Before the first college football season of the two thousand teens kicks off in a few weeks, I think a review of the single digit years is appropriate. In the process of determining the rankings for programs, I decided, for the sake of brevity, to consider only those teams, which had advanced to the mythical national title game at least once. However, given the hopelessly rigged system of determining who plays in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title game, I am including the programs that also experienced one or more undefeated seasons. A total of thirteen teams won a BCS title, finished undefeated or both during the past ten seasons. I ranked each of them after reviewing the following criteria:
Record versus Division 1-A opponents:
Number of winning seasons:
Number of shared conference/divisional titles:
Number of outright conference titles:
Record in bowl games:
Record in BCS bowl games:
Number of BCS title game appearances:
Number of BCS titles:
The readers should note a few elements of my rankings. First of all, they are not based solely on an objective standard like number of BCS titles or overall wins. Secondly, only wins versus Division 1-A opponents, Football Bowl Subdivision in NCAA's newspeak, are included so teams will not have inflated totals of wins playing undermanned teams from lower classifications. Also, since some conferences recognize more than conference champion while others have a conference title game resulting in one champion, I have equated a shared conference title with a berth in a conference championship game. Lastly, only teams that advanced to their conference's title games are credited as a divisional champion for a particular season. Even though they may have finished with the same record as another team, which advanced to the title game, if a team was denied a trip to its conference's championship game due to tiebreakers, then I have not counted that finish as a "divisional championship". Therefore, I presented my rankings of the programs of the decade in ascending order.
#13 NEBRASKA
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 81-44 (64.8%)
Number of winning seasons: 7
Number of divisional titles: 2
Number of outright conference titles: none
Record in bowl games: 5-3
Record in BCS bowl games: 0-1
Number of BCS title game appearances: 1
Number of BCS titles: none
Summary: These past ten years saw Nebraska fall from a perennial top ten member to a perennial also-ran in the weakest division of the conferences with conference title games. A telling statement about the Cornhuskers’ performances is the fact that their most notable accomplishment in ten years was falling backside first into the BCS championship game despite not even winning their own division that season.
In addition to providing a huge store of ammunition to anti-BCS pundits, that dubious feat and subsequent mauling by Miami foreshadowed a meager decade for the Big Red. Streaks of winning seasons and bowl appearances were halted. The Children of the Corn became spoiled and grew impatient for conference and national titles under Frank Solich. Then, they saw their beloved program slid even lower as the radical experiments of Bill Callahan ended in four years of disaster. Only time will tell if Bo Pelini’s first two seasons are building a foundation to return to prominence or if Nebraska will simply exchange mediocrity in the Big Twelve for mediocrity or worse in the Big Ten.
#12 ALABAMA
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 77-48 (61.6%)
Number of winning seasons: 6
Number of divisional titles: 2
Number of outright conference titles: 1
Record in bowl games: 4-3
Record in BCS bowl games: 1-1
Number of BCS title game appearances: 1
Number of BCS titles: 1
Summary: The Crimson Tide ended this span of ten years as kings of the mountain. However, that one season cannot mask the preceding nine years of controversies, terminations of coaches and NCAA probation. The coaching carousel in Tuscaloosa was spinning far too often to build continuity vital to long-term success. Five different men held the position during this span.
Nick Saban has righted the most successful program in the history of the Southeastern Conference. His three years alone account for forty percent of the wins and both SEC title game appearances in the single digit years. Given Saban’s history, one can logically wonder how long will he remain at Alabama. His ego may push him back into the NFL to prove that is two-year washout in Miami was just a fluke.
#11 FLORIDA STATE
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 81-44 (64.8%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of shared conference/divisional titles: 1
Number of outright conference titles: 4
Record in bowl games: 5-5
Record in BCS bowl games: 0-4
Number of BCS title game appearances: 1
Number of BCS titles: none
Summary: A program that had assumed Atlantic Coast Conference titles and top five finishes in the polls as annual birthrights in the 90s was barely avoiding the murky waters of irrelevancy from swallowing Bobby Bowden’s hard-fought legacy as the decade progressed. Sadly, the man who lifted the Seminoles from the status of everyone’s homecoming opponent to everyone’s entry on an annual list of contenders for the national championship had to retire before he wanted to do so. Bowden became a victim of his own success; therefore, finishing one or two games above .500 and in a fourth rate bowl game would not pacify the faithful in Tallahassee, especially not in successive years.
If Jimbo Fisher cannot re-establish the level of success of the 90s, then those who forced out Bowden will undoubtedly began to pine for the “good old days”. If the excellence continues in Gainesville along with the Gators' dominance of their annual series versus Florida State, the Seminole Nation will extend Fisher even less patience.
#10 UTAH
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 84-36 (70%)
Number of winning seasons: 8
Number of shared conference titles: none
Number of outright conference titles: 3
Record in bowl games: 8-0
Record in BCS bowl games: 2-0
Number of BCS title game appearances: none
Number of BCS titles: none
Summary: Utah’s move to the soon-to-be Pacific Twelve occurred several years too late to help its program compete for BCS titles. So much of rankings in the polls depend upon legacy of sustained success over decades. Both the 2004 and 2008 squads deserved to be included in any eight-team playoffs or a “plus one” scenario after the BCS games are played. Unfortunately, Utah had to overcome decades of obscurity playing in a conference with very few large media markets and little history or nation-wide respect.
Twice finishing undefeated and dominating a major conference opponent in a BCS bowl in a span of five years undoubtedly contributed to their invitation into the Pacific Ten. The Utes built a respectable reputation for themselves over those ten years. In the preceding decade, Utah finished with eight wins and eight losses versus the Pacific Ten. When the Utes were able to lure West Coast teams to Salt Lake City, the Utes won five of the seven contests. Additionally, they grabbed wins in both bowls against Pacific Ten teams. Undercutting Utah’s case for acclaim was the Utes’ one lone victory in seven games occurring at Pacific Ten members’ stadiums. Utah also fared well in games against the other BCS conferences: SEC (1-0), Big 12 (1-1), Big 10 (3-1) Big East (3-0) and ACC (2-1). The future appears promising for Utah and the prospects of another undefeated team settling for a consolation prize of meaningless BCS bowl game seem remote.
#9 BOISE STATE
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 104-17 (85.95%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of shared conference: 1
Number of outright conference titles: 6
Record in bowl games: 6-4
Record in BCS bowl games: 2-0
Number of BCS title game appearances: none
Number of BCS titles: none
Summary: Boise State captured the affinity of fans of underdogs by barging its way into the “old boys club” of the BCS then upsetting Big Twelve champion Oklahoma in one of the most memorable college football games in history. That one game has contributed much to the growing reputation of the Broncos as a perennial power. Another opportunity to stage another seismic stunner was wrongfully denied to them last season. An invitation to play Florida in the Sugar Bowl or Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl should have been extended to the Broncos instead of the so-called “Mid-Major Bowl” in Glendale.
