Quote of the Day “I think a change (a change) would do you good.” –Sheryl Crow
There is no question that 2008 was the greatest year the blog has ever known from both a financial and an artistic perspective. TB appreciates all of the regular readers of this humble website, even Madd Dawg, and hopefully we can attract a few new names in 2009. I’ll try and do my part and I hope you will do yours by continuing to engage in conversation, dropping your one liners and stories, recommending the site to others, and voting when applicable.
After a nearly two week journey through the South over the holidays, I’m back at work and back at the blog. I had a lot of good topic ideas come up during my trip including commentary on the Russian spy/professor’s predictions regarding the future of the USA. Stay tuned for that one, for today’s post is about something much more pressing–the issue of instituting a playoff system for NCAA Division I football. (You didn’t really think I’d start the year with a “damn political post” did you?)
For years, I have opposed a playoff system. My reasons were based on self interest and long held assumptions. You all know about the ARB New Year’s party by now. That party started back around 1983 and reached its zenith somewhere around the turn of the millennium. The glue that held that party together was the bowl system, and when eight games were played on January 1 from ten am until near midnight, the action was fast, furious and often pretty damn funny. But dropping down to four or five games with no need for more than a single television damaged New Year’s Day irreparably. Thus, reason number one for keeping the bowl system intact has been destroyed. The other reason I have always favored the bowls over playoffs is that my school, Mississippi State, has absolutely no chance whatsoever of making those playoffs. So what do I care about whether USC has a gripe that it could beat Florida if they ever played? Actually, I don’t, but I digress. State does (occasionally) play in, and even win minor bowl games, allowing our fans to (occasionally) revel in our perceived success. The final reason I’ve never favored a playoff is that I gave no credence to the proposition that the non-BCS conference teams could beat the BCS badasses, so there was no point in allowing them to compete in a playoff.
You may think that the Utah victory over Alabama in this year’s Sugar Bowl changed my thinking on that last point, or possibly Boise State’s victory over Oklahoma a year or two ago. But that’s only partially true. Those games definitely exposed the falsity of my prior assumptions, but more than anything, they caused me to finally admit the glaring truth that has been there all along. Any sport that crowns a champion while barring even one of the sport’s participants from competing for it, much less dozens, is a fraud. It does not matter that many of those teams have no realistic chance to win. Teams with no realistic chance to win have a long history of pulling off the impossible. The Jets over the Colts in Super Bowl III, Chaminade over Ralph Sampson led Virginia, USA 4-3 over the USSR in 1980 and Chico’s Bail Bonds Bears over the Yankees back in the mid-1970’s golden age of sports are all instances where athletics showed us that anything is possible if an underdog is given a chance. When an undefeated team is prohibited from playing for a championship in college football, the whole season is nothing more than a made for TV exhibition.
As for my self interest, hey, State doesn’t play in that many bowls in the first place and in the second, I’m sure that some minor bowl system for the also-rans can be worked out. And you already know I’ve found a new way to spend New Year’s Day. Change is in the air. Light is being shined upon the lies and half truths of the past. It’s time for a new era of fairness and open competition,and an admission of old assumptions proved wrong over the passage of time. I say let em play.
Bonus Quotes of the Day
“Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes; Turn and face the strange.” –David Bowie
“I know that it’s time for a cool change” –Little River Band
“What is a ute?” –Judge Chamberlain Haller, My Cousin Vinny
Travellinbaen 
TB, I’m glad to see you have finally come to your senses. We have needed a playoff system for a while, the problem has been that the weaker BCS conferences have been against it (PAC-10 & Big East) because they know there chances will be diminished if they actually have to play someone at the end of the year that isn’t an overrated USC or Oklahoma, etc. Every conference should have a championship game and after that the top 8 ranked teams should play a pool play tourney over the two week dead period in mid December. The top two teams play in the championship game and the six losers and the number 9 & 10 ranked teams can play in the “BCS” bowls. This would only mean at the most two more games for anyone, and eliminate teams from having to wait a month between regular season finale and bowl game, not to mention more t.v. money in those two weeks. I know there would be kinks that would have to be worked out, but it could and must be done to ensure that the NCAA Football Natl. Champ. does not totally become a farse as the media/ popularity contest the Heisman has become. There, problem solved, you’re welcome!!!!
