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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Putting a bow on the Big Ten season

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The end result wasn't what most Big Ten fans had in mind, but 2008 still brought plenty of intrigue around the league. Before putting the season to bed, here are some moments that stick out in my mind.

Terrelle Pryor takes over — Pryor came to Ohio State with unparalleled hype as the nation's No. 1 recruit, but most expected him to sit out most of the season. Everything changed after the USC loss, and Jim Tressel's decision to start Pryor in Week 4 marked a significant shift for a program that usually sticks with its seniors. Pryor had some growing pains along the way, but he also showcased incredible talent and the potential to take Ohio State a long way in the years to come.

Joe Paterno keeps on winning — Despite a bum hip that needed to be surgically replaced in November, Paterno gutted his way through the season and proved once again that he knows exactly what he's doing. Despite spending the final nine games in the press box, including the Rose Bowl, Paterno helped Penn State to a co-Big Ten title and won Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. The 82-year-old signed a three-year contract after the season and will be back in 2009.

Holy Toledo — Michigan had never lost to a MAC team in 24 tries, but this season was anything but ordinary in Ann Arbor. The low point for Rich Rodriguez and the Wolverines undoubtedly arrived Oct. 11, when a subpar Toledo team came into the Big House and beat Michigan 13-10. Michigan went on to lose a school-record nine games, posted a losing season for the first time since 1967 and missed a bowl for the first time since 1974.

The collapse at the Coliseum — The most anticipated game of the season turned into a disaster for the Big Ten and Ohio State, which got steamrolled 35-3 by USC. Ohio State couldn't stop Mark Sanchez, committed uncharacteristic errors and didn't score a touchdown for the first time since 1996. The loss reinforced the perception that Ohio State struggles in big games, a reputation the Buckeyes helped restore in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Murray kicks Penn State out of title game — Penn State seemed destined for a date in the BCS Championship Game until it ran into an inspired Iowa team on Nov. 8 at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 9-point fourth-quarter deficit and won the game in the final seconds on a 31-yard field goal by Daniel Murray, an Iowa City native who had lost his starting job seven weeks earlier. Head coach Kirk Ferentz went back to Murray in the clutch, a decision that paid off.

Coordinators take off — The Big Ten had no head-coaching changes this year, but several of the league's top assistants left following the season. Illinois offensive coordinator and chief recruiter Mike Locksley left to become New Mexico's head coach. Minnesota lost both of its coordinators, as Mike Dunbar stepped down and Ted Roof left for the defensive coordinator spot at Auburn. Michigan defensive coordinator Scott Shafer resigned after only one season.

Another bowl flop — The league needed a boost in the postseason after dropping four consecutive BCS games and four Rose Bowls. Instead, the Big Ten's national perception took another blow as the conference went 1-6 in bowl games. Despite a dominant Outback Bowl win by Iowa and encouraging performances from Ohio State and Northwestern, the Big Ten lost two more BCS games and another Rose Bowl.

Rodriguez sounds off — His comments were largely misrepresented, but Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez didn't do himself any favors during a Nov. 17 news conference. Speaking about outlandish comments on fan message boards, Rodriguez said, "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.' There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy." Though the comments weren't directed at Michigan's fan base, they made headlines around the Big Ten and added to the woes for the first-year coach.

Northwestern's Smith stuns Minnesota — No play symbolized Northwestern's renaissance on defense more than Brendan Smith's 48-yard interception return for a touchdown with 12 seconds left to beat Minnesota 24-17 on Nov. 1. Defense was the story for Northwestern during a 9-4 season, as first-year coordinator Mike Hankwitz revolutionized one of the conference's worst units. Smith's return also signaled the beginning of the end for Minnesota, which dropped its final five games after a 7-1 start.

Dantonio gets rewarded with new deal — Mark Dantonio's stock is on the rise at Michigan State, and the university rewarded him before the Capital One Bowl with a restructured contract. Dantonio's salary raise puts him on par with other Big Ten coaches, and he will receive a million bonus if he's still coaching Michigan State on Jan. 15, 2016. The Spartans have made upgrades in facilities and recruiting, and if they can keep Dantonio, they'll consistently be in the mix for league titles.

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Terrelle Pryor’s big night

In two hours, the Fiesta Bowl will be underway, and the experts haven’t given Ohio State much of a chance.  Over 90% of the voters on ESPN have handed the game to Texas already, and who can blame them?

Texas came a few seconds away from being unbeaten, and are playing with a chip on their shoulder after getting overlooked in the BCS Championship Game, despite knocking off Oklahoma by ten points.

