Congress Wants to Fix the BCS?

Congress has been dealing with the worst economic crisis in our time. Today they took timeout to tackle one of the President’s extra curriculum ideas, changing the BCS bowl system to a playoff system. Representative Joe Barton of Texas is introducing a bill to say that the BCS cannot claim a champion without it coming from a playoff system. Congress held hearings on Friday, May 1^st discussing the current BCS bowl system with several members on both sides of the debate.

As much I appreciated congress tackling steroids in baseball and putting professional athletes to a character test to be held accountable for destroying the integrity of the American past time. I don’t think it is appropriate for congress or the President to intervene in sports to change the rules. The Mountain West Conference has hired a lobbying firm to lobby Congress for changes to the BCS system. I am not sure how much money each college of the conference has contributed to this effort, but I think there are more productive areas that the money could be contributed to and be more beneficial to the student-body of the MWC.

The big boys do own the BCS, the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big Twelve, the SEC and Pac Ten have automatic bids to the five BCS Bowls, the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the National Championship Game. Selections are made According to computerized polls and the Associate Press Bowl and the Coaches’ Poll creating a score that fills the automatics bids. I don’t appreciate computers trying to decide by the numbers what people can decide by using history and experience, but it doesn’t bother me that in this case that the BCS system has tried to compare the two to create competitive games for not only the opportunity to make money, but also to provide the fans with an exciting experience. I probably come off as being bias being a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. That has participated in the last 2 out of 3 national championship games and has made numerous BCS appearances that to popular opinion have been because of the university’s reputation to sell tickets not always providing for a competitive game.

The system works. The BCS does the best it can to create a competitive game and the most competitive games are going to come from where the best players go. That is going to be to the biggest conferences because that is where the best athletes are going to find the biggest showcase of their talents to furthering their careers in professional football. On the outside it looks like there are only a select few schools that get the most money, but if you look at recruiting and the players involved the best players go to the biggest schools that are in the biggest conferences. You can’t make everyone happy, there are going to be schools and players in smaller conferences that always feel left out in a bowl system where there are approximately 36 bowls for schools with a .500 record or better can play in and get a share of money from the sponsors involved or a playoff system that pools more money together eliminating several bowls that could not compete against the viewership of a playoff.

Another part of the argument is what would happen to the exciting regular season which in many ways is a playoff for the teams competing in the toughest conditions. Playoffs often don’t go down to the wire deciding on when matchups are decided. Once the winner of a conference is declared the spot is filled. This will lead to some of the most historic games in history being played noncompetitively. Imagine the Ohio State vs. Michigan game being played by their third and fourth string players to preserve the first string for the playoffs. Conferences and coaches alike are going to be challenged how to play the student athlete in a longer season that could create more opportunities for injury to amateurs trying to further their careers.

Gene Bleymaier, Athletic Director for Boise State, noted that his school’s football team went undefeated several times , yet never got a chance to play for the national championship under the BCS. I understand the argument, but have little sympathy for a team that doesn’t play a top twenty five team except for maybe once or twice every other season. Boise State is a good football team and they did put together one team that beat a good Oklahoma team, but they will not do this on a regular basis. It is pure numbers. The 16, 925 undergraduate students Vs. Ohio State University’s 34, 479 undergraduate students (numbers provided by www.yahoo.com/education) cannot always bring in the top high school athletes in the country. This is not only about money, but also the student athlete. The larger universities benefit more students and this is going to decide for most football players where they are going to play football. The current bowls not only work for the market and sponsors involved, but also for the exposure of the football players involved. The undefeated seasons for Boise state has let them play in a bowl game each of those seasons. If there was a playoff the possibility that they would compete with other undefeated teams for a much more limited opportunity and increased pressure to win more than just one playoff game exist. You can beat Oklahoma once, one time in a season. Can you do it three times in a row? In a playoff it will become much harder for those schools to compete. In the current bowl system you can have the satisfaction that you collimated your winning season with the opportunity to win your final game against a school that on-paper you could beat or competitively play against in a highly publicized game. In a playoff a small school will eventually meet someone that outweighs them by a lot and though David might slay Goliath some-of-the-time it doesn’t happen enough to justify them getting the opportunity every time.

