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 Furthermore, please don't get too worked up about anything, because points one through three are superseded by point four...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!

Saturday in Review 11/13/10

Sorry this is late (unsurprising) and short (incredibly surprising) but real life does, unbelievably, occasionally have to take priority over the blog. Guess that bumps me down a notch on the loyalty scale, eh? So without further ado, rambling on the week that was:

#1 and #2 in trouble? What was this, a flashback to 2007? The Oregon Ducks escaped on what can only adequately be described as a technicality (Oregon fans, remember, build your effigy flammable, but not too flammable. It should be a slow burn) and Auburn, well, they struggled, and it's anyone's guess as to why.

Yeah, I know, it seems "obvious" that it was the "pressure" on Cam Newton, but I have a hard time buying it. You'd be a fool to deny that there's a psychological aspect to any sport (football included) but if Newton's activities really were illegal (innocent until proven guilty, kids, like it or not) then he had to be playing under the pressure of getting caught all season. I think we should attribute this less to Newton's off the field indiscretions, and more towards the fact that Auburn struggles when they play teams with halfway decent defenses. Yeah, the Tigers are undefeated, but all of their close games except for one (Kentucky) have come against teams in the Top 40 in scoring defense. Auburn is a Big 12 school in the SEC: They score points in bundles, but they have a paper thin defense. Something will have to give next week against Alabama, and for the sanctity of college football, I kinda hope it's the Tigers' undefeated season.

In analogy news, James Madison : Boise State :: Notre Dame : TCU. Seriously, Utah, what the heck?

Speaking of TCU, they too skated by the San Diego State Aztecs. That's much more damaging for the Horned Frogs, because voters are, generally speaking, ignorant. They'll cut down TCU for narrowly defeating their mediocre competition, but Oregon narrowly nips Cal and stays #1. I will put money that if the Boise State/Nevada game is close (it probably won't be), Boise will lose points in the BCS standings. Despite the fact that Nevada beat Cal who nearly beat Oregon! Know what? Let's just skip the pretense right now. If Oregon and Auburn each lose late in the season, I'm calling an LSU vs. Wisconsin final. And then I will personally lead the mob that marches on NCAA Headquarters.

Boise State hammered Idaho back on Friday. Good to know that Western Carolina/App State isn't the only obscure, one-sided rivalry with one media darling and one punching bag.

LSU played in-state "rival" UL-Monroe and beat them 51-0. Props to LSU for only having one loss this late in the season, but I'm still convinced that this team is 4 or 5 unlucky breaks away from being 4-6. And they're about 2 lucky breaks away from being the undefeated frontrunners for the national title. Isn't having a sport with an arbitrary and outdated championship system fun?

I will only mention Wisconsin's hammering of Indiana briefly: Sure, it was wrong, but the Oregon team that I like to praise has delivered similar beatings to multiple teams this season, so I can't be a total hypocrite and hammer the Badgers. Allow me to say, though, that Bucky Badger is a stupid looking mascot. There. Take that, Wisconsin!

Texas is in last place in their division. Look, we all expected a little fall, but this is absurd!

Southern Cal defeated Arizona. Congrats, Coach Kiffin! You've now ruined 3 teams' seasons!

Baylor has, once again, remembered who they were. That is to say, Baylor.

Virginia Tech avenged (I guess) last year's loss to North Carolina. They still have to beat Miami or UVa to wrap up a spot in the ACC Championship. As to the other division of the ACC? Ugh...hard to figure out.

I do, however, have a suggestion for a new conference motto: "The ACC: At least we're not the Big East." What do you think? Catchy?

Quick shout out to the Southern Miss players who were badly wounded in a bar shooting on Saturday night. No, they shouldn't have been there, but they also didn't deserve to get shot.

That's all for the week. I promise next week will: A) not be so short and B) not end on such a downer. Until then...take care!

Saturday in Review 11/6/10

It seemed that all top 25 teams were required to flip a coin this week. If the coin landed on heads, they got to blow out their opponent. If the coin landed on heads, then they had to play a tough slog against a theoretically inferior foe. If the coin landed on its side, then Baylor had to go back to being Baylor. You can guess which team got which as we do our rundown:

Washington-16, #1 Oregon-53

Jake Locker was benched for this one, so those of you hoping for a bit of schadenfreude (look it up!) from this section might ought to move on. This is actually a pretty vanilla review, with only one real major point: Oregon has been starting slowly of late. Their offense is averaging 54.7 points per game, far and away the best in the country, yet in 4 of the last 5 games, they've started out in a dog fight with their competition. The lowly Washington schools stuck with Oregon through the first half and Stanford jumped out to a 21-3 lead on the Ducks before Oregon launched their comeback. As a matter of fact, the only time Oregon jumped out to an oppressively huge lead in October was when they jumped atop UCLA. Oregon's slow starts have to be bothersome to their fans, and they could very easily run into late game trouble against Arizona, rival Oregon State, or their bowl opponent. Washington, meanwhile, is still bad.