Texas has Colt McCoy, a Heisman Trophy candidate, and you’ll probably hear about 30 times tonight that he once saved a guy from drowning.  Rumor has it he also once killed a man just for snorin’ too loud.

But with all the Texas-lovin going on in the media, there is another young QB looking to break out onto the major media scene again.  Our own LeBron In Cleats will have that chance tonight.  And after getting in his long-ball practice against what’s left of Michigan, Pryor is ready for what he faces tonight.

But Pryor will have to set up his passing with his legs.  Look for him to have a few roll-out keepers to bring in the defense.  Texas is used to defending the pass, so we’ll need to make them think run first before we can open it up.  Beanie’s good for that and he’ll do the job.  If we want to win, it’s going to depend on the legs of Pryor.

When we signed LBiC, this is the type of game we wanted him for.  He gets his spotlight in Year One, let’s see what he can do with it!

Story By The Buckeye Battle Cry

It starts. Plus, the reality behind the Big Ten’s perceived weakness

…the Big Ten bashing, that is.

ESPN (who else?) leads off the bowl season with another anti-Big Ten article, this time by Michael Weinreb, who says the Big Ten is “a legacy of linebackers missing front teeth and running backs built like, well, Plymouth Valiants.”

And, once again, we’ve got another formulaic attack on the Big Ten. Weinreb clearly only has a rudimentary knowledge of college football, but is a clever-enough writer to mask his tenuous point behind a way-too-thick metaphor and a ton of superficial analysis. Presto! His entire point may be wrong, but who cares? He’s witty.

Worse yet, he’s stated his company line: The Big Ten had better do fantastic this bowl season, or it will confirm to the world that the conference is irrelevant.

That’s ridiculous. OF COURSE the Big Ten is going to fail miserably this bowl season. But it has nothing to do with the conference’s weakness — it’s a simple, reasonable outcome of the fact that all of the conference’s bowl representatives have unfavorable matchups. This occurred because Ohio State was selected for a BCS at-large slot. Once OSU was pulled away from the Big Ten affiliated bowls, the four other bowl-eligible teams “slid up” one slot to fill the vacancy.

Consider the following 2008/09 bowl matchups:

• Penn State vs. USC (#8 vs. #5)
• OSU vs. Texas (#10 vs. #3)
• Michigan State vs. Georgia (#18 vs. #15)
• Northwestern vs. Missouri (#23 vs. #21)
• Iowa vs. South Carolina (B10 5th vs. SEC 5th)
• Wisconsin vs. Florida State (B10 7th vs. ACC 4th)
• Minnesota vs. Kansas (B10 6th vs. Big 12N 3rd)

Of the above Big Ten teams, all are playing against higher ranked (or rated) opponents, with the exception of Iowa/SC, the lone relatively even matchup. In other words: seven teams, six underdogs and one even matchup. No favorites.

However… if Ohio State had not been selected to the Fiesta, the bowls would have likely looked this way:

• Penn State vs. USC (#8 vs. #5)
• OSU vs. Georgia (#10 vs. #15)
• Michigan State vs. Missouri (#18 vs. #21)
• Northwestern vs. South Carolina (#23 vs. SEC 5th)
• Iowa vs. Florida State (B10 5th vs. ACC 4th)
• Wisconsin vs. Kansas (B10 7th vs. Big 12N3rd)
• (Sorry, Minnesota.)

Now THAT is a more reasonable set of matchups. Big Ten fans are jealous, because this is the type of schedule that SEC, Pac 10, and Big 12 fans enjoy year after year. Meanwhile, Big 10 teams are just good enough and attractive enough to merit selections they probably don’t deserve.

For instance, because OSU got pulled into the BCS again – where it probably doesn’t belong this year – to play #3 Texas, Northwestern has to play Big 12 North champ Missouri.

The fact that the Big 10 is such a popular conference, and has so many good teams year to year, is probably why the conference gets such unfavorable matchups during each bowl season. Bowls are about money, not matchups, and therefore lesser-qualified Big 10 teams are consistently pulled into bowls against better opponents simply because they’re a higher $$ draw.

No other major conference has this issue. Mid-major teams like Utah and Boise St. are always underdogs, and deservedly so. But no other BCS conference has this perennial underdog matchup problem like the Big 10 does.

Put simply, the conference is too popular for its own good. It’s too good for its own good. Had OSU not finished in the top ten yet again, none of this would have happened.

So what’s left? Superficial articles like Weinreb’s that ignore matchups and instead base conference strength on bowl win-loss records.

Honestly, if the Big 10 even goes .500, that should be an indicator of the conference’s strength, not weakness.

So where did this false idea of Big 10 weakness come from, anyway?

