NCAA Football count down! (updated)

[BH]

Yeah, I also have Florida and LSU winning, "no contest"  however Florida has been known to blow a big game or two and I can see it happening in that matchup very easily.  I was thinking Texas and Missouri as the Big 12 winners but much closer than the other two games.  I would like to see OU replace KU to increase our chances for sure. ;D

I'm a bit worried for you Brad, as I can't see anyone beating Penn State from here on out, and if Texas manages to beat TTech this weekend, Alabama is going to have to probably win against LSU and win the SEC championship to get in.  I'd like to think a different Mizzou team would show up in KC against Texas in the Big12 title game to help you out but it's hard to imagine after the ass woopin' they put on us.  

I think we should just lobby the SEC and Big 12 commissioners to have the respective champions play each other in Louisville (Is it the midwest or is it the South?) for the first "real" championship in college football ever! ;D  MMJ could do the half time show.

[ycartrob]

I think we should just lobby the SEC and Big 12 commissioners to have the respective champions play each other in Louisville (Is it the midwest or is it the South?) for the first "real" championship in college football ever! ;D  MMJ could do the half time show.

genius

[ycartrob]

Big Lie: Big Ten
By Dan Wetzel
The most tried and true formula for reaching the BCS championship game is as follows:

1. Play an easy non-conference schedule.

2. Belong to the Big Ten.

Four times in Joe Paterno's career at Penn State he's coached undefeated teams and didn't win a national title. This year, at 9-0, ranked No. 3 in the BCS standings and facing the easiest road among contenders over the final six weeks, he's poised for a trip to Miami to win it all.

Don't say you can't teach an old Lion some new tricks.

Penn State needs a little help from one of the teams ahead of him, Texas and Alabama. They play in higher-caliber conferences and face multiple major tests away from home. If history is any measure, one, if not both, will lose.

Penn State faces Iowa, Indiana and Michigan State. Only the home game against the Spartans presents any meaningful challenge. The lack of a Big Ten conference championship game means Paterno can cozy up before Thanksgiving and watch everyone kill each other off.

This riveting system is what BCS apologists call a playoff, even if not everyone has to face playoff competition.

There is no logic to the illogical way college football crowns its champions though. So this is what you get – a nation of fans already howling that Penn State is running an end around on the system.

Well, why wouldn't they? And why should they feel bad about it?

It's not Paterno's fault. He favors a playoff. Line 'em up and play 'em, he says. What's wrong with the Division III model? In the late 1960s, Paterno put together back-to-back 11-0 seasons and was shut out from a title both times. He isn't a fan of pollsters. Don't get him started about computers.

Being pro-playoff means the 82-year-old is too modern of a thinker for his perpetually petrified Big Ten commissioner, Jim Delany.

Paterno has tried to lobby Delany, only to be brushed off. The commish knows when he's stacked the deck.

Penn State is simply following Ohio State's plan before it.

Forget about scheduling only major opponents in the non-conference the way Southern California does. Sure it's a challenge for the players, rewards the fans with great games and is generally a lot of fun. But when did that start meaning anything? It just increases the likelihood of being worn out and having a silly lapse in league play.

Don't even consider a conference championship game that might result in a loss for a contender. It keeps shooting the Big 12 in the foot, doesn't it? Why play 13 games when the pollsters don't punish you for playing only 12?

Penn State's non-conference opponents are a combined 12-19 on the season. Just seven of those wins came against teams from what used to be called Division I-A.

The Big Ten teams on Penn State's schedule are a combined 34-32.

That's good for a 46-51 record (.474). By comparison, Texas' likely opponents are 63-40 (.612).

Penn State is an excellent team. And like you'd expect from an excellent team, they're running roughshod over those kinds of opponents.

The Nittany Lions' best non-conference win is over Oregon State. This doubles as the best non-conference win for the entire Big Ten. The only other contenders are Michigan State over Notre Dame and Wisconsin over Fresno State. That's it. For the entire league. The Big Ten failed to defeat a single currently ranked non-conference team.

Not that it matters. It was even worse last year. Ohio State beat exactly zero great teams and still made it despite a home November loss.

It's not just the Big Ten. You're almost assured of reaching the title game if you can go unbeaten in one of the six major conferences – which were determined by tradition, stadium size and political and financial strengths.

As long as the Big Ten has great fight songs, the assumption will be it plays great football. Delany can just send a copy of Michael Rosenberg's entertaining new Woody and Bo book to Harris Poll members. All those nostalgic stories are worth a couple spots in the standings.

How difficult is it to win the modern Big Ten? Well, Minnesota still has a shot at the conference title by winding up 11-1. Last season, the Gophers were 1-11. Nice story, but any league where you can go from 1-11 to 11-1 in a single season is under serious suspicion. It just is.

The conference does have the best championship plan though. It's darn near foolproof. Quality non-conference opponents are worthless. League championship games don't matter. Anyone who plays either of these is foolishly assuming unnecessary risk.

This isn't to say Penn State can't win the BCS championship game. It's good enough to win any league.

Besides, it's intellectually bankrupt to suggest a great team can't come from a not-so great conference; even though that's what the powers that be say about the Mountain West.

