1405 replies to this topic

[DJnVa]

I doubt Boise St would have run the Statue of Liberty if it was in a playoff situation.

Anyway....early thoughts on tonight?

[Drocca]

I doubt Boise St would have run the Statue of Liberty if it was in a playoff situation.

Anyway....early thoughts on tonight?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My lovely hometown will represent winning the game 14-10. It will be boring.

[The Gray Eagle]

IMO, if a team beats every single opponent on its schedule, including its postseason opponent(s), then no other team should be called the national champion. It's not a true national championship if there's another team that's beaten everyone they've faced. For a true national champion, IMO, the undefeated teams should have to play each other. It's not Ohio State's fault, it's the fault of the system, which is just retarded.

Maybe instead of playing the games, the 2004 ALCS should have been determined by a sportswriter/computer poll. That would have been great!


Oklahoma's last 3 times with the football:

Paul Thompson pass complete to Quentin Chaney for 12 yards
Paul Thompson pass complete to Manuel Johnson for 18 yards to the BoiSt 47
Paul Thompson pass complete to Quentin Chaney for 8 yards to the BoiSt 39.
Paul Thompson pass complete to Juaquin Iglesias for 16 yards to the BoiSt 23
Paul Thompson rush for 8 yards to the BoiSt 15.
Paul Thompson pass complete to Quentin Chaney for 5 yards for a TOUCHDOWN
Two-point conversion attempt, Paul Thompson pass GOOD.

Pass intercepted by Marcus Walker at the BoiSt 34, returned for 34 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.

Adrian Peterson rush for 25 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.

3 TDs and a 2-point conversion, Boise could not stop them. Oklahoma played a good game and had a great comeback, I was rooting for them to come back, but then was also rooting for Boise St. to come from behind, what an unbelieveable game.

I love the statue of liberty play. And this one was an inverted one with a no-look reverse hand-off, just awesome.

[The Long Tater]

But here's why you are DEAD.FLAT.WRONG. - Boise State gets to go home with this as its signoff moment.  People get to talk about this one all year.  Oklahoma is a great football program who weren't all that dominant this year; the big 12 was not all that good top to bottom.  Boise State would get beaten reasonably handily were more games to be played.  Their defense is...at best......mediocre.

There were a lot of thrilling games in the regular season this year that would never have been seen by a number of people if there were a college football playoff system in place.  This game was great, but not great enough to justify people missing all of those games.

This game was all that is great about college football.  Whining about some perceived improvement is to not understand college football. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an argument, with solid points, as to why BS would probably lose to OS. It isn't an argument, however, as to why nobody would want to watch such a game. Isn't one of the big attractions of the NCAA basketball tournament the little-guy/big guy matchups and the possibility of an upset. Think George Whateveritwas last year. Similarly, Villanova probably would lose to Georgetown 19 out of 20 times, but they happenened to play the 20th at the right time. That is why people would tune in to see an undefeated Boise State play an undefeated Ohio State.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I don't follow college football all that closely, but for the second year in a row I wish I had. I missed the Texas-USC game last year, and missed the Boise St. - OU game last night. Just watched the highlights and I am awestruck.

[Drocca]

Instead of talking about the game which was incredible. Instead of enjoying the game people just use it as another excuse to rip the system.

It makes me wonder if folks actually like College Football. Or, if they just dig controversy.

[Dave Stapleton]

Yup .... I fell asleep with about 5 minutes left.

Edited by Dave Stapleton, 02 January 2007 - 09:28 AM.

[Rick Burlesons Yam Bag]

Instead of talking about the game which was incredible. Instead of enjoying the game people just use it as another excuse to rip the system.

It makes me wonder if folks actually like College Football. Or, if they just dig controversy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well put.

[Maalox]

1. Best sporting event I've seen since the 2004 ALCS, and the best college football game I've seen since the '84 BC-Miami game.

2. Am I the only person who expected Boise State to blow Oklahoma out of the water? I was so confident that I'd put money on a Boise win - and I rarely ever gamble.

3. That was the probably least razzle-dazzly game I've seen Boise State play. (Granted, I've only seen maybe a half-dozen of their games.)

