The College Football Thread 2006

[Drake Tungsten]

Why would the BCS be embarassed if Michigan made it to the national title game? If the pollsters rank Michigan #2, there isn't anything the BCS can do to keep them out. The BCS is just a formula, and one that puts too much stock in what the polls have to say...

[TCO]

BCS must die. I liked it more the way before. BTW, which bowl this year is the championship one?

[Drake Tungsten]

This year is the first with a separate championship game. It's played at the same site as the Fiesta Bowl this year, but the Fiesta Bowl is a separate game now.

Anyway, I'm with you on liking things the way they were before. I'd much rather see the BCS ditched in order to return to the old bowl system rather than seeing it ditched for a playoff. I generally like the idea of making sure two undefeateds (if they exist) will meet for the national title, but I'm really sick of all the *****ing about the BCS in years where that can't happen...

[DanS]

There is lots of talk about whether ND should be in the BCS, as if ND were keeping Wisconsin or other teams out (and for the record, I think Wisconsin should be considered for a BCS bid).

I think some are just using ND as a punching bag -- a free shot -- for the things they don't like about the BCS and the inner workings of the conferences. ND will be ranked #8, #9, or #10 in the BCS when the day is done and there are 5 games to fill. So it's not as if ND is the team that is picked instead of Wisconsin, or whoever. That is probably Wake Forest or Georgia Tech this year.

I think that ND should consider whether it wants to continue to support the BCS, if ND is the annual punching bag for a system that is primarily meant to serve the interests of the big conferences. I don't know why ND is carrying their water. ND doesn't even get a big payday anymore if they are in a BCS game.

[SlowwHand]

You can't really say that the BCS puts too much emphasis on what polls say. Your opinion is a poll, albeit
a small scale poll.
Unless there's a playoff system, it's little different than the old AP vs. UPI debates.

[DanS]

I think you were talking to DT, right?

[SlowwHand]

Yes, I was. I was unclear on that point.

[SlowwHand]

Abilene High School is playing in playoffs today.
They're about like Rutgers.

[Drake Tungsten]

You can't really say that the BCS puts too much emphasis on what polls say.

Yes, you can. The BCS didn't rely this heavily on the human polls when it began. I understand why they changed it in response to past criticism, but I don't think it was a good idea.

[Drake Tungsten]

Wake Forest!

[Donegeal]

Well, Drake... I am of the total opposite opinion. I would rather the BSC put MORE emphasis on the human polls.

If 95% of Humans say team x is the #2 team in the nation, but an emotionless static computer program says its team y, team x should still be the #2 and the program should be tossed.

Computers are stupid. Throw rocks at them.

[Drake Tungsten]

I would rather the BSC put MORE emphasis on the human polls.

If they put any more emphasis on the human polls now, there wouldn't be anything to the BCS but human polls. That's fine if you want to go back to the old system of the AP/UPI deciding the champs, I guess...

If 95% of Humans say team x is the #2 team in the nation, but an emotionless static computer program says its team y, team x should still be the #2 and the program should be tossed.

What good is emotion when it comes to making a rational decision about which is the more deserving of two college football teams? Computers are much better at making a logical, unbiased decision based on the data.

[SlowwHand]

You better hope women don't go to a strictly computer based decision.

You'll be sitting home alone.

[Guynemer]

The Trojans are just toying with the Bruins--and millions of Wolverine and Gator fans--at this point.

Look for USC to put up at least 21 in the second half, and to shut out UCLA the rest of the way.

[DanS]

This USC - UCLA is surprising to me. I expected UCLA to play them tough, as they did against ND, but I expected USC to come out of the gates fast, like they did against ND. Last week, USC was so sharp...

I guess having all of these tough games in a row (and 2 rivalry games in a row) is starting to wear on USC.