NCAA Football

[egrguy]

Rutgers beat Ball St today in the International Bowl 52-30. From what I watched it was pretty boring for a high scoring game. Why is this bowl played now? It seems like a mid-December type of bowl.

If Rutgers wasn't in this game I couldn't have imagined 10-15K attendance max.

[torgo]

Rutgers beat Ball St today in the International Bowl 52-30. From what I watched it was pretty boring for a high scoring game. Why is this bowl played now? It seems like a mid-December type of bowl.

If Rutgers wasn't in this game I couldn't have imagined 10-15K attendance max.

I've wondered the same thing. This one and the GMAC bowl are held between New Years and the BCS title game.

I think they said about 35000 showed up, most of which was probably due to Rutgers recent successes.

[Lowerdeck]

LSU vs. Ohio State tonight, in a game that shouldn't be for the national championship

Got LSU winning tonight, probably by a decent margin.

[richyb83]

So who should be in the National Championship game?? Please don't tell me it should be Georgia & USC.

USC eliminated themselves losing at HOME to a team (Stanford only 4-8 record) they were favored to win by 41 points. At least Ohio State and LSU lost to teams that actually went to a Bowl Game.

Georgia got spanked by 3 TD's! 34-13 to Tennessee; a team LSU Beat in the SEC Championship Game with the back-up QB. Ohio State's loss was only by 1 TD; LSU's losses both in triple OT.

A Playoff sure would be nice! But I'm guessing that won't happen anytime soon.

Edited January 7, 2008 by richyb83

[torgo]

I have no idea who should be in the title game this year. No one has really made a strong case for themselves. USC lost to Stanford, Georgia was crushed by Tennessee, Ohio State lost to Illinois (whom got smashed by USC), LSU lost twice and had several close calls, West Virginia blew it by losing to Pitt the last week of the season. But I do think that if there were a playoff, USC and LSU would meet, now that both teams are healthy.

I really don't have much of a problem with the contestants this year, they probably have the best cases. I really can't decide who I think will win. LSU is healthy again and will probably be a lot better than they've looked for the second half of the season. I think Ohio State will be much better prepared and focused than they were last year, and they have a major chip on their shoulder. I am leaning towards LSU by less than a touchdown, with respectable showings by both teams. I really don't think OSU will get blown out like they did last year.

[ironchapman]

LSU 38-Ohio 24.

Geaux Tigers. I love the SEC.

It's not quite the blowout OSU suffered last year, but it's still a significant margin of victory for the Tigers.

@ Richy--I not going to say who really I think should be in the title game because you said not to

Anyways, WV would have made a great NC team--had they not choked to Pitt. I still don't think OSU should have been in there.I don't really have much of a quarrel with LSU being in the NC game--they won the championship of the toughest conference in football.

Perhaps an LSU-USC, WV-LSU, or even a (!!!) LSU-UGA match up if it was possible.

[Mith242]

Yeah it was a pretty wild season. All the teams at the top had some flaws and losses. Nobody seemed truly dominant this year. The SEC did pretty well in the bowls, 7-2. I was guessing it would be 8-1. That Florida-Michigan game surprised me. I wasn't too surprised Missouri beat Arkansas, just how badly it was.

[torgo]

All right, I think its time for a five-year moratorium on Ohio State being in the title game. While I hate those silly discussions about what conference is better, its pretty obvious that Ohio State ended up at #1 by beating up a lousy conference. They played two respectable opponents this year, beat one (Michigan) and lost to the other (Illinois).

LSU played a great game. Frankly, I think the BCS gave us the right champion this year, even if most of the games were snoozers.

[richyb83]

While we have mentioned the "flaws" of top teams with losses and close calls. Something else to focus on is "quality" Wins.

LSU has beaten 5 of the Top 15 Teams according to Today's Final AP Poll......#5/#4(USA Today)Ohio State; #9 Va. Tech; #12 Tennessee; #13 Florida; #15 Auburn

USC did NOT beat a Top 15 Team....#16 Arizona State; #20 Illinios; #25 Oregon State

Georgia beat two Top 15 teams....#13 Florida; #15 Auburn

This basically ends any debate on who the best team was, JMO.

Before the season started I was hoping for LSU/USC in the BCS Game to settle the so-called split' title from 04'.

Edited January 9, 2008 by richyb83

[swh1972]

First off, congrats to LSU on an impressive win last night. I was at the game (as an OSU fan and alum) so I was not pleased with the outcome, but LSU certainly deserved the Championship. For the most part, their fans were great and gracious. There were the few young kids that were being inappropriate, but all schools (especially OSU) have those. I'd say 95% of the LSU fans were great, and many went out of their way to make the "visiting" Buckeyes feel welcome in their state.

