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RE: the bolded, I'm trying to recall this ever happening that didn't involve the jumping team playing in a conference title game, and I got nothing. OSU plays OU on the same weekend as all the championship games. If they impress I can see the jump happening. I am not sure there is going to be as much of an anti-rematch push as there was in 06 with Michigan though.

why is ESPN saying the BCS is becoming more chaotic. I think it has become much more clear in the last couple of days. I think the only way it becomes more chaotic at this point is if Alabama losses to Auburn or LSU losses to Arkansas or Georgia.

Well yeah they did just clinch a Big Ten Title game berth. Good for them! Gotta take some of the pain away from having the 2nd best BBall recruiting class in the state next year. Did Ed Martin have some relatives take over the family business?

This game is the best I've felt since prob the bowl game against Florida in Carr's last season. Top exciting on the field moments since Carr in chronological order: 1 Random inexplicable comeback vs. Wisconsin 2008 2 Tate Forcier's game winning TD drive vs. ND 2009 3 Denard Robinson's first 6 games of 2010 4 Denard's Hail Mary fest vs. ND 2011 5 This Those were all exciting moments, but this feels like we've finally turned a corner. You know every one of us was thinking "here we go again..." when we lost to Iowa, but then we come back with 2 great wins against Illinois and Nebraska. I don't think sneaky was...he's remained pretty optimistic. I know I was probably saying negative things after that game, but it was clear, mostly because of the defense that this team was much better than the previous 3 years, mostly because their defense actually existed. Little brothers getting all excited:)

Not really. If left up to the individual bowls, you'd probably get a good matchup instead of one-sided snoozers like Oklahoma/Connecticut. I'm not saying this is the perfect system-- far from it. I'm just saying it's better than what's in place now and could lead to better viewing as a fan. No, it would not be better. For example, this year Stanford would wind up in the Holiday bowl or some such nonsense because the Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl want to set up Georgia v. Nebraska or Michigan v. Texas, because those fans will buy more tickets. The Bowls need less power, or none if we can help it, not more. I understand how this is unfair, but bowl games are in business to make money. I think the real issue is that NCAA football has always had these post season tie ins to for profit businesses. Which of course makes the whole system seem like a big hypocrisy.

I always thought Lamont was a good manager with the White Sox. Of course that was 15 or so years ago

I think it pretty decidedly proved that Florida deserved a chance to play for the title. No, it certainly did not. I think it says a lot that only B1G fans are still beating or would ever beat the 'rematch' drum for that game. OSU controlled that game and Michigan came back and made it look closer than it was at the end. They both then got absolutely destroyed in bowl games. Troy Smith was embarrassingly bad against the first consistent pass rush he faced all year long. The B1G was weak that year outside the top 2. I don't understand why this is even an argument. Again you are missing the point. The outcome of the games were not known when it was decided who should be in. Michigan was ranked ahead of Florida going into championship game weekend. There was a campaign to push Florida past Michigan based mainly on "there shouldn't be a rematch, Michigan had their chance". Florida then passed Michigan in the polls not because the pollsters thought they were a better team, but because the sentiment that there shouldn't be a rematch. That is why that standard should apply to Alabama and is relevant today. It has nothing to do with who actually won the bowl games. Like I said earlier, Florida should have been ranked ahead of Michigan because they were better, but that is not what most pollsters were voting on. The BCS probably got it right, but I don't think they thought they had the 2 best teams.

I hope you're not suggesting that a Mark Dantonio team is anything but disciplined. ESPN would never allow me to believe such hogwash. I think it is relative. Compared to John L Smith teams, Dantonio teams have a lot of discipline. Compared to the actions of ND, Dantonio teams are similar.

yeap and they also got several defensive players released from prison just to beat Iowa

I think it pretty decidedly proved that Florida deserved a chance to play for the title. still had nothing to do with who should have been in the game based on the outcome of the regular season. I don't want to argue this because I understand your point, but I think you are missing SSR's point. Personally I think I was for Florida going over Michigan, but I didn't like the way it happened.

He was a plus player in Atlanta for 2 out of 3 years there, that is impressive. The rest of he career he has played on some good teams.

