College Football and you: the road to the BCS

[Paelos]

I thought I'd open up the floor to college football fans on the forum to voice their opinions as we head into the final few weeks of the season before bowl selection. Also, I'd like to hear everyone's predictions for the final top 5 finishers according to BCS rank. You can also feel free to bitch about how the system sucks, because it does. Here are my top 5.

1) USC
2) Auburn
3) OU
4) Cal
5) Utah

[Shannow]

The BCS sucks and therefore so does college football.

'YEAH we go to the Chlorox Toilet Cleaner bowl!'

[Paelos]

College football does not suck. I agree about the BCS, but the game is still awesome. I take it you either didn't go to college or went to one without a football team.

[Shannow]

Yes but I also never grew up watching the nfl or baseball and I love following those. The point being is that the schedules are borked by the bigger schools and theres no point to the majority of the games...kinda like wanting persistance in a MMOG ya know..:P

And the game aint that great, I can wait till Sunday and watch football being played 10 times better in games that actually have meaning.

[UD_Delt]

And the game aint that great, I can wait till Sunday and watch football being played 10 times better in games that actually have meaning.

Check out a big college game in person some time. I've been to a number of Browns games in the new stadium including a Pittsburgh game. I've also traveled to see the Browns play in Chicago and Cincy in the past couple of years.

None of those games have compared to the intensity inside the stadium as when I saw Ohio State play San Diego State. And that was really a nothing game. I can't even begin to imagine what being inside the Horse Shoe or inside the Big House would be like during an OSU vs. Michigan game.

And yes, I plan on being on campus again this year for OSU v. Michigan even though there's no way I could afford to scalp tickets.

Now feel free to poke fun at the fact that a Brown's game is my only frame of reference....


Edit: Oh yeah, the BCS sucks...

[Paelos]

I was at Georgia/Florida recently down in Jacksonville. I can say with all honesty that the 10 years I had season tickets to the Cowboys 89-99 don't compare to the 5 years i've been going to gamedays in Athens and elsewhere. It's completely different.

[Abagadro]

I have been a season ticket holder to the Utah Utes for 12 years and have been going to games for 20.  I am so fucking stoked you have no idea. They are a tremendous team that has been destroying everyone they play. Unfortunatley the MWC isn't great this year so they won't get the pub/points they deserve and may get leapfrogged by some crap ass SEC team who squeaks by.  I have no idea why Wisconsin is up there as they haven't beaten anyone. In two games they have in common with Utah, they squeaked by while Utah destroyed. Utah womped UNC who then went and beat Miami. Utah also creamed Texas A&M so I am rooting for them against OK and Texas.  Alex Smith is an amazing QB. If they go undefeated and get shut out of the BSC it will show what a farce it is as Utah can play with nearly everyone in the country with a chance to win and no team in the Big East should get a spot over them, yet they have an automatic entry.

Go Utes!

[Teleku]

None of those games have compared to the intensity inside the stadium as when I saw Ohio State play San Diego State. And that was really a nothing game.

Its kind of sad when the only good thing anybody at my college can say about our football team over the last few years is that we almost beat Ohio.

[Nazrat]

Well, I am a former student of Texas A&M.  Utah is a good team.  I knew you would beat us but not that badly.  

FYI, did you see that the horns dropped the Utes from their schedule the week after our game?  Seems that they didn't like the competition level since there is now a chance of a loss.

How long is Urban going to stay around?  Everyone is mentioning him for their new opening.

[Shockeye]

Joe Paterno needs to retire the end of this season or be replaced. That is all.

[Jacob0883]

USC
AUBURN
OU
UTAH
WVU


Missing the game today because my GF is in town and she doesn't want to go.  Oh well, Temple sucks anyway.

[Abagadro]

Unfortunately Urban is probably only here for this season and, if we are lucky, maybe the next. I expect to see him in Florida this spring and it makes me very sad.

[Nazrat]

Well, after yesterday, I am very confused.  OU beat my Aggies but the game was close and we had a chance.  Utah beat the Aggies in the first game of the season badly.  Now, who is better?

I tell you this much, someone better hope that they aren't the BCS team who gets to play the Utes in the bowl game.  

CSU isn't a great program but they were utterly embarrassed last night by Utah.  

USC is also squeaking out the wins now.  Don't look now but Auburn may be the best team in the country.

[Abagadro]

I fully expect Utah to slide into 7th in the BSC on Monday as Texas leapfrogs us. I'm pinning my hopes for a guaranteed bid on A&M beating Texas or Iowa beating Wisconsin.

[Shannow]

See this is why cf sucks. The big teams wont play each other except where they absolutely have to (ie conference) so no one can tell how good they really are (OU looks overrated). No other sports league does this.

Every other sports league decides their winners BY ACTUAL COMPETITION, not a f'ing poll (boggle).

I couldnt give a crap about the 'atomesphere' at a game. Thats great for the fans of the teams but myself as a sports fan who watches his sports on TV wants more than just some crazy college kids..

Christ, I HATE basketball but I'll watch the tournament, espcially the final four..

Imagine how huge college football would be if they actually had playoffs...

[Paelos]

See this is why cf sucks. The big teams wont play each other except where they absolutely have to (ie conference) so no one can tell how good they really are (OU looks overrated). No other sports league does this.

