2007-08 CFB Bowl Picks and News

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

2004-2005
No Records Kept

2005-2006 CFB Record
77-71 (52.04%), +2.2 units

2006-2007 CFB Record
70-48-3 (57.85%), +46.63 units (Behold the power of CTG)

2007-08 CFB Record
53-52-2 (50.5%) -33.82 units

-------------------------------------------

Week 14 was good as I limited my play to only one game that I felt very sure about, OU v. Mizzou. Mizzou is a good team but not yet in OU's caliber in that setting. 1-0 for the week, + $400.

All plays will be for $400 unless otherwise noted.

Picks
UW-Whitewater +19' (-110) ($100)
Utah -7 (-115)
Navy 2H +6 (-105) Push
BYU -5' (-110)
Cincy -11 (-110)
ECU +11' (-110) ($200)
Purdue -7 (-120) ($200)
Wake Forest -2 (-105) ($200)
Aggie/PSU Fighting Octogenareans Under 52' (-110) ($200)
Aggie/PSU Fighting Octogenareans Over 24 2H (EV) ($200)
Colorado +4' (-110) ($50)
AFA +4' (-110) ($200)
Kentucky -7 (-110) ($200) Push
Auburn +3 (-120) ($200)
TTech -6 (-110) ($300)
OU -7 (-110)

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Les Miles and John Tenuta to Michigan

Hot off the presses, good combo heading to Ann Arbor. Who takes the LSU job?

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Breaking: ESPN Reports Miles to Michigan

Posted Dec 1st 2007 10:34AM by Ryan Ferguson
Filed under: LSU Football, Michigan Football, Tennessee Football, Big 10, SEC, NCAA FB Gossip, NCAA FB Coaching, ESPN

Miles to Michigan? Yeah, we heard. None of this is really surprising anymore, save maybe for the timing, and the fact that this is the most credible report we've yet received:

Sources have told ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit that barring any unforeseen circumstances, Michigan will announce early next week it has reached an agreement with LSU coach Les Miles to be its next head football coach. Herbstreit is also reporting that Miles will make Georgia Tech defensive coordinator and interim head coach Jon Tenuta part of his staff at Michigan.

As FanHouse's Pete Holiday has already noted, LSU's Defensive Coordinator, Bo Belini, is strongly rumored to have been selected by Nebraska for the Huskers' head coaching gig. Lost in the madness, says Pete, is that LSU will play for an SEC Championship against Tennessee today.

Well, Les Miles has never been one for keeping things on the low-down, and in my view this must be hugely distracting to the Bayou Bengals. When you have coaches worrying more about jobs, compensation packages, and benefits than they are about preparing for a championship game against a highly motivated football team (Tennessee) playing some of their best ball in a long while, you have the ingredients for a letdown.

In my view, Miles' losses to date are almost criminal as it is; the Tigers should have easily been the SEC's dominant team in 2007, yet struggled in many of their games. Should this latest distraction rob LSU of an SEC Title, most LSU fans would be strongly tempted to consider Miles' tenure a failure; and I for one couldn't blame them.

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Some Canadian schools seeking NCAA membership

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td width="10"> </td> <td> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td nowrap="nowrap"> Nov. 30, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports </td> <td width="10"> </td> <td align="right"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="0"><tbody><tr><td><script language="JavaScript"></script><script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/sponsorships.spln.com/fs/stories/other;arena=other;feat=stories;type=ros;print=yes;user=Anonymous;seg=nonaol;adv=b;cust=no;u=R0kKfgq0HxkAADzub44;sz=234x42;tile=5;ord=672102852223596?"></script>

</noscript></td></tr></tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td width="10"> </td> <td>
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica]<script type="text/javascript"> function shareLinks(){}; shareLinks.prototype.allowClose = false; shareLinks.prototype.showButtons = function() { this.allowClose=false; document.getElementById('shareBoxi').style.visibility="visible"; } shareLinks.prototype.shareOff = function() { if (this.allowClose==true) { document.getElementById('shareBoxi').style.visibility="hidden"; } } shareLinks.prototype.hideButtons = function() { this.allowClose=true; setTimeout("shareLinks.prototype.shareOff()",1000); } </script>  [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The possibility of joining the NCAA for the first time has Canadian colleges looking south of the border with mixed emotions. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Schools such as the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University see the full scholarships that would come with NCAA membership as a boon to Canadian residents who currently come to the U.S. to pursue their athletic dreams. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Other schools and officials in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, the country's governing body for athletics, see a ploy for publicity that will end up with the schools being unable to compete financially and returning to their roots. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The process will likely begin in January, when Division II is expected to approve a 10-year pilot program that would allow a limited number of international schools - most expected to be Canadian - to become NCAA members. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Six Canadian schools have discussed NCAA membership and four have shown interest. Only UBC, SFU and the University of Alberta in Edmonton have gone public about their interest, with UBC and SFU primed to become NCAA members as early as 2009. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The move to allow schools outside the U.S. the right to apply for NCAA membership for the first time came about from a chance meeting a few years ago between UBC athletic director Bob Philip and NCAA vice president Bernard Franklin at a conference for athletic administrators. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Noticing Franklin worked for the NCAA, Philip asked if he could sit in on panel discussion. Afterward, he pulled Franklin aside and popped the question: "Could there ever be a circumstance where UBC could compete athletically in the NCAA?" [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Turns out the answer is yes. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We still have some unanswered questions," Franklin said. "But the value of having international members of the NCAA outweighs them." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The NCAA believes it will benefit from the cultural experience of athletes traveling internationally, and adding schools to help buoy a fluctuating membership base in Division II. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "There aren't a lot of schools left in the United States to add that are big schools," Philip said. "You don't have a school out there that has 45,000 students that's not playing but wants to join. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "But you do in Canada." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Until now, NCAA bylaws have limited membership to United States schools and those schools in a territory controlled by the U.S. The NCAA has long cast an eye northward, but never pursued a potential expansion. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] It took Philip get the process started. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "When the whole question arose at the association level about international members, the whole structure said 'Wow what a great thing,"' said Chuck Ambrose, president of Pfeiffer University and chair of the NCAA Division II President's Council. "This is a chance to take the NCAA international and perhaps help address some needs those Canadian institutions have." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The 10-year pilot program will most likely be exclusively at the Division II level, with a few sports - like hockey or men's volleyball - competing in Division I. Division II has searched for an influx of members, especially in the West, to balance a large number of schools making the jump to Division I in recent years. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Hurdles remain, however, ranging from politics to border security to exchange rates. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] There's also the fallout from the CIS, which sees the actions of UBC and Simon Fraser as a ploy to gain notoriety. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] --- [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Philip doesn't mind being a member of the CIS or having other Canadian schools perceive his efforts as undermining the organization. He just wishes there was a system in Canada for those schools that want to put more emphasis on athletics. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Namely, the ability to give full athletic scholarships. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Under CIS rules, Canadian universities are not allowed to offer full athletic scholarships, only tuition for students who meet an 80 percent grade level in high school. Once at the university, the student-athlete must keep their grades at 65 percent or lose their tuition subsidy. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "At least in the NCAA they say, 'OK, you didn't do good in school, so next year you can't play, but get your marks up,"' Philip said. "But we say, 'Keep playing, keep practicing three hours a day, keep traveling all over the country, but we're not giving you any money.' It's extremely frustrating." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] There are plenty of obstacles to playing in Canada. There's the extensive travel that takes the Thunderbirds as far east at Winnipeg, Manitoba (1,424 miles) for league games, to the variable level of competition and the lack of coverage CIS sports receive in the media. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] But Philip's biggest complaint centers on the restrictions placed on athletic scholarships - a major reason, Philip believes, a large segment of talented Canadian athletes go south for their college experience. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Two years ago, Philip began discussions with the NCAA, promoting UBC's size and reputation. The school sits on a massive plot of scenic land, on the western edge of Vancouver with the Pacific Ocean bordering one side, and 45,000 undergraduates and graduate students. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] It's one of the most highly regarded academic institutions - it was ranked 27th in the world by Newsweek. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Athletically, the Thunderbirds have won 70 national titles in 11 sports. They face U.S. competition already with baseball, cross country and track and field competing in the NAIA. Facilities wise, a new 7,000-seat hockey arena will host men's and women's hockey for the 2010 Winter Olympics. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Money doesn't appear to be an issue either. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We're not concerned about the amount of money we can come up with if we're in the NCAA," Philip said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] --- [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] For Marg McGregor, the issue of NCAA membership comes down to culture and money. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The chief executive officer of the CIS holds strong convictions about country pride, and the steadfast belief that the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser and any other schools that move to the NCAA will return to their Canadian roots after finding the cost of competing in the NCAA overwhelming. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "Professional sport eclipses everything else in Canada," she said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The CIS comprises 52 institutions in four leagues that spread from Newfoundland in the east to Vancouver Island in the west and range in size from universities that have 50,000 students to schools with just 2,000. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Just as varying is the importance placed on athletics at the schools, part of the Canadian culture that doesn't hold CIS sports in the highest regard. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Most Canadian athletic departments have budgets of only a few million dollars, comparable with some Division II schools. Revenue streams, though, are flat. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] There's also the Olympic factor. Sponsorship dollars that could be going to the CIS or to individual universities, are being funneled to the Vancouver games. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] McGregor admits some members have pushed to model the CIS more like the NCAA, with full scholarships available for student athletes. She says the organization's goal is "not to be like the NCAA. That's not every Canadian's dream, to be like the States. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "I think UBC has been very clever how they have used this to draw attention to UBC and differentiate them from other universities in Canada. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "Bottom line is we don't want them to leave and if they do leave, we'll be disappointed, but we'll wish them well and we'll continue offering quality opportunities at an affordable price to run athletic departments." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] --- [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] For Simon Fraser, the desire to recapture the history that stems from its location in Vancouver just north of the U.S. border is what has the university looking south. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "The history and culture of this place was built around that strategic decision to enter into an American league," said Dr. Michael Stevenson, the school's president. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Simon Fraser was constructed in just 30 months, the so-called "instant university," opening in 1965. Athletically, the university never intended on playing in Canada, joining the NAIA and playing Pacific Northwest counterparts for more than 30 years. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] In 1997, many of SFU's competitors left the NAIA for the NCAA's Division II. SFU wanted to follow, but the NCAA wasn't willing to alter its bylaws. After five years of independence, SFU moved its football, men's and women's basketball, and volleyball programs to the CIS. Cross country, track and field, softball, swimming and wrestling still compete in the NAIA. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Simon Fraser, UBC, Alberta, the University of Regina and University of Victoria are the only schools to hold joint membership in the NAIA and the CIS. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] SFU wants all of its programs back in the U.S., but doesn't envision ever looking at Division I as UBC might. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We're a Division II school," men's basketball coach Scott Clark said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] --- [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Gord Grace brings a unique perspective to the entire debate. He's currently athletic director at University of Windsor, but in the 1990s worked in the athletic department at Michigan. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The amount of money spent on NCAA Division I athletics astounds Grace. He recently read an article that noted Ohio State spends $169,000 on cheerleading. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "That's a little bit less than what we spend on football here," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Because of its proximity to the U.S., Grace's school was rumored to be one of the Ontario schools looking at the NCAA, but Grace said he had no knowledge of any discussions. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Still, having worked at an NCAA institution, Grace believes money - not success on the playing field - will ultimately determine whether UBC and Simon Fraser start a Canadian influx to the NCAA. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "To come up with the money needed and to do it well, I just don't see it happening," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Philip agreed with Grace that money is an issue, but wasn't concerned about building the needed budget. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We're not like USC," Philip said, "but we know we can build it up over time." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] He's probably right if Clark, the Simon Fraser basketball coach, is any indication. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "I love the culture of athletics in the United States," said Clark, the Simon Fraser basketball coach. "The culture of athletics in Canada, unless it's hockey, it's not as embraced as much and I think that's what made for the excitement." [/FONT]

</td></tr></tbody></table>

JumpOnBoard · Dec 1, 2007

Sexy thread.

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Picks go here.

B.A.R. · Dec 1, 2007

Erase post #3 now..LMAO

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

December 6th Is D-Day

A strongly worded article on the LSU official site contains a definite drop-dead date for the whole Miles foofery:

ATLANTA -- LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe has reached an agreement with Les Miles on an amendment to his contract that will secure Miles’ position as head football coach of the Tigers.

Miles authorized his representative, George Bass, to negotiate the terms of the contract with LSU. Terms and conditions of the contract have been agreed upon and will be presented at the next meeting of the LSU Board of Supervisors on Dec. 6.

Miles will not entertain any offer from the University of Michigan to become the Wolverines head coach or from any other institution. The University of Michigan on Wednesday requested permission to discuss its open head football coaching position with Miles.

FYI. Rumblings on the Michigan side of things are of the "this isn't over!" type... but it looks grim.

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Angelique On ESPN News Recap

1. It's over, obvs. LSU AD said as much.
2. Martin did not talk to Miles' agent this morning.
3. Top remaining candidates: Schiano, O'Brien(?!?!?), and someone I didn't hear. No mention of Kelly or Tedford.
4. I want to die.
5. Not really.

Update: Tenuta says he hasn't even spoken to Miles:

Tenuta said Saturday he hadn't spoken with Miles and wasn't sure what was happening.

"I don't know yet. I really don't," Tenuta said after his first practice in his interim role. "There's been rumors before about me going a lot of places."

Way to go, Herbstreit!

