Bowl Preview, 2010: 2011

Heh, snappy title, if I do say so myself...Moving on.

Historically, January 1 was the day of big bowls. It was the day on which many a national title was decided in years past. Thanks in no small part to a combination of ballooning bowl numbers, greedy bowl execs, and the BCS system, New Year's Day is now just a day with a high number of relatively high-profile bowls. Still, it's a national holiday AND a day with a very high number of bowls, so let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if it's a slightly diseased gift horse, like the first bowl of the day...

January 1, 2011

Ticketcity Bowl

Northwestern vs. Texas Tech

How they got here: By going 7-5. To paraphrase Roger the Shrubber, what sad times are these when 7-5 teams can get bowls on New Year's Day. Northwestern spluttered down the stretch, losing 5 of their last 7, which was (unsurprisingly) when they played the better teams on their schedule. Texas Tech wasn't much better, going 3-5 in Big 12 play and defeating the following nonconference giants: Southern Methodist, New Mexico, Weber State, and Houston. Neither team has exactly lit up the headlines, and the only currently ranked team either squad has beaten was Texas Tech's one win over Missouri.

Should I watch this bowl game: Sure, for an hour. Use it as your warmup for the much, much better slate of games that's coming up later. Neither team is exceptionally remarkable except for Texas Tech's passing attack, which ranks 8th in the nation primarily because of the fact that they throw the ball just over 40 times per game (comparison stat: Northwestern throws the ball about 27 times per game). Northwestern ranks 85th in their passing attack, meaning that we could be looking at the makings of a bad game.

Blogger's pick: Texas Tech, due to the afore mentioned difference in the pass attack/pass defense. I know the predictions page on College Football Cafeteria currently says I picked Northwestern, but that was before I looked closely at the games. My bad.

Capital One Bowl

#16 Alabama vs. #9 Michigan State

How they got here: Alabama got here by being the nation's best 3-loss team. That statement is about half sarcasm, half serious analysis. If 'Bama had gotten a little luckier against LSU and Auburn, they'd be 11-1 and would have almost certainly gone to the SEC Championship Game and the BCS. As it stands, they lost 3 games and I get to post an unnecessary picture which mocks one of this nation's premier sports magazines:

Heh, that was kinda fun.

Oh, and Michigan State got here because they finished in a 3-way tie atop the Big 10. Now, understand that I'm not a big advocate of Michigan State, but I do find it odd that the only reason they're not in a big time, BCS payday bowl is because of their preseason ranking. They were unranked, as opposed to Ohio State and Wisconsin, who started the year as #2 and #12 respectively. Heck, Michigan State even beat Wisconsin, the team selected to go to the Big 10's automatic bowl (the Rose). Yes, Michigan State's loss (to Iowa) was the worst of the 3 one-loss teams in the Big 10, but I question whether or not it mattered. Any loss for Michigan State would have sent them here, so they should enjoy it as best they can.

Should I watch this game: Yes, I say with enthusiasm. There are 3 simultaneous Big 10/SEC bowl games taking place on New Year's Day, but this one features the best combination of teams. The squads seem to be pretty well-matched, but Alabama's defense is much better in terms of points allowed--giving up a touchdown less per game. This game will give you the best possible preview of the Ohio State/Arkansas game on January 4, as well as providing two legitimately good programs, rather than the also-rans in the other 2 Big 10/SEC bowls on the 1st. While we're on that subject, allow me to ask the following: why are there 3 games featuring the same two conferences against one another on the same day? Can't they spread these things out any more? Yes, Big 10 and SEC fans fill seats better than anyone else, but the rest of us would like a little variety on our day off, OK?

Blogger's pick: Alabama. The key matchup in the game will be Michigan State's run defense against Alabama's dual attack of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. If the Tide running backs can find holes in the Spartan defense, things could get ugly. I don't think it'll matter that much, as Alabama's scoring defense should hold the Spartans to under 20 points regardless of how well MSU plays.

Outback Bowl

Florida vs. Penn State

How they got here: Both of these teams had seasons that were disappointing by their standards. Actually, 7-5 is pretty disappointing regardless of who you are, but especially with the kind of seasons these two teams are used to. Florida followed up 2 straight BCS trips with a decidedly bad 7-5 season, which ended in arguably the worst way possible: a 31-7 drubbing at the hands of rival Florida State. Penn State didn't fare much better, finishing with the same record as the Gators with just as many wins over currently ranked teams (0).

Should I watch this game: Yes, if only for the postgame interviews featuring a doubtlessly teary Urban Meyer and a mildly self-aware Joe Paterno. So a coach has a down year at a power school that he led back to glory and rather mysteriously bolts at the end of the season. Sound familiar? It should. I have no evidence of anything, but keep an eye on Florida in the coming months, my friends. JoePa, despite not wearing a headset (or knowing exactly where he is) for the last several years keeps right on trucking. Why do I get the feeling that the Penn State coaching staff feels kind of like the two guys in Weekend at Bernie's? No, JoePa's not dead, but does anyone outside of Happy Valley think he's coaching? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Blogger's Pick: Penn State. Florida has officially mailed in this season. Their last win against a bowl-bound team was when they beat Georgia in October. Their last win over a team with a winning record was in week 2 against South Florida. Penn State hasn't been too much better, but they beat a team with a winning record within recent memory. Florida's also had some players get taken out due to injury, which could provide the opportunity for Penn State to pick up a win over the Gators. And I'm sorry, I don't buy the "win one for the outgoing coach" prediction, because Urban was going to be leaving at the end of last season, too. Maybe he and Brett Favre can get together and play dice to decide who gets more media attention during the offseason.

Progressive Gator Bowl

#21 Mississippi State vs. Michigan

How they got here: Mississippi State's season followed a weirdly symmetrical pattern: a win, 2 losses, 6 wins, 2 losses, and a win. Win or lose, this bowl will screw up that nice little palindromic thing they had going on. MSU's 8 wins are a bit misleading, because their best win is probably their 10-7 road victory over Florida. The Bulldogs hung close with Auburn and Arkansas, but got smashed by Alabama and LSU, and those 4 losses are the reason they wound up in sort of a middle-tier bowl game.

As for Michigan, what more can I say? If you're a regular reader, you know that the Wolverines have repeated last year's pattern: open up the season with impressive wins over lesser competition (UConn's Big East title notwithstanding) and hit a wall when faced with better schools, closing the year out by losing 5 of their last 7. Their dynamic, sure-fire freshman Heisman candidate turned into someone who can hammer slow defenses but struggles with teams that can react quickly to the option and broken plays. It really seems like history was put on a slightly improved loop in Ann Arbor this season. "Slightly improved" meaning that they beat Illinois and Purdue this season.

Should I watch this game: Yes, but only when the Gator Bowl and Capital One Bowl are on commercial break. The matchup between Mississippi State's run defense (19th in the country) and Michigan's run offense (11th in the country) will be interesting, but just about everything else is pretty much chaff. As stated: watch this one during commercial breaks and, if it's close, in the 4th quarter, since the other 2 games start 30 minutes earlier. Actually, scratch that, the Rose Bowl starts at 4:30. Unless you're a Michigan or Mississippi State fan, just watch this one during the commercial breaks.

Blogger's pick: Mississippi State. When in doubt, always pick defense. Denard Robinson will certainly score some points, but Mississippi State's ground defense is strong enough to force some mistakes out of the young QB. Michigan's defense will also likely be a liability for the Wolverines. In short, my fellow Michigan bashers should enjoy this bowl season, because the Wolverines are improving, and could very easily make some noise next season. And I mean real noise, not the early-season clanking of tin cans we've seen the last two seasons.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio

#5 Wisconsin vs. #3 Texas Christian

How they got here: This section is much easier to write for the BCS games. Wisconsin was one of the three teams tied atop the Big 10 at 11-1. They're the highest ranked team in the Big 10, meaning that they got their berth to the Rose Bowl the second that the final BCS standings were released. TCU got an automatic berth by virtue of being a non-AQ team ranked in the top 12. TCU hasn't lost a regular season game since November of 2008, but they weren't a football power in 1960, so they don't get a shot at the title. At least they're headed to the Big East in 2012, which should help alleviate some of the controversy TCU seems to generate.

Should I watch this game: Obviously. This is the only real headline game between a non-AQ team and a big name college team. All the others (Air Force/Georgia Tech, ECU/Maryland, Georgia/UCF, Nevada/Boston College) are footnote bowls at best. And they have a weirdly high number of ACC teams...Any hoo, this game will provide us all with some nifty water cooler talk. Or pew talk, since they're playing on a Saturday and you'll likely have to cut through layers of caked on NFL-talk if you wait until Monday to discuss this with co-workers. This looks to be a good one, with Wisconsin's powerful run offense going against a fast (but small) TCU defense. We'll see if TCU's amazing (seriously, under 12 points against per game?!) stats were inflated by playing inferior foes, or if the Horned Frogs were cheated by the lack of a playoff. (Blatant pandering to blogger's alma mater follows: Be sure to catch the Rose Parade in the morning, as the Western Carolina University Band will be playing in said parade. Hey, it's pretty much all we have here in the mountains, and how many opportunities will I have to pimp WCU to a national audience?)

Blogger's pick: TCU, on one condition: that the game is close. This is sort of a stupid statement, but here's my "rules o' the game:" If the final margin is 7 points or less, it's a TCU win. If the final margin is anything more than 7, then Wisconsin won. Furthermore, if Wisconsin wins, I'd put money that it's by at least 20. I, however, am thinking it'll be a close game, which would lead to a TCU win. Hooray, circular logic!

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Connecticut vs. #7 Oklahoma

How they got here: By winning their conferences. UConn won the Big East, which was this season's equivalent of winning a shoving match between the members of a high school Chess Club (OK, Spanish Club, the MAC would be the chess club). Oklahoma took home another Big 12 championship, their 4th in the last 5 seasons. Oklahoma nearly lost several games (they've won 6 games by 8 points or fewer), but the important bit is that they only dropped 2 games, both of which they lost to fairly good teams.