However, an overview of their results over a ten-year span slightly diminishes the luster of that magical evening in the Fiesta Bowl. On the bright side, the Broncos did score two wins in the only two games versus Big Twelve members, both in bowl games in addition to a 4-5 record against the Pacific Ten. However, Boise State’s four losses in four contests versus the Southeastern Conference diminished their reputation. Additionally, a third of their bowl wins took place in their home stadium. Another one of these de facto home games disguised as a bowl game resulted in a loss. Time will tell if the Broncos’ domination the Western Athletic Conference will continue in the Mountain West. If they do, that should lead to more chances to prove their worth to the BCS for an automatic bid for their new conference.
#8 AUBURN
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 74-39 (65.49%)
Number of winning seasons: 9
Number of divisional titles: 2
Number of outright conference titles: 1
Record in bowl games: 6-3
Record in BCS bowl games: 1-0
Number of BCS title game appearances: none
Number of BCS titles: none
Summary: The Tigers confounded the prognosticators throughout most years. Auburn floundered when they received much pre-season acclaim, such as in 2003 when the team started the season ranked as number six in both polls but ended the year unranked. The previous season, Auburn was listed among those “also receiving votes” yet finished number fourteen in the media’s poll and number sixteen according to the coaches. After being embarrassed by their overrating of Auburn in 2003, the media listed the Tigers as their seventeenth team and eighteenth by the coaches. That contributed to Auburn’s inability to leap over Southern California or Oklahoma into the BCS title game. Additionally, in 2008, the Tigers found themselves as number eleven in both major polls but did not receive a single vote in either post-season survey.
The 2004 Auburn Tigers serve as the poster child for the anti-BCS forces. An undefeated team from one of the six automatically qualifying conferences had to settle for a victory in the Sugar Bowl while campaigning at the last minute for Associated Press voters to give it their national title as a consolation prize. No matter how much tinkering the fossils behind the BCS perform, nothing short of additional games beyond the bowls can ever rectify this injustice from re-occurring.
#7 MIAMI
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 87-33 (72.5%)
Number of winning seasons: 7
Number of shared conference/divisional titles: 1
Number of outright conference titles: 3
Record in bowl games: 5-4
Record in BCS bowl games: 3-1
Number of BCS title game appearances: 2
$Number of BCS titles: 1
Summary: This other heavyweight throughout the 90s from the Sunshine State also slid into lean times as the single digit years proceeded. The Hurricanes started the decade being wrongfully excluded from the national title game in favor of Florida State whom they had beaten during the regular season. They took out their frustrations on all opponents in the next season, concluding by creaming corn in Pasadena then seemingly flinging it at anyone whom they held as responsible for their exclusion the previous season. A controversial pass interference penalty in overtime helped deny them a repeat in 2002.
Hurricane fans searching for an excuse for the downturn have grasped at few causes but none seem totally explicative. Miami struggled after its defection to the ACC, failing to win even a divisional title in its new conference. The Hurricanes only conference titles occurred as members of the Big East. The Hurricanes only lost more than one conference game in two of their thirteen seasons in the Big East. In the ACC, Miami has lost at least three conference games per season in five of it six seasons.
Larry Coker received a massive amount of blame as ill-suited to carry the mantle of Schnellenberger, Johnson and Erickson although he did serve on Butch Davis’ staff and lead the team to three straight Big East titles and one national title. The talent-laden state of Florida can prove the Hurricanes with more than enough players to succeed. The questions is whether or not coaches can be found to lead them back to greatness of the two previous decades.
#6 OKLAHOMA
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 108-24 (81.82%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of divisional titles: 7
Number of outright conference titles: 6
Record in bowl games: 5-5
Record in BCS bowl games: 2-5
Number of BCS title game appearances: 4
Number of BCS titles: 1
Summary: Oklahoma started the decade by emerging from its irrelevance during the 1990s, including five straight non-winning seasons, by stunning the nation en route to the BCS title in 2000. The success continued in winning more than half of the Big Twelve conference championships in the decade. However, their trouncing at the hands of a mediocre Kansas State in the 2003 conference title game preceded losses in its last five BCS bowls caused snide whispers of “Choke-lahoma” among critics. Fair or not, fans remember results in bowl games more than all the wins in the regular season. In these past ten years, the Sooners have finished perfectly mediocre in that regard. With their conference losing two high-profile programs, Big Twelve championships will garner less respect nationally, making post-season wins increase in value in terms of respect and rankings.
Barring committing mass murder or losing again to Oklahoma State in consecutive years, Bob Stoops' job is not jeopardy. However, the Sooner Nation will expect another national title in the coming decade in addition to continued domination of the slimmed down Big Twelve.
#5 OHIO STATE
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 100-25 (80%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of shared conference titles: 3
Number of outright conference titles: 3
Record in bowl games: 5-5
Record in BCS bowl games: 4-3
Number of BCS title game appearances: 3
Number of BCS titles: 1
Summary: The same problem that plagued Oklahoma has tarnished the tremendous level of success for Ohio State. Despite multiple conference titles and berths in the BCS title game, too many losses in bowls diminished the Buckeyes' view in many fans' opinions. Overlooked is their perennially serious contention for the Big Ten championship not experienced since Woody Hayes punched his way into retirement. Despite the addition of a conference championship game in 2011, no indication of a drop-off in the Buckeyes' elite status in the Big Ten and nationally appears possible.
Despite some ugly losses in bowls, Jim Tressel need not worry about his professional future. Any impatient Buckeye fans only have to be reminded of John Cooper's impotence against their archrivals from Ann Arbor plus his abysmal record in the post-season. If only Tressel could put an end to the Buckeyes' infamous futility versus the Southeastern Conference in bowls, his legacy in Columbus would be complete.
#4 TEXAS
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 110-19 (85.27%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of divisional titles: 3
Number of outright conference titles: 2
Record in bowl games: 7-3
Record in BCS bowl games: 3-1
Number of BCS title game appearances: 2
Number of BCS titles: 1
Summary: In 1998, Mack Brown arrived in Austin with this mission: restore Texas to a national powerhouse and perennial domination of its conference. On both counts, he has succeeded tremendously. The Longhorns developed a nasty habit of flopping late in the season just as a trip to the national title game seemed tantalizingly close. Too often for the pleasure of the fans clad in burnt orange, promising seasons ended up with consolation prize trips elsewhere. With so many trips to the Holiday Bowl, the Longhorns seemed as at home in San Diego as Shamu was.
