2010-2011 College Football Thread

[steve2112]

I can't think of a more boring matchup than a punchless Penn State team playing a punchless Florida team. First one to 3 wins.

As we get screwed out of another bowl. We had a better record than Florida and beat them head to head, yet they go to a better bowl.

In other news, there are now two less coaching jobs rumored to be interested in Dan Mullen. Minnesota hires Northern Illinois' head coach and Colorado made it official.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

A&M vs. LSU in the Cotton Bowl. Can't wait; it's going to be nuts.

As we get screwed out of another bowl. We had a better record than Florida and beat them head to head, yet they go to a better bowl.

That sucks. Go beat the hell out of Michigan in the Gator Bowl. Not a bad consolation prize.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

As we get screwed out of another bowl. We had a better record than Florida and beat them head to head, yet they go to a better bowl.

In other news, there are now two less coaching jobs rumored to be interested in Dan Mullen. Minnesota hires Northern Illinois' head coach and Colorado made it official.

join the club of list of schools that get screwed over by so called better schools.

TTU got screwed out of the BCS in 2007. Rank 7 team did not get to play in the BCS.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

TTU got screwed out of the BCS in 2007. Rank 7 team did not get to play in the BCS.

It was actually 2008, and while it definitely sucked for Tech there was no way the BCS was ever going to take three Big 12 teams that year. Since Tech got beat by 44 to OU, it really took them out of the running.

I guess you can say that they deserved the BCS bid over Ohio State, but the fact that the Pirates got stomped by Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl doesn't add much weight to that argument.

 

[steve2112]

A&M vs. LSU in the Cotton Bowl. Can't wait; it's going to be nuts.

That sucks. Go beat the hell out of Michigan in the Gator Bowl. Not a bad consolation prize.

And it's not the first time we have been screwed. In 1999, we were 9-2 and went to the Peach Bowl vs. a 6-5 Clemson team. 7-4 Georgia got picked ahead of us.

Ah well, after where we have been the past few years, I'll take it. I want to see what our offense can do to that porous Michigan defense. That Cotton Bowl should be good. LSU's defense kind of fell apart toward the end of the season, but they are still good.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

It was actually 2008, and while it definitely sucked for Tech there was no way the BCS was ever going to take three Big 12 teams that year. Since Tech got beat by 44 to OU, it really took them out of the running.

I guess you can say that they deserved the BCS bid over Ohio State, but the fact that the Pirates got stomped by Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl doesn't add much weight to that argument.

they could of lost by 1 point and they would of not been allowed into the BCS. Losing that late in the season made sure it would happen.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

they could of lost by 1 point and they would of not been allowed into the BCS. Losing that late in the season made sure it would happen.

Probably not. Tech was ranked #2 going into that OU game. A close loss, on the road, to a top 5 team would likely have kept them ahead of Texas in the rankings (Tech was getting tons of ESPN love that year). But giving up 65 and never being in it doomed the Raiders.

 

[Silencio]

Hmm, so Stanford gets the Orange Bowl versus Virginia Tech. Should be a pretty good matchup. Haven't seen a lot of VT this year, but they remind me a bit of Oregon.

I was hoping a bit more for the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, partly to avenge last year's Luck-less loss in the Sun Bowl, partly because Stanford fans would have travelled in much greater numbers to Arizona than they probably will to Florida. (The Rose Bowl would have been even better, of course.)

Pity the Fiesta Bowl; I can't see Oklahoma / UConn being a very good game or garnering very good TV ratings.