Contrary to common opinion, the Big 10’s perceived weakness can be traced back to three events. Not a collection of data points, across years or decades, mind you – but three singular events that started this current fad of conference bashing. The talking heads took it from there.

1. OSU – Florida, BCS Championship, January 2007. One of the best Ohio State offenses in history shows up uninspired, poorly motivated, and gets spanked on national TV by a Florida team that felt disrespected by the media. Media overcompensates for their error by slobbering all over Urban Meyer.
2. OSU – Florida, NCAA Basketball Final, March 2007. Just 11 weeks after the BCS championship game, the Buckeyes play the Gators again, but this time on a basketball court. The Oden-led freshmen make a great effort, but are unable to topple the senior-filled Florida dynasty. At this point, it became fashionable for fans to chant “SEC! SEC!” while eating corn dogs and wearing jorts. Media REALLY likes the easy story angle the two championship games gave them, and moves from slobbering over Urban Meyer to slobbering over all things SEC.
3. Michigan – Appalachian State, Sept. 2007. Michigan craps its pants on national TV to Joe Bob’s University and Lube and Tire Clinic. Awesome for the schadenfreude, not awesome in that it literally caused the Mark Mays of the world to pee in their pants a little. Media moves from slobbering over SEC to full-blown writing it love letters, sending out radio dedications, and mild stalking.

Those three events in 2007 are the lens through which every Big 10 team’s failure of the past two seasons has been viewed. Yes, I know that the OSU losses to LSU and USC were bad for the Big 10, but in all reality, had either of those games happened “in the void,” that is to say, without the three events mentioned above, nobody would have read anything else into it other than the fact that LSU was a much better team last year than Ohio State was, or that it wasn’t surprising when a banged up OSU team without a running back didn’t beat a USC juggernaut.

It was only the events of the previous year that turned OSU’s losses into an example of the Big 10’s weakness by those who were looking for a superficial thing to analyze, rather than anything significant or substantial.

So, heading into another tough bowl season, nobody is likely to care that each Big 10 team is playing a higher-ranked or rated team, and that even being competitive on a consistent basis in that situation is admirable. Like I wrote above, if the Big 10 even wins half of these games, that would be a major feather in the conference’s cap.

And it’s an absolute shame that nobody else will see it that way.

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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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College Football: Which BCS Bowls Are Compelling?

For the next two weeks, college football fans will be left to their own devices. This is it. It’s over. Oh sure, there’s the NBA, NHL and NFL – keep yourselves busy with those sports while you go nuts – but it’s not college football. Start your official mourning.

Until January 1st, we won’t be blessed with any real outstanding bowls, except for the Poinsettia Bowl (TCU v Boise State), Champs Sports Bowl (Florida State v Wisconsin), Emerald Bowl (Cal v Miami), Holiday Bowl (Oregon v Oklahoma State) and Chick-Fil-A Bowl (LSU v Georgia Tech).

Our reward for watching all of the lesser-compelling bowls? The BCS Bowls. The biggees. The cream of the crop bowls. Or are they?

Here are the BCS Bowls and their cases for why they are compelling, or why they are not. See if you agree with the verdicts.

 

The Allstate Sugar Bowl (Alabama vs. Utah)

Quick, whichever team wins will make a strong case for… what? Think about that for a minute. The Crimson Tide had their hearts broken after losing the SEC Conference Championship Game to the Florida Gators. Still reeling, they now face the Mountain West champs, the Utah Utes.

If Bama wins, everyone will say “Big deal, the Utes didn’t belong here because they don’t play in a BCS conference.” If the Utes win, everyone will say “Told ya, the Tide were overrated to begin with, and this just proves that point.”

This Sugar Bowl may have a winner, but not in the PR dept. It’s anti-climatic, doesn’t prove anything and except for a possible “We belong here” case for the Utes, won’t bolster the Utes’ case for playing in the NC game (after all, they are playing the second place SEC team) and will not have resolved anything. No matter who wins.

Verdict: Not compelling

 

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Texas vs. Ohio State)

Holy smokes, this bowl is going to need a shrink on hand to tend to all the psyches of these teams’ players. Let’s look at what story lines are involved here.

You’ve got one ticked-off Longhorns team who feels they should have represented the Big 12 South in the Conference Championship and gotten a possible shot at the NC. Instead, they have to watch a team they beat – Oklahoma – get that shot when both the Sooners and the Longhorns have the same amount of losses. Think there’s a bit to prove on the field here?

On the other hand, you have the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are making their yearly saunter into a BCS Bowl with a bit of a chip on their shoulders- they are tired of hearing “over rated”, tired of “0-11″ (even though that record is against the SEC and they are now playing a Big 12 team), and tired of hearing how they haven’t recently deserved to be in BCS Bowls.