I am opposed due to the fact that, as you pointed out, a team like Ole Miss or State would not be invited to the playoffs, ever.
I do not think many, or any, smaller bowls would survive.
Now the current system is about as bad as what I think a playoff system will look like. Thus, if the choice is the current system or some playoff system I will follow the lead of President-Elect Obama when he was in the Senate and vote present.
However, I do not feel bound by the 2 choices set forth above. I am a true conservative. So, I suggest a move that is the equivalent to returning the nation to the gold standard. Yes, I call for the abolition of the BCS and a return to the true Bowl System. Win your conference and you go to your conference’s championship game. Do not win your conference and you need to pool your cash for prostitutes, bribes, and expensive booze for the bowl reps.
My suggestion returns us to a world with 10 games on Jan 1. This will bring back foot races by overweight drunk men, curve balls thrown (sort of) by washed up high school baseball stars, shouts of move your meat and lose your seat, and (although I only attended the event one time) the classic balls (the type you throw) thrown at dicks.
Radical Change is ok. Just change it back to the way it was.
I have the same view as to wild card games in baseball, the DH, interleague play, and free agency.
One thing I’d require in my playoff system is that no team that fails to win its conference would be eligible.
As for radical change, Stone you reminded me of some random thoughts I had the other night vis a vis the haves vs the have nots. As a Bulldog fan, I’ve put a lot of thought in to being a have not over the last decade. I’ll post my radical, but sensible overhaul of college football proposal some time this week, if not later tonight. I think you will like it. Not many other people will, but they’d get used to it. “They” really ought to put ol TB in charge. Of something.
I didnt know Stone was so knowledgable to past NYD’s, I’m impressed. Also, I think this blog has gone to Baens head. Also, I am wondering why Baen has beaten me all year but did not participate in my bowl pool.
I forgot. Forgot tonight too. I have been unconscious all year. Gotta decide about going all-in on the Super Bowl.
The day I get paid to write a book, short story, column or single article, the blog will have gone to my head. You can be sure I’ll let you know if that day arrives. I’ll even send you an autographed copy. I do have fun though. And I’m still looking for guest writers. Sweet, if I ever do get put in charge, of something, I’ll put you in charge of sub-something. Just remember TB when the hydrogen converter takes off–I’d take being in charge of sub-something too.
I’ll accept being in charge of Goyevich? Garbovich? something
If my dreams are correct, I’ll be in charge of the checkbook……..come to think of it I’m always the treasurer.
I have been a playoff proponent for many years and received my share of grief for that position on countless New Year’s Days over the years. It is good to see that some of you are coming around. The problem is that none of the proposals go far enough. The format should be the same as the other divisions of college football. A 16 team playoff. The champions of the 11 D-1A conferences get automatic bids. You have 5 at large selections. An NCAA selection committe is formed (much like for basketball) that will choose the at large teams and seed the teams 1-16. That will take the power away from the coaches’ poll and the sportswriters who have no business deciding who should play for the national championship (more on that later). The first two rounds would be played at the home field of the better ranked team beginning the week after the conf. championship games (or you could take one week off). This would do away with the ridiculous 1 month layoff between the conf champ. games and the national championship. Once the final four is set the semi finals and the championship game will be rotated among the current 5 BCS bowl sites.
Any team that loses in the first two rounds would be eligible for the existing bowl games along with all the other bowl eligible teams. I do not believe those games would be diminished in importance because noone cares about them now, except the teams playing in them and the gamblers. Those people will remain interested.
Now that our savior Obama is on the record supporting a playoff, I expect him to invite the Utes to the White House just like the winner of the BS title game.
Zeek, you specifically call the Pac 10 and Big East weak. You specifically call Oklahoma overrated and I assume you feel the Big 10 and ACC are weak since they rarely win their BCS bowls. That leaves only the SEC. So, shouldn’t your plan be to just play the SEC championship game in January and call it the national title game?