Should I watch this game: For at least the first half, yes. Like most people, I expect UConn to get ripped to shreds in this game. If they're still in it at the half, then this game might just be worth watching. After all, as many pundits have pointed out, Oklahoma has been favored heavily in the Fiesta Bowl before. How'd that turn out again? Oh, wait, I found a picture from that game:

So, you know, anything could happen, even if the likelihood doesn't seem great.

By the way, if you live out there you may as well go to the game. Upper-level tickets are currently selling for about $14. Sideline seats are selling for $75. UConn's sold about 1/4th of their tickets as of midnight on December 29th, meaning that they have about 3 days to sell 13,000 tickets. So if you live in Arizona, Utah, California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, or west Texas, take a road trip! You'll spend more on gas than on the tickets, and you'll get to go to a BCS bowl.

Blogger's pick: Oklahoma, for reasons which should be painfully obvious. UConn does have the advantage on the ground, but Oklahoma's pass attack could very easily rip the Huskies for 400+ yards. It is extremely difficult to give UConn a fighting chance, and I would hardly be surprised if this game is over at the half. Best of luck to UConn, and I sincerely hope they make it a game, but I just don't see it happening. The Sooners win this one going away.

There's my predictions for the new year. I hope you all had a great 2010, and I hope 2011 is even better! (PS: Bowl picks are at 7-4 as of December 29. Thanks, Missouri.)

Bowl Preview, 2010: Week 2

As we roll into the second week of bowl season, take heart! Some of the games which take place between the 26th and 31st actually feature teams you might have heard of! Now, you might be wondering, "Bones, why aren't you doing the January 1st bowls? Are they not technically a part of the second week of bowl games?" Yes, they are, but there's 6 games on that particular day. Since I already have 15 games to preview here (plus a week 1 review to write sometime), it's in everyone's best interests that January 1 be given its own blog entry. Now, let's get week 2 rolling with what could be the single worst bowl of the postseason!

December 26, 2010

Little Caesar's Bowl

Florida International vs. Toledo

How they got here: Florida International holds the distinction of being the "best" team in the Sun Belt. That's something like being the best hockey player in Brazil. I understand that the Sun Belt has its own set of issues, but is there any reason that a 6-6 team should be the conference champion? That's a major argument against having a playoff featuring all the conference champions. On the other side of the ball, Toledo went 7-1 in the MAC, but they were slaughtered by Northern Illinois in their only conference loss. Outside the conference, Toledo went 1-3 with one win over Purdue and losses to Arizona, Wyoming, and Boise State. In other words: don't let the 8-4 record fool you, Toledo is just about as mediocre as FIU.

Should I watch this game: No. It'll be the day after Christmas. You can take back some bad gifts you got, or travel back to your house in the big post-Christmas rush. What you should not do is spend your Sunday night watching a game between two mid-level teams. Unless, of course, you actually care about those mid-level teams, in which case you have my apologies for all of the bile I'm spewing onto the Internet. Cheering for Toledo is punishment enough, I imagine. Oh, and the game's in Detroit, which should provide further inspiration not to watch this game.

Blogger's Pick: Toledo. They beat a mediocre major conference team, as opposed to FIU, which did not beat their mediocre major conference foe (Rutgers). Stats look to favor the Golden Panthers, but that might be because their conference is slightly worse than Toledo's. Either way, take this pick as a shot in the deep darkness, because I haven't seen either of these teams play this season.

December 27, 2010

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

Air Force vs. Georgia Tech

How they got here: Air Force arrives in this game tied for 3rd in the Mountain West. They, like everyone else in conference, were slaughtered by TCU, but they kept the games with Utah and San Diego State interesting. Factor in the fact that Air Force was quite close to beating Oklahoma, and you have the story of a team coming off of a pretty good season (further, factor in that Air Force is a service academy, making these accomplishments all the more meaningful). Georgia Tech, meanwhile, fell hard from their perch atop the ACC. The Yellow Jackets scraped their way into the postseason with a November win over Duke, which is good for them since they lost 4 of their last 5 games. Georgia Tech hasn't beaten a team with a winning record since September 18, when they topped UNC. In short, it was a disappointing year for the Yellow Jackets, especially when you consider their level of competition.

Should I watch this bowl: That depends entirely on how you feel about the option. This game features two of the top 3 rushing teams in the nation. Both squads run the triple option offense, which also explains why they're both in the bottom 5 nationally in terms of passing offense. So if you like rushing football, fairly quick and low scoring games, you're in luck! Both these teams' defenses practice against the triple option, which should make for a good game. If you like pretty, pass-intensive, high-scoring football with good-looking quarterbacks who have nice hair, then this isn't the game for you. Also, you're probably a communist.

Blogger's Pick: Air Force. The Mountain West may not be an AQ superpowered conference, but their top half is at least alright. Air Force is 10 points away from an 11-1 season. Georgia Tech really only has one thing in its favor: Air Force's run defense is much worse than Georgia Tech's. I don't think that'll be enough given the extra practice time.

December 28, 2010

Champs Sports Bowl

#22 West Virginia vs. NC State

How they got here: NC State had a very good run to start the year before blowing a game they should have won against Virginia Tech. After that loss, the year was decidedly mediocre for the Wolfpack and they went 4-3 in their last 7 games. West Virginia actually had the best record of any team in the Big East, but they finished with the same conference record as UConn and Pitt. Their loss to UConn was what sunk them, but they finished 9-3. That'd be more remarkable and more respectable if they played in a conference that wasn't the Big East.

Should I watch this game: Eh, go ahead. Might ease the pain of being back at work after your Christmas break. This game may as well be called the "we shoulda" bowl. A few twists and turns in the right direction and you'd be seeing these two match up in the Orange Bowl. As it stands, this will be a distracting little sideshow.

Blogger's Pick: NC State in a low scoring game. This game should come down to a matchup between NC State's passing attack and West Virginia's 11th ranked pass defense. I'll give the edge to NC State for two reasons: 1, they played in a (marginally) tougher conference and 2, as a Virginia Tech fan I'm required to hate West Virginia. No, it isn't a valid reason. But if you read my writing for valid reasons, then you're probably misguided as is.

Insight Bowl

#12 Missouri vs. Iowa

How they got here: Missouri had two bad weeks, which cost them the BCS and the Big 12 title. Especially harmful was their loss to Texas Tech, wherein the Tigers blew a 17-3 lead to finish up with a 24-17 loss. Mizzou got no chance to go to the Big 12 Championship, which pretty much sank their hopes for a BCS bowl. Remember, only conferences and teams with unnecessarily high preseason rankings get to send non-champions to BCS bowls!

Oh, and Iowa got to go to this game by finishing 4th in the Big 10. Once it became apparent that they weren't going to finish in first in the conference, the Hawkeyes mailed in the last half of the season, losing their last 3 games. Their 4-4 conference record is nothing to crow about, and you have to wonder about the size of the gap between the top of the Big 10 (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State) and the lower teams in the conference. But we can ponder that later...

Should I watch this bowl: Probably. It could give us a good barometer of how the Big 10 and Big 12 will do this bowl season. Missouri's the favored team, and if they fall (or just barely beat Iowa) then we could be looking at a very long year for the Big 12. On the flip side, if Iowa gets blown out then it won't be a good sign for the Big 10, especially when you consider that Iowa has given defeats to Michigan State, Penn State, and Michigan--all bowl-bound teams.

Blogger's pick: Missouri. The Tigers play in a much higher scoring conference than the Hawkeyes, yet their scoring defense is slightly better. Considering that a few of Iowa's offensive pieces are missing (best running back, best wideout), I think we'll see Missouri take this one by a touchdown or two.

December 29, 2010

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman

(Winner of this year's "longest bowl name" competition!)

Maryland vs. East Carolina

How they got here: Maryland had a heck of a turnaround from the '09 season, going from a 2-10 year to being 8-4 this year. Sure, the ACC isn't great (this year or last) but it's hard to scoff at a 6 game turnaround. It's also hard to believe that Maryland hired the guy responsible for the turnaround. Sure, he's the same guy responsible for the 2-10 year, but shouldn't he have been fired then? Not after turning the team around. I digress. East Carolina, meanwhile, has had a season full of fairly thrilling games, with 2 OT games and one last-second Hail Mary. ECU started much stronger than they finished, however, as they dropped 4 of their last 5 games--and most of those weren't close. Both teams, for the record, beat NC State.

Should I watch this game: Yeah, sure. ECU passes quite well (7th best in the country) and Maryland's defense is mediocre. ECU's problem will come from their defense, which is easily the worst scoring defense of any bowl team (fun stat: ECU has allowed almost 10 points more per-game than Michigan, the 2nd worst bowl-bound scoring defense.) Since Maryland is middling overall, and ECU can score well but can't defend, look for a high-scoring matchup. Mind you, you'll likely be watching this game while at work, since it's at 2:30 on a Wednesday.

Blogger's pick: Maryland. Overall mediocrity is better than an all-or-nothing approach. Plus, Maryland didn't blow a 21 point lead to NC State to go into overtime, unlike the other team in this bowl.

Texas Bowl

Illinois vs. Baylor

How they got here: Illinois arrived here by having another gloriously mediocre season. Ever since they made the Rose Bowl in '07, Illinois has been somewhere between bad and pathetic. They improved to 6-6 this season, which really says more about their last two years than I could hope to. Baylor looked like a realistic threat to take their division of the Big 12 for a while, then they remembered they were Baylor at about the same time that they hit the hard part of their schedule. Baylor has lost their last 3 coming into this game, and it's not a coincidence that 4 of their 5 losses came to the 4 currently ranked teams they played. Furthermore, they have one win over a bowl-bound team. Not a great sign.

Should I watch this game: Eh, not really. It's two mediocre teams from big conferences. You'll have already seen a much better Big 10/Big 12 matchup in the Iowa/Missouri game. If watching the 6th place teams from two slightly above average conferences appeals to you, then by all means, watch this game. Otherwise...I dunno, watch Jeopardy.

Blogger's pick: This one's a toss-up. I think Baylor wins, but I say that with no confidence. So don't bet money on this one.