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Bowden Named Emperor Of Florida State

Posted Dec 1st 2007 1:04PM by Ian Cohen
Filed under: Fresno State Football, ACC, BCS, NCAA FB Coaching

I say this realizing that news of this sort isn't going to detract from the Les Miles situation, the ACC championship or even the fact that on the west coast, "That's So Raven" is placed directly before said ACC championship. But just so you don't make any plans to trash Bobby Bowden's lawn if the Seminoles lose in the Music City Bowl or whatever, be forewarned that the only person who's going to fire him from the FSU coaching gig is Death himself.

According to Bowden's Birmingham-based attorney (pronounced "law-yuh"), the venerable ballcoach and Florida State have reached an agreement that will have him on the sidelines not just next year, but for pretty much however long he wants. Such is the case with these things, it's more of a handshake agreement than anything, but you can imagine neither party's going to court with the details of this.

While Bowden has two more wins than Joe Paterno and three fewer years, the more striking number is $2,023,689.15. That's Bowden's 2006 salary, which is amazing considering that it's about four times what Paterno's "official salary" is...and then there's the whole "what's a 78-year old man going to do with over $2 million new dollars?" thing.

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Why?

Wannstedt gets 3-year extension

Posted: Saturday December 1, 2007 1:04PM; Updated: Saturday December 1, 2007 3:44PM

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt was given a three-year contract extension Saturday, despite not producing a winning record in three seasons in a program that went to bowl games five consecutive years before he arrived.
Wannstedt was already under contract through the 2009 season and is now signed through 2012. The announcement was made on the day of the Backyard Brawl game against No. 2 West Virginia, which now dominates a rivalry Pitt once controlled.
Pitt apparently chose to give Wannstedt the extension now to end any immediate speculation about his status as Pitt winds up a second losing season under the former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins coach.
"It is good, though, that the papers have been signed, so the contract issues do not loom even as a potential distraction and coach Wannstedt is even better positioned to continue building even a stronger program," chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg said in a statement issued by the school.
The Panthers were 5-6 in 2005, 6-6 in 2006 and are 4-7 this season under Wannstedt -- a combined record of 15-19 -- after going 39-23 and playing in one BCS bowl and four other bowl games in predecessor Walt Harris' final five seasons. Harris took Pitt to six bowl games in eight years.
Counting his 1-8 record in his not-finished final season as the Dolphins' coach in 2004, Wannstedt has a 16-27 record in his last four seasons.
The extension came a day after Steve Pederson returned as Pitt's athletic director. He had previously been the Panthers' AD from 1996-2002.
Pederson was fired at Nebraska 11/2 months ago, not long after he gave failed coach Bill Callahan -- another former NFL coach -- a three-year extension.
Nebraska must pay more than $5 million to buy out the Callahan and Pederson contracts, with Pederson's estimated $2.2 million buyout unaffected by his new Pitt contract, according to Nebraska spokesman Randy York. Callahan was fired last week by interim AD and former coach Tom Osborne after Nebraska went 5-7 this season and allowed 40 or more points six times.
"Though everyone who cares about Pitt football wishes that this season had produced more victories on the field, clear signs of progress can be seen in this young, talented and clearly committed team," Nordenberg said.
Wannstedt has upgraded Pitt's recruiting in western Pennsylvania and is already playing three promising freshmen: running back LeSean McCoy, who has rushed for 1,180 yards and 14 touchdowns; quarterback Pat Bostick, who has started the last seven games; and defensive end Greg Romeus.
Pitt's depth chart for the West Virginia game includes 33 freshmen or sophomores, though three players rather than two are listed at some positions.
However, Wannstedt has been criticized for some curious play-calling, for not expanding and improving on Pitt's recruiting beyond the Pittsburgh area -- the school cut back in Florida this year -- and for falling far behind longtime rival West Virginia, now a national power.
Rutgers and Louisville have beaten Wannstedt in all three of his Pitt seasons, and West Virginia would do the same with a win Saturday night.
"The day I accepted the head coaching position at the University of Pittsburgh (in 2004), I said our goal was to firmly place Pitt among the very best programs in the country," Wannstedt said. "That goal has not changed and I believe now more than ever that we are doing all the necessary things to reach that level."
Nordenberg said the extension "never was an urgent matter" but that he, interim athletic director Donna Sanft and Wannstedt agreed it should happen. Sanft was briefly in charge after former AD Jeff Long left for Arkansas this fall.
Pederson said he is ready "to help Dave Wannstedt in any way I can," though it was Pederson who hired Harris in late 1996. Harris was pushed out by Long after taking Pitt to the Fiesta Bowl in the 2004 season and Harris was quickly hired by Stanford, but was let go after two seasons.
"We are going to work very hard and do everything we can to help him (Wannstedt) and our program achieve at the highest levels," Pederson said. "I couldn't be more exited about our future."

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

Fuck you, Kirk Herbstreit

You are a fucking fuck, Kirk Herbstreit. You don't know me, you fucking ass hat. I've never even met Jon Tenuta. Don't fucking talk about me again, shitstick.

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

East Carolina headed to Hawaii Bowl

Posted: Saturday December 1, 2007 8:17PM; Updated: Saturday December 1, 2007 8:17PM

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- East Carolina accepted a bid Saturday to play in the Hawaii Bowl against a team from the Western Athletic Conference.
The game will be played in Honolulu on Dec. 23. The Pirates' opponent was to be determined after the WAC's final regular season games and may not be announced until Sunday. Boise State is a candidate if Hawaii get a berth in a Bowl Championship Series game.
East Carolina had been a candidate for the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala., but that bowl selected Tulsa after its 44-25 loss to Central Florida on Saturday in the Conference USA championship game. The win put UCF into the Liberty Bowl, and sent the Pirates (7-5) on a long trip to a tropical destination for the holidays.
"This obviously will be a trip of a lifetime for many of us and a reward, especially for our seniors who have provided the program with leadership and stability during their career," East Carolina coach Skip Holtz said. "I'm looking forward to seeing all of us experience a different culture, one which I'm confident will provide many wonderful memories.
"Yet, with that said, it will also put us in a position to reach one of our goals this season which is a bowl championship."
East Carolina finished tied for second in the East Division of Conference USA with a 6-2 league record. It meant a second straight bowl appearance for ECU after a four-year absence. East Carolina lost to South Florida 24-7 last season in the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham, Ala.
It will be the 14th bowl appearance overall for East Carolina, which is 7-6 in postseason games, splitting the past eight.
"We feel this game will certainly measure our progress," East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland said.
The Hawaii Bowl will be played at Aloha Stadium. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. EST.

RJ Esq · Dec 1, 2007

LSU Is Your 2007 SEC Champion

Posted Dec 1st 2007 10:03PM by Ryan Ferguson
Filed under: LSU Football, Tennessee Football, SEC

They were picked pre-season to win the conference and maybe win it all.

The big prize is almost certainly out of reach, but they did okay. At the end of the day, they damn sure did okay.

Talk about odds stacking up against you if you're LSU: after a week of intense rumormongering, your coach is forced to hold an emergency press conference addressing his job status just two hours prior to the game. Your senior quarterback, who despite lacking flash has been a steady producer, is out with a tweaked shoulder. Your All-American defensive tackle, Glenn Dorsey, is out with a bruised tailbone. Then your backup quarterback rips a finger open on his throwing hand, and no one can stop the bleeding (Perilloux would need stitches after the game.) To add insult to injury you lose your best wide receiver (Early Doucet) in the third quarter when you're down a point.

Tennessee comes into the game playing their best football of the last few years. They bring their own NFL-caliber senior quarterback in Erik Ainge. And sneak in with a chip on their shoulder, unheralded and written off before the first snap.

Pretty good setup for a fall, but it didn't happen.

Instead, LSU's defense dug in the game became a ball-control and defensive struggle. Erik Ainge had a night he'd like to forget, playing reasonably well in the first half, but throwing two interceptions late which sealed the Vols' fate.

Final: 21-14.

Les Miles is already campaigning for a title bid.

"Anybody who saw this game would say that this is arguably the finest team in the country," said the Tigers' head coach.

And maybe that's not such a crazy idea after all. As of 10:00PM ET, West Virginia -- shockingly -- trails Pitt, 10-7 in Morgantown. If Mizzou loses to Oklahoma (that game is currently tied at 14-14 at the half), LSU might, just might be able to put one of their pre-season goals back on the board.

Why would one expect anything different in college football's strangest season?

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Well now things are really screwed up

<center>

</center> So as I mentioned earlier, a soft West Virginia team got punched in the gut and could not recover. They’re out. Finished 13-9 by Pittsburgh. Really? Pittsburgh? That’s not right. Missouri is struggling and will also probably be out. So now what?
We know this: Ohio State will be playing for the National Championship. It is absolutely killing people outside of Columbus that this is now an indisputable fact. A few items:

Holy crap did the Zebras try to give West Virginia the game. That was disgusting.
That look on Rich Rodriguez’s face was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen after West Virginia failed on 4th and short.
If I was a fan of an SEC team (I think I just threw up a little there. Excuse me for a sec). Okay, if I was a fan of say, Arkansas or Tennessee and I had to sit through a game on CBS with Gary Danielson having to listen to him give Les Miles and the rest of the LSU team a fricken tongue bath. It’s also very disgusting. My foot would be meeting my television, Mr. Mom style.
This is so screwed up and the BCS looks like total gar-baj. Say hello to an OSU versus Hawai’i National Championship Game!

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Black is White, Up is Down, West Virginia Gags Away BCS Title Berth

Posted Dec 1st 2007 11:11PM by Brian Stouffer
Filed under: Pittsburgh Football, West Virginia Football, Big East, BCS

I just don't know what to say at this point. Every time you think you've seen it all this season, something else absolutely unbelievable happens. Tonight, the scene of the crime is Morgantown. With nothing but an anemic 4-7 Pitt team as 28 point underdogs standing between West Virginia and a berth in the title game, the Mountaineers gagged away the game in front of their home crowd.

For those of you who watched the final ten minutes of the game, it was a complete comedy of errors. Sloppy play, unbelievably terrible officiating, and a plague of locusts couldn't stop the Panthers, who hung on for dear life to a one-score lead. Certainly, a choke job for the ages.

There's a lot of subtext to the improbable conclusion of this game. Sure, Pat White was out of commission for long stretches of this game due to injury, but that hardly explains away the 28 point spread. And maybe it's just me, but it seemed pretty evident that the officials were doing everything in their power to keep Pitt from winning the game, all the way up to an eyebrow-raising excessive celebration penalty after Pitt had more or less sealed the game with the 4th down stop.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Missouri just fell behind Oklahoma by 18 points, meaning we're heading into the second week in a row where both of the top two teams lose. I'm going to take a Dramamine and lay down. Nothing makes sense anymore.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

The Unthinkable Happens: #1 and #2 Both Fall

Posted Dec 1st 2007 11:48PM by Ryan Ferguson
Filed under: Georgia Football, Kansas Football, LSU Football, Ohio State Football, Virginia Tech Football, West Virginia Football, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, BCS, Missouri Football

WVU loses to Pitt.

No, that can't be correct. Did that really happen?

Why, yes. I did not just hallucinate that. A 4-TD underdog beats West Virginia in Morgantown in a game that no one, and I mean no one thought they could win.

Un-freaking-believable.

Oh, and by the way: #1 Missouri just fell to Oklahoma. That's less of a shock; Oklahoma was favored.

But no matter how you slice it or dice it, #1 and #2 both fell. Again.

So now you have the ultimate BCS nightmare: total disarray, total chaos. This is what the anti-BCS anarchists are always dreaming of. Now, it's here.

BCS standings:

<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 1. Missouri <strike>11-1</strike> 11-2 (lost to #9 Oklahoma)</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 2. West Virginia <strike>10-1</strike> 10-2 (lost to unranked Pitt)
</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 3. Ohio State 11-1</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 4. Georgia 10-2</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 5. Kansas 11-1</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 6. Virginia Tech <strike>10-2</strike> 11-2 (beat Boston College, now ACC Champion)
</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 7. LSU <strike>10-2</strike> 11-2 (beat Tennessee, now SEC Champion)
</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 8. USC <strike>9-2</strike> 10-2 (beat UCLA)
</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 9. Oklahoma <strike>10-2</strike> 11-2 (beat #1 Missouri)
</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>10. Florida 9-3</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
You ask me, I think it's rather obvious what should happen.

Ohio State?

Tressel comes up roses again -- but gets to turn them down. Ohio State is #1 yet again and will play in the BCS title game for the second year in a row. Congratulations, Buckeyes.

Georgia?

It's just tough luck for #4 Georgia that they didn't get a chance to represent the SEC East in the SEC Championship game. The way LSU played -- and the way Georgia finished their season -- you'd have to think they would have had at least as many opportunities to win that game as Tennessee had. If they had managed to do that, there would be no debate: Georgia would be playing for a BCS Title. But that's pure fantasty at this point. Based on recent events, I don't see Georgia remaining at #4; while they sat idle, #7 BCS LSU beat another ranked team and won a conference championship.

Kansas?

Forgive me for saying this, Kansas fans, but a 1-loss Kansas appearing in the title game will not happen for two reasons. One, their schedule was far too soft for any voter to take the Jayhawks seriously. Two, they didn't win their conference, much less their division. I can't see too many voters keeping Kansas' ranking intact. Expect Kansas to drop.

Virginia Tech?

Here we encounter our first pingings of the geiger counter as we approach BCS meltdown: Virginia Tech meets most of the voters' requirements for a title game appearance. They're ACC Champions. They have only two losses. And at #6, they should slide neatly into position at #2 to play for a BCS title. One problem: they were demolished by LSU early in the season. And I do mean demolished: they lost 48-7. That's just Va Tech's unlucky draw to get the Tigers in this year, of all years.

