Bowl Season 2011-12

Geaux Blue!

UT is playing in Washington, DC outside, in the middle of winter. So much for Bowls being in warm weather!

Funny how Ohio State is playing Florida

One thing is nice is seeing 5 MAC teams in bowls. Hopefully they get a decent turn out by the fans (even though I know the area generally ignores the local teams)and perform well against a normally good Air Force team. Should be a good scoring game.

BCS title game is an SEC love fest, but what is new there thanks to the pimping by CBS and ESPN for weeks. By most accounts OSU (Oklahoma State) should have been going in there to face their old coach and LSU. They've beat more ranked teams than Alabama and have played a tougher schedule. Unfortunately, the SEC love fest has a team that never even won their conference division playing for the title. Yes the BCS has screwed up before and it has generally worked out with the legitimate team winning.

Overall it does appear that the MAC has a good shot of winning at least 3 out of 5 games. Purdue and Air Force might be issues though.

Oklahoma State blew it by losing to unranked Iowa State back on Nov 18. In my opinion, that makes a non-SEC team unworthy of playing in the title game.

The SEC has won the last five BCS championship games, most by somewhat comfortable margins:

• 2006 season - Florida 41 - Ohio State 14
• 2007 - LSU 38 - Ohio State 24
• 2008 - Florida 24 - Oklahoma 14
• 2009 - Alabama 37 - Texas 21
• 2010 - Auburn 22 - Oregon 19

This season, LSU drubbed eventual Big East champion West Virginia and eventual Pac-12 champion Oregon. But LSU was fortunate to defeat Alabama by a 9-6 score in overtime. In that game, Alabama had better stats than LSU except in the stat that counts the most. Alabama squandered scoring ops.

So I have no problem with this rematch. Until the top teams in other conferences consistently defeat the top teams in the SEC, this is the way it will be. We're not talking academics here. It's football, and the best college football is played in the SEC.

And don't overlook the power of television. It's possible that the LSU-Alabama rematch is a better TV attraction than LSU-Oklahoma State.

From the Nov 5 LSU-Alabama game:

Can't believe scUM got picked over MSU for the bcs bowl...what a joke, scUM lost to MSU and then to end up in the outback bowl! What a scam. Go vtech!

We weren't eligible to be picked for a BCS at-large spot, because we didn't finish in the top 14. It wasn't a matter of one team getting picked over the other.

Stinks, but it is what it is. Can't say that I love a system that rewards teams for not playing in their conference championship game, but we aren't the first team it has affected and we won't be the last.

I don't think there are many people who would disagree that Wisconsin and MSU were clearly the 2 best teams in the Big 10 this year.

(And Michigan fans could find themselves in that boat if they make it to a conference championship down the road, so I'm chuckling a little at certain people I know who are gloating now. Those particular individuals will be the first to cry foul if/when it happens to Michigan.)

Anyhow, I was at the game in Indy last night, and the atmosphere was amazing. Aside from the way the game ended
(sigh), it was a great experience.

P.S. I think what hurt MSU for the Capital One bowl is that we have been there 2 of the last 3 years. From the bowl's perspective, I can see why it might have been appealing to try a different team, especially when they had a option like Nebraska.

I don't "love" the fact that we went to the Outback Bowl - yeah, it's disappointing compared to how things could have gone. However, I do think it will be interesting to get a rematch vs. Georgia. Would love to silence some Big 10 naysayers with a big win over a solid SEC team.

I'm hoping to make the trip to Tampa, but I'm not sure how feasible it will be. Probably wasn't wise for me to squeeze in the Indy trip right before Christmas, but (other than the loss) it was worth it.

If any of you are Big 10 fans and have the opportunity to go next year, I'd recommend it. I'm hoping to go back to see an MSU victory. ;)

I know Michigan got the spot because of their national TV appeal but I just don't understand how we can punish teams for going to a title game.

Plus how the hell does a team play for the national title without even winning their own conference? I would much rather see Oklahoma State in that game. The SEC was down this year and the only real offensive threat LSU faced was Oregon. Woo hoo can't wait for a 9-6 national title game :(

I hate the BCS (BigSchool Cheerleader System), how much longer till we get a playoff?

Damn, I hate the sponsor names on some of these bowls...Beef O'Brady Bowl? Belk Bowl? BBVA Compass Bowl....ack!

The least attended bowl will be the Hawaii Bowl. If University of Hawaii isn't playing in it, that game is lucky to draw 5,000 in a 50,000 seat Aloha Stadium. Can't imagine too many Southern Miss fans have the cash to go there.

