2011NCAA Football Thread

[Cola]

The BCS Championship game is setup for the TWO BEST TEAMS in the nation to face off. It isn't for the team's with the best record or the undefeated teams or the team with the single best player.

OK here's the problem with that theory: 120 teams playing 12-13 games each does not provide nearly the necessary sample size to determine who is the best. (Hence the need for a playoff) Schedules are too dissimilar and teams play too few games out of conference to get a good bearing. So that's why we can't just simply say Alabama and LSU are the best this season because they looked awesome against the rest of their Conference and had a close game together.

Failing all that, though, the BCS Championship game should really not be a rematch. And certainly not a rematch between two Conference foes.

I wasn't saying I supported the current system and that it was the best possible solution to determine a champion. I was just clarifying the intent of the BCS. A lot of people get confused and think undefeated teams "deserve a shot" when the purpose isn't to validate every team with an 11-0 record against a decent opponent plus 10 crappy teams. It's to setup a game where the two best teams play each other at the end, regardless if the teams are 10-2 or 13-0.

If it requires a rematch, so be it if they are the two best teams in the nation. No one gives a damn that people "don't want to watch a rematch"...the game is to be played by the two best teams in the nation. If they are deemed to be, and NO ONE CAN DENY that LSU is one of them, then a rematch shall occur.

Personally, I'd rather not have a rematch and just a scenario where 3 SEC teams play in separate BCS bowls with a chance to once again remind people like you that the best football is played in the South and the conference is the SEC.

[rams80]

I don't know, there is a point behind that-nobody has demonstrated on the field that they are better than an undefeated team. It's likely somebody is better than Houston, but we don't know for sure.

[Cola]

I don't know, there is a point behind that-nobody has demonstrated on the field that they are better than an undefeated team. It's likely somebody is better than Houston, but we don't know for sure.

Very possible- it's called analysis and watching with your own eyes.

My high school went undefeated this past season...we know they would get their pushed in against Alabama or LSU. Apply same logic.

[WJMorris3]

Houston couldn't be more than the 13th best team in the country. Then again, the same could be said for Oklahoma State or Virginia Tech or Stanford. Cola will vouch for me: the 12 best teams in the nation are all in the SEC.

[rams80]

If it requires a rematch, so be it if they are the two best teams in the nation. No one gives a damn that people "don't want to watch a rematch"...the game is to be played by the two best teams in the nation. If they are deemed to be, and NO ONE CAN DENY that LSU is one of them, then a rematch shall occur.

Here's the thing, 2006 established the precedent that you need to win your Conference or have a better resume than what was "clearly one of the two best teams in the nation". Because otherwise Michigan would have played Ohio State again. So, Mr. "ESS EEE SEE", your Conference isn't allowed to have its cake and eat it too.

Personally, I'd rather not have a rematch and just a scenario where 3 SEC teams play in separate BCS bowls with a chance to once again remind people like you that the best football is played in the South and the conference is the SEC.

Except the Bowls not labeled "BCS Championship Game" are glorified exhibitions that don't always mean all that much to the players. And coaches. So its kind of hard to establish concrete information from them. Of course this won't stop you from beating your chest about the awesomeness of the SEC when they collectively kick the in of a Big Ten that fans collectively have considered to be abnormally terrible this season since August. I guess you need all the validation you can get when Crackalacky beats its only competent division foe and yet again misses out on the trip to Atlanta.

[rams80]

I don't know, there is a point behind that-nobody has demonstrated on the field that they are better than an undefeated team. It's likely somebody is better than Houston, but we don't know for sure.

Very possible- it's called analysis and watching with your own eyes.

My high school went undefeated this past season...we know they would get their pushed in against Alabama or LSU. Apply same logic.

Apples and oranges chief. Houston and LSU ostensibly play at the same tier of competition and therefore should be on theoretically equal grounds. Your high school team and those two teams don't.

[AnythingChicago]

Look at Houston's game log here. They barely slipped by UCLA, Louisiana Tech -- who both won their respective divisions, by the way -- and then earned another close win against UTEP. But ever since then, they've killed every team they played, by an average margin of victory of over 41 points in those 7 C-USA games. And some of those teams (SMU, Marshall, East Carolina, and especially Tulsa) were decent teams.

What I'm trying to say is that Houston is really playing solid, air-it-out, dominant football right now. If put up against, say, LSU, I say they might have a chance.

Now, all of this would be negated if they lose to Southern Miss in the C-USA championship game. Maybe even if they just squeeze it out do I give the championship nod to 'Bama.

Another thing: this also shows how stupid it is that margin of victory was taken out of the BCS formula. The computers would love Houston if that was still a factor.