Despite a loss in the BCS title game after the 2009 season, Mack Brown has lifted his program to sustained success throughout the decade, both in conference and on the national scene. The struggles to beat Oklahoma in the middle of the decade irritated the Longhorn faithful but not enough to seriously demand his ouster. With tons of talent within its states borders, one could safely bet that he will lead the Longhorns back to a handful more Big Twelve championships and at least two more BCS title games before retirement.
#3 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 102-26 (79.69%)
Number of winning seasons: 9
Number of shared conference titles: 3
Number of outright conference titles: 4
Record in bowl games: 7-2
Record in BCS bowl games: 6-1
Number of BCS title game appearances: 2
Number of BCS titles: 1
Summary: Sure, the NCAA probation announced earlier this year called into question the Trojans outstandingly successful run throughout the single digit years. Nevertheless, USC ran roughshod over the rest of the Pacific Ten with the exception of the two bookend years of the decade. Some cynics will disparage their wins in bowls since five of their seven wins occurred within commuting distance of their campus. However, their sole BCS title was secured on the opposite side of the United States in a stadium heavily filled with their opponents' fans.
With the departure of Pete Carroll and the impending scholarship limitations, one has to wonder if the glory days have ended for the Men of Troy. If they can continue to lure in the in-state blue-chip athletes by the bushel, then no discernable decline should occur.
#2 LOUISIANA STATE
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 94-31 (75.2%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of divisional titles: 4
Number of outright conference titles: 3
Record in bowl games: 7-3
Record in BCS bowl games: 4-0
Number of BCS title game appearances: 2
Number of BCS titles: 2
Summary: After the Dark Ages of 1990s, which included only three winning seasons, LSU's program entered its Golden Age. After only having won two outright Southeastern Conference titles once within a decade (in the 1930s), the Fightin' Tigers won three in the ten year span. They won more national titles in this past decade (two) than the program had won in the previous eleven (one, in 1958). Just as critics may devalue the majority of USC's bowl victories, they could also say the same about four of LSU's bowl victories since they happened only seventy-five miles away from Baton Rouge. In LSU's defense, the Tigers defeated Georgia Tech twice in the Peach Bowl, a few miles from the Yellow Jackets' campus.
Despite winning an SEC and a national title, Les Miles remains in the shadow of the man who resurrected the struggling program in 2000, Nick Saban. With Saban now in charge of the hated Crimson Tide, every season includes a head-to-head referendum on Miles' current progress in succeeding the man who is now on the other side of the field from him. Regular victories over Alabama and trips to the SEC title game will allay most concerns over who is responsible for LSU's recent success. A few more national titles would bury those doubts.
#1 FLORIDA
Record versus Division 1-A opponents: 96-30 (76.19%)
Number of winning seasons: 10
Number of divisional titles: 4
Number of outright conference titles: 3
Record in bowl games: 5-5
Record in BCS bowl games: 4-1
Number of BCS title game appearances: 2
Number of BCS titles: 2
Summary: As much as Steve Spurrier was revered in the Sunshine State and reviled elsewhere, his level of success never attained the lofty heights as Urban Meyer has. Spurrier did lead Florida to its first official Southeastern conference championship and it first national title. However, Meyer doubled the national title total in less than half of the time Spurrier spent in Gainesville.
The Ron Zook experiment between those two coaches led to winning seasons that would have sufficed at most programs. However, a decline from the domination to which the Gator Nation had grown accustomed would not be endured for long.
Despite Meyer's health problems and persistent rumors of a departure for South Bend, he has the opportunity to surpass "Bear" Bryant's total for wins and status as greatest coach in the history of the SEC.
FINAL NOTES
Soon after establishing the criteria for inclusion on my list, I realized that several teams deserve to be rated higher than Nebraska. Georgia, Oregon and Virginia Tech spring immediately to mind. However, I had to draw a line at some point or I would end up reviewing more than a hundred ten programs. Frankly, I wish that I possessed that much time to devote to one column.
Auburn is ranked above Nebraska and Alabama, in part, based on a victory over the Cornhuskers in the Cotton Bowl and 7-3 record versus Alabama.
Although Oklahoma finished with just over two percentage points more than Ohio State, the Buckeyes did fare more successfully in BCS bowls, thus the higher ranking.
Unfortunately, LSU and USC were denied a chance to settle the question of who was the true national champion of 2003. Since they never played in the preceding ten years, I looked at their records against each other's conference to help to determine who deserved the second slot. LSU had 5-0 record versus the Pacific Ten; USC finished 4-0 versus the SEC.
To break the tie between Florida and LSU for "program of the decade", I consulted their head-to-head matches. Florida won six of the ten games over LSU.
COPYRIGHT JULY 2010 BY CHARLES KASTRIOT
01 June 2010
Greatest Cure for Insomnia
I have endured bouts of insomnia for most of my adult life. In 2002, while channel surfing in the middle of the night, I miraculously discovered a cure for my inability to fall asleep. Sadly, this remedy was only available for a few weeks. A stroke of luck occurred in 2006 when I was able to relocate that same relief but only for the same limited time. My fellow sufferers of sleep disorders can understand my joy when I found out that once again, this aid was about to reappear to alleviate my restlessness. Of course, this antidote of which I am speaking is broadcasts of World Cup soccer matches.
This event and soccer in general hold a particular attraction to those embarrassed by their status as Americans. First of all, self-described progressives automatically consider anything European as more desirable than any domestic equivalent. This neo-Eurocentrism extends to the infatuation with socialized health care. Also included in this mania are punitive tax rates for economically productive citizens, governmental subsidization of sloth by generous financial support of those refusing to work for a living, nationalization of businesses leading to governmental monopolies in transportation, retail and other sectors of the economy. Additionally, these hand-wringing types feel compelled to kowtow to any and all demands by Islamists who have infiltrated their countries. Their affinity for soccer results from the desire to morph into a twin of the bloated and tottering amalgamation known as the European Union.
The leftist insistence on prizing self-esteem above success leads to their adoration of soccer for its propensity to end in tied games. For those of whom their self-confidence has built on years of grade inflation and minimal levels of expectations in academic settings, a draw at the end of a match is ideal. In that case, no one’s feelings are hurt by losing. This extends to the trend of organizers of youth sports leagues refusing to keep score at games in athletic contests. Militant egalitarians rejoice in ninety minutes of futility resulting in a zero to zero final score. Unfortunately for a generation of children indoctrinated in such concepts, life inevitably finds ways to result in successes and failures, which no amount of self-delusion can erase from reality.