Paterno shouldn't apologize for how the season has played out. He didn't make this system. He doesn't support this system. He's been jobbed through the years more than anyone.

Now he plays in the league that works the angles of it better than anyone else. Former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer might have invented the BCS, but the Big Ten long ago perfected it.

Joe Pa's just following the blueprint.

[capt. scotty]

Magilla the Gorilla could tell you that the SEC is great and the Big 10 sucks, but that doesnt make it true

I read that article this afternoon, and its terrible.

Everyone just assumes the SEC is always the best, but theyre truly having a down year. For instance, that WVU team that lost to Colorado just beat Auburn this past week

The SEC is below .500 vs other BCS conferences this year, and Sagarin has the Big 10 ranked higher than the SEC in both of his rating systems

I cant wait for PSU to be in the championship, if for any reason, to bring on a playoff system faster

[ycartrob]

Magilla the Gorilla could tell you that the SEC is great and the Big 10 sucks, but that doesnt make it true

but how about you check out the results of the past 2 BCS Title games and Rose Bowls (which is the point of this article)

2007-2008
LSU (SEC champion) 38
Ohio State (Big Ten champion) 24

USC-49
Illinois-17

2006-2007
Florida (SEC champion) 41
Ohio State (Big Ten champion) 14

USC-32
Michigan-18

[Angry Ewok]

I'll take the Eastern and Western Champs of the SEC over any other team in the country.

[capt. scotty]

I'll take the Eastern and Western Champs of the SEC over any other team in the country.

Im not surprised  ;)

[capt. scotty]

Magilla the Gorilla could tell you that the SEC is great and the Big 10 sucks, but that doesnt make it true

but how about you check out the results of the past 2 BCS Title games and Rose Bowls (which is the point of this article)

2007-2008
LSU (SEC champion) 38
Ohio State (Big Ten champion) 24

USC-49
Illinois-17

2006-2007
Florida (SEC champion) 41
Ohio State (Big Ten champion) 14

USC-32
Michigan-18

Im aware of the last couple years, and me&JoePa are both all for a playoff system bc the BCS sucks

The SEC is still overrated for 2008 due to it consistently being the hands down best conference though

[mjkoehler]

So is it going to be a blood bath on Saturday Eazy & Crispy? I'm thinking at least a 3 touchtown spread. Nebraska just has no defense.

[TheBigChicken]

Florida worries me :-/ First the Rays and now this....I picked a bad week to quit amphetamines ; :D

[EAZYE]

So is it going to be a blood bath on Saturday Eazy & Crispy? I'm thinking at least a 3 touchtown spread. Nebraska just has no defense.

You guys might be able to throw for quite a bit against us, Kansas St. sure did.  But then you guys might not be able to stop us either ;)   I like that it is a night game.  

Looking forward to Pellini returning to Norman as well.

[Angry Ewok]

I'm rooting for the Bulldogs, once again... I'd much rather see another blackout than have to take on Tebow. Not to mention their victory will boost BAMA's BCS ratings, followed by a final boost after the SEC Championship game.

[Crispy]

OU seems to have some defense problems, they really miss Ryan Reynolds, but they'll be able to outscore the Huskers by a bunch.

[EAZYE]

OU seems to have some defense problems, they really miss Ryan Reynolds, but they'll be able to outscore the Huskers by a bunch.

well said crispy, since your not an OU fan i shouldn't be expecting you to blame anything on brent venables, if you're playing us you probably want us to keep him :-/  not that it is all his fault we really do miss reynolds presence in the middle

[TEO]

Florida worries me :-/ First the Rays and now this....I picked a bad week to quit amphetamines ; :D

Sounds like you need to hook up with Ellis... ;)

[Crispy]

OU seems to have some defense problems, they really miss Ryan Reynolds, but they'll be able to outscore the Huskers by a bunch.

well said crispy, since your not an OU fan i shouldn't be expecting you to blame anything on brent venables, if you're playing us you probably want us to keep him :-/  not that it is all his fault we really do miss reynolds presence in the middle

Warning: snarky OSU fan comment on the way. It is a long-standing tradition at OU to heap large amounts of blame upon whichever coordinator for his side not living up to its potential - this year it's Brent Venables, the defensive coordinator, who will surely be a head coach somewhere next year, only the what, 500th Bob Stoops assistant to get a head coach job? Usually it's the poor play calling of the offensive coordinator that has cost the Sooners the national championship every year since the last good one left, Mike Leach in 2001. If I wasn't fairly pleased with OSU's defensive performance (so far) this year, I'd be glad to take Venables off your hands.  ;)

[capt. scotty]

An enjoyable and deserved week off for PSU...Im with JoePa in the Keys smoking Cubans right now with some Woodford Reserve..

ahh, the life of coasting to the NC Game

[TheBigChicken]

Florida worries me :-/ First the Rays and now this....I picked a bad week to quit amphetamines ; :D

Sounds like you need to hook up with Ellis... ;)

:D ;D

[Angry Ewok]

Alabama shut out the other guys...

...meanwhile, Florida just stomped the mess out of Georgia...

...and Auburn lost again,

[purvis9876]

I know it's early, but Texas isn't looking too hot.  :)