The BCS should stay the way it is. They can always tweak the computers and the polls to accept the current trend to create the best opportunity for everyone involved that can competitively play against each other. The worst thing about the argument is that everyone is forgetting the players that are involved on the field. Everyone is just squabbling over their piece-of-the-pie and since the little brother feels like it is only getting table scraps they are crying. This isn’t an argument that our President should be trying to get involved in. There are much more important matters that require his attention. We should just continue to let the players decided this on the field.

FB: Spring Outlook; Practice Begins Thursday

A period of adjustment is underway within Ohio State football, with plenty of new faces and new assignments to renew a Buckeye program that has won Big Ten titles and played in BCS bowls the last four years.
Continue reading at Ohio State Women’s Basketball Headline News

Orlando bowl games draw high ratings

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The growing contingent who question the relevancy of Big Ten football might want to take a look at the latest bowl TV ratings. 

Once again, the Big Ten's presence in a well-populated region has translated into tremendous television viewership.

The Capital One Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl, two games involving Big Ten teams (Michigan State and Wisconsin), were the highest-rated non-BCS bowls this season. Capital One eclipsed the FedEx Orange Bowl with a 6.4 rating. Champs Sports drew a 5.2 rating, making it the second highest-rated bowl ever broadcast on ESPN. 

Of the 10 highest-rated bowl games this season, five involved Big Ten teams. The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi came in at No. 2, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at No. 3, the Capital One at No. 5, the Champs Sports at No. 7 and the Valero Alamo Bowl at No. 10. 

Here's the full list. 

Top 10 Bowls By TV Ratings, 2008-09

1. BCS Championship Game (15.8)
2. Rose Bowl (11.7)
3. Fiesta Bowl (10.4)
4. Sugar Bowl (7.8)
5. Capital One Bowl (6.4)
6. Orange Bowl (5.4)
7. Champs Sports Bowl (5.2)
8. Emerald Bowl (4.6)
9. Holiday Bowl (4.6)
10. Alamo Bowl (4.6)

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Big Ten bowl wrap-up with Jim Delany, Part II

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Here's the second half of my bowl wrap-up interview with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany. For Part I, click here.

Given that these things tend to be cyclical, do you see a four- or five-year stretch of winning records on the horizon for the Big Ten?

Jim Delany: That's what we came out of. We had four or five years where we had done pretty well. If you look at the history of it, you can break it down by 20 years, 10 years, five years. People don't get to where they've got without having some success along the line. To whom much is given, much is expected, and we have amazing universities, amazing fan bases, amazing resources. We have very good coaches. It's more the surprise if you go on a four-year, five-year period where you're not competing at the very top. And having said that, I don't think it's as far down as many think. If you want to pick out LSU, Florida and USC and say, 'Did we get beat good?' I'd say, 'Yeah.' I'd also say, 'Did anybody else play them at that level?' They're beating everybody pretty good.

You've had four consecutive seasons of getting multiple teams in BCS bowls. Given the recent struggles, are you still confident that it will continue next season?

JD: You have to look at each year on its own merits. If you have a team in the Top 10 and they're going to travel well, they could go. We don't have a situation where the top eight teams go. We have a situation that is different. A lot of people were complaining that Utah wasn't [No. 1]. Well, if it wasn't for the BCS, Utah wouldn't have been in a major bowl. Nor would have Boise [State in 2007]. Nor would have Hawaii [in 2008]. The BCS made those venues available in ways that were never available before. So rather than criticize it, I look at it as, 'Hey, we've opened up the system.' People might say, 'The Rose Bowl should be opened up and anybody should be able to go.' And I would say, 'That's something that was built over 60 years, and I don't think that's going to happen.' I look at it as hey, we've played some great football teams. We've been competitive in some cases, we've won some games and we've gotten beat pretty soundly in some others. Those are the facts. If you can't be honest enough about the facts, you're not being realistic. And you have to be realistic. They have been really, really good, and we haven't had a team at the level that Florida played at, at the level that LSU played at and the level that USC played at. At all other levels, we've got teams that can play, and at a particular time and place, we can climb back up. I'm optimistic and resilient about it.

You mentioned USC, LSU and Florida and not having a team quite at that level right now. Do you think a team isn't far from that in the Big Ten?