[loshjott]

Another thing to note is that Boise wouldn't have made a 4-team playoff like some are advocating, and they'd have been matched against Ohio State in an 8-team playoff. I am generally pro playoff, but last night's thriller makes me less, not more, in favor of one.

[The Big Red Kahuna]

Well put.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What was more improbable: 1) The finish to that game... or 2) "Drocca" and "well put" in the same sentence...?

Meanwhile, despite taking a hit to the wallet thanks to OK, still up a hair on the bowl season. But, my favorite "locks" are still to come.

Wake (+10.5) - Might even be tempted to take them on the $ line
LSU (-9.5)
Florida (+8)

quick aside: why the hell are there two mid-level bowl games stuck in the middle of the BCS??? The International Bowl? The GMAC Bowl?

[Rick Burlesons Yam Bag]

Wake (+10.5) - Might even be tempted to take them on the $ line
LSU (-9.5)
Florida (+8)

I am with you on the first two, although I hate 9.5 spreads, but you have to be kidding me on the Florida game. I have tOSU HEAVY at -7.

quick aside: why the *** are there two mid-level bowl games stuck in the middle of the BCS??? The International Bowl?  The GMAC Bowl?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Because it's the MAC and they will play at any time they think they can get maximum visibility. Tuesday night? We're there! Toronto two days before the national championship? We'll get our passports!

More football = better, so I love the filler bowls. Plus, they will be good games.

[Nuf Ced]

The BCS Championship game will have to be heart attack inducing to be more entertaining than that Fiesta Bowl or even the Chik-Fil-A Bowl with the Georgia Bulldogs coming back from a 21-point deficit to Virginia Tech.

[mr guido]

That was incredible. I had a big crew over to watch the game last night (I'm a cousin of one of the Boise coaches). One of my friends left with a minute left declaring he "couldn't stand to watch Boise lose". Obviously some forget the lessons of past years easier than others. I haven't felt such alternating wild excitement and stunned nervousness since 2004. This is one to save on DVD.

Pretty amazing that a coaching staff of first-year thirty-somethings pulled all of this off. They played to win & they were rewarded for their boldness. I'll be curious to see where they go from here.

Foxboro High -- D2 Super Bowl champs
Boise St -- Fiesta Bowl
New England -- ????

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

That was incredible.  I had a big crew over to watch the game last night (I'm a cousin of one of the Boise coaches).  One of my friends left with a minute left declaring he "couldn't stand to watch Boise lose".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're friends with Lose Remerswaal?

[Maalox]

Another thing to note is that Boise wouldn't have made a 4-team playoff like some are advocating, and they'd have been matched against Ohio State in an 8-team playoff.  I am generally pro playoff, but last night's thriller makes me less, not more, in favor of one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, no one will ever hear me advocate playoffs. I'm anti-playoff, and I've never gotten an answer to what I think is the central question regarding a playoff: what is the intrinsic importance of knowing which group of 18- to 21-year-olds is the best group of 18- to 21-year-olds in the country? Why is this an important, or even good, thing for us to know in any sport?

Simply put, it isn't. It's not important. It's wholly and completely unimportant. It is, in the grand scheme of things, not worth a single student-athlete missing a single class.

These kids are in supposed to be college. Whatever one thinks of the business part of college athletics (out of control, imho) or of athletic scholarships (get rid of 'em, imho) ultimately these kids are in college. We've already got some of them playing into the Spring semester. Enough is enough. No more football.

The dirty little secret of big-time college athletics is that if we called it what it really is (minor league sports) no one would care enough to watch it. People care about it entirely because it's associated with educational institutions. That is proof positive that "student" is the more important component of "student-athlete," and that it should take precedence.

[drtooth]

Highlights on FOX

[Deathofthebambino]

Well, no one will ever hear me advocate playoffs. I'm anti-playoff, and I've never gotten an answer to what I think is the central question regarding a playoff: what is the intrinsic importance of knowing which group of 18- to 21-year-olds is the best group of 18- to 21-year-olds in the country? Why is this an important, or even good, thing for us to know in any sport?

I agree, DO AWAY WITH THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP. (Jus kidding Maalox, I understand your point).

