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Boise St. in a BCS bowl would be a travesty. Outside of an early win against Oregon St, they have played absolutely no one. Just because a team goes undefeated against a high school schedule does not entitle them to a BCS game. Although it would be kind of fun to watch them get massacred. you have to feel bad for them though. That program has done a great job in recruiting and building a good team....not their fault that the rest of the conference is a joke. I think it's elitist to say that only teams from the 6 BCS conferences should be allowed to play in a BCS game. Boise St. has been pretty well punished in both the polls and computer, but staying undefeated has forced them in there. If they lose today, then no problem, they go to the whatever bowl. If ND loses tonight, would you still put them in as an at-large over BSU? If they are punished by both the Polls and the Computers, doesn't that actually mean something? That they face weak competition and they really aren't that good? I sorta agree that it would be an embarrassment to see them in the BCS. They'll get steamrolled. If they want to go, let them go, but they will get destroyed. Also, LOL, ND is pretty bad. Notre Dame's victories are about on par with Boise State. In fact, has Charlie Weis really beaten any quality opponent? Just a team who is likely to be their conference winner in a major conference this year with a chance to beat a 2nd conference winner tonight.

Two should be the limit. If you can't finish top 2 in your conference you shouldn't go to a BCS bowl. The problem is that there are 6 major conferences, 1 possible spot for a minor conference team, and 1 possible spot for Notre Dame. There are 10 spots overall. What happens if both Notre Dame has a year where they don't make the BCS and there is no eligible minor conference team? That means that there will be 6 conference winners, and then 4 of the conferences will be forced to send a 2nd team-and some of those 2nd place teams might not be deserving. This year in the conferences is an example, where there are at least 3 conferences with no at-large teams eligible at this moment. (Pac-10, Big XII, ACC) The BCS is just lucky that 2 of those spots will be filled this year by Boise State and Notre Dame, or else there would be an extra spot with no team eligible to fill it.

Boise St. in a BCS bowl would be a travesty. Outside of an early win against Oregon St, they have played absolutely no one. Just because a team goes undefeated against a high school schedule does not entitle them to a BCS game. Although it would be kind of fun to watch them get massacred. Well, the Big 12 winner will be the team who gets to try to massacre them.

With the way at-large teams are going down, if Boise State loses there might be a free for all for the at-large spots. Here's a look at the at-large spots (4 of them to get) Michigan and Notre Dame have at-large spots basically locked up now-looking around the different conferences for more: ACC-can Virginia Tech slip in to a BCS bowl? with a couple upsets, they can get to the top 14-if they do that, they might get in because there might not be enough spots. Big 10-Michigan is guaranteed one, which makes Wisconsin ineligible to go with 2 teams in front of them from the conference. Big 12-nobody here-Oklahoma is the only team with 2 losses, and if they don't win the automatic bid they would have 3. Pac 10-USC, the automatic winner, is the only eligble team here. SEC-there will likely be one at-large spot here from either LSU or Florida. Big East-West Virginia with 2 losses, Rutgers with 2 losses, or Louisville with 1 are the choices here-but Louisville has to get past Pittsburgh in order to make this true, and of course 1 of these teams will win the automatic bid. Boise State-with the win. If Boise State loses, then LSU or Florida will take the 3rd at-large spot, and then it will likely be either West Virginia with 2 losses (I think WV will beat Rutgers) or Virginia Tech with 2 losses as well-which one is more deserving? If Boise State wins, then either the SEC will take the final spot, or a 1 loss Louisville if Rutgers beats WV and Louisville beats Pittsburgh. One thing I know-with the expansion of the BCS to 10 teams, the prohibition against 3 teams from one conference should be taken out.

Throw a lot of money at him and hope he bites? With the guaranteed contracts in the NFL and taking min 6 years to get to free agency, hes going to have to turn down like a sure 20M to play for the cubs. the NFL has guaranteed contracts? I didn't think they did. I think he meant more that if he's a 1st round pick, he's going to receive so much money up front that it's going to be hard to take the smaller money in baseball. It's not going to be nearly that high though-for example, Addai of the Colts signed a 5 year 11 million dollar deal in the 30th spot this year-that should be similar to what he will get in the NFL.

Wide left. South Carolina is going to win. Not surprising. SC is going to be the best 7-5 team in the nation. Losses by 7 to Auburn, 6 to Arkansas, 7 to Tennessee, and 1 to Florida. Their worst loss was to Georgia. South Carolina is very comparable to Penn State this year I think. They played most of the teams close that were good, but lost to all of them.

TD FSU! 14-14, early 4th quarter.

Well, Florida State has actually done it-their pitiful offense has actually scored. With Florida's horrible play though, they are still in the game-it's 14-7 Florida now with 5 minutes to go in the 3rd.