JD: It's hard to know because wherever Florida was this year, they weren't there last year because we beat them. And LSU, the year before they won it, we beat them. So I don't think that there is a big gap between playing at what I would describe as super elite level and at a very good level. Penn State had four or five losing seasons and coach [Joe] Paterno said, 'We're just a few players away.' Well, he was correct. I look at Ohio State with Beanie Wells and Terrelle Pryor and they were certainly all Texas could handle, but without them, they really weren't capable against USC. So I really don't think it's far, but who's to say? We've got a half dozen of our 11 teams, they have young staffs, new staffs, that are building programs. I think Michigan will be back quickly, Illinois is on the upswing, Michigan State's on the upswing, Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota. Having played on three teams that went to Final Fours and never won a national championship, I can identify with how good Ohio State is. They're a very, very good college football team. It's more a sign of the times when somebody can be that good, accomplish that much, win at Texas, play Texas tough this year, do a lot of really good things, and people can only find out, if you're not [No.] 1, you must be no one.

Oklahoma will go through the same thing now, no doubt.

JD: I think there's something fundamentally wrong with tagging somebody who accomplishes something as much as the Oklahoma team has accomplished. That means there could only be one great program, and everybody else is a loser. And you know what? That doesn't conform to reality. That doesn't conform to my sense of quality. I'm not saying we can't get better, we won't get better, we haven't been better. All I'm saying is there are a lot of good football teams. Congratulations to Florida for winning two of the last three and the SEC. They have clearly demonstrated they're at the top of the heap in this cycle, and they should be recognized for such. But I've always felt the Pac-10 didn't get their due. Everybody was down on the Pac-10. Well, USC was pretty good, they went 5-0 [in bowls]. But again, it's five games. I look around at people that were 4-2, they could have been 2-4. But it is what it is, and I take a little bit of a longer-term view. You have to look at your programs and say, 'OK, what's really going on? Do you like the leadership of your programs?' And in all of my cases, I say, 'Yeah, I do.' They have enough resources to be successful. They have great fan bases and media agreements. So everything's in place, and there's not a lot of difference between winning and losing. You have to tip your hat to those that are at the elite level, but you can't crawl in a hole and start making excuses and self-flagellating. The infrastructure's there to be very good.

We talked about urgency before the bowl season. Is there a new sense of that or an even heightened sense going into the 2009 season?

JD: Our coaches and our players are not immune. They realized that we haven't performed on the big stage as well as we would have liked to. So I think they played very hard. I saw how hard Penn State played. I thought Ohio State played really hard. The [Northwestern] Wildcats, I was really proud of how hard they played. So I don't think it's a matter of urgency because if your players are playing their hearts out and your coaches have them prepared and they lose the game, there's no shame in that. If you're doing it the right way in college sports, while you're disappointed, you get up, you clean your pants off, you go back to spring practice, you continue to recruit, you hope the kids graduate and have a good experience, and you congratulate the people that won the game. That's how I've tried to view it, even though I'd much rather win the games.

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Bet your house on Florida, and other things to discuss;

Lots to discuss, wasting no time here…..

Let’s start off with the big event in sports.  Tomorrow night’s BCS National Championship Game, Florida vs. Oklahoma.

There’s only one way to put this.  Bet everything you have on Florida right now.  It’s going to be a massive blowout.  I have about thirty reasons why this will happen, but here’s just the best reasons;

1) The Big 12 has been exposed as EXTREMELY overrated this year

Say what you will about the Big Ten and the ACC and the Big East all sucking, but the Big 12 should be VERY embarrassed with their overexposure and underwhelming bowl performances.

At one point, there were multiple teams from the Big 12 ranked in the Top 10.  It was getting ridiculous, and the AP voters and TV announcers ate it up like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  “Every week is like a bowl game in the Big 12″ they would say.  Bullshit, I say.  They were all pretty average.  Here’s how their bowl games turned out;

Texas 24, Ohio State 21 – In a game that EVERYBODY said would be a 20-point blowout, it took a miracle drive, bad tackling, and some questionable officiating to put Texas in the end zone to win the game.  Somehow along the way, hitting a Longhorn QB in the shoulder pads became a 15-yard penalty.  In the end, the team that cried their eyes out claiming they were robbed out of the title game proved that they did not deserve any titles at all.  Texas went in thinking they would run up the score and pick up some first-place votes found themselves without a TD (and only 3 total points) for the entire first half.

Overrated?  Texas was ranked #1 in the nation at one point this year, Ohio State was given a 9% chance to win the game.  Yes, Texas was overrated.

Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34 – Ole Miss is an average SEC team, always finishing in the middle of the pack.  Texas Tech was another team looking to destroy their bowl opponent, this time to prove that they should have gotten in a BCS game.  Mission failed.  Badly.  After getting off to a fast start, the Red Raiders proved that they deserved absolutely nothing when they allowed Ole Miss to go on a 38-7 run and blow out their Big 12 foe.