As for the game, I was surprised to see that the statistics were as even as they were. I think OSU even outgained LSU in total yards. I think the big difference in the game was that LSU time and time again made plays when they needed to and OSU didn't. Also, +2 in Turnover ratio played a role.

[ironchapman]

While we have mentioned the "flaws" of top teams with losses and close calls. Something else to focus on is "quality" Wins.

LSU has beaten 5 of the Top 15 Teams according to Today's Final AP Poll......#5/#4(USA Today)Ohio State; #9 Va. Tech; #12 Tennessee; #13 Florida; #15 Auburn

USC did NOT beat a Top 15 Team....#16 Arizona State; #20 Illinios; #25 Oregon State

Georgia beat two Top 15 teams....#13 Florida; #15 Auburn

This basically ends any debate on who the best team was, JMO.

Before the season started I was hoping for LSU/USC in the BCS Game to settle the so-called split' title from 04'.

So, I suppose choosing LSU as #1 and UGA as #2 would be vindicated by the method you're talking about.

Just out of curiousity, how WV and Mizzou do in the "quality" wins area? Just curious, as they were the #1 and #2 team before they were both defeated in the last week of the season.

[Alabadrock]

WV definitely had a quality win. However, I don't think Mizzou had quite a quality win. Arkansas just really isn't an eplosive team. McFadden is great, but he certainly didn't tip the game in Ark.'s favor too much.

[richyb83]

Yeah ironchapman,

My Final Poll at the end of this season would have to be: #1 LSU, # 2 Georgia, #3 USC, #4 Ohio State, #5 Mizzou or West Virginia.

[ironchapman]

^Richy, I've seen you make some posts advocating a play-off system in college football (I've even responded to one).

You'll be interested to know that you have a few allies in high places for a play-off system as well: the USC and Illini coaches Pete Carroll and Ron Zook, respectively, and chair of the NCAA Executive committee UGA President Michael Adams.

The President of the NCAA has stated his "neutrality" over the idea.

Any thoughts?

I'm not exactly an advocate for such a system yet, but I would be interested in seeing what people can come up with. Whatever the case, it's going to be a while before any such system would be instituted. There's a lot of other people in high places thast would have to be convinced as well.

[torgo]

I've kind of done a 180 on this issue. I don't think a playoff would ever happen, and I don't know that I want it to. I suppose a 4-team playoff (like a plus-one) could be OK, but that wouldn't have solved much this year, when upwards of 7 teams had a somewhat-legitimate claim to being at the top. Anything more than that, an 8 or 16 team playoff, diminishes the importance of the regular season too much and I dont think I would like that. Also, I like the significance of the traditional bowl games (Orange, Rose, Sugar, etc), and I think that using them as a stepping stone in a playoff diminishes their importance and tradition too much.

We all want to have our cake and eat it too: we want a clear-cut national champion, but we don't want to lose the tradition that makes college football different (and superior) to the pros. I don't think we can have both, so I vote for the latter.

[egrguy]

WV definitely had a quality win. However, I don't think Mizzou had quite a quality win. Arkansas just really isn't an eplosive team. McFadden is great, but he certainly didn't tip the game in Ark.'s favor too much.

WV only had 1 quality win. I certainly wouldn't put them up there. Missouri defeated Kansas... that might be there only top 10 victory as well.

I think its time for the pretenders to start scheduling some tougher non-conference games if you want to play with the big boys. OSU should certainly take note; its out of conference schedule was horrendous and it showed in their title game peformance.

As a playoff, it appears that the Big 10/Pac 10 are both fervantley against it. There's a quote made by the OSU president that the current system would have to be ripped out of his dead hands. OSU has obviously been the biggest benefactor of the current system so I can see why they don't want to cough it up.

Its also the last month of the recruiting game, who will end on top?

[swh1972]

I think its time for the pretenders to start scheduling some tougher non-conference games if you want to play with the big boys. OSU should certainly take note; its out of conference schedule was horrendous and it showed in their title game peformance.

OOC games are sometimes scheduled ten years in advance, so how tough those teams are the year that you play them can be a crap shoot. OSU scheduling a game @ Washington probably looked good when it was put on the books a few years back but Washington was not very good this season. OSU also has home and home series scheduled the next six years with Southern California, Miami (FL) and Virginai Tech, and don't forget that they played Texas the last two seasons.

Unlike the majority of schools in the SEC, OSU will travel out of their home state or region to play a tough team.

[richyb83]

The SEC has been guilty of some of this in the past (LSU did travel to Va.Tech "Mike Vick Day" a few years ago/ Arkansas to USC)); but this is changing. Oh yeah....Florida goes to Florida State every-other year as does South Carolina/Clemson; Georgia/Ga.Tech

Tennessee traveled to California this season & travels to UCLA on Sept. ;6th next season.

Nex season: Arkansas will be at Texas Sept. 13th; Georgia travels to Arizona State Sept. 20th; Auburn travels up to West Virgina Sept. 6th

There may be a few I missed.