The end result? If Texas beats the nuts out of Ohio State and Florida beats the boom out of the Sooners in the NC, we could have another split championship. How many heads will roll if the Buckeyes are in the preseason top ten rankings next year? If Ohio State beats Texas, then the Buckeyes will have restored some dignity, finally shut up the naysayers and proved that Texas got what it deserved.

Verdict: Very compelling

 

The Rose Bowl presented by Citi (USC vs. Penn State)

The last few Rose Bowls have been duds, in part because the Rose Bowl did not get their traditional No. 1 Pac-10 champ vs No. 1 Big Ten champ; Ohio State went to the NC game two years in a row. This year, it’s a bit different. Big Ten Co-champ Penn State has only loss, a hiccup against Iowa, while the Pac-10 champ, USC, also had one hiccup against Oregon State.

Both teams have strong cases for being in the NC but unfortunately, their respective conferences’ strength took a nose dive in the public opinion polls. Here is their chance to prove that their one-loss records are just as worthy as Oklahoma’s and Florida’s. Both teams have very good D- USC is No. 1 and Penn State is No. 5. This game will expose which team truly has the better D, and which team’s statistical rankings in college football are legit and which are a result of playing in a soft conference.

Throw in a possible last game for HC Joe Paterno and definite last game for USC OC Steve Sarkisian, two of the best linebackers in the nation (Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga) playing against Linebacker U, two strong-armed and mobile quarterbacks (Daryll Clark and Mark Sanchez), superb rushing from both teams, and you’ve got a heckuva match-up, probably the second best of the BCS Bowls.

Verdict: Very compelling

 

The FedEx Orange Bowl (Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati)

Yep, count anyone who watches this game as desperate – including myself – for some football. If this bowl isn’t a perfect example as to why auto-berths should be ditched, then nothing is. Sorta like all the freight companies still charging a 15% surcharge when gas in California is now around .80 a gallon. If no one complains about it, and still pays for it, why should they drop the surcharge?

Back to the four-loss Hokies playing the two-loss Bearcats. There are some feel-good stories behind these two teams- the Hokies are still recovering from their campus shootings and a huge loss of talent on their roster, while the Bearcats are enjoying their first ten-win season in decades. Still, you can’t get past the fact that one of these teams shouldn’t be playing in a BCS Bowl, and the other team is playing because, well, someone has to represent the Big East. The Hokies have great D (No. 7), but dreadful O (No. 107), while the Bearcats have very good D (No. 26), and average O (No. 50). The outcome should be obvious- three and outs, lots of punts and a plethora of field goals.

Verdict: Not compelling.

 

The FedEx BCS Championship Game (Oklahoma vs. Florida)

This has to be compelling, doesn’t it? Of course! It’s the National Championship game, the one game where everyone agrees it reflects the two best teams in the country. Yeah, Ok, we’re not sold either. There are nine teams that all have solid arguments for why they should be in this game, but since this is what we have, let’s just say these are the two best. We don’t have a choice, so deal with it

The Gators suffered a hiccup to, as it turns out, a pretty good Ole Miss team, while the Sooners’ hiccup was against a strong Longhorns team. Both have coaches who have won a BCS Championship, so both coaches know the drill.

But there are two lingering questions in the back of everyone’s mind: did Florida deserve to jump up to No. 2 by winning the the SEC- a conference clearly not as strong as everyone thought it would be – and can Bob Stoops actually game-prep his players to show up in a BCS Bowl?

No doubt, if the Sooners fall apart after a game-changing play- which they are infamous for – the second question will be answered. But if that happens, does it necessarily mean the Gators are the best team, or that they played an opponent who tanked another BCS Bowl?

The BCS hopes both teams will play their best, but as the past couple of Championship Games have shown, one team forgets to show up. And let’s not forget the excuses, either. One team will claim the other team had an advantage because they didn’t have to travel far. One team will claim the refs are biased, one team will claim the other team had an easier path, and one team might have to think long and hard about their head coach’s future if they lose.

Finally, the outcome of this game could cause a split championship.

Verdict: Extremely compelling.

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Bowl Game Selection?

OSU Football is awaiting their 2008-2009 postseason fate with the Bowl Selection special airing on the Big Ten Network on Sunday December 7, 2008 at 9:00pm ET

Tickets will be available until 5:00pm on Monday December 8 for all qualified season ticket holders. Faculty/Staff and students will have the opportunity to order online beginning at 10:00am  on Tuesday December 9 and ending at noon on Friday December 12.

A public sale will take place at a later date if the allotment of tickets is not ordered by season ticket holders, faculty/staff and students.