Zeek,
Nobody wants to play in and/or watch consolation games.
Each conference should determine its champion however it sees fit, then the top 4 or 8 (there will be a controversy no matter what the number is) teams play in a playoff, while the rest of the teams and bowls continue as is. Since they don’t want to get rid of the bowls, we could even use the current names of the big bowls for the playoff games such that the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta would all rotate as being a quarter-final (if 8 teams), a semi-final or the championship, etc. The current BCS system has not killed all of the other bowls, so I don’t think that this system would either.
face,
Would you have voted for the Rebels as one of your five at-large teams this year?
I would just take the winners of the Sugar, Fiesta, Orange, and the Rose Bowls and play it out. The conference champions of the SEC, ACC, PAC 10, Big 10, Big 12, Big East and two at large (based on BCS rankings) from the other conferences get in. All conferences would be required to have a championship game. This would probably force the Big 10, Big East, and PAC 10 to increase in size. I am sure Boise and Uath would go to the PAC 10. Notre Dame would have to join a conference. The Big East would at least be respectable with more teams. Hell, University of MS Southern, University of Memphis, and Tulane might even get into the Big East and that would be a huge upgrade. This would give just about all of the teams a shot at playing their way into the national title game. The conferences fill-out the other bowls as usual. This would add just two additional games for the champ and runner-up. I would play the first game after the bowl at the home of the higher ranked team and the championship would rotate like the Super Bowl. The big bowls would never let this happen.
I do like face’s plan better with a required championship game. My plan just does not effect the current structure as much.
The rebs are playing really well and I’m impressed. But let’s not get carried away. By my count, there were 16 teams that didn’t win their conference championship that were ranked higher than the rebs in the final BS standings. A 4 loss team with a 5-3 conference record is not worthy of a spot in my playoff bracket, sorry. We can’t ignore the first half of the season. Maybe next year though.
Along those lines, I would consider adding a stipulation that any team that loses to Vandy or Tulane is ineligible for the playoff.
That’s what I’m talking about. I told you it can be done. In just one day on this site there have been 3 or 4 plans discussed that all have merit. If our dumb as*es sitting at home can figure it out why can’t the NCAA?
Face, I could live with your plan, but everyone would probably have to scale back to a 10 game regular season which you could also do and put everyone (all D-1 teams just add about 9 so there would be 128 of them) and just play it out like basketball. And don’t get me started on how the SEC is the best conference Face, please.
Madd Dawg – Yes people do want to watch consolation games, hell, every game that is not the Champ. game is a consolation game, isn’t it?
In my plan I know that there would be some debate over teams who didn’t get in top 8, but if you didn’t go undefeated or have only one loss (maybe 2 if you’re SEC,HAHA,) then you probably aren’t going to be ranked 8th or better. Maybe 16 teams like Face suggested would work better and go back to playing an 11 game season, who really needs to play LA-Monroe and Troy? Just scale back the pansy warmup games to one a year.
The point is it can be sensibly done folks!!
I also disagree with the school of thought that the Rebs And Dawgs couldn’t get in this playoff. If they have a great season and go undefeated or have only one loss the liberal media would have no choice but to rank them highly. If they don’t do that they don’t deserve it anyway. Just had to throw that in there.
I think the Rebs proved that they are a top 16 team. I guess they would have been a bubble team. I would think being the #3 team in the SEC would have gotten them in your playoff.
Being the #3 or 4 team in Sec should rank you in top 10!!!!!!!!
Larry, I have Florida, bama and Georgia all ahead of the rebs, and I don’t think you can really argue with that. Second, the win over Texas Tech doesn’t count in this discussion because that game would not have been played prior to picking the at large teams. Under my plan, there are only 5 teams allowed in the playoff that did not win their conference championship, and the rebs just wouldn’t make that cut.