 

[MacDawg]

Interesting Bowl season
More games I want to watch than any in a long time

Capital One Bowl
Alabama v Michigan State
Both are pretty good teams and should be a good game

Chick-fil-a Bowl
South Carolina v Florida State
The Chick-fil-a Bowl always has great matchups and games
This one should be fun

Rose Bowl
TCU v Wisconsin
Both believe they were worthy of the title game and have something to prove
Should be a slugfest

Sugar Bowl
Arkansas v Ohio State
Time for the SEC to beat Ohio State yet again

Cotton Bowl
LSU v Texas A&M
Outside the BCS Championship, this is probably the most interesting game

BCS Championship
Oregon v Auburn
Controversy aside, should be a wild game. Can either side stop the other?
I think Oregon's defense is better than Auburn's but whoever punts loses

 

[steve2112]

I think Nebraska may have gotten the worst screwjob in the bowls. They were 10-3, lost the conference championship by 3 points, and get to play a 6-6 Washington team they beat 56-21 during the regular season. That was a nice, big middle finger from the Big 12.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Probably not. Tech was ranked #2 going into that OU game. A close loss, on the road, to a top 5 team would likely have kept them ahead of Texas in the rankings (Tech was getting tons of ESPN love that year). But giving up 65 and never being in it doomed the Raiders.

I still think they would of.
Texas Tech is not one of those "Good Schools" that gets over rated very often so any lost is punished harshly.

Schools like OU and UT are normally forgiven for a lost. TTU on the other hand not so much. I use the term "Good Schools" loosely because you have to look no farther than UT this year to see how badly over rated they can become. Rank what 1 or 2 going in they are not even in a bowl game. Earned dead last in Big 12 south.
That year TTU just got screwed out of a Bowl game and OU yet again failed to win the campaignship for the Big 12. How many times should OU be allowed to play for BCS champaign and loss.

 

[steve2112]

I think Ignatius may have written this Sports Illustrated article. It's slamming the BCS, but the interesting parts start around page 3 or so. They get into some of the dirty details of the whole bowl setup.

Some of the more interesting parts:

On bowl CEO salaries:

Yet the money is excellent, even for such inconsequential games as the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, whose executive director, Gary Cavalli, is unlikely to go hungry, having pocketed $377,475 in 2009. Cavalli, of course, is a bargain compared with Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan, who made $607,500 in fiscal 2007. Coming in just behind Hoolahan is John Junker, who is president and CEO of the Fiesta and Insight.com bowls. Junker's salary is nearly $600,000; in addition, three times he's taken out zero-interest loans from the Fiesta Bowl, which he has since repaid.

Not to worry about the bowls, they can afford to pay those salaries and perks. The Sugar Bowl finished 2007 with $37 million in assets and turned an $11.6 million profit. What's more, the Sugar Bowl accepted $3 million from the Louisiana state government—this a year before it was announced that the state was running a $341 million shortfall in its budget.

My favorite bit:

Ask Iowa. Halftime entertainment at the Jan. 1, 2009, Outback Bowl was provided by the Hawkeye Marching Band. And how did the Tampa Bay Bowl Association, which runs the game, thank the band for that gratis performance? By charging the university $65 a head for each of the 346 band members. According to university records submitted to the NCAA, the school was forced to purchase face-value tickets totaling $22,490 for the band, even though the game wasn't sold out.

A sad statement on bowl attendance: According to the article, for the 2009 Orange Bowl, Virginia Tech and the ACC agreed to purchase 17,500 tickets at $125 each, but were only able to sell 3,342 tickets. Really? 3k tickets for the freakin' Orange Bowl? Pathetic. We sold our allotment of 15,000 tickets for the Gator Bowl in about 10 minutes.

 

[dmr727]

I still think they would of.
Texas Tech is not one of those "Good Schools" that gets over rated very often so any lost is punished harshly.

If you want to be treated like the big boys, you need to show some consistency. You're sitting here crying about 2008, and if I remember correctly, you went in and got beat up by Ole Miss in your bowl. Losing your bowl game is a great way to vindicate voters that overlook you in the rankings.

 

[Tomorrow]

OU clearly doesn't suck...they're just not the best team in the Big 12 this year

Except they are. Highest ranked Big 12 team, best record, kinda says it all, doesn't it? And don't start going off on graduation rates.

Now the question becomes "Can Stoops remember how to win a BCS bowl?"