All ticket orders must be place online at OHIOSTATEBUCKEYES.COM

History of Ohio State in Bowl Games (Jim Tressel Era 2001-2008)

• Jan 1, 2002 – Outback Bowl (South Carolina 31, OSU 28)
• Jan 3, 2003: Fiesta Bowl (National Championship Game)- (OSU 31, Miami FL 24)
• Jan 2, 2004: Fiesta Bowl (OSU 35, Kansas State 28)
• Dec 29, 2004: Alamo Bowl (OSU 33, Oklahoma State 7)
• Jan 2, 2006: Fiesta Bowl (OSU 34, Notre Dame 20)
• Jan 8, 2007: BCS Championships Game (Florida 41, OSU 14)
• Jan 7, 2008: BCS Championship Game (LSU 38, OSU 24)

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An Open Letter to the BCS Committee

Dear Bowl Championship Series Committee,

Sunday was a sad and unfortunate day in the college football world.

This past weekend, two very deserving teams were ousted from the national championship picture based purely upon a computer formula.

While the Oklahoma Sooners are worthy of their No.2 BCS ranking, the No.3 Texas Longhorns and the No.7 Texas Tech Raiders have both been just as good in 2008.

Yet, since the Sooners’ lone loss occurred prior to the setbacks suffered by Texas and Texas Tech, they were perceived as the best team in the Big 12 South.

However, what’s done is done and there is nothing we can do about it.

This is not a plea to salvage the 2008 season for Mack Brown and Mike Leach’s respective football teams—it’s too late for that.

Rather, this is a reasonable, level-headed fan’s assessment of the problems of the Bowl Championship Series.

The system is broken.

It does not work.

Of course, I don’t have to tell you that and neither does the rest of the nation.

You have had a front row seat for the past 11 seasons.

However, if, by some wild stretch of the imagination, you are not aware of the shortcomings of the BCS, you are in small company.

Since its inception in 1998, fans, sports-talk radio hosts, ESPN analysts, and college football coaches alike have publicly voiced their discontent with the BCS.

Heck, even president-elect Barack Obama has called for a playoff to determine the national champion of college football.

So, for the sake of pigskin lovers everywhere, I ask you to sit back, close your eyes, and put things in perspective.

Yes, we have all heard your excuses.

“A playoff will diminish the excitement and importance of the regular season.”

First off, do you watch the National Football League?

While it is not as great as college football, the NFL regular season is very competitive, making each and every game vital to a team’s playoff chances.

There’s a big difference between records of 9-7 and 10-6 in the NFL, especially when a team is right on the edge between clinching a playoff berth and going home.

In addition, imagine the ratings and the popularity that a Texas Tech-USC match-up or an Oklahoma-Texas rematch in a semifinal round would bring to the sport.

Not to mention, at-large powers like the Boise State Broncos and the Utah Utes could prove their valor against the biggest and the baddest of the BCS conferences.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators take on Meyer’s former school Utah with a national championship on the line?

I would pay good money to see to any one of those games and my guess is that the majority of my fellow football fans would do the same.

Plus, it would be a much more accurate way of determining which team is the best in all of college football.

In essence, America has seen a football playoff work effectively before and college football fans are not buying this argument.

“A playoff would interfere with the student-athletes’ class schedules.”

Well, I agree with you that academics should be the top priority of every college student.

However, is it fair to keep the student-athletes competing in the BCS Championship Game out of their first English 101 class of the spring semester on Jan. 8?

The football players at the other 117 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision shouldn’t be given preferential treatment just because they weren’t ranked No.1 or No.2 in the BCS poll.

An eight-team playoff bracket could easily be completed in the number of weeks it takes to get through the bowl schedule we currently have in place right now.

Besides, these guys are student-athletes and missing some class time for their respective sports is not a foreign concept to them.

“A playoff would sap interest away from the other bowl games.”

Wouldn’t the BCS bowls be doing that already if this were really an issue?

Besides, if there are only a couple of games on television, people will most likely watch them.

Have you ever wondered why Monday Night Football is so popular?

I don’t think ESPN broadcasts college football on Thursday nights for their health.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that these are only games on television on that specific day.

Trust me, as a fan, I will watch the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl if it is the only football game I can get.

So, there’s no problem with having the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowls of the world during the last week of December.

We love to get our football fix in whatever way we can.

The same number of viewers will tune in, regardless of whether or not there is a playoff in college football.

As you can see, your arguments in defense of the current BCS system mean nothing to the fans because we have called your bluff.

We are tired of being robbed of the unlimited potential for greatness that the college football postseason possesses.

We will not be satisfied until you finally get it right and throw together an effective way to crown the national champion.