In conclusion, I would like to commend everyone responsible for this somnolent spectacle. To the players, I applaud your frequent, slow-paced jogging interspersed with episodes of jumping on the ground to clutch your legs in states of exceptionally feigned and embellished agony after an opponent’s shadow overlaps your own. To the fans, I am calmed by your incessant blowing on plastic horns for an hour and a half to generate enough white noise for my easily startled ears. To the television announcers, your repeated references to the status of the clock on the screen as “unofficial” reminds me to ignore my own clock and its ungodly ante meridiem hour. To the sponsors, I am grateful for your non-interruption of the matches with something entertaining such as any your inane commercials for the billionth time that might attract my attention and disrupt my slumber. Finally, I thank the International Federation of Associate Football, better known as FIFA, for a few weeks of intermittent yet recuperative estivation once every four years.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT JUNE 2010
This event and soccer in general hold a particular attraction to those embarrassed by their status as Americans. First of all, self-described progressives automatically consider anything European as more desirable than any domestic equivalent. This neo-Eurocentrism extends to the infatuation with socialized health care. Also included in this mania are punitive tax rates for economically productive citizens, governmental subsidization of sloth by generous financial support of those refusing to work for a living, nationalization of businesses leading to governmental monopolies in transportation, retail and other sectors of the economy. Additionally, these hand-wringing types feel compelled to kowtow to any and all demands by Islamists who have infiltrated their countries. Their affinity for soccer results from the desire to morph into a twin of the bloated and tottering amalgamation known as the European Union.
The leftist insistence on prizing self-esteem above success leads to their adoration of soccer for its propensity to end in tied games. For those of whom their self-confidence has built on years of grade inflation and minimal levels of expectations in academic settings, a draw at the end of a match is ideal. In that case, no one’s feelings are hurt by losing. This extends to the trend of organizers of youth sports leagues refusing to keep score at games in athletic contests. Militant egalitarians rejoice in ninety minutes of futility resulting in a zero to zero final score. Unfortunately for a generation of children indoctrinated in such concepts, life inevitably finds ways to result in successes and failures, which no amount of self-delusion can erase from reality.
In conclusion, I would like to commend everyone responsible for this somnolent spectacle. To the players, I applaud your frequent, slow-paced jogging interspersed with episodes of jumping on the ground to clutch your legs in states of exceptionally feigned and embellished agony after an opponent’s shadow overlaps your own. To the fans, I am calmed by your incessant blowing on plastic horns for an hour and a half to generate enough white noise for my easily startled ears. To the television announcers, your repeated references to the status of the clock on the screen as “unofficial” reminds me to ignore my own clock and its ungodly ante meridiem hour. To the sponsors, I am grateful for your non-interruption of the matches with something entertaining such as any your inane commercials for the billionth time that might attract my attention and disrupt my slumber. Finally, I thank the International Federation of Associate Football, better known as FIFA, for a few weeks of intermittent yet recuperative estivation once every four years.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT JUNE 2010
20 December 2009
Bowled over by Excess
The initial college football bowl games of the season have already been played. Thus, the deluge of 34 mostly meaningless matches has been unleashed. As a fan of Division 1-A college football, I must ask: WHY?!
I wonder if anyone else remembers when securing a bowl bid served as validation of a successful season. Am I the only one who still believes that if this nonsensical post-season arrangement will continue to exist, that at least it should be limited to fewer teams? A large number of this year’s bowl participants never even made a cameo appearance in any of the three most widely cited top 25 opinion polls. Since the expansion of the regular season to twelve games, teams with the same number of losses as wins annually qualify for bowl games. Some of those teams plus others with 7-5 records only achieved that modicum a success by defeating team from the Division 1-AA level.
The driving force behind the overstuffed schedule of irrelevant match-ups is conferences’ overblown views of their members. Conferences with automatic bids to Bowl Series Championship games delusionally believe that their fifth and sixth place teams deserve to play an extra game, usually against another distant also-ran from another major conference. Also pushing for the inflation of the bowl glut, the five non-automatic qualifying conferences are equally culpable. These five groups of defectors from Division 1-AA, remnants of formerly relevant conferences and long-time independents clamor for any nationally televised games, even their second and third place members. Sadly, in this era when even last place in children’s competitions merits a trophy, the once highly prized bowl game berth has degenerated into a de facto thirteenth game for more than half of teams in the top echelon of NCAA football.
Previous generations of fans of bowl-bound teams relished trips to bowls to touristic locations. People escaped wintry doldrums to ring in New Year’s Day in warm locales suited to entertaining visitors. Currently, the absurd array of bowl games includes such curiously undesirable destinations such as Boise, Detroit and Shreveport. Compounding this line-up of inappropriate vacation spots, a bowl game has been scheduled for Yankee Stadium after the 2010 season. What purpose would this serve other than to lure even more loud and tipsy spectators to pack Times Square further past the point of overflowing?
As the situation exists now, bowl games serve much less of a financial boon to either to bowls sites or participants. In some cases, universities actually lose money by sending their teams to post-season play. After the costs of transporting the players, coaches, support staff, marching band and university officials then paying for all those to stay at the location of the game for at least three days, little to none of the bowl payout remains. For fans of perennial top 25 programs, spending hundreds of dollars to travel and watch their underperforming teams play a glorified exhibition match before New Year’s Day often fails to motivate them to part with their money. Therefore, bowl committees deduct the value of hundreds, frequently thousands, of unsold tickets allotted to universities from the sum given to them for participating in the game.
Unfortunately, for the devotees of followers of the most popular amateur sport in the United States, we will have to settle for yet another year with three weeks of inconsequential contests concluded by one game purported to crown the national champion.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT, DECEMBER 2009
I wonder if anyone else remembers when securing a bowl bid served as validation of a successful season. Am I the only one who still believes that if this nonsensical post-season arrangement will continue to exist, that at least it should be limited to fewer teams? A large number of this year’s bowl participants never even made a cameo appearance in any of the three most widely cited top 25 opinion polls. Since the expansion of the regular season to twelve games, teams with the same number of losses as wins annually qualify for bowl games. Some of those teams plus others with 7-5 records only achieved that modicum a success by defeating team from the Division 1-AA level.
The driving force behind the overstuffed schedule of irrelevant match-ups is conferences’ overblown views of their members. Conferences with automatic bids to Bowl Series Championship games delusionally believe that their fifth and sixth place teams deserve to play an extra game, usually against another distant also-ran from another major conference. Also pushing for the inflation of the bowl glut, the five non-automatic qualifying conferences are equally culpable. These five groups of defectors from Division 1-AA, remnants of formerly relevant conferences and long-time independents clamor for any nationally televised games, even their second and third place members. Sadly, in this era when even last place in children’s competitions merits a trophy, the once highly prized bowl game berth has degenerated into a de facto thirteenth game for more than half of teams in the top echelon of NCAA football.
