BCS Championship Game discussion thread

[Ksyrup]

I don't think BSU or UL would have had as much success defensively against OSU as UF did and USC probably would have, but offensively I think they would have been very effective.

Michigan put up a ton of points on OSU, and Teaxas was playing with a freshman QB at the beginning of the year. Other than that, OSU was able to effectively dominate weaker offenses all year. They were clearly overrated defensively, as was Michigan.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by VPI97

I don't think it's the same guy...but he looks a lot like Senator Clay Davis.

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

[molson]

Originally Posted by wade moore

But I've seen nothing of the sort so far. They seem very content in their little bubble imo.

I think this is actually true. People in Boise aren't clamoring for a new conference, tougher schedule, or even national championship consideration. Just 10 years ago, Boise St. wasn't even Division 1-A - "Undefeated Fiesta Bowl Champions" isn't a title anyone's crying about.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Logan

I don't think it's the same guy...but he looks a lot like Senator Clay Davis.

Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Definitely the same guy as Clay Davis (from The Wire).

[Kodos]

As a Big 10 fan, I have to say that the Big 10 was just not all that great this year. Give IU a few years to rise to prominence with the spread offense of Terry Hoeppner.

Glad to see Ohio get smacked around on national television, even if it was a team like Florida that I loathe.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Definitely the same guy as Clay Davis (from The Wire).

Yep...just saw the thread .

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

i don't see how Urban Meyer's stock can rise any higher in college football.

Do it entirely with players he recruited.

OK, I'm not sure that would actually push his stock higher, but he did win with a lot of players recruited by Zook.

[Ksyrup]

And I just read something about how Zook is working miracles with his recruiting class this year for Illinois. A 4 win team, and they've got commitments from 4 top 150 players, I think I read, including the #1 overall DE.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wednesday

Do it entirely with players he recruited.

OK, I'm not sure that would actually push his stock higher, but he did win with a lot of players recruited by Zook.

He was only at Bowling Green and Utah for 2 years each, so his recruiting acumen has yet to be tested. But he seems to be doing a good job so far with recruiting at Florida.

[k0ruptr]

Boise St. got 1 first place vote in the final AP Poll. and finished 5th.

[Klinglerware]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Rutgers could STILL play Princeton if they wanted to... they did schedule a 1-AA school this year (Howard). But they choose not to. I don't think Rutgers and Princeton have played each other in a long while.

Yeah, they could. But wins against non-scholarship teams do not count towards bowl eligibility. Hence, there is really not much incentive for 1-A schools to play Ivies or other non-scholarship schools. That isn't to say that it doesn't happen anymore, but it is a very rare occurrence.

As for Rutgers-Princeton, I think that it was Princeton who initially wanted to end the series--Princeton started to get walloped with regularity once Rutgers decided to go "big time".

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by wade moore

If you want to argue they should be at the top purely for being undefeated, that's fine...

But I get very irritated at the argument that they "did absolutely everything they could" to be the National Champions. It's just not true, because they could do a whole lot more with their schedule, but they don't.

They didn't do everything they could. They went undefeated which is a howl heck of a lot of what they could do, but it's not everything.

Keep in mind - I'm a mid-major fan through and through for basketball.

I've heard a lot of comparisons between Gonzaga in basketball and Boise State in football, and I think it has some validity. If Boise State really wants serious consideration for the National Championship, they need to follow Gonzaga's lead and be willing to play big-time out-of-conference games on the road. It's pretty much a given that big-time schools don't want to schedule home/away series with Gonzaga and Boise State, and it's going to be difficult for either school to join more prestigious conferences to bump up their strength of schedule that way.

Gonzaga has accepted this fact and plays the big-time programs on the road or at neutral sites in tournaments.

