College Football 2013 Season

[H Tower]

Irrelevant but interesting; hadn't thought of that.

I found it interesting how small the "superior" SEC lead was over other conferences when they finally had 12 teams.

[ColdWizard]

Blah blah playoff blah antitrust blah blah blah

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has sent a pointed letter to the NCAA asking why there isn't a playoff system for college football, saying "serious questions" continue to be raised about whether the current Bowl Championship Series complies with federal antitrust laws.

Critics have urged the department to launch an antitrust investigation into the BCS, saying that it unfairly gives some schools preferential access to the national championship game and top-tier bowls.

In a letter this week, the Justice Department's antitrust chief, Christine Varney, asked NCAA president Mark Emmert why college football doesn't use a playoff system to determine its national champion while other NCAA sports do; what steps the NCAA has taken to create one; and whether Emmert thinks there are aspects of the BCS system that don't serve the interest of fans, schools and players.

"Your views would be relevant in helping us to determine the best course of action with regard to the BCS," she wrote.

Varney noted that the attorney general of Utah, Mark Shurtleff, has announced that he plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against the BCS and that 21 professors recently sent the department a letter asking for an antitrust investigation.

Shurtleff, who met with DOJ officials last fall to discuss a possible federal probe, said at the time that such an investigation was critical to the effort to get a playoff system.

"You get the DOJ behind one and the BCS will finally say, 'OK, we'll go to a playoff,'" Shurtleff predicted.

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the BCS, who was copied in on the letter, said he was confident that the BCS complies with the law.

"Goodness gracious, with all that's going on in the world right now and with national and state budgets being what they are, it seems like a waste of taxpayers' money to have the government looking into how college football games are played," he said.

The NCAA had no immediate comment on the letter.

Under the BCS, the champions of six conferences have automatic bids to play in top-tier bowl games, while the other conferences don't. Those six conferences also receive more money than the other conferences.

Attorney general Eric Holder referenced Varney's letter at a Senate hearing Wednesday, in response to a statement from Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and BCS critic. Hatch called the BCS a "mess" and said that "privileged conferences" have tremendous advantages over the unprivileged.

"And I just hope that you'll continue to follow up on that particular issue," he said. "It's an important one, I think."

"I don't disagree with you," Holder responded. "You and I have talked about this issue, and I think I'm free to say that we have sent a letter to the NCAA about this issue and will be following up."

Hatch has also urged the department to begin an antitrust investigation. Last year, the department told him in a letter that the Obama administration was considering several steps that would review the legality of the BCS. The department said then that it was reviewing Hatch's request and other materials to determine whether to open an investigation into whether the BCS violates antitrust laws.

Before he was sworn in as president, Barack Obama said in 2008 that he was going to "to throw my weight around a little bit" to nudge college football toward a playoff system.

[Guynemer]

As much as I want a playoff, this really isn't something the government needs to be involved with.

[H Tower]

Why is the government talking to the NCAA about the BCS? The NCAA doesn't control the BCS, the SEC, Big East, ACC, Big10, Big12, SEC and PAC10 do. I also don't see why Utah is still complaining about the BCS, they're a BCS member now!

[PLATO]

Tenn still has a football program? Seriously though, because Tenn hasn't competed for SEC crown in the past however many years, they aren't being covered nationally. The last Tenn news I remember hearing was Lane Kiffen accusing Urban Meyer of recruiting violations and then hot footing it out to USC.

That's what I was afraid of. Local media can be so distorting...

[Boris Godunov]

We had Tenn in the news more recently than that up here. 48-13.

[MRT144]

Cha-ching

does this mean there is going to be college Cletus?

[H Tower]

That's what I was afraid of. Local media can be so distorting...

That doesn't mean that Tenn is going to be bad, just that they are being covered nationally.

[Imran Siddiqui]

As much as I want a playoff, this really isn't something the government needs to be involved with.

Anti-trust laws are in the federal government's purview, however.

[Guynemer]

Oh my goodness, the news here in Columbus gets better by the day.

[H Tower]

Good news out of SoCal as well. USC's appeal was rejected by the NCAA. 2 more years of minus 10 schollies and another post season ban

[Guynemer]

Good news out of SoCal as well. USC's appeal was rejected by the NCAA. 2 more years of minus 10 schollies and another post season ban

I know it is ignoble to revel in the downfall of others, but... holy ****snacks, USC getting hammered, and OSU very likely to get hammered worse? Throw in a few of the usual SEC suspects, and this would officially be better than sex.

[Guynemer]

This tastes so good, it just has to be fattening.


TRESSEL RESIGNS http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6606999

[Tupac Shakur]

Michigan's greatest victory in five years?

[Guynemer]

Three years, for sure.

Go back any further than that, though, and you have Lloyd's final game, when we beat Urban Meyer/Tim Tebow in the CapitalOne. It still floors me that in Lloyd's final season, we lost to the defending (and future) I-AA champs, but beat the defending (and future) I-A champs.