Previous generations of fans of bowl-bound teams relished trips to bowls to touristic locations. People escaped wintry doldrums to ring in New Year’s Day in warm locales suited to entertaining visitors. Currently, the absurd array of bowl games includes such curiously undesirable destinations such as Boise, Detroit and Shreveport. Compounding this line-up of inappropriate vacation spots, a bowl game has been scheduled for Yankee Stadium after the 2010 season. What purpose would this serve other than to lure even more loud and tipsy spectators to pack Times Square further past the point of overflowing?
As the situation exists now, bowl games serve much less of a financial boon to either to bowls sites or participants. In some cases, universities actually lose money by sending their teams to post-season play. After the costs of transporting the players, coaches, support staff, marching band and university officials then paying for all those to stay at the location of the game for at least three days, little to none of the bowl payout remains. For fans of perennial top 25 programs, spending hundreds of dollars to travel and watch their underperforming teams play a glorified exhibition match before New Year’s Day often fails to motivate them to part with their money. Therefore, bowl committees deduct the value of hundreds, frequently thousands, of unsold tickets allotted to universities from the sum given to them for participating in the game.
Unfortunately, for the devotees of followers of the most popular amateur sport in the United States, we will have to settle for yet another year with three weeks of inconsequential contests concluded by one game purported to crown the national champion.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT, DECEMBER 2009
09 December 2009
Down the Stretch
As the National Football League enters the final quarter of its regular season, the contenders for championships have been distilled from the mash of 32 teams. The fans of the dregs must come to grips with their fate. Their only solace is to check out the college bowl games to see whom their teams might draft in April.
American Football Conference
East Division: New England has stumbled the past two weeks but still leads the division by one game over the Jets and Dolphins. The Patriots split the meetings with both contenders so their game at Buffalo will weigh heavily when the tie-breakers are applied. A loss to the Bills would give Miami the tie-breaking advantage over New England. The Jets could easily make up ground versus the putrid Buccaneers, injury-riddled Falcons then probably complacent Colts. This race looks to go down to the final game of the regular season.
North Division: Only four losses to close out the regular season would prevent Cincinnati from wrapping up the division. The Bengals swept their divisional games so just one win will secure the division. However, they cannot become lackadaisical if they want to beat out the winner of the AFC West for the second seed and a first round bye.
South Division: The only remaining question here is “How hard will the Colts pursue a perfect season?” Indianapolis has already claimed the divisional crown. Merely by splitting their final four games, the Colts can earn home-field advantage for the playoffs. Due to the Jaguars 6-2 conference record, they remain in the thick of wild-card contention.
West Division: San Diego resuscitated its season with infusions of AFC creampuffs during an impressive seven game winning streak. The Chargers will step up in class in the next two weeks versus playoff contenders. Denver only trails by one game with these two having split their match-ups. The Broncos absolutely must win their remaining divisional games at home to have a shot at wresting the AFC West away from San Diego.
National Football Conference
Eastern Division: This division has provided down-to-the-wire finishes on an annual basis for several years. This year projects as yet another exciting conclusion. The Giants trail by one game but hold the tie-breaking advantage over the Cowboys; a win at home versus the Eagles is vital to keep pace while avoiding conceding the tie-breaker to Philadelphia. The Eagles currently holds the tie-breaker factoring in NFC games which might end up settling the deadlock. Dallas already has two divisional losses, both to the Giants, so the Cowboys must win their final four games, especially those two NFC East games to avoid falling behind the Giants.
Northern Division:
Minnesota sits on the cusp of securing the division. Thanks to their sweep of Green Bay, the Vikings need only to win half of their scheduled matches to grab the divisional title and a first round bye. Minnesota has to hope that New Orleans stumbles twice in order to sneak into position for home-field advantage.
Southern Division: New Orleans has already wrapped up the NFC South. The Saints can even afford to throw in one clunker yet still receive the top seed in the NFC playoffs. One of the least successful franchises in NFL history has a realistic chance to become only the second team to finish 16-0. Atlanta and Carolina will require Herculean efforts along with some assistance from other teams to limp into the playoffs.
Western Division: Just like last season, Arizona is not playing in a consistently aesthetic fashion. However, the Cardinals will secure the division by splitting their remaining games. The Forty-Niners have teased their fans dreaming of a return to the glory years of the 80s and 90s. Unfortunately for them, San Francisco must win out and hope for Arizona to choke.
American Football Conference
East Division: New England has stumbled the past two weeks but still leads the division by one game over the Jets and Dolphins. The Patriots split the meetings with both contenders so their game at Buffalo will weigh heavily when the tie-breakers are applied. A loss to the Bills would give Miami the tie-breaking advantage over New England. The Jets could easily make up ground versus the putrid Buccaneers, injury-riddled Falcons then probably complacent Colts. This race looks to go down to the final game of the regular season.
North Division: Only four losses to close out the regular season would prevent Cincinnati from wrapping up the division. The Bengals swept their divisional games so just one win will secure the division. However, they cannot become lackadaisical if they want to beat out the winner of the AFC West for the second seed and a first round bye.
South Division: The only remaining question here is “How hard will the Colts pursue a perfect season?” Indianapolis has already claimed the divisional crown. Merely by splitting their final four games, the Colts can earn home-field advantage for the playoffs. Due to the Jaguars 6-2 conference record, they remain in the thick of wild-card contention.
West Division: San Diego resuscitated its season with infusions of AFC creampuffs during an impressive seven game winning streak. The Chargers will step up in class in the next two weeks versus playoff contenders. Denver only trails by one game with these two having split their match-ups. The Broncos absolutely must win their remaining divisional games at home to have a shot at wresting the AFC West away from San Diego.
National Football Conference
Eastern Division: This division has provided down-to-the-wire finishes on an annual basis for several years. This year projects as yet another exciting conclusion. The Giants trail by one game but hold the tie-breaking advantage over the Cowboys; a win at home versus the Eagles is vital to keep pace while avoiding conceding the tie-breaker to Philadelphia. The Eagles currently holds the tie-breaker factoring in NFC games which might end up settling the deadlock. Dallas already has two divisional losses, both to the Giants, so the Cowboys must win their final four games, especially those two NFC East games to avoid falling behind the Giants.
Northern Division:
Minnesota sits on the cusp of securing the division. Thanks to their sweep of Green Bay, the Vikings need only to win half of their scheduled matches to grab the divisional title and a first round bye. Minnesota has to hope that New Orleans stumbles twice in order to sneak into position for home-field advantage.