One of the problems with your argument is that you are casting the blame or the impetus for a playoff solely on the shoulders of us, the fans, or the money-hungry folks looking to gain off the backs of students. You're completely dismissing the desire of the kids/athletes themselves. Almost every sport at every level crowns a champion. It's the competitive spirit that drives people to play the game. How you could watch that game last night and not understand that confounds me. These kids merely want the opportunity to show that their "TEAM" is the best at whatever it is they do, no different than my 9/10 little league team or the Boston Red Sox. Taking your criticism to the logical extreme, why bother keeping score? Why not completely pussify and insulate these players from failure at any level?

The problem with the system as it stands now is that it does name a Champion, and that Champion gets to wear that designation proudly, often times to the detriment of another team that has as much, or greater right to the claim as the team selected by the computers. At it's very essence, it flies in the face of what competition is all about.

Edited by Deathofthebambino, 02 January 2007 - 01:13 PM.

[Rocco Graziosa]

Well, no one will ever hear me advocate playoffs. I'm anti-playoff, and I've never gotten an answer to what I think is the central question regarding a playoff: what is the intrinsic importance of knowing which group of 18- to 21-year-olds is the best group of 18- to 21-year-olds in the country?

We'll let you be the one to tell the kids that huh? Bring body armor.

Are you insinuating that 18-21 year olds can't handle someone being crowned champion, or that its not important to crown a champion? If its not important to crown a champion, why keep standings or score of the game?

Edited by Rocco Graziosa, 02 January 2007 - 01:31 PM.

[LoneWarrior1]

Like many others have said, its the most entertaining game I have ever watched. The real interesting thing will be to see what happens with Chris Petersen in the next few weeks. I don't see why 'Bama wouldn't throw a ton of money at this guy. I wonder if he'd be willing to jump ship or keep with the current trend of young coaches and stay.

Edited by LoneWarrior1, 02 January 2007 - 02:58 PM.

[mabrowndog]

In life, whether you like it or not, success is measured by winning. Winning may not be the where-all end-all, but it matters. A lot.

Character is developed by going mano a mano and challenging the best. Playoffs provide these lessons for college student-athletes far better than some trumped up bowl system where teams are chosen to participate based not on merits, but on whether or not they will draw a good crowd, bring oodles of booster dollars to a host city, and guarantee high TV ratings.

It's funny how the NCAA Hoop Tourney has turned out to be such an overwhelming success, yet it somehow doesn't make sense to segue the bowls into a playoff format.

This isn't about protecting students. This is about protecting the old guard institutions of the college bowl elite. That's the only reason they still exist, and why that had to be dragged kicking and screaming into an inherently flawed BCS system.

Are you insinuating that 18-21 year olds can't handle someone being crowned champion, or that its not important to crown a champion? If its not important to crown a champion, why keep standings or score of the game?

Bingo. Let's just turn college sports into one giant Up With People feel-good session. Everyone who participates will get a ribbon and a trophy, regardless of their achievements. Then all those hard-pressed, mercilessly overworked students can huddle in the comfort of their bean bag chair and return to their textbooks safe in the knowledge that no matter how they fare in life, it'll all be just swell.

[Sea Bass Neely]

Like many others have said, its the most entertaining game I have ever watched. The real interesting thing will be to see what happens with Chris Petersen in the next few weeks. I don't see why Miami or 'Bama wouldn't throw a ton of money at this guy. I

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it won't be miami, they already hired randy shannon.

[Tangled Up In Red]

I'm feeling some serious hometown pride for the Broncs!

Coach Pete stays in Boise and becomes a Joe Pa type figure for the University.

[mr guido]

Here's a fun article from a SI writer who followed Boise around for a few weeks:

http://sportsillustr....boise/?cnn=yes

Lots of quotes from Coach Petersen, the $500k rookie who just out-coached the $3.45 million man on the other sideline.

Edited by mr guido, 02 January 2007 - 06:13 PM.

[BCSoxFan]

The only thing missing from Dwayne Wade here at the coin toss before the Orange Bowl is the Hitters.net hat.

R3ADY?

What a tool.