To me there are 2 different issues. The first is whether there should be a playoff and the second is whether all members of D-1A football are included. I believe it is unfair that almost half of the teams in 1A football have no chance to win a national title. All schools have a theoretical chance to win the national title in basketball and baseball. To take it further, D-1A football is the only sport, pro or college, I can think of that excludes member organizations from its national title chase.
The problem is that the NCAA has no control over college football. For some reson, the BCS conferences control it. If that’s the way its going to be, then they need to go ahead and force the other conferences out of D-1A or whatever they want to call it. If they did that then an 8 team playoff would be ideal. But as long as the nonBCS conferences are still in the same division as the BCS conferences, they should be included and a 16 team playoff is necessary.
I want the institutional so called big wigs, preventing a playoff, names to be released to the public. And I dont mean having to research it. I mean their names talked about on sportscenter, etc. Try to interview them. Where is their office, Where do they live. Change we can believe in.
You want someone to “make them famous”, in other words.
the heat can be hot
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/01/06/utah.lawsuit.ap/index.html
The Utah AG says the BCS may violate antitrust laws. Tulane’s president threatened similar litigation in 98 when Tulane ws left out, but he backed off when the BCS changed the rules to allow more access to non-bcs teams. Those concessions allowed Utah the opportunity to whip Bama. Maybe with this threat along with our savior obama, we can see a playoff.
Face, I understand your genetic and learned predisposition to hate the Rebels, but at the end of the year, the way Ole Miss capped it off compared to Bama and Georgia, the Rebels are the second best team in the SEC and I’m pretty sure they beat the Gators (only loss) who are considered #1 and will more than likely be National Champion. The only team to beat the Champs, HMMM…, back in the good ole days that would garner pretty big accolades and rankings. Of course that was before computers and coaches and bean counters got involved.
Like I said before, add 9 teams to D-1(or whatever number it would take) to make 128 and just battle it out like basketball. That is about the FAIREST way to resolve it.
At the end of the year, I can’t argue that Ole Miss was 2d best in the SEC. If they didn’t self destruct, they would’ve been a top ten team period. The Vandy, SC and Wake games they should’ve won, and they just got intimidated at Alabama I think. But with 4 losses over the season, its woulda coulda shoulda. They are out of the hypothetical playoffs this season.
PS, I hope Peria Jerry goes pro.
There is one conflict that must be resolved: Some have said that no team that does not win their conference championship should be in the playoff, while others want a 16 team playoff. If you make the playoffs only 4 teams, then teams like Utah never get in, but if you make the playoffs 16 teams, then you diminish the regular season (like NCAA hoops does) and allow the third placed team in the SEC and Big 12 to be in it. Maybe 6 or 8 would be the right number of teams.
face,
I think that I could argue that the Rebs were better than Georgia. That is why I said the 3rd best team. Would Georgia have been one of your five at large teams? In the basketball selection hot teams at the end of the year get some credit. I was wondering if that would be the case in your plan. I understand space would be limited in a 16 team field, but if Boise State makes your field of 16 I do not agree. I know they have a good program, but they would be a .500 conference team in the Big 12. Utah would not be undefeated in a BCS conference. That is why I am in favor of other conferences taking the lead of the SEC,like the Big 12 did, and expanding their conferences and adding a chapionship game. If the PAC 10 has a championship game maybe USC is in the national title game instead of Fla. They don’t we do and under the current rules they are out. Like I said above expanded conferences would take care of the majority of the non-BCS teams.
Changing subjects
Non-BCS team, UMS, should not schedule teams like Auburn or Tenn schedule teams like Baylor, North Texas, or NWSES La and try and run the table in-conference and your in a BCS game. That has to pay more than either of those teams are giving you to play anywhere, anybody, anytime. Plus if you are undefeated more people will attend your games.
Zeek and Larry, I see you are trying to pick a fight with me here. I have been very complimentary of the rebs on this thread. They had a very nice season and I think Snead could be a stud. They did not have a great season. The purpose of this thread is to discuss the merits of a playoff system. My plan is the most inclusive, and some argue it includes too many teams. There is just no way that Ole Miss’ season would justify including them in any legit playoff scenario. It seems you have forgotten half of the season. Vandy, South Carolina and Wake Forest were mediocre teams and you lost to them. I know you should have won those games just like you should have beaten Memphis the last time you won the Cotton Bowl, but you did not.
