerhouse and now coaching for a Division IAA school that will be hosting its first round playoff game on Thanksgiving weekend.
In Div 1AA, the top 16 ranked teams make the playoffs. In Div III, I think the top 24 teams make the playoffs, with the higher seeds obviously getting a bye in the first round. Div III used to only take 16 teams, but they may even take more than 24 now.
In the other divisions, there are no neutral sites until the championship game. In the early rounds, one of the teams is the home team. And it's not determined by 1 playing 16, 2 playing 15, 3 playing 14, etc. like you would think, which is the way it's done in basketball. It's close to that. That's a guide, but the NCAA steps in big time during the playoffs in these other divisions.
The NCAA determines who plays who. It's based on travel distance. The NCAA pays for travel during the playoffs, and they want to minimize air travel. The NCAA wants teams to travel by bus. So in the first round of Div 1AA, it's possible to have #4 playing #15 and #5 playing #2 with the higher seeds being the home team.
There's obviously not a ton of money available in these other divisions. That wouldn't be a problem in Div 1A, but in Div 1A, there's no way the bowl system can be used as a playoff format.
Below is a posting I made in July of 2003 to a sports website about my thoughts on the Div 1A college football playoffs.
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"BCS says 'No' to playoff system"
Wake me when this whole saga actually becomes important. Of all the things sports nuts expend oxygen on, playoff talk for Division 1A college football is the biggest waste of time.
"The committee overseeing changes to the Bowl Championship Series won't consider using a tournament to determine the national champion despite pleas to open up the postseason to more schools."
The reason there is not a playoff system and why none will happen in the near future is money. Guaranteed bowl money for conferences will not be risked by university presidents for a playoff system.
"Money is a major issue. The Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange bowls generate more than $100 million a year for the BCS conferences. The BCS gives about $8 million a year to the schools from the other five conferences."
Bingo.
It's goofy talk to say more money will be generated if a playoff system is implemented. What's that idea based on? In the last 20 years of this talk, I have not heard one legitimate idea for a Division 1A playoff system that satisifes the school presidents, the bowl sponsors, and the cities hosting the major bowls.
It's stupid to say "Do it like the other divisions and use the bowl games as the playoff game sites."
Please look at regular season schedules of the major football programs over the past 10 years. How many times a year does Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Texas, etc. travel outside of their regional conferences? Normally, it's once at the most if at all for the regular season. The big travel game for many big schools is the bowl game.
Notre Dame is the exception. They are a "national" school, while the rest are "regional." During a four year period, the Irish will visit all areas of the U.S. at least once.
You cannot have a playoff system where a team like Ohio State has to travel to the southern and western states to play every game. If Ohio State was #1, would it be fair for the Buckeyes to play #16 Arizona State in Arizona or California?
And who will be at the game? There will be many empty seats. Most fans will not be able to fly across country on short notice for as long as their team is in the playoffs. In the current format, fans have several weeks to make plans for a bowl game.
Therefore, you cannot use the bowl games for the playoffs, except for the championship game. To do like the other divisions, which fans always like to throw out there, the first three rounds of the playoffs have to be played on the home field of the higher ranked team. This is how it's done in the other divisions. They don't play the first three rounds on "neutral" fields. Only the championship game is played in a predetermined stadium.
Now think about a playoff game for the Buckeyes being played in Columbus in December or January. That's football.
Back to money. Major money is now guaranteed to schools and conferences for a BCS appearance. If a playoff system is implemented, and let's say a number one ranked team is defeated in the first round, that money is gone, unless all first round playoff games will be guaranteed the same amount of money, win or lose, offered by the current BCS system. If a team advances in the playoffs, that's just extra jack, icing on the cake.
But what about the big sponsors of major bowls? They will have to host teams ranked 17 on down. Will they put up money for that? If the major sponsors want to sponsor the top 16 ranked teams, they will have to realize that some of "their" games could possibly be played in Michigan, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania in December or January. Those are fine places, but not exactly conduscive to the week-long party atmosphere that exists in the current system for bowl games played in Florida, Arizona, New Orleans, and California.
Implementing a playoff system is a mess for Division 1A. When will Division 1A playoffs be played? The first round, that's eight games, could be played on New Year's Day. The second round would be played on the weekend with the most rest between games. But does the NFL want their January playoffs competing with NCAA Division 1A playoffs? There's all kinds of advertising issues here. Some fans will not have the time to watch both, possibly choosing NCAA over the NFL.
The other NCAA divisions play their playoff games in late November and December. Is December a good month for Division 1A playoffs? That could be a tough time due to holiday madness.
Hate it, but the current BCS system satisfies the most people concerned with money. What's needed is for some billionaire to step-in and payoff everyone for a "real" playoff system.