[Cola]

I don't know, there is a point behind that-nobody has demonstrated on the field that they are better than an undefeated team. It's likely somebody is better than Houston, but we don't know for sure.

Very possible- it's called analysis and watching with your own eyes.

My high school went undefeated this past season...we know they would get their pushed in against Alabama or LSU. Apply same logic.

Apples and oranges chief. Houston and LSU ostensibly play at the same tier of competition and therefore should be on theoretically equal grounds. Your high school team and those two teams don't.

No, they don't. That is what is easy to see (for most, anyways) and where logic comes into play when discerning who is one of the BEST in college football. If Oklahoma State was undefeated, then you may have a case here.

[WJMorris3]

I don't know, there is a point behind that-nobody has demonstrated on the field that they are better than an undefeated team. It's likely somebody is better than Houston, but we don't know for sure.

Very possible- it's called analysis and watching with your own eyes.

My high school went undefeated this past season...we know they would get their pushed in against Alabama or LSU. Apply same logic.

Apples and oranges chief. Houston and LSU ostensibly play at the same tier of competition and therefore should be on theoretically equal grounds. Your high school team and those two teams don't.

No, they don't. That is what is easy to see (for most, anyways) and where logic comes into play when discerning who is one of the BEST in college football. If Oklahoma State was undefeated, then you may have a case here.

No they wouldn't. If Oklahoma State was unbeaten, they'd still only be the 13th best team in the country. I mean, look at the schedule the SEC schools play - no other schools play 8 SEC schools a season.

[Cola]

It's just like all the Hawaii hype a few years back. "Give them chance, they have earned it."

Saw how that worked out after Georgia took it to that ass. Somehow, people still want to go that route and experiment. Houston would suffer the same fate against LSU and lose by 24+ points. They don't have the size, the talent, the speed, or the depth that a team like LSU does. Going undefeated is quite an accomplishment and they should be commended for it...but that is where it ends.

[rams80]

I don't know, there is a point behind that-nobody has demonstrated on the field that they are better than an undefeated team. It's likely somebody is better than Houston, but we don't know for sure.

Very possible- it's called analysis and watching with your own eyes.

My high school went undefeated this past season...we know they would get their pushed in against Alabama or LSU. Apply same logic.

Apples and oranges chief. Houston and LSU ostensibly play at the same tier of competition and therefore should be on theoretically equal grounds. Your high school team and those two teams don't.

No, they don't. That is what is easy to see (for most, anyways) and where logic comes into play when discerning who is one of the BEST in college football. If Oklahoma State was undefeated, then you may have a case here.

May? The Big XII is top to bottom the better Conference this season and certainly a tougher gauntlet than what Alabama faced this season. But the greater point is that if we are going to maintain this illusion that every one of the 120 teams in Division I-A has a chance at an MNC before every season (which, you know, is the point of having everything at one tier) then yes Houston deserves some consideration.

[HedleyLamarr]

Here's the thing, 2006 established the precedent that you need to win your Conference or have a better resume than what was "clearly one of the two best teams in the nation". Because otherwise Michigan would have played Ohio State again. So, Mr. "ESS EEE SEE", your Conference isn't allowed to have its cake and eat it too.

Not really.

What 2006 showed us was that if there's a 1-loss at-large team and a 1-loss BCS conference champion, the voters smartly voted to put the 1-loss BCS conference champion up against the lone undefeated team. If I recall correctly, Florida and Michigan had similar resumes.

Granted, it's been a while, but there's also the precedent of an at-large team getting to play for the BCS Championship (2001 Nebraska, 2003 Oklahoma). There's also a precedent of a #2 team having lost to the #3 team and still getting to play for the NCG, despite both having the same record and both being BCS conference champions (2000 Florida State). And, as we currently stand, there's no such rule that says that the participants of the BCS National Championship game must be conference champions.

There is no precedent for an at-large BCS conference team having fewer losses than all the other BCS conference champions and still getting heavy consideration.

If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, there's likely going to be enough sway to the voters and put OSU above Alabama, which won't get to play another game to "show off" to the pollsters. OSU is already #2 in the computers, and will gain ground on Alabama because Arkansas will be dropping from the 3-slot. A win over Oklahoma (I don't think the score matters much) should be enough.

[OnWis97]

Ron Zook Fired at Illinois

I'm actually kind of surprised that it came so fast, but I'm glad that got it out of the away before a bowl game. Oh, and the fact that this team is probably heading to a bowl game proves there's something wrong with college football's postseason. It will be interesting what direction they go in but whoever it is can't be a worse in-game coach than Zook.

After the performance at Minnesota, firing him was probably more a bodily function than something to consider.

