2011 College Football

[Paelos]

Back from the game. UGA showed up, which was nice. Then, we did the unthinkable as I screamed bloody murder, "DON'T KICK TO THE HONEYBADGER!!!!"

But no, we did that twice, killed every bit of our momentum, and that was that.

If Les Miles had put a real QB into the game, we never would have stood a chance. Jefferson does in fact suck. I still have no idea why they play that guy. The dude passed for 30 yards and won by 32. Go figure.

Good job LSU on the win. They were simply better than us, as I expected. I seriously hope at one point you may wake up when you play Alabama and put in Lee, but you probably won't. And that might be the reason you lose.

[01101010]

Back from the game. UGA showed up, which was nice. Then, we did the unthinkable as I screamed bloody murder, "DON'T KICK TO THE HONEYBADGER!!!!"

But no, we did that twice, killed every bit of our momentum, and that was that.

If Les Miles had put a real QB into the game, we never would have stood a chance. Jefferson does in fact suck. I still have no idea why they play that guy. The dude passed for 30 yards and won by 32. Go figure.

Good job LSU on the win. They were simply better than us, as I expected. I seriously hope at one point you may wake up when you play Alabama and put in Lee, but you probably won't. And that might be the reason you lose.

That, my friend, is my fear. However, in the NC game, I suspect Les will go with the two headed monster.

[SnakeCharmer]

My God, the Sooners are just imploding.

[ghost]

My God, the Sooners are just imploding.

They really are fucking terrible. 

I have to admit that I think I'd rather see LSU play OSU than your Tide again, bro.  Even though I think you've got the better team.

[Chimpy]

So Ok State beats 3 more top 25 teams than Alabama, did not play a single Div I-AA team ( much less one in the last three weeks of the season), leads the nation in take aways, won their conference, and their one loss was in overtime (because of a borderline call on a field goal miss) on the road the same day as their sports program had people die in a plane crash but they are probably not going to go to the title game because they lost to a "lesser team" ?

If there is not a better argument for a fucking playoff in college football I don't know what is.

[Paelos]

I'm sorry, but if I had a vote, Oklahoma State would be in the national title. I cannot give Alabama a rematch when they didn't win the conference and Oklahoma State did.

[Ingmar]

Also, they didn't already lose to LSU once. Give it to OK State imo.

[Rasix]

Even though I think Alabama is a better football team, I'd rather see OSU play.  I don't think they'd have a chance (LSU's defense might actually kill Weeden), but I think they've had a better year and it makes for a more compelling set of bowl games.  I don't think it'll happen, I'm afraid we'll have 3 1 loss teams when it's all over.

[Tannhauser]

Well, everyone knew GA had practically no chance vs. LSU.  GA came out with a lot of fight, but I never felt there was any question about the outcome.

As an SEC fan I still vote OSU to the title game.  Sorry 'bama, you may be ranked #2 in the nation, but in the SEC you're just second in your division.

[Azuredream]

It would be pretty strange to have two teams from the same conference compete for the national title. Especially in college football. When you look at LSU's schedule, you see "wow, #3 Arkansas, #12 Georgia, #2 Alabama, #17 Florida, #19 Auburn, these guys are amazing!" ..but then you realize every single one of those is an opponent they play almost every year. You just end up with a huge circle jerk of "well, we lost, but only in the SEC and they're awesome so our ranking shouldn't drop too much" and then a team they beat has some losses but again, they're only in the SEC so that ranking shouldn't drop. I'm not sure what the SEC's regular season record is against opposing conferences this year but even if it was perfect they still play something like five times more games against their conference than against other conferences. If they played the same amount of games out of conference as in conference you could make a meaningful comparison but since the sample size is so small it can hardly be called upon as accurate. Ah, this is why I hate college football.

[01101010]

It would be pretty strange to have two teams from the same conference compete for the national title. Especially in college football. When you look at LSU's schedule, you see "wow, #3 Arkansas, #12 Georgia, #2 Alabama, #17 Florida, #19 Auburn, these guys are amazing!" ..but then you realize every single one of those is an opponent they play almost every year. You just end up with a huge circle jerk of "well, we lost, but only in the SEC and they're awesome so our ranking shouldn't drop too much" and then a team they beat has some losses but again, they're only in the SEC so that ranking shouldn't drop. I'm not sure what the SEC's regular season record is against opposing conferences this year but even if it was perfect they still play something like five times more games against their conference than against other conferences. If they played the same amount of games out of conference as in conference you could make a meaningful comparison but since the sample size is so small it can hardly be called upon as accurate. Ah, this is why I hate college football.

