College Football Bowl Games
[Guest post by DRJ]
Are you enjoying the college football bowl games? You probably are if you love college football or are a fan of Air Force, Auburn, BYU, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa St., Marshall, Middle Tennessee St., Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, SMU, UCLA, Utah, USC, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, or Wyoming.
Whew. Did I forget anyone?
— DRJ
UPDATE 1/2/2010: Plus Arkansas, Connecticut, Mississippi, South Florida, and Texas Tech.
Ohio State did themselves proud and that kid at quarterback had his career game. Navy had a great game. Those two I saw and enjoyed.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/1/2010 @ 8:09 pmPryor’s hometown Jeannette is only a few minutes from my house and even though being a Pittsburgh fan I don’t wish the Big Ten well in general, I’m glad to see that Pryor is finally coming into his own.
chaos (9c54c6) — 1/1/2010 @ 8:32 pmI’m loving that Brian Kelly took those tomato cans playing for Cincinnati to an undefeated season. If he got them to that level, I can scarcely wait to see what he will do with the athletes ND has.
Ed from SFV (1333b1) — 1/1/2010 @ 9:35 pm>> Whew. Did I forget anyone?
Since you only listed three out of the ten SEC teams, heh, YEAH!
You missed quite a few, actually.
More importantly, you missed a lot of the top 10 — Alabama, Texas, TCU, BSU, Cincinnatti, Iowa, Ga. Tech…
But you did remember the one in both camps that that mattered, Florida, so all is forgiven.
;-D
OBloodyhell (e7eb07) — 1/2/2010 @ 2:51 amAlas! UK lost the Music City Bowl. đ
But the Wildcats are undefeated in basketball at 14-0, ranked third in the nation and we play Louisville today, on national television. Kentucky is the first college in the nation to reach 2,000 wins.
The University of Kentucky alumnus Dana (474dfc) — 1/2/2010 @ 6:11 amBCS matched Cincinnati against Florida for all the wrong reasons, and last night their chickens came home to roost. By the second qtr the commentary was so lame I turned off the sound and watched in silence. I don’t want to hear those two blathering nincompoops again, ever.
I got nothing against Cincinnati, but they were out of their depth, and should have been matched against Boise or Texas Tech. Either one would have made for a better game. The Gators are a top team and they were out to prove it, and they did.
ropelight (52d44f) — 1/2/2010 @ 6:36 amThe Big 10 has acquitted itself quite well. Northwestern vs Auburn was one of the most entertaining games of the year.
JD (9e41b2) — 1/2/2010 @ 6:38 amOT: This seems like it might be an explosive story.
Link</a
Now back to football.
Subotai (3485a3) — 1/2/2010 @ 7:02 amTo clarify- DRJ’s list was primarily about teams that had already played and won, hence texas and Alabama, etc., left out.
I’m glad Florida was matched against Cincinnati. Some top team needed to go against them or TCU, etc. to demonstrate a top flight team from a major competitive conference against one of the other teams with a good record, but not the same conference toughness. Of course, had Cincinnati shown they were a match for Florida, that would have proved the point the other way.
Prior did well. Letting him throw but giving room and permission to scramble when necessary is important, otherwise the defense is simply defending against a pocket passer. Tebo has done so well because he is constantly a threat to do either one. Prior, like Smith before him, showed great talent as a freshman, in part because of his mobility. Then they spent the next 3 years telling Smith to stay in the pocket and pass more. It looked like they were going to do the same with Prior, last night they didn’t, at least some of the time. But I don’t know if it was what Oregon was doing or what Ohio State failed to do, too many times Prior was trapped in a collapsing pocket with no place to run.
On Wisconsin! We are Penn State!
MD in Philly (d4668b) — 1/2/2010 @ 8:00 amBoise made quite a point when they beat Oklahoma, and so did Utah when they beat Alabama. A repeat of those embarrassments was what the BCS was trying to avoid, and what they got was much worse. A boring blow out and the most annoying TV commentary I can recall.