[Jigga]

Turner Gill has been relieved of his coaching duties at Kansas.

I bet those Auburn fans/alums clamoring for Gill a couple of years ago are still bummed War Eagle chose Gene Chizik instead.

[dfwabel]

Ron Zook Fired at Illinois

I'm actually kind of surprised that it came so fast, but I'm glad that got it out of the away before a bowl game. Oh, and the fact that this team is probably heading to a bowl game proves there's something wrong with college football's postseason. It will be interesting what direction they go in but whoever it is can't be a worse in-game coach than Zook.

as

After the performance at Minnesota, firing him was probably more a bodily function than something to consider.

When you have more players arrested and shot than wins since early October, you knew the writing was on the wall with a new A.D.

Turner Gill has been relieved of his coaching duties at Kansas.

I bet those Auburn fans/alums clamoring for Gill a couple of years ago are still bummed War Eagle chose Gene Chizik instead.

Gill's buyout was reportedly $6M or $1.2M/win at KU.

As for Chizik, his staff is earning a lot of money with no results now. He is reverting to his Iowa State self now that he doesn't have Newton and Farley.

[WJMorris3]

BCS right now:

BCS NCG: #1 LSU v #2 Alabama

Rose: #13 Michigan St v #9 Oregon

Fiesta: #3 Oklahoma St v #4 Stanford

Sugar: #10 Oklahoma v #6 Houston

Orange: #5 Virginia Tech v #23 West Virginia

This SEC fan, of course, is rooting for Georgia this week. I think LSU-Bama will be the title game even if Georgia beats LSU.

Although, part of me would like to see the BCS change to only have five AQ conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big XII, Pac-12, SEC) and give up to two non-AQ conference champions autobids, provided they're in the top 16. (or, alternatively, all non-AQ conference champions that are in the top 12)

[WSU151]

Houston couldn't be more than the 13th best team in the country. Then again, the same could be said for Oklahoma State or Virginia Tech or Stanford. Cola will vouch for me: the 12 best teams in the nation are all in the SEC.

I really dont think Ole Miss is the 12th best team in the country...do you? Or are you just trolling nonsense as per usual? Ole Miss was blown out by Louisiana Tech in Oxford.

[DEAD!]

Maybe Alabama is the 2nd best team in the country, but I don't think they should be in the national championship game. Yeah, sucks to be in the same division as LSU, but if this was, say the NFL, where the two best teams happen to play in the same division, we don't say they should both play in the Super Bowl, right? Houston should at least be considered, even though I think they will be trounced by LSU.

[TFoA]

Houston and LSU ostensibly play at the same tier of competition and therefore should be on theoretically equal grounds.

Of course they're on equal grounds theoretically. In reality, at least this year, they aren't. LSU will have played and beaten the current #23, #2 & #3 teams in the country (and add another ranked team to that list if they beat UGA this weekend). Houston's best win will probably come against #24 Southern Miss in the C-USA Title game, and before that, their best win came against UCLA. You had an argument when it came to the whole "No Rematch" deal, but you lost the plot on this topic.

If Boise State came out of the rubble of Crazy-Ass Upset Week unscathed, then I would be campaigning hard for the Broncos to get in since they actually played a halfway-decent schedule, including a very impressive win against the SEC East Champs in their own backyard. But after looking at Houston and watching a few of their games this year (that offense is like watching my little cousins play Madden on rookie mode. Lawd.), an LSU-Houston matchup in the Superdome would probably end up like that UGA-Hawaii game did a while back. Houston's gonna win the C-USA, go undefeated, and get themselves into a BCS bowl after a great season. But as far as the 'ship is concerned, nope. Not this season.

If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, there's likely going to be enough sway to the voters and put OSU above Alabama, which won't get to play another game to "show off" to the pollsters. OSU is already #2 in the computers, and will gain ground on Alabama because Arkansas will be dropping from the 3-slot. A win over Oklahoma (I don't think the score matters much) should be enough.

Bingo. All these people were talking about, "Oh, Alabama got it SOOOO good, they don't have to play another game, they can waltz right into the title game as an at-large." Alabama not making it to the SEC Championship was pretty bad because if the Cowboys beat the Sooners, Alabama's gonna have to sweat it out and wait to see if the Coaches & Harris pollsters fall in line with the computer and put OK-State in the 2 spot. If I was a Bama fan, I'd be rooting hard for the Sooners this weekend. OSU is going to do all that they can to make sure human element of the polls turns on Alabama and hops on the Cowboy bandwagon.

[Lights Out]

If Boise State came out of the rubble of Crazy-Ass Upset Week unscathed

They did... they lost the week before.