LSU?

Ding-ding-ding. Written off for dead just hours ago, the 2-loss Tigers, in my view, will most likely get the nod due to a long list of factors: they're SEC Champions, they beat Va Tech as previously mentioned, they have the "inertia" of an expected title appearance, and despite how bad they've looked at times they still look like the best 2-loss team in the country, particularly when they're healthy. After all, they did win an SEC championship despite playing their backup QB and with a rash of injuries throughout the roster. And I think the public would love to see another Big Ten/SEC matchup for the national title.

USC?

Nope. Lost to Stanford. Sorry, that's the worst loss, by far, of any team in the Top 10. This will not be overlooked and USC is not likely to jump anyone except perhaps West Virginia.

Oklahoma?

This is an interesting one. Yeah... what about Oklahoma? They're a two-loss team, like LSU. They're the Big 12 conference champion. They look the part. Biggest problem? Their two losses both look bad. They're only two weeks removed from losing to Texas Tech, although starting QB Sam Bradford was concussed for the majority of that contest. Losing to lowly Colorado early in the season is also an ugly mark on their record. Still, I'd feel better about Oklahoma playing Ohio State than Kansas or Virginia Tech.

Hawaii?

Get real. Call me when Hawaii starts playing D-IA football.

Final call?

I think this one's too close to call definitively, but I think voters are going to put LSU, two losses and all, into the BCS title game to keep Tressel and the Buckeyes honest.

That's a game I'd really love to see. How about you?

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

This is Going to be a Disaster

by TB Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:46:56 PM EDT

I realize I'm moving beyond the merely obvious into the totally obvious, but the BCS is going to be an absolute mess this year. It looks right now like Mizzou is going to lose (by the time I get done typing this, it may be over), meaning both of the BCS top 2 will have lost.
Because of the insanely stupid way we do things in college football, that automatically means that the No. 3 team in the BCS, an Ohio State University, will move up and play in the title game. Georgia will likely follow them up, because, well, they're No. 4 right now.
After my finals are over, I'm going to get deeper into something that's really been bothering me. No, it's not the BCS. As flawed as it is, and as much as I want a playoff, there's something worse...
Recruiting rankings.
In a sport that's all about perception--at least in the human polls and "popular" opinion--a random and completely subjective ranking of unproven high school players decides which teams "should" be the best. Actual performance on the field be damned.
This BCS disaster should show us that we need a serious reevaluation of how we decide who plays for the national title. In basketball, we look at resumes. In football, we choose the teams with the fewest losses...unless they play in the WAC.
Now a disclaimer before I do what I'm about to do: I am NOT advocating that KU make the national title game. I cheered for Mizzou last week, as I will for any team that can keep KU from accomplishing anything of significance, because I can't stand that school down the river and never want them to succeed in anything.
However...
Let's do a little rundown comparing the 'beaks and an Ohio State University.
Here is a ranking of KU's wins, from best to worst, along with its loss:
Oklahoma State
Colorado
K-State (look at when the game was played, and where it was played)
Texas A&M
Iowa State
Nebraska
Baylor
Central Michigan
Toledo
Florida International
Southeastern Louisiana
Loss: Mizzou
Same thing now, for an Ohio State University:
Michigan
Wisconsin
Penn State
Michigan State
Purdue
Northwestern
Minnesota
Washington
Akron
Kent State
Youngstown State
Loss: Illinois
So Washington is soo much better than Florida International, and that's the resume difference between KU and that state university in Ohio. Well, yeah. That, and the fact that aOSU has a higher "Rivals Stars" ranking.
Spare me all the arguments about who did or didn't win their division or their conference. The best two teams, by performance, should play for the national title.
So, who should be in the national title game? My votes would go to Georgia and LSU. Two SEC teams in the title game? Dammit. The absurdity continues.
Update: Forgot to mention...the fact that KU will now almost certainly make a BCS bowl and Mizzou will not ought to be proof enough what a joke the BCS is. I thought we got rid of the system based solely on human polls to get rid of politics...and that leaves us with an OU-KU matchup in the Fiesta while Mizzou gets to play at 10 a.m. in the city of $30,000 millionaires (Dallas, for those of you who don't know). Congrats Mizzou!

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

And the BCS goes...
By outsidethesidelines Section: Football
Posted on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 11:59:49 PM EDT

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

They All Fall Down: Tunguska Edition
By SMQ
Posted on Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 12:09:25 AM EDT

Well this was a surprise, by which I mean we all should have seen it coming ten miles away.

To the BCS, that looks like this:

<object height="305" width="375">

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gkzt5NEoAWE&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="305" width="375"></object></p> And it's all the fault of one man:

Curse you, Holtz! Curse you and your enthralling, motivational magic!
- - -
To Ohio State: congratulations. With apologies to Josh Levin, you were in the chair when the music stopped, and yours are the rewards of attrition.
All the other chairs, unfortunately, are coursing with lethal voltage. But one of their occupants has a reprieve.

I'll be sorting through this in the morning. In the meantime, fans, embrace the chaos and sleep the sleep of men at peace with the world.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Man, What a Mess

Good Lord...crazy crazy night.

OK, I can see Missouri losing to Oklahoma. My God are those guys big and fast, and Stoops may be a jackass..but that guy can play chess with the best of them. But West Virginia losing to Pitt? PITT!?!?! Are you kidding me? And as I type this, Hawaii is getting worked over early against a 4-8 Pac 10 team?

I’m all for chaos and frenzy around the crappy BCS…but this is a bit ridiculous. I’m like you though, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. (Although Kansas to a BCS bowl is a joke..but whatever, that’s how the system works.)

And speaking of a mess….ESPN reports that Bo Pelini is your coach…but now he’s not? Is Pelini that much of a liar that he’s going to deny the reports until Monday and then go…”OK, I was kidding, I am going to take the job.” Is Tom Osborne out golfing? Is Houston Nutt on a plane? What the hell is going on!?!?!

Speaking of freakiness, nice to see your boy Steve Pederson head back to Pitt, and in his first game back ,they upset #2 on the road. Karma perhaps? Probably not..but still kinda funny.

Anyhow, because I know some of you are looking for anything to grasp at…my thoughts.

Nothing wrong with losing to an Oklahoma team who is bigger, faster and more prepared. They played at a whole other level, and as soon as Mizzou got inside the OU 30 on their first drive of the 2nd..and had to punt…it was pretty much over. Curtis Lofton? Wow. Pinkel and Chirstensen have done an outstanding job this year, but give Brent Venables credit, they have the horses to blitz on every play, and yet still have the speed on the outside to stay with the bubble screens and slants. Sometimes you win..sometimes you lose..and sometimes you get thumped. Take it like a man, and learn from it.

Overall, a disappointing night to be that close..but hey…at least Missouri lost to a good team, and not Pitt…or Stanford, or Kentucky or Colorado or any other of a wide variety of crappy teams that derailed top ten squads this year. If you would have told me my team would have been 11-2, 30 minutes from the BCS title game, and at WORST a Cotton Bowl birth (first January 1st bowl in 37 years)…I’d probably take it. A great season for a program that has sucked donkey sack my entire life.

Like I said…it stinks…but it doesn’t stink as much as giving up 600 yards passing to Ball State, or giving up 76 to a KU team that is a proven fraud.

Oh well, it was a great Big 12 season this year. Should be interesting to see how the computers and polls come out tomorrow with such a gigantic mess on our hands.

God bless football.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

It's official: Armageddon!

And Sam Chi, the BCS Guru has told me in an email that it will be OSU and LSU in the BCS title game.

horses · Dec 2, 2007

Illinois? What...was Michigan St too busy?

Troutman · Dec 2, 2007

RJ Esq said:
Why?

Wannstedt gets 3-year extension

Posted: Saturday December 1, 2007 1:04PM; Updated: Saturday December 1, 2007 3:44PM

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt was given a three-year contract extension Saturday, despite not producing a winning record in three seasons in a program that went to bowl games five consecutive years before he arrived.
Wannstedt was already under contract through the 2009 season and is now signed through 2012. The announcement was made on the day of the Backyard Brawl game against No. 2 West Virginia, which now dominates a rivalry Pitt once controlled.
Pitt apparently chose to give Wannstedt the extension now to end any immediate speculation about his status as Pitt winds up a second losing season under the former Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins coach.
"It is good, though, that the papers have been signed, so the contract issues do not loom even as a potential distraction and coach Wannstedt is even better positioned to continue building even a stronger program," chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg said in a statement issued by the school.
The Panthers were 5-6 in 2005, 6-6 in 2006 and are 4-7 this season under Wannstedt -- a combined record of 15-19 -- after going 39-23 and playing in one BCS bowl and four other bowl games in predecessor Walt Harris' final five seasons. Harris took Pitt to six bowl games in eight years.
Counting his 1-8 record in his not-finished final season as the Dolphins' coach in 2004, Wannstedt has a 16-27 record in his last four seasons.
The extension came a day after Steve Pederson returned as Pitt's athletic director. He had previously been the Panthers' AD from 1996-2002.
Pederson was fired at Nebraska 11/2 months ago, not long after he gave failed coach Bill Callahan -- another former NFL coach -- a three-year extension.
Nebraska must pay more than $5 million to buy out the Callahan and Pederson contracts, with Pederson's estimated $2.2 million buyout unaffected by his new Pitt contract, according to Nebraska spokesman Randy York. Callahan was fired last week by interim AD and former coach Tom Osborne after Nebraska went 5-7 this season and allowed 40 or more points six times.
"Though everyone who cares about Pitt football wishes that this season had produced more victories on the field, clear signs of progress can be seen in this young, talented and clearly committed team," Nordenberg said.
Wannstedt has upgraded Pitt's recruiting in western Pennsylvania and is already playing three promising freshmen: running back LeSean McCoy, who has rushed for 1,180 yards and 14 touchdowns; quarterback Pat Bostick, who has started the last seven games; and defensive end Greg Romeus.
Pitt's depth chart for the West Virginia game includes 33 freshmen or sophomores, though three players rather than two are listed at some positions.
However, Wannstedt has been criticized for some curious play-calling, for not expanding and improving on Pitt's recruiting beyond the Pittsburgh area -- the school cut back in Florida this year -- and for falling far behind longtime rival West Virginia, now a national power.
Rutgers and Louisville have beaten Wannstedt in all three of his Pitt seasons, and West Virginia would do the same with a win Saturday night.
"The day I accepted the head coaching position at the University of Pittsburgh (in 2004), I said our goal was to firmly place Pitt among the very best programs in the country," Wannstedt said. "That goal has not changed and I believe now more than ever that we are doing all the necessary things to reach that level."
Nordenberg said the extension "never was an urgent matter" but that he, interim athletic director Donna Sanft and Wannstedt agreed it should happen. Sanft was briefly in charge after former AD Jeff Long left for Arkansas this fall.
Pederson said he is ready "to help Dave Wannstedt in any way I can," though it was Pederson who hired Harris in late 1996. Harris was pushed out by Long after taking Pitt to the Fiesta Bowl in the 2004 season and Harris was quickly hired by Stanford, but was let go after two seasons.
"We are going to work very hard and do everything we can to help him (Wannstedt) and our program achieve at the highest levels," Pederson said. "I couldn't be more exited about our future."

I guess he answered your question. Why?

aplous · Dec 2, 2007

Troutman where you been hiding bro?

Blue_Chip · Dec 2, 2007

What time is the BCS released?

PURPLE & GOLD · Dec 2, 2007

5:30?

The crazy thing about the West Virginia game is I KNEW Wannstedt would find a way to lose. GO Wanny!

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Don’t let ESPN convince you the BCS is at fault

After last night’s games, ESPN was quick to stir up angst towards the BCS system.
The SportsCenter and GameDay hosts kept asking “How terrible of a system do we have when, on the very last night of the CFB season, we don’t know who will be playing for the title?”
Listen up, my allergic-to-critical-thinking-ESPN-boneheads: It has nothing to do with the system. It has everything to do with nos. 1 and 2 going down in back-to-back weeks. Again:
<center>The fact that the teams ranked 1 and 2 lost two weeks in a row is not the BCS’s fault.</center> If college football had a playoff, and the top two seeds went down, would you hear people complaining that the playoff system “needed to be fixed?” Of course not. So why is it the BCS’s fault when LSU, Kansas, Missouri, and West Virginia all lose within a span of eight days?
The truth? ESPN is pushing animosity towards the BCS because they can’t make more money off of it. Fox has the game, and the best ESPN can do is the Tostitos Pontiac Tampax BCS Selection Show sponsored in part by Joe Bob’s Tire and Lube (Sunday, 6 p.m. ET).
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: ESPN has become the MTV of the sports world. Programming, talking points, agenda items, etc. are all driven by (1) what makes the most money, and (2) the perception of what’s popular. The network’s once thoughtful commentary and analysis have turned into oft-repeated talking points and punditry.
Here’s an SAT analogy to make my point:

______ is to ESPN as Britney Spears is to MTV. A. SEC Speed
B. Jeff Gordon
C. Tom Brady
D. Nelson Mandela
E. Three of the above
F. None of the above

Get it?
Take another example: Earlier this week, when Les Miles said that his team was ‘technically undefeated, because LSU’s losses were in overtime,’ all halfway-intelligent people on the planet collectively rolled their eyes and said, “oh, BROTHER.” Right? We all agreed that such a statement required a, oh, shall we say, a certain disconnection from reality.
Yet ESPN thought that argument sounded just witty enough that most mouth breathing brain dead fans might admire it, and decided to parrot it for a nationwide audience on SportsCenter. They actually showed and discussed a screen graphic that had LSU’s season itemized in the following manner:

LSU Tigers
Wins: 11
Losses: 0
Losses in OT: 2

Are you kidding me? They’ll insinuate that the Tigers had zero losses, just to get the SEC back in the title game? Pathetic.
But back to the BCS. Almost exactly one year ago, we published our “Wait to hate on the BCS” post:

“To me, all the BCS hatred seems a bit premature. I think fans should let the games play themselves out. Consider the following: What if Florida beats OSU? What if USC wins the Rose? What if UM wins the Rose, but needs a miracle (or just looks sloppy)? Any of the three outcomes would retroactively validate the BCS selections.”

