College Football - Week of 10/28

[Transmogrified Tiger]

on a side note, I sure am glad that .500 teams can go to bowl games... after all, I think clubs like Michigan State, Florida State and Kansas State have all proved that they certainly deserve to be seen in nationally televised games.

 

Why does it matter? It's not like they're taking the bowl spots from better teams, and most of them are Christmas week games that not many people watch outside their fandoms.

 

I'd rather watch an 8-4 team from the MAC or CUSA than some team that played four bad non-conference teams and then beat the worst two teams in their own conference.

 

With 33% of the season still to the play, there are 6 teams with fewer than 4 losses in the MAC and C-USA combined. Let's ignore the fact that those two conferences have a combined 8-10 bowl tie-ins for a second. Those 6 teams against major conference teams:

 

Lost v. Minnesota, 44-0

Lost @ Rutgers, 24-7

Lost @ Mizzou, 31-6

Lost v. BC, 31-24 (31-10 with 10 mins left)

Lost @ Michigan, 41-17

Lost @ Kentucky, 45-36

Lost @ Indiana, 39-20

Won @ Virginia, 17-10

Won v. Oklahoma St., 34-25

Lost @ Miami, 14-13

 

Lots of road games to be sure, but it's still a 2-8 record with some less than stellar opponents(OSU, Minnesota, Kentucky, IU, and Virginia). Add in the fact that these people are going to be in a bowl anyway, and I don't see the need to worry about mediocre major conference teams making a bowl.

[TruffleShuffle]

on a side note, I sure am glad that .500 teams can go to bowl games... after all, I think clubs like Michigan State, Florida State and Kansas State have all proved that they certainly deserve to be seen in nationally televised games.

 

Why does it matter? It's not like they're taking the bowl spots from better teams, and most of them are Christmas week games that not many people watch outside their fandoms.

 

I'd rather watch an 8-4 team from the MAC or CUSA than some team that played four bad non-conference teams and then beat the worst two teams in their own conference.

 

With 33% of the season still to the play, there are 6 teams with fewer than 4 losses in the MAC and C-USA combined. Let's ignore the fact that those two conferences have a combined 8-10 bowl tie-ins for a second. Those 6 teams against major conference teams:

 

Lost v. Minnesota, 44-0

Lost @ Rutgers, 24-7

Lost @ Mizzou, 31-6

Lost v. BC, 31-24 (31-10 with 10 mins left)

Lost @ Michigan, 41-17

Lost @ Kentucky, 45-36

Lost @ Indiana, 39-20

Won @ Virginia, 17-10

Won v. Oklahoma St., 34-25

Lost @ Miami, 14-13

 

Lots of road games to be sure, but it's still a 2-8 record with some less than stellar opponents(OSU, Minnesota, Kentucky, IU, and Virginia). Add in the fact that these people are going to be in a bowl anyway, and I don't see the need to worry about mediocre major conference teams making a bowl.

 

point taken. I guess there are just too many bowls. I mean, here are a few of the bowl projections on the college football news website:

 

Wyoming vs. Kentucky

UL Lafayette vs. East Carolina

New Mexico vs. San Jose State

Central Michigan vs. Air Force

Florida State vs. Arizona State

Nevada vs. NC State

Kent State vs. South Florida

Southern Miss vs. Western Michigan

 

 

I think we'd all be better off if none of those games actually happened.

[TruffleShuffle]

Lou Holtz still talking about Notre Dame.... isn't it past your bedtime Lou?

 

Can't believe I'm going to have to root for a Big East team in the national championship game.

[Derwood]

UCLA's player of the game was their kicker. How sad is that.

 

In the PSU vs. Purdue game today, the Purdue Player of the Game was some guy with 5 tackles.

[TruffleShuffle]

UCLA's player of the game was their kicker. How sad is that.

 

In the PSU vs. Purdue game today, the Purdue Player of the Game was some guy with 5 tackles.

 

The player of the game in the PSU vs Illinois game was PSU's punter. That's even more sad than the kicker being the player of the game.

[Derwood]

UCLA's player of the game was their kicker. How sad is that.

 

In the PSU vs. Purdue game today, the Purdue Player of the Game was some guy with 5 tackles.

 

The player of the game in the PSU vs Illinois game was PSU's punter. That's even more sad than the kicker being the player of the game.

 

This is very true.

 

Based on how they looked today, O$U might romp all over Michigan

[TruffleShuffle]

UCLA's player of the game was their kicker. How sad is that.

 

In the PSU vs. Purdue game today, the Purdue Player of the Game was some guy with 5 tackles.

 

The player of the game in the PSU vs Illinois game was PSU's punter. That's even more sad than the kicker being the player of the game.