Cincinnati is a good team, perhaps a better team without the coaching soap opera, but against the Gators last night not so good. Maybe no college team could have matched up any better. Tebow and the Gators were there to show they really are a better team than the one which lost to Alabama. I think they made their point.
ropelight (52d44f) — 1/2/2010 @ 9:07 amBoise made quite a point when they beat Oklahoma, and so did Utah when they beat Alabama. A repeat of those embarrassments was what the BCS was trying to avoid, and what they got was much worse. A boring blow out and the most annoying TV commentary I can recall.
Cincinnati is a good team, perhaps a better team without the coaching soap opera, but against the Gators last night not so good. Maybe no college team could have matched up any better. Tebow and the Gators were there to show they really are a better team than the one which lost to Alabama. I think they made their point.
ropelight (52d44f) — 1/2/2010 @ 9:07 amWell, ropelight, your opinion certainly has merit. Though I’m not ready to agree that since a Michigan team lost to a Div II school, that the Div II is as good as the Big ten, for example.
Yes, Boise and Utah showed the “big schools” that if they decided to bring anything but their best effort it wouldn’t be very pretty for them.
Last night showed that when a top 5 team from other than the SEC, Big 10, Pac 10, Big 12 is bragging for a #1 or 2 seed because of an undefeated record, it’s not naturally so.
It would have been interesting to see a top 8 playoff, seeded 1-8. Perhaps this would have been the year to do it just once, with the number of undefeated teams (along with 1 loss Florida).
MD in Philly (d4668b) — 1/2/2010 @ 9:35 amThe SEC has every reason to be proud of its record in bowl games and in the BCS title game this decade. I get a little tired of their conference-wide ego trip, plus the fact that most of their BCS titles have been one in games played in their back yard. But I’ll most likely be pulling for the Tide next week. SEC football now is clearly the best in Division 1.
Dagwood (445a29) — 1/2/2010 @ 9:40 am> The SEC has every reason to be proud of its record in bowl games and in the BCS title game this decade. I get a little tired of their conference-wide ego trip,
So, we have every reason to be proud, but actually being proud qualifies as an “ego trip”? Interesting standard there.
We’re good, we’re the standard to match in football (as well as “not too shabby” in other sports, and we know it. Sorry that self-evident fact annoys you.
đ
So far, we’re running just above 50-50 this year, but, considering that we fielded 83% of the conference to bowls, as well as the “dislocation” of the NC game (equal matchups go from #3-v-#4 or similar to #3-v-#5) that’s not amazing. I hope to wind up with a 67% W/L final rating.
> plus the fact that most of their BCS titles have been one in games played in their back yard.
So, you figure that the pro teams in the south have a massive advantage because the super bowls are held (quite intelligently and with reason) in the south?
LOL.
First off, there’s not much the south can do regarding the fact that many bowls occur in the south. You think people want to go north for the winter, by all means — establish some bowls up in the northeast.
Second, while there is some small advantage in the makeup of the crowds, you can’t even make that argument in many cases. The SEC travels well, and for the most part show up anywhere. Other regions don’t tend to do that.
And if you look at the stats, the Gator fans were sufficiently self-ticked at themselves for not being in Pasadena that Cinci had better representation there, just as an example.
OBloodyhell (e7eb07) — 1/2/2010 @ 10:58 amThe only two that deserve to be on that list are the SEC and the Big 12. The Big 10 and the Pac 10 are awful and have been for five years.
chaos (9c54c6) — 1/2/2010 @ 11:05 amI wonder if the Romans argued over which region’s gladiators were best from the Western or Eastern regions. Anyway, the way we talk about “the first Bowl trip since 2002”, etc., shows a pretty limited perspective. Yes, the SEC has done itself well the last decade, especially the last few years, but in this decade USC, Ohio State, and Texas I believe have won the national championship, and I know at least one year since 2000 the Big Ten was 5-2 in bowl games. I remember Wisconsin losing to a good Georgia team a few years ago, but also beating a good Arkansas team that had beaten the SEC champ that year. (The “too slow” Badgers had a cornerback that ran McFadden down from behind.)