Sweet Jeebus, if we lose to Connecticut, I think some boosters are finally going to start calling for something to change!

I think Nebraska may have gotten the worst screwjob in the bowls. They were 10-3, lost the conference championship by 3 points, and get to play a 6-6 Washington team they beat 56-21 during the regular season. That was a nice, big middle finger from the Big 12.

Except it wasn't from the Big 12 - it was from all the other bowls who picked ahead of the Holiday Bowl. You forget, conferences don't "send" teams to bowls; the bowls "choose" teams.

I think the Cotton Bowl took the Aggies because they haven't played in that bowl in quite some time. It might have actually been a nice send-off for Nebraska to play the Cotton Bowl before they leave for the Big 10, but maybe they figured one game in Jerry's House™ was enough for the Huskers this year. Besides, the Aggies will definitely put asses in the seats (figuratively, not literally).

 

[Rodimus Prime]

If you want to be treated like the big boys, you need to show some consistency. You're sitting here crying about 2008, and if I remember correctly, you went in and got beat up by Ole Miss in your bowl. Losing your bowl game is a great way to vindicate voters that overlook you in the rankings.

You could say that but then again OU seems to be forgiven time and time again going to a BCS bowl and losing. The only BCS champion from the Big 12 in this past 10 years has been UT. OU has gone multiple times and failed.

Looks like Big 12 is going to suffer yet another BCS lost this year is my guess thanks to the fact OU can not seem to win those games.

I have a feeling UT is some how going to be ranked high at the begining of the year and will some how be forgiven for this year.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Except they are. Highest ranked Big 12 team, best record, kinda says it all, doesn't it?

33-19 and same record in conference would suggest otherwise. I think most people would agree that on-field results are more indicative of relative team quality than are the BCS rankings, wouldn't you?

And don't start going off on graduation rates.

Please don't confuse me with Rodimus.

I think the Cotton Bowl took the Aggies because they haven't played in that bowl in quite some time. It might have actually been a nice send-off for Nebraska to play the Cotton Bowl before they leave for the Big 10, but maybe they figured one game in Jerry's House™ was enough for the Huskers this year. Besides, the Aggies will definitely put asses in the seats (figuratively, not literally).

A&M was clearly the best fit for the Cotton because of a number of factors. Including the ones you cited (Jan. 1, 2005 was our last CB appearance; the fact that NU was just in Arlington), there's also these other factors...

• A&M is on a six-game winning streak, Big 12 Second Place Game loser would be coming off a loss
• A&M beat both of those teams
• A&M has a lot of history with both the SEC teams that were in the mix to be picked (LSU and Bama)
• It's the 75th Anniversary game, so the Cotton folks were probably looking to get a matchup that had historic ties to the bowl game, as well. Nebraska and OU were both Big 8 teams, so they didn't offer as much (if any) Cotton Bowl history

The team that really got screwed was Missouri, who beat us AND finished with a better record. Of course, they don't travel well and they lost to a crappy Tech team, so it's not hard to see why they got passed over in favor of the hottest team in the league with the much larger, more enthusiastic, and more local fanbase.

Looks like Big 12 is going to suffer yet another BCS lost this year is my guess thanks to the fact OU can not seem to win those games.

The fact that OU has lost a bunch of BCS games in a row is a bit overblown, in my mind. They have lost to some really great teams (including that Boise team a few years back), and though they got embarrassed against USC, most of their losses have been in tight, hotly contested games. If they lose this year, though, there can be no excuses. UConn does not deserve to be in the BCS.

 

[dmr727]

Greg Davis, Texas' offensive coordinator, is gone:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5891077

 

[steve2112]

Sweet Jeebus, if we lose to Connecticut, I think some boosters are finally going to start calling for something to change!



Except it wasn't from the Big 12 - it was from all the other bowls who picked ahead of the Holiday Bowl. You forget, conferences don't "send" teams to bowls; the bowls "choose" teams.

