It's the College Football thread!

[reismark]

Notre Dame is all but officially in. I correct myself from weeks ago prior - the rules are different for the Irish. I had forgotten that they made a BCS bowl in Willingham's first season ranked #11.

Based on my projections from two weeks ago (sorry about last week, I'll get it done for this week), they're headed to the Orange Bowl to play either Virginia Tech or Florida State, unless the Orange decides they'd rather have Ohio State. (I can't see the Fiesta being able to justify taking the Irish ahead of Penn State because of Penn State's ranking being so high.)

[DanS]

ND didn't go to a BCS bowl in Willingham's first season. They were BCS eligible, however.

[reismark]

#1 Texas
#2 USC
#3 Notre Dame
#4 Penn State (+1)
#5 LSU (-1)
#6 Ohio State
#7 Auburn
#8 Virginia Tech
#9 Oregon
#10 UCLA

[reismark]

Originally posted by DanS
ND didn't go to a BCS bowl in Willingham's first season. They were BCS eligible, however.

Ah, right. I'm mixing my years up - I think it was Bob Davie's second-to-last season I was talking about (they lost to Oregon State that year, IIRC).

[Guynemer]

This is sort of a moot point, as EA did not release a 2005 version of NCAA Football for the Gamecube, but here is how the mythical Guynemer Championship Tourney would be shaping up (or is shaping up, if one of you guys would run it, hint hint Imran):

The Elite (at least 9 wins against Div I-A opponents, no more than 2 losses):

ACC: Virginia Tech (10-1, championship game pending), Miami (9-2)
Big 12: Texas (11-0, championship game pending)
Big East: none yet (both West Virginia and Louisville would qualify wins next week)
Big 10: Penn State (10-1), Ohio State (9-2)
C-USA: none, no potential qualifiers
Ind: Notre Dame (9-2)
MAC: none, no potential qualifiers
MWC: TCU (10-1)
Pac 10: USC (11-0, vs. UCLA next week), Oregon (9*-1), UCLA (10-1, vs. USC next week)
SEC: LSU (9*-1, championship game pending), Alabama (9-2), Georgia (9-2, championship game pending)
Sun Belt: none, no potential qualifiers
WAC: none, no potential qualifiers

(*=one victory has been subtracted due to non-Div I-A competition)

As I've stated before, I believe conference championships should mean something. So all conference champs in the Elite automatically qualify for the tourney. Plus, there is always one Wild Card--the Elite team that did not win a conference championship that defeated the most other Elite teams. So here is how qualifying teams shake down thus far:

1. USC
2. Penn State
3. TCU

Potential conference champs:
4. Georgia or LSU (SEC Championship game)
5. Virginia Tech (with a win in the ACC championship)
6. Texas (with a win in the Big 12 championship)
7. West Virginia (needs to beat USF to get 9 Div I-A wins)

And then, the Wild Card. Neither Louisville, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Georgia (moot point), UCLA, Oregon, or Alabama have any wins against Elite teams.

Miami has one, against Virginia Tech.
Texas has one, against Ohio State.
LSU has one, against Alabama.
Virginia Tech could have one, if WVU wins next week.

So, depending on conference championships and whatnot next week, one of those teams would be the wild card.

[asleepathewheel]

1. USC
2. Texas
3. LSU
4. Penn State
5. Virginia Tech
6. Ohio State
7. Oregon
8. Auburn
9. Miami
10. West Virginia

[reismark]

FYI, Guy, USC has not clinched the Pac-10 yet - they need to beat UCLA next week in order to do so.

So Penn State & TCU would be the only teams to clinch so far, if I'm reading your rules right.

[Guynemer]

1. USC
2. Texas
3. Penn State
4. Ohio State
5. Notre Dame
6. LSU
7. Auburn
8. Virginia Tech
9. Oregon
10. Georgia

[Guynemer]

Really?

Well, USC has two wins against Elite teams, so they'd be the Wild Card even if UCLA did beat them.

[Imran Siddiqui]

if one of you guys would run it, hint hint Imran

I'd need NCAA 2005 first . Besides, I'm not spending any more on consoles until I can get an XBox 360.

So all conference champs in the Elite automatically qualify for the tourney.

Btw, with USF's loss today, West Virginia has won the Big East.

USC has not clinched the Pac-10 yet

Actually they have. If they lose to UCLA, that would mean a 3 way tie for 1st in the Pac10 between USC, Oregon, and UCLA. The way to figure that out is to find a common opponent for all 3, which would eliminate one of the claimants. Arizona satisfies. UCLA and Oregon beat Arizona, while UCLA lost. Then it goes head to head and USC beat Oregon.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Btw, with USF's loss today, West Virginia has won the Big East.

Yes, but they only have 8 wins against Div-IA schools. Sadly, the mighty Wofford Terriers do not count.

[DanS]

It would be funny if Fla State were to win the game next week and make it into the BCS despite 4 losses.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Guynemer
Yes, but they only have 8 wins against Div-IA schools. Sadly, the mighty Wofford Terriers do not count.

Well that seems silly. If I was running the Guy championship, I'd be changing that requirement .

[reismark]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Well that seems silly. If I was running the Guy championship, I'd be changing that requirement .

Well, they'd qualify with a win against South Florida next week, which I see happening now based on South Florida's performance today.

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Actually they have. If they lose to UCLA, that would mean a 3 way tie for 1st in the Pac10 between USC, Oregon, and UCLA. The way to figure that out is to find a common opponent for all 3, which would eliminate one of the claimants. Arizona satisfies. UCLA and Oregon beat Arizona, while UCLA lost. Then it goes head to head and USC beat Oregon.

So they did away with that wacky points system after all, didn't they? That really sucks for UCLA, because they'd deserve the automatic bid if they can beat the Trojans.

Suddenly, my comment to my father about how ABC won't have the biggest game of the weekend next week (the SEC championship game between LSU & Georgia) seems even more apopros...

[Guynemer]

Sorry, I just think there should be limits to the scheduling of sacrificial lambs, that's all.