NOTRE DAME ISN'T BCS MATERIAL.
Yep...I said it. Look, I want them to be in the BCS because (a) they are an exciting team to watch and (b) I want to see how Charlie Weiss does when given a month to break down an opponent of the calibar in which he'll play. But, if all things were equal, the Irish should miss out.
Essentially, the Irish are banking on a close home loss to USC more than anything. That immensely difficult season on paper turned into anything buy. They won at Michigan when the Wolverines were struggling. They beat Tennessee in it's worst season in the Phil Fulmer era. They won at Purdue during their 6-game losing streak. Michigan State beat them in South Bend....then went on to lose 6 of 8 games [their only two wins were against Indiana and Illinois who went a combined 1-15 in Big Ten play]. Sure, Michigan, BYU, Navy and USC will go to bowls...but that's the only one's on their schedule that will.
The reason the Irish will be in the BCS [most likely the Fiesta Bowl] is strictly money...I know, shocking....and that is alright in the way it is set up. They will fill any stadium and city they'll play in on New Year's Day. Just don't get caught up in the fact that they deserve it more than anyone.
WHAT HAPPENED TO FLORIDA STATE??
The Seminoles may enter the bowl season with FOUR straight losses...with three of those four losses coming in the state of Florida.
The Noles were beaten at home by NC State; mauled at Clemson; mauled at Florida; and get Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game this weekend. A loss there may keep the Noles in Florida for bowl season. No...not the Orange Bowl. Not the Outback Bowl. Not the Cap One Bowl. Not the Gator Bowl. Try the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.
They have fallen out of the Top 25...the first time they've been unranked since 2001.
Yeah, how the mighty have fallen in just six weeks. Remember, this was a top 5 team in mid-October when they went into Virginia, then lost. And they join Tennessee, Michigan and Oklahoma as recent powers [all have won National Titles in the last several years] to find themselves unranked.
SPEAKING OF THAT...WHERE ARE ALL THESE OTHER TEAMS??
At least Florida State, Michigan and Oklahoma will be in bowl games....Tennessee will not. But there are several other big name schools that will miss out on the Bowl Season.
Bill Snyder has coached his last game in Kansas State...as their season is over. No bowl game for them. Snyder built K State into a semi-powerhouse in the 1990s.
Texas A&M was a preseason darling for many people. Some felt they even had a shot to knock the Longhorns from the Big XII South title. Yeah...a 5-6 season takes them out of bowling.
Michigan State quickly became a party crasher out of the gate...winning at Notre Dame. They then lose 6 of 8 to close the season. Purdue, who were lauded both offensively and defensively, also tanked to a 5-6 mark. Maryland was the ACC champions a couple of seasons ago. Now they will sit watching the bowls. As will North Carolina....who seems to always sneak into a bowl.
THESE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES SUCK!!!
When you hear the words "championship game"...you are ready for a pretty good tilt. Um, not this year.
The best of the bunch is the SEC Championship game, which features #3 LSU vs #13 Georgia. The Tigers are favored...but the game will be played in Atlanta....so it really is a toss up. After that, the games get fugly!
The Big XII Championship Game looks to be a route....as Texas is a 27 point favorite to down Colorado. TWENTY SEVEN POINTS!!!! That's one of those September games.....not a championship game!
The First ACC Championship Game also could be a route. Virginia Tech is favored by two TDs as they take on floundering, unranked and 3-game losing skidded Florida State. The game is in Jacksonville...where FSU is sure to get some support. They better hope some talent gets out there.
Even the MAC Championship Game sucks. Akron vs Northern Illinois???? No Toledo, Miami or Bowling Green?? How many people even knew that Akron had a football program??
And, finally, the first Conference USA title game. Again, a clunker. Tulsa vs Central Florida. Remember, folks, that Central Florida had ZERO wins last season. ZERO!!!
IF THERE WAS A PLAYOFF.....
...here is how I'd line it up. I favor a 10-team format [two "play in games" before the quarterfinal round]. That keeps the riff raff out but gets the elite teams that may have had some hardship still into the dance.
In an 10-team format, there would be the six BCS conference champions plus four wildcard teams. I'd use the BCS standings to determine the wildcard teams and the seedings.
The conference champs would be Virginia Tech [ACC], West Virginia [Big East], Penn State [Big Ten], Texas [Big XII], USC [Pac 10] and LSU [SEC]. The four wildcard teams would be Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame and Miami.
FIRST ROUND [Dec 10]
West Virginia at Miami
Notre Dame at Oregon
SECOND ROUND [Dec 17]
West Virginia/Miami at USC
Notre Dame/Oregon at Texas
Ohio State at LSU
Virginia Tech at Penn State
SEMIFINALS [Dec 24]
USC/Miami/West Virginia vs Penn State/Virginia Tech
Texas/Notre Dame/Oregon vs LSU/Ohio State
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME [Jan 2]
21 comments:
I totally agree. I think those games are going to be blowouts. I called this Saturday "Black Saturday" in honor of "Black Friday" which is the craziest shopping day of the year where people get trampled and stomped on. Well Colorado and FSU are going to get stomped, trampled, and run over. It's a joke those two teams are in it. Just shows how sorry those respective divisions are.