I know it is only one game, but St Louis getting Hitchcock to coach scares me. I think they have decent talent but have been a mess for several years. If Hitchcock can get them in his system, I think they can become a real threat in the Central.

I would hope if I was in a similar situation as Joe Paterno I would do better. I also hope and pray that I am never in that situation to have my ethics tested. I think it is clear that Paterno failed.

spit water on my computer screen...thanks If MSU beats Iowa at Iowa next week we should make the B1G championship game...so I am sure we will lose

MSU won a game that looked very similar to how they won like 10 games last year. Which is good I guess, but I wonder how they can look so much better than Minnesota in the 4th quarter and where was that for the first 3 quarters? It is this kind of inconsistency that has just plagued MSU for a long time. They are getting better, but I have a bad feeling that after Cousins leaves this season there is going to be a big drop off next year to not being a bowl team again. I am glad that Minnesota is getting better, I like any team coached by a guy named Kill:) I didn't watch a lot of the Michigan game but watched the final sequence and really thought that was a catch and it was rather obvious. Maybe the official in the booth didn't want to overturn it because of the the obvious OTI. It was clear DTI the last play of the game. I think the interception that Iowa had at the goal line earlier was also a rather obvious DTI. In what little I watched that is a lot of interference. I think Michigan fans have to be wondering why the heck Robinson was in the pocket those last 4 plays? That is exactly what he is not good at.

yeap...I have said that the Wings will struggle to make the playoffs this year. The 4 losses haven't even been that competitive. They needed a top 6 forward this off-season, didn't get one and it is showing.

Besides the Stanley Cup win, it is possible to say that the Blues have actually been a more successful franchise since the mid 70s or so than the Blackhawks. Heck they were a lot better of a franchise than the Wings until the mid 90s. I know they never won the Cup, but the Blues were very competitive for almost 30 yrs and had the longest consecutive playoff streak until the lock out I do believe. It is easy to see how they could have built up a very solid fan base through all of that. Also there is no NBA team there, so competition for tickets/viewers is probably lower. They also have had several players through the years that are easy for fans to love.

I would be upset if we are not at least trying to drive up the price on Albert. I am not sure the Cards can handle 2 large contracts with diminishing returns.

God lord, it doesn't. it is played by people who are usually between 18-22 yrs old. Have you ever spent a lot of time talking to men that age after you became older?

Being a MSU fan is frustrating. I had a bad feeling about the game today, but it was frustrating when even the coaches came out flat and unprepared. Nebraska did nothing that was very difficult to make adjustments to, yet MSU didn't make the adjustments. I usually get frustrated when they try to force the running game when it is not working. Today I was frustrated because it was a game that they should have forced the running game, but seemed to not even care about running from the 2nd quarter on. Also, MORE SCREEN PASSES would have been an easy adjustment to what Nebraska was doing defensively.

So if Texas is a contender next year(hard to see how they wouldn't), do you think Ron Washington goes all out to win the ASG? Gets the better players more playing time, disregards getting everyone playing time, and even extends some pitchers to 2 to 3 innings. Picks more dominate middle relievers than usually get picked. I would, heck with the consequences. If someone gets hurt it would just show how stupid Selig's "fixing" the ASG approach has been.

I want to say something about 2 pages of KSU/Mizzou trash talking...but then I realize that I am a MSU fan and no one cares about them either.

Can you have TJS twice? or is it even worth it when you are 36? I have a bad feeling that not only are the Cardinals going to win, also Theriot is going to have a good game. Not sure I could watch that.

Just because of tradition? Or hate shootouts that much? Going back to the tie wouldn't be a horrible option but obviously its less appealing to the casual fan the NHL wants so hard to entice. I think over the course of a season a lessor team can benefit more by forcing a game to a SO. I understand that lessor teams used to force a tie, but then they only received 1 point. Now they can force it to a SO and possibly pick up an extra point. Basically the whole system rewards lessor teams for playing neutral zone traps. 5 mins and a SO are not enough to take away too much randomness and adding time would not be a good idea over the long haul of a season. Personally I would rather the NHL went back to just ties and then get serious about calling interference. That would make the game much more open and exciting. Then you wouldn't need to manufacture excitement with SO's.

I prefer the tie. But I understand that is not the popular opinion