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With the Dodgers postseason run, the Lakers undefeated start to their season and the election and subsequent hangover getting in the way, let’s talk some football!
And by talk I don’t mean whine endlessly about the BCS. At every turn people are just bemoaning what an awful system the BCS is. Even President-Elect Obama mentioned that he is in favor of an eight-team playoff for college football.
Let me put this in plain English: A PLAYOFF SYSTEM WILL NEVER HAPPEN. I will be given the right to marry before this happens.
As with anything political in nature, this all comes down to money. The bowl games give money directly to schools and conferences, whereas a playoff system will give the money to the NCAA. That’s why the Rose Bowl with the Pac-10 and Big Ten conferences didn’t join the first two attempts (Bowl Coalition and Bowl Alliance) to determine a consensus national champion.
So if you don’t like it, stop watching it. The national championship game averages around a 17 rating and plateaued with a 21.7 for the USC-Texas Rose Bowl in 2006. With numbers like that all the money is going into the pockets of the bowls, conferences and schools. So stop it.
Saturday’s Games
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #16 LSU Tigers. It’s a Nick Saban homecoming! After bolting the Tigers for the NFL, Saban comes back to Baton Rouge for the first time with his top-ranked Tide. Though still strong the Tigers just aren’t what they used to be. With players gone to the NFL, the Tigers are a young team that aren’t quite so strong on defense and not as quick on offense. The Tide however boast on the best run-blocking offensive lines in the country. However try playing in Baton Rouge as a visiting team. Good luck. LSU defeats Alabama 24-15. 12:30 pm CBS
#9 Oklahoma State Cowboys at #2 Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Red Raiders are tough sons-of-bitches. That final offensive play with Graham Harrell throwing that pass behind Michael Crabtree was one of those plays that will be replayed for the rest of the season. And the Raiders have a defense that suffocated the Texas Longhorns and stepped on their throats. The Cowboys meanwhile have beat then #3 Missouri in Colombia and was close to upsetting then #1 Texas in Austin. Oklahoma State defeats Texas Tech 16-14. Will not be shown here in Southern California thanks to the Cal-USC game.
Top 15
Here are the 15 teams playing the best football regardless of record.
1. Florida (7-1, 5-1 SEC)
2. Texas (8-1, 4-1 Big 12)
3. Texas Tech (9-0, 5-0 Big 12)
4. Oklahoma (8-1, 4-1 Big 12)
5. Alabama (9-0, 5-0 SEC)
6. USC (7-1, 5-1 Pac-10)
7. Oklahoma State (8-1, 4-1 Big 12)
8. Boise State (8-0, 4-0 WAC)
9. Penn State (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten)
10. Utah (10-0, 6-0 MWC)
11. Georgia (7-2, 4-2 SEC)
12. TCU (9-2, 6-1 MWC)
13. BYU (8-1, 4-1 MWC)
14. Missouri (7-2, 3-2 Big 12)
15. Ball State (9-0, 5-0 MAC)
Florida is playing the best football in the country hands down. They are the fastest team in the country, and if you’re running backs are averaging 11 yards per carry something must be going right. And I know a lot of people have hardons over Penn State, but they’re as good as their record. They struggled against Ohio State, and I just have a hard time giving any team in the Big Ten any credibility.
Enjoy Saturday’s games. I’ll be in Cabazon shopping my heart out.
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Let me preface this with the admission that I'm probably the only L.A. native who's an admittedly biased Crimson Tide fan (mom's an alum), but wow Bramlett... did you pull that Bama/LSU score out of your hat?
Grumble. Grumble.
I'm not so rabid as go so far as to guarantee an Alabama win, but I can see LSU being hard pressed to put up eight field goals much less three touchdowns-plus against the Tide's exceptional defense. And the run/pass behind 'Bama's dominating o-line is gonna give the Tigers defense fits.
As they say, we'll see.
PS. I suppose I should be grateful you didn't rank USC ahead of Alabama? Pffft.
Hehhee. I've told people for weeks that Bama was going to lose to LSU. I don't know exactly how it's going to happen, but it's college football. Anything can happen. So yeah, I basically pulled that score outta my ass. :)
Let me just say, at first I thought this was about Prop 8 due to the title, but I'm glad to see that it wasn't.
BUT ANYWAY, Pete Carroll should stop whining, considering he lost to Oregon State (who lost to Stanford, who UCLA beat).
GO BRUINS!
Vote President-Elect Barack Obama for NCAA/BCS Board of Directors!
I don't recall any whining on Pete Carroll's end. Way too classy.
And wait, why is Texas ranked ahead of Texas Tech again?
Pete has always been pretty quiet about the BCS, but he actually spoke out about it a few days ago.
And I know your rankings are for the teams playing the "best" football and I agree with Florida, but Texas must be playing football in some kind of alternate universe because they are playing better than a team they just lost to?? Doesn't make sense. Tech is really getting no respect and I kinda hope they win out just to see a different team win something this year.
@ali and @ aldo
I really had to think about that one for a while. I swithced them back and forth, they're that close. But if Texas and Texas Tech play 10 games, Texas will win the majority of those games. That's why.