Overrated?  Texas Tech was ranked #2 in the nation earlier this year.  Ole Miss lost to Vanderbilt and South Carolina…both at home.  Yes, Tech was overrated.

Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT) – Despite the wishes of the Big 12’s most popular brother-sister team (otherwise known as Chase Daniel’s parents), Missouri looked like crap against the Big Ten’s 8th-best pass defense.  Northwestern should have won this game, but some late miscues handed the game to Mizzou.

Overrated?  Missouri was once ranked #3 in the NCAA.  Northwestern lost a game by 35 points this year.  Yes, Missouri was overrated.

Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31 - Okie State started off fast, but couldn’t maintain themselves against a rushing attack from the Ducks.  Two Oregon players would break the 100-yard mark on their way to 307 yards team rushing.  Oregon also racked up a total of 565 yards aginst Okie State.

Overrated?  Oklahoma State was once ranked #7 in the nation.  Yes, Okie State was overrated.

Nebraska 26, Clemson 21 – In the Gator Bowl, Nebraska was trying to recapture some of their historic greatness, and their prospects were large, playing against a team that only won 7 games in the pathetic ACC….a team so bad, they fired their coach mid-season.  And they barely escaped with the win, when a Tigers TD was overturned by instant review.

Overrated?  Well, Nebraska was never rated.  But they barely beat a bad, bad team.

Kansas 42, Minnesota 21 – The lone bright spot for the conference so far, Kansas doubled up on Minnesota, who were bowling to the shock of everyone not in a Gopher uniform at the start of the season.  As the season wore on, Minnesota’s weak schedule was exposed by the Big Ten, and the regular season ended mercifully with a 55-0 Minny loss.

Overrated?  Kansas was actually ranked as high as #13 this year.  Minny lost a game 55-0.  Yes, Kansas was overrated.

The point of all this is simple – the Big 12 was NOT the meat-grinder that the media told us it was over and over and over again.  Oklahoma’s not ready for this game.

#2) Florida IS ready for this game

A bad performance by Tim Tebow once this year nearly cost Florida a shot, but they came back in a dominating way.  Since their loss in Week 4, they have been unstoppable.  Take a look at this;

• Week 5 – 31-point win against Arkansas
• Week 6 – 30-point win over then-#4 LSU
• Week 7 – 58-point win over bowl-bound Kentucky
• Week 8 – 39-point win over then-#6 Georgia
• Week 9 – 28-point win over bowl-bound Vanderbilt
• Week 10 – 50-point win over bowl-bound and then-#25 South Carolina
• Week 11 – 51-point win over The Citadel
• Week 12 – 30-point win over bowl-bound Florida State
• Week 13 – 11-point win over then-#1 and BCS-Bowl bound Alabama

Yeah, they’re ready.

3) The Heisman Curse

Sam Bradford won the Heisman this year.  Heisman winners usually suck in bowl games, especially National Championships (we know, we know).  Only twice in the past 30 years has the Heisman winner gone on to win a National Championship.  No, Tebow didn’t win it the year Florida took the title (Troy Smith won it).

4) Oklahoma pretty much sucks at BCS bowl games

For all the whining and crying you hear about Ohio State’s recent bowl losses, you just don’t hear those kind of attacks leveled at the Sooners.  And believe me, they’re much worse.  In their last 4 BCS bowls, they are 0-4 and have been blown out more than once.

• 2008 – Lost to West Virginia 48-28
• 2007 – Lost to Boise State 43-42
• 2005 – Lost to USC 55-19
• 2004 – Lost to LSU 21-14

If they make it 0-5, we’d better NEVER hear about our own shortcomings again.  Especially since they’ll have lost two national championships in that time frame.

Convinced?  Call Vegas ASAP.

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Last night, the Cavaliers overtook the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference when Boston lost.  The Cavs now have the best record in the NBA.

Tonight, the Cavaliers beat the living daylights out of Charlotte, 111-81.  Boston’s loss last night?  It was to that same Charlotte team.

The Celtics come to The Q Friday night.  It should be insaaaaaane!

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Speaking of the Cavaliers game, there were many highlights to go over.  But the best was watching former Michigan Fab-Fiver Juwan Howard get tossed from the game while sitting on the bench.