Edited January 15, 2008 by richyb83

[Alabadrock]

Well, the main reason that SEC schools don't travel out of their region too often to play tough teams is because their schedules are already hard enough just doing conference play. But, lately, it seems the SEC schools have been trying harder to travel and play tough teams. Examples: 07' Alabama vs FSU, 08' Alabama vs Clemson, Tennessee and Cal, I think that Bama and Penn State are trying to arrange a meeting in 09' or 10'.

[swh1972]

Well, the main reason that SEC schools don't travel out of their region too often to play tough teams is because their schedules are already hard enough just doing conference play. But, lately, it seems the SEC schools have been trying harder to travel and play tough teams. Examples: 07' Alabama vs FSU, 08' Alabama vs Clemson, Tennessee and Cal, I think that Bama and Penn State are trying to arrange a meeting in 09' or 10'.

I like this. There are so many great football schools in the South, Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, etc... I'd like to see them start to play some of the powerhouse Midwest schools during the season.

[swh1972]

OOC games are sometimes scheduled ten years in advance, so how tough those teams are the year that you play them can be a crap shoot. OSU scheduling a game @ Washington probably looked good when it was put on the books a few years back but Washington was not very good this season. OSU also has home and home series scheduled the next six years with Southern California, Miami (FL) and Virginai Tech, and don't forget that they played Texas the last two seasons.

Ohio State announced today that they have scheduled a home and home series with the Oklahoma Sooners for 2016 and 2017.

[egrguy]

OOC games are sometimes scheduled ten years in advance, so how tough those teams are the year that you play them can be a crap shoot. OSU scheduling a game @ Washington probably looked good when it was put on the books a few years back but Washington was not very good this season. OSU also has home and home series scheduled the next six years with Southern California, Miami (FL) and Virginai Tech, and don't forget that they played Texas the last two seasons.

Unlike the majority of schools in the SEC, OSU will travel out of their home state or region to play a tough team.

You fail to mention Youngstown state (D-1AA), Akron and Kent St. Those teams even if scheduled 20 years ago haven't been national powers and they wont be national powers... ever. (Youngstown state has been great at its level but not D1).

I can understand Washington, but when you schedule mid-majors as your non-conference slate; its weak. Especially when you have a weak conference.

Perhaps the fact that a 1 loss and a 2 loss team playing for the title game will encourage more teams to beafen up its non-conference schedule to add quality wins to its slate.

[swh1972]

You fail to mention Youngstown state (D-1AA), Akron and Kent St. Those teams even if scheduled 20 years ago haven't been national powers and they wont be national powers... ever. (Youngstown state has been great at its level but not D1).

I can understand Washington, but when you schedule mid-majors as your non-conference slate; its weak. Especially when you have a weak conference.

Who says you need to schedule all national powers for your non-conference schedule? I don't think any schools do that. Again, I point to the fact that OSU has recently had Texas on their schedule, and plays Southern Cal, Miami, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma 8 of the next 10 seasons. I don't think you can reasonably argue that this is "weak".

[richyb83]

2007 Record vs. Teams FINISHING in the AP Top 15 : (1) LSU 5-0 (2) Georgia 2-1 (3) USC 0-0 (4) Missouri 1-2 (5) Ohio State 0-1 (6) W. Virginia 1-0 (7) Kansas 1-1 (8) Oklahoma 3-1 (9) Virginia Tech 1-2(10) BC 1-1(11) Texas 0-1(12) Tennessee 1-2(13) Florida 1-3(14) BYU 0-0(15) Auburn 1-2

[egrguy]

Who says you need to schedule all national powers for your non-conference schedule? I don't think any schools do that. Again, I point to the fact that OSU has recently had Texas on their schedule, and plays Southern Cal, Miami, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma 8 of the next 10 seasons. I don't think you can reasonably argue that this is "weak".

I wasn't arguing against their past or future schedules. My point was scheduling a bunch of MAC patsies wont win you any strength of schedule battles. They don't need to schedule 4 top 10 teams. OSU's OOC schedule was very soft this year and it showed. Perhaps it was to their benefit getting to the title game, but it didn't help them win it.

2007 Record vs. Teams FINISHING in the AP Top 15 : (1) LSU 5-0 (2) Georgia 2-1 (3) USC 0-0 (4) Missouri 1-2 (5) Ohio State 0-1 (6) W. Virginia 1-0 (7) Kansas 1-1 (8) Oklahoma 3-1 (9) Virginia Tech 1-2(10) BC 1-1(11) Texas 0-1(12) Tennessee 1-2(13) Florida 1-3(14) BYU 0-0(15) Auburn 1-2

This data would lead one to believe the right team won the title. There really isn't any comparison. Its suprising to see USC at 0-0. Were they that good? Or just an easy schedule?