And don’t think that we will eventually go away and quit bothering you.

The passionate football fan base will only start grumbling louder as more and more worthy teams will never get a shot at a national championship year in and year out.

So, do us a favor. Do yourselves a favor. Do the sport of football a favor.

Get rid of the BCS. The possibilities are endless. It’s college football, remember?

Anything can happen.

 

Sincerely,

A Passionate College Football Fan

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Big Ten mailbag Part II

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

It’s time for the second half of today’s mailbag.

But first, a couple of housekeeping items. There has been some confusion about a recent post, where I wrote that Iowa’s recent trips to the Outback Bowl wouldn’t be held against the Hawkeyes for possible selection this season. This wasn’t a shot at Iowa. It referred to the fact that bowls sometimes like to select new teams rather than ones they have hosted recently. But from everyone I’ve spoken to, the Outback Bowl would have no trouble selecting Iowa again, and I’m sure the Hawkeyes would represent well.

Also, one user brought up the fact that there were no Big Ten power rankings this week. With no games last Saturday, the power rankings didn’t change from after Week 13. 

OK, on to your questions. 

Jamal from Baltimore writes: Adam, great work on the blog, I’ve been reading it all season. I’ve heard some internet rumors (take those for whatever they’re worth) that Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley may be looking into the Syracuse opening. Do you think the ‘Cuse would hire Bradley? Would it really leave Penn State, and would it be because of administration’s desire to have a national search for head coach when JoePa retires?

Adam Rittenberg: If I were Syracuse AD Daryl Gross, I’d definitely give Bradley a call. Bradley should be Joe Paterno’s successor at Penn State, but the longer the school drags its feet in naming him coach-in-waiting, the more he has to start looking out for No. 1. Now I don’t believe Bradley is at the top of Syracuse’s list, but he should get a look and absolutely deserves to be a head coach somewhere (Penn State!). He seems very happy at Penn State, but he has to be wondering why a succession plan hasn’t been put in place like it has elsewhere. He’s the obvious choice there, but someone is holding up the process, whether it’s the administration or Paterno. 

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Suzanne from Miami writes: Hey Adam, Maybe you can answer this question in Part 2. If UCLA pulls a ridiculous upset this weekend and Oregon State goes to the Rose Bowl, will that push USC out of BCS bowl and keep Ohio State in? Bowl games don’t usually like picking teams that have just lost, correct?

Adam Rittenberg: It’s an interesting question, Suzanne. My sense is that USC would still get a BCS at-large berth despite the loss. But it could go either way. The Trojans have the head-to-head win against Ohio State, but anyone with any football sense can see this Ohio State team is much better than the one that visited the L.A. Coliseum on Sept. 13. Also, USC would have a bad loss on its résumé, while Ohio State’s only two losses are against Top 10 teams (USC and Penn State). Both teams are very attractive to bowl games, even at 10-2, so it would create an interesting situation. My concern is that Ohio State’s recent BCS title game performances would be held against it in determining the at-large spot. Boise State also could be in play should USC lose. 

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What to Watch for – Week 14

The Buckeyes, along with the rest of the Big Ten, are in the clubhouse while most everyone else — minus 4 Pac-10 schools and a few Big East schools — finish up this weekend, conference title games notwithstanding.  Presuming there’s anything interesting going on, it should be a nice occasion to stuff your face with leftovers while watching stirring rivalry games like LSU-Arkansas… and Colorado-Nebraska… and Auburn-Alabama… and Kentucky-Tennessee…. hmmmm…

Anyways, here’s what’s on if you have nothing else to do.

Thursday

• Texas A&M @ Texas (ESPN, 8:00PM ET).  Texas A&M were the lead aggressors in this rivalry through most of the 1990s, dropping only 3 decisions during the decade if memory serves correct (1990, 1995, 1998).  However, the course of the rivalry — and certainly the direction of both programs — has changed dramatically since the arrival of Mack Brown to Texas in 1998.  Still, in spite of College Station now being the dusty outpost of the Big 12 South and Austin now being house to a national contender, Texas A&M has a two-game winning streak in this rivalry.  It’d be cool if it continues, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Friday