OOOoooooorrrrrr... You could jus texpand your conference to include more teams! 

As for the NC. Of course I'd like to see OKSt in it and my argument is simply, they won their conference. Yeah, they lost to Iowa St; however that loss did not bump OKSt out of playing and winning their conf championship. Everyone just points to the team's rank and suggests the loss is worse because they got beat by an inferior team whereas Bama's only loss was to the #1 team in the country. I personally think the loss to IowaSt, while a bit shocking, is actually less damaging in this regard. (and I am not in the "they were suffering from the tragedy that happened earlier in the week" crowd) Of course, this is why they play the games in the first place.

My gut feeling tells me to follow the money and you will see your NC title game. That is simply LSU / Bama. There is history there, history being made here, both sets of fans travel well and the game is in NOLA. You want to make a killing in tickets, you give it to Bama and suffer through whatever pedestrian type game that occurs... because it is only about the money to the BCS and having Bama in it rakes in the most.

[Paelos]

I disagree with the money part because they are ratings hunting as well for the BCS. I don't believe for a second that the rematch would draw the fans the same way an OK State v. LSU matchup would.

For one, anybody outside the SEC is likely to not even bother watching the NC game.

[ghost]

For one, anybody outside the SEC is likely to not even bother watching the NC game.

This should play a big role in the final decision. 

[01101010]

I disagree with the money part because they are ratings hunting as well for the BCS. I don't believe for a second that the rematch would draw the fans the same way an OK State v. LSU matchup would.

For one, anybody outside the SEC is likely to not even bother watching the NC game.

Aren't the TV contracts already decided and the money is already allocated for it? If so, then the only real money generator is going to be ticket sales. Not saying OKSt fans do not travel well and wouldn't make the trip, but Bama fans already know the 4hour, I-59 route.

Besides, it is still the college NC game, the super bowl of college ball. It might wane a bit, but it'll still generate an audience.

[Paelos]

If you believe OK State wouldn't blow out the interstates to travel to their first national championship to a state that's not far away at all, I have a bridge to sell you.

[Chimpy]

It would be pretty strange to have two teams from the same conference compete for the national title. Especially in college football. When you look at LSU's schedule, you see "wow, #3 Arkansas, #12 Georgia, #2 Alabama, #17 Florida, #19 Auburn, these guys are amazing!" ..but then you realize every single one of those is an opponent they play almost every year. You just end up with a huge circle jerk of "well, we lost, but only in the SEC and they're awesome so our ranking shouldn't drop too much" and then a team they beat has some losses but again, they're only in the SEC so that ranking shouldn't drop. I'm not sure what the SEC's regular season record is against opposing conferences this year but even if it was perfect they still play something like five times more games against their conference than against other conferences. If they played the same amount of games out of conference as in conference you could make a meaningful comparison but since the sample size is so small it can hardly be called upon as accurate. Ah, this is why I hate college football.

Alabama played 2 teams in their "gimme" non-conference games that did not even go .500 for the season, and a division I-AA school. And Alabama actually played one more non-conference game than Ok. State did.

The two "gimme" non-conference games that Ok. State played both finished the season 8-4 and were I-A teams. Their other non-conference game was against Arizona who was terrible this sesaon but has been pretty good in recent years. The only team they played in the Big 12 this season who was categorically bad was Kansas.

[ghost]

The two "gimme" non-conference games that Ok. State played both finished the season 8-4 and were I-A teams.

And then there's the "gimme" game that they lost.   

[Paelos]

Iowa State also smoked a pretty decent Texas Tech team. They aren't that bad. Plus they had a good home record this season.

[ghost]

A "pretty decent" Texas Tech team that went 5-7 and lost 7 of their last 8 games?   

[Paelos]

A "pretty decent" Texas Tech team that went 5-7 and lost 7 of their last 8 games?   

Ranked at the time, call it what you will.

[SnakeCharmer]

I don't get the 'welp, they already played!' argument.  When you get to THIS point, all that matters is 1 vs 2.  I can, however, understand the 'Bama didn't win their own conference' argument since that's what I said back in 2004 (I think?) when Auburn got shafted out of the NCG.   And we'll find that out later today after the Harris and Coaches polls are out.  When is the BCS selection thing anyway?

THAT said, I could see making an argument for OSU to be 2 even if Big Game Bob's Sooners destroyed themselves in spectacular dumpster fire fashion and handed them the game on a silver platter.  It wasn't so much that OSU is a better team, it was that Oklahoma didn't even show up.  