Now, this is more problematic obviously for a football team - you only get 12 games per year, and you need a certain amount of home games to pay the bills (and keep the fans happy); with 8 conference games, that gives Boise State 4 slots to impress pollsters. Still, that does give them 2 road games against top competition to bolster their strength of schedule. Of course, the difficulty there is the amount of advance time needed in football for scheduling - most schedules are pretty much set 3-4 years in advance, some much longer than that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

While overnight ratings were down about 16% from last year's record for the Texas-USC matchup, results appear to have far exceeded expectations for last night's college football finale on Fox.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...ticle_9418.asp

Fox throttled the competition in primetime, more than doubling runner-up CBS’s 12.5 million total viewers average for the night. Florida-Ohio State averaged 26.4 million from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., 7.5 million fewer than ABC drew for the game last year.

The game earned a 19.1 Nielsen overnight household rating from 8:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. That was down 16 percent from last year’s 22.7 for the USC-Texas title game, which was the most-watched BCS title game ever. But it was well above the 14.7 earned by the 2005 game.

[wahoomac]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

And I just read something about how Zook is working miracles with his recruiting class this year for Illinois. A 4 win team, and they've got commitments from 4 top 150 players, I think I read, including the #1 overall DE.

Sounds like some of my recruiting classes in TCY when I don't play with strict house rules. Wonder if Zook is recruiting Acad* players???

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

While overnight ratings were down about 16% from last year's record for the Texas-USC matchup, results appear to have far exceeded expectations for last night's college football finale on Fox.

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/art...ticle_9418.asp

Fox throttled the competition in primetime, more than doubling runner-up CBS’s 12.5 million total viewers average for the night. Florida-Ohio State averaged 26.4 million from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., 7.5 million fewer than ABC drew for the game last year.

The game earned a 19.1 Nielsen overnight household rating from 8:30 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. That was down 16 percent from last year’s 22.7 for the USC-Texas title game, which was the most-watched BCS title game ever. But it was well above the 14.7 earned by the 2005 game.

I think people underestimate the draw of an SEC team ...

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I think people underestimate the draw of an SEC team ...

SEC teams don't run the draw. That would be faggoty.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

SEC teams don't run the draw. That would be faggoty.

Hahahaha...

In all honesty - I just think this matchup was more compelling than people think. Two nationally recognized programs that have both won a title in the last 10 years or so...

[Ksyrup]

The only surprise for me is that people apparently stuck around to watch. I'd be interested in the hour-by-hour numbers. Even I was pretty much done watching after the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, when UF didn't have it's typical 3rd quarter meltdown. At that point, the game was finished.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

The only surprise for me is that people apparently stuck around to watch. I'd be interested in the hour-by-hour numbers. Even I was pretty much done watching after the first 5 minutes of the 2nd half, when UF didn't have it's typical 3rd quarter meltdown. At that point, the game was finished.

Maybe we underestimate the hatred for tOSU and how much people enjoyed watching them get destroyed?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I think people underestimate the draw of an SEC team ...

All kidding aside, I know that lots of SEC fans were watching, some hoping to see Florida fall flat on their faces, and others hoping to see them conquer the Yankees. It was heavily debated on the UGA message boards whether it was acceptable to root for Florida under these circumstances. My estimation is that through the whole of Dawgnation, Florida and Tech are the only two programs that are truly *hated* by a large number of people, with Auburn #3. If it had been LSU or Tennessee against a Big 10 team, you would have seen the Dawgnation standing as one behind the SEC. Point being, though, every SEC fan I know, both in person and online, was heavily interested in this one.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

All kidding aside, I know that lots of SEC fans were watching, some hoping to see Florida fall flat on their faces, and others hoping to see them conquer the Yankees. It was heavily debated on the UGA message boards whether it was acceptable to root for Florida under these circumstances. My estimation is that through the whole of Dawgnation, Florida and Tech are the only two programs that are truly *hated* by a large number of people, with Auburn #3. If it had been LSU or Tennessee against a Big 10 team, you would have seen the Dawgnation standing as one behind the SEC. Point being, though, every SEC fan I know, both in person and online, was heavily interested in this one.