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As a sports nut, I'm going to waste more time and oxygen talking about the Div 1A playoff debacle.
Here are probably the eight major bowls and, more importantly, their sponsors.
FedEx Orange Bowl, Miami, FL
Citi Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
Nokia Sugar Bowl, New Orleans, LA
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Tempe, AZ
Capital One Bowl, Orlando, FL
SBC Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
Toyota Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL
Outback Bowl, Tampa, FL
Not exactly north country-friendly. The FedEx Orange Bowl is this year's championship game. If there was a playoff, the final 8 teams or four games, would be played in the other major bowls left: Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and maybe the Gator.
Would it be fair for Michigan to play Miami, FL in the second round in the Gator Bowl game in Jacksonville, especially if the Wolverines are ranked higher?
Do you think Toyota or Nokia or Tostios would want their big game to be played in Ann Arbor in Dec or Jan? And these sponsors wouldn't know where exactly their game would be played until the earlier round games are finished.
In the current format, these big sponsors have their respective bowl cities booked for hotels, parties, whatever way in advance. Tostitos has known for a long time that their game would be in Tempe, AZ.
I just don't think these big sponsors would be on board for games played in the north or anywhere with locations not determined until a week before the game. Maybe they drop out and other big sponsors come on like Microsoft, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Ford.
Fans would love to see a Div 1A college football playoff. Eight games in the first round. All eight on the same day or four one day and the other four the next.
The current BCS standings:
1 USC
2 Okla
3 Auburn
4 California
5 Texas
6 Utah
7 Michigan
8 Florida St
9 Boise St
10 Louisville
11 Georgia
12 Miami
13 Wisconsin
14 Ariz St
15 Va Tech
16 LSU
If the season was over and there was a playoff, a couple interesting games would be:
Louisville at Michigan
Boise St at Florida St. (I forgot Boise St was also undefeated)
Ariz St is #14. If you used the current bowl games for a playoff system, would it be fair #3 Auburn to play Ariz St in a bowl game in Arizona if it worked out that way?
The regular season has to count for something. The higher ranked teams have to host the games in the first three rounds.
The bracket if the playoffs started this weekend. Assuming the higher ranked teams won, Michigan would play at Oklahoma in the second round.
As of 15-Nov-04
16 LSU
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1 USC | |
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9 Boise St | |
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8 Fla St | |
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12 Miami | |
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5 Texas | | | |
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13 Wisconsin | |
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4 California | |
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11 Georgia |
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6 Utah | | |
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14 Ariz St | | |
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3 Auburn | | |
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10 Louisville |
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7 Michigan | | |
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15 Va Tech |
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2 Okla |
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posted by jr at 01:08 P.M. EST on Tue Nov 16, 2004 #
Latest BCS standings:
1. USC (10-0)
2. Oklahoma (11-0)
3. Auburn (11-0)
4. California (9-1)
5. Texas (9-1)
6. Utah (11-0)
7. Boise St. (10-0)
8. Georgia (8-2)
9. Miami (FL) (8-2)
10. Louisville (8-1)
Yes, I forgot about undefeated Boise St.
"Boise State (10-0) has moved up to No. 7. If No. 5 Texas (9-1) loses to its arch-rival in Austin on Friday and the Broncos win at Nevada, Boise State might have enough strength to replace Texas in the top six."
"Which would mean $28 million, or a quarter of the BCS money, would go to the MWC and the WAC rather than the big conferences. It is the major conferences that want you to believe great teams can only come from conferences that either were good 40 years ago or have political connections."
posted by jr at 02:19 A.M. EST on Tue Nov 23, 2004 #
Nov 29 BSC standings:
1. USC
2. Oklahoma
3. Auburn
4. California
5. Texas
6. Utah
7. Boise St.
8. Georgia
9. Miami
10. Louisville
11. Iowa
12. Michigan
posted by jr at 04:28 P.M. EST on Tue Nov 30, 2004 #
CollegeFootbalNews.com's latest Bowl projections as of the morning of Nov 30:
Oklahoma vs USC in Orange Bowl - the championship game.
Michigan vs California in Rose Bowl
Auburn vs Miami in Sugar Bowl
Pittsburgh vs Utah in Fiesta Bowl
Louisville vs. Boise St in Liberty Bowl
Miami, OH vs Troy in Motor City Bowl
Memphis vs Toledo in GMAC Bowl
Wyoming vs Marshall in Las Vegas Bowl
UAB vs Bowling Green in Hawaii Bowl
Ohio State vs Texas Tech in Alamo Bowl
Fresno St vs Akron in Silicon Valley Classic
Notre Dame vs. UCLA in Insight Bowl
There are, of course, a zillion other bowl games.