In short, even though ESPN never admitted it, the BCS worked perfectly in 2006. It worked in 2005, too, when Vince Young beat the “best in hi$tory zomg !eleventy!11″ USC Trojans.
In fact, in the decade of BCS selections, there has only been one season where the system clearly broke down: in 2004, when the system kept a deserving Auburn team out of the game.
But since then, the pollsters have taken it upon themselves to make sure that never happens again. They did it last year, by recognizing that Florida deserved a title shot & leapfrogging them over everyone else to #2. They’ll do the same thing this year, and once again choose a deserving team to match up against the Buckeyes.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Mark Richt Campaigns for Georgia

Posted Dec 2nd 2007 9:35AM by Ryan Ferguson
Filed under: Georgia Football, LSU Football, Ohio State Football, SEC, BCS

And I do mean campaign. Remember last year when Florida head coach Urban Meyer answered a few questions in a press conference indicating that he believed his team deserved a shot at the Buckeyes? He was vilified for "making a mockery" of the system by certain pundits.

If that was the case, what's the call on Georgia's Mark Richt, who held a midnight teleconference last night to state the Dawgs' case?

Here are Richt's comments from UGASports.com ($):

"The bottom line is it's going to come down to what the computers believe. But the way the system is set up, the rules do not state that you have to be a conference champion," Richt said. "I know some people have been harping on that, but the bottom line is voters need to vote whether or not they think Georgia is one of the two best teams in the country.
"I think we are one of the two best teams in the country right now. If the rule stated we had to win a conference championship, then that's what we ought to do. But that's not what the rules state."
Richt also made it clear what he thinks would have happened had his Bulldogs played LSU in Saturday's championship game.
"I think if we could have gotten to play in the championship we certainly could have won that game, yes," Richt said. "I think we could beat LSU."

I don't have a problem with this tactic. I do have a problem with the argument, which has more holes than swiss cheese. Clearly, Richt recognizes the likelihood that Georgia will be left out of the Big Game, and is launching countermeasures.

In my view it's too little, too late. Richt's argument isn't likely to sway voters. Georgia's record is not the same as LSU's. LSU won the SEC when they beat Tennessee -- something the Bulldogs were incapable of, by the way -- and Georgia fell into their #4 BCS ranking by default moreso than their performance. Yes, the Bulldogs have been red hot and would probably be heavily favored to beat the Buckeyes in a title game.

But there's no way an 11-2 SEC champion should be left out of the picture in favor of a 10-2 SEC team which didn't even win their own division. Don't forget, too, that LSU stepped out of the SEC and smashed the ACC champion 48-7 early in the season.

I also think Richt's statement that the Dawgs 'could' beat LSU stinks of loserdom. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, Richt. Call me when you actually win your division and have a game lined up with the Tigers.

There's no question in my mind that LSU should rise to #2 and enjoy the spoils of their victories, while Georgia should enjoy the enviable consolation prize which is the Sugar Bowl. Sorry, 'Dawgs.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Virginia Tech Should Play Ohio State For The BCS Title

Sun, Dec 2, 2007 at 10:18 am Posted in Off The Beaten Path

Why not?
VT is the ACC Champion, and they have the credentials to play in the game. Let them have a crack at Ohio State, considering Georgia didn’t win their conference, 1-loss Kansas couldn’t beat Mizzou and didn’t win the Big XII. USC lost to Stanford for crying out loud. Sure VT has a loss to LSU, and the SEC homers are going to point to that fact immediately, but the fact is that the loss was early in the season, when VT was looking for an identity on offense. On top of that LSU isn’t a dominant team, they’re part of the overrated SEC that gets teams like Alabama ranked for good portions of the season. Oh, and don’t get me started on Oklahoma, who lost to two unranked teams.
Yesterday, Virginia Tech was the highest ranked conference champion. Mark Richt will tell you that the BCS doesn’t require a team to be a conference champ to play in the title game. I agree, that there’s no rule, but really we’ve already seen how that worked out with Nebraska a few years ago. The Hokies make a great ESPN story, they’ve played solid ball and the only team in a nation that has a rock solid argument against them is undefeated Hawaii. But since Hawaii isn’t a real option, thanks to the stupidity of the BCS system, I say let VT play!

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

A case for the Tigers

LSU deserves spot opposite Ohio St. in BCS title game

Posted: Sunday December 2, 2007 2:35AM; Updated: Sunday December 2, 2007 2:53AM

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LSU bounced back from a loss to Arkansas to defeat Tennessee and win the SEC title.
Todd Kirkland/Icon SMI

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</td></tr></tbody></table>It took 10 years, but the day is finally upon us.
BCS Armageddon.
In a season of unprecedented ambiguity, where the upsets began from nearly the opening kickoff, it would have been asking way too much for this thing to resolve itself smoothly. Far more fittingly, we've been dealt the most muddled BCS controversy to date by a mile.
"The BCS is going to implode," predicted Kirk Herbstreit during the waning moments of Saturday night's Big 12 title game. "This is as [chaotic] as it's ever gotten. Who are you going to put in there?"
Good question.
We've had arguments over national-championship participants before, but usually they've involved two, maybe three teams tops.
Following this latest, season-ending pair of mountain-toppling upsets -- No. 9 Oklahoma 38, No. 1 Missouri 17; Pittsburgh 13, No. 2 West Virginia 9 -- we're left with the following, mind-numbing scenario: 11-1 Big Ten champion Ohio State ... and a jumble of up to seven other candidates, any of whom could make an argument why they should meet the Buckeyes in New Orleans.
If the BCS' presidents had listened to their commissioners, to ABC executives and to any number of others who encouraged them three years ago to add an extra layer to the postseason, we could at least take the top four teams and let them play it off. Unfortunately, that's not the system we have right now.
The system we have requires 60 coaches poll voters and 113 Harris Poll voters to dub one of the teams worthy of a title shot -- and to make their decision by Sunday morning.
The first question those voters will have to ask themselves is, what exactly are we voting on? Is it who I feel is the "best" team among the available candidates? Or is it the team I feel is "most deserving" of a title shot?
If you go by the "best" criteria, the choice would presumably be 10-2 Georgia. The Bulldogs, after all, were dubbed the "fourth-best" team by voters in all three polls last week, and two teams above them lost. They're indisputably the "hottest" BCS-conference team in the country, having gone since Oct. 6 without a loss. All the other contenders lost sometime in November.
If this were any other week, the voters would move Georgia from No. 4 to No. 2 with hardly a second thought. After all, if Ohio State is going to rise from No. 3 to No. 1 without playing a game, the Bulldogs should be afforded the same treatment, right?
Not necessarily. The two are not in the same boat.

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Chris Wells and the Buckeyes have definitely earned a spot in the national title game.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

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</td></tr></tbody></table>Say what you want about the oft-criticized Buckeyes. They won a conference championship in one of the six recognized major conferences, and they were the only one of the six to make it through with just one loss. Like it or not, Ohio State has come the closest of any team to "earning" a spot in the title game.
If you recall, voters were faced with this very same question a year ago -- "best" or "most deserving" -- in choosing between 11-1 Michigan and 12-1 Florida for the No. 2 spot. At that time, most of the public did not believe the Gators to be one of the two best teams. Their offense was suspect. They'd won a lot of their games ugly. Meanwhile, two weeks earlier, the Wolverines had come within three points of No. 1 Ohio State on the Buckeyes' home field.
If the voters had gone with "best" in that scenario, they likely would have tabbed Michigan. But instead, they looked at the fact that Florida had played a harder schedule, had beaten more ranked teams and more bowl teams than the Wolverines, and they chose the "more deserving" Gators.
If we're going to be consistent, the "most deserving" team outside of Ohio State is LSU.
The adage in college football is that "every week matters." If that is indeed true, then the teams must be judged not by how they played the last week -- or the last month or the second half of the season. They must be judged on the merits of their entire season's work. When you do that, Georgia, for one, has no rational argument over the Tigers.
LSU won the SEC championship. Georgia did not even win the SEC East.
Georgia beat two foes that will be ranked in the final top-25 polls: Florida and Auburn. LSU beat the Gators and Tigers as well -- plus ACC champion Virginia Tech, plus SEC East champion Tennessee.
Georgia lost to the Vols by three touchdowns, while also losing to 6-6 South Carolina. LSU's two defeats both required triple overtime, and both came against winning teams (8-4 Arkansas and 7-5 Kentucky).
The one knock against the Tigers is that they just suffered their second loss a little more than a week ago. Guess what? Ohio State lost its second-to-last game as well. In this season of carnage, we can't afford to be as picky as usual about the timing of losses, because literally everyone has suffered recent losses. If we went strictly by "who lost least recently," your two title-game participants would be Georgia and ... Illinois (last loss Oct. 20).
Another thing LSU could point to is the fact the Tigers beat Tennessee on Saturday despite playing without their starting quarterback (Matt Flynn) and All-America defensive tackle (Glenn Dorsey). Similar circumstances have proven disastrous for fellow contenders like West Virginia (which lost QB Pat White for parts of both games it dropped) and Oregon (which lost three straight games after QB Dennis Dixon went down); the Tigers won the SEC championship game in spite of their injuries.
As mentioned earlier, LSU is hardly the only team with a claim to No. 2. Look at 11-2 Oklahoma. The Sooners just won a major-conference title as well, and they did it by routing the No. 1 team in the country, Missouri. In fact, they've beaten the Tigers twice, as well as top-20 foe Texas.
If this were a "plus one" system (like a Final Four), Oklahoma would be in, no questions asked. Instead, we have to compare the resumes and make the decision ourselves. Oklahoma's impressive victories fall one short of LSU's, and the Sooners' two defeats did not come in triple overtime -- one of them, in fact, came against 6-6 Colorado.

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</td></tr></tbody></table>ACC champ Virginia Tech is also sitting there at 11-2. The Hokies have not lost since October 25, and their two defeats both came to teams ranked No. 2 in the country at the time. One of those, however, was LSU, which demolished Frank Beamer's team 48-7. No voter with a strand of common sense in his body could rightfully elevate the Hokies ahead of the Tigers.
USC, like Georgia, is considered a "hot" team. The 10-2 Trojans clobbered top-15 foe Arizona State less than two weeks ago. But they haven't beaten a single other opponent that will appear in Sunday's rankings -- and they've got that eyesore of a loss to 4-8 Stanford working against them.
Kansas is presumably sitting there thinking, what about us? We only lost once. Unfortunately, that one defeat came against the only major foe the Jayhawks faced all season (Missouri), and it came in their final game.
Of all years, this would have been a perfect one for an undefeated, non-BCS team like Utah (2004) or Boise State (2006) to crash the title game. Faced with a bunch of two-loss teams from major conferences, the voters may very well welcomed such a contender.
Unfortunately, the only such candidate this year, Hawaii, did not beat a single, respectable major-conference foe like Utah did against 7-4 Texas A&M or Boise did against 9-4 Oregon State. To finish undefeated, the Warriors needed only to defeat 4-8 Washington late Saturday night. Even at 12-0, to let in a team that played the likes of Northern Colorado and Charleston Southern would forever devalue the importance of schedule strength.
Are Ohio State and LSU the two best teams in the country? The honest answer: We have no idea. In fact, about the only certainty regarding this 2007 season is that we have no idea about anything.
Whichever two teams meet Jan. 7 in New Orleans, there will be questions about their legitimacy. The champion will be viewed skeptically. The BCS was designed to pair the two best teams in any given season. There's nothing in the manual that says what to do when nobody has any idea who those two teams are -- and that's exactly where we find ourselves today.
The words "Such-and-such is a better team than such-and-such" have never been less relevant than they are right now. Why? Because Michigan is a better team than Appalachian State. USC is a better team than Stanford. And West Virginia is a better team than Pittsburgh.
But that's not what the scores said on the days those teams played. And scores are the only true measure we have by which to judge teams.
It's pretty simple. Of all the teams clamoring for a spot opposite Ohio State today, none has a better set of scores this season than LSU. The voters have a choice: They can trust the scores and pick the Tigers, or they can trust their instincts and pick someone else.
Our instincts have been wrong pretty much every week this season. This hardly seems like the right time to start trusting them.
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RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle"> Instant Analysis: Washington-Hawaii </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">
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</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="middle">By Matt Zemek
Staff Columnist
Posted Dec 2, 2007
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It wasn't easy, and it wasn't impressive in the classic sense of the term, but the Hawaii Warriors defeated the Washington Huskies to complete the only perfect season in the Football Bowl Subdivision for 2007. June Jones and Colt Brennan won't reach the BCS title game, but they definitely deserve a BCS bowl after doing what their 119 competitors couldn't.
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Yes, only one team in major college football avoided a single defeat from Labor Day weekend through the first Saturday of December. That ballclub resides on the island, as the heroes of Honolulu became the Western Athletic Conference's likely successor to Boise State in a prime-time January throwdown. Saturday night's heartstopper against the Huskies represented the latest in a long line of white-knuckle victories for Hawaii, as this talented team once again showed that its considerable athleticism is actually exceeded by its uncommon mental toughness. On a night when the Warriors stared down a 21-point deficit and faced the prospect of a somewhat ruined season, a team with so much at stake found the focus needed to avoid a descent into panic. On a night when West Virginia cracked under tremendous pressure, the Warriors pulled another close win out of the fire. It was truly just another day in paradise for a team that has earned every blessing that has come its way.