Alabama had been a perennial contender for many years, then was pretty quiet for quite a while as I remember.
Football dynasties come and go, regional superiority comes and goes.
Paterno has had championships scattered throughout the decades, even though they said he was behind the times since 1987 before he defeated “the best college football team of all time” as they claimed.
I think the Big Ten’s recent poor showing has a lot to do with the fact that most teams end their seasons by the 2nd weekend in November, while the SEC and Big 12 in particular have at least one more regular game and a conference championship after that. At least the Badgers and Ill. played one extra non-conference game this year after the conf was was over.
MD in Philly (d4668b) — 1/2/2010 @ 11:33 amAll I wanted was for TCU to play a better team in their bowl. They honestly deserved it, in my opinion. Win or lose, it would have been a lot better if they were playing someone who was in a conference.
It’s TCU’s own fault they didn’t play Texas. I hope they do as soon as their schedule can be repaired.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 1/2/2010 @ 11:42 amI await the Alamo Bowl, the coachless team vs. the teamless coach.
MayBee (a4324b) — 1/2/2010 @ 12:45 pm“Boise made quite a point when they beat Oklahoma, and so did Utah when they beat Alabama. A repeat of those embarrassments was what the BCS was trying to avoid, and what they got was much worse. A boring blow out and the most annoying TV commentary I can recall.”
copy that!
“Yes, Boise and Utah showed the âbig schoolsâ that if they decided to bring anything but their best effort it wouldnât be very pretty for them.”
By consistently and annually kicking the crap of the so called “big” schools eh?
“Second, while there is some small advantage in the makeup of the crowds, you canât even make that argument in many cases. The SEC travels well, and for the most part show up anywhere. Other regions donât tend to do that.”
That is a total BullShit comment. The SEC is nothing but a zip-code conference. BSU and other WAC/MWC has had standing invites for them for years, but hell no they won’t go!
Cin has looked pretty good all year, but they got taken to the cleaners last night by FL. Not that is such a surprise, FL deserved a much better opponent. TCU would have been a good match up.
Having TCU vs. BSU is a massive cop-out for the BCS system and pretty well speaks for itself. CHICKEN Shit move!
BTW how did MWC AirForce annihilate Houston? Bowling Green and Idaho was one hella game! Same with Northwestern and Auburn!
What gives with Nebraska having/getting to play alone? AZ was a no show to the contest.
There have so far been some pretty good games played, overall more good games than lopsided puke’s.
Right now OSU and Old Miss are both demonstrating tough football! Enjoyable game it is.
TC (0b9ca4) — 1/2/2010 @ 2:07 pmThe Big 10 and the Pac 10 are awful and have been for five years.
Chaos, the Pac 10 went 5-0 in bowl games last year:
USC beat Penn State (Big 10)
Arizona beat BYU (Mountain West)
Cal beat Miami (ACC)
Oregon beat Oklahoma State (Big 12)
Oregon State beat Pitt (Big East)
In addition, if what you say is true then how did Florida, one year removed from a National Championship and one year away from winning a second one, lose to Michigan in the Outback Bowl two years ago? This argument crops up a lot whenever we discuss football here, but until Alabama and Florida quit scheduling nonconference games with Western Carolina, College of Charleston, and the Citadel and start scheduling BCS schools (like Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU do) I will reserve judgement.
JVW (0fe413) — 1/2/2010 @ 3:04 pmbut until Alabama and Florida quit scheduling nonconference games with Western Carolina, College of Charleston, and the Citadel and start scheduling BCS schools (like Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU do) I will reserve judgement.
Or they could demonstrate their fearlessness and face some WAC or MWC teams of note!
TC (0b9ca4) — 1/2/2010 @ 4:49 pmI’m watching the Texas Tech game and the hostility to the Craig James family and the son are really high. Somehow, I don’t think that kid is going to get much playing time next season.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/2/2010 @ 8:26 pm