Chattanooga-24, #2 Auburn-62

There is no excuse for this game to be on here this late. ESPN commentators were saying that Cam Newton had pretty much clenched the Heisman as the highlights of this game rolled. Really? You're gonna say that his game against a 1-AA team (and a mediocre 1-AA team at that) is the proof that he's the most outstanding player in the country? That would be the equivalent of saying that since all the ACC teams but Virginia Tech beat their 1-AA cupcake, then Virginia Tech was doomed to finish last in the ACC. Except they won't. Cupcake games don't prove very much, and this one is no exception. I just find it funny that SEC teams pull this crap frequently whereas most other schools get their uninteresting opponents out of the way first. And they're given a free pass, largely because they sneak their games in late. In these waning weeks of the season, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky play 1-AA schools. That's...sad.

#3 TCU-47, #5 Utah-7

I only got to watch the highlights of this game, but it would seem that the score tells the story. Utah got hammered from the get-go, and TCU's defense was rather impressive as well. I guess this is actually for the best if you're not a Utah fan. Between this win, Boise's hammering of Hawaii (see below) and Alabama's loss to LSU, a loss for Auburn or Oregon would all but certainly force the BCS to work some dark magic to get a major conference team over both Boise and TCU. So, good for you TCU. Congrats on hammering a top 5 team. As for Utah, apologies that you had to be a sacrificial lamb.

Hawaii-7, #4 Boise State-42

So much for the big WAC matchup, eh? I guess the real big WAC matchup is still the Nevada/Boise State game, but the fact that Hawaii beat Nevada doesn't bode well for the Wolf Pack when Boise shows up in Reno on November 26th. You may be wondering why this one is so brief. The answer to that is twofold: 1) I didn't get to watch this game and 2) you'll get your schadenfreude in the next review.

#6 Alabama-21, #10 LSU-24

Let's all pause to savor this for a second. First off, allow me to announce that when I saw this thing last January, I told my roommate "Don't you have to win more than one championship in the last 15 years to be considered a dynasty?" This is a problem that we have here in American culture: we assume things. We want to be right in advance, we want to be able to say "I knew Alabama was a dynasty back when they'd only won one!" And assumptions such as these are what makes laughable covers continue to be brought out. 'Bama's not a bad football team, but they're not getting the lucky breaks they did last season (example here). And, like it or not, luck does factor into our delightfully stupid system.

In short, the Alabama "dynasty" myth assumed several things. It assumed that they'd be able to keep on winning in the SEC, assumed that they wouldn't run into trouble on the road, and assumed that teams would see Mark Ingram and Nick Saban and simply roll over and cower in fear. I guess I'm glad that LSU won. It all sort of comes out even, what with Les Miles being almost completely insane, yet defeating the evil forces of Nick Saban and his ilk. Let's just keep rolling along...

#7 Nebraska-31, Iowa State-30

There's always those teams that give good squads runs for their money. Case in point: Iowa State and Nebraska. Nebraska is almost always better than the Cyclones, yet Iowa State always seems to be in the game against the Huskers. Nebraska has only beaten Iowa State by more than 14 one time since 2004. In that span, Iowa State has been to 3 bowl games, won one, and been a generally worse team than Nebraska. Yeah, that's even with the Callahan era of Nebraska football included.

In this one, Iowa State nearly beat Nebraska on a last second fake extra point, but the ball fell into the hands of a Nebraska defender in overtime. Allow me to say that, even though it didn't work, it was a great call by Iowa State. Yes, I'll take crap for this. I also don't care. Iowa State is .500, and their schedule looks like it will allow them to go 6-6 and make another trip to an obscure bowl game. They had a chance to catch a top 10 team off guard, humiliate them for a second straight season, and turn the Big 12 North into anyone's race. I imagine that there's an alternate universe where Boise State's amazing 2 point conversion failed. In that alternate universe, Boise is still criticized to this day by idiots who say they should have kicked the extra point instead of going for two. The point is this: Coaches are criticized for being "too cautious" all the time. When coaches decide to be aggressive, they get criticized. I, for one, like to see aggressive coaching when it's intelligently aggressive. Let's put this another way: Boise State's 2 pointer, Georgia Tech's frequent 4th down attempts, Michigan State's fake field goal in OT earlier this season, and Iowa State's fake PAT here are all good examples of intelligent aggressiveness. Western Carolina's fake punt on 4th and 14 on its own 20 against #1 Appalachian State is an example of stupid aggressiveness. Any questions?