Pittsburgh in the Fiesta? What a BCS bs sham if that's what really happens.
Possibly four MAC schools in bowl games. Northern Illinois could get left out, and they defeated Bowling Green.
The latest news is that Bowling Green will be playing Memphis in the GMAC bowl. Back on Nov 10, CFN projected BG to play in the GMAC bowl against Southern Miss.
posted by jr at 04:50 P.M. EST on Tue Nov 30, 2004 #
UT's big wins over BG and then against Miami in the MAC championship puts UT back in the Motor City Bowl against UConn. Yes, it's a football game not a basketball game against UConn.
The MAC has five schools going to bowl games.
Memphis vs. B. Green in GMAC Bowl
Marshall vs. Cincinnati in Fort Worth Bowl
Toledo vs. UConn in Motor City Bowl
Troy vs. No. Illinois in Silicon Valley Classic
Iowa State vs. Miami Univ. in Independence Bowl
Some other matchups:
(These are the four biggest bowl games)
#1 USC vs. #2 Oklahoma in Orange Bowl and supposedly the national championship game
#13 Michigan vs. #4 Texas in Rose Bowl
#3 Auburn vs. #8 Virginia Tech in Sugar Bowl
#21 Pittsburgh vs. #6 Utah in Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
No. Dame vs. Oregon St in Insight Bowl
Ohio State vs. Ok. State in Alamo Bowl
And finally, THE bowl game to watch:
Louisville vs. Boise State in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31. 3:30, ESPN. This game should be on Jan 1 on network TV.
"Defense is for pretentious meatheads. Louisville has the nation’s number one offense averaging 537 yards and 50.27 points per game. Boise State is second averaging 512 yards and 49.73 points per game."
Final BCS rankings:
1. Southern California
2. Oklahoma
3. Auburn
4. Texas
5. California
6. Utah
7. Georgia
8. Virginia Tech
9. Boise State
10. Louisville
11. LSU
12. Iowa
13. Michigan
14. Miami (Fla.)
15. Tennessee
16. Florida State
17. Wisconsin
18. Virginia
19. Arizona State
20. Texas A&M
21. Pittsburgh
22. Texas Tech
23. Florida
24. Okla. State
25. Ohio State
California had been number four for a while and expected to be in the Rose Bowl, but oh well. You can see the sham that is the conference tie-ins. You would think logic would dictate that the top 8 teams would get to play in the big four bowl games, but no way. California and Georgia got ripped off.
But, if it was under the old system, we'd have #1 USC vs #13 Michigan in the Rose Bowl and #2 Oklahmoa vs #8 Va Tech (I think) in the Orange Bowl and #3 Auburn in the Sugar against whoever.
So at least with the current BCS, it's 1 vs 2 this year. And Auburn has nobody else to blame but themselves. There non-conference games this year were against Louisiana-Monroe, Citadel, and Louisiana Tech. Schedules are made years in advance, but come on. The La Tech game is probably okay, but the other two? Auburn needs to pick on someone their own size.
It's not likely we'll ever see a 16-team playoff and probably not an 8-team playoff, but there should at least be a four-team playoff. Just play the big bowl games as usual with #1 USC vs #4 Texas, and #2 OK vs #3 Auburn, and the winners meet in the championship. You'd still have whiners like CA this year, but there will be complainers if you have a 16-team playoff. Fans and schools complain about being left out of the March Madness men's basketball tourney.
There's no use getting all fired up over the BCS. It's wasted energy. It won't ever change much, at least not to the satisfaction of the fans and most of the media. You know, a lot of college football coaches don't want a playoff system. They're afraid a playoff will render the regular season irrelevant like in college basketball.
If the playoff games were played on the higher ranked team's home field, like in the other divisions, then the regular season would still be important. The point is, people believe everyone but the university presidents want a playoff system, but that's not true.
And finally, if you're the protesting type, there's this thought:
"Want to change the BCS? Don't watch the bowl games. That will never happen though. Sports dunderheads are too much like moths, flying into a bug zapper. Stupid. Sports geeks like being banged in the bunghole, then complain about it, then beg for more. Pro boxing and NCAA Div 1-A football. I rest my case."
"The most powerful force in the U.S. after the military is the person with a TV remote control. Don't watch the bowl games. What if no one watched any of the bowl games, and ratings sank to unforeseen depths?"
"Butts in the stadium seats are not the moneymaker. TV is where the cheesecake is. Boycott the games, tank the ratings, and that will get the attention of the sponsors. Then changes will be made. But this would require a level of collective intelligence beyond the capacity of sports nerds. Why do you think the sports pages in the newspaper are written at the 4th grade reading level?"
posted by jr at 10:35 A.M. EST on Mon Dec 06, 2004 #
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