Valero Alamo Bowl

#14 Oklahoma State vs. Arizona

How they got here: Oklahoma State had a pretty good season, only dropping games to the two contestants in the Big 12 Championship game: Nebraska and Oklahoma. Those losses dropped them down to this bowl game, but it's not that bad of a fate, considering. Arizona, on the other hand, started out red hot and finished on an outright skid. Sure, 2 of those losses were close, but 4 straight losses by 1 point or by 40 would have been just as devastating to the Wildcats' overall record. To be blunt, I imagine Arizona got here through geographical convenience, rather than through pure merit.

Should I watch this game: Maybe. Both sides will be scoring points a' plenty, though their defenses are both fairly pedestrian. Look for lots of passing and plenty of scoring.

Blogger's pick: Oklahoma State. This is one of 9 matchups featuring a ranked team playing an unranked team. Doesn't bowl season exist precisely to prevent games like that? Even on the off chance that all 9 of those games end with the unranked team taking the win, it still doesn't solve the problem, because that means that the rankings were inaccurate. Either way...pure silliness. Oh, and Oklahoma State's offense is better, I think, hence the pick.

December 30, 2010

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

Army vs. Southern Methodist

How they got here: Army got here by winning 6 games against...well, no one. They've beaten 0 bowl bound teams, and the 6 teams they've beaten have a combined 18 wins. For those who might be bad at math, that's an average of 3 wins per team. Army made it to bowl eligibility by beating some very bad teams. The Black Knights haven't been to a bowl since '96, though, so that's some good news for them. SMU continues their comeback from the dead (a phrase that is probably the most overused thing in reference to any one team in the history of college football) by making their second straight bowl game. The Mustangs weren't exactly world beaters, finishing 7-6 with their loss in the conference championship game. Hence their presence in this fairly obscure little bowl.

Should I watch this game: Sure, if only because of the contrasting styles of offense. Army has literally the worst passing attack in the country, 120th out of 120, to go with their top 10 rushing attack. SMU is coached by June Jones, meaning that they throw the ball...a lot. Army's pass defense and SMU's run defense are both in the top 50 in their respective categories, meaning that we might see a close one in this game.

Blogger's pick: SMU. The game should be close, if only because Army will kill clock with their run attack, but I don't think that they'll keep up with SMU. Especially since the Mustangs are bowl eligible, and beating them would mean that Army would defeat their first bowl-bound team this season. Given that they had 4 other chances to beat bowl teams, I don't like their odds in this one...

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Kansas State vs. Syracuse

How they got here: Kansas State's biggest achievement was taking Texas to task back in November. The Wildcats only beat one bowl team (Central Florida), and finished a distant 3rd in the Big 12 North division. But, hey, at least they made a bowl, the first time they've been bowling since '06. Syracuse is in a similar situation: the Orange didn't really beat anyone good (does West Virginia count?), but they at least made a bowl for the first time since 2004. Sure, their path there included 2 wins over 1-AA teams (they're 5-5 against other 1-A teams). So (and I know I've used this phrase a lot in this bowl writeup) look for a battle of mediocre teams!

Should I watch this game: Only if there's nothing else on. Ostensibly the matchup between Syracuse's defense and K-State's offense should be a good one, but both these teams have beaten no one, so it's really impossible to say just how good of a game this'll be. Honestly, this game is as much of a mystery to me as the Ohio/Troy game was. Oh, but if you're into baseball and hate the Yankees as much as I do, you can pretend how nice it would be if Yankee Stadium double booked this game with an exhibition game for the Yankees and Derek Jeter got run over by a linebacker. That's about it.

Blogger's pick: Syracuse, based solely on their victory over a ranked team. Seriously, that's it.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

North Carolina vs. Tennessee

How they got here: Carolina got here by having about half of its defense suspended to start the season. Had those players been able to play, methinks we'd see Carolina a bit later in the bowl season, possibly even in the Orange Bowl. As it stands, the Tar Heels had a pretty rough year, with their coach's future in limbo after dual recruiting and academic scandals. Tennessee had a pretty big turnaround after their 2-6 start. Yes, most of that turnaround came against the worst teams on the schedule, but the Volunteers can rest easy that they still are better than Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

Should I watch this game: Pretty much copy/paste what I wrote about the Syracuse/K-State game above. This game should be fairly close (after all, both teams' best games this year came in narrow losses to LSU--UNC's because of suspensions and Tennessee's because they can't count), but I can't claim that it'll be great football. Heck, both squads probably have more draft choices on the roster than Virginia Tech or Boise State or TCU, if you're into that whole "college football is a meat farm for the pros" mentality. Otherwise, this game (like the others on this particular day) should serve as something of an appetizer for the much better slate of games on the 31st and 1st.

Blogger's pick: North Carolina. The Tar Heels' defense is much better than those of the teams which Tennessee has beaten, meaning that the Volunteers will likely find it tough to get a sniff of the end zone. Key word there: "likely."

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl

#18 Nebraska vs. Washington

How they got here: Nebraska was sent to this game due to two inexcusable losses (most notably to Texas) and a defeat in the Big 12 Championship. On the bright side, the Huskers did win 10 games this season, and one of those was against Washington. Washington got to go to this bowl after a fairly disappointing season. Jake Locker failed to live up to his Heisman hype (admittedly more his receivers and O-line's fault) and the rest of the team foundered along with him.

Should I watch this game: Probably not. It'll be late on the East Coast, and those of you on the West Coast can watch this nifty highlight package from the first Nebraska/Washington game. I know the old expression about how difficult it is to beat the same team twice, but it's hard to say that this game will be radically different than the 56-21 beatdown in Seattle...

Blogger's pick: Nebraska. No reason to go against established trends, the only real risk here is Nebraska failing to get psyched for the game. Given Bo Pelini's penchant for yelling, I'm pretty sure that's a small risk.

December 31, 2010

Meineke Car Care Bowl

South Florida vs. Clemson

How they got here: Both teams got here by having incredibly average seasons. Clemson went .500, giving Auburn its best game of the year, but losing badly at home to rival South Carolina. South Florida gave Big East champions UConn a good game, but got thumped by West Virginia. At least the Bulls beat Miami, something Clemson failed to do.

Should I watch this game: This one falls into the same category as the Music City Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl--two mid-level teams from AQ conferences. Mind you, this game is between a Big East team and an ACC team, thus reducing the national interest to a comfortable low. Sure, watch the game if you like good defense: both teams rank in the top 20 in points scored against them, so it should at least be a close game.

Blogger's pick: South Florida. They beat Miami, which is the difference between their 7-5 record and Clemson's 6-6 record, which is good enough to give them the nod.

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Miami (Florida) vs. Notre Dame

How they got here: These teams got here by imagining that they're still nationally relevant. Seriously, the last time this many delusional people got together was at the '08 Convention for the Criminally Insane. (While fictional, I imagine that event was far more interesting than this Sun Bowl will be.) These two franchises have gone through 4 coaches since 2004, with each team on their 3rd coach in 6 seasons. Those other coaches' crimes consisted of not winning national titles (or just not winning in Charlie Weis's case). Miami went 7-5 without a single win over a ranked team, and they'll be playing with an interim coach. Notre Dame was better this season, but they weren't exactly world beaters at 7-5.

Should I watch this game: No, as a protest. Because whoever wins this game will be declared as being "back" by the ignoramuses in the sports media. (See also: Notre Dame winning the 2008 Hawaii Bowl and being declared competitors for the '09 title by sports commentators not named Lou Holtz.) And you don't want that and I don't want that. So just watch the 3rd or 4th quarter of the Car Care Bowl and prepare for the start of the Liberty Bowl.

Blogger's pick: Call it Notre Dame, based on their wins over Utah and Southern Cal. Not much confidence in that pick, but I also don't have much confidence in Miami's interim coach.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Georgia vs. #25 Central Florida

How they got here: Georgia recovered from their awful start to crawl their way back to 6-6. Central Florida won Conference USA, thus earning the right to play a middling SEC team in their bowl game. I understand making lesser conference champions play lower level teams, but a 6-6 SEC school? That's ridiculous! And a little sad.

Should I watch this game: Sure. Should be a reasonably good matchup, when you consider that both teams score almost the same number of points, and each allows the same number of points. Georgia passes much better than Central Florida, but UCF's run offense is much better than Georgia's. Both teams struggle a bit against the other's strength, meaning that we could see each squad score 30 points or more.

Blogger's pick: Georgia. They've been tempered by games against better competition, which should prepare them for adversity, should they encounter it in this game. Yeah, we'll go with that.

Chick-Fil-A Bowl

#20 South Carolina vs. #23 Florida State

How they got here: Both teams had decent seasons in the weaker divisions of their respective conferences (well, an argument can be made about that in Florida State's case). Both teams went to their respective conference championship games, where South Carolina was blown out by Auburn and Florida State was slowly taken out of the game by Virginia Tech. Each team mirrored one another fairly well this season, meaning that this could be a very good game.

Should I watch this game: Yes, for the "mirror" reason listed above. Both teams' stats and rankings are very similar to one another. Both teams also struggled against the best teams they played this year, with South Carolina's upset over Alabama as the only victory over a currently ranked team for either school. This one should be a good game, provided that neither team rolls over and dies when faced with a halfway decent opponent.

Blogger's pick: Florida State in a close one. I think the hangover of getting destroyed in the SEC Championship will make South Carolina come out flat, leading to an early lead which Florida State exploits to a win.

That's all for week two! In case you were wondering, I'm currently at 5-2 after week one. So no Ottoman Empire posts yet.

Bowl Preview, 2010: Week 1

There are 35 bowl games. Since it takes 2 teams to participate in a bowl, that means 70 teams will be playing in the postseason this year. There's 120 teams in college football. That means that almost 60% of the teams (58.3 if you're wanting specifics) will make a bowl game, college football's somewhat lackluster postseason. Now, 34 of those 35 games are irrelevant to the actual championship, but this is still technically the postseason, so by golly, we'll treat it as such!

To that end, here's this year's edition of the Bowl Preview. Last season I went 17-17, meaning that flipping a coin is roughly as accurate as my predictions. This is doubly true for these early bowl games, most of which feature teams that I've seen almost once (call it none). So in this installment, I'll be taking a look at the first week of bowl games, stretching from the 18th of December to the 24th. Let's begin with the...