Florida and Florida State has been a comedy of errors-a bad handoff by Florida leads to a short field by Florida State. Florida State drops an easy TD in the end zone, and then throws an INT in the end zone, which the Florida guy promptly takes it back out to the 1! Now Florida has punted, and Florida State has the ball back in good field position again. I doubt they do anything correct though-that's the way this game has gone. 3 missed field goals in the first half and many other errors as well in that half.

Yet they can't against SF. It's pretty funny to watch a club like WVU, who once tried to convince the nation of their national title credentials, struggle with a ballclub like South Florida. The fact that they are just illustrates that the Big East is a small time conference parading as one of the big boys. I'm not sure how you can take any conference game and prove anything. Florida and SC did the same thing several weeks ago-did that prove the SEC was a small time conference? The only way you can really measure a conference is their non-conference play-the Big East was good against that, but very unproven at the same time (lots of wins, bad competition). It's all a matter of perspective-you can take this game and say the Big East isn't very good, or you can take the same result and show how the conference is deep enough that the middle teams can beat the top teams. It's very hard to tell which of those interpretations is really the correct one. BTW, South Florida up 21-12 now.

West Virginia scores but the 2 point conversion is no good. 14-12 South Florida, 7 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. BTW, put me down as one who fully supports a team like WV going for 2 as much as possible. With their running threats, they should be able to make 2 point conversions over 50 percent of the time.

I would also. I think Smith, Quinn, and McFadden are definitely going to New York, and Slaton is likely to go. I'm not sure who would be the 5th right now though as there are several candidates on the next level. They don't have to invite 5 players for the ceremony. Only Bush, Young, and Leinart were invited last year. I think the candidates are weak enough for them to invite a 5th person-I think they only invited 3 last year because vitually no one had anybody but those 3 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. I think some other names could get some top 3 votes this year, and so there will be a 5th invited-I'm just not sure who (Hart/Rice/Calvin Johnson/others).

Does it make me stupid that I played the game for 16 years of my life and don't have a clue as to what the hell y'all are talking about? What the crap is WARP?? it doesn't make you stupid, it makes you ignorant. How is he ignorant? Most of us, I'm assuming, have played baseball on a competitive level at least a couple of years in our lifetimes. I don't see how it's ignorant for some of us to not understand what exactly "WARP" is. And what Mizzou said is right. It seems like people focus more on stats than they do the actual game. I have no problem with people using stats to make their judgment on a player, but I also think it's wrong for people who use those stats to flat out criticize people who don't use them. For example, by saying that they are "ignorant" and that "you don't know what you're talking about" when you don't use those stats. Do you know what "ignorant" means? I'm discovering quickly that most people don't. Yeah, I know what ignorant means. Here are some examples that I found on the web: uneducated in the fundamentals of a given art or branch of learning; lacking knowledge of a specific field; "she is ignorant of quantum mechanics"; "he is musically illiterate" uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication; "an ignorant man"; "nescient of contemporary literature"; "an unlearned group incapable of understanding complex issues"; "exhibiting contempt for his unlettered companions" Basically backing up my belief of what the word means. I still think that it's an attack, but I can see how you can say otherwise. I think that's the difference. The literal definition of the word ignorant is not a bad one. However, the connotations it has in today's society are so negative. Many words have extra connotations to them that are added even beyond the definition. To me as well, calling someone ignorant is a grave insult. However, I can perfectly understand as well that sometimes when people say that they don't mean it as an insult. However, the word is used that way so frequently though and that connotation is so firmly attached that it is hard to tell when it is being used without the insult attached.

Well, regardless of the likelihood of them coming back and winning bigtime in the second half, WV is not giving the style points they need. If Boise State wins today, the final at-large spot in the BCS is going to come down to a second Big East team (likely WV) and a second SEC team (LSU or Florida if they lose to Arkansas). WV needed to increase their style points as much as possible, and being down 14-6 to South Florida at halftime will not do that.

That could be helpful with Manning Jr out. Yeah, and special teams coverage. The injury report is now clear after Jones and Wesley were removed on Friday. The Patriot, on the other hand: OUT SS Rodney Harrison (Shoulder) QUESTIONABLE TE Daniel Graham (Ankle) CB Ellis Hobbs (Wrist) LB Corey Mays (Hamstring) P Josh Miller (Shoulder) CB Asante Samuel (Knee) CB Chad Scott (Groin) TE David Thomas (Groin) FS Eugene Wilson (Hamstring) PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (Shoulder) DE Richard Seymour (Elbow) But that's from Thursday. Faulk is now questionable with the flu. And Josh Miller is now out. They are bringing a punter in off the street. I can't remember his name, but he hasn't punted in 2 years. That could really help. I believe his name is Ken Walter. There are a big number of Patriots fans on the Colts board that I am on. One of them described Walter's punts as almost like a pool shot-he said it went 30 yards in the air, and then simply spun backwards every time. It infuriated Patriots fans then, and they hate that he is back.