Why would the Sugar Bowl pick these teams other than for the potential crowd following and money. Va Tech got smoked in their last game and their non-conference schedule was pathetic. #11 vs #13 in a BCS game, while others such as Boise State get snubbed.

The MSU vs. Georgia matchup should be a good one. A match up between 2 teams who played in the Big 10 and SEC title games this year? The Outback Bowl reps are practically doing cartwheels over the matchup they landed - Tampa Bay media is already running stories about it.

Do I think the whole process is fair? Nope. (And I'm not saying that just as an MSU grad - Oklahoma State had a lot more on the line than we did by missing out on the chance to play in the title game.)

But, what's done is done, and the only thing to do is focus on the game ahead. MSU vs. Georgia should prove to be a solid matchup.

P.S. In regard to the Toledo game, we're thinking about heading to DC to see them play. My husband is a big Rockets fan, and he has never been to DC. Go Rockets!

I think the Gator Bowl is actually pretty creative - should be called the "Urban Meyer Bowl." Florida Gators (6-6) Urban's old team vs. Ohio State (6-6) Urban's new team. Normally I believe every bowl team should at least have a winning record, but I think the surrounding issues make this a little more interesting than it might have been otherwise.

Normally I believe every bowl team should at least have a winning record, but I think the surrounding issues make this a little more interesting than it might have been otherwise.

Yeah, outside of the BCS bowls, it's really the story that "sells" the game. The Gator Bowl did well to land a pair of teams that makes such a good story.

(And I will be rooting for OSU...I'd like to see the Big 10 do well in bowl games this year. Help boost the rep of the conference.)

"... how much longer till we get a playoff?"

Why do people still think a playoff at the Division 1-A level (or whatever it's called) is possible? It won't happen because too much money already exists at that level.

A simple, four-team playoff won't happen. If it did, it would be #1 LSU vs #4 Stanford and then #2 Alabama vs #3 Oklahoma State. Then obviously, the winners play a week to ten days later.

May 2008 post

If fans are upset that Oklahoma State won't get a shot at the title, they should complain to the leaders of the major conferences.

The BCS has five bowl games:

• Rose Bowl
• Orange Bowl
• Sugar Bowl
• Fiesta Bowl
• BCS National Championship Game

The BCS, of course, has its own ranking system. This year's final BCS rankings:

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma St.
4. Stanford
5. Oregon
6. Arkansas
7. Boise St.
8. Kansas St.
9. South Carolina
10. Wisconsin

But the BCS rankings are NOT used to determine who plays in all of the BCS bowl games.

Obviously, #1 and #2 are set, but why not place the teams ranked #3 through #10 in the other BCS bowl games? The pairings of #3 through #10 don't matter because it's not a playoff. But the Top-10 teams should play in the Top-5 bowl games.

That's not the case because of the money promised to the major conferences. If the major conferences prohibit using the BCS rankings to determine who plays in the five BCS bowl games, then we'll never see a playoff at Division 1-A.

So a team that has beat more ranked teams than Alabama, has played a stronger schedule, should get overlooked because they lost a very close game to a team in the highest ranked conference this year (according to all computer rankings)? I won't even bring in the part of their school suffering another tragic airplane accident before the game since it is hard to even measure the impact it has on the OSU community.

LSU obviously belongs there. They have the best team this year. Alabama couldn't win their division, couldn't win their conference, so if they beat LSU are people going to demand a split/shared title since they are tied?

I think the recent ESPN poll was very telling. After 130K responses online the only area in the country wanting to see the LSU-Bama title game was the Southeast and two small states in the Northeast. So while the original "game of the last billion years" brought in big ratings, the re-match probably wouldn't do that well...if it wasn't for the BCS title game.

Some people like the rematch, most don't care for it. Either way, by 2014 we'll be looking at modified post season setup from the way they are talking. Nothing can change before then though since media contracts dictate everything. Also comparing the Big East or Pac 12 to the SEC is a joke. The Big East is a shell of what it use to be and West Virginia will be a middle of the pack team in the Big 12 most seasons. The PAC 12 was just all sorts of screwed up this year. I do agree that the Big 12 and eventually the Big Ten need to get their act together to take out the SEC. The ACC is just well...hey look basketball season. lol

JSooner it's impossible for the "Big 12 and eventually the Big Ten need to get their act together to take out the SEC". What the SEC does with over signing, JUCO ball, and lower academic standards will keep them at the top of the heap. It's not because the kids are bigger/stronger or because they have better coaches it's because they have competitive advantages that the B1G or Big 12 don't have. Until those issues get rectified I would suspect that the National Champion will be a SEC team 80% of the time.

Sad fact is that other conferences really can't compete, I've given up on a B1G national champion and just enjoy the conference play.