December 18, 2010

New Mexico Bowl

Brigham Young vs. UTEP

How they got here: BYU opened the year as a mega-disappointment, but they were able to climb out of that hole admirably. UTEP, meanwhile, seems to have followed the opposite philosophy, opening up 5-1, only to finish 6-6. Both these teams actually finished .500, so this looks to be a thoroughly mediocre matchup! Hooray!

Should I watch this bowl: Yes. It kicks off the college football postseason, and if you don't watch this one you can't say that you threw away several hours of your life every bowl game! Also, it'll be interesting to see if UTEP can break their slide and if BYU can continue their impressive little run. But that's not as funny as the first bit.

Blogger's Pick: BYU, for a variety of reasons. They've won 5 of their last 7 (SDSU replay issue notwithstanding) and they beat the world's best quarterback ever earlier in the season!

uDrove Humanitarian Bowl

Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State

How they got here: Fresno State had a distinctively "eh" season, going 8-4 and losing to most of the halfway decent teams they played. And Ole Miss (oooo! burn!). Put another way, Fresno State is in a conference with 3 ranked teams, and they lost to all 3. Northern Illinois had a good year, but fell short of winning their conference title, despite dominating the conference during the regular season. As a result, they fell from the rankings, as well as falling down to an opening day bowl game. The perils of playing in a mid-major conference...

Should I watch this game: Eh...I don't know. Northern Illinois's offensive AND defensive stats are higher, but they play in an inferior conference to Fresno State, so that could just be an aggregation of stats accumulated over a season of playing lesser foes. I'll be watching this game for two reasons: 1) to figure out what the heck "uDrove" is, and 2) to figure out how sending people to play in Boise, Idaho in friggin' December qualifies as "humanitarian." For that matter, how does it qualify as a reward for playing well throughout the season? It's going to be rainy/snowy with a high of 39 on Saturday. Coupled with the audience of roughly 19 Idahoans and the 36 or so fans watching at home, being invited to this game seems to be more of a slap in the face than a reward. So, in short, yes, you should watch this game, because you'll be able to say that you supported student athletes from "lesser" schools.

Blogger's pick: Northern Illinois. Take this one with no confidence, because every reason for Northern Illinois can be countered by a strike against them. Fresno beat their lone common opponent, Illinois, but UNI played them on the road 3 games in, not at home at the end of the year. Once again, take this pick with a healthy dose of salt...

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Ohio vs. Troy

How they got here: Ohio finished 4th in the MAC, dropping their first and last conference games. They shellacked the eventual conference champions Miami of Ohio, but didn't make the conference championship game due to a loss to Kent State at the end of the season. Troy finished tied for 1st in the Sun Belt, but they lost their game to Florida International, thus sending them to the 2nd most important Sun Belt Bowl. Oddly enough, the winners of these two conferences (the MAC and Sun Belt) will play each other in a bowl game, meaning that the odds of a mid-major champion defeating a middle of the pack major conference school (e.g. Clemson, Florida, etc.) are pared down. Gee, thanks bowl system. Would've hated to see an upset or something...

Should I watch this game: Uhhh, probably not. It'll be on Saturday night! Cut lose and do something! Don't watch two teams that didn't win their mediocre conferences. Well, if you insist on a reason, I guess the only real one is to see if Ohio's defense (28th overall, but 61st in pass defense) can stop Troy's passing offense (12th in the country). But, seriously, see if there's a movie on. Or do some Christmas shopping.

Blogger's pick: Do I have to? Fine. I pick Ohio, because I think their defense will rise to the occasion.

December 21, 2010

Beef o' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg

Southern Mississippi vs. Louisville

How they got here: Southern Miss finished 2nd in their division of Conference USA, dealing Central Florida its only conference loss on the season. The Golden Eagles lost to most of the decent teams they faced, however, though they were only blown out once, by South Carolina. Louisville got to this bowl by completing a surprisingly fast turnaround from the past two seasons. They went 4-8 last year, but pulled out a 6-6 record under new coach Charlie Strong. It may not be that impressive, considering the level of talent in the Big East, but it beats missing a bowl. (Important side note: The Louisville team that barely made this early bowl game is the team which handed UConn a 26-0 loss. That is the state of the Big East right now.)

Should I watch this game: Sure. It'll be a Tuesday night, not much on television. Plus, if you're willing to ignore the records this could actually be a decent little game. Southern Miss has a strong, reasonably well-balanced offense, while Louisville has the 15th best scoring defense in the country. Thus, there's no reason to think that this can't be a good ball game. In addition, you can see how often the commentators accidentally call this the "St. Petersburg Bowl," rather than its actual pretentious name, the "Bowl St. Petersburg." That's silly.

Blogger's pick: Louisville. For some reason, I try to favor defense. Could be because of that old aphorism "defense wins championships." Could be that, being of Scottish stock, I just like defense. Either way, suppose it doesn't matter. Pick Louisville...not much confidence in that, mind you.

December 22, 2010

Maaco Bowl Las Vegas

#19 Utah vs. #10 Boise State

How they got here: Well, both of these teams arrived here by losing games to other mid-major teams. Utah suffered back to back losses to TCU and Notre Dame, thus shooting them down, while Boise State suffered a late-season overtime loss to Nevada. Both of them fell extremely far from grace due to those losses, hence why they wound up here.

Should I watch this game: Yes. First and foremost, you should watch this game as a protest. There's no reason that Utah and Boise State should have been shoehorned into a quiet backwater bowl. Actually, there is a reason: Pre-existing contracts between the MWC and Pac-10 couldn't be fulfilled, so the bowl picked up the WAC's 2nd place team, Boise State. It's silly, especially when you consider that the Las Vegas Bowl's pickup ensures that these two lower conference teams can't hurt any of the big boys. So watch the game to boost ratings, even if you don't care about it. Stop the myths that people don't care about minor conference teams! (NOTE: It still counts in the ratings even if you just turn your cable box to the channel and watch a DVD or something. Hint, hint.) Second reason to watch: Omigosh! An actual ranked matchup before Christmas! It's a miracle!

Blogger's pick: Boise State. They should come out swinging (not unlike LeGarrette Blount) in an attempt to restore themselves in the eyes of the sneering Big Sisters of the Poor. Utah hasn't played particularly well against the good/halfway decent teams they've played (crushed by TCU, crushed by Notre Dame, narrow wins over Pitt, BYU, San Diego State, and Air Force), so they'll likely struggle against the Broncos. Yes, the same could be said about Boise, but at least they've beaten 2 currently ranked teams.

December 23, 2010

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

Navy at San Diego State

How they got here: Navy's option attack is 14 points away from an undefeated season. Losses to bowl-bound teams Maryland and Air Force, coupled with an inexplicable loss to Duke, sent them to this semi-obscure bowl game. San Diego State has lost 4 games by a total of 15 points, so we're looking at a total of 7 losses by a total of 29 points. In other words, these are two teams that have lost very few games by very slim margins, creating a scenario where we should see a good game.

Should I watch this game: I know I say "yes" to lots of these, but consider the source. I'm currently over 1,000 words on an article about the week 1 bowl games. This game is another yes. The option (Navy's offense) is always fun to watch, while San Diego State's passing attack is as consistent an offense as any in the country. Neither team's defense is super-strong, meaning that we could have a high scoring game where the last possession determines the outcome. The afore mentioned proclivity (look it up) both these teams have for close games should make it a good one. Oh, and this is the first bowl in 2 days to be the "________ Bowl" instead of the "Bowl ________." That lack of pretentiousness is enough to make me want to watch it.

Blogger's pick: San Diego State. The Aztecs successfully slowed down Air Force's option, which averages slightly more points per game than Navy's. Navy slowed down Air Force, too, but since they run the option they're more used to seeing it. Hopefully the Aztecs' extra time with the scout team will help them overtake Navy. Look for a close game, though, because Navy knows how to slow down a passing offense (see also: their game against SMU).

December 24, 2010

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

#24 Hawaii vs. Tulsa

How they got here: Hawaii arrives as one of three teams tied for the top spot in the WAC. But, since they were the last team to scratch their way into the Top 25, they get the 3rd place WAC bowl. Admittedly, that's probably because they narrowly beat Nevada, but got trashed by Boise State. Tulsa tied for the top of their division of Conference USA with SMU, but lost the tiebreaker. Fortunately for the Golden Hurricane, SMU lost, so Tulsa goes to the 2nd most important C-USA bowl.

Should I watch this game: Depends directly on your definition of "good football." If you like high point totals, then watch this game. Both teams are in the Top 10 in points scored per game, creating the potential for a basketballesque final score. If you like good defense...not so much. Hawaii's barely in the top 50 in scoring defense, while Tulsa ranks 84th in that category. Fans hoping for a combined score of under 60 (or even 80) will likely be disappointed.

Blogger's pick: Hawaii. The Warriors' defense might stop Tulsa on a drive or two, while Tulsa's D could allow 50 (something they've done 3 times already this season).

That's all for this week. Tune in next time to see if I should start blogging about the Ottoman Empire instead of football!

Saturday in Review: Conference Championship Edition

At some point in college football's long and storied history, someone said, "Hey, you know how we could make more money? We could have a championship game between the winners of our conference's two divisions! That way, even though sometimes one division of the conference is way stronger than another, the weaker division still has a chance to totally screw up the larger team's season. In the meantime, ticket sales and TV revenues will ensure that we can line our pockets!"

The people who were with this person shook their heads sadly. They admired his attempt and finding a clear-cut conference winner, but knew that it was a gesture designed more to make money than to promote clear outcomes. After all, how could one declare an 8-4 team champion if they beat a 11-1 team? There was still a 2 game difference. So these other people simply shrugged and went on with their lives. That one guy, however, went on to start a major corporation, make millions, and be put in charge of a college football conference, where he created the first conference championship. And that leads us to today. Sure, there were some other games from other conferences, but we all know where the real show was on Saturday. And Friday, in one obscure case.