Southern Division: New Orleans has already wrapped up the NFC South. The Saints can even afford to throw in one clunker yet still receive the top seed in the NFC playoffs. One of the least successful franchises in NFL history has a realistic chance to become only the second team to finish 16-0. Atlanta and Carolina will require Herculean efforts along with some assistance from other teams to limp into the playoffs.
Western Division: Just like last season, Arizona is not playing in a consistently aesthetic fashion. However, the Cardinals will secure the division by splitting their remaining games. The Forty-Niners have teased their fans dreaming of a return to the glory years of the 80s and 90s. Unfortunately for them, San Francisco must win out and hope for Arizona to choke.
Conference Power Rankings
Now that the regular season of college football has concluded, college football fans need some topics to fill the conversational void until the bowl games start. Since all the awards were handed out last week, they have to find another issue. The never-ending debate over conference superiority always generates interest, if not heated discussions.
In an effort to determine the strength of conferences in relation to each other, I have devised a formula to calculate objectively how they rate. I have reviewed the non-conference match-ups of the eleven Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division 1-A) conferences' members.
The formula consists of teams contributing points toward their conference's totals with each win against other teams outside their own conference. Teams receive no credit for defeating members of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division 1-AA). However, conferences' members are penalized for losing to FCS/Division 1-AA teams. Wins on the road or at neutral sites carry more value than wins at home. Conferences earn bonus points if their members defeated other conferences' overall champions or divisional champions. The score of 1.000 is the highest possible score for a conference whose members played all of their non-conference games at home; in this case, the conference won all of them, beating only FBS opponents, none of whom won their conference or divisional championships.
After plugging in all of the numbers into my top secret formula, here are the results:
CONFERENCE NUMBER OF NON-CONFERENCE GAMES SCORE
Southeastern: 48 .891
Big East: 40 .788
Pacific Ten: 30 .617
Big Twelve: 48 .578
Big Ten: 44 .574
Mountain West: 36 .535
Atlantic Coast: 48 .521
Western Athletic: 38 .434
Conference USA: 48 .250
Mid-American: 52 .231
Sun Belt: 36 .083
The Atlantic Coast Conference had monumental victories. Virginia Tech's wins over the Big Twelve Northern Division champion Nebraska and Conference USA's champion East Carolina earned some respect for the ACC. Additionally, North Carolina also defeated ECU. Boston College defeated the Mid-American Conference champion, Central Michigan.
On the flip side, the ACC suffered several embarrassing losses. Virginia lost to William & Mary and Duke lost to Richmond; both of those winning teams play at the FCS level. The ACC struggled mightily, 2-5, versus the SEC. The only two wins occurred against the only two SEC teams who finished with losing records. The fact that both teams in the ACC title game lost to SEC teams finishing 7-5 further tarnished the ACC's image. Finally, BC dropped a game to the imploded program in South Bend, Indiana.
The Southeastern Conference piled up notable wins yet could have easily earned a higher score. Florida and Arkansas rolled over Troy, the Sun Belt champion. Georgia’s win at Georgia Tech combined with South Carolina defeating Clemson bolstered the SEC's claim to superiority over the conference derisively regarded as "a basketball conference". Also, Tennessee beat Ohio, the Eastern Division winner of the Mid-American Conference. Had nine of the members played FBS instead of FCS opponents, including Mississippi beating two formerly labeled Division 1-AA programs, then the SEC's point total could have easily exceeded 0.9, even if not all of those games were wins for the SEC.
The Big Ten continued its cherished tradition of inviting Mid-American Conference members to serve as punching bags. Prior to starting intra-conference games or just filling in open dates later in the year, the Big 10 bullied the MAC in eleven of the thirteen head-to-head contests.
The Pacific Ten responded positively following last season's embarrassing regular season record of 1-6 versus the Mountain West Conference. This year, the PAC 10 won all three games against the MWC. Fans might wonder if the smaller number of match-up between these two conferences contributed to the reversal. However, the PAC 10 appears more balanced and improved than in 2008.
For those higher rated conferences, take pride in your rankings. As for the rest, redemption can always occur in winning bowl games.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT DECEMBER 2009
In an effort to determine the strength of conferences in relation to each other, I have devised a formula to calculate objectively how they rate. I have reviewed the non-conference match-ups of the eleven Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division 1-A) conferences' members.
The formula consists of teams contributing points toward their conference's totals with each win against other teams outside their own conference. Teams receive no credit for defeating members of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division 1-AA). However, conferences' members are penalized for losing to FCS/Division 1-AA teams. Wins on the road or at neutral sites carry more value than wins at home. Conferences earn bonus points if their members defeated other conferences' overall champions or divisional champions. The score of 1.000 is the highest possible score for a conference whose members played all of their non-conference games at home; in this case, the conference won all of them, beating only FBS opponents, none of whom won their conference or divisional championships.
After plugging in all of the numbers into my top secret formula, here are the results:
CONFERENCE NUMBER OF NON-CONFERENCE GAMES SCORE
Southeastern: 48 .891
Big East: 40 .788
Pacific Ten: 30 .617
Big Twelve: 48 .578
Big Ten: 44 .574
Mountain West: 36 .535
Atlantic Coast: 48 .521
Western Athletic: 38 .434
Conference USA: 48 .250
Mid-American: 52 .231
Sun Belt: 36 .083
The Atlantic Coast Conference had monumental victories. Virginia Tech's wins over the Big Twelve Northern Division champion Nebraska and Conference USA's champion East Carolina earned some respect for the ACC. Additionally, North Carolina also defeated ECU. Boston College defeated the Mid-American Conference champion, Central Michigan.
On the flip side, the ACC suffered several embarrassing losses. Virginia lost to William & Mary and Duke lost to Richmond; both of those winning teams play at the FCS level. The ACC struggled mightily, 2-5, versus the SEC. The only two wins occurred against the only two SEC teams who finished with losing records. The fact that both teams in the ACC title game lost to SEC teams finishing 7-5 further tarnished the ACC's image. Finally, BC dropped a game to the imploded program in South Bend, Indiana.
The Southeastern Conference piled up notable wins yet could have easily earned a higher score. Florida and Arkansas rolled over Troy, the Sun Belt champion. Georgia’s win at Georgia Tech combined with South Carolina defeating Clemson bolstered the SEC's claim to superiority over the conference derisively regarded as "a basketball conference". Also, Tennessee beat Ohio, the Eastern Division winner of the Mid-American Conference. Had nine of the members played FBS instead of FCS opponents, including Mississippi beating two formerly labeled Division 1-AA programs, then the SEC's point total could have easily exceeded 0.9, even if not all of those games were wins for the SEC.