Every other sports league decides their winners BY ACTUAL COMPETITION, not a f'ing poll (boggle).

I couldnt give a crap about the 'atomesphere' at a game. Thats great for the fans of the teams but myself as a sports fan who watches his sports on TV wants more than just some crazy college kids..

Christ, I HATE basketball but I'll watch the tournament, espcially the final four..

Imagine how huge college football would be if they actually had playoffs...

1) Basketball can have a playoff because it can play two games within the span of three days. This is impossible in football due to the physical requirements of the sport.

2) The NFL can have a playoff because there are only 30 teams and they are easily sorted into division winners. Not so with the 120+ in college ball since they don't all play each other.

3) How do you decide who's number one without a poll? They can't all compete in the regular season, so some decisions have to be made. They are made the same way in basketball except no one seems to care because they have a playoff at the end. The polls are not at fault here.

4) A playoff system won't generate the $$$ to the schools that the bowls will. Each program gets a huge payday when it makes it to a bowl game, from the top down. A playoff would never reward the smaller schools unless it were large enough, like basketball, to encompass at least half the possible Division IA teams.

5) The timing on running a large enough playoff would force a shorter regular season, again screwing the lesser schools. They wouldn't be booked to play the bigger teams because it would ruin the larger school's strength of schedule in the polls. So, there would be no Cinderella stories like in basketball. It would be the same big names every year.

[Jacob0883]

Someone tell me why WVU is playing football like a bunch of creampuffs.  Is it because they are a bunch of overrated creampuffs, or are we just having a bad game?

[Abagadro]

Becuase the Big East sucks and has no business being an automatic BCS bid conference?

[Jacob0883]

It did, but it doesn't now.  You can't say that Miami, VT, WVU, BC, and kinda ND all suck.  I think it was this year that BC has been kicking some big 10 ass.  Big East has always been a contender up till now, but I think CONN and Louisville will be a great addition.

[Abagadro]

Except that Miami, VT and ND don't play in the Big East football conference.

[Jacob0883]

Thats why I said DID, but doesn't now.  ND doesn't play in the Big East, but if they have better records that everyone in the big east they get the bowl bid.  Hasn't happened yet though.

[Abagadro]

Ah, I misunderstood. I thought you ment it did suck, but now doesn't. My bad.

Anyways, now that Wisconsin has lost and Georgia got beat bad enough, if Utah can beat BYU next week which it should, I think they have a legit shot.

[Romp]

looks to me like Utah will be in and my team, Texas, will miss out on an automatic berth again (and they won't get at an at-large either)

PS Aggies suck (one of the few things I learnt while I was on student exchange at Texas)

[Nazrat]

Well, we will find out who sucks the day after Thanksgiving.  

How about those Jayhawks.  I heard they are having a great season.  :)

[Abagadro]

The only reason Texas even won that game was that BS pass interference call. What a joke that was.

[Nazrat]

The Big 12 has horrible officials.  That pass interference call is just par for the course this year.  Watch any Big 12 game and see if any OL are called for holding.  It is basically a no call this year.  

Congrats on Utah jumping into the BCS picture by jumping the horns in the polls even though it hurts the Aggie bowl chances.  The horns are up in arms about not making the BCS again if Cal and Utah take the at large bids.  

Utah in the BCS could send the Aggies from the Cotton bowl to the Holiday Bowl.  Of course, if T+1 comes out in our favor, the Ags may force the Cotton to make a tough decision.

[Abagadro]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


BSC!
BSC!
BSC!

[trias_e]

BYU actually made it a game for the first half, which was suprising.  I really should have been at the game considering I go to the U of U, but my friends are assholes and I didn't feel like going alone.
 
Here's to the fiesta bowl!

[Abagadro]

It was an incredible game to be at. I've never seen Rice stadium that electric. Crazy goodness.

[WayAbvPar]

I love it. The BCS is going to fail to address the multiple undefeated teams left AGAIN. Goddamn what a clusterfuck of a travesty. Fold the bowls into a playoff system, or quit fucking pretending you have a 'true' national champ.

[Paelos]

If Auburn doesn't go to the show after going undefeated in the SEC and winning the SEC championship, the BCS can shove their PAC-10 fellating computers up their asses. I will be boycotting every single bowl should that happen.

[WayAbvPar]

If Auburn doesn't go to the show after going undefeated in the SEC and winning the SEC championship, the BCS can shove their PAC-10 fellating computers up their asses. I will be boycotting every single bowl should that happen.

Are these the same Pac-1o fellating computers that left USC out of the championship game LAST SEASON?

[Paelos]

It's a powder puff conference, let's get real. Anybody who goes undefeated in the SEC had to face a lineup of at least 4 high caliber teams. Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida are potential busters for anybody's schedule. What does the PAC-10 have? Oh that's right, a make-up call for last year.

[sidereal]

Bah.  That Midwest/Southeast football garbage is just circular reasoning.

"Why is LSU so great?  They have a mediocre record."
"Because they have to play Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Auburn every year!!1!"
"So?"
"Those teams are great!"
"How do you know?"
"They have to play LSU every year!"
... ad nauseum.

Until there's a playoff system in place, it's all arbitrary, but the Pac-10 can run with anyone.

[UD_Delt]

Fucking Wisconsin...

Ohio State beats the hell out of Michigan and they still get to go to the Rose Bowl....

Man that pisses me off.