Okay, TigersX. We need to get 22 guys together to form a football team. We'll call ourselves Joe University and our mascot will be The Punching Bags. We'll schedule a BCS power each week and charge $50,000 per game. The games will be PPV only as there's a chance some of us could die. The BCS schools will love us as they won't have to pay $800,000 to beat up on a scrub university.
Auburn...
- Furman? Seriously? I heard on ESPN radio this morning a new way to help fix the BCS. Take the scheduling out of the schools' hands. All out of conference scheduling should be done by the NCAA or BCS committee. The money's there and with air travel being as efficient as it is, there's no reason to think that Auburn couldn't play Cincinnati on November 7th instead of Furman. All bye-weeks should come around the middle of the season. For example - week's 4-8 should incorporate bye-weeks for teams. You'd still have your marquee games on TV, but teams deserve a week off to catch up on injuries and other issues. More on this later.
- No matter what the score or stats say, there's nothing to gain from playing Furman. It's a glorified bye-week where our players don't get to rest their legs and they don't get to work on future games and they don't get to better their play. In fact, we had a few injuries occur against the Paladins, so what, exactly, was accomplished?
- Do you think Chris Todd throwing easy passes helped him get ready mentally for the SEC secondary he'll face next week? If anything, Todd will be overconfident.
Furman...
- Enjoy your check.
Alabama...
- Fluke. Luck. Destiny. Divine intervention. Call it what you want, but Alabama is/was predestined to get to the SECCG. From tipped passes being intercepted to odd plays by the opposition to a team on the verge of defeating the Tide losing their best players to injury - Alabama has gotten everything they've needed to go undefeated.
- This team reminds me a bit of the 2005 team. They're much more talented, but they're having similar struggles. The quarterback play is decent, but like I said after the 1st week, he's a liability. The receivers make a few plays every now and then, and the running game is money. The defense is money. The kicking game is money. The difference? LSU and Auburn are both way down.
- It's the perfect storm. Do you think Saban saw this before he accepted the job? Is it possible to have known that Miles would be a goof (more later) and Tuberville was wearing down? I don't mean to take anything away from their success. All successful teams need the ball to bounce their way, but this has been ridiculous.
- Recruiting is still up, and in fact, it's on USC's level. Stud athletes are commiting left and right, and it's not just Alabama/Georgia/Florida. Saban is pulling kids away from other regions of the country. You think this isn't a juggernaut being molded together?
- I said this once, and I'm going to say it again. Those pesky, little-brother-esque rumors of Bama being on the hot seat with the NCAA need to manifest. Auburn's doing a great job in recruiting and getting where we need to be to have good teams, but Alabama is going to be the new Florida very soon which means they'll still be beatable, but they'll only be beaten once or twice a season.
LSU...
- Goofball. Buffoon. Comedian. Dolt. Blockhead. Lester the Jester. Miles the Wild. Les Miles has finally convinced me that he's not a top SEC coach.
- Every year, LSU looks a bit confused. It's like they're not sure what they're going to do, but they know they have the horses to do it. Whatever "it" is.
- I think LSU is the most talented team in the SEC. They have a balanced attack of running backs - Charles Scott (Strength), Keiland Williams (Athleticism), Trindan Holliday (Speed), Ridley (Whoever he is, he looked good). They have tall incredibly athletic receivers who can catch almost anything. They have a ginormous offensive line. They have a decent, athletic quarterback with Jordan Jefferson. Why the stupid playcalling? Why make it complicated?
- LSU should be murdering teams with their offense. Speed kills, and LSU doesn't utilize it. They're trying to establish the option game, but their players don't seem to know how to run the option. Not to mention, running the option against fast defenses like Alabama's is futile. Just pound the ball with your running backs, and set up the play action pass. It's what Bama does, but LSU's receivers are better.
Florida...
- Walk throughs. That's what I've seen with Florida. They're just going through walk throughs. I don't see that same fiery leadership from Tebow. I've seen and heard about how Tebow and Meyer have a "special" relationship. They hug a lot. They bump noses. They put their arms around each others' shoulders. What they aren't doing is fighting to quell their hunger. Where's that determination that says, "Nothing will get in our way of another championship"? Where's the Tebow who "wills" his teams to victory? Where's the Meyer who dominates the media with his pompous attitude?
- It's all ho-hum, hunky dory success because they're that much more talented than the opposition. Florida will get bit one day this year. They will. Maybe Florida St. Maybe Alabama. Maybe their bowl game, but Florida won't go unscathed if they keep this up.
Iowa...
- For everyone that was defending this team, smack yourself in the face. This was not the 2002 Ohio St team. This was not the cinderella team that was destined for an electric season. This was a lucky, mediocre football team. They don't have 18 of their 22 starters destined for the NFL (2002 Ohio St not including Clarett). They just aren't that good. Ohio St will obliterate them next week sending Ohio St to the Rose Bowl.
Oregon...
- Congratulations, Ducks. You crapped the bed. After going on a tear and creating a good argument for a playoff system, you lose to Stanford. It's not a terrible loss. Stanford isn't a bad football team like, say, Washington. But everyone was ready to start pumping up Oregon for the BCSCG. They looked just as capable as anyone, but nooOOooo. You go and lose, once again making an argument that the BCS is getting it right all along.
Notre Dame...
- There comes a time when elite programs have to make a decision. Do they stick with their coach who isn't living up to expectations, or do they dish out the dough, say good riddance, and start over again?
- Notre Dame is supposed to be the mecca of college football. Tradition-heads tell us so, and with Notre Dame's rich history, there's no reason to debate Weiss's future. He should be fired at the end of the season. Think about these stats:
1. 3-18 against teams with winning records in the last three years.
2. 0-5 against archrival USC.
3. 1-2 against Michigan since they started sucking horribly.
4. 1-2 against Navy, a school that had a 46 year losing streak to the Irish.
5. Top recruiting classes each year since Weiss got there.
- It's over. Weiss couldn't get the job done with an elite quarterback prospect and surrounding talent. The defenses have been anemic, and the offenses make mistakes that cost them points.
- Cue the coaching search for one of the most coveted jobs in football. Saban? Meyer? NFL guys? It'd be silly to see Notre Dame go after another unproven head coach, so expect some big names to pop up over the next few months.
Final Thought...
- Playoffs aren't coming. The BCS contract goes until 2014, and they're sure to renegotiate the contract before that year arrives.
- The only way to fix the BCS and to fix all of this nonsense is to have the big time teams play each other. NFL teams play 16 games with one off week before competing in a four week long playoff. College teams can play 12 games against respectable opponents with one bye week and be fine.
- Even if you want to argue that teams need scrub teams to get some work against, then fine. Have a Div 1 vs. Div 2 preseason. All division 1 teams get to play a division 2 team in week 1. Boring? Sure. But it's just as boring to hit November 7th and watch your team play that division 2 team.
- Boise St, TCU, and Cincinnati will more than likely all go undefeated. They will all be left out of the BCS national championship. They might as well be given a certificate of participation.
- If Boise St didn't have one victory over a BCS conference team, but three victories, how would your opinion change? If TCU beat Virginia, Clemson, Arkansas and lost a squeaker to Ohio St, how would your opinion change?
- Change up the out of conference scheduling. All teams should play 6 road games and 6 home games. If we're going to include non-BCS schools in the polls and act like they have an iota of a shot at making the NC, then make it an even playing field. There's way WAY too much money at stake.