The Big Ten continued its cherished tradition of inviting Mid-American Conference members to serve as punching bags. Prior to starting intra-conference games or just filling in open dates later in the year, the Big 10 bullied the MAC in eleven of the thirteen head-to-head contests.
The Pacific Ten responded positively following last season's embarrassing regular season record of 1-6 versus the Mountain West Conference. This year, the PAC 10 won all three games against the MWC. Fans might wonder if the smaller number of match-up between these two conferences contributed to the reversal. However, the PAC 10 appears more balanced and improved than in 2008.
For those higher rated conferences, take pride in your rankings. As for the rest, redemption can always occur in winning bowl games.
COPYRIGHT BY CHARLES KASTRIOT DECEMBER 2009
12 November 2009
Halftime Report
The NFL has reached its halfway point. Every team in the league has played at least half of its regular season slate. At this point, given the huge disparity of records so far, the post-season has already taken on a clearly foreseeable form. The cream of the league, Indianapolis, Minnesota and New Orleans, has risen to the top of the standings and media’s list of priorities. Meanwhile, the dregs, Cleveland, Detroit, Saint Louis and Tampa Bay, have eked out one win each and started research for the draft in April.
AFC East: New England is starting to re-assert itself as the perennial favorite to win the division in this decade. The Patriots have the opportunity to challenge seriously for a first round playoff bye with a game versus the Colts. Miami might seem to have fallen far behind the Patriots for the divisional title. However, the Dolphins 3-1 record within the division still gives them a chance to catch the Patriots.
AFC North: Surprising Cincinnati and reliable Pittsburgh are currently tied for first place. This is a bit deceptive since the Bengals have won the first four divisional games, including a victory over the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Steelers only have one win in the division. This week’s match-up between these two will go a long way toward deciding which one will earn the divisional title. The other one will likely be stuck taking the long and hard road through the wild card route.
AFC South: As the Colts are wont to due, they have bolted out of the starting gate to an undefeated tally so far. The rest of the division already has four or more losses each. One question is whether or not Indianapolis can defeat New England to challenge the Patriots’ 16-0 mark from two seasons ago. Another question is whether or not Indy wastes yet another outstanding start by falling short of the Super Bowl.
AFC West: Denver has cooled down a bit after starting 6-0. The Broncos still hold a one game lead over San Diego thanks to the Broncos’ victory over the Chargers in the sixth week of the season. The Chargers have a shot to even the score in two weeks. The Raiders and Chiefs will battle to avoid the basement of the division.
NFC East: With the Cowboys most recent victory at Philadelphia, they have nudged ahead of the Eagles. These two will face each other in the regular season finale to see which one secures the division title while the other settles for a wild card berth. The Giants have imploded after a 5-0 start. Washington’s management and fans are already debating over the replacement for head coach Jim Zorn.
NFC North: Minnesota is thoroughly plundering the NFC. The Vikings should sail easily through the rest of their schedule with a three game divisional lead which includes a sweep of Green Bay. The only possibility of running aground would be losing both games to the Bears later in the season in addition to dropping one more game. That would allow Chicago to tighten the race, assuming the Bears can start an eight game winning streak. Green Bay and Chicago will have to ratchet up their performances if they want to compete for playoff berths.
NFC South: New Orleans is sprinting away from the rest of the division like a thoroughbred versus a trio of mules. The Saints are on pace to wrap up the division by the end of November. Not only are they undefeated with a three game lead over the closest rival, but they also have a victory over Atlanta and over Carolina. The Saints are competing with Minnesota for the top playoff seed but the Saints control their own destiny for that goal.
NFC West: Arizona appears to have regained some of its momentum from last year’s post-season. San Francisco has crashed and burned in a four game losing streak. The Forty-Niners’ glimmer of hope is their 3-0 divisional record. Also, San Francisco only trails Arizona by two games with eight left to play.
AFC East: New England is starting to re-assert itself as the perennial favorite to win the division in this decade. The Patriots have the opportunity to challenge seriously for a first round playoff bye with a game versus the Colts. Miami might seem to have fallen far behind the Patriots for the divisional title. However, the Dolphins 3-1 record within the division still gives them a chance to catch the Patriots.
AFC North: Surprising Cincinnati and reliable Pittsburgh are currently tied for first place. This is a bit deceptive since the Bengals have won the first four divisional games, including a victory over the Steelers. Meanwhile, the Steelers only have one win in the division. This week’s match-up between these two will go a long way toward deciding which one will earn the divisional title. The other one will likely be stuck taking the long and hard road through the wild card route.
AFC South: As the Colts are wont to due, they have bolted out of the starting gate to an undefeated tally so far. The rest of the division already has four or more losses each. One question is whether or not Indianapolis can defeat New England to challenge the Patriots’ 16-0 mark from two seasons ago. Another question is whether or not Indy wastes yet another outstanding start by falling short of the Super Bowl.
AFC West: Denver has cooled down a bit after starting 6-0. The Broncos still hold a one game lead over San Diego thanks to the Broncos’ victory over the Chargers in the sixth week of the season. The Chargers have a shot to even the score in two weeks. The Raiders and Chiefs will battle to avoid the basement of the division.
NFC East: With the Cowboys most recent victory at Philadelphia, they have nudged ahead of the Eagles. These two will face each other in the regular season finale to see which one secures the division title while the other settles for a wild card berth. The Giants have imploded after a 5-0 start. Washington’s management and fans are already debating over the replacement for head coach Jim Zorn.
NFC North: Minnesota is thoroughly plundering the NFC. The Vikings should sail easily through the rest of their schedule with a three game divisional lead which includes a sweep of Green Bay. The only possibility of running aground would be losing both games to the Bears later in the season in addition to dropping one more game. That would allow Chicago to tighten the race, assuming the Bears can start an eight game winning streak. Green Bay and Chicago will have to ratchet up their performances if they want to compete for playoff berths.
NFC South: New Orleans is sprinting away from the rest of the division like a thoroughbred versus a trio of mules. The Saints are on pace to wrap up the division by the end of November. Not only are they undefeated with a three game lead over the closest rival, but they also have a victory over Atlanta and over Carolina. The Saints are competing with Minnesota for the top playoff seed but the Saints control their own destiny for that goal.
NFC West: Arizona appears to have regained some of its momentum from last year’s post-season. San Francisco has crashed and burned in a four game losing streak. The Forty-Niners’ glimmer of hope is their 3-0 divisional record. Also, San Francisco only trails Arizona by two games with eight left to play.
04 November 2009
Chaos or Destiny?