Boise would be in my playoff because they won their conference title and would get an automatic bid. Georgia would have been a bubble team for one of the five at large spots. Georgia lost to Bama and Florida (top 5 teams) and Georgia Tech (top 20 team and rival). They had a better conference record, better overall record, played in the more difficult division, and were ranked 10 spots higher in the bcs standings. So, I don’t think anyone who didn’t go to ole miss would agree with you on that one. You are still factoring in the Texas Tech win (a win you should be proud of), and as I said earlier, you can’t do that for this discussion.
As for Boise being a .500 team in the Big 12, that is your opinion, and the whole point of having a playoff is to get away from people’s opinions deciding things. The non-BCS teams are now 3-1 in BCS bowl games.
Face,
the non BCS conferences simply can not get an automatic bid. If you want to do that then the conferences need to be realigned and the power teams spread out. If Utah or Boise survived an SEC schedule I would be stunned.
If you split the SEC into Big and Little Six teams:
Big: Bama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia;
Little: Ole Miss, State, S. Carolina, Arkansas, Vandy, and Kentucky;
the last non Big six team to win the SEC was Ole Miss in 1969 I think. That means the little six are something like 0-217 in their attempts to win the conference.
I am close to saying that it is impossible for a little six team to win the conference. So I say no way a non BCS conference gets an automatic bid to the exclusion of the 2nd, 3rd, and maybe 4th best team in the SEC.
Noone can explain to me why d1A college football is different from every other sport. We let those conference champs in the playoffs in every other sport. What does it hurt to have Florida play Buffalo in the Swamp in the first round? Are they going to win, no. No 16 seed has ever beaten a 1 seed in the basketball tournament either, but we don’t exclude those teams. But it does give a huge advantage or award to Florida for being a top seed and it allows the little guy the chance to compete on the field.
The money made from this playoff would be astronomical, and the big boys would still hoard most of it because they would likely advance further than the little guys just like in the basketball tournament But you have to give those teams a chance if they are part of the same classification as the big boys.
As I said earlier if you want to continue to exclude the little conferences, then they need to go ahead and force those teams to D1AA and make the distinction official.
Do you want us to feel sorry for the “little 6” of the SEC? They get the benefits of being in the SEC without really contributing to the league’s stature. I’m sure CUSA or the Sun Belt would love to have any of them if they are unhappy with their situation but then they would have to give up their welfare money.
Based on the SEC’s strength, they would almost always get at least two teams in. The ones that don’t get in had the chance to prove they were the best on the field and came up short.
i am new to the site…and have read this entire thread –i don’t know where to start. some very interesting points. and some very biased and subjective opinions about certain teams and conferences.
my thoughts and comments….and questions(assuming anyone cares)
Stone–do you think they are the “little six” because they can’t win? i mean, how did you choose the split…let me guess….based on winning the conference since 1969? or is it based on enrollment? SAT scores?
and how can you say, with a straight face, that the 3rd best team in the SEC, which amazingly has been determined as Mississippi by 2 posters(i think zeek and larry), should go before Utah in a 16 team playoff……that is when you realize the scary view that many die hard fans have about their team and conference…that it is the best….when it is near impossible to prove that. what a fallacy. and what a biased and stupid opinion. sorry.
Stone- another question–Name the only team, since setting up divisions, in the SEC West that has not won that division___________. Hint-They have been deemed the 3rd best team in the SEC this year by several on this post.
championship games—if you are an sec fan-quit whining about this and dont worry about what others do–the sec championship game has done nothing but help the sec reach the bcs championship. And I may be wrong, but doesnt the pac-10 play one more conf game than the sec? not saying that is comparable, just asking.
and the excuses about non-bcs are running thin—i dont think anyone is comparing the mountain west or conf usa or mac to the sec/big 10, etc…no one disputes that as a whole they are better conferences…the real issue is whether a team such as Utah or Boise is as good….well, they have to be given a chance to prove it. and under the current system all they did was prove that…but then that isnt enough either…so then playoffs are proposed, and it seems half the posters here are still trying to cut them out of the picture.
i’m getting upset, i better stop for now.
