NCAA Football 2012 Season Catch-All

DSGamer wrote:
Gumbie wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
Gumbie wrote:
DSGamer wrote:

If you lose in the SEC the competition was just really good. If you lose in any other conference you're a bad team.

I don't make the rankings. Also look at bowl results from the last say 10 years. You can hate on the SEC all you want but the numbers don't lie and the bowl records against other conferences are unbiased. Even though Tenn lost those games the only one they really got stomped in was Alabama. I would love to see a team like Oregon State play a schedule that included 4 top 10 ranked opponents and 1 top 25 ranked.

Once again, I don't hate on the SEC. I hate on the system.

We've been down this road before. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Rank teams highly in the SEC and every team has a tougher schedule by virtue of being in the SEC. All strength of schedule means is that the subjective polls have been allowed to decide who is "better" based on the entire top 25.

If the Pac 12 suddenly had 5 or 6 teams in the top 25 based on polls then they'd have a higher strength of schedule and thus be ranked higher. On and on.

The way those teams get ranked higher is to win big in your conference go to a bowl game and kick an SEC team's ass. If these teams want to prove they belong at the top they have to do it with big wins not beating the sh*t out of cupcake teams all year and then getting smacked back to reality in a bowl.

?

SEC schools are notorious for scheduling FCS schools. Many teams like Oregon have had scheduled games canceled by SEC teams. It's hard to beat the SEC if the only time you can play them is in the national title game. Also, there's a fallacy in that idea that what you just laid out is the path to success. Boise State has been doing just this for years. Starting with 2009 they're an interesting case.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Boise_State_Broncos_football_team

They did exactly what you said. They scheduled Oregon and they beat Oregon. They won the conference and then beat #3 TCU in their bowl game, finishing undefeated. They were rewarded for that with a #5 ranking. They scheduled #6 Virginia Tech and beat them in their opening game. They destroyed their conference before getting beat by Nevada. Of course, in the SEC that would be proof of a tough conference. In any other conference that means they're a bad team. Because they lost 1 game they were relegated to playing #19 Utah in a crap bowl. They began the next season #7 and they scheduled and beat Georgia. They destroyed their conference again, but lost to ranked TCU. They were relegated to a crap bowl again.

Boise State did everything asked of them outside of paying their way into a conference like the SEC. They went undefeated in numerous seasons and won almost every non-conference game they scheduled. And yet they're in the bottom half of the top 25 now.

In order for Boise State to climb out of their station they need to either join a super-conference or they need to go undefeated for decades. That's the system.

SEC ducks (no pun, honestly) schools like Oregon? Is that why LSU played them in 2011 and Tenneseee played them in 2010? Oh and Tennessee is playing them again in 2013.

Also Boise State lost to #24 TCU. Alabama lost by 3 points to #1 LSU. I'm not saying I agree with how things are but I can see why the computer picks the way it does.

Grumpicus wrote:

Disclaimer: I may be wrong in what I am about to say; I welcome being corrected if you have conclusive evidence.

The BCS only guarantees to match #1 vs. #2. Beyond that, it's up to the individual bowls' contracts with the conferences (e.g. SEC to Sugar Bowl) as well as their preferences. If Boise State got a "crap" bowl it's because 1) they weren't in the NCG and 2) the bowls felt that hosting other teams (e.g. schools with larger fan bases that historically "travel well") would generate more revenue.

You're 100% right. And that kind of supports my larger point. NCAA football isn't some perfect meritocracy where you can play your way into contention. There are all kinds of factors (traveling, money, scheduling) that determine who you play. It's all rather random and subjective. It's always been random and subjective. It would be better if it was just polls and everyone could just disagree like in the old days.

Disclaimer: I may be wrong in what I am about to say; I welcome being corrected if you have conclusive evidence.

The BCS only guarantees to match #1 vs. #2. Beyond that, it's up to the individual bowls' contracts with the conferences (e.g. SEC to Sugar Bowl) as well as their preferences. If Boise State got a "crap" bowl it's because 1) they weren't in the NCG and 2) the bowls felt that hosting other teams (e.g. schools with larger fan bases that historically "travel well") would generate more revenue.

Edit: It's why, for example, the Sugar Bowl this past January was #13 Michigan vs. #11 Virginia Tech while #7 Boise State went to the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. Revenue.

Anyone watch Ghosts of Ole Miss? I thought it was very well done. I was glad they showed how bad it got that night. It's amazing how many folks don't know how bad it was (and don't want to know). I know it won't change many minds, but if it makes even a small number rethink their stupid, blind devotion to the symbols the school are trying to put behind them, good will have come from it.