The best thing that can happen is LSU to play Bama again because the sheer uproar over it should cause some positive changes in the BCS selection system and *maybe* move it towards a 4 team playoff, and AT LEAST maybe a +1 scenario.  At which point the whole argument of 'The 5th ranked team is better than the 4th ranked team REEEEEEEEEEEEEE' is the new battle cry as well as 'Well, who should play in the +1 game?', but at least it would be better than what we have now.  However, even if we did have a 4 team playoff (assuming LSU, Bama, OSU, and Stanford), the same people saying 'well, they already played!' would still be saying that.

Does anyone think LSU wouldn't destroy OSU?  Or Stanford?  How is that better than what even most people here admit would be a more competitive ballgame of LSU vs Alabama?  You really want to see yet another team get obliterated by an SEC team in the NCG?  That is better or more fair for college football than the obvious two best teams in the country playing?

[ghost]

I also don't get the "they already played" argument.  I do, however, get the "they already played and it was a complete snoozefest" argument.  Alabama is hands down the second best team in the country, if not the best, but I don't want to see Alabama play LSU again.  That's me being selfish.

[SnakeCharmer]

I also don't get the "they already played" argument.  I do, however, get the "they already played and it was a complete snoozefest" argument.  Alabama is hands down the second best team in the country, if not the best, but I don't want to see Alabama play LSU again.  That's me being selfish.

The score was a snoozefest yeah, but both teams moved the ball until they got into redzone.  Then the D's locked them down.

Bama's 2 in the Coaches Poll.  OSU has to pass Bama by 5 points in the Harris Poll.  Gonna be tight!

[ghost]

A "pretty decent" Texas Tech team that went 5-7 and lost 7 of their last 8 games?   

Ranked at the time, call it what you will.

I buy this argument sometimes, but not in this case.  Tech is terrible. 

[Chimpy]

Fuck the BCS.

And fuck ESPN and their biased cockgobble the SEC coverage.

[01101010]

Fuck the BCS.

And fuck ESPN and their biased cockgobble the SEC coverage.

While I am a Tiger alum and pretty big fan... I have a morbid fascination with an LSU loss in this game.

[SnakeCharmer]

See you in New Orleans, 01101010?

Today is a great day.

[ghost]

It really looks to be a great bowl lineup this year. 

[Nevermore]

See you in New Orleans, 01101010?

Today is a great day.

Not for the 99% of football fans who don't live in Tuscaloosa.  We all already saw this game.  We don't care to see it again.  I know I won't be bothering.

[SnakeCharmer]

See you in New Orleans, 01101010?

Today is a great day.

Not for the 99% of football fans who don't live in Tuscaloosa.  We all already saw this game.  We don't care to see it again.  I know I won't be bothering.

Good to see you are the 99 percent and speak for all of them.

[Montague]

If Okie state instead had the name University of Oklahoma, it would be in the title game. This is the way the BCS works, I can't understand why anyone is surprised.

Also, I'm done bashing on the SEC because it seems they're the only conference that is really trying. Ohio State is finally waking up by hiring a top coach and backing up the Brinks truck for assistants instead of having some doofus for a QB coach who last played football as a backup quarterback in high school. The price of football is going up and if you wanna compete, money talks bullshit walks. Hopefully we also learn how to cheat better. 

[Paelos]

See you in New Orleans, 01101010?
Today is a great day.

Not for the 99% of football fans who don't live in Tuscaloosa.  We all already saw this game.  We don't care to see it again.  I know I won't be bothering.

Good to see you are the 99 percent and speak for all of them.

Sadly, she's right Snake. Very few fans outside of Alabama fans think this is a good idea. Also, I tend to agree with Montague's idea that if it was OU or Texas instead of OK State, we wouldn't have an all SEC championship.

That being said, Oklahoma State had it's chance, and they blew it. Once you lose, you open the door to interpretations. LSU is the only team who didn't, and if they can pull off the win in the NCG, then they will be one of the best college football teams I've seen on this side of the century mark.

[SnakeCharmer]

Look at it this way...An SEC team finally loses in the BCS NCG. 

And we will see when the tv ratings come out.

[Paelos]

Controversial decisions in the national title usually lead to low ratings.

The lowest rated NCG of all time was the 2005 Orange Bowl when five teams went undefeated and Auburn got snubbed for OU against USC. As expected, OU got shellacked.

2002 Rose Bowl is the next lowest rated when the BCS chose #4 ranked Nebraska to play in the game despite not playing in the Big 12 Championship (sound familiar?).

Next from that is the 2004 Sugar Bowl when OU got into the game even though they lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship.

In essence, whenever something like this situation happens, the ratings take a nosedive.

[Ingmar]

Yeah, I have no interest in watching this one. Maybe someone will make it to double digit points.