I think the Cotton Bowl took the Aggies because they haven't played in that bowl in quite some time. It might have actually been a nice send-off for Nebraska to play the Cotton Bowl before they leave for the Big 10, but maybe they figured one game in Jerry's House™ was enough for the Huskers this year. Besides, the Aggies will definitely put asses in the seats (figuratively, not literally).

If OU loses to UConn, Stoops better be on the phone to a moving company before he leaves the stadium.

The conference can affect where a team goes. A bunch of MSU fans were getting upset because we started hearing rumors that we might fall all the way to the Music City bowl, behind teams with worse records. Supposedly, SEC commissioner Mike Slive lobbied the Gator Bowl to pick us. So, while the conference doesn't put teams in bowls, they can influence things.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Greg Davis, Texas' offensive coordinator, is gone:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5891077

I heard that a Bobby Bowden-style takedown of Mack Brown is in the works in Austin. Supposedly the departing coaches will be replaced by Muschampites, Mack Brown will be shifted into a more honorary role, and sometime in the next three years (possibly as soon as after next year) Mack will be exiting stage left whether he wants to or not.

 

[dmr727]

OU was fortunate to get UConn, IMO. I don't think the Big 12 had a legit Top-10 squad this season.

I heard that a Bobby Bowden-style takedown of Mack Brown is in the works in Austin. Supposedly the departing coaches will be replaced by Muschampites, Mack Brown will be shifted into a more honorary role, and sometime in the next three years (possibly as soon as after next year) Mack will be exiting stage left whether he wants to or not.

I hope this isn't true. I fear we're gonna end up being the next Michigan.

 

[Tomorrow]

33-19 and same record in conference would suggest otherwise. I think most people would agree that on-field results are more indicative of relative team quality than are the BCS rankings, wouldn't you?

And yet, A&M did not get it done on the field throughout the season - three losses, not two. If the Aggies were the better team, then they would have finished higher in the standings and polls.

Surely you don't think that James Madison is a better (or more Orange Bowl-deserving) team than VT based on that win, do you?

OU was fortunate to get UConn, IMO. I don't think the Big 12 had a legit Top-10 squad this season.

I disagree - OU is definitely a legit top-10 team, although they're definitely not a top-5 team. Although they've played like a #1 team at times, it's been far too sporadic this year. You need to play at that level with a lot of consistency to earn that kind of ranking, and they clearly haven't.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

And yet, A&M did not get it done on the field throughout the season - three losses, not two. If the Aggies were the better team, then they would have finished higher in the standings and polls.

Interesting idea, but the real difference between A&M and OU in the polls is perception and schedule. OU started high and underachieved (based on preseason perception) while A&M started low and overachieved (again based on perception). Couple that with the fact that A&M lost (by seven points) to a top ten team, on a neutral field, while OU squeaked past a terrible Cincy team and you have your difference in the polls.

So even though A&M was clearly the better team when the two teams met (two TDs better, in fact) on the field, and even though the teams had identical 6-2 conference records, A&M's loss to Arkansas, coupled with OU's undeserved early high ranking, cost the Aggies in the polls.

That's okay, though. I'd rather go play our old rival LSU in the Cotton Bowl than play a basketball school in the Cupcake Bowl.

 

[dmr727]

I disagree - OU is definitely a legit top-10 team, although they're definitely not a top-5 team.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I don't see a team in the Top-10 that wouldn't beat OU handily. Looking at your schedule - your one statement win is against a middle of the road FSU, and then squeakers over a bunch of teams that range from mediocre to simply horrible (sadly, I have to include Texas in the latter bunch).

You guys might have shown flashes of greatness from time to time, but I don't think you're Top-10 this year. But hell, I could be wrong - it's just unfortunate we'll never really know, since you're paired with UConn. Maybe we'll have a better idea after we see how the rest of the conference does - A&M and LSU will be a good barometer of where the Big 12 is.

 

[MacNut]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

If UConn wins it should tell how good OU is.

 

[steve2112]

And now, a little humor from the Onion. Big East says TCU can only join if they bring girls.