Just to toss out some more out-of-conference SEC games: Alabama played Michigan (then #8) in the Cowboys Classic this year. Next year, LSU plays TCU, who were probably good at the time the game was scheduled. Ole Miss played the longhorns this year, who were ranked at the time and thought to be good.

I don't know what my own Aggies' OOC strategy is going to look like long-term; realignment has played havoc with that. Like I said, we played a top-25 LA Tech this year. We were testing ourselves yearly OOC before realignment, against an SEC team (the then-excellent Arkansas).

Btw DSG, I didn't know Oregon State lost this weekend until dinner tonight. I was very disappointed for you. Here's hoping they win out (unless we somehow meet in a bowl)!

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Just to toss out some more out-of-conference SEC games: Alabama played Michigan (then #8) in the Cowboys Classic this year. Next year, LSU plays TCU, who were probably good at the time the game was scheduled. Ole Miss played the longhorns this year, who were ranked at the time and thought to be good.

I don't know what my own Aggies' OOC strategy is going to look like long-term; realignment has played havoc with that. Like I said, we played a top-25 LA Tech this year. We were testing ourselves yearly OOC before realignment, against an SEC team (the then-excellent Arkansas).

Btw DSG, I didn't know Oregon State lost this weekend until dinner tonight. I was very disappointed for you. Here's hoping they win out (unless we somehow meet in a bowl)!

Yeah. Not much to talk about. In 2001 when Oregon State went to the Fiesta Bowl (the Chad Johnson team) I sat in a sports bar, the same one in which I watched the Blazers collapse against the Lakers, and watched Oregon State lose to Washington by 3. That was Oregon State's only loss and they might have gone to the BCS title game. I never returned to that bar because of superstition. On Saturday I settled in at a different sports bar and watched Sean Mannion throw picks as Oregon State lost to Washington by 3. I think there is a sign in there. Anyway, they still have a shot at a BCS bowl, a Pac-12 championship and maybe the Rose Bowl. So there's plenty of season left.

By the way, fellow Goodjers*, I always root for the teams that each of you talk about supporting because of my affection for you, unless 1) I already hate that team or 2) You're an obnoxious poster. So be friendly if you want more good vibes for your team!

*talking to non-DSG posters. DSG occupies a unique and special place in my heart.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

By the way, fellow Goodjers*, I always root for the teams that each of you talk about supporting because of my affection for you, unless 1) I already hate that team or 2) You're an obnoxious poster. So be friendly if you want more good vibes for your team!

*talking to non-DSG posters. DSG occupies a unique and special place in my heart.

Tell us who you were sending good vibes to on the Utah/Cal game and we will determine their worth.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

By the way, fellow Goodjers*, I always root for the teams that each of you talk about supporting because of my affection for you, unless 1) I already hate that team or 2) You're an obnoxious poster. So be friendly if you want more good vibes for your team!

*talking to non-DSG posters. DSG occupies a unique and special place in my heart.

No wonder the Vols have been losing so much.

McFinn wrote:

Tell us who you were sending good vibes to on the Utah/Cal game and we will determine their worth.

Hope it was Utah. At this point, if we win out we make a crappy bowl.. lose out and we may get a new head coach... I'm starting to lean towards the latter now, so all good vibes can go with you last week, and DSGamer in a few weeks.

Annoying that the pac-12 hasn't announced the gametimes for Nov 10 weekend yet. I have a wedding in SoCal to go to on Sunday and I'm double booked on flights on Sat night (if our game against Oregon is a day game) or Sun morning if not, and I'd like to get that sorted out. History would say its a night game, as Oregon has played nearly all of its pac-12 games in the evening.. the one exception being horrible Colorado which everyone expected to be a blowout. Since Cal is looking a lot more like Colorado than any other team, maybe we'll get dropped to the noon slot. Also, an evening game makes it harder for the east coast-biased poll writers to watch how badly Oregon will maul us, so it makes more sense to be in the earlier timeslot.

McFinn wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

By the way, fellow Goodjers*, I always root for the teams that each of you talk about supporting because of my affection for you, unless 1) I already hate that team or 2) You're an obnoxious poster. So be friendly if you want more good vibes for your team!

*talking to non-DSG posters. DSG occupies a unique and special place in my heart.

Tell us who you were sending good vibes to on the Utah/Cal game and we will determine their worth.

It's hard when two Goodjer teams are facing off.