SEC Championship

#1 Auburn-56, #19 South Carolina-17

Well, sometimes history repeats itself less dramatically. As everyone knows (and if you didn't, how did you get Internet under that rock?) South Carolina and Auburn played one another earlier in the season. In that game, South Carolina jumped out to an early lead and failed to hold it. In this game, Auburn jumped out in the lead, South Carolina hung around for about a half, Auburn scored a last minute Hail Mary TD, and South Carolina decided to go home after the first half, allowing Auburn to hammer them in the second half.

In short, this game was nothing it was supposed to be. It was mostly dull, one-sided, and didn't even come close to providing the #1 team in the land with a good game. Guess we'll have to wait until January for that to happen, because...

#2 Oregon-37, Oregon State-20

You know, Oregon State never really got knocked out of this game. They never looked to be in it (aside from the 1st quarter, obviously) and yet they were never kicked out of the game completely. 17 points isn't a huge win, especially when you consider that we're talking about the #2 team in the country beating a squad that wound up 5-7. I know the rivalry factor is fun, but still, this raises some pretty important questions about the Ducks. Neither they nor Auburn have looked invincible this season, and I think we could have a pretty dang good national title matchup on our hands. Mind you, there's a team from Ft. Worth that would disagree with me...

Big 12 Championship

#9 Oklahoma-23, #13 Nebraska-20

Well, Nebraska's last Big 12 game didn't go quite the way the Huskers wanted. At least there weren't any super-controversial officiating decisions. No, this one was mostly a case of Oklahoma making some good changes and keeping Taylor Martinez and the Nebraska offense off balance for much of the second half. Nebraska jumped out to a 17-0 lead, and then the wheels came off of the Big Red Machine. Wait, that's the nickname for Cincinnati's baseball team from the '70s. Let's just move to the next paragraph.

Nebraska now goes to the Holiday Bowl--again. They'll be playing a rematch between themselves and Washington, which will likely look like last year's Holiday Bowl. Nebraska will then leave the Big 12 to become the 12th team in the Big 10 (ironic, right?), thus ending a season full of backbiting and controversy on the part of the Big 12 and Nebraska. I honestly don't know what the big deal is. Maybe it's the belief that Nebraska stabbed the Big 12 in the back. While there's something big to be said about a sense of honor, please don't kid yourselves about the cleanliness of college football. This is a sport with a non-satisfactory championship system, rampant recruiting violations, a "look the other way" policy on high-profile arrests, and athletic departments that have ballooned to utterly ridiculous sizes; the Big 12 conference officials can be offended by Nebraska's departure, but the average fan (even of a Big 12 school!) shouldn't be worried. Nebraska's leaving their old home for a variety of reasons, but let's not delude ourselves into thinking that money isn't #1 on the list. If they felt they could get more cash playing in the WAC, they'd have tried. I mean, come on, the Big 12 itself was born out of the collapse of the Southwest Conference. The more profitable schools in the conference got to jump to the Big 12 (Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M) while smaller schools went to lesser conferences (SMU, TCU, Houston, Rice). And Baylor went to the Big 12, too, but every rule has an exception. So fault Nebraska if you must for players drinking and semi-abusive coaching, but don't fault them for leaving the Big 12.

As to Oklahoma, what is there to say? Congrats to the Sooners for winning the conference title, keeping it in the South Division for the 7th straight year. Barring some conference expansion for the Big 12, that would appear to be where the trophy is staying for the time being. OU looked to be dead in the water after losing two of three back in October/November, but they are now BCS-bound, where they should have no trouble breaking their BCS bowl losing streak, considering that they'll be playing the Big East Champion UConn Huskies. (That's right kids, a team in this week's Bottom 95 will be getting a $17 million payday, while the #8 ranked 11-1 Michigan State Spartans will be getting just over $4 million to play in the Capital One Bowl. Guess they should have just been ranked higher in the preseason and this wouldn't have happened!)

Utah State-14, #11 Boise State-50

I will admit that I am somewhat proud of the BCS computers and voters. I fully expected them to drop Boise State to at least 15th. But they didn't and that is somewhat commendable. For their part, the Broncos surprised no one and went out and crushed Utah State this week, thus earning the right to split the WAC title with Nevada.

In addition, whatever group selects bowls did blogs everywhere a service by denying Boise the right to play an AQ team in their bowl, instead choosing to shoehorn Boise and Utah together where they can't hurt any of the big boys' pride. In other words, it's a whole lot like last year. And then, after the season is over, people can say that Boise State only played Virginia Tech and Oregon State--and Virginia Tech lost to James Madison and Oregon State went 5-7, so Boise clearly wouldn't have made a deep run in a playoff like, say, Butler did last friggin' year in basketball. But, no, fans of the Big 10, SEC, Pac-10, Big 12, ACC, and Big East can just keep grinning and claiming plausible deniability (look it up!) Oh, and about that Virginia Tech team that Boise beat earlier in the year...

ACC Championship

#21 Florida State-33, #15 Virginia Tech-44

I'll start with Florida State. The Seminoles enjoyed a pretty good turnaround this season, and they look to continue that going into next year. They'll be the only big name school in Florida (apologies to USF and UCF, but it's true) that's not looking for a coach, thanks to Pope Urban leaving and Randy Shannon getting canned. The Seminoles also have the advantage of playing in the weaker of the two divisions of the already-weak ACC, so they have real potential to be a fixture in the ACC Championship Game for years to come. Consider also that Florida State's quarterback E.J. Manuel is a sophomore, and you have a recipe for success in Tallahassee. So good for Florida State, and good luck in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

As to Virginia Tech, I had a lengthy bit of season summary stuff to type here, but I think I'll just post a link to the bottom of this game's section. There will be time for typing about the Hokies in the Orange Bowl Preview.

Now, the link I'm about to post isn't for everyone. You don't have to click it if you're not on the list of people it's for. So who is this for? Well, it's for the UVa fans who swore this would be their year to beat the Hokies. It's for the ECU Pirates who were sure they would make Virginia Tech lose 3 straight. It's for the idiots who chant "JMU" on message boards, as though that will somehow change the fact that Virginia Tech just won the conference. It's for all the fans of all the other ACC schools who beat their 1-AA cupcake and mocked the Hokies for failing to do so. It's for those same fans who are now looking up at Virginia Tech, the first team to go undefeated in conference play since 2000. It's for the Florida State fans who bought their Orange Bowl tickets before the ACC Championship Game. It's for anyone who still thinks Virginia Tech ruined Boise State's season. It's especially for the Miami fans who call Virginia Tech "second rate" while Miami fills half its stadium, goes 7-5, and fires its coach. It's for anyone, anywhere, who thought or hoped that Virginia Tech would give up after Week 1 of the season. If you're on that list then this link's for you!

#17 Nevada-35, Louisiana Tech-17

Nevada admirably didn't let their success go to their heads, avoiding the "week after" letdown that so many schools have suffered this season. That's really all I got.

Arizona State-30, #23 Arizona-29

I only included this game to make a point: Why, after 3 straight losses, was Arizona still ranked? Yes, they were to two now-Top 5 teams with Southern Cal sandwiched in the middle, but why was Arizona still hanging out in the Top 25? Texas lost to lowly UCLA, then narrowly lost to Oklahoma and they got dropped from #7 to unranked. How come Arizona lost to Stanford, USC, and Oregon and only fell 8 spots (15 to 23)? Is the bottom half of the Top 25 that bad? Just askin'.

Oh, and if you haven't seen the highlight package of this game, look it up now. Two blocked extra points made the difference in this one, which is a wonderful sight for those of us who think special teams isn't emphasized enough.*

Rutgers-14, #24 West Virginia-35

First off, welcome back Big East! We've missed you here in the Top 25! Mind you, I sort of wonder what the computers and voters are thinking right now. The lone ranked team in the Big East isn't the team that won the conference title. Oh, sure, West Virginia has a share of the title with Pitt and UConn, but only the Huskies are going to a BCS bowl. Heck, the Huskies beat the other two teams on that list. So why aren't they ranked? OK, the losses to Michigan and Temple look a heck of a lot worse than a loss to LSU, but the bottom line is that West Virginia will almost certainly finish ranked ahead of a team that not only beat them in conference, but also beat them head-to-head. In fact, virtually the only way that WVU finishes below UConn is if the Mountaineers lose to unranked NC State and the Huskies pull off the upset of Oklahoma. If only one of those things happens, then West Virginia finishes ahead of UConn. Again, don't look too hard at college football's inner workings--you might notice the little man behind the curtain.

MAC Championship

#25 Northern Illinois-21, Miami (Ohio)-26

Waaaaaay back at the start of the season, I mocked Miami of Ohio for being "the bad Miami." I officially, publicly, in front of the 3 people who will read this, recant that statement. The game in which I mocked Miami was their game against the Florida Gators, a team which finished 7-5--worse than the RedHawks. The school with which Miami shares a name, Miami University (in Florida) also finished 7-5. Neither one of the Florida schools won their conference, something that Miami of Ohio did on Friday night. So, RedHawks, I'm sorry. Have fun at your extremely obscure bowl, which is named and sponsored by a company known primarily for its sexually explicit ads about website domain registration.

Meanwhile, you have to feel for Northern Illinois. They had gone on an impressive run, stuck with Illinois early in the season, and reeled off 9 straight wins before they were bested by a tipped pass at the last second in their conference championship game. At least they're in the MAC, so very very few people actually saw them lose. Plus, they were ranked this week, which means they avoid going into 2010's last edition of...