 

This is very true.

 

Based on how they looked today, O$U might romp all over Michigan

 

I don't see it happening. Michigan's defense is really, really good. So is O$U's. Michigan didn't impress today, but the weather was nasty (rain and wind), and Lloyd Carr did what he always does - got a lead and then sat on it. Minnesota has been blown out by Wisconsin and O$U, and needed a last-second FG block to beat a 1-AA team in the last 3 weeks. I think after the UM and PSU losses they mailed it in.

 

What do you think about next week's game? It won't get a lot of attention, but the winner likely goes to a New Year's Day bowl. College Football News has Wisconsin playing Tennessee in the Crapitol One Bowl.

 

A week or two ago, I thought PSU's chance of winning was very slim, but looking at Wisconsin a little more, I'm not all that impressed. Here's their schedule so far this year:

 

at Bowling Green W 35-14

Sat, Sep 9 Western Illinois W 34-10

Sat, Sep 16 San Diego State W 14-0

Sat, Sep 23 at (6) Michigan L 13-27

Sat, Sep 30 at Indiana W 52-17

Sat, Oct 7 Northwestern W 41-9

Sat, Oct 14 Minnesota W 48-12

Sat, Oct 21 at Purdue W 24-3

Sat, Oct 28 Illinois W 30-24

 

Their best win is probably the one on the road at Purdue, which isn't anything all that great. They played 3 cream puffs out of conference, and play a fourth later this year (Buffalo). If they'd played the same teams as Penn State, they'd almost certainly be 6-3. Their margins of victory have been larger, but like I said above, I think Minnesota really mailed it in. Their O-line is probably better than PSU's, but I think PSU has shown the past few weeks that the game against ND was an aberration. Wisconsin is based around the run, and PSU stops the run well.

 

PSU and Wisconsin are really similar teams, except Wisconsin has a little better O-line and Penn State has a better defense. I think if Morelli doesn't make big mistakes, Penn State can win the game and finish out the year 9-3, which I would've been happy with before the season began. A lot of people will overlook this because it doesn't have national title implications, but for Big Ten bowls it's very important.

[Andy]

Thx every team playing a team ahead of ND for choking at the end of the game

 

Although I guess that's residual karma for the UCLA/MSU games

 

And Texas Tech's quarterback made more bad throws in that game than I can remember seeing in quite a long time

[UK1679666180]

on a side note, I sure am glad that .500 teams can go to bowl games... after all, I think clubs like Michigan State, Florida State and Kansas State have all proved that they certainly deserve to be seen in nationally televised games.

 

Why does it matter? It's not like they're taking the bowl spots from better teams, and most of them are Christmas week games that not many people watch outside their fandoms.

 

I'd rather watch an 8-4 team from the MAC or CUSA than some team that played four bad non-conference teams and then beat the worst two teams in their own conference.

 

The way the system is set-up is that a 6-6 team cannot get into a bowl game over a team with a +.500 record from any D-I school. The only exception might come along with the BCS, but that's rare and would only impact 1 team.

[Derwood]

on a side note, I sure am glad that .500 teams can go to bowl games... after all, I think clubs like Michigan State, Florida State and Kansas State have all proved that they certainly deserve to be seen in nationally televised games.

 

Why does it matter? It's not like they're taking the bowl spots from better teams, and most of them are Christmas week games that not many people watch outside their fandoms.

 

I'd rather watch an 8-4 team from the MAC or CUSA than some team that played four bad non-conference teams and then beat the worst two teams in their own conference.

 

The way the system is set-up is that a 6-6 team cannot get into a bowl game over a team with a +.500 record from any D-I school. The only exception might come along with the BCS, but that's rare and would only impact 1 team.

 

Or if they're ND.

 

When do the new polls come out?

[hawkeyecub]

I never understood the complaining about having too many bowl games or bad teams being bowl eligible. Does it mean as much to get to a bowl game or win a bowl game now as it used to? No.

 

But don't you like having them on? Is there anything else you would rather have on the ESPN channels between Christmas and New Year's? You get decent to very good college football every night from about Dec. 20th-Jan. 3rd and multiple games on most of those nights. It's wonderful.

 

By the way Mizzou fans, it looks like there's a decent chance that we get an Iowa/Mizzou matchup after all, in the Alamo Bowl.

[Butterscup1679666578]

By the way Mizzou fans, it looks like there's a decent chance that we get an Iowa/Mizzou matchup after all, in the Alamo Bowl.

 

We'll get to show that we did you a favor by backing out. ;)

[da bears]

I never understood the complaining about having too many bowl games or bad teams being bowl eligible. Does it mean as much to get to a bowl game or win a bowl game now as it used to? No.