[Tangled Up In Red]

I love that Ian Johnson and the boys play FIFA when they're hanging out. I imagine that's fairly rare amongst collegiate football players.

[BigMike]

Can we just please get rid of Instant replay at the college level.

It has just been a collosal failure. Not only have I seen many cases where they confirm the call on the field when it was wrong. I have seen a bunch of calls where they incorrectly overruled the call.

That was just criminal on the fumble against Wake at the end of the half

[Drocca]

Good game going on here.

[Drocca]

Solid drive there by Pitino's club. Wake needs to respond.

[Drocca]

Wake Forest's offense is not walking through that door.

[RingoOSU]

Can we just please get rid of Instant replay at the college level.

It has just been a collosal failure. Not only have I seen many cases where they confirm the call on the field when it was wrong.  I have seen a bunch of calls where they incorrectly overruled the call.

That was just criminal  on the fumble  against Wake at the end of the half

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Instant replay is a much bigger travesty and threat to the game than the BCS or lack of playoff system. I agree it has to go.

[Rick Burlesons Yam Bag]

Dear Wake Forest,

Fuck you. A 10 point fucking spread???? A fucking 10 point fucking spread??????

Yours,

Inveterate gamblers everywhere

[Rick Burlesons Yam Bag]

In life, whether you like it or not, success is measured by winning. Winning may not be the where-all end-all, but it matters. A lot.

Character is developed by going mano a mano and challenging the best. Playoffs provide these lessons for college student-athletes far better than some trumped up bowl system where teams are chosen to participate based not on merits, but on whether or not they will draw a good crowd, bring oodles of booster dollars to a host city, and guarantee high TV ratings.

It's funny how the NCAA Hoop Tourney has turned out to be such an overwhelming success, yet it somehow doesn't make sense to segue the bowls into a playoff format.

This isn't about protecting students. This is about protecting the old guard institutions of the college bowl elite. That's the only reason they still exist, and why that had to be dragged kicking and screaming into an inherently flawed BCS system.


Bingo. Let's just turn college sports into one giant Up With People feel-good session. Everyone who participates will get a ribbon and a trophy, regardless of their achievements. Then all those hard-pressed, mercilessly overworked students can huddle in the comfort of their bean bag chair and return to their textbooks safe in the knowledge that no matter how they fare in life, it'll all be just swell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is an assinine post on so many levels. All of my prior points regarding why playoffs would be a travesty still apply, but there is one other thing you guys are missing - say you have a 4 game postseason....you are basically adding an additional season onto the college career of players at the top colleges. Let me clue you in on something - players aren't going to go for that. In essence you are upping the injury rate and shortening the NFL career potential for the top players. Stupid, stupid move. How people compare the basketball tournament with a 1-A football tournament is beyond me.

And as far as saying that college bowls exist for the elite institutions, I am assuming that you were taking heroin when you posted that. 70% of the bowls played are played by teams who worked their asses off to become bowl eligible and the euphoria of the fans when their team becomes bowl eligible is one of the most exciting things in sports.

If you are a casual college football fan - and there is nothing wrong with that, you are just less entitled to your opinion than I am - then it sure seems crazy. Heck, you probably don't watch the regular season games much anyhow. It sure seems like the big boys control it all, huh? Well, you're wrong. Go away.

[Deathofthebambino]

Can we just please get rid of Instant replay at the college level.

It has just been a collosal failure. Not only have I seen many cases where they confirm the call on the field when it was wrong.  I have seen a bunch of calls where they incorrectly overruled the call.

That was just criminal  on the fumble  against Wake at the end of the half

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mike, I wholeheartedly disagree about the fumble. Of course, the announcers were too busy picking their asses to actually look at the play so I can understand why others may have missed it.

The ball was coming out before his knee touched. If someone can get a couple of screen caps, and show them just as he was hit by the second guy in, the ball started coming out. Then his knee went down, and then the ball fell, but he was clearly juggling it under his right arm before his knee hit. And even if he wasn't juggling it, it sure looked that way, and as such, it's not irrefutable evidence to overturn the call on the field, which was a fumble.

I'm telling you, just watch the ball itself and figure out when it started coming out. Then look at his knee.

And I say this as someone who was rooting for Wake.