• West Virginia @ Pitt (ABC, 12:00PM ET).  A lot of football will be played on Friday, though I’m not entirely sure why.  On the topic at hand, this marks the first Backyard Brawl since the ugly “Oh my God how did they lose this?” Backyard Brawl from last year.  The 4-7 Pitt Panthers upset the 2nd ranked Mountaineers, in Morgantown, 13-9 in a game that was supposed to be a coronation ceremony for the BCS Championship Game-bound Mounties.  As it was, WVU’s explosive offense was held to just one second quarter touchdown as the Mounties lost their outright Big East crown, lost their chance at a national title and, well… lost their coach in the process as well¹.  Judging from the course of the program under Bill Stewart, the hangover from this loss isn’t going away anytime soon.
• Mississippi State @ Ole Miss (ESPN360.com, 12:00PM ET).  I’m 99.9% positive this game will be on Raycom Sports, but I’m too lazy to look it up.  I’ve been down here for 3 years now and work with a good number of Mississippi State fans (Starksville is like an hour and a half from Tuscaloosa), and still haven’t gotten a clear answer on why it’s called the Egg Bowl.  This game is one of the more underappreciated, if not the most underappreciated, in the Southeastern Conference.  It’s the only rivalry situation I’ve encountered where teams shout at each other to, quote-unquote, go to hell.  Granted, such wishes are pervasive in just about every rivalry, but often implicit or substituted in lieu of the obscenity brought to you by the letter F.  In the Egg Bowl, though, it’s explicit.  Of course, one of the reasons why this rivalry may be so unknown elsewhere might be attributable to the fact that it’s the state of Mississippi, which, as I like to say, is the Alabama of the South.  If you constructed an alternative reality of states below the Mason-Dixon Line and delineated North and South one step further, Mississippi would carry the new stigma of being Hyper-Southern… like Southern in a fourth or fifth or sixth dimension kind of way.  Sci-fi Southern.  It’s that bad.  At least Georgia has Atlanta as a cultural mecca.  Alabama has Birmingham, a pretty sophisticated city when you look deeper into it.  Mississippi has… umm… hmmm.  Moreover, both teams usually suck, adding to the invisibility of the rivalry on a national stage.
• LSU @ Arkansas (The SEC Network, 2:30PM ET).  The rematch of the 2007 classic which, in a just world, should’ve cost LSU a shot at a national title last year.  Instead, it’s written into the BCS clause that LSU gets to host its own national title games.  But oh well.  LSU is trying desperately to add a 5th loss to its record, having been thwarted at doing so by a furious 4th quarter rally against Troy.  LSU is an interesting program for a variety of reasons.  One of the most intriguing elements to LSU is that it is a program without a real rivalry.  Since the SEC split into two divisions in 1992, the SEC has tried long and hard to create a rivalry for the Tigers.  The Florida Gators, an SEC East opponent (obviously), appears on their schedule every year, never being cycled off, for that very reason.  Further, a rivalry has been hyped up between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide, and not all of it reducible to Nick Saban.  Indeed, before Nick Saban arrived, LSU had not beat Alabama in Baton Rouge for 30 some-odd years.  This lead to the expression down here among the savages “The Tide Always Rolls in Baton Rouge”, though it’s pronounced more like “Tha Tiiiiiiiiiide ahlways rolls in Bahtawwwn Ruuuge. Rooooooooollllll Tiiiiiide”.  Getting back to Arkansas, the need to manufacture some kind of rivalry has led to Arkansas being their designated season finale, having been the case since the Razorbacks joined the conference in 1992.  They even created a trophy for the occasion, a “Golden Boot” signifying how the shape of the two states, when juxtaposed, looks boot-ish.  Are you interested yet? Are ya? Yeah, I didn’t think so…
• Colorado @ Nebraska (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  In 2007, these two defensive heavyweights combined 116 points in regulation in a 65-51 victory for the Buffaloes.  The only thing making that game watchable was the infamous introduction of the Buffaloes by Eric Cartman (defense, offense).  Since ABC/ESPN/WWL/Disney-whatever stopped doing those player introductions — for whatever reason — I can think of no reason to watch this game.  Go do some shopping instead.
• Fresno State @ Boise State (ESPN2, 6:00PM ET).  A Boise State loss gives the Buckeyes an in-road to the BCS… if you’re interested…
• UCLA @ Arizona State (ESPN2, 9:30PM ET).  It’s been awhile since I’ve dialed up UCLA in one of these, mostly because their games haven’t been worth watching and, naturally, have not been on national television.  But now, His Coachness Rick Neuheisel will be returning to my moving pictures box so I may behold his divinity.  I think this will be the first UCLA game I’ve watched since the Tennessee game, where the beauty of His Coachness was confirmed.