 

But don't you like having them on? Is there anything else you would rather have on the ESPN channels between Christmas and New Year's? You get decent to very good college football every night from about Dec. 20th-Jan. 3rd and multiple games on most of those nights. It's wonderful.

 

By the way Mizzou fans, it looks like there's a decent chance that we get an Iowa/Mizzou matchup after all, in the Alamo Bowl.

 

That would certainly be an interesting matchup. And I'm with you on the Bowl games. Frankly, the more college football I get to watch over Christmas break, the better.

[Derwood]

College Football is good, but not when over 50% of the teams get to a bowl. Would you take pride in winning the AmeriTrade.com Salted Nuts Bowl?

[sethuel1]

College Football is good, but not when over 50% of the teams get to a bowl. Would you take pride in winning the AmeriTrade.com Salted Nuts Bowl?

 

Absolutely

[Butterscup1679666578]

College Football is good, but not when over 50% of the teams get to a bowl. Would you take pride in winning the AmeriTrade.com Salted Nuts Bowl?

 

I would because that name is awesome.

[sethuel1]

College Football is good, but not when over 50% of the teams get to a bowl. Would you take pride in winning the AmeriTrade.com Salted Nuts Bowl?

 

I would because that name is awesome.

 

I guess I should clarify that this is the exact reason why I said absolutely.

[hawkeyecub]

College Football is good, but not when over 50% of the teams get to a bowl. Would you take pride in winning the AmeriTrade.com Salted Nuts Bowl?

 

That's why I said it doesn't mean as much to go to a bowl game or win one as it used to. But who cares about that unless it's your team going to a bad bowl?

 

Otherwise it just means you get to watch tons of college football for two weeks if you so choose. There's nothing bad about that.

[E.J.]

New Coaches' Poll is out:

 

Week 10 USA Today Poll

1. Ohio State (63) 9-0 1,575

2. Michigan 9-0 1,500

3. West Virginia 7-0 1,437

4. Texas 8-1 1,347

5. Louisville 7-0 1,271

6. Auburn 8-1 1,235

7. Florida 7-1 1,167

8. Tennessee 7-1 1,118

9. USC 6-1 1,049

10. Notre Dame 7-1 1,030

11. California 7-1 980

12. Arkansas 7-1 816

13. LSU 6-2 775

14. Boise State 8-0 694

15. Rutgers 7-0 662

16. Boston College 7-1 639

17. Wisconsin 8-1 584

18. Oklahoma 6-2 515

19. Clemson 7-2 458

20. Georgia Tech 6-2 363

21. Texas A&M 8-1 335

22. Oregon 6-2 262

23. Wake Forest 7-1 214

24. Virginia Tech 6-2 141

25. Missouri 7-2 64

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

Iowa 42, Tulsa 42, Nebraska 38, Georgia 26, Washington State 21, Brigham Young 19, Hawaii 18, Penn State 15, Pittsburgh 9, Maryland 9, Oregon State 4, TCU 1.

DROPPED FROM RANKINGS

Nebraska 20, Georgia 25.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

By the way Mizzou fans, it looks like there's a decent chance that we get an Iowa/Mizzou matchup after all, in the Alamo Bowl.

 

I think that would be a stellar game. I'm still holding out hope for the Fiesta though. :D

 

And woot to Mizzou staying in the top 25. Too bad they fell out of the AP poll.

Edited October 29, 2006 by Transmogrified Tiger

[soccer10k]

USC losing definitely clears up the National Title picture, at least for the moment. It's looking like OSU/Michigan vs Louisville/WVU.

[Derwood]

Isn't it a little weird that the poll came out before one of the Top 25 teams (Rutgers) has played this week?

[soccer10k]

My top 10:

 

1. Ohio St.

2. Michigan

3. WVU

4. Louisville

5. Florida

6. Texas

7. Tennessee

8. California

9. Arkansas

10. Auburn

[Warpticon]

Finally the Hogs pass LSU.

 

Now comes the challenging part of the schedule. For most SEC teams, really. Tennesee/SC and Florida/GA this weekend. Arkansas/SC and LSU/Tennessee next weekend. Arkansas/Tennessee, Auburn/GA, Florida/SC (poor South Carolina), and Alabama/LSU the following weekend. not much the next-to-last weekend, but the last weekend has LSU/AR, SC/Clemson (poor SC), GTech/GA, and Fla/FlaSt. Sure is interesting.

[Warpticon]

My top 10:

 

1. Ohio St.

2. Michigan

3. WVU

4. Louisville

5. Florida

6. Texas

7. Tennessee

8. California

9. Arkansas

10. Auburn

 

I like your top 10.