By the way, did you know that the Fab Five never won a single title in college?  No national titles, no Big Ten titles, nothing.  Just thought I’d mention that.

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In the “what the hell” category, Boobie Gibson also got a technical foul tonight.  For having an untucked shirt.  No, I’m not kidding.

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The Cleveland Browns hired their new coach tonight.  Eric Mangini, former Jets coach, and former ball boy for the Browns, will call the plays next year.

Makes sense to me.  Hell, there were CURRENT ball boys that could have done better with the Browns this season.

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Last week, it was announced that Michigan’s only offensive threat, Sam McGuffie, has left Ann Arbor and will enroll at Rice next year.  McGuffie was rumored to have been struggling with depression and on medication.  Being closer to home will be better for the kid.

Also better for him will be not having to deal with decapitation at the hands of Ohio State special teams players.

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Finally, in the most laughable news you’ll ever hear, Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriquez recently said he has “always taken the approach that you should look at each job as your last.”

Yeah, he actually said that.  With a straight face, no less.

Story By The Buckeye Battle Cry

Final: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Texas needed one final push against a staunch Ohio State defense that had kept Longhorns receivers in front of it all game.

The Longhorns got it from wideout Quan Cosby, who wriggled free of Ohio State safety Anderson Russell and sprinted to the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left. Quarterback Colt McCoy led a masterful drive, as Texas marched 78 yards in 11 plays without using a timeout. Cosby had a huge performance in his final game in a Longhorns uniform.

Though Texas failed to make the statement it needed for split national title, the favored Longhorns survived to notch their fifth straight bowl victory and third in a BCS game.

Ohio State mounted an impressive fourth quarter comeback behind quarterbacks Todd Boeckman and Terrelle Pryor, who hooked up for a touchdown with 7:26 left. The Buckeyes’ ground attack secured the lead despite a hamstring injury to Chris Wells, but a defense that has stepped up all game couldn’t get the final stop.

The Buckeyes weren’t embarrassed like the last two seasons and had control for most of the game, but they ended up dropping their third consecutive postseason contest. The Big Ten did absolutely nothing to improve its national reputation after a 1-6 bowl record, arguably the worst postseason performance in league history. The league has lost six consecutive BCS bowls.

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Take five: Big Ten predictions for 2009

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

The 2008 Big Ten season officially ends tonight as No. 10 Ohio State faces No. 3 Texas in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, but it’s never too early to take a look at 2009. Here are five fearless predictions for the Big Ten next fall. 

1. The Big Ten mercifully gets only one BCS entry — After sending two teams to BCS bowls for four straight years, the Big Ten is limited to only one participant (Rose Bowl). The league’s recent big-game flops turn off the bowl selection folks, but the Big Ten gets a more reasonable bowl lineup and finishes above .500. 

2. Penn State repeats, JoePa returns — The Nittany Lions fix their secondary and produce one of the nation’s most dominating defenses en route to a second consecutive league title. Penn State capitalizes on a favorable home schedule (Ohio State, Iowa, Minnesota), and head coach Joe Paterno opts to return for a 45th season. 

3. Michigan reaches the postseason (barely) – The Wolverines might be making the short drive to Detroit for the Motor City Bowl, but they won’t miss the postseason for the second straight year. Freshman Tate Forcier stabilizes the quarterback spot and Michigan finds a way to win six or seven games. 

4. Northwestern wins a bowl game — The Wildcats should have ended their drought this year against Missouri, but they’ll come through next fall in the Champs Sports or Insight bowl. It marks Northwestern’s first postseason victory since the 1949 Rose Bowl. 

5. Ax falls on at least one coach — After a rare offseason with no forced coaching changes, the Big Ten sees some turnover in 2009. Indiana’s Bill Lynch can’t afford another losing season, and Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema needs to show improvement following an extremely disappointing 2008 campaign. 

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Big Ten mailbag: Bowl leftovers

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

I should have time to put together a Friday mailbag from Arizona, so send in your questions and comments before and after the New Year’s Day Bowls. 