Saturday

• Georgia Tech @ Georgia (CBS, 12:00PM ET).  This game doesn’t have any conference implications.  Georgia was out of the running after Florida kicked them in the jimmy a while back.  Georgia Tech is done with ACC play and needs Virginia Tech to lose against Virginia in order to play in the ACC title game under first year head coach Paul Johnson.  That said, if you are not rooting for Georgia Tech in this game to go 2-0 against the SEC this season, I hate you and we cannot be friends.  Paul Johnson is the man.
• Syracuse @ Cincinnati (ESPN360.com, 12:00PM ET).  Cincinnati wins this game and they win a BCS spot.  So lose damn you.  I don’t want to have to hear about Cincinnati making a BCS game while Ohio State may not.
• South Carolina @ Clemson (ESPN2, 12:00PM ET).  It’s ACC-SEC rivalry week.  Root for the ACC accordingly.
• Virginia @ Virginia Tech (ESPN, 12:00PM ET).  If Va Tech loses this, then Georgia Tech gets in the ACC Championship Game.  I’m all for more Paul Johnson on national television, especially as it becomes clear that he can run a gimmick offense without the proper talent and still get instant results whereas Rodriguez struggled so mightily up north.
• Auburn @ Alabama (The SEC Network, 3:30PM ET).  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: This rivalry is, far and away, the most overappreciated rivalry in college sports.  The fans like each other too damn much — so much that they often interbreed, giving birth to those stupid “House Divided” license frames that are everywhere down here.  Even the thought of a holding a family together in light of these differences validates, for me, that the differences aren’t that important.  And down here, it’s clear to me that Alabama easily obsesses more about Tennessee than they do about Auburn.  I think this town is about 30-35% Auburn fans, openly so, and I’ve been heckled more for my Ohio State shirts down here than any one of my Auburn-inclined coworkers have been for their Auburn truck decals… or truck flags… or license frames… or sunglass straps… or belt buckles… sigh.  Anyways, Alabama has never beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa, though the rivalry was played in Legion Field before that point (1948-2000, I think)… giving birth to the Iron Bowl monicker.  This rivalry sucks, and in terms of venom, it’s not on the level of Florida-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee, Tennessee-Florida or even Mississippi State-Ole Miss.  On the game at hand, if Alabama can’t win this and send Auburn home for the holidays with seven losses, then Tuberville truly has their number.  He’s won 6 straight against Alabama, the most for Auburn in the history of the series.
• Florida @ Florida State (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  Again: it’s ACC-SEC Rivalry Week, but, in this game, don’t get your hopes up.
• Maryland @ Boston College (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  If Boston College wins, they advance to the ACC title game for the second straight year under second year head coach Jeff Jagodzsh1qjkjkjkjkjimililinski, or whatever that dude’s name is.  It doesn’t appear that BC is missing Tom O’Brien at all.  On the flipside, if BC loses, Florida State goes to the ACC title game representing the Whatchamacallit Division against either Va Tech or Georgia Tech in the Whatsitcalled? Division.
• Kentucky @ Tennessee (ESPN2, 6:30PM ET).  Kentucky is 6-5. Tennessee is 4-7.  So what does ESPN do with this game? You guessed it: primetime night game.  Ohhhh yeah.  If you thought making Kentucky-Vanderbilt a night game was the worst thing that ESPN could do, guess again, buster.  On the game at hand, no matter how awful Tennessee is, Kentucky can never beat them.  Tennessee has won 23 straight in this series.
• Oregon @ Oregon State (???, 7:00PM ET).  If Oregon State wins this one, they’re in the Rose Bowl.  If they lose this, Ohio State seems to be in prime real estate for a BCS berth.  Even then, that’s not the reason I want Oregon State to lose this game.  With Penn State going to Pasadena for the first time since the 1994 season, the last thing I want to see is some shitty rematch between Penn State and an Oregon State team that the Nitts destroyed earlier this season.  I want Penn State-USC dammit.
• Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State (ABC, 8:00PM ET). BEDLAM.  Oklahoma State looks for its first victory over the Sooners since Les Miles beat them in 2002.  If you remember, it was this same upset of the Sooners in 2002 that virtually ended, once and for all, all petty talk from national commentators about how Oklahoma was more deserving of a spot in the title game in spite of their loss to Texas A&M earlier that year.  The Big 12 South is screwy this season.  If Texas (v. A&M), Texas Tech (v. Baylor), and Oklahoma (@ OK State) all win, the top ranked team in the BCS goes to the title game.  Presently, that’s Texas though a victory over higher ranked Oklahoma State might push the Sooners over the Longhorns.  A loss by any one of them makes it a tiebreaker situation.  Intransitivity is fun, isn’t it?
• Notre Dame @ USC (ESPN, 8:00PM ET).  There was a period under Lou Holtz where the Irish won 11 straight in this series (1983-1993).  Now, USC has won 6 straight and at least appear to be able of blowing that streak out of the water with the least of effort.  Have fun with that game, Notre Dame fans.

1. Albeit losing Rodriguez wasn’t caused by the Pitt loss, per se, just made possible by it.

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