[Deathofthebambino]

This is an assinine post on so many levels.  All of my prior points regarding why playoffs would be a travesty still apply, but there is one other thing you guys are missing - say you have a 4 game postseason....you are basically adding an additional season onto the college career of players at the top colleges.  Let me clue you in on something - players aren't going to go for that.  In essence you are upping the injury rate and shortening the NFL career potential for the top players.  Stupid, stupid move.  How people compare the basketball tournament with a 1-A football tournament is beyond me.

And as far as saying that college bowls exist for the elite institutions, I am assuming that you were taking heroin when you posted that.  70% of the bowls played are played by teams who worked their asses off to become bowl eligible and the euphoria of the fans when their team becomes bowl eligible is one of the most exciting things in sports.

If you are a casual college football fan - and there is nothing wrong with that, you are just less entitled to your opinion than I am - then it sure seems crazy.  Heck, you probably don't watch the regular season games much anyhow.  It sure seems like the big boys control it all, huh?  Well, you're wrong.  Go away.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And this is why the only college football playoff format that will work is the one I have created.

EVERY team in Division 1 plays a 10 game schedule beginning just before Labor Day Weekend, and ends right around Thanksgiving. The 64 team tournament starts on the first weekend of December. Yes, I said 64 teams. Essentially, you have all of the conference winners and at large teams just like the basketball tournament. Under this situation, the teams vying for a National Championship will play a Total of 16 games (which is exactly 2 more than almost every other team that played in a Bowl will have played in this year) and only 4 teams will play more than 14 games (again, the same amount as every Bowl team this year, save for a couple). The 10 game schedule will obviously reduce the amount of income that the schools get from non-conference games, etc., but I think a first round game in the NCAA's will more than make up for the 2 non-conference games that they will lose.

The Big Bowls will still be alive, and like they do now, will rotate the location of the Elite 8 games and forward. They would actually get to add a couple of Bowls to the rotation because there would be 7 games in the Elite 8 on to the NC.

What about the remaining teams in D1 that don't make the tournament, you ask? An NIT baby. No different than basketball.

This system would work, and would be the greatest sporting event in the history of the world, would not change anything with respect to the length of the season, and would result in more revenue for these schools than they could ever hope to make under the current one.

[Drocca]

Death;

One day me and you are going to hang out, have some beers, maybe even smoke a couple cigarettes together. And on that day, I will explain to you the difference between the sport of basketball and the sport of football.

(Early Hint - It's more than the shape of the ball)

[The Napkin]

That's great, who's going to come to the games?
Let's say I'm an OSU fan. Do I plan on going to the round 1 game? Do I wait and go to a round 2 game? 3? 4?5?6?7?
This is not basketball where you have 4 or 8 teams bringing 1000 fans to fill a building for a week. You're talking 20,000+ fans for every team having to make plans to travel in less than a week. Not going to happen.

[Vinho Tinto]

What about the remaining teams in D1 that don't make the tournament, you ask?  An NIT baby.  No different than basketball. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Playing a December game in front of quarter full stadium of fans? Sounds delicious!

[Deathofthebambino]

That's great, who's going to come to the games?
Let's say I'm an OSU fan. Do I plan on going to the round 1 game? Do I wait and go to a round 2 game? 3? 4?5?6?7?
This is not basketball where you have 4 or 8 teams bringing 1000 fans to fill a building for a week. You're talking 20,000+ fans for every team having to make plans to travel in less than a week. Not going to happen.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Umm...Only OSU Fans travel to games? How about the team you are playing whose fans may have only one chance to see their team play in the tournament, they won't travel for it?

College football fans all over the country will be attending these games whether or not "their" teams are involved. If you don't think a 2nd round game played between the 15th ranked and 30th ranked teams in the Country in a place like Columbus or Omaha won't fill a stadium, I'm afraid you and I have a very different impression on college football fans in general. Christ, they could have these games at Gillette and people from all over New England would be snapping up tickets. Let's throw in the gambling, the television revenues and this is an absolute monster money maker. Gate receipts are about 1/20th of what they should be concerned about.

Playing a December game in front of quarter full stadium of fans? Sounds delicious!