So, in conclusion, bravo, Cyclones. Here's hoping you beat Colorado and go back to the Insight Bowl or something. Nebraska...watch your backs.

#8 Oklahoma-19, Texas A&M-33

So this was a weird week for the Big 12. Their top teams kept losing games or getting into close fights. This game is one example. Oklahoma didn't even score until the 2nd half, and it seems legitimately hard to believe that they were ranked #1 in the BCS just 2 weeks ago. Now they're in 3rd place in the Big 12 South. Yeah, you read that right. I'm just as confused as you are...

Texas A&M is a tough place to play, so hats off to the Aggies. Congrats on your major upset! Now, I'd beat Baylor if I were you, or you're gonna wind up playing in the Liquid Paper Obscurity Bowl with Clemson. Actually, that goes for you, too, Oklahoma.

#9 Wisconsin-34, Purdue-13

Purdue held the lead at the half in this game, then successfully blew it in the second half. This is out of character for the Boilermakers. Normally, they suck in the first half and then make a meaningless comeback later. Nice of them to switch things up! Wisconsin's first half start was pathetic, but they pulled things together and ripped off a win. I, for one, hope the Big 10 has a tie at the top, the better to hear how Ohio State "deserves" the BCS bowl bid they'll be getting when they leapfrog Wisconsin for no good reason. So go Badgers, go Spartans, and go Buckeyes! You continue to provide evidence that our system rewards crappy nonconference scheduling and elitism!

#12 Missouri-17, Texas Tech-24

So this was weird week for the Big 12. Their top teams kept losing games and--wait, I've done this before, haven't I? Yep, right up there. The Big 12 is screwed up heavily, we just didn't realize how much so until this week. Case in point:

Kansas State beat Texas who beat Nebraska who beat Oklahoma State who beat Baylor who beat Texas Tech who beat Missouri who beat Texas A&M who beat Oklahoma who beat Iowa State who beat Kansas who beat Colorado.

That's the whole conference. I'd have gone into more detail, but I had to end with Colorado since they don't have a conference win. The Big 12 is one big convoluted mess, and Texas Tech's win is no more indicative of their football superiority than Texas A&M's over Oklahoma. The Big 12 is a conference where anyone can beat anyone--and they frequently do. No, I didn't analyze the game. If you need it this late, there's a site called ESPN.com for that sort of thing. And now, let's grind out the rest of these with unnecessary brevity.

#15 Arizona-17, #13 Stanford-42

You know, I actually thought this would be a close game that Arizona would pull out in the end. Mind you, I also thought that Virginia Tech would beat James Madison by 40, so what the frick do I know?

Minnesota-8, #14 Michigan State-31

Minnesota still sucks. Go Spartans! Get that 3 way tie!

#16 Iowa-18, Indiana-13

I think this might be a return to form for Iowa: Narrowly winning close games against vastly inferior foes? Heck, it got them to the BCS last season.

#21 Baylor-28, #17 Oklahoma State-55

Ah, Baylor. Welcome back to reality. We've missed you.

#18 Arkansas-41, #19 South Carolina-20

Seriously, I detest talking about Heisman hopefuls, but Ryan Mallett has gone a long way from "that kid who played for Michigan in their defeat at the hands of App State." Fun fact about Michigan: They could have kept Mallett if they hadn't fired Lloyd Carr. How are those moves working out for the Wolverines again?

As to this game...eh. South Carolina and Florida play next week to see who wins the SEC East title. I never thought I'd see the day that a game between two ranked SEC teams in early November would be utterly meaningless, but here we are. This game had no bearing on anything. Sad, ain't it?

#23 Nevada-63, Idaho-17

Good to know that, with the rise of Boise and Nevada, some teams are still lagging behind. Especially in terms of defense. Thanks, Idaho!

North Carolina-37, #24 Florida State-35

Florida State shouldn't have been ranked in the first place. But the fact that they were lets me write what could be the most vindictive two-word phrase in existence. Indeed, you'd be hard pressed to find any two words that can offend fans faster than these two offend Florida State fans. So, here goes:

Wide right.