GoUtes!
Always good to have a member of the aristocracy on the site.
I still say only champs get in. Then you don’t have to worry about “bubbles”. I’m against giving the power team an automatic home game in the playoffs too. The bracket should be set up before each season and the league champs should rotate getting first round home field. Later rounds are at neutral sites.
Face, its not welfare. Getting beat up by those guys is very difficult work. So hard in fact that some other schools decided a long time ago it wasn’t worth the pay any more and got the hell out. Now those schools just stop in on the little 6 every once in a while for an easy paycheck and occasionally work hard for a week for the tougher ones from the big 6.
Finally, as a fan of an SEC school, let me just say I am NOT a fan of the SEC. I like ONE SEC school. Screw the rest of em. But I do appreciate them sending my school the paycheck it earned playing their whipping boy after they get done with their bowls.
I assume you are referring to Tulane leaving the SEC. First of all, there wasn’t the kind of money being thrown around back then that there is today, and I doubt very seriously that there was whole lot of revenue sharing in the 50’s among members of the SEC as there were no TV contracts or conf. champonship games and very few bowl games. Second, Tulane had an egghead, pie in the sky president who thought athletics took away from the academic reputation of the university and decided to deemphasize athletics. That is why they left. I guarantee you they wouldn’t have made that decision in today’s world of college football.
Tulane was in the SEC?
I was referring to Sewannee
First off, Face, bless your little heart, you focused so much on what I said about the Rebels that you didn’t bother to realize that besides you leaving out the Rebs of your 16 teams (HILARIOUS that you think they are not in top 16, COME ON, MAN): I like your system or solution better than anyone’s. I still say you could take it further by either making FBS 128 schools or (like you mentioned) scale it down to 64.(Big Nat’l Champ. – Lil’ Natl. Champ.) I think some of you are forgetting that Basketball and Baseball in the NCAA does not give EVERYONE a chance to win the Championship. There is a selection committee that determines who makes the playoff tournament, so there are plenty of teams left home with no chance every year. Not that it still isn’t better than what football is using as of now, just a point I felt that needed to be made.
TB, have to disagree with you on only champs getting in. I believe a one or two loss team from a SEC or Big 12 is better and has better chance in a plyoff than the “Champ” of the MWC, WAC, or MAC. I am also startled to read that you don’t support SEC, do you not realize that most of the media (that has pull or influence) hates us and only gives us respect when they are backed into a corner and have to. Even with a Championship game that supposedly determines the Natl. Champ they voted USC a share of it a few years ago. There is already talk of voting Utah or Texas a share of this year’s. What is purpose of whole BCS mess then??? Support the South TB. Me forget, Hell No!!!
As for you Sir Alexander Hawke, well, out of respect for this site and TB, and so I don’t make us look like uneducated red-necks, I shall remain a Southern Gentleman when I say to you “sir” HAH!!
I hate to ruin your little game of trivia, but Ole Miss won a share of SEC West in 2003 with a future Super Bowl MVP by the name of Eli Manning, you may have heard of him and no doubt were one of the ones questioning his abilities up until a year ago. He came out around the same time a Ute QB by the name of Alex Smith did. Is he even still in the league?
If you think our opinions are stupid you might want to take a look the validity of your argument, “sir”. Granted, the Utes had a great season and they kicked Bama’s butt. I’m not even going to make excuses for Bama about their O-line and lack of focus due to feeling dejected after Fla loss. They should have come with same intensity as Utah. However, if you seriously think that if you played Bama five more times you would even come close to winning one of them, then you need to come back in from the Utah desert and lay off the peyote!!! You and Boise St. are exceptions to the rule. Just because you beat up on Utah St. and Nevada and New Mexico all year does not impress us. If you want respect join the Pac-10 (who is also weak but at least BCS) Go undefeated in that conference and then we’ll talk. The SEC has been around 75 yrs. and has produced so many Champs in so many sports that it would make a Ute scalp himself. If you had to play 8 SEC teams this year do you really think you would have gone undefeated??? Silly rabbit, you are just excited for your team, and I understand that. Utah had a great season and I tip my hat to them. But screaming for a national title is ludicrous my friend. I wish my Rebels could play you this weekend.