Dan from Sidney, Ohio, writes: Hi Adam, Wanted to get your thoughts on USC and the Big Ten/Pac Ten setup for this game. As you can see, I am from Big Ten Country with a daughter attending OSU and another heading there next year (So this may come off biased but trying to look at objectively; and I’m a Notre Dame fan). USC has a great program (no question), they played in 4 of the last 5 Rose Bowls (winning 3). But with this setup they are really playing a home game in L.A. Is this a topic of conversation amongst writers/analysts? I don’t hear Mark May bring this up when he is grinding on the Big Ten and Penn State being competitive in this game(I’m not pretending the conference is not weak now, but the setup of this Great Game is not neutral for the Big Ten representative); thoughts? If Penn State was to play across town @ State College, I know this would be a point advantage for the Lions. Last years OSU-LSU game at the Sugar Bowl (80 miles away from Baton Rouge) a 14 pt game in the end. I’m not suggesting to change the bowl setup but location whether heading west or as we’ve seen recently in the NFL heading east is a disadvantage for those on the road. Thanks Dan

Adam Rittenberg: Dan, while I understand the frustration of Big Ten fans about the bowl locations, it’s not going to change. Big Ten teams simply have to start performing better in these “road” games. The topic bothers fans more than writers/analysts because the system is what it is and Big Ten teams have won these games before. Until the Motor City Bowl or the International Bowl starts selling out every year, I don’t see many more northern cities getting involved in the bowl mix. Penn State could quiet a lot of this talk by knocking off USC, and the Nittany Lions are certainly capable of doing so. 

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Jeff from Raleigh, N.C., writes: How far has the Big Ten fallen? Already into this bowl season and the Big Ten is off to an 0-2 start. The only BCS conference to not have a win. For the Big Ten to get back on the national stage, they will need wins by Ohio St, Penn St, Michigan St, and Iowa. Personally I can’t see that taking place. Iowa will beat South Carolina. Minnesota, Michigan St, Penn St, and Ohio St will all lose. This will put another black eye on the Big Ten going 1 and 6 in bowls games this year. Big Ten needs to stop waiting around for Notre Dame and get another team into the league. Get a team such as Rutgers, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Cincinnati, or even Syracuse to join. I’m sure the Big Ten Network would love to be in the NY region. I would actually like to see the Big Ten make it the Big 14. Add Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia.

Adam Rittenberg: I agree that this could be an especially rough bowl season for the Big Ten, but everything rides on the BCS games. Should Penn State and Ohio State pull off upsets, nothing else should matter, just like the Big Ten’s wins in non-BCS bowls last year didn’t matter as the league still got ripped nationally. Should Penn State and/or Ohio State prevail, the Big Ten won’t take quite a beating. Though the 0-2 start isn’t good, Northwestern performed well against Missouri, and it would help if either Minnesota or Michigan State stepped up in their bowls. I’m not sure that a 12th team would greatly enhance the Big Ten’s reputation. And 14 teams would be a logistical nightmare. 

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Brad from Washington D.C., writes: Adam- I have enjoyed reading your coverage of the Big Ten all season and look forward to many more in the seasons ahead. I just finished reading your article about Maybin, you comment on how he’s projected to be top 10 pick possibly. Has Aaron Maybin filed paperwork to see where he would be drafted and what do you think the likelyhood of him jumping to the pros would be? I haven’t seen any articles where Maybin, himself, comments on it… just plenty of speculation. happy new year adam, great work!

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks, Brad. Both Maybin and fellow defensive lineman Jared Odrick have filed paperwork with the NFL draft advisory committee. If the committee likes Maybin as much as ESPN’s Todd McShay and others, he might make the jump this season. Maybin, like most of the players in his position, isn’t talking much about the NFL and remains focused on his upcoming bowl game (which he should). Though Maybin was the Big Ten’s top defender in my opinion, he could use another season to add some size, unless he’s projected to play linebacker in the NFL. He’s a bit too undersized to play defensive end at the next level, so another year and 15-20 extra pounds could serve him well. 

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The Big Ten has a rough bowl season ahead

The Big Ten Bloggers are currently entering their picks for bowl season, and it’s not pretty.  In only one instance, the Big Ten team is favored to win.  We have our work cut out for us, and as a conference, we could be hurting by the end of the BCS bowls.  Let’s take a look and see what the potential damage is;

Champs Sports Bowl
Saturday, December 27th – 4:30pm
Wisconsin vs. Florida State

The ACC was the most piss-poor conference in all of the NCAA, and FSU lost three times in-conference.  But then again, EVERYBODY lost three times in-conference.  Hell, going 4-4 in the ACC was considered a major accomplishment this season.  10 of the 12 ACC teams finished either 5-3 or 4-4.  Like I said, piss-poor.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin was by far the biggest disappointment of the Big Ten (Michigan fans get a pass because NOBODY expected Wisky to be this bad, at least true college sports fans with brains thought UM would lose 4-7 games).  Wisconsin has been exposed quite a lot this season, and an OT win over Cal Poly is the only reason Badger players aren’t in Madison this very moment.