Gumbie's getting the double hex (both his teams) for all the anti-Texans trash talk combined with one too many torque bow shots to my dome over the years.

Despite the mediocre records of both teams, this Wash-Cal game on ESPN2 is quite well-matched and, therefore, entertaining.

Johnny Football will be wearing all black on ESPN at 11am Central today, sports fans. This is the first black uni in A&M football history.

The helmet design they are going with today should become the permanent helmet. It's awesome.

And did anyone see the LSU fan on College Gameday with the sign with a picture of AJ McArron's mom that says "Mrs. McArron call me maybe"? Hilarious! (She's a bit of a hottie, and the picture has her in what you'd definitely call a boob dress).

Louisville looking to go 9-0 for the first time in school history today. Been 8-0 3 other times and always screwed it up somehow.

Noon. Temple. Get it done!

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Johnny Football will be wearing all black on ESPN at 11am Central today, sports fans. This is the first black uni in A&M football history.

The helmet design they are going with today should become the permanent helmet. It's awesome.

Is there an image of it out there somewhere?

Fedaykin98 wrote:

And did anyone see the LSU fan on College Gameday with the sign with a picture of AJ McArron's mom that says "Mrs. McArron call me maybe"? Hilarious! (She's a bit of a hottie, and the picture has her in what you'd definitely call a boob dress).

Okay, that's really really funny. I didn't even know about this. Just googled photos and I get it.

Oh yeah, that's sweet. I liked that you qualified it with "the helmet". Just to make sure people knew they weren't clicking on a photo of Mrs. McCarron.

I'd be a better Goodjer if I'd provided the oogaba, though!

DSGamer wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

And did anyone see the LSU fan on College Gameday with the sign with a picture of AJ McArron's mom that says "Mrs. McArron call me maybe"? Hilarious! (She's a bit of a hottie, and the picture has her in what you'd definitely call a boob dress).

Okay, that's really really funny. I didn't even know about this. Just googled photos and I get it. :lol:

For all we know, that's coolbeans.

And I think we're all cheering for LSU today.

Really? I don't give LSU any chance of winning today. And I'm pulling for Bama.

Nail in the coffin for Cal.

Our offense is simply pathetic with 3 (I think) huge turnovers, 2 of them in the redzone. Only UW's own incompetence kept the score close.

Best part of the game (which I assume couldn't be seen/heard on TV) was that our PA announcer REFUSED to say Shaq Thompson's name (one of the traitors that jumped ship after the Army game) whenever he did something good. A tackle, even his big INT in the 4th quarter PA announcer just said "#7". Of course when he was flagged for a horse-collar tackle on CJ Anderson, "PERSONAL FOUL HORSE COLLAR ON #7.. SHHHHHAQ THOMPSON!".

Ya, a little bush league, but you know what as a Cal fan I thought it was awesome.

I hope the ESPN announcers did a good job talking up Brendan Bigelow (our #3 RB) and maybe even noted how he's faster than DeAnthony Thomas up in Oregon. As most of us in the stands were joking.. first question on the the next Cal Head Coach questionnaire "Will you play Brendan Bigelow". Also unfortunate that the rest of the country wasn't able to see Keenan Allen who was hurt on a meaningless play last week and is likely out for the year. He definitely has the Julio Jones body type and should be playing on Sundays. He's only a junior, but with his half brother Zach Maynard (our horrible QB) done with his eligibility this year, and high NFL prospects I doubt we'll see him don a Cal uniform again.

I don't think that's bush league, Carlbear. I think it's awesome!

Ags lead, 14-0.

21-0. Johnny do what Johnny do.

MSU goes for it on 4th on 3 from the Aggies' 12 - incomplete pass/QB hurried!

Truly, Ags are beating the hell outta MSU.

Well come on, Miss St. is the most fraudulent ranked team. The teams they have beat so far are just awful. MTSU is the only team that they beat with a winning record.

24-0.

Stele wrote:

Well come on, Miss St. is the most fraudulent ranked team. The teams they have beat so far are just awful. MTSU is the only team that they beat with a winning record.

Wait.. but I thought losing to SEC teams makes you move up in the rankings?

/snark off

Missouri giving Florida a scare, 7-0 at the half.

Tenn beating Troy 41-40 in the 4th quarter. I almost wish they would lose so we can rip the band aid off and get rid of this high school coach and his pathetic coaching staff.

Stele wrote:

Well come on, Miss St. is the most fraudulent ranked team. The teams they have beat so far are just awful. MTSU is the only team that they beat with a winning record.

Kinda like #10 having beat a whole two teams with winning records.