GO REBELS!!!!!!!
Wrong again, Zeek, as usual. Every team in basketball and baseball has the opportunity to win their conference and make the playoffs. If they don’t do that, then they are at the mercy of the selection committee. If Prairie View wins every basketball game they play, they are the national champions.
“lack of focus due to feeling dejected after Fla loss.”
Couldn’t the same argument be made that Texas Tech had a lack of focus and were feeling dejected because they got screwed out of the Big 12 title game, were left out of the BCS bowls, and had to settle for a meaningless bowl game against a team with 4 losses? I would say so, but that doesn’t fit in with your argument so I’m sure you’ll just dismiss that too.
Zeek–follow up question-As I understand it, the winner of the SEC West plays the winner of the SEC East in the SEC Championship. So, did Mississippi, under the guidance of Eli Manning in 2003 (who I think was a great college qb, and turning into a really good nfl qb), play in the SEC Championship game? I’ll save you the suspense: The answer is NO. Why? Because they did not win the West.
You validate my point–the exception to the rule needs to be taken care of–that is the point. You can’t exclude these other teams.
Bama was outcoached–that wouldnt change the next 5 times…and they were physically outplayed–neither you nor I know how the next 5 would go, so you shouldn’t predetermine that AL would win—and why is this even being discussed. They beat AL–so now that’s enough? they have to play them 5 more times? it never ends.
i don’t think all of the opinions are stupid….and I was prob out of line saying that…but I could not find another word to better describe the opinion i was referencing. I think some really good points and opinions have been offered, no doubt.
utah st, nevada and new mexico–i guess it was no accident you failed to mention tcu, byu, air force, co state. Utes beat Michigan and Ore ST this year as well. i still don’t disagree that their conference is inferior to the sec..but that doesnt mean they arent as good. Utah is in Utah–the SEC will likely not allow their admission into the conference…so I guess you propose they be penalized for that?
I agree–just in the past 20-30 years, the SEC has won a bunch of nat’l titles in Football, baseball and basketball. combined, prob more than any other conference. and without getting too far off line, this raises probably my biggest beef with fans of inferior conference schools that tout their conference. they hide behind the conference b/c it far exceeds the accomplishments of the particular school. as an example, your touting of the sec and how great it is,i.e., how great Mississippi is–so the thought that comes to mind, how many of those championships the sec won over the last 20-30 years did mississippi bring home?
Wait a sec there Face ole boy, I believe what I said was “I’m not going to make excuses…”, so you are wrong again!!! I readily admit that Bama played like gutless turds who layed down. Saban should have had those boys ready to eat nails and defend the Sugar Bowl like junkyard dogs. I don’t think Ole Miss should have been playing Tex Tech, it should have been Ohio St. or another comparable team, then Tech may have had a chance against someone else. I acknowledge what you say about B-ball and Baseball, it is more fair. I think the only way is to realign D-1A so there are less teams so all could play tourney at end of year and let those others play for lesser Natl. Champ. under same format.
You just aren’t going to let up off the Rebs are you? And I am still waiting on a “thank you” for claiming your plan was the best,which I’m now not too sure about.
GOD, I wish we still got to play Tulane!!!
GO REBELS!!!!
Thank you.
TB-having just read your post, thanks for allowing me.
And how refreshing to hear you say that you are a fan of a school and not a conference. I somewhat addressed that in my last post. It drives me bloody mad.