Tales from the Bottom 95

Congrats to UConn, who went from "the team that got killed by Michigan to start the year" to "the team that got killed by Michigan, but benefited from being in a horrible conference and will now be going to a BCS bowl game." What a difference a season can make...I know it's not technically about this Saturday, but I have to mention the single greatest injustice of the season. How, with 35 bowl games (not an exaggeration), was there not room for the Temple Owls in the postseason? They're 8-4. They stuck with Penn State at Penn State. They beat UConn. That's right, a team which went 8-4 and beat a BCS bowl participant isn't going to a bowl game. It's not like there's not room somewhere, either! The Pac-10 has 6 bowl tie-ins and only 4 bowl eligible teams! Bump someone up, please! Don't fill the gaps with mediocre AQ teams! Let Temple play!...I know, I know, follow the money. That's why Tennessee's going bowling and Temple isn't...In actual football news, Illinois lost to Fresno State, thus allowing Illinois to keep their streak of .500 or worse seasons alive! Live the dream!...UCLA lost to Southern Cal in a game that lost all of its meaning when UCLA became bowl ineligible last week...Washington beat Washington State, proving nothing, but hopefully raising Jake Locker back into Heisman contention...Cincinnati followed up their 2 straight Big East titles by going 4-8 in Butch Jones's first year...Finally, UNLV lost to Hawaii. Those poor UNLV players, leaving Las Vegas to go to Hawaii and then come back to Las Vegas. I feel really sorry for Hawaii, whose players must make a return trip next season!

That's all for the Conference Championship breakdown. Stay tuned for the bowl previews, thoughts on Urban Meyer leaving, and the inevitable victory of Cam Newton in Heisman voting.

*-"Those of us" are basically just Virginia Tech fans and former kickers. Don't tell anyone.

Saturday in Review 11/27/10

Normally, I just do Saturday games, assuming that no one wants to read a 1,000 word article about the Thursday night games. Weeks like these, however, force a blogger's hand. He must either write about them all or stick to his guns and miss all the fun. And in many ways, most of the fun was on Friday. So let's get started, shall we?

#21 Arizona-29, #1 Oregon-48

Well, surprise, surprise. Oregon trailed at the half and pulled ahead in the second half. Mind you, they only trailed 19-14. The Ducks "blur" offense has been a slow-starting one for most of this season. I've said this before. Not much has changed, and if Oregon and Auburn play in the national title (a very realistic thing at this point), we could see a scoreless first quarter, followed by a 63-57 game...Hey, speaking of Auburn.

#2 Auburn-28, #11 Alabama-27

I have never seen a Nick Saban coached team blow a 24-0 lead. I assume Auburn's trainers served Holy Water at the half. It's the only rational step, really. (I kid, I kid.)

In all seriousness, it was an excellent comeback by Auburn, including this excellent defensive play, where Alabama's Mark Ingram lost the ball. Yes, I just used "excellent defensive play" when I was talking about Auburn's defense. These things happen, don't take it as a sign of approval. I still don't like the fact that our two realistic potential national championship teams are basically defense-free squads. But, then again, being a cranky old man trapped in a 24 year old's body comes with its downsides. One is that I apparently like the way football was played in the '30s...

I dare say that Auburn does deserve the top spot in the country, though. They play in a tough defensive conference, and they still average almost 42 points per game. None too shabby. Also, that Alabama staffer who got fired shouldn't have been. There's nothing wrong with having a sense of humor...

#3 TCU-66, New Mexico-17

#3 team in the country beats a 1 win conference foe by almost 50? Yeah, this doesn't need analysis.

#4 Boise State-31, #19 Nevada-34 (OT)

OK, Boise's kicker is taking quite a bit of heat for this one. And, yeah, he should have hit at least one of those field goals. But you know what? There are 11 offensive starters and 11 defensive starters who have to share some of the blame, too. As far as I'm concerned, you never put the game in the hands of the officials or the kickers. Virginia Tech put their game against Boise in the refs' hands and lost. Boise put this game in the kicker's hands (or feet) (if you laughed at that parenthetical comment, take a good hard reevaluation of your life) and lost.

Lastly, to all the Boise haters, don't look so smug and don't kid yourselves. For you, there was nothing Boise State could have done to please you: They lose to WAC competition and they were "inferior" and didn't deserve their high ranking. They go undefeated, and they were playing "weak competition" and didn't deserve their high ranking. The Broncos loss does realistically open the door for TCU, and I wish the Frogs the best. Boise will still go to a decent bowl, where they'll hopefully be paired off with a good BCS conference team. That way, when they beat them, we can hear more creative excuses from Ohio State's President about how the loss to Nevada far outweighs any victories against BCS schools.

Lastly, no, I'm not a Boise State apologist. I'm on their side in this scenario, because they would've been wronged by the system anyway. Heck, at least this loss ensures that Boise won't have to endure having an undefeated season and still get shorted. The downside, obviously, is that Boise won't go to a BCS bowl, while the ACC and Big East champions will...

#5 LSU-23, #12 Arkansas-31

Arkansas could easily (and with Boise's loss probably will) go to a BCS bowl now. I'm wondering when the SEC will suffer its fall.

Yeah, I know that sounds silly, but you have to think about it: Once upon a time it was assumed that Big 10 teams and Notre Dame were the unbeatable juggernauts of the land. If history teaches us anything, it's that dominance is always temporary. The SEC will eventually suffer a fall from grace, no matter how temporary.

I'm also curious if there's anyone in the SEC who is pro-playoff. Sure, they might claim to be, but I see no reason any SEC team should want a playoff, not having had a team in the big game for the last 4 years...

Why, no, I didn't get to watch this game. How'd you know?

Oregon State-0, #6 Stanford-38

You know, Oregon State started the season with very high hopes. They end the season with an shot at making a bowl and taking Oregon out of the national title game. Actually, it's sort of interesting that an Oregon loss could take them out of the BCS. I guess that gives hope to the Beavers. Rather unfortunately, losing by 38 to a team that Oregon beat by 21 can't give OSU much hope.

Stanford, meanwhile, looks poised to be the Pac-10's second BCS team. The Pac-10 is a mixed conference this season: the top half is really good. The bottom half is really bad, so bad that at max 5 Pac-10 teams will be going bowling. (Should be 6, but Southern Cal was done before the season started.) So...yeah...should be interesting to see what happens this week up in Oregon.

Northwestern-23, #7 Wisconsin-70

Wisconsin's scored a ton these past few weeks. Mind you, they've done so largely against inferior foes, but it worked. They didn't get passed by Ohio State (shockingly) in the latest BCS poll, so they'll be going to the Rose Bowl. Mind you, in the BCS standings they are only separated by .0553 points. That's...far too close for two teams that've played one another head to head. Two of the computers actually had Wisconsin ranked below OSU, a team that they beat. Oh, how I long for a playoff...

Michigan-7, #8 Ohio State-37

Dear Michigan,

Congrats on your 7-5 record. You can't have a losing season. Unfortunately, you have beaten exactly 4 teams with winning records (3 if you don't count UMass, which most people don't). In other words, you have successfully pulled of being mediocre. I know these letters are repetitive, but I can't shake the feeling that the national media just doesn't pay attention when I say, "Michigan isn't that good!" So, tell you what Michigan, I will call you mediocre until you beat at least one team that finishes the season ranked. This year isn't looking good for you, unless you beat your bowl team. If they have anything resembling a competent defense, you're in trouble. Have fun next season, though.

Sincerely,

Bones

#13 Oklahoma-47, #9 Oklahoma State-41

Bedlam, pure and simple. Yes, it's a great rivalry name, but it's also one of the few adequate ways to describe the back and forth, 40 point 4th quarter. There's a 3-way tie on top of the Big 12 South and Texas is in last in the division. That's...nuts. Oklahoma wins the division, though, and now has a shot at the BCS. After losing 2 of 3 in the middle of the season, that ain't too shabby for the Sooners, much as I hate to admit it.

Oh, and until proven otherwise, Oklahoma owns Oklahoma State. Eight straight years isn't an accident...

#10 Michigan State-28, Penn State-22

Ugh, a fairly boring game. At least Penn State made a comeback. Just fell short. It was a mediocre year for the once-ranked Nittany Lions, but I think they'll be fine next season. For now, they're jockeying for position with Michigan to see who gets in the Big 10's least-watched bowls. Michigan State is tied for the Big 10 lead, but their low ranking means that they'll go to the 3rd most important bowl. Which is unfair, because they're only ranked lower than Wisconsin or Ohio State because their loss came later in the season. Sorry, but that's just silly...

Kansas-7, #14 Missouri-35

Kansas isn't very good. Hopefully Turner Gill can turn things around. No, that was not a pun, do not treat it as such. Missouri's had a good year, but the large crop of good (well, high ranked) teams from the Big 10 and SEC will likely keep them out of the BCS. It doesn't help that they didn't make it to the conference championship. Still, with the big red hurdle of Nebraska out of the way next season, they'll have a good shot at taking the Big...whatever number they'll use next season...

Colorado-17, #15 Nebraska-45

Colorado needed a miracle to beat a much better Nebraska team. Long story short, they didn't get it, and Nebraska is headed to the Big 12 Championship game. Should be interesting to see if the Huskers can beat the crowd, the refs, and the Sooners. If they do, it'll leave a very bitter taste in the mouths of the Big 12 conference heads.

Virginia-7, #16 Virginia Tech-37

The rivalry for the Commonwealth Cup has been pretty one-sided this decade. Virginia has won once since 1999, and their last 4 graduating classes have never beaten Tech. I was at this game, but there's not much to tell. The first quarter was an embarrassment for the Hokies, what with the whole lack of scoring, but they successfully pulled ahead of the Cavs in the 2nd. The game didn't have much meaning aside from the rivalry aspect: Tech was already headed to the ACC Championship Game, and UVa wasn't going to be going bowling regardless of the outcome. The Hokies are in for a heck of a fight in Charlotte with the Florida State Seminoles, and the winner of that game will go to the Orange Bowl.

One final piece of advice. When watching a game in 30 degree weather with winds of 10-15 mph, take lip balm. My lips have never been so chapped. It burns!

#17 Texas A&M-24, Texas-17

Texas had a year that can only adequately be described as bad. Their wins were against Rice, Wyoming, Texas Tech, Nebraska, and Florida Atlantic. The Nebraska win is pretty good (on the road, etc.) but the others are underwhelming. In an area with prime recruiting and a proud tradition, this season probably looks disastrous. But at least there's new blood at the top of the division. I suppose that makes things interesting. Texas is supposed to dominate the new-look Big Whatever Number, but if they have another season like this one, they may fire Mack Brown instead.

A&M, meanwhile, didn't win the South because of their 3 losses, but they did screw up Oklahoma's shot at a one-loss year. So that has to count for something...