#25 NC State-13, Clemson-14

Watching ACC football is excruciating. The second you think you might have an upstart team ready to rise above the mediocrity, they turn around and blow a 17 point lead at home, lose in overtime to a C-USA team that they gave 21 points to, and then follow up a win over Florida State with a mind blowingly poor performance against perennially mediocre Clemson. Seriously, losing to Clemson is the benchmark for mediocrity in the ACC. They're like a friggin' standardized weight for the conference. In 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2008 the Tigers finished a perfect .500 in conference. 4 times in 8 years? Why, even their record of mediocrity is mediocre! Keep your fingers crossed, boys and girls, because they're 3-3 right now! The dream of mediocrity is alive!

Speaking of mediocrity, it's time for...

Tales from the Bottom 95

Tennessee successfully defeated Memphis. If their loss to Alabama was their version of Normandy (hey, his words, not mine) then maybe this was their Battle of the Bulge. Mind you, that doesn't bode overly well for the rest of the season, but I doubt the victorious SEC divides the Volunteers in two for the next 50 years or so, forcing half into a drab communist system from which they desperately try to escape, as the old coaching staff flees to South America to escape the international response to their crimes against humanity...Think I might have stretched that one a wee bit too far...Speaking of "too far" when are we going to go back to the old overtime system that allows ties? Was there any reason for the 67-65 triple OT game at the Big House this weekend? Do you think Michigan or Illinois really cared that much?...Allow me to answer my own question: Yes, Michigan does, because they are finally bowl eligible again. Funny, I seem to recall them recovering alright from their loss to App, and finishing the season with a bowl win over a Florida team helmed by Saint Timmy himself. But, no, that knee-jerk reaction to a loss in September and the firing of their coach followed by 3 consecutive years of crappy football will be totally worth it when they go to the ExLax Nobody Gives a Crap Bowl in December...Duke took out Virginia. The same Virginia that beat Miami last week. The ACC is screwed up...With 4 weeks left in their seasons, there is not one Big East team that is bowl eligible or ineligible...Florida broke their 3 game losing streak with wins against a .500 team and an awful team. Congrats, Gators! Can't wait to hear how you're playing "the best football in the country right now" next time I watch ESPN...Joe Paterno picked up his 400th win. Good job, JoePa. Please retire now...Boston College beat Wake Forest in what was probably the least important game between 2 AQ schools this week...As stated above, Kansas State killed Texas. Not entirely sure what's going on down where the Longhorns roam, but they'd best get out of that funk quickly...

And that's it for the week. I hope you had fun!

Saturday in Review 10/30/10

No need for a flashy intro when there's games to get to. Just let me tell you that I swear on my blogger's badge (a homemade pin that I actually lost in late 2007) that I will not make any Halloween references outside of this one, which is just to explain that I will not be making said references. I make no promises regarding Election Day references. OK, we go!

#1 Auburn-51, Ole Miss-31

You know what? I'm sick of people treating Ole Miss like they're some sort of realistic threat in the SEC. They were overhyped last year, and they're overhyped now. As a Virginia Tech fan, I've taken crap from people since September about losing to a 1-AA (FCS) team, and yet Ole Miss is perceived as some sort of threat to the #1 team in the country after they did the same friggin' thing that Tech did?! Give me a break! The Rebels are a prime example of a school that's firmly mediocre, yet inexplicably loved by sportswriters (see also: Notre Dame, Michigan).

Auburn looks good, mind you, they were playing a team that's not very good. This week, the Tigers will boldly play Southern Conference foe Chattanooga, before they move on to a potential trap game with Georgia, followed by the big showdown with Alabama. That 'Bama game will tell us more about Auburn's level of skill than the Ole Miss, Chattanooga, and Georgia games will combined...

#2 Oregon-53, Southern Cal-32

Oregon was held to below-average (for them) scoring in this one. The Ducks did struggle a bit in the first half to defeat the Trojans, though they pulled ahead for good in the third quarter and were never really challenged for supremacy of the field from 6:46 in the third quarter onward. Oregon's offense continues to impress, and if they go undefeated there's no reason we wouldn't see them in the National Title game.