With such little promise from the players on both sides, this game is going to come down to the coaches.  And very few fans of the sport will give Bret Bielema an edge over Bobby Bowden.

However, I’m putting my faith in PJ Hill.  He was the most overrated RB in the Big Ten over the past two years, but I have a feeling he’s going to show something on Saturday.

Wisconsin 31
Florida State 21

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Alamo Bowl
Monday, December 29th – 8pm
Northwestern vs. Missouri

I like Northwestern, I really do. I think they’ve got a quality team that is rising up in their Big ten status. But any Wildcat fan will tell you, they’re not ready for prime-time, and the Ohio State game shows that every year (save for a disaster 2004). Northwestern has the capability to beat teams in close games, but they cannot put away the truly great squads. Their two best opponents this year (Ohio State and Michigan State) knocked them off by a total of 82-30. They can’t seem to slow down offenses like the ones better schools possess.

Now here comes Chase Daniel and Missouri. They’re averaging over 43 points per game. This could get ugly in a hurry.

Missouri 61
Northwestern 28

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Insight Bowl
Wednesday, December 31st – 5:30pm
Minnesota vs. Kansas

Good lord, look where these two teams were 12 months ago. Kansas was coming off a phenomenal 11-1 season and marching into a BCS Bowl, while Minnesota was looking for a cave to hide in after a 1-11 season.  Both schools have returned to normalcy (as far as their common fates should dictate) and this game actually may be the best match-up of a Big Ten school in bowl season.

The result, in my mind, will depend on which Minnesota team shows up.  But I don’t give the Gophers much credit….their 3 Big Ten wins came against three of the league’s four worst teams, and they closed out the year with a 55-0 ass-handing from Iowa.  Do they bounce back from that, much like they bounced back from their 1-win season in 2007?

I say yes.

Minnesota 27
Kansas 24

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Outback Bowl
Thursday, January 1st – 11am
Iowa vs. South Carolina

If nobody gets arrested or rapes anybody in the next week, Iowa should have a field day in this game. South Carolina’s defense is not going to match up well with the rush attack that Shonn Greene has. He’s been the most consistent RB in the Big Ten this season, and there is nothing in the Cocks’ arsenal that shows any promise of keeping up with him.

Plus, SCs QB is named Smelley, and I really want to see the headline that says “Iowa rejects Smelley, Cocks”

Iowa 45
South Carolina 21

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Capitol One Bowl
Thursday, January 1st – 1pm
Michigan State vs. Georgia

Georgia once held their heads high this season and declared themselves the next national champion, and it was only because they play in the SEC, who seems to think they have a natural right to the title. Then the season started, and the Dawgs just didn’t look too good.

The only two good teams Georgia played (Florida and Alabama) whipped their asses. They even lost to Georgia Tech for good measure. Close wins against a bad Tennessee team and average South Carolina/Vanderbilt teams just don’t cut it.

Meanwhile, Michigan State surprised a lot of teams. They blew it big time against Ohio State and Penn State (BIG time), but they proved a lot to themselves with big wins at Big Brother’s house, and against Iowa.

I’m taking Sparty in the upset….and for one reason only.

Michigan State is THRILLED to be in this game, and Georgia is disappointed in playing Cap One. It’ll show in the two teams demeanor at kickoff.

Michigan State 34
Georgia 27

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Rose Bowl
Thursday, January 1st – 4:30pm
Penn State vs. USC

Short and sweet. My team has played them both. I know who’s better. It ain’t you, Lions.

Plus, when was the last time USC didn’t dominate a bowl game? Other than against the best Texas team ever, USC just plain blows out schools in January.

USC 31
Penn State 14

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Fiesta Bowl
Monday, January 5th – 8pm
Ohio State vs. Texas

I’m going to get into this in greater detail later this week, but let me just give a hint now. The Big Twelve does not have anything in the way of a rushing team. Texas has not had to face an RB like Beanie Wells. They are used to defending the pass, and they do not have the necessary skills to stop a bruiser like Beanie.

We may end up in a shootout, and if that’s the case, I like our offense enough to run with the Horns. But it’s going to be a battle. Whoever holds onto the ball better comes away with the win.