#18 South Carolina-29, Clemson-7

The SEC and ACC played 4 games on this particular Saturday. The ACC won 2 of the 4 Yeah, I know it's selective history and the Vandy/Wake game only proves who has the better cellar dweller. But, hey, living in a region where SEC superiority is rammed down down my throat every Saturday, it's nice to see the little brother conference break even. This game, however, is like the Florida State/Florida game: a meaningless in-state matchup in which one conference's division leader plays a mediocre team from the other conference. Surprise, surprise, the division leader won. South Carolina is now looking forward to Auburn, hoping to correct their September mistakes and win the game with their second set of Tigers in two weeks.

Clemson finished at 6-6, thus proving my mediocrity hypothesis correct. Keep the dream alive, boys! Find a way to tie the bowl game!

BYU-16, #20 Utah-17

Utah clips BYU in an exciting game in a boring state (sorry, sorry...). Utah seems to have recovered pretty well from their little skid to TCU and Notre Dame, and they should make some nameless western bowl. Hopefully one sponsored by a diet pill or something...

Florida-7, #22 Florida State-31

This game was a lot like the South Carolina/Clemson game: a meaningless in-state matchup in which one conference's division leader plays a mediocre team from the other conference. Surprise, surprise, the division leader won. FSU will be playing in what should be a close ACC Championship game, while Florida will go to a non-BCS bowl for the first time in 2 years...

#23 NC State-31, Maryland-38

Some handy hints for the Wolfpack in the future: 1: Don't fall behind 38-17 with 6 and a half minutes left. Not a recipe for success.

2: If a guy has already scored 3 receiving touchdowns, cover him so he doesn't score a 4th touchdown. Just a tip.

Congrats to Maryland, who had an impact on the ACC Championship game after all...

#24 Iowa-24, Minnesota-27

As far as I'm concerned, this loss means that Iowa should not accept their bowl bid. Minnesota?! New coach or no, that's sad.

#25 Mississippi State-31, Ole Miss-23

So a team that lost to a 1-AA school to open up the season loses to their ranked rival at home. Are we surprised? Yes, use the James Madison line if you must, but at least Virginia Tech didn't crap out, which is more than anyone can say for the Rebels, who finished a whopping 1-7 in conference.

And now...Tales from the Bottom 95

Miami fired their coach after losing to South Florida. Pity, because Shannon was a stand-up guy. Guess Miami got tired of losing with integrity, so they'll probably go back to winning with thugs...Louisville beat Rutgers and got to be bowl eligible. Good job, Cardinals! An impressive recovery from the previous bad years. They could make some noise in the Big East if Strong stays coach...Akron got their first win...Tennessee gained bowl eligibility by beating Kentucky for the 26th straight time...UConn beat Cincinnati in what realistically could have been a game between the former and future Big East champs. And now, listen for the vomiting noise from fans of Top 15 teams that won't go to the BCS...Boston College beat Syracuse, so the ACC and Big East went 1-1 against each other this Saturday. Most fans in both conferences are eagerly awaiting basketball season..UNC beat Duke in a game attended by almost 8 fans!...Florida International, 4 years removed from a winless season, clinched the Sun Belt title this week. Congrats to the Golden Panthers!...Georgia became bowl eligible by beating Georgia Tech. No one outside of Georgia cares...Notre Dame beat Southern Cal. Ahem, BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Even when they were ineligible, people actually had Southern Cal ranked. Please, someone, find me those voters...Idaho got shut out of a bowl with a loss to Fresno State...If Hawaii wins their bowl game they can have a 10 win season. As it is, they're 9-3 and the only team that beat Nevada. Congrats to the Warriors. Here's hoping you get to stay in Hawaii for your bowl...

And that's it for the week. See you later!

Tackling Unpopular Issues: The Tie

Today, I'm going to begin writing a series of undetermined length and frequency wherein I attempt to address the problems present in college football. My ideas might offend some of our readers, but it is important to understand some things:

1) These are the rants of someone with literally no power over the college football system.

2) What I'm making are suggestions, not announcements of how things must be

3) You may disagree with what I say, but please make cogent arguments (with references!) if you disagree. Don't just write "ur idea sux" because that doesn't say anything. Furthermore, please don't get too worked up about anything, because points one through three are superseded by point four...

4) I don't really care too much what your opinion is. You shouldn't care too much what my opinion is. This is an opinion piece on the Internet, for crying out loud. If you disagree, either tell me why or go Google the opinion of someone with whom you agree.

OK, let's get started!

Issue #1: The Tie

College football overtime is one of the more unique aspects of the sport. Mind you, the BCS is also "unique," so don't go mistaking that for a compliment...

Prior to 1996, the end of regulation was the end of a game. If the game was tied, then the game went down in the official record books as a tie. The situation was hardly ideal, but college football had made it work for years, so no one was overly bothered by ties. Take note that I'm not looking back with nostalgia here, as the majority of games still ended in regulation. I'm not holding up the tie as something that was once common, yet is now extinct. I'm merely saying that, up until fourteen years ago, it was an option.

Unfortunately, we live in a nation where the tie is anathema. We believe that there must be a winner and a loser, that there has to be a clear-cut outcome. This is a problem for a variety of reasons, predominant among them the fact that reality rarely provides clear-cut outcomes.

Doubtless you've all heard of the "Fall of the Roman Empire?" That's a problem because the Western Roman Empire never really fell, per se. It faded slowly but surely, and we tend to date the "fall" as the deposing of the Roman Emperor Romulus Augustus in 476. But Romulus Augustus had no real power! It would be like deposing the Queen of England and declaring that the United Kingdom was kaput! We want everything to be clean, cut and dry, but almost nothing in history is an overnight, black and white thing. The Renaissance was a process, the American Revolution was a messy back-and-forth conflict, the Constitution required a do-over, and I could go on, but if you're like my students you stopped paying attention around the beginning of this paragraph.

Now, I'm aware that sports provide an escape from reality, so the same rules shouldn't apply, should they? Well, the grand majority of sports contests (regardless of what sport it is) don't end in a tie. For many, they can't end in a tie, because their rules don't allow it. It's when regulation ends in a tie that things get weird. Baseball mandates that teams play extra innings until there's a score difference at the end of an inning. Hockey now dictates that you play a sudden-death period followed by a shootout. Basketball makes teams play until an overtime period ends with a score difference. Pro football has a system wherein the teams play sudden-death, meaning that the first team within field goal range usually wins.

And college football? Well, the overtime system in college football is some bizarre hybrid of baseball's inning system and hockey's shootout system. Teams play until there's a score difference at the end of an overtime, forcing one team into the loss category and one team into the wins category. In theory, this should separate out the winners from the losers, making it easier to determine who the national champion should be.

Except it hasn't. You'd have to be an idiot to blame the championship confusion in college football on the overtime system, but the mere presence of championship confusion negates the concept of an arbitrary "win or lose" system. In two of the 14 seasons since the "no tie" system was developed, we've had split champions. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you can't even decide an overall champion with this system, then what's the point in forcing a team to either win or lose a game?

Furthermore, in 2004 there were 3 undefeated teams, but only two got a shot at the title. In 2009 there were five undefeated teams, and only two got a shot at the title. In 2007, there was one undefeated team, and a one-loss school and a two-loss school went toe-to-toe for the title. Interestingly enough, there was quite a bit of controversy about that two-loss team making the title game. If ties were allowed at the end of regulation (the old system), then LSU would have gone 12-0-2, potentially reducing their controversy quotient. The system forces us to have a "one or the other" mentality with teams in the championship and it further compounds that error with forcing a "one or the other" outcome in a game.

At present, there are four undefeated teams in college football: Oregon, Auburn, Boise State, and TCU. Of those four, Auburn was the only one forced into overtime, in a game against Clemson. I'm curious to see where that would put the Tigers now. It wouldn't have changed their status in the SEC (they're undefeated) but who knows what it could have done to the title hopes of the Tigers. Would a tie with mediocre Clemson be as bad as, say, a loss to Wisconsin? We'll not get to find out, at least this season.

College football's version of overtime is a sham anyway: Football is a sport where defenses are allowed to bend, but not break. I've discussed this before, but even in blowout games, the winning team is going to give up some yardage. It's a part of the game. So to determine the outcome of a 7-7 game, you give the ball to each team on the 25 yard line and tell them to slug it out? Gee, I wonder who has the advantage in that scenario? Actually, just click this link. Offense is mistakenly thought of as "more exciting" than defense, because you have to score points to win in any game. Unfortunately, if an offense is clicking, you wind up with games like the ugly, poorly defended game on November 6 in the Big House. If watching two ragged defenses get run over in a game with a final score of 67-65 is your idea of good football, then you might ought to consider a sport with higher scoring, i.e. basketball.

Near as I can tell, there are three solutions. The first, and most likely, is that nothing will change. It's disheartening, but I also like to be realistic. The likelihood is that all college football games will continue to have this system of determining game outcomes for the foreseeable future.

Another solution is the old way: Games that end in a tie in regulation just end. It's not a great system, but it worked for, well, about a hundred years. But suppose a team had a chance to finish off a comeback, but were stifled by a lesser team stalling to keep the ball and playing for a tie. What about that scenario?

Well, that's why I propose what I call the "5th quarter OT" rules: After the end of regulation, you have a coin toss. Visiting team calls it, winner either receives or differs, etc. Same as the start of a game. The game clock is set to 15:00, play proceeds as normal. If a team scores, they kickoff to the other team. All "regular" rules apply, each team gets two timeouts, and play continues for those 15 minutes. In a regular season game, at the end of the OT period, if the teams are still tied, the game ends in a tie. No ifs, ands, or buts. "Superior" teams who were unable to beat "inferior" opponents in regulation got an extra 15 minutes, did nothing with it, and tied.

Under this proposed system, if conference championship games and bowl games are tied after 1 overtime, play continues with another OT period exactly like the first one. My logic here is this: Yes, players will be dog tired after playing not one, but two (or three, etc.) extra periods. But they'll have a month to recover if it's the conference championship game, and many months to recover if it's their bowl.