I guarantee you more people would show up for every single first round game than showed up for a significant number of the Bowl games this year. But, hey if you think the Meineke Car Care Bowl was a big attendance game, maybe we saw a different stadium.

Throw in some real marketing, package ticket sales for venues, intelligent scheduling where teams fans will have a chance to make the trip, and this thing works, without a problem.

[Drocca]

Cross-posted

Chuck Klosterman with a fantastic article today about not wanting a playoff system: Link

[RingoOSU]

There is no way in hell college towns will agree to go from 6 guaranteed home dates a year to 5. That's a huge financial impact on the city.

[Deathofthebambino]

There is no way in hell college towns will agree to go from 6 guaranteed home dates a year to 5. That's a huge financial impact on the city.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is a big point, and I agree with you Ringo. But, I think something can obviously be done. These games have to get played somewhere.

Would Columbus, Ohio raise a stink because they lost OSU vs. Little Sisters of the Poor matchup, but gained the regional finals in which 4 games were played between teams whose schools send thousands of people, and the OSU fans who don't travel but stay to attend these games.

Why can't some of the television revenues get dumped back into the cities via the schools?

Everyone and everything would have to change a little bit, but the economics of all of this make it a no-brainer. When you have that many people and that much money involved, there will be enough to spread around and nobody will lose in the end. It may take some actual thought, but it's not as difficult as people make it appear.

[behindthepen]

I'm just about recovered from that fucking Fiesta Bowl. I'm Sooner-bred (my family's from Oklahoma, I was born in Norman when my Dad was in grad school) and a lifelong Sooner fan. Someone gave my Dad tickets and we went out last minute to Phoenix.

The funny thing about that game is that the first 3 1/2 quarters kinda sucked. Turnovers, penalties, punts, and a game that looked like it was over early in the 3rd quarter. I was there with my 8 year old son, so was trying to figure out at what point I could beat the crowds out of the parking lot.

The last 30 minutes were just spectacular. Everything you could imagine happening just happened. (and based on the replay that they showed in the stadium, I really thought the game was going to end on that fumble non-call getting overturned in OT). We were sitting in the end zone where the OT took place, with BSU fans on one side and OU on the other. It was like a hearing test, the crowd on one side going wild, and then 5 minutes later the crowd on the other side.

As much as it sucked to watch my boys lose another BCS game, I still really can't believe what I witnessed Monday night.

[BigMike]

College football fans all over the country will be attending these games whether or not "their" teams are involved.  If you don't think a 2nd round game played between the 15th ranked and 30th ranked teams in the Country in a place like Columbus or Omaha won't fill a stadium, I'm afraid you and I have a very different impression on college football fans in general.  Christ, they could have these games at Gillette and people from all over New England would be snapping up tickets.  Let's throw in the gambling, the television revenues and this is an absolute monster money maker.  Gate receipts are about 1/20th of what they should be concerned about.
I guarantee you more people would show up for every single first round game than showed up for a significant number of the Bowl games this year.  But, hey if you think the Meineke Car Care Bowl was a big attendance game, maybe we saw a different stadium.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So you really believe that Boston College versus South Florida is going to sell out in Omaha Nebraska?

In terms of the games at Gillette, I'd bet against that in a huge way. Unless they are selling those seats at 10 bucks a pop you are not going to see a bunch of NE fans show up to watch Cal play Purdue on a 37 degree day in December?

More likely you'd have a bunch of Champs Bowls all around the country. Stadiums with 23,000 people in them. Except for the venues which feature local (or local relevance) teams

[templeUsox]

This is about what I expected. The #1 pick is playing in purple and yellow right now.

[DannyHeep]

This is about what I expected.  The #1 pick is playing in purple and yellow right now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like me a shoot-out, keep the scoring.

And here comes ND...

[ngruz25]

As a die-hard Notre Dame fan, I have no problem saying that the call on the interception/incomplete pass was blown. Unless they had a better angle than Fox, that should have been a pick.

[templeUsox]

That rivals the Polamalu interception as the worst replay reversal I have ever seen. Terrible.

[ngruz25]

Uh...I'll take the first interception please.

[templeUsox]

That's two picks in one drive.