"Nothing can change before then though since media contracts dictate everything."

As shown above, most of the major conferences oppose a playoff, including the Big-12. Under the current system, the major conferences are guaranteed a lot of money. That's why teams ranked way down in the standings get to play in BCS bowl games. The major conferences don't want to lose their special treatment.

"the highest ranked conference this year (according to all computer rankings)"

Total team defense rankings

#1 Alabama
#2 LSU
#60 Oklahoma State

The conference champion should have a higher ranked defense than 60th.

Human polls are influenced by the recent past, and the SEC has controlled the BIG-12 in national championship games.

• 2008 - Florida 24 - Oklahoma 14
• 2009 - Alabama 37 - Texas 21

"It's not because the kids are bigger/stronger ..."

The SEC had the most players drafted back in the spring.

1. SEC – 38 players/12 teams = 3.17 NFL draft picks per team
2. Pac 10 – 31 players/10 teams = 3.1 NFL draft picks per team
3. ACC – 35 players/12 teams = 2.92 NFL draft picks per team
4. Big East – 22 players/8 teams = 2.75 NFL draft picks per team
5. Big Ten – 29 players/11 teams = 2.64 NFL draft picks per team
6. Big 12 – 30 players/12 teams = 2.50 NFL draft picks per team

Thought this was also interesting...

Over signing in the SEC, it's the dirty little secret

http://oversigning.com/testing/index.php/category/sec/

http://www.ajc.com/sports/uga/over-signing-is-sec-962416.html

Let's not even talk about the Juco ball BS that goes on down there, Cam Newton's academic scores couldn't even sniff him a chance at a B1G school. He gets booted from Florida for sticky fingers, then spends a year at Juco school and then suits up for Auburn. B1G schools don't have the advantage of hiding players in a Juco schools and then "calling them up" from the farm system.

Yeah that is a good point. Big Ten and in the same sense Big 12 are chasing a more balanced with athletics and academics. I guess the NCAA could always raise academic requirements even more.

I find years when national title chances aren't in play to be more enjoyable. When OSU destroyed my Sooners I really wasn't that upset. They were just not playing a good game this year and would have been sliced up by Stanford's offense. Not to mention Landry Jones has self imploded and just hasn't been efficient at all. I am excited to see that their next starter is going to be a...*shock*...running QB. Hello 1980s.

My vote WVU to win the Orange bowl! Go 'Eers!

The SEC Championship Part 2 is a joke.

Equally a joke is VTech and UMich going to the BCS. Neither deserve it and it was just one more snub to nonBCS teams. Boise St. would mop the floor with both teams and proved it this year with their schedule, I'd like to see Michigan or VTech beat George at Georgia.

For anyone on the bubble about going to see Toledo play they should. Bowls aren't always in warm weather and that hasn't been the standard for almost 30 years.

DC in the wintertime is a a well kept secret. Those who talk of NY in Christmas would find DC a very acceptable second place. If I still lived on the East coast I would be going to this game. Right now the question for me is whether to go to the Holiday Bowl or the Rose Bowl.

I have been to a Rose Bowl. Even if you don't care about the teams that are playing, it is a fun experience just to be there. (Someday I'll go back to see my own team play...sigh...)

We're thinking about throwing together a last minute family vacation to go to DC for the Toledo game on the 28th, then drive from there to Tampa for the MSU game on Jan 2nd. My office is closed the week between Christmas and New Years anyhow. Just need to figure out if we can squeeze in an unplanned vacation expense around Christmas time.

Mikey completely agree that VTech and Michigan have no business being in a BCS bowl. Higher ranked Kansas State should have at last gone to one and then Boise State. Nothing but a money play however, which you can't fault them - that is the system now.

Go Blue! I'm happy and I'll take the bowl, however the whole system needs to change to a playoff format. There are many proposed and you can like whatever one you want. This years bowl picks/BCS/who's in/who's out is just awful. I won't apologize for UM getting picked over MSU, look..it always hurts a team more to lose late in the season than earlier in the season. Yes, yes we all know that MSU beat UM, we all know that UM beat ND and beat NE very handily, these two teams pretty much had their way with MSU. It's the system and it needs changed. How? I don't know that anything other than political pressure could exert enough to at least get the format being officially talked about. Public pressure won't mean a damn thing to the entrenched method. As an aside, Damn those Spartans!! What the heck was thay guy doing that close to that punter? I really wanted the Spartans to win that game, just cheeses me off.

I don't think anyone is upset that Michigan got picked over Michigan State. More like picking Michigan and Virginia Tech over higher ranked Kansas State which played in the top rated conference of the year.