So there you have it, my proposal to bring back the tie. It would apply to a minimal number of games in any given season, and it would hopefully allow us to see a change in the way overtime works in any given season. So what do you think? Remember, if you disagree, please tell me why, don't just rip an idea because you think it's silly, actually come up with your own alternatives! And remember, this is the proposal of one guy, not something that's on the NCAA's list of things to do...

Saturday in Review 11/20/10

There are times where a guy has to challenge himself. This week, the challenge is to pretend that anything interesting happened in college football. To that end, I aim to make this week's Saturday in Review an exciting, thrill-a-minute palooza of pure joy. I'm going to cut to the quick, and tell you exactly what was interesting in each and every game from the Top 25. Let's begin, shall we?

Fresno State-0, #4 Boise State-51

What was interesting: The fact that this game was on Friday! And the fact that the top 3 teams in the nation had the week off. Congratulations, Boise State, for biting the bullet and actually playing a game in late November. That was very noble of you! Also interesting, the fact that this game is Boise's 4th highest point total on the year! So congrats to Fresno State, who held the Broncos to fewer points than Idaho, New Mexico State, or Toledo!

Ole Miss-36, #5 LSU-43

What was interesting: When isn't an LSU game interesting? They successfully beat Alabama, went down to the Swamp and beat Florida, and narrowly clipped mediocre Tennessee at home. Heck, they struggled with McNeese State for about a half. I'm really hoping that the Arkansas game this week goes into double overtime and LSU wins on a fumbled extra point that the long snapper picks up and lugs into the endzone. Hey, a guy can dream.

#6 Stanford-48, Cal-14

What was interesting: The fact that Stanford's mascot is the Cardinal. That's singular! They're one of a very few teams whose mascot doesn't end in "s." And that's about the only thing that's interesting about a 48-14 game, especially one that was 45-0 going into the 4th quarter.

#7 Wisconsin-48, Michigan-28

What was interesting: What's interesting? Well, I get to write a letter! That's interesting, dang it!

Dear Michigan,

Hey, it's me again. You never respond to my letters. I originally thought it was because you were so busy with that tough schedule that includes nonconference giants such as UConn and UMass and Bowling Green. Any hoo, I'm glad that you made it out of the nonconference slate untouched by defeat, because it meant you only had to win 2 conference games to make a bowl. You did, so congratulations. But you still haven't replied to any of my letters! You still have yet to explain exactly why you fired Lloyd Carr. Was it because he lost that one game to App State? Because since then you guys are undefeated against 1-AA schools, so I guess that's an accomplishment. Mind you, you've only beaten two ranked teams since the '07 season, and neither of those schools finished the season in the Top 25. You have no defense and your offense tends to fall apart against teams that are even remotely decent at defending. In short, you have successfully attained mediocrity. I really can't wait to read the newspaper articles in 2011, proclaiming that you are back and that Denard Robinson is going to lead you to a Big 10 title in 2011. Until then, enjoy your trip to the Big Al's House of Staplers Bowl in Paducah, Kentucky.

Swarthily,

Bones

PS: Wisconsin...keep winning! I really really really want to see how the BCS explains Ohio State leapfrogging you for the conference title!

#8 Nebraska-6, #19 Texas A&M-9

What was interesting: Conspiracy theories! Crummy offense! Bo Pelini looking like the villain from a poorly made Sci-Fi film! (Full disclosure, that picture is from the '08 Virginia Tech game) Plus, the lone Top 25 upset of the week! This was a great game. Unless of course you like to watch halfway decent offense or good officiating. In that case, the game was more infuriating and less entertaining. Also of interest, one of my first truly random stats o' the year:

Nebraska's record against teams in the state of Texas: 0-2

Nebraska's record against teams from anywhere else in the country: 9-0

Here's hoping for the Huskers that they don't get TCU in their bowl game...

#9 Ohio State-20, #20 Iowa-17

What was interesting: I had a full writeup of this planned, then Ohio State's president said something impossibly stupid. So you know what? As much as I am pained to do it, I will be cheering for Michigan this weekend. It beats listening to this tripe.

#10 Oklahoma State-48, Kansas-14

What was interesting: Oklahoma State's presence in the Top 10 is pretty dang interesting. In the sense that they're there because no one else can say "we only have one loss." Kansas is also interesting, in the same way that a train wreck is interesting.

Purdue-31, #12 Michigan State-35

What was interesting: Purdue almost ruined my dream of a three-way Big 10 tie! And Michigan State looked horrible for three quarters, something they can't afford to do against a Penn State team that isn't great, but much better than Purdue.

#13 Arkansas-38, #21 Mississippi State-31 (2OT)

What was interesting: Double overtime in the SEC? Hey, man, that's pretty exciting! Mind you, thanks to our current system, no one out side of the deep south legitimately believes that this game had any effect on anything. If Arkansas can beat LSU this coming weekend they may sneak into a BCS bowl. Yeah, try that on for size...

#14 Oklahoma-53, Baylor-24

What was interesting: I can't use the "Baylor's back to being Baylor" joke 3 times in a row, can I? Yes, I can. If this game with this score had happened last year, it'd be totally unremarkable. I'll put this another way: Anyone remember '08, when Vandy climbed into the top 15, then finished by barely making a bowl game? Yeah, that's this year's Baylor squad. Also interesting: The fact that Oklahoma could still conceivably make the Big 12 title game and a BCS Bowl by beating Oklahoma State this weekend. Frankly, I hope it happens so people will stop acting like the Big 12 is a power conference...

#15 Missouri-14, Iowa State-0

What was interesting: Iowa State stuck with the Missouri and the only other ranked team in their division of the Big 12 (Nebraska). It's weird, because they seem to be right on the cusp of having a great season (or a decent one) but they never seem to get above .500. They ended this season at 5-7, though, so no bowl for the Cyclones. Missouri, meanwhile, has to beat Kansas and hope that Colorado upsets Nebraska. In other words, there is a major battle going on out in the states that only about 12 people live in. Yeah, I might have East Coast Bias, but that's just because I can't watch any games from West of the Mississippi...

#16 Virginia Tech-31, #24 Miami-17

What was interesting: I've spent some time on the ESPN forums. It was a mistake, but I did learn something critical: Miami fans still think their program is legitimate. I swear, it's true! Hey, man, it's funny to me, too. Miami, which hasn't come close to winning a title since their last one, has a fan base that still thinks they should be in the title chase year in and year out. At what point do they qualify as Notre Dame South?

Other interesting bit: The last time Virginia Tech won this many games in a row was in 1999, the only year the Hokies have ever been to the National Title game. Sad that this year it came after 2 straight losses.

Last bits of interesting bits in this game: 1) Virginia Tech clinched their division of the ACC, 2) those Miami fans that think they're relevant are the same ones who left their stadium 3/4ths empty by the end of Saturday's game, and 3) there's still quite a bit of lingering hatred between Virginia Tech and Miami fans, just in case you couldn't tell.

Troy-24, #17 South Carolina-69

What was interesting: That SEC teams are allowed to do this in November. (See also: The Alabama game that I refuse to write about because it's a travesty. No, I'm not even going to provide a link to it.)

New Mexico State-6, #19 Nevada-52

What was interesting: Not much. This game sets up a big matchup between Boise and Nevada to end the season. The BCS is praying that the Wolf Pack stay in the game. I guess it's also interesting that D-1A (FBS) programs in New Mexico are a combined 3-19. That is...remarkably bad.

#23 Utah-38, San Diego State-34

What was interesting: Well, a team from Utah beat San Diego State without having alumni in the replay booth. I guess that's newsworthy. Also newsworthy are the Aztecs, who have gone from 4-8 to 7-4. Those four losses are by a combined 15 points. That, my friends, is a pretty impressive turnaround. In the interest of equality, congrats to Utah for pulling out of that 2 game skid. If the Utes beat BYU this weekend, they should be able to go to a halfway decent bowl game! Hooray!

#25 Florida State-30, Maryland-16

What was interesting: Surprisingly, this game was only blown open when Maryland threw a pick-six in the red zone with under a minute left in the game. That loss knocked Maryland out of the hunt for the ACC Championship game. That's right, the ACC was bad enough this season that MARYLAND was in the hunt for the conference title until the second to last game of the year. Also interesting: Florida State has gone from "Beat Maryland, beat Maryland, beat Maryland!" to, "Go Terps, go!" If Maryland wins this weekend, the 'Noles go to the ACC Championship game. Otherwise, NC State will play Virginia Tech in Charlotte on December 4th. Either way, it will be a matchup to determine who goes to a BCS Bowl. (That sound you're currently hearing is the collective vomiting of fans of SEC and Big 10 schools whose Top 10 ranked squads won't get into BCS games because of the Big East and ACC Champions. You're welcome, kids. Got a problem with it? Change the system!)

So that's all for the interesting stuff. Now, let's get vindictive with...

Tales from the Bottom 95

First off, apologies to Sloppy whose article about this Saturday used the term "uneventful." So I wrote this whole thing with my tongue firmly in my cheek, to prove how "eventful" even a boring Saturday can be...In actual sports news, NC State beat Carolina in a thriller. Well, a thriller so long as you were willing to ignore the fact that it was ACC football..Also, I can't believe I didn't note that this was the 4th straight Saturday in Review without a single mention of the Big East. Seriously, unless they go undefeated in the bowls, the Big East might consider relinquishing BCS status. At least the ACC has 2 ranked teams. Heck, at least the ACC has more than one team with 3 losses or fewer...For now...Tennessee beat Vandy, meaning the Vols are one win away from another crummy bowl!...Special thanks to Oregon State for smacking Southern Cal around...Florida beat App State 48-10, in a battle of teams that I'm Constitutionally obligated to despise...Georgia Tech attained bowl eligibility by beating Duke by 10 at home. O! How the mighty have fallen!...Eastern Michigan picked up their second win on the season, so a non-sarcastic congrats to the Eagles...The San Jose State Spartans, owners of a murderous schedule, are 1-10 following a road loss to Hawaii. Oh, well, at least they got to go to Hawaii...

And I was going to type something about the game at Wrigley, but ESPN pounded us over the head with that one so much that I no longer care. Oh, well. See you next Saturday!