Benny
The Sports Pulse
www.thebestsportsblog.com
stop hating the Irish, Notre Dame will always be the best. So here come the Irish.
You lost all credibility when you misspelled Charlie Weis' name. At least take the time to research the coach before you condemn the team.
So the Irish aren't deserving?
I'm going to put this simple for you they lost 2 games by a total of 6 points and 1 of those games being USC. Notre Dame has the 3rd best offense in the country and are 9-2 as is miami so you think ND doesn't deserve a BCS berth but Miami does?
Please explain your logic to me
you must be a usc fan with all the other band wagoneers if you think notre dame doesn't deserve a bowl the irish let usc win that game and they should've won the michigan state game off of that bad call from the refs for the safety at the end of the game so technically speaking the irish are undefeated this season.
You are cleary on the mark
Thanks for the nice shot of the Notre Dame library. It's good to observe the
Notre Dame hatred with such virulence this year (it must mean that the team did
reasonably well). Outside of the college football crowd, Notre Dame still
has the largest fan base (the famed "subway alumni") of any other team. Other than the NC game (perhaps) Notre Dame vs. anyone will get the
largest ratings. That's just the way it goes. That's the Notre Dame
"mystique" which is still alive and strong.
Knute Rockne is dead, so is George Gipp. Notre Dame has lost what 6 bowl games in a row? Okay so you've beaten Navy 40 years in a row. That's pretty much like the Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Senators. Notre Dame lost two games even after picking their own schedule. Join the Big Ten or the SEC and then we'll see how it goes. Does anybody notice how bad they get beat after they get in the Bowl? It's going to happen again this year. Weiss is getting a lot of credit for winning with Whittingham's players. They certaintly treated him with a lot of class didn't they? Remember that Stanford team they barely beat isn't even bowl eligible.
this is for MIKEV
1st its willingham not whittingham
2nd weis is winning by great coaching willingham had 2 years with the same kids and did nothing so don't pull the bad treatment no respect crap.
willinghams 1st season was won by a bob davie defense not a willingham west coast offense, look at the stats for most of the season the defense scored more points than the offense.
Notre Dame has the 3rd best offense in the country with brady quinn being a heisman hopeful and you say they aren't deserving?
who has miami beat of any value VT? but they are more deserving right?
I will say it again the IRISH have lost 2 games by a total of 6 points with a very contriversal ending against USC.
People get over it ND is going to the fiesta bowl like it or not!
All that Notre Dame hatred, too bad. Yes once again they are coming back in to the limelight of college football. Notre Dame is still a necessity because they are the one school that has players that can stand the rigors of a strict academic environment and play football too. Very refreshing to see players that can actually form a sentence and catch the football . I wonder what is happening at Florida State U, maybe they have started to make their players try to pass some courses as they play football. Also, nice to see the resurgence of Penn State another school where you must show up for classes and oh yes, pass them too. College athletics has a great place in our society and it is great to see a few programs do it right. PS The biggest program in the country at this time, Southern California, is a tough private school that applies the academics also. I hope we always keep it real and insist on athletics and academics for all college programs. I liked the Andy Rooney 60 minute segment that had two teams taking an exam to determine the national champion, that would work but I think they should have to take the exam while being pummeled on the field, maybe an oral exam type of playoff.
I hope that the SEC and ACC conference "championship" games helps put into perspective that a forced playoff amongst ten teams wouldnt prove all that much if the teams are selected mostly by sports "polls" and computer rankings. Virginia Tech was still being placed among the top five teams in the country even though they sucked wind at home against a lame Miami team (who proved they can only be offensive on home videos) and likewise LSU was being promulgated as a top five team even though they got beat at home by that dismal Tennessee team you gave Notre Dame no respect for beating. (We won't even mention that they barely beat powerful Arkansas to make it to the playoffs). I think you have to give ND credit for at least showing that most people who make pronouncements about teams before the season starts dont have much of a clue, just watch that fabulous duo of Corso and Herbstreit in their pre season college analysis in which they were so convinced that ND would be 0-6 to start the season. Although they did lose two games, they played without giving up in either of those games, something that happened too regularly while Ty Willingham was coaching. I dont see them giving up under their current coach and getting away with it.
The only way i really see a playoff working is if you utilized the entire top 16 in the ap and usa today polls, it would be even better if it was the entire top 20
But remeber the point system is flawed however, you need to look at the strength of teams that winning teams beat to better understand the point system.
Florida state just beat virginia tech and they are saying the NOLES ARE GOING TO THE PRANGE BOWL? IS THIS A JOKE? FSU is 8-4 on the season and you guys think ND doesn't deserve a BCS BERTH but FSU does?