Ohio State 41
Texas 38

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Oh, and by the way…TCU will win tonight. They’re more motivated, in my opinion.

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Urban Meyer: ND Still "My Dream Job"

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article for FOXSports.com about possible replacements for Charlie Weis if he resigned or was terminated from Notre Dame. Urban Meyer was at the top of my list- he had the best odds.

Gators fans ripped me and called me “clueless”- Urban would not leave Gainesville for South Bend. Florida is his dream job, and why would he ever leave sunshine for snow? Blah blah blah.

Flash forward to this week. On Wednesday, Meyer told a Florida radio show that Notre Dame is “still my dream job; that hasn’t changed.”

Uh huh. I thought so. Some things are so obvious, they will never change. Here comes the proverbial I-told-you-so. Gators fans are in complete denial about their coach.

When everything is said and done in fifty years, Meyer will not be remembered for what he has accomplished at Gainesville.

Like it or not, this is fact- Florida has only recently become a football force after a long hibernation from gridiron greatness. Quick, tell me who was a Notre Dame coach in the 70’s? Or Ohio State in the 60’s? Easy, huh? Now tell me Florida’s coach.

You cannot deny the obvious- some football programs have such a storied past, that their coaches are remembered fifty years later- they are immortalized. Notre Dame has that power. Michigan has that power. Oklahoma, USC, Nebraska and Alabama have that power. Florida, does not. Yet.

Eight conference championships and two National Championships- the first being in 1996, the second in 2006 – do not a dynasty in college football make. It’s trendy. The Gators are new to all of this. Ten years do not compare to ninety years. It’s not even close folks.

Notre Dame has won a National Championship in every decade, except for in the 50’s and 90’s- 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977 and 1988.

Winning a national championship at Notre Dame guarantees that coach eternal greatness and a probable throne behind the Pearly Gates. Notre Dame, whether you admit it or not, whether you’re in denial or not, is the most powerful football program in the country.

Urban knows that. NBC knows that. The bowls know that. God knows that.

So will he leave?

“Meyer is working on a second national title with a quarterback who is running a second Heisman Trophy campaign,” according to the Orlando Sentinel. “Meyer said he was already ‘in the 11th hour’ with Florida when Notre Dame called.”

Wait a minute- “when Notre Dame called”?

Did Notre Dame put out some “feelers” to Urban Meyer after the Fighting Irish’s loss to USC? (note- this author believes they did) It reads that way. And it makes sense. That one week period after the USC loss was quiet. Too quiet.

When Fighting Irish AD Jack Swarbrick finally confirmed that Weis would be the coach, everyone assumed it was over. “He, I and the others involved in leading our football program are committed to doing everything necessary to ensure a successful 2009 season,” Swarbrick said. “We are examining every aspect of the program and will make changes wherever we think they are needed.”

OK…that’s a little muddled. But here’s the thing- what if Meyer, after the January 8th BCS Championship Game, decides he is done? If he wins the title, and Tebow bails, Meyer is going to have to start from scratch.

Notre Dame, however, is a different story. A roster filled with juniors and seniors, and a perfect quarterback to run his beloved spread- Dayne Crist. Buh-bye Jimmy Clausen, hello Dayne Crist. Would this not be the perfect time for Meyer to take over the reins?

Wouldn’t the timing be perfect? Weis is running around recruiting while Meyer is getting ready for the Oklahoma Sooners. If no one says anything, then everything is status quo and no player goes mental with the prospect of losing their coach.

After the bowl games, Weis is let go, and Meyer takes over. It’s perfect.

Meyer will have accomplished everything he could have ever wished for at Florida, and Notre Dame, his dream job, would be there plump full of recruits who are just dying to be coached up.

Do you think Jack Swarbrick would say ‘no” to Meyer if he called up and said, “I’m yours”?

Do you think he’ll say “no” to a coach who is 2-0 in BCS Bowls (and has possibly two NCs by next month)?

Could it be that Meyer is dropping hints about where is deep love is? Drooping hints that this is it- after this BCS Bowl, don’t hate me if I bail because ND is my dream job?

Set-up? Laying down the foundation? Avoiding “a Saban” by letting folks know that he will eventually want to coach at Notre Dame, so get used to the idea, Gator fans?

Count on it.

 

*special thanks to Orlando Sentinel’s 12/12/08 article by Jeremy Fowler.

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