Thursday, December 10, 2009

BCS is a joke, yet again

In what is becoming an annual rite of stupidity, the BCS will again muck up an otherwise beautiful college football landscape with a sham of a "national title" game. For the fourth time since the BCS was created (and third time in five seasons) there will be more than one unbeaten team after all the bowls are played. College football is the only sport played in America where that is even possible. Correction - the TOP division of college football is the only sport played in America where that is even possible.

The question is "WHY?" and like most things, the answer is "Money". It is very profitable for the bowl games themselves as well as the heads of the six BCS conferences. Unfortunately for the schools across Division I-A, it would be even MORE profitable to go to a simple playoff system. The reason they don't is this basic formula:

X Dollars generated by current system / 6 BCS Conferences and the Bowls

Namely, the 6 BCS conferences and the Bowls get all the money generated in this current system. If you assume that a playoff would generate the same revenue X (and I bet it would generate more) the formula switches to this:

X Dollars generated by playoff system / all conferences in Division I-A and the 15-20 bowl games that still get played

The BCS conferences and the 34 bowls themselves do not want to give up the stranglehold they have on all that money and let it be distributed more equally. And be honest, if you were them, you wouldn't want to either. But that's where fans, students and the member schools themselves ought to be able to step back and say "Listen, this needs to change and you are going to change it".

What has happened is that university presidents in the 6 BCS conferences have been told a scary bedtime story by the BCS machine. Behind closed doors they are told how the Playoff Boogeyman might not create as much money which could mean reduced budgets, lower headcount, etc. In reality, most of the schools who would qualify for a simple 4 or 8 team playoff are still going to be BCS schools so increased ratings and attendance (which again, I believe are almost certain to occur) would potentially translate into even MORE money for the member institutions. It would DEFINITELY mean more money for the smaller conference schools which for the most part get completely left out in the current deal, and it would help their recruiting "yes young man, it IS possible to play for a national title here at TCU". Put simply it's just more fair.

At least the ridiculous argument that we heard for so long of "do it for the student-athletes and their academics" has been exposed as fraudulent and we don't hear it anymore. Frankly the answer given these days by the BCS itself is quite simply "It's better than the old way of doing it". Well, the irony of that argument is that it can be used against the BCS by saying there's a better way of doing it now and yet it's not being done.

Here on TSF we've made several similar yet different arguments for a playoff system. They all center around either the top 8 teams in the BCS standings playing in a playoff or the 6 BCS conference champs and the top 2 rated teams from non-BCS conferences. Maybe all we'll get is the top 4 teams. But I would get behind ANY of those ideas over the current laughable system. I hold out hope that at some point in my lifetime college football will change to a fair system to determine a true national champion. When it does, we will look back at these days and laugh at how utterly ridiculous it was that for two years in a row in 2008 and 2009, there were two teams left undefeated at the end of the bowl season who didn't play each other and settle it all on the field.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Virginia Tech Returns to Atlanta

The Virginia Tech Hokies will face the Tennessee Volunteers in the Chick-fil-A (PEACH!) Bowl in Atlanta on New Years Eve. More to follow as the game gets closer...

TSF Poll (Week 14)

This weeks' poll is the second to last before the end of the regular season. The Army-Navy game was moved to the the second week of December this year. TSF has gotten it right all year. Alabama is the best team in the country. The Hokies come in at number 10 in the poll.

#TEAMPoints
1Alabama (3)75
2Texas Christian71
3Texas70
4Cincinnati65
5Boise State63
6Florida61
7Oregon56
8Georgia Tech55
9Ohio State46
10Virginia Tech44
11Brigham Young40
11Iowa40
11Penn State40
14LSU36
15Nebraska35
16Miami30
17Pittsburgh24
17West Virginia24
19Oklahoma State17
19Stanford17
19Utah17
22Arizona12
23Central Michigan8
24East Carolina7
24Oregon State7

Friday, December 04, 2009

EhhTee's Picks (Week 14)

One might say I should be crying for mercy at this point. Another subpar set of picks this week. Okay. One last shot before the bowl games. Maybe I can redeem myself.

Last Week's Results:
Texas @ Texas A&M Temple @ Ohio
Line: Texas -22.5 Line: Temple -3
Pick: Texas Pick: Temple
Score: Texas 41 - A&M 17 Score: Temple 31 - Ohio 15
Actual: Texas 49 - TAMU 39 Actual: Temple 17 - Ohio 35
Nebraska @ Colorado Alabama @ Auburn
Line: Nebraska -8 Line: Alabama -12
Pick: Nebraska Pick: Auburn to cover
Score: Nebraska 27 - Colorado 10 Score: Alabama 35 - 28
Actual: Nebraska 28 - Col. 20 Actual: Alabama 26 - Aub 21
Clemson @ South Carolina Florida St. @ Florida
Line: Clemson -2.5 Line: Florida -22.5
Pick: Clemson. Pick: Florida State.
Score: Clemson 31 - USC 21 Score: FSU 35 - Florida 10.
Actual: Clemson 17 - USC 34 Actual: FSU 10 - UF 37
Georgia @ Georgia Tech This Week (Overall)
Line: Georgia Tech -7 Line: 2-5 (38-53)
Pick: Georgia Tech Picks: 3-4 (56-36)
Score: UGA 0 - GT 28
Actual: UGA 30 - GT 24

This week's Picks:
Alabama vs. Florida
Line: Florida -5

This is it. The game we've been waiting for all season. Quite frankly this might be the national championship game in itself. I'd be contradicting myself if I didn't say Alabama will absolutely crush Florida in this game.

Pick: Alabama
Score: Alabama 42 - Florida 13

Nebraska vs. Texas
Line: Texas -14

I really wouldn't want to face Mr. Suh this time of year. The Nebraska defense is firing on all cylinders. Can the Nebraska offense play well enough to win this game?

No but Nebraska beats the spread.

Pick: Nebraska
Score: Nebraska 17 - Texas 24

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
Line: Even (O/U 57.5)

They're calling this even so I'll bet the O/U here. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have two potent offenses. As we saw in the Illinois game Cincy's been struggling on defense.

Pick: Over
Score: Cincy 45 - Pittsburgh 37

Georgia Tech vs. Clemson
Line: Georgia Tech -1

Almost a pick-em. Both teams disappointed the ACC by losing to two very poor SEC teams. (Georgia may be our opponent in the Chic-Fil-A (PEACH!!) Bowl). I'll be very angry if Clemson wins because GT is clearly the better team and the better team to represent the ACC in the BCS.

Pick: GT
Score: GT 31 - Clem 24

Houston vs. East Carolina
Line: Houston -1

Not a lot of choices here but add neutral site and the fact that ECU fans are a little bit looney (in a good way) and will go anywhere.

Pick: ECU
Score: Houston 14 - ECU 35

West Virginia @ Rutgers
Line: WVU -2.5

Rutgers has already lost to lowly Syracuse. WVU is coming off a huge win against Pittsburgh. Rutgers only based on home field.

Pick: RU
Score: WVU 21 - RU 24

New Mexico St. @ Boise St.
Line: Boise St 46.5

Boise goes undefeated. Totally screws up BCS. We wish.

Pick: NMSU (Only because the line is so ridiculous)
Score: NMSU 13 - Boise 52