In the immediate aftermath of Hawaii's narrow win over Washington, credit and attention will unavoidably and--to some extent--deservedly flow to Brennan, the star quarterback who likely punched a ticket to New York for next Saturday's Heisman Trophy award ceremony. With evidently abundant amounts of poise and pocket presence, Brennan displayed the leadership and the skills needed to bring his team back from a 28-7 first-half hole. The customary combination of laser-like throws and unerring instincts enabled the sensational signal caller to calmly pick apart the Huskies' young secondary, especially in the final ten minutes when the Warriors stormed to victory. This contest did absolutely nothing to diminish the deservedly glowing reputation of an all-time great in the world of college football.

With that having been said, however, the biggest reason the Warriors completed their perfect regular season was a defense that simply didn't quit. After being eviscerated by the Huskies in the game's first 23 minutes, coordinator Greg McMackin's defense shut out Louis Rankin, Jake Locker, and the rest of a purple-shirted offense that overwhelmed the home folks coming out of the gate. Washington started the proceedings by staggering the Warriors with equal doses of power and speed. The hulking heavies from the Pac-10 leaned on their WAC counterparts, and before anyone's seat was warm in Aloha Stadium, Ty Willingham's boys had attained a lightning-quick 21-0 advantage. It looked as though a pancake-flat Hawaii defense was going to get lit up for more than 40 points at the very least.

How impressive it was, then, that McMackin's players rallied 'round the flag to keep Washington off the scoreboard for the game's remaining 37 minutes. With renewed energy in the trenches and sustained focus in the secondary, Hawaii forced Locker to be more of a thrower and less of a runner. The Warriors created third and long situations and were able to get off the field much more quickly as a result. As the possessions and punts piled up, momentum steadily shifted sidelines, and at the end, Hawaii had a tidal wave of confidence in tow. Even when the Huskies marched down to the Hawaii 4 in the game's final seconds, the Warriors' defense didn't miss a beat. An interception of Locker in the end zone with three seconds left preserved the win for college football's one remaining unbeaten team. While Washington once again lost a game it had been dominating (the Huskies fell victim to a number of similar setbacks in 2007), Hawaii demonstrated its ability to continuously prevail when other weaker teams would have flinched and faltered. If a college ever offered a course on "learning how to win football games," only one school would earn an A-plus after 12 regular-season games: yes, it's the University of Hawaii. Now, the prize student of this just-completed regular season will likely have the chance to pass a challenging final exam: in the Sugar Bowl against a very formidable SEC opponent that will be named in roughly 16 hours.

Hawaii might not be overwhelming or consistent, and the Warriors--if subjected to a season of slugfests in a major conference--might not fare that well. However, you can't say that anyone in the United States does a better job of winning than this team. The Warriors deserve a BCS bowl bid more than any other at-large candidate. The college football community should relish the prospect of a BCS bowl with Colt Brennan in it. The young man deserves such a reward after lifting his team to the winner's circle in a season finale that was much closer than much of America expected.
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RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

I Love the BCS

and by love I think that it is an absolute joke and sucks beyond anything college football people can come up with.

I've mentioned before that each and every year I want the worst possible scenario to happen for the BCS. I want the computers to put in a non-BCS school in the top 2 spots or I want a matchup of teams that nobody wants to watch. Unfortunately that will never happen as the system will always be manipulated by the human voters to get the matchup that everyone wants to see.

This year has turned out to be a great scenario for BCS haters. In the last weekend of games you have the top 2 teams both losing. So the next in line is Ohio State, who is probably overrated and from a Big Ten that most consider "down." They are IN.

Next in line you have a team that wasn't even in their conference championship game. So 1 week ago they were "ranked" higher than LSU which by my definition means the voters assumed they were better and all things being equal would probably beat the Tigers. Does that mean Georgia will get a BCS Championship game opportunity? I doubt it (but we'll know in hours).

After Georgie you have #5 Kansas. The Jayhawks are the only other team with only 1 loss. But again they did not even play in their conference championship game. Do they get to move up and play Ohio State in the championship game? Don't bet on it.

Then we have #6 Virginia Tech. The Hokies played today and beat #11 ranked Boston College. Surely if anybody is going to leapfrog Georgia or Kansas it would be the Hokies right? Wrong, they lost in a head to head game at LSU.

#7 is LSU. This will be your OSU opponent in Arizona this January. Why? Because that is the match up people want to see. Are they more deserving than the now 2 loss teams that were just ranked #1 and #2 (Missouri, West Virginia)? Are they any more deserving than USC, Oklahoma, Georgia or Virginia Tech (all 2 loss teams, three of which won today)? No, but that is the sexy matchup and I am certain that when the new BCS standings are released tomorrow they will move from #7 to #2.

This is good for all BCS haters. In the past there is often 1 maybe 2 teams who feel they were denied their rightful spot in the championship game. This year I count no less than 5 teams from 4 conferences who have a legit argument to be the team that <del>beats</del> plays Ohio State.

How much fun would a playoff be this year with USC, LSU, VTech, OSU, OK, Pitt, and a couple at large teams like Georgia and Kansas. Really a semi-final round of USC, LSU, OSU and OK would be amazing this year. But instead you can watch those teams in meaningless random bowl games then watch two teams that were "given" a chance at the national championship (not recognized as an official NCAA Championship).

UPDATE: Add Hawaii to the list of teams who think they should be in the national championship game. The only D1 school who has not lost and they won't get a sniff of a championship trophy. Maybe they should and maybe they shouldn't but they did everything they could and people will them that they'll never get a chance to prove it. Why not let them decide these things on the field?

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

You deserve this
By Mike Section: News
Posted on Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 02:31:58 AM EDT

I'm talking to you, the guy who watches the conference or program he represents from the skybox week after week, the guy who cares more about bettering his own situation than the well-being of the game he's supposed to be serving. I'm talking to you, the fans of traditional powers who support the current way of doing things only because you know it provides an unfair advantage to the team you cheer for. I'm talking to you, the talking heads on national television who allow all this to happen year after year without raising hell about the undeniable absurdity of it all.
This is what you get.
Regardless of what happens over the next 24 hours, we already know exactly how this college football season will end. On Jan. 7, two teams who may or may not be be the best two in the country will play, and one of them will win. People will argue, nothing will be decided, babies will cry.
It's been ten years and I'm still mystified as to how that can satisfy anyone who follows this sport.
What's going on right now, the politicking on ESPN, the "local team deserves shot at national title" columns in six states, the fact that this is even an issue, this is why I can't fully give my heart to college football.
Sport is about competition. There are winners, and there are losers. You prove you're the best on the field, not on a computer, not on a piece of paper, and not on ESPN at 1:30 in the morning.
And this "a playoff would have made today's games meaningless" argument is every bit as preposterous as the "the regular season is a playoff" talking point (tell me one playoff where you can lose two games in the second half of the season to mediocre teams and receive an automatic bye to the championship game).
If an eight team playoff were in place (16 is my dream, but I'll be reasonable for the sake of the "damn kids, get off my lawn" crowd), Oklahoma and LSU would have taken the field Saturday looking to play themselves into the tournament, and Missouri and West Virginia would have been playing to avoid ending the season squarely on the bubble. If the first round games of said tournament were played at the sites of the top four seeds, then championship Saturday becomes even more important.
There's no way to prove this, but there is not a doubt in my mind that "December Delirium" would prove to be every bit as exciting as "March Madness." You'd have the hype, the Cinderella stories, the dramatic finishes, and all the unparalleled emotion that's inherent in college football, only revved up with each game bringing one team a step closer to the sport's ultimate prize.
It'd be so wonderful that I almost hate thinking about it. I mean can you imagine a quarterfinal game between USC and Michigan at the Big House in mid-December? Or what if our beloved Cardinals snatched a seven seed and finally had the chance to prove ourselves once and for all at The Horseshoe in Columbus or in The Swamp in Gainesville?
I truly believe that one day this dream is going to become a reality, and we're going to look back at these years with the same sense of disbelief that we have when we try to make sense of a time when the game's final rankings were released before the bowl games were played.
The rivalries would still exist. The importance of winning a conference championship would still exist. The meaningless late-December games between average teams that serve as the perfect background for holiday get-togethers would still exist. Everything would still be the same, except the postseason would be a bazillion (math major) times better.
The printing press worked, the airplane worked, television worked, a college football playoff would work.
Please, for the love of God, get together, make this happen, and take this sport to the next level where it belongs.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Well... Sh*t

by HornsFan Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 01:25:45 AM EDT

After all that chaos, all that fun, all that speculation...
We've come full circle. With no playoff to look forward to, I'm with Mr. Levin: just call it off.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

From thewizardofodds.blogspot.com:

Guru: It's Ohio State and LSU in Tltle Game

Louisiana State, allegedly the best two-loss team in the country, will get the chance to be the best team in the country.

The Tigers will play one-loss Ohio State in the Jan. 7 Bowl Championship Series title game in New Orleans, according to projections by the BCS Guru. The official BCS standings will be released Sunday afternoon.

So why not Virginia Tech, Georgia, Oklahoma or USC, the other two-loss teams? Why will LSU get the nod over these teams?

Here's what the Guru says regarding each of those teams:

Virginia Tech: "Virginia Tech got blown out by LSU early in the season and was already behind LSU in the Harris poll and barely in front in the coaches poll as of last week. That's an easy fix for voters."

Georgia: "The bottom line is the voters will rearrange their ballot because LSU routed Virginia Tech and beat Tennessee with a backup quarterback after the Volunteers blew out Georgia earlier in the season. Those reasons will put LSU back on top."

Oklahoma: "As for Oklahoma, the computers pretty much did the trick, and also its weak loss to a 6-6 Colorado team really doomed its chances."

USC: "USC's problem is that it had the worst loss among two-loss teams — to Stanford. And USC is being hurt big-time by the computers because its three nonconference opponents — Nebraska, Notre Dame and Idaho — all turned out to suck big-time."

Hawaii is still playing and the Guru will be updating his projections. As he updates, so will the Wiz, so check either the Guru's site or this post later in evening/morning.

Update: Hawaii, behind a Heisman-like performance from Colt Brennan (42 of 50 for 442 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions) rallied from a 21-0 deficit to stun Washington, 35-28. The victory should earn Hawaii a berth to a BCS bowl.

Here are the Guru's BCS bowl projections:

Rose: USC vs. Illinois
Sugar: Georgia vs. Hawaii
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
Orange: Virginia Tech vs. Kansas

If this is how the BCS bowls break down, at least two teams and a conference are going to be ticked off.

The first team is Missouri, which was No. 1 in the BCS entering the final week, yet is likely to be passed over in favor of Kansas, a team it defeated a week ago. But a loss to Oklahoma has likely knocked the two-loss Tigers out of the BCS picture.

And Arizona State, with losses to Oregon and USC, is also in danger of being left off the BCS bandwagon. Compare the Sun Devils' two losses to LSU's two losses: Arizona State lost at Oregon (8-4), which at one point was No. 2 in the BCS, and at home to Rose Bowl-bound USC (10-2). LSU lost at Kentucky (7-5) and at home to Arkansas (8-4), yet will be playing for the national title. Go figure.

The Pacific 10 has reason to be upset. In 2001, Oregon (10-1) was passed over for the BCS title game in favor of Nebraska, which failed to win its division in the Big 12. The Cornhuskers were pounded by Miami, 37-14, in the BCS title game and the Ducks defeated Colorado, 38-16, in the Fiesta. The Buffaloes, champions of the Big 12, defeated Nebraska, 62-36, to win the Big 12 North.

In 2005 after lobbying from Mack Brown, Texas edged its way into the Rose Bowl ahead of California. The Pac-10 was not happy about this and now it appears the conference will once again be shortchanged by the BCS.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

I think in a year as chaotic as this one, we should get--and deserve--a split national championship. Hell, 2-3 teams could be national champs for all I care--including Hawaii--if they win their bowl games.

That is the result we get by not having a playoff.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

<table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3" class="storytitle"> What Two Teams Belong In The Championship? </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="primaryimage" valign="top">

Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon & Eddie Royal
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</td> <td valign="top"> <table bgcolor="#f5f5f5" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" width="60%"> <tbody><tr valign="top"> <td nowrap="nowrap" valign="middle">By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Dec 2, 2007
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What two teams should be playing for the national title? Three CFNers break it all down to go along with what the CFN Historical Rankings Formula says.
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]What Two Teams Belong In The BCS Championship[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]With all the chaos here are a few thoughts on the teams that deserve to be in.
[/FONT] [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-2] [/SIZE][/FONT] Pete Fiutak
Q: What two teams belong in the national title?
A.This is one of my favorite times of year because we get to finally put together the CFN Historical Rankings Formula, which we'll come out with on Monday with all 119 teams and their rankings. The rankings are based on their schedules, who they've beaten, and who deserves to be in the top spots based on what actually happened on the field. More on that in a moment.