I think your team deserves it’s share of the cash. the biggest perk for being in the conference.
i’ve perused the site…see if i can try my hand at music–
Soungs of the Day:
Faster, SOONER, Now–David Gray
SWAMP Song–Tool
S
sorry for the horrendous spelling-
Songs of course
Face,
I was not trying to pick a fight. I was playing devil’s advocate. I just thought the Rebs presented the most compelling arguement for a bubble team. They play in the best conference SEC (consensus), beat the conference champion Fla. at their place(early in the season), Fla beat Georgia like a drum, and the Rebs were one of the hottest teams at the end of the year (Georgia was not). All of this was before the win over TT. So, I thought Ole Miss was a good choice to explore the at large bids. It had nothing to do with them being my team. I just thought it would make for good discussion and get under some of your skin. Mission accomplished. As for welfare, Ole Miss contributed their 3 million this year and do not forget all that Papa John’s Bowl money we will bring in next year.
Sir,
I never said that the Rebs should go before Utah. As a matter of fact, I never said they should be in the playoffs. I only asked the question about an at large bid. Under the current system Utah did not prove they deserved a shot at the national title. The reason was because of their schedule. That is not my stupid opinion, but fact. sorry
I think any playoff plan should require a conference championship game. A required championship game would force some conferences to expand and basically set-up a round of the playoffs. Conference expansion would help the Utes and others get into a legit conference and access to the national title game. Use the existing bowls as the next round and add two games.
For the record, I do think that the Rebs were one of the best 16 teams this year, but under Face’s plan should not have made the playoffs. We lost to Vandy for christ sake.
Song of the week
“Swamp Music”….Lynard Skynard
Graet game last nite!!! Okla proved to be a far better team than I expected and I thought they were good. Tebow and Harvin and the Gator defense was just too much to overcome. My hat tips to the Sooners though for a great season and well fought game. I think Tebow proved (even with two horrible ints) that he is the best field general in college ball and he may be the best there has ever been. It is refreshing and sort of Manningesque( I just made that word up) to see a player with unbelievable talent and skill who receives accolades and awards for it, yet remain humble. He shows more concern for the team than himself;promises to try his best and delivers; and vows to come back his senior year and try to do it again for his school because he loves it and the fans and that is what he signed up for.Tebow is a gamer, and the reason why Fla has a very good chance of winning Natl. Champ. three times(and Heisman twice) during his tenure. He just has to make it past Ole Miss next year!!!
Change we can believe in!
WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama says he still believes there needs to be a playoff system to determine country’s major-college football champion.
Obama, asked what he thought about Florida’s 24-14 victory Thursday night against Oklahoma in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game, congratulated the Gators and said he’d sent a message to a friend whose son plays for the team.
At the same time, he said, “If I’m Utah, or if I’m USC or if I’m Texas, I might still have some quibbles.”
Obama said: “That’s why we need a playoff.”
Yes, a playoff system is exactly what I hope Obama is worried about! I’m sure it is all he wishes he had to worry about. Poor Guy! I do not envy him at all.
Amen, Zeek….and he comes to Oxford to try and do it..
Now that should be a great game – one I like to just be in the Grove for, if not in the stadium itself.
This just in: Rebs do not play Florida next year.
I think it must be an every other year situation.
This is my Song of the Bowl Season and it is dedicated to all who do not respect the superiority and dominance of the Florida Gators, Ole Miss Rebels, and the rest of the Mighty Southeastern Conference!!!!!
“The South’s Gonna Do It Again”- Charlie Daniels
Thanks for setting me straight, Zeek…kinda relieved actually……Tebow would be wantin to exact some major revenge on us…..whew……you were kinda Buddha Brownish in your correction there…..scary
I do what I can.
And the rest of us are just not worthy…….
That “SEC West Co-Champions” banner ya’ll fly around your stadium is a joke!!! It is a made up banner the Plantationist had printed up. They have not been to Atlanta to play for a championship, thus they are not champs
Go To Hell Ole Miss
That kind of talk can win you a surprise visit from the BBRP hit squad “Coach” Hopalong. I would hate to see those two bad knees finally put out to pasture. It might prove to be a little harder to coach girl’s softball in a wheelchair, son. Mind your manners, boy!!!