Southern Cal? Hah. I am beyond glad to see a team (in this case Oregon) shut up the sportscasters and other USC apologists who, for whatever reason, still had this team pegged as a national powerhouse. They weren't that good last season, and they're not that good this season! And next season has the potential to be even worse, if Tennessee is any indicator of what Lane Kiffin does to programs he gets his hands on. So, you know what, have fun in probation land, Trojans. With any luck your 2 year stay there will hobble you enough that we won't have to hear from you anymore, except in those delightful little ESPN articles that say things like "Notre Dame faces USC in battle of winless teams."

#4 TCU-48, UNLV-6

Much was made of the fact that this could be "Roadblock Saturday," since all the undefeateds were on the road. I hope this score will prevent such idiotic marketing BS in the future. That is all.

#5 Michigan State-6, #18 Iowa-37

For the second time this season (link to the first time!) a top 10 team has been demolished by its opponent. And demolished is a kind word for it! Michigan State came out flat, and got rolled into a slightly flatter position by Iowa. Let's all be honest with ourselves, this game was rather pathetic, and Iowa finally got their win over a ranked team after nearly beating Wisconsin last week. The Big 10 is still pretty wide open, so it should be fun to see who gets their spot in the Rose Bowl (Spoiler: It'll be Ohio State, because the computers either wear sweater vests, were programmed by Jim Tressel or both).

#6 Missouri-17, #14 Nebraska-31

I'm not sure I've ever seen a game with a 300 yard rusher before. I know if I have it wasn't a Nebraska game, because Roy Helu Jr. became the first Husker to ever pull of that feat, and he did it in this game. Helu ran for 307 yards, everyone else on Nebraska and Missouri combined ran for 163. That is a dominant performance by anyone's standards. This win gives the Huskers the edge in the Big 12 North, meaning that they have the inside track to get to the Big 12 Championship game.

Missouri, meanwhile, should be OK. They have the potential (if everything shakes out right) to go to the BCS as an at-large bid. If they get demoralized because of this loss, mind you, they also have the potential of going to the Big Al's House of Staplers Bowl in Paducah, Kentucky. The choice, I suppose, is the Tigers'.

#8 Utah-28, Air Force-23

Utah narrowly escaped, which is bad news for the Utes' hopes of impressing the notoriously close-minded voters. Sure, Air Force only lost to Oklahoma by 3, but BCS polls are, to be frank, uneducated. It's really the only explanation as to how Auburn leaped to #1 this week, then dropped to #2 after this round of games with the computers, but went from #3 to #2 in the coaches' poll. So...explain.

There's a point in that cluster of words up there, and that point is this: the answer to Shakespeare's old rhetorical question "What's in a name?" is simple. Everything is in a name. "Oklahoma" carries more weight than Utah. It's not right, but that's the way it is, meaning that an undefeated Utes squad could well wind up ranked lower than a one-loss Sooners squad. ESPECIALLY if they don't play one another in a bowl game. So, here's to you, Utah. Good luck with TCU this coming week. That will, in fact, be a good one. Also, Utah is a boring state.

Colorado-10, #9 Oklahoma-43

Colorado...still bad. Oklahoma, beat Baylor and Oklahoma State and we might talk. Win the Big 12 if you want to convince me (and most semi-observant college football fans) that you even belong in the Top 15.

#11 Ohio State-52, Minnesota-10

The ACC and Big East take a ton of crap week in and week out for being weak. And they are. You have to be blind, stupid, or a West Virginia fan (<-Repetitive statement) to say that either of the conferences is nationally relevant. But has anyone taken a look at the bottom half of the Big 10? Minnesota is horrible, Indiana's not much better, Michigan has yet to beat a team that's anywhere near good, and Purdue is mediocre at best. Wow! What a great conference! So Ohio State murdering a team that's frankly awful means next to nothing. Let's roll on...

#13 Stanford-41, Washington-0

I'm not going to make any Jake Locker jokes this week. The guy got beaten 41-0 at home and led Washington to its first shutout loss at home since 1976. That's punishment enough. He doesn't need to be insulted by a reclusive semi-journalist from a backwater hole in North Carolina. At least, not this week.

Stanford, meanwhile, is in the running for the surprisingly competitive title of "2nd best team in the Pac-10." In past years, that'd be an insult, but this season it's actually an honor: Oregon is the best, but Arizona, Stanford, and arguably Oregon State are in an excellent race for second. Add to the mix that Arizona and Oregon State have a chance to knock off the Ducks, and we have what's looking to be an exciting 4 weeks in the Pac-10.

#15 Arizona-29, UCLA-21

I hope, with sincerity, that this is a combination of Arizona overlooking UCLA and losing their starting quarterback to an injury. I hope that, because Arizona nearly lost to a team that Oregon beat 60-13. 'Zona can't let up with Stanford, Southern Cal, and Oregon in the coming 3 weeks.