FSU isn't even ranked
Well i have had enough of this crap for 1 season so good luck to all the kids playing in bowl games and good for ND for a good season i'm glad they are starting to shine again
sorry guys i mis-spelled ORANGE BOWL
The bottom line with the Irish is they are that good. A fumble out of bounds should not work to a desperate USC offense's advantage. Reggie Bush never should have had the opportunity to push Matt Leinart into the endzone. The Irish did beat USC and I would feel the same way if I hated them with every piece of my heart.(I just would have been really happy about it). Penn State was raped in a very similar fashion only moments earlier. It happens to everyone at some point. The point is the Irish are the real deal. They had USC by the balls and no one else can say it. I would put them up against anyone right now.{Even Michigan State :) }. Eventually this country will go through a great rebellion. Riots will be widespread and the damage and deathtolls will be astronomical. But eventually WE THE PEOPLE WILL WIN OUR RIGHT TO A COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SYSTEM. P.S.----Penn State should not have to share Big 10 Title with Ohio State...they beat the little pansies.
who was the idiot who said notre dame wasn't bcs worthy. look at the real facts. had they kicked a feild goal against michigan instead of going for it on 4th down and had jarrious walker stayed in bounds against usc they would the other team undefeated. not only did they have a 1000 yard rusher they had not 1 or 2 but 3 recievers over 1000 yards. played 1 of the toughest schedules in the nation.
Well its funny that people would even say that the #5 ap ranked team and the # 6 usa and bcs poll team would not be worthy of a bcs bowl game, and what a match up for jan 2nd Notre Dame vs Ohio state, it should be exciting.
Here is a question though does anyone think Florida State deserves the Orange bowl? but no one is talking about that are they? Florida state ranked # 23 playing
# 3 Penn State this is disturbing to me but thats the way it goes i guess.
Florida state has a record of 8-4 against Penn States 10-1 record. I hope Joe kicks Bobbys ass. If any team doesn't deserve a BCS game its Florida State
For all you pathetic ND haters out there who are peeved the Irish won the right to play in the Fiesta Bowl -- that's right -- WON THE RIGHT -- Top 6 in the final BCS Poll, idiots -- automatic qualifiers. Here's the key: We're ND -- and You're Not! The true emotion coming out of all these Irish bashers -- jealousy. I mean they probably went to a second rate college, or no college, or a college with a bad football team, or one not playing in a BCS game. Not to mention of course the rasher of ND Rejects out there. Remember, ND's popularity and TV appeal is a function of its longstanding gridiron glory and never say die spirit. We're ND.
And You're Not. Get used to it.
To all your ND fans who think your team is so high and mighty, guess what...your not! Being ND shouldn't give you the right to play in a bcs bowl game. Sadly enough, it appears that it does. ND does have a very good football team this year, but there are other schools who deserve a bcs bid over the Irish...namely Oregon. Sure ND is #6 in the bcs, but Oregon is #5. Last time i checked it was better to be #5 than #6. The point of bcs bowls is to match up the best teams with each other, and ND is not better than Oregon. Since when has a 10-1 Pac-10 team been worse than a 9-2 independent team whose schedule really wasn't as tough as many people are making it out to be? Since the bowls are all set, I just hope we are able to see a repeat of the 2001 Fiesta Bowl where ND was embarrassed by Oregon State in a 41-9 ass kicking. On January 2, Ohio State will be my favoite team.
GO DUCKS & GO BUCKEYES!
I'm not biased or anything but to all you ND haters, shut up. Notre Dame is playing so deal with it. It's going to be a great game. Plus I don't know if you've looked lately but our quarterback is definitely on Heisman watch, so back off and go watch your team play in a toilet bowl.
I have NEVER read so many "If this", "if that" comments about ONE team in my life! The IF about ND is this: IF you score more points than your opponents, you win. Period. "No 'if's, and, or buts about it". IF your opponent scores more points than you, you lose. Period.
Those who are complaing have a legitimate right to do so. ND is playing where they are based upon REPUTATION and $$$, NOT their record. Please explain the how and why of Oregon, with one loss - to USC by the way - gets the shaft. Want an "IF"? Try this: "IF" Oregon had beaten SC, THEY would be going to the Rose Bowl and ND might be in some 'who cares bowl' where they belong.
As far as their "Heisman Trophy QB" - - PLEASE! Do the names Matt leinart, Drew Olson, Vince Young mean anything to you? Any NOT ONE OF THEM is even in the running! Reggie's name is already engraved on the trophy - - it was done about 5 minutes into the Saturday USC demolition of UCLA.
"Win one for the Gipper" - - "Knute Rockne" - - those days are long gone. And thank God, so is Lou Holtz! His weekly whining news conferences about how weak his poor ND teams were when compared to the upcoming opponent should be put on a DVD and sold as one of the best comedy tracks in sports history. What a farce!
FIGHT ON, TROJANS! Irish? See in So Cal next year. CAN'T WAIT!
IF you had a brain you'd be dangerous.
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