After two months' of college football completed, two diametrically opposed yet equally intriguing outcomes to the regular season could occur. Will we see the finish foreseen by most talking heads during the summer or will unpredicted outcomes of games throw the system into disarray?
The widely predicted a showdown between Texas and the winner of the Southeastern Conference Championship between Alabama and Florida remains probable though not guaranteed. The Longhorns have proved themselves in a league of their own when compared to the rest of the Big Twelve. The top three teams still have to avoid the possible pitfalls in a regular season-ending grudge matches against in-state rivals. Alabama is the only one of the three who will play a team in the Top 25 before the conference championship game. Such a seemingly pre-ordained national title game has not been foreseen so clearly since 2004.
The other extreme is a huge controversy if one or more of the following occurs:
-Texas stumbles in November or is upset by whichever decrepit squad emerges from the mire of the Northern Division of the Big Twelve.
-Neither Alabama nor Florida finish undefeated or, even more unsettling, neither one wins the Southeastern Conference. Although no one seems to consider this possibility, LSU could upset Alabama this Saturday then remember to bring its offense to a rematch against Florida in Atlanta. If that happens, LSU will possibly rise to the Top Two.
-Both Texas Christian and Boise State conclude the regular season as undefeated and find themselves among the Top 5 in the polls, if not higher. Could both expect bids to BCS bowls? Would either finish high enough to play for the national title?
-The only undefeated teams from BCS conferences are Iowa and Cincinnati. Would the lack of respect for their conferences curtail their number of votes, leaving them out of the BCS title game?
Half of this possibility seems tantalizing close to fruition. Would an undefeated Iowa team settling for the Rose Bowl instead of a shot at the national title light a fire under the Big Ten to support a playoff? The obstinacy of the Big Ten in its preference to send its champion to Pasadena on New Year’s Day instead of a multi-team playoff could dearly cost the Hawkeyes.
Here a look at this season’s prominent overachievers so far:
1. Iowa: Kirk Ferentz has recaptured his highly successful formula which he possessed earlier in this decade. The Hawkeyes are in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten, and with some help, sneak into the BCS title game.
2. Texas Christian: The Frogs have leaped over Boise State in the BCS standings. TCU is well positioned to try to prove that Utah is not the only Mountain West Conference team capable of winning a BCS bowl.
3. Temple: This perennially atrocious program has its first winning season in nearly twenty years. One of the bowls with a tie-in to the Mid-American Conference might invite the Owls. Their hope is that residents of Philadelphia might actually be interested enough to watch a Temple football game for once in their lives.
In contrast, the following are the year’s most notable chokers:
1. Mississippi: The Rebels have crashed hard from their pre-season Top Ten loft. Ole Miss was mathematically eliminated from contention for the SEC Western Division before the start of November. The best case scenario is qualifying for a third-rate, pre- New Year's Day bowl game.
2. Southern California: The huge crashing sound reverberating across the country on Halloween night resulted from the huge number of media and fair-weather fans leaping from the Trojan bandwagon. The decade of domination on the Left Coast by the Trojans is nearly at its end. Will the team and fans throw in the towel already knowing they will not play in a BCS bowl for the first time since 2001?
3. Oklahoma: The season-opening loss to BYU foreshadowed a disappointing year for the Sooners. The only consolation available is sweeping the games in November and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl, assuming their fans still care enough to journey back Dallas for a third time this season.
COPYRIGHT NOVEMBER 2009 BY CHARLES KASTRIOT
The widely predicted a showdown between Texas and the winner of the Southeastern Conference Championship between Alabama and Florida remains probable though not guaranteed. The Longhorns have proved themselves in a league of their own when compared to the rest of the Big Twelve. The top three teams still have to avoid the possible pitfalls in a regular season-ending grudge matches against in-state rivals. Alabama is the only one of the three who will play a team in the Top 25 before the conference championship game. Such a seemingly pre-ordained national title game has not been foreseen so clearly since 2004.
The other extreme is a huge controversy if one or more of the following occurs:
-Texas stumbles in November or is upset by whichever decrepit squad emerges from the mire of the Northern Division of the Big Twelve.
-Neither Alabama nor Florida finish undefeated or, even more unsettling, neither one wins the Southeastern Conference. Although no one seems to consider this possibility, LSU could upset Alabama this Saturday then remember to bring its offense to a rematch against Florida in Atlanta. If that happens, LSU will possibly rise to the Top Two.
-Both Texas Christian and Boise State conclude the regular season as undefeated and find themselves among the Top 5 in the polls, if not higher. Could both expect bids to BCS bowls? Would either finish high enough to play for the national title?
-The only undefeated teams from BCS conferences are Iowa and Cincinnati. Would the lack of respect for their conferences curtail their number of votes, leaving them out of the BCS title game?
Half of this possibility seems tantalizing close to fruition. Would an undefeated Iowa team settling for the Rose Bowl instead of a shot at the national title light a fire under the Big Ten to support a playoff? The obstinacy of the Big Ten in its preference to send its champion to Pasadena on New Year’s Day instead of a multi-team playoff could dearly cost the Hawkeyes.
Here a look at this season’s prominent overachievers so far:
1. Iowa: Kirk Ferentz has recaptured his highly successful formula which he possessed earlier in this decade. The Hawkeyes are in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten, and with some help, sneak into the BCS title game.
2. Texas Christian: The Frogs have leaped over Boise State in the BCS standings. TCU is well positioned to try to prove that Utah is not the only Mountain West Conference team capable of winning a BCS bowl.
3. Temple: This perennially atrocious program has its first winning season in nearly twenty years. One of the bowls with a tie-in to the Mid-American Conference might invite the Owls. Their hope is that residents of Philadelphia might actually be interested enough to watch a Temple football game for once in their lives.
In contrast, the following are the year’s most notable chokers:
1. Mississippi: The Rebels have crashed hard from their pre-season Top Ten loft. Ole Miss was mathematically eliminated from contention for the SEC Western Division before the start of November. The best case scenario is qualifying for a third-rate, pre- New Year's Day bowl game.
2. Southern California: The huge crashing sound reverberating across the country on Halloween night resulted from the huge number of media and fair-weather fans leaping from the Trojan bandwagon. The decade of domination on the Left Coast by the Trojans is nearly at its end. Will the team and fans throw in the towel already knowing they will not play in a BCS bowl for the first time since 2001?
3. Oklahoma: The season-opening loss to BYU foreshadowed a disappointing year for the Sooners. The only consolation available is sweeping the games in November and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl, assuming their fans still care enough to journey back Dallas for a third time this season.
COPYRIGHT NOVEMBER 2009 BY CHARLES KASTRIOT
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