UCLA, meanwhile, seems to be a schizophrenic team. That, or they're just playing the role of the little girl who points out that the Emperor (in this case, Texas) has no clothes, then vanishes once more into the crowd. UCLA could still make a bowl, but they'll need to win 3 of the next 4 games.

#17 Oklahoma State-24, Kansas State-14

Well, OSU is once again the team that has the best shot to knock off the powers that be in the Big 12 South. Unfortunately, there's a new upstart in the South in the form of Baylor. It will be interesting to see if the Cowboys (best win: probably this one at K-State) can defeat the Bears (best win: maybe Texas, maybe K-State). So...two teams that are ranked with somewhat unimpressive résumés face off. Sounds like a happy go fun time!

Oklahoma State played 4 decent-to-good teams last season, and they lost to 3 of them. Thus far this season, they've played 1 good team and lost. Let's see how they do when they play a Baylor squad that's at least OK.

Vanderbilt-14, #19 Arkansas-49

Vandy...the Duke of the SEC.

Tennessee-24, #20 South Carolina-38

South Carolina narrowly beat the second worst team in the SEC. I'm not sure how well this bodes for the Gamecocks, considering just how badly Tennessee has performed for the last few games. I'll be honest, I sort of hoped that South Carolina would lose; less out of malice for the Gamecocks and more out of outright contempt for Nick "Lord Evill" Saban. Logic says that South Carolina losses make Alabama's schedule weaker, making them less likely to jump over an undefeated TCU or Boise. Mind you, Alabama also has the potential to make jump after jump because their schedule is (somewhat mistakenly) thought of as awesome.

Kentucky-17, #21 Mississippi State-24

Until they lose, I won't be vindicated in my belief that Mississippi State is overrated. They lost to Auburn (barely) and to LSU (badly). The Bulldogs have beaten Florida in the swamp (admittedly not as difficult as it used to be) but barely beat UAB and Kentucky at home. We'll learn who they really are when they go to Alabama on November 13. As for Kentucky, they still have a 1-AA cupcake and Vandy and Tennessee on the schedule. Who's up for another trip to the Music City Bowl???

#22 Miami (Florida, duh)-19, Virginia-24

Well, UVa actually gave Virginia Tech a 2 game lead in the ACC's questionably named Coastal Division. Miami came out and looked flat out terrible for the first 3 quarters. They made an admirable comeback minus starting quarterback Jacory Harris, but they fell just short in the end. While it's tempting to say that Harris' absence hurt Miami, let's take into account this is a guy who (on occasion) tosses interceptions like its his job. So let's not go saying that was the nail in Miami's coffin just yet, OK? Miami will need some help from Georgia Tech, Carolina, or (ironically) UVa to unseat the Hokies from the top of the ACC, but since the ACC is a sea of mediocrity, not a conference dominated by any one team, methinks that the road to Charlotte won't be a smooth one for Virginia Tech. Or Miami. Or Georgia Tech. Whichever.

Utah State-42, #24 Nevada-56

Utah State has an amazing knack to hang around better teams and not actually beat them. They're 2-6, and they got killed by Fresno State, San Diego State, Louisiana Tech, and Hawaii. But they stuck in with Oklahoma and Nevada, the only 2 ranked teams they've played. In short, I have no idea what I was going for here. Utah State could win the next 3 games before Boise State beats them senseless in the season closer.

Oh, and Nevada's got a good offense. Let's hope they win these next 3 and climb in the polls, right up to when Boise slaughters them. Maybe.

#25 Baylor-30, Texas-22

Baylor beats Texas at Texas. If you follow college football at all, then you don't need me analyzing why that pretty much defines "the world turned upside down." And that, kids, is how we segue into...

Tales from the Bottom 95

Syracuse beat Cincinnati, thereby making life even more difficult for the already embattled Bearcats...speaking of Cincinnati, their former coach lost a "heartbreaker" to Tulsa at Notre Dame. When can I safely say that the Irish are gone?...Illinois took out Purdue. No one cares...Maryland hammered Wake Forest, cementing the Demon Deacons as the 2nd worst team in the ACC...Carolina needed a rally to beat William and Mary at home...New Mexico State beat the pathetic San Jose Spartans...Hawaii hammered Idaho as a prelude to their big game with Boise this coming week...

And election night stuff is on, so I'm gonna cut this one short...Have a good week!