Yeah, I was certainly only partially kidding...

I actually find from my experiences that compared to some of the yankee conferences, that the SEC to me seems to root for its other members in bowl games. For instance - I consider UGA and UF to be hated rivals of the Vols. However, if either of them are in the National Championship Game, guaranteed I'm rooting for them. However, I hear from Michigan fans both here and in real life - and they all just wanted tOSU to get destroyed (and they got their wish).

I don't know if this is unique to the UM/tOSU rivalry or if it is consistent with the Big 10, Big 12, etc... PAC-10 seems to have a lot of group hugs, so maybe it is just a UM/tOSU thing or the midwest conferences...

Anyway, a bit of stream of consiousness there to say I certainly think a lot of SEC fans watched that wouldn't watch normally.. and say what you want about the SEC, you can't deny that it has a lot of fans.

[Butter]

As a resident well-known Ohio State fan, all I have to say is that was embarrassing, sad, and disappointing. But it happens. Tressel proved that he is human. As much as I dislike all the Florida schools, UF more than deserved to win that game.

[Ksyrup]

Put me in the Michigan camp who wanted to see OSU destroyed. And as an FSU fan, I can't say I was actively rooting for UF, but it didn't bother me that they won. Now...Miami would be another story. The championship game from a few years ago was probably the worst possible matchup (OSU/Miami) I could ask for, unless they had a 3-way with ND.

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

All kidding aside, I know that lots of SEC fans were watching, some hoping to see Florida fall flat on their faces, and others hoping to see them conquer the Yankees.

Please don't lump us north-easterners all together. I'll be damned if I'm lumped into the same group as anyone from Ohio or West Virginia.

OK, Ohio isn't that bad. But West Virginia? Come on, now!

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Yeah, I was certainly only partially kidding...

I actually find from my experiences that compared to some of the yankee conferences, that the SEC to me seems to root for its other members in bowl games. For instance - I consider UGA and UF to be hated rivals of the Vols. However, if either of them are in the National Championship Game, guaranteed I'm rooting for them. However, I hear from Michigan fans both here and in real life - and they all just wanted tOSU to get destroyed (and they got their wish).

I don't know if this is unique to the UM/tOSU rivalry or if it is consistent with the Big 10, Big 12, etc... PAC-10 seems to have a lot of group hugs, so maybe it is just a UM/tOSU thing or the midwest conferences...

Anyway, a bit of stream of consiousness there to say I certainly think a lot of SEC fans watched that wouldn't watch normally.. and say what you want about the SEC, you can't deny that it has a lot of fans.

As a Michigan fan and two-time alumn, I definitely didn't want OSU to get destroyed. I was sort of pulling for them... Sorta. In a very luke-warm, understated kind of way.

They way I looked at it was that you take your obnoxious cousin over the thug from across town.

That said, I wasn't all that torn up seeing OSU lose. After losing three straight years to these guys, it wasn't all bad to see some of their glum faces on the sidelines.

[Kodos]

I was really torn before the game, as I HATE HATE HATE Ohio State. My parents are Florida State alumni, so I root for the Seminoles as well, and therefore hate the Gators. Plus I went to Indiana, so I'm a Big Ten guy. Part of me didn't want the Big Ten to look bad, but frankly that genie was already out of the bottle after a pathetic bowl season for the Big Ten. Once the teams took the field, it became clear that I wanted the Buckeyes to lose more than I wanted the Gators to lose. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the various Ohio* fans cry during the game.








* I like to call them Ohio to irritate "The Ohio State" idiots.

[Ksyrup]

I didn't know you rooted for FSU. Huh.

[Kodos]

Yep. The three main teams that I root for are IU (my school), PSU (my brother's), and FSU (my parent's school).

