NCAA football

[AceofHarts]

That was such a great hit.

Stanford came out like a badger killed their mothers in the rose bowl.

more like wisconsin just aint that good.

[Sayl]

The B1G really should have not pushed teams up their bowl queue just to fill out the max spots in bowl games. Talk about looking bad in bowl season, these match ups because of sanctions have made it even worse for them.

Over the last decade, the B1G has mastered the art of looking bad in bowl season. When your image can't really get any worse, why not take the paychecks?

[cubby]

1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. No other conference matters??

The SEC is to far beyond every other conference as a whole atm.

Not judging by the bowl games because I think SEC regular season games mean more to these kids than a meaningless consolation game does. I believe that if you took the top SEC programs and placed them in different conferences across the nation, more times than not they would go undefeated.

7 in a row is a lock!!!

So you ignore the second best conference in the country entirely, and then discount the bowl games because the SEC isn't so hot this year in them? Come again?

Gotta agree with you entirely, though, on the NC game - Tide is gonna roll right over those Irish, even with their should-have-won-the-Heisman defensive superstar. Should have been Oregon up there again Alabama - THAT would have been an epic game.

I find it entirely embarrassing that N IL is playing in the Orange Bowl. Who thought they were ever going to really give FL St a tough time?

Edit: NIL just scored a TD against FL St - I might be eating my shorts by the end of this evening. They can't win, can they?

[Logonov]

So you ignore the second best conference in the country entirely, and then discount the bowl games because the SEC isn't so hot this year in them? Come again?

Gotta agree with you entirely, though, on the NC game - Tide is gonna roll right over those Irish, even with their should-have-won-the-Heisman defensive superstar. Should have been Oregon up there again Alabama - THAT would have been an epic game.

I find it entirely embarrassing that N IL is playing in the Orange Bowl. Who thought they were ever going to really give FL St a tough time?

the problem was we wouldnt be in this situation if the Big East and B1G werent so god awful/sanctioned this year. They got in because 2 conferences dont have the stuff together.

[cubby]

the problem was we wouldnt be in this situation if the Big East and B1G werent so god awful/sanctioned this year. They got in because 2 conferences dont have the stuff together.

THAT is a very good point. I saw a brief analysis by someone about a what-if with Ohio State in the mix - interesting match ups if they were eligible and undefeated.

[Pendulous]

the problem was we wouldnt be in this situation if the Big East and B1G werent so god awful/sanctioned this year. They got in because 2 conferences dont have the stuff together.

Since when has the Big East had their stuff together?

But yeah, PAC-12 was better this year than anyone else.

[Sayl]

I don't understand the anger over NIU receiving an AQ berth. When your structured system for the postseason is designed solely to maximize revenue, dumb things are guaranteed to happen and you have to live with the consequences.

It's beyond reason for talking heads like Herbstreit to proclaim "they don't deserve to be in the BCS this year". There is no merit-based standard for who "deserves" a BCS AQ or at-large berth in any of this and there never has been. Hell, how many times have we seen teams play for the national championship who didn't "deserve" it? Once the #1 and #2 teams are selected for the NC game, the rest of the BCS bowls invite teams based on who's going to sell the most tickets and generate the largest television audience, operating under the constraints of the selection process. It's not about merit, it's about money -- anyone who suggests otherwise is either being dishonest or deluding himself.

Of course, some of this will change with the implementation of the new system as we'll have the benefit of a selection committee. But someone from the Big East, C-USA, MAC, MWC, or Sun Belt is going to get invited to the party every year.

Sure, NIU got rolled, but at least they went into the game as a conference champion with a winning record. Since we've ballooned to 35 bowl games in all - a scenario destined to create a long list of postseason yawn-fests between 6-6 and 7-5 teams - that's more than can be said for many.

[Lilly32]

I don't understand the anger over NIU receiving an AQ berth. When your structured system for the postseason is designed solely to maximize revenue, dumb things are guaranteed to happen and you have to live with the consequences.

It's beyond reason for talking heads like Herbstreit to proclaim "they don't deserve to be in the BCS this year". There is no merit-based standard for who

They got curbed stomped thats why they didnt belong. LSU even though they lost still played a great game and should have been there. Or South Carolina again another great game. Or Georgia. The SEC would have at least showed up against Florida State and win or lose it would have been better than this massacre. If you are going to end up in a BCS bowl due to a technicality at least show up and play or you just add more fuel to the fire supporting the argument that you didnt belong there in the first place.

---------- Post added 2013-01-02 at 09:39 AM ----------

So you ignore the second best conference in the country entirely, and then discount the bowl games because the SEC isn't so hot this year in them? Come again?

How is the SEC not so hot in bowl games. We are 3-2 right now and one of those losses was a last second field goal. Florida will destroy Louisville tonight to make us 4-2. Not to mention Vandy beat the only ACC team to beat Florida State by two TDs.. Then we have 3 more bowl games still left. We can finish 7-2 in bowls. I dont see how thats "not so hot".

[conscript]

They got curbed stomped thats why they didnt belong. LSU even though they lost still played a great game and should have been there. Or South Carolina again another great game. Or Georgia. The SEC would have at least showed up against Florida State and win or lose it would have been better than this massacre. If you are going to end up in a BCS bowl due to a technicality at least show up and play or you just add more fuel to the fire supporting the argument that you didnt belong there in the first place.