Just remember everyone-even with the Bulls miserable start, you are exactly 1 game out of the final playoff spot. I know you guys are very disappointed with this team. Just remember there are plenty of new additions-it will take time. Also, the East is not going anywhere-the whole conference is pretty pathetic right now. There's still plenty of time for the Bulls to rebound and become a contender.

I would also. I think Smith, Quinn, and McFadden are definitely going to New York, and Slaton is likely to go. I'm not sure who would be the 5th right now though as there are several candidates on the next level.

It looks like Butler is back. Remember, a few years ago they had the reputation as one of the best 2 mid-majors. They blew out Wake Forest in a tournament game, they should have beat Florida in the 1st round in the year Florida went to the title game (Mike Miller's shot down 1 at the OT buzzer saved Florida). Then they went 25-5 in 2002 including a win over Indiana but got snubbed for the tournament, and then 2003 they beat good Mississippi State and Louisville teams before losing a close game to the number 1 seed. They've had two bad years, but if they are back they are a tough team to beat. They make enough 3's to win, play good defense, and don't turn the ball over. That makes up for their complete lack of post presence, no size, and very little athleticism.

I really don't get ideas of starting Lugo or Soriano in CF. They have COMBINED to play....wait for it....ONE game in CF in their careers. I know, let's sign JD Drew to play catcher! Maybe Vicente Padilla can spell Izturis at SS! The only reason I can see why they want to do that is to not block Pie. They think if they start Lugo in CF in 2007 that they then can move him to SS after 2007 when Izturis's contract runs out and Pie is ready to play CF.

They wouldn't have gotten it within 3 unless they actually made the 2 point conversion in the 4th quarter-if they didn't make it in the 2nd, how were they going to do it in the 4th? I agree they should have gone for the extra point early, but they still would have been in the same situation later.

The only thing I disagree with you there on soccer is Arkansas. Even if they had been rated in the top 10 to start, that blowout loss to USC would have hurt (see what happened to Cal after they lost to Tennessee in much the same fashion). After that, the close games against Vandy and Alabama early in the season would have kept them low in the polls-low enough that this wonderful run would have kept them just about exactly where they are now. They would still have been too far behind teams like USC and Florida to have caught them in the polls at this point.

That's how I feel. Aside from Lee being healthy and addition by subtraction in regards to Pierre, this offense really isn't that much better. I'd expect both Jones and Soriano to regress with Soriano putting up 2006 Jones-esque numbers from last year (and keep in mind he'll be doing that in the leadoff spot, not with Lee and Ramirez in front of him) and Jones putting up numbers closer to his final two years with the Twins. And then you have the middle of the infield. A lot of things will have to go right with the pitching staff this year. The only thing I don't understand is why Jones would slip all the way to his last two years with the Twins. Jones couldn't hit in the Metrodome-in just about every year, his OPS at home was significantly worse than on the road. That, combined with moving from the AL Central to the NL Central, was much of the cause for his having much better numbers last year than it simply being a career year for him.

If all "#4" pitchers are getting "#2" money is it really "#2" money anymore? The whole cost curve has shifted. That's what I was thinking. If Padilla, Lilly, Meche are asking for 8-10 million, then how much more is Suppan really going to get? He's consistently a little better than those pitchers, and if he only gets 1-2 million more he could end up being the bargain of the pitcher signings.

So you are using July 2004 as a basis for that claim? Neifi had better months in March/April and August in 2005? Does that mean he has shown the "tools" to become a league average hitter? Izturis has over 2500 ML plate appearances to show that he is nowhere near a league average hitter. Scroll down to OPS+ I think Rob is making the point that Cedeno is very young and more likely to improve and learn from Perry than Izturis. He also had a 2005 that was above league average in AAA. I'm using 2004, where he almost was a league average shortstop, and then April/May of 2005, where he was well above average for those couple months, and then he got injured and his stats went way, way down. His injuries make it somewhat unlikely he returns to that, but he has the skills to make it back to league average for a shortstop.

Yup, and our high incidence of double plays didn't help either-12th in the majors in grounding into DP's, even though we had so few baserunners. I wouldn't call 13 points insignificant though-if we could add 13 points to our OBP from last year, we'd go from last to the middle of the pack in the NL. I do agree though that batting with RISP was certainly not our biggest problem, nor is there any real way to make that better except for simply getting better hitters. Reason for edit: Edited last paragraph to make it a little clearer