College Football - Nov 29th

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sure they were. That's why they barely beat a mediocre Washington State team in the Rose Bowl while Nebraska blew out #3 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl...

A 10-1 team is mediocre now (they finished 10-2 after losing to Michigan)?

Tennessee was 11-1 before losing to Nebraska

Both teams finished unbeaten, but Michigan had the 36th toughest schedule and Nebraska had the 42nd.

[Drake Tungsten]

A 10-1 team is mediocre now (they finished 10-2 after losing to Michigan)?

Yes. The Pac-10 was weak as hell in 1997.

Tennessee was 11-1 before losing to Nebraska

Playing in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football.

Both teams finished unbeaten, but Michigan had the 36th toughest schedule and Nebraska had the 42nd.

Close enough not to matter much. Certainly not as much as the obvious disparity in ability that was revealed in the bowl games.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yes. The Pac-10 was weak as hell in 1997.

As opposed to the Big 12, which was so strong Nebraska's strength of schedules was WORSE than Washington State's (WSU had a 31 SOS)!

Playing in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football.

Well you can't really say what Washington State's record would have been in the SEC because they didn't play there!

If you compare a common opponent, UCLA, WSU beat them 37-34 and UT beat them 30-24 (UCLA's only losses that season). That doesn't seem to indicate superiority of either team.

Certainly not as much as the obvious disparity in ability that was revealed in the bowl games.

Then you should have said Ohio State didn't deserve to be national champion last year, because they really didn't beat their opponents by that much. They didn't really blow out people. [/sarcasm]

Teams have different styles of play. Some teams play styles which don't lead to blowouts. The only way to be sure is to play them against each other.

But from what I saw, Michigan was a better team the Nebraska that year. The Wolverine's defense was just incredible.

[Drake Tungsten]

As opposed to the Big 12, which was so strong Nebraska's strength of schedules was WORSE than Washington State's (WSU had a 31 SOS)!

Why does that matter? Nebraska won all of their games.

Then you should have said Ohio State didn't deserve to be national champion last year, because they really didn't beat their opponents by that much. They didn't really blow out people. [/sarcasm]

They were the only undefeated team at the end of the season, so it didn't matter how close some of their games were.

Teams have different styles of play. Some teams play styles which don't lead to blowouts.

You think Nebraska's playing style leads to blowouts?

But from what I saw, Michigan was a better team the Nebraska that year. The Wolverine's defense was just incredible.

I doubt you saw that much. You were probably too busy gearing up for NFL games the next day.

BTW, I would've loved to see how Charles Woodson and the rest of the Wolverine's excellent pass defense would have fared against a team that didn't pass the ball. Ahman Green would've ran all over them, just like he did against Tennessee.

[Drake Tungsten]

Anyway, as much as I'd love to continue this argument I've had a million times since 1997, work is over. I'm out.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They were the only undefeated team at the end of the season, so it didn't matter how close some of their games were.

So the closeness and quality of games only matters if there are more than one undefeated teams? What if TCU went undefeated this year (and, of course, they wouldn't play in the national championship game)? Since they would be the only undefeated team, does that mean the quality of their opponents and closeness of games wouldn't matter?

You think Nebraska's playing style leads to blowouts?

Actually, yes. The wishbone offense is a very explosive running offense and puts up plenty of points.

I would've loved to see how Charles Woodson and the rest of the Wolverine's excellent pass defense would have fared against a team that didn't pass the ball.

Shows how much you know. Michigan's D was just as stingy against the run as they were against the pass.

According the College Football Prognosticar:

http://www.thecpp.com/statistics/all_time_def_rush.htm

Michigan had the 17th best rushing defense since 1995. It would have been a GREAT matchup with the 3rd best rushing offense since 1995 in Nebraska. I think Michigan would have won out in the end, because their offense would be able to score against Nebraska and grind it out, like Ohio State did last year. It's interesting, seems to be a Big 10 trait.

[GhengisFarb™]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Playing in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football.

Tough for SEC teams, yes. No so tough for other teams.

[badams52]

BCS will not go away. Do you think there would be this much college football talk if there was a playoff series? I think not.

And there is no way that the bowl games will be dropped. A championship series might be created but the bowl games will still remain.

[reismark]

For those who would argue that Oklahoma doesn't deserve to be in the national championship game, I would disagree. I think Oklahoma did us all a favor by getting blown out the way they did.

Had Oklahoma won that game, they would still be facing LSU for the national championships since the factors that led to USC getting passed over weren't affected by the Oklahoma/Kansas St. game. There would have been some minimal *****ing since USC (which would have been #2 to Oklahoma in both human polls) would have gotten the shaft still. But nothing like what's happening now.

By losing and dropping out of #1 in the human polls, Oklahoma did us a favor. The BCS as we know it will not be the same after this season for that very reason. The commissioners are already under pressure to open it up to the mid-major conferences. That pressure is going to be intensified since the consensus #1 is now not even playing in the championship game.

Oklahoma deserves the title shot for that very reason: By losing as they did, the system is going to change for the better. And that should be rewarded, don't you think?

[Japher]

The BBC should be the B-BS, because it is!

Not that I care either way, I always like to see USC get dumped on

[Imran Siddiqui]

Had Oklahoma won that game, they would still be facing LSU for the national championships since the factors that led to USC getting passed over weren't affected by the Oklahoma/Kansas St. game.

Actually that's not true. OU, by dropping to #3 in the human polls, allowed LSU to get to #2 in both polls which allowed it to get to #2 in the BCS. If LSU stayed at # even in one of the two human polls, they would be going to the Rose Bowl (in all likelyhood) right now.

Oklahoma deserves the title shot for that very reason: By losing as they did, the system is going to change for the better. And that should be rewarded, don't you think?

This may be the DUMBEST thing I've ever read. Since OU being included in the national championship is going to change the BCS, they should be rewarded and be put in the BCS championship game? What? In that case why don't we put Michigan in the national championship game? After all, having a 2 loss team play for the title while two 1 loss teams are left out would shake up the BCS a lot!

[GhengisFarb™]

Originally posted by Japher
The BBC should be the B-BS, because it is!

I don't have anything against the British Broadcasting Company myself.

I think the BCS is more of a B-BS than the BBC............

[Japher]

I meant to hit BCS not BBC...

[Tuberski]

Did none of you watch the Syracuse-Notre Dame game?

It's this simple: If ND had won the game, USC's Strength of Schedule would have rose and they would be in the championship game.

ACK!

[reismark]

This may be the DUMBEST thing I've ever read. Since OU being included in the national championship is going to change the BCS, they should be rewarded and be put in the BCS championship game? What? In that case why don't we put Michigan in the national championship game? After all, having a 2 loss team play for the title while two 1 loss teams are left out would shake up the BCS a lot!

Obviously you didn't detect the hint of sarcasm in there. Then again, I may have forgotten to add the since I was typing that one in a hurry.