[Buccaneer]

I would suspect that those of us in the Rocky Mountain West and probably the West Coast don't really care that much whether a regional team or conference gets rooted for or against. It's just not that much of a priority and so we don't get worked up about it. (I know USC has national fans/haters but they may be the only exception.) Football is a religion in in the South and Midwest, out here it's a diversion. It is solely my guess that the number of posts at a Dawg board is probably more than the MWC and PAC10 combined.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I would suspect that those of us in the Rocky Mountain West and probably the West Coast don't really care that much whether a regional team or conference gets rooted for or against. It's just not that much of a priority and so we don't get worked up about it. (I know USC has national fans/haters but they may be the only exception.) Football is a religion in in the South and Midwest, out here it's a diversion. It is solely my guess that the number of posts at a Dawg board is probably more than the MWC and PAC10 combined.

Yeah, until Rutgers became good ten minutes ago..I had no reason to acknowledge there was D-1 football in my home state. As for where I live now, I was glad to see Mountain West teams do okay from the perspective of "otherwise, we'd have to hear how much the conference sucks" which we'd hear regardless of whether they won bowl games or not. That said, if they all got shredded, I wouldn't have shed a tear. Especially glad to see New Mexico lose their home bowl game, which led a newspaper columnist to propose a bowl in Wyoming. Only problem is, no one would ever want to come here in the middle of the winter.

But...no way I root for BYU, Colorado State, TCU, Utah or New Mexico, even if the free world were to be saved by it. Nope, sorry.

I didn't mind wanting to see San Diego State do well in the NCAA basketball tourney last year after they dispatched us in overtime of the conference final, but only because their team reminds me a lot of ours. And I'm not sure I meant that in a good way.

When I was an undergrad and went to and played at D3 schools, I didn't care at all about this stuff, though. So I think the transformation is an interesting one.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

Especially glad to see New Mexico lose their home bowl game, which led a newspaper columnist to propose a bowl in Wyoming. Only problem is, no one would ever want to come here in the middle of the winter.

Hasn't stopped Boise, or is Laramie that much worse?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

Hasn't stopped Boise, or is Laramie that much worse?

Laramie is the highest altitude 4-year school in the country at 7220 ft. It's not even so much that you'd have to worry about snow in Laramie in December, that part is all right. It's that you could have a scenario where I-80 coming from the east -- with one specific stretch from Cheyenne to Laramie which is somewhere over 8000 ft. could be covered in snow, clouds, ice or like this past weekend, closed because of 70mph wind gusts.

I mean, that doesn't happen every year. But..it just seems like too much drama to deal with to make it worthwhile.

I think it'd do a lot better in Cheyenne, since Denver isn't too far away. But the only stadium in the state that could hold it would be War Memorial on the UW campus and it's not even that big, so filling for a bowl game wouldn't be super difficult, especially if the Pokes are playing somebody.

Especially if you could schedule a basketball game around it during the same weekend.

[Ksyrup]

Sorry if this has been posted already...

I missed OSU's band's halftime show. Apparently they changed things up a bit given the way the game was going:

[Easy Mac]

I found this analysis amusing. The most overrated/underrated teams based on beginning and ending poll spots:

2006 Overrated/Underrated Teams

---

The list below is sorted by "underratedness." The teams at the top of the list were the most underrated (final poll standing furthest above preseason poll standing); the teams at the bottom of the list were the most overrated (final poll standing furthest below preseason poll standing). Any team not mentioned was unranked in both preseason and final polls.

Bolded for emphasis. At least the writers correctly rated Ohio State to start the season

[cougarfreak]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

I found this analysis amusing. The most overrated/underrated teams based on beginning and ending poll spots:


Bolded for emphasis. At least the writers correctly rated Ohio State to start the season

You're assuming the end of the season rankings are correct. I think alot of people would disagree with OSU's final ranking of #2.

[ISiddiqui]

Wait, since when was Notre Dame the consensus #1 in the preseason? I thought OSU was #1.

[Mr. Wednesday]

Which makes Notre Dame less overrated than FSU. I guess that's damning with faint praise.