Sorry Georgia, I can't get past the fact that you couldn't even win your own division. If I'm going to be consistent in my beliefs, being hot at the end of the season should mean as much as being hot at the beginning of the season.

Sorry USC, you lost to Stanford and I'm still not sold on your offense. Defense, yes, offense, eh, whatever. I'm not a believer, but you'll go off and blow away anyone you play in the Rose Bowl.

Sorry Ohio State, I sort of like your team, but I just can't get the Illinois game out of my head, and at the end of the day, I just don't believe you beat anyone of note.

By the eyeball test, I'd have Oklahoma play LSU for the national championship, with Ohio State just barely missing the cut by an eyelash. If these two play to their full capabilities, I believe they're the two best teams in America. However, that's what I believe.

Who deserves to play for the national title? I was stunned when we cranked out the first batch of the CFN Historical Rankings Formula. Again, released in full on Monday, based on a combination of wins, wins over teams that finished with winning records, elite wins, bad wins, bad losses, elite losses, point differential and play in conference, the two teams that deserve to play for the national title, and it's stunningly not even close ... Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech.

With all the breakdowns coming, the rankings, based on who earned it on the field, are 1) Virginia Tech, 2) Oklahoma, 3) LSU, 4) West Virginia, 5) Ohio State. Georgia is seventh, USC is ninth. Remember, Tech beat Clemson at Clemson, Virginia at Virginia, and Clemson. In this crazy year, there weren't that many Elite Wins on the road. LSU's schedule was fantastic at the time, but when South Carolina and Alabama went into the tank, things quickly changed. Ohio State didn't get a top road win, and that includes Michigan, and Georgia didn't beat anyone but Florida and Auburn, and only Florida counted as an Elite Win.

However, I do want to see what LSU would do healthy.
Richard Cirminiello Q: What two teams belong in the national title?

A: First off, let’s never pass on an opportunity to state the obvious: The current BCS system blows by any and every measure. If you believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the two best teams will be playing for a national title in January and no one was overlooked, you’re kidding yourself. About half a dozen teams have a decent argument in this debate, which is why some form of a playoff is so wildly popular.

Alright, let’s start with what suddenly became obvious late Saturday night; Ohio State belongs in the fast lane to New Orleans. As the nation’s only one-loss team with a conference championship, the Buckeyes have completed their improbable climb from No. 7 to No. 1 in under a month. And who can argue with an 11-1 team out of the Big Ten in a season that’s been defined by its persistent mediocrity? Their opponent gets quite a bit trickier.

Although I love the way Georgia’s been playing, it makes no sense taking a Dawg team that didn’t win its division over an LSU program that won the SEC conference, especially since both have two losses. Ditto USC, which has regrouped nicely, but of all the two-loss contenders, has the most damning defeat at the hands of Stanford. See you, Troy. That leaves Oklahoma and LSU, a couple of 11-2 teams that won two of the toughest conferences in the country, the Big 12 and SEC, respectively. Everyone will have an angle in this debate, and most will be splitting hairs. Mine is no different. With two similar bodies of work, the Tigers rate a slight edge for playing a tougher schedule and for being the only team in America that hasn’t lost a game in regulation. Remember that LSU’s best non-conference win is against top 5 Virginia Tech, while Oklahoma’s is versus five-win Miami, and the Tigers’ two losses came in triple overtime.

So when the dust settles on this mess, it’ll be LSU hosting Ohio State in the inaugural Default Bowl. Championships are won in November…yeah, right.
Matthew Zemek
Q: What two teams belong in the national title?
A.Who Deserves the Undeservable?

Want to know who deserves to play in the 2007 BCS title game, now that all hell has broken loose... for the 477th time this season?

There are, as always, two distinct ways of viewing this and other similar situations that emerge at the end of almost every college football season (the only exception being when two and only two unbeaten teams from BCS conferences remain after 14 weeks and 12 regular-season games): what should happen within the existing BCS system, and what should happen in terms of real football justice?

In accordance with BCS guidelines, the system--as currently set up--should give us Ohio State and LSU. Ohio State has done more than one-loss Kansas to merit a bid (albeit by a smaller margin than you might think). LSU is the most deserving two-loss team because the Tigers crushed Virginia Tech, won their conference, and claimed more quality scalps than USC. As fortunate as LSU was to slide past Tennessee, the Tigers still have the best resume of any two-loss ballclub.

Now, on the matter of the second question, the debate is tougher: what should happen irrespective of the BCS? In an ideal world, what should happen?

Since conference championships are a prerequisite for national title game participants, Georgia still can't make the cut (although an idea world would involve a playoff in which the Dawgs could play for the title). If the BCS didn't exist, the best title game the sport could hope for would be LSU-USC, the matchup everyone outside Columbus would love. The champions of the SEC and Pac-10, college football's two best conferences, would create a title tilt worthy of the bright lights in the Big Easy.

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RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Successful Year For SEC? 3 Teams Finish in Top 10

Posted Dec 2nd 2007 1:41PM by Ryan Ferguson
Filed under: Auburn Football, Florida Football, Georgia Football, LSU Football, Tennessee Football, SEC, BCS, Arkansas Football

The regular season is complete and the SEC has represented itself well on the national scale.

The AP Poll is out: 6 SEC teams finish in the Top 25. Two finish in the Top 5, a third in the Top 10, and Tennessee, Auburn, and Arkansas came in with Top 25 honors.

<table class="tablehead" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"> <tbody> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>1. Ohio State (50) 11-1 1,578</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 2. LSU (11) 11-2 1,519</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 3. Oklahoma (1) 11-2 1,423</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 4. Georgia (1) 10-2 1,421</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 5. Virginia Tech (1) 11-2 1,380</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 6. USC 10-2 1,346</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 7. Missouri 11-2 1,195</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td> 8. Kansas 11-1 1,164</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td> 9. Florida 9-3 1,071</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>10. Hawaii (1) 12-0 1,050</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>11. West Virginia 10-2 1,040</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>12. Arizona State 10-2 939</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>13. Illinois 9-3 797</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>14. Boston College 10-3 668</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>15. Clemson 9-3 614</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>16. Tennessee 9-4 554</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>17. Texas 9-3 517</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>18. Wisconsin 9-3 447</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>19. Brigham Young 10-2 439</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>20. Cincinnati 9-3 394</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>21. Virginia 9-3 344</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>22. Auburn 8-4 264</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>23. South Florida 9-3 246</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow"> <td>24. Boise State 10-2 221</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow"> <td>25. Arkansas 8-4 173</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
A successful year? It's looking that way; LSU has leapfrogged Georgia, as many expected, back into their familiar stomping grounds in the Top 2. Georgia, meanwhile, will likely be Sugar Bowl-bound should the BCS Rankings shake out the way that the AP Poll did. Most of these Southeastern Conference teams will play in January.

I'd say that's a darn good year for our lil' old southern-fried football conference.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Looks like the AP voters did some drastic reshuffling to avoid any possibility of Georgia, Hawaii, or Kansas going to the championship game.

LSU v. Ohio State it is. What a joke.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

College Football Top 25 Polls - Week 15

<script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script><iframe name="google_ads_frame" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-0237893561790135&dt=1196626696781&lmt=1196626695&format=300x250_as&output=html&correlator=1196626696781&channel=0603066557%2B5452098552%2B3119009114&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fanblogs.com%2Fncaa%2F007364.php&color_bg=FFFFFF&color_text=333333&color_link=003399&color_url=999999&color_border=FFFFFF&ad_type=text_image&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Freader%2Fview%2F&ui=rc%3A10&cc=100&ga_vid=837257486.1196626697&ga_sid=1196626697&ga_hid=1837989119&ga_fc=true&flash=9&u_h=768&u_w=1280&u_ah=738&u_aw=1280&u_cd=32&u_tz=-480&u_his=1&u_java=true&u_nplug=26&u_nmime=104" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" vspace="0" hspace="0" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="250" scrolling="no" width="300"></iframe> The college football top 25 polls for games played through week 15 (December 1, 2007).
AP College Football Top 25
1. Ohio State (50)
2. LSU (11)
3. Oklahoma (1)
4. Georgia (1)
5. Virginia Tech (1)
6. USC
7. Missouri
8. Kansas
9. Florida
10. Hawaii (1)
11. West Virginia
12. Arizona State
13. Illinois
14. Boston College
15. Clemson
16. Tennessee
17. Texas
18. Wisconsin
19. Brigham Young
20. Cincinnati
21. Virginia
22. Auburn
23. South Florida
24. Boise State
25. Arkansas

USA Today Coaches Poll
1. Ohio State (46)
2. LSU (11)
3. Oklahoma (2)
4. Georgia
5. Virginia Tech
6. USC
7. Missouri
8. Kansas
9. West Virginia
10. Hawaii (1)
11. Arizona State
12. Florida
13. Illinois
14. Boston College
15. Wisconsin
16. Clemson
17. Texas
18. Tennessee
19. Brigham Young
20. Virginia
21. Auburn
22. Boise State
23. Cincinnati
24. Arkansas
25. South Florida

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

The Coaches' Poll in a Nutshell

Results Here.

Here's the nutshell:

1) You shouldn't pay any attention to how we vote from week to week, because we'll elevate whoever we want based on rules never enunciated and for whatever reason we decide this year is important.

2) There are eleven of us voters so corrupt (biased or personally benefiting) as to place a team ranked 7th last week #1 his week after requiring a pick six in the last few minutes to eke out a win over an underdog.

3) There are two of us voters so corrupt (biased or personally benefiting) as to place a team ranked 8th last week at #1 this week.

4) We have completely forgotten about Kansas.

This system is irretrievably broken. I can't wait to see the USA Today grid to see all of the conflicts of interest in all their glory. And if you want to rely on the Harris Poll, go through my archives back in fall of 2005 to see how corrupt and conflicted those voters are.

And congratulations, Les Miles. You've just sealed your fate in Baton Rouge next year. Whatever the point spread, it does not matter. Georgia will absolutely annihilate LSU next year. Put the money in the effing bank,

HUNT · Dec 2, 2007

way to end the season on a good win bro.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Thank you, sir. Sorry the over did not hit for you.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Pelini to Officially Be Named Coach at Nebraska

Posted Dec 2nd 2007 2:53PM by Jeff Adams
Filed under: Nebraska Football, Big 12, NCAA FB Coaching, Breaking News

It's been just over a week since interim athletic director Tom Osborne fired Bill Callahan, but it's seemed like much longer for many Husker fans. The wait will end, however, Sunday at 4:00 pm CST, as the University has scheduled a press conference where LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini is expected to officially be named head coach of Nebraska.

Pelini will take over a team that finished a disappointing 5-7 in 2006. The Huskers had been expected to push Missouri for the Big 12 North title, but instead languished setting numerous negative records in the process. Nebraska fans have been high on Pelini since his 2003 when he served as defensive coordinator for the Huskers. That season Nebraska's defense played with reckless abandon and led the nation in takeaways. Pelini also served as interim head coach following the firing of Frank Solich. In the Alamo Bowl the Pelini-led Huskers crushed Michigan State 17-3.

Stayed tuned to FanHouse for more coverage of Pelini's press conference.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Sunday Quarterback is Busy. Have a Great Day.
By SMQ
Posted on Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 03:31:31 PM EDT

After three months, 15 weeks and more than 750 games, there's this, in no particular order:

<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1"> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(164, 74, 74) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Ohio State</td> <td align="center">LSU</td> <td align="center">Kansas</td> <td align="center">Georgia</td> <td align="center">Oklahoma</td> <td align="center">Virginia Tech</td> <td align="center">Southern Cal</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Virginia Tech</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Missouri</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Wisconsin</td> <td align="center">Florida</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Florida</td> <td align="center">Missouri</td> <td align="center">Boston Coll.</td> <td align="center">Ariz. State</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">Penn State</td> <td align="center">Tennessee</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Auburn</td> <td align="center">Texas</td> <td align="center">Clemson</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Michigan</td> <td align="center">Auburn</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Kentucky</td> <td align="center">Texas A&M</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Oregon State</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">Mich. State</td> <td align="center">Miss. State</td> <td align="center">Texas A&M</td> <td align="center">Okla. State</td> <td align="center">Okla. State</td> <td align="center">Fla. State</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Purdue</td> <td align="center">So. Carolina</td> <td align="center">Okla. State</td> <td align="center">Geo. Tech</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Geo. Tech</td> <td align="center">UCLA</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">N'western</td> <td align="center">Alabama</td> <td align="center">Colorado</td> <td align="center">Alabama (OT)</td> <td align="center">Miami</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">California</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Nebraska</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Miami</td> <td align="center">Nebraska</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Kansas State</td> <td align="center">Vanderbilt</td> <td align="center">Tulsa</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Arizona</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Washington</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">C. Michigan</td> <td align="center">Troy</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">E. Carolina</td> <td align="center">Wash. State</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Ole Miss</td> <td align="center">Iowa State</td> <td align="center">Ole Miss</td> <td align="center">Iowa State</td> <td align="center">N. Carolina</td> <td align="center">Washington</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Minnesota</td> <td align="center">La. Tech</td> <td align="center">Baylor</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Notre Dame</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">Kent State</td> <td align="center">Middle Tenn.</td> <td align="center">Toledo</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Duke</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Akron</td> <td align="center">Tulane</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Utah State</td> <td align="center">Ohio U.</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Fla. Int'l.</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">N. Texas</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Idaho</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(234, 234, 234) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Y'town State</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">SE La.</td> <td align="center">W. Carolina</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Wllm&Mary</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center">•</td> <td align="center">•</td> <td align="center">•</td> <td align="center">•</td> <td align="center">•</td> <td align="center">•</td> <td align="center">•</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(218, 218, 218) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Missouri</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Oregon</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(192, 192, 192) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">Illinois</td> <td align="center">Arkansas (3OT)</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Boston Coll.</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(218, 218, 218) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Kentucky (3OT)</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Tennessee</td> <td align="center">Texas Tech</td> <td align="center">LSU</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(192, 192, 192) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">S. Carolina</td> <td align="center">Colorado</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style="background: rgb(218, 218, 218) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;"> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Stanford</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Pick two, any two.
This isn't scientific. The games in bold are blowouts, more or less, and this accounts for certain discrepancies (Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are higher on Oklahoma's lists than on Kansas' because the Sooners crushed both teams, and Kansas' wins were closer). Argue about the value of beating Wisconsin all you'd like - this is just to get an idea of each team's overall resumé. Condense, shift, swap, whatever makes sense to you. But this is the big picture.
Personally, it makes clear to me that Ohio State (a no-brainer) and LSU (maybe only a half-brainer with the lobbying in its favor) are the deserving teams if there are only two to be had, though Oklahoma makes a convincing case with the addition of another, more impressive win over Missouri at the top of its schedule. But the Sooners also have a couple of very damaging losses, and that's another big point in LSU's favor: the Tigers' losses were to quality (good, not great) teams in triple overtime, which does not make them "ties," but does mitigate the demerits assessed against them compared to say, getting blown out by Tennessee. LSU is not exactly playing "better football right now" than Georgia, however that's supposed to be measured, but this isn't a guess as to what a team might accomplish based on how it's played since mid-October. LSU is the SEC champion; Georgia is the runner-up in its division. And was blown out by Tennessee. I think this is the popular opinion after Saturday's carnage and I think it's right.
My dream scenario, because it's the most ridiculous, and most likely to lead to the BCS folding in on itself: Virginia Tech, which was ranked ahead of LSU in last week's standings and had at least as impressive a win as the Tigers Saturday, could leap idle Georgia and Kansas and falling losers Missouri and West Virginia into number two, ahead of LSU, which happened to beat the Hokies 48-7 in September while outgaining them by a mere 450 yards in what I'd jusge as the single most impressive performance of the regular season. This is lunacy, of course, but count on people like Craig James to disregard all sanity: when questioned directly by John Saunders about that head-to-head result at halftime of the Big 12 Championship, when it was clear West Virginia was in deep and serious trouble against Pitt and a train wreck was looming, James said "Doesn't count. That was seasons ago, they're entirely different teams," or something to that effect. So a boy can dream.
Most voters, though, I doubt are so foolish as to disregard the most direct possible comparison between two contenders, especially when the result is so overwhelming. LSU has the resumé and the popular sentiment and, last week's distant position notwithstanding, should jump Tech, Georgia and Kansas and sneak in behind Ohio State for the second spot in the mythical championship game. Which will prove nothing.
More on the final standings tonight.
Onwards...
SMQ WATCHED...
Pittsburgh 13 • West Virginia 9
- - -
Sometimes when a team is really bad, things snowball on them mentally, and it's easy to fall apart in a hurry. Pitt had that "well, that's why we're 4-7" moment in the third quarter last night, when LeSean McCoy broke outside, made a brilliant cut to elude a West Virginia tackler, and shot into the end zone to put the Panthers ahead 17-7 with a quarter to play and the boulder rolling in their favor. But of course: flag. A very, very late flag, and, the replay showed, a very bogus flag on receiver Oderick Turner, who'd made a good block to get McCoy into the clear. Pitt missed a field goal two plays later, still only led by three, and the WVU crowd suddenly had the momentum headed in the other direction.
The fourth quarter was filled with moments like this, when Pitt could have said "good try" and folded: when the offense was stopped at the goalline and had to settle for another field goal after recovering a fumble at the WVU 17, keeping the margin with six, and Noel Devine lit down the sideline on the ensuing kickoff to set the Mountaineers up at the Panther 33; when Pat White trotted off the bench for his bid at heroic championship legend to start the upcoming drive; when McCoy picked up a potentially icing first down on 3rd-and-4, only to have it called back on another holding call against Turner, resulting in a punt that West Virginia returned to midfield, good position to move in for the winning touchdown.

A gimpy coach with a true freshman quarterback. Who couldn't see that coming?
- - -
But the Panthers kept getting breaks on Mountaineer fumbles, and making their own - after Devine's return, and White's return, the underrated (seventh in the country in total D this morning) Pitt defense bucked up and stuffed Steve Slaton for a yard on 4th-and-3, then forced four straight incomplete passes from White to end the game after the second dubious holding call; McCoy was the Pitt offense, but of true freshman Pat Bostick's measly 67 passing yards, 44 came on 3rd-and-10 conversions in the second half, the first an 18-yarder in the third quarter to Turner that set up Bostick's go-ahead touchdown sneak, and the second a 26-yard rocket down the middle to Darrell Strong, who made a great catch in traffic to keep the chains and clock moving. The clock was everything for the Panthers: they milked it for a twelve-and-a-half minute advantage in possession time and limited the offense that had so thoroughly humiliated them the last two years to just 57 snaps on eleven possessions, and just 2.5 yards per carry. West Virginia in its last two games against Pitt: 8.3 per carry. The quickest explanation is the literal of virtual absence of both of the stars who were most responsible for those bludgeonings Saturday, with White missing most of the game with a bum thumb and Slaton playing like a shadow of his usual, fleet self. There is an undisclosed injury of some kind with Slaton, or something: with White out of the game and Jerrett Brown significantly struggling, he touched the ball nine times, only twice in the second half, for 11 yards. Last week, while his teammates were busy running over, through and around UConn, Slaton had only ten carries. In a blowout, that restraint makes sense; last night, with everything on the line and rapidly slipping away, no sense. What gives? Slaton remained in the game, but didn't get the ball, looked hesitant and sluggish when he did, and West Virginia's Panzer offense turned into a string of ineffective quarterback sweeps. In the second half, the Mountaineers went three-and-out, three-and-out, fumble, turnover on downs, turnover on downs, while futilely forcing one of its stars back into the lineup and completely ignoring the other. I don't see any news stories nationally or in West Virginia papers addressing Slaton's absence, but it seems impossible under the circumstances that he would be cut out unless something was really wrong. It's too dire a situation to say, "Whoops, we forgot about him."
I don't know that it would have mattered, though: Slaton didn't do anything on the chances he did get, and Pitt's defense turned in one of the performances of the year, injuries or no injuries on the other side. With an offense built around a couple touted freshmen, the school looks smart suddenly for not jumping the gun on the Wannstache.
Oklahoma • Missouri
- - -
The drama in Morgantown distracted from the second half of the Big 12 Championship, but the arc was clear: Missouri missed opportunities in the first half and was run over in the second. The Tigers' spread betrayed them in the red zone early, when they were forced into a pair of field goals on drives that reached the Oklahoma nine-yard line in one case and inside the one on another, both instances of Oklahoma's superior phyiscality winning in the trenches and holding what could have well been a 21-point half on three long, long Tiger drives (62, 75, 84 yards) to a more managable 14 points, a world of difference with the way the second half unfolded. The Sooners successfully turned that fight up front, where they had their biggest advantages, into the trend of the game - holding Mizzou to a single field goal over the last two quarters wasn't so much a result of the Sooners stopping the Tigers (though they largely did) as it was about not letting them have those chances to begin with.
Oklahoma did this by bleeding the game dry on the ground, limiting possessions by getting physical and controlling possession for two-thirds of the second half with its deep power running game. After moving the ball very effectively before the break, Missouri only had five possessions in the third and fourth quarters, one of them spanning a solid 53 yards before a punt and another covering 65 yards and ending in a field goal. Not at all bad yields, yardage-wise, except that it only produced the three points while Oklahoma turned the only turnover of the game into a 14-point lead as the clock ticked, ticked away. Curtis Lofton's interception in the third was the biggest play of the night becuase it set up a short touchdown that broke the game wide open. Missouri's defense couldn't get Oklahoma off the field, and as long as the Sooners could hold onto the ball for long stretches - such as on back-to-back drives that covered 4:23 and 6:13 in the fourth quarter and put ten points on the board, in between which Mizzou went three-and-out in 33 seconds - Daniel had no time to lead a comeback from two touchdowns behind, no matter how efficient.
He was vastly less efficient or effective this week than last week mainly because Oklahoma is just much better on defense than Kansas: faster, tougher against the run, able to play man-to-man on receivers, cut off the horizontal "long handoff" routes and challenge Daniel to go deep and to get rushers into his face. This was all about speed and aggressiveness in coverage, and the ability of DeMarcus Granger especially to hold down the middle of the line, where Jayhawk-killer Tony Temple found two yards per carry, no one of them longer than seven yards. On both sides, Oklahoma brought the fight to Missouri, and won because it had better fighters. I suspect if the same had happened in Boulder or Lubbock, we wouldn't be on the edge of our seats about this afternoon's numbers.
LSU 21 • Tennessee 14
- - -
I watched Tennessee in the first week of the season, when the Vols' young defense allowed 471 yards and 45 points, and the third week of the season, when the same noobs allowed 554 and 59 to Florida, and I'm pretty convinced after the second half Saturday that no part of any team has grown up more in the last two months - maybe just the last month, actually, since Alabama shredded the same secondary in late October - than the Tennessee defense. UT has played all season with a pair of freshmen (Eric Berry and Eric Vinson) and first-year junior college transfers (DeAngelo Willingham and Nevin McKenzie) on its last line of defense, and with a lead in the final quarter of a low-scoring championship game, these were the guys holding up their end of the deal. It was Erik Ainge instead, he of 42 career starts over four years, the only thing his team had clearly going for it in September, who looked lost, and who literally threw away his team's chances to win down the stretch.
To be sure, the youngsters were hanging by a thread - through the midpoint of the third quarter, UT had forced one punt, and on LSU's other six drives had yielded 63, 58, 55, 77, 76 and 49 yards and allowed a 3rd-and-14 pass down the sideline to go for a go-ahead touchdown due to an angle so bad by the cover two safety that Gary Danielson actually dusted off the Pythagorean Theorem in the booth to describe it. Aside from the touchdown, though, LSU's other five drives produced two field goals, a failed run up the middle on 4th-and-1, a missed field goal, a fumble, and a subsequent one-point deficit after Tennessee cashed Trindon Holliday's generosity into a touchdown late in the third. It was lights out from there for the LSU offense: Ryan Perrilloux was picked off, setting up an ultimately failed UT field goal attempt to extend the lead, and the Tigers punted on their next three possessions after gaining -2, 18 and 9 yards, respectively. The Vols bent, but the same defense that gave up 38, 52 and 41 in its first three losses and come within a couple missed field goals of possibly getting its coach fired held LSU's balanced attack to thirteen, and arguably could have kept up the pressure on Perrilloux and hung on to win the school's first conference title in nine years.
But there's Ainge:

<object height="305" width="375">

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d4U_CryYILI&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="305" width="375"></object></p> It wasn't only that throw, although it was the killer that will haunt his legacy as the starting quarterback as much as the underhand surrender throw from the end zone in Baton Rouge in 2005. At least was only a sophomore then, in a hostile environment - I've defended Ainge the last two years and thought he would be at the core of all of Tennessee's success, but Saturday, on a neutral field, he still looked like a bewildered underclassman reading defenses. His first touchdown pass to Chris Brown should have been picked by Karsten Pittman, who had dropped from his rush into exactly the right place in exactly the right defense to make the interception (I actually reacted to Ainge's decision as the ball arrived: "That's terrible!") but let it go through his hands and into Brown's. He wasn't so lucky on the throw to Zenon, or, in the same spot and possibly the same route as the touchdown, when he stuck the icing interception into the numbers of Derry Beckwith. On the drive before Beckwith's pick, seeking the tying touchdown and facing what could have been a do-or-die fourth down in LSU territory, Ainge put the ball behind an open receiver on a crossing route, who couldn't adjust for the catch. At one point in the third quarter, when it appeared Lucas Taylor was coming around for a reverse (or reverse action), Ainge was oblivious to him, faked a handoff up the middle, rolled the other way, had no one downfield and threw the ball away out of bounds, one of roughly a half dozen times on the night Danielson had to say something along the lines of "That's Ainge's fault" or "Ainge has to be better." Which sums up his career - one that began with an SEC Championship loss, and now ends with an SEC Championship loss - in a neat nutshell: he never really got much better.
• Obviously, I think LSU is very good, and its numbers in big games continue to back up that opinion:

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3"> <caption align="top">LSU vs. Winning Teams Since October</caption> <tbody><tr></tr><tr style=""> <td align="center">
</td> <td align="center">Yards +/-</td> <td align="center">1st Dwns. +/-</td> <td align="center">TOP +/-</td> <td align="center">TO Margin</td> <td align="center">Score +/-</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Florida</td> <td align="center">+ 77</td> <td align="center">+ 6</td> <td align="center">+ 11:44</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">+ 4*</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style=""> <td align="right">at Kentucky</td> <td align="center">+ 28</td> <td align="center">+ 2</td> <td align="center">+ 6:42</td> <td align="center">-1</td> <td align="center">-6</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Auburn</td> <td align="center">+ 192</td> <td align="center">+ 7</td> <td align="center">-5:28</td> <td align="center">-2</td> <td align="center">+ 6*</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style=""> <td align="right">at Alabama</td> <td align="center">+ 221</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">+ 6:34</td> <td align="center">-1</td> <td align="center">+ 7*</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right">Arkansas</td> <td align="center">-100</td> <td align="center">+ 4</td> <td align="center">+ 2:54</td> <td align="center">+ 1</td> <td align="center">-2</td> </tr> <tr></tr><tr style=""> <td align="right">vs. Tennessee</td> <td align="center">+ 121</td> <td align="center">+ 4</td> <td align="center">+ 12:16</td> <td align="center">-</td> <td align="center">+ 7*</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The asterisks indicate fourth quarter comebacks, the first three of them very late fourth quarter comebacks, which begs the question: why? Why are the Tigers so much more effective moving the ball (and stopping opponents from moving the ball) on a consistent basis, while hanging on to it forever and not killing themselves with heaps of turnovers, yet constantly forced to gamble, scratch, claw and fake their way from behind to win games they ostensibly dominate?
I don't know. This has been a maddening problem with LSU all season - it's a grab bag, a team that's good at everything but not particularly great at anything, and mostly unable to put all the pieces together at once without high drama since the Virginia Tech game in Week Two. Maybe that win set the bar too high; maybe it's the penalties (LSU is the most penalized team in the conference and was flagged nine times Saturday to Tennessee's...zero). Maybe it's missing hyped guard Will Allen for the season, or missing Early Doucet for much of it, or playing Matt Flynn and Glenn Dorsey while gimpy. I don't know. Amid all the talent and statistics, the team has never established an identity, except as a resilient winner. Most of the time.
But if you're one of the types who believe LSU is a lithe bunch of five-star football samurai who should be pounding grossly inferior outfits to dust (which seems to be a prevailing notion despite some evidence to the contrary), the Tigers haven't had a really satisfying win that shows off their jaw-dropping potential in almost three months. They seem to relish the challenge and the clutch, and that suits them just fine; they've ridden late heroics to the conference championship and a likely mythical championship spot. If LSU does get that bid, though, I imagine that prevailing wisdom, thinking of a team at full speed, with a healthy Flynn, Doucet and Dorsey, against largely the same Buckeyes that went down in flames to a similarly skin-of-its-teeth bunch of Gators in last year's championship, will be favored to win by more than a fourth quarter comeback, identity be damned.
Virginia Tech 30 • Boston College 16
- - -
B.C., like Missouri, is ruefully mulling its early missed opportunities this morning - the Eagles dominated the first quarter and at halftime had doubled up the Hokies in yards, first downs and possession time, yet sat at an uneasy 16-16 tie thanks to a blocked field goal, a turnover on downs at the end of a sustained drive, a blocked PAT that went for two points in the other direction and a general sense that the open window at the start of the game had been emphatically shut.

Head and shoulders improvement. Who knew?
- - -
For the B.C. offense, it had: when it wasn't going three-and-out in the second half, it was turning the ball over, either on downs or, later, by getting to Matt Ryan and swatting his last gasp passes into submission, gentle, wounded lobs that fell with the greatest ease into waiting Hokie hands. Brad Nessler and Bob Griese eventually centered their focus on the extreme "possession" nature of Ryan's receivers, and their inability to make plays behind the defense or run after catch, and, aside from a 31-yard catch-and-run on a slant pass to Brian Robinson (which did not result in points), it would seem they're largely correct. Ryan completed 13 passes to his running back, Andre Callender, and didn't have single completion longer than 19 yards. This is not a problem if there's any sort of complementary running game, but aside from Ryan's occasional jaunts into the secondary - one of which accounted for the Eagles' only offensive touchdown - there was none. B.C. didn't make any big plays, and over time, it becomes too difficult against a defense as solid as Virginia Tech to string together so many small successes. So drives end in field goals, missed field goals, turnovers on downs and, once the field and throwing lanes shrink in the red zone, interceptions. B.C. has dinked and dunked all season, but also managed to find a way to get behind the defense once or twice when it needed it - think of the final two touchdowns in the first comeback game against Tech, or the man running free on third down for the long touchdown to beat Clemson. The Hokies wouldn't have any of it this time, and the Eagles didn't have the weapons to force the issue until they had no choice, at which point Ryan was hit and picked for the nail-in-coffin touchdown. But say hello to Sean Glennon, Touchdown Maker, who cemented his resurrection from inadequate, benched has-been to wily veteran playmaker with an efficient, three-score effort that left little down about the Hokies' best every-down option. Tyrod Taylor is an effective change of pace, but Tech doesn't trust him to throw, and aside from one nice 31-yard run was limited to five yards on eight carries and committed a disastrous fumble that Jamie Silva returned for a B.C. touchdown in the first quarter. Glennon is the quarterback now, though, who is finally reading coverages when he has time and making accurate throws to the right receiver, simple enough but a great leap forward for him as he reestablishes his grip on the position; all this clap about the Hokies being a different team than the one that was obliterated by LSU so many weeks ago is true most of all about Glennon, who's put together four of the best games of his career in the last six weeks, beginning with his 296-yard effort at Georgia Tech on Thursday night. But it still doesn't justify even considering ranking the Hokies in front of LSU.
Glimpses
- - -
• Never has any team more closely resembled a PlayStation champion than Tulsa, the high-flying, no-holds-barred outfit coordinated by Arkansas outcast Gus Malzahn that came into the C-USA Championship as the highest-scoring team in the nation opposite a bottom-dwelling defense and appeared to be drawing up big plays in the dirt. The Hurricane have a wide receiver, redshirt freshman Brennan Marion, who came in averaging an NCAA record 35 yards on 32 catches with at least one reception of 50 yards or more in eight different games; the Hurricanes' overall yards per completion as a team (15.9) is more than two yards better than the second-best YPC number, and good enough to give the `Canes the best yards per attempt in the country despite a meh completion percentage. And this is exactly what they did - I'm not sure how, but Tulsa had guys running wide open everywhere, long, short, down the middle, down the sideline, in the red zone and everywhere in between, and Paul Smith found them all in the first half, for three touchdowns in about a 12-minute span.
By the same turn, Tulsa refused to tackle Kevin Smith at any point and were made to look ridiculous in the process of said refusal, while simultaneously going down in flames offensively in a scoreless second half. Malzahn was seen throwing his controller (chill - he can afford another one). Andre Ware kept hyping Smith as "next year's Heisman candidate," but Smith is the country's leading rusher by a mile and will break Barry Sanders' single-season record if he hits his 188-yard average in the bowl game; he had 217 yards against NC State, 149 against Texas and has scored 29 touchdowns. He's not Darren McFadden, but that's worth an invitation, right?
• Oregon: when you dress like that, third-string quarterback or no, you deserve to lose.

Sweet relief is on its way, coach.
- - -

• UCLA has no offense, again, and the watch is on: Karl Dorrell loses six for the fourth time in five seasons. Box Scorin'
Making sense of what I didn't see.
- - -
• Fall, fall, fall: It can't be possible for two teams to take a biger nosedive than Cal since it knocked off Oregon on the last weekend of September. The Bears moved up to number two thatweek, and have won one game in the meantime, a three-point win over Washington State, and are lucky to even be mentioned in bowl discussion after dropping a humiliating decision to Stanford - Stanford, the Stanford that is Stanford, that actually finishes the season with wins over USC and Cal and almost no one else (Arizona and San Jose State, if you must know, but with losses to Washington, Washington State and Notre Dame).
Remember when Cal had an offense? Like, a real offense, one that would never, ever, in a million years go three-and-out in six straight possessions against Stanford? Those days are long gone, friends, and with them any conception of Cal as an up-and-coming contender in the Pac Ten, or Jeff Tedford as an up-and-coming contender for the biggest jobs. His team laid down with the biggest prizes in front of it, and end it with the worst loss of his tenure.
• Fine. There's no way around it: Hawaii is going to a BCS game, probably the Sugar, and it's all Washington's fault. The Huskies barrelled out to a 21-0 and 28-7 lead, looked sharp, then got blitzed for four unanswered touchdowns en route to a devastating loss, for Tyrone Willingham and purists everywhere. The game was Hawaii's fourth win on the final play, and ended with Washington's Jake Locker, down 35-28, answering the go-ahead touchdown by Hawaii with 38 seconds to play by completing consecutive passes of 25 and 49 yards to the Warrior four-yard-line, then throwing an interception in the end zone. So whoever draws Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl (ahem, Georgia, ahem), before you head down for your week of no-win dread in the Big Easy, don't forget to send a nice "Thank You" card to Jake Locker.
Thorough BCS Bustin' tonight when the numbers drop.

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RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Longhorns are 17th, awaiting bowl invite

Sunday, December 2, 2007, 03:01 PM
The Longhorns were ranked 17th today in the final regular-season rankings in the USA Today coaches poll and the Associated Press media poll.
The real action is at the top, where Ohio State reclaimed the No. 1 spot in both polls and LSU fell in at No. 2. When the BCS computers and the Harris poll weigh in this evening, those teams likely will hold the top two spots, setting up a national championship battle in New Orleans.
Oklahoma was No. 3 in both polls, followed by Georgia.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Cassity, Stubbs out
By Mike Section: News
Posted on Sun Dec 02, 2007 at 04:27:48 PM EDT

Steve Kragthorpe called a press conference this afternoon to announce that defensive coordinator Mike Cassity would not be retained, and that offensive coordinator Charlie Stubbs has resigned to pursue "other opportunities."
Kragthorpe said that Jeff Brohm has been promoted to offensive coordinator.
Best coaching move in about four months.
Oh yeah, and we're officially not going to a bowl.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

Anarchy Reigns Supreme

Posted Dec 2nd 2007 4:40PM by Adam Jacobi
Filed under: Pittsburgh Football, West Virginia Football, General CFB Insanity

This was supposed to be an exhibition! An exhibition! Yes, the complete and utter insanity that has been the 2007 college football season continues unabated as #2 West Virginia, looking at a road to the national title game with only Pitt in the way, lost to the Panthers 13-9 on Saturday night. Pat White, pictured at right, was a one-handed spectator for the majority of the affair, but the entire West Virginia offense was in disarray, rushing for just 107 yards on 40 carries.

What's more, with Missouri's utter dismantling at the hands of OU (itself not an upset; somehow the #1 team in the land was an underdog at a neutral site), the BCS Championship Game itself is in complete chaos. And that's just par for the course in 2007.
Consider, if you will, the mood of the college football universe on the morning of January 3, 2007, after Boise State had upset Oklahoma. It seemed to be the game of the decade. Everyone thought college football had hit its apex of unpredictability, and that small-school fans would always be able to point to the Fiesta Bowl as token proof that "anything can happen."

Instead, it was just a precursor.

Indeed, if upsets were a disease, the 2007 season was in the grips of a full-blown epidemic, and Boise-OU was merely the outbreak Mouse (I, by the way, can claim no credit for that term; you can thank Holly). As mind-blowing as Appalachian State-Michigan was, it was only the first of 13 games in which an unranked team would knock off a Top 5 opponent this season.

ASU-Michigan was shocking. Stanford-USC was surreal. Oregon-Arizona was downright tragic. Heck, South Florida was on both sides. But Pitt-WVU? This is full-on insane. The Wannstache isn't supposed to beat Rich Rodriguez. Not with the chance to put Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Noel Devine in the BCS Championship, whether it be to face Missouri's offense or the Ohio State defense.

So now, the pollsters find themselves in the predicament of choosing an opponent for the Buckeyes. Is it two-loss LSU, an insanely talented team that stumbled twice in triple overtime? Is it Kansas, who lost only one game but didn't even reach their conference championship? Is it Georgia, who's in the same boat as the Jayhawks but with a tougher schedule (seriously, Kansas beat nobody)? Will the computers disagree? If they do, whose fault is it?

Say what you will about the shortcomings--and there are several--of the BCS system. The sheer volume of chaos this season has caused has made 2007 the most captivating football season in recent memory. Sure, the bowls can be no less than a letdown in comparison, but any sane football fan will take an entire season of havoc over a postseason's worth.

RJ Esq · Dec 2, 2007

MMM, WHO DOESN’T LOVE PRESS CONFERENCES?

The fact we have to wait for a selection show doesn’t seem half as unusual this year as a college football fan. As strange as it’s been, Barry Alvarez could come on the screen in a Cat-in-the-Hat raver cap, technicolor-striped pants, and twirling two glow sticks while screaming “SOMEONE GAVE ME BAAAAAAD DRUGS!!!” and it would feel apropos. It’s been bad trippy time for football fans everywhere this entire season–why change now? Just put Thom Brennaman in the fat pants, dose him on some cut-rate MDMA, turn on the camera, and let the fun begin. WHO LOVES YOU? AND WHO DO YOU LOVE THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

It feels so good when you touch my head…where’s my gum?
So while we all wait for the BCS selection show, please note that EDSBS Live, America’s Most Outstandingly Mediocre College Football Show, has been moved for one week only to Monday night on account of Peter Bean, our co-host, being exceedingly occupied this week for reasons unknown. (He’s secretly negotiating for the job of defensive coordinator of the Texas Longhorns. Let it be known that we think he’d be just as good as their current management.) It will be broadcast live tomorrow night when we’ve got BCS selections to discuss and a bit more time on our hands as a duo.
Regular programming continues apace tomorrow. For the record, we think placing the entire undefeated 2004 Auburn squad and the 12-0 1994 Penn State Nittany Lions would make as much sense as any other arrangement you choose, since the BCS is made to hand pick a pair of lions from the pride for their title game, not pull a pair a pair of random feral cats from a sack.

2007-08 CFB Bowl Picks and News

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