Its not a technicality, it is a rule the BCS made after they got their asses sued by the smaller NCAA conferences and were facing the possible dissolution of the bowl system. They had to make that rule to continue existing.

[Sayl]

They got curbed stomped thats why they didnt belong. LSU even though they lost still played a great game and should have been there. Or South Carolina again another great game. Or Georgia. The SEC would have at least showed up against Florida State and win or lose it would have been better than this massacre. If you are going to end up in a BCS bowl due to a technicality at least show up and play or you just add more fuel to the fire supporting the argument that you didnt belong there in the first place.

Ah, another fountain of objectivity.

So NIU got curb-stomped. We've seen blowouts since the very first year of this system regardless of the situation. The only difference here is that NIU is a from a mid-major conference that's looked down upon. Many fans who're too caught up in homerism and popularity contests continually lodge the same shallow complaints against two or even three of the majors. If in reality the disparity between conferences is that great, then it's time to restructure the divisions for NCAA football and enact stringent limits on FBS membership.

The BCS has been fatally flawed since its inception. We all got that memo a long, long time ago. Neither the existing system nor its replacement is capable of resolving the chronic issues. If we're ever going to see a merit-based system which is designed to preserve the integrity of the sport, the NCAA, bowls, major conferences, and television networks must collectively learn to make sacrifices.

[mrmsix6]

The SEC beats mediocre lower ranked teams in what are effectively home games for them and we're supposed to be impressed?

Georgia beat a lousy 3 loss Nebraska team...in Florida (Georgia 10 point favorites)
South Carolina barely beat a mediocre 3 loss Michigan team on a last second touchdown...in Florida (South Carolina 5.5 point favorites)
Vanderbilt beat a crappy NC state team...in Tennessee (Vanderbilt 7 point favorites)

LSU lost to an OK Clemson team. (LSU 4.5 point favorites)
Miss. St. lost to a mediocre Northwestern team. (Miss. St. 2.5 point favorites)

The SEC is a not so hot 2-3 against the spread. The SEC team was favored pretty heavily in almost every game.

and I bet (3) Florida can't wait to play mighty (21) Louisville! (Florida -14)

[Projali]

Clearly the solution is to write all the schools on pieces of paper and throw them into a hat to determine season schedules.

Conferences are flawed, period.

[chadwix]

The BCS has been fatally flawed since its inception.

The people saying this havent been watching college football to remember to co-national champions. The bcs was a success in what it was set out to do, establish a national champ.

[Sayl]

The people saying this havent been watching college football to remember to co-national champions.

Unless you're over 30, I've followed college football since before you were born.

The bsc was a success in what it was set out to do, establish a national champ.

Like that time USC and LSU split the national championship.

[chadwix]

Like that time USC and LSU split the national championship.

Usc won the ap poll, not the bcs, they werent a bcs school. The ap means nothing as we see with preseason rankings. They have no credibility outside of their own circles.

[Sayl]

Usc won the ap poll, not the bcs, they werent a bcs school. The ap means nothing as we see with preseason rankings. They have no credibility outside of their own circles.

The AP Poll was included in the BCS rankings from the start -- until the AP sent them a cease-and-desist letter in the wake of the aforementioned controversy.

You're digging yourself quite a hole here.

[Pendulous]

Like that time USC and LSU split the national championship.

I was thinking more when Auburn "shared" it when they went undefeated and got left out of the BCS game.

[Roose]

Georgia beat a lousy 3 loss Nebraska team (lost to OSU, UCLA, Wisconsin)...in Florida (Georgia 10 point favorites)
South Carolina barely beat a mediocre 3 loss Michigan (only losses to top 25 teams including Bama and ND) team on a last second touchdown...in Florida (South Carolina 5.5 point favorites)
Vanderbilt beat a crappy NC (that beat FSU) state team...in Tennessee (Vanderbilt 7 point favorites)

LSU lost to an OK Clemson team (only losses to FSU and SC). (LSU 4.5 point favorites)
Miss. St. lost to a mediocre Northwestern team (only losses to bowl teams). (Miss. St. 2.5 point favorites)

The SEC is a not so hot 2-3 against the spread. The SEC team was favored pretty heavily in almost every game.

So the SEC is playing Vegas? I thought we were playing other football teams. Some pretty solid teams at that.

All of these teams that they played against were solid teams. All either in top 25 now or at one point.

Vegas odds mean nothing to the fan that does not gamble, like myself. Winning is winning. All odds do is make people bet differently.


I really enjoyed the SEC bowl games so far. That 5 minute span in the SC/Mich game was classic. The illegitimate first down and subsequent righting of the wrong by Clowney, awesome.

[Lilly32]

facing the possible dissolution of the bowl system. They had to make that rule to continue existing.

Wait thats a bad thing why? If no bowl system we end up with....playoffs. Which is what every single person in America other than greedy BCS assholes wants.

[Sayl]

I was thinking more when Auburn "shared" it when they went undefeated and got left out of the BCS game.

Well, the closest they got to a share of the title was 3 first-place AP votes. Still, that was such an epic mess, and all so USC could vacate the win in the end. Maddening.

There are probably good arguments against making adjustments after the fact, but part of me will always want to let Auburn claim that NC while giving the Heisman to Vince Young.