Takin' over the game this week with MSU Alamo Bowl talk, BCS/Notre Dame complaints, and some basketball discussion to top it all off. Click above, click below, just click somewhere and listen!
Subscribe with iTunes!
Showing posts with label bcs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bcs. Show all posts
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Podcast Monday - 11/23
Lots of Spartan talk this week, including a quick verbal explanation of the bowl situation, b-ball, and hockey. Touch on the Pistons losing ways as well, but how can you possibly resist when there's Lions victory talk! Click that post title.
Subscribe with iTunes!
Subscribe with iTunes!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Quick Bowl Projections
Well, after yesterday, I think all of us Spartan fans should feel even half-lucky to be able to claim a third-straight bowl appearance. That finish was really indicative of a team that doesn't deserve to play in the post-season, but the extra practice, and money coming into the school, are probably worth the trip. CBS Sports was pretty quick to release their bowl projections after yesterday's action, and have MSU going to the Alamo Bowl.
I'm a little confused as to who picks when, as I always figured it went 1) Rose, 2) Capital One, 3) Outback, 4) Alamo, 5) Champs Sports, 6) Insight. However, the CBS bowl projections note that there can be a switch between the 4/5, the Alamo and Champs Sports, and they think that will land the Spartans in San Antonio, while the Wildcats would go to Orlando. That would make sense, since Northwestern played in the Valero Alamo Bowl last year, and MSU was in the Champs Sports bowl only two years ago. The flexible selection between the two bowls is also the only way to explain how a two game difference in the overall standings could be made up.
MSU would also likely finish ahead of Minnesota, who CBS has going to the Insight Bowl. Michigan State is probably a bigger draw for the higher bowl (no offense Gopher fans), and finished 4-4 in conference, while Minnesota ended 3-5. Therefore, despite the head-to-head loss, the Spartans would have the upper hand here.
The real wildcard is whether the Big Ten gets two teams into the BCS. Iowa and Penn State will be competing with the likes of Boise State, Pitt/Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State for an at-large spot. There seems to be a fairly universal split as to who is more likely to go between the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions, but there also seems to be universal agreement that their ability to draw a big crowd for the big money game will put one of those two schools in. You may not like that idea, and it might be unfair, but the Big Ten's ability to put butts in the seats trumps their recent failures when it comes to bowl selection. Finally, if Ohio State is the only team to go to the BCS, then MSU would likely play in the Insight Bowl, and Minnesota in the Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! bowl, which would likely love to have a Big Ten team in its first year of sponsorship.
I'm a little confused as to who picks when, as I always figured it went 1) Rose, 2) Capital One, 3) Outback, 4) Alamo, 5) Champs Sports, 6) Insight. However, the CBS bowl projections note that there can be a switch between the 4/5, the Alamo and Champs Sports, and they think that will land the Spartans in San Antonio, while the Wildcats would go to Orlando. That would make sense, since Northwestern played in the Valero Alamo Bowl last year, and MSU was in the Champs Sports bowl only two years ago. The flexible selection between the two bowls is also the only way to explain how a two game difference in the overall standings could be made up.MSU would also likely finish ahead of Minnesota, who CBS has going to the Insight Bowl. Michigan State is probably a bigger draw for the higher bowl (no offense Gopher fans), and finished 4-4 in conference, while Minnesota ended 3-5. Therefore, despite the head-to-head loss, the Spartans would have the upper hand here.
The real wildcard is whether the Big Ten gets two teams into the BCS. Iowa and Penn State will be competing with the likes of Boise State, Pitt/Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State for an at-large spot. There seems to be a fairly universal split as to who is more likely to go between the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions, but there also seems to be universal agreement that their ability to draw a big crowd for the big money game will put one of those two schools in. You may not like that idea, and it might be unfair, but the Big Ten's ability to put butts in the seats trumps their recent failures when it comes to bowl selection. Finally, if Ohio State is the only team to go to the BCS, then MSU would likely play in the Insight Bowl, and Minnesota in the Little Caesar's Pizza! Pizza! bowl, which would likely love to have a Big Ten team in its first year of sponsorship.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Hate the BCS? Root for the Hawkeyes
I'm a huge antagonist when it comes to the Bowl Championship Series, better known as the "BCS," formula of crowning a college football champion. There are far too many years where there's more than two teams worthy of competing for that title by the time the season's over. The really unfortunate thing at this point is that there appears to be no end in sight.
As ESPN.com's Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg noted about a year-and-a-half ago, the Big Ten has likely benefited more than any other conference from the current BCS system. This past bowl season did nothing to detract from that thinking, as yet another pair of Big Ten teams, Penn State and Ohio State, made one of the five bowls. But what if the BCS gave the Big Ten a reason to change their tune about the system as a whole?
It might be difficult to look at from as far down the road as we are right now, but an undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes team that does not make the national title game over a one-loss USC or Texas could be that turning point us BCS haters are looking for. I know, I know, I'm a Spartan fan, we're playing Iowa for the right to be in the Big Ten championship drivers seat this weekend, yet I'm still writing this article. Believe me, I want MSU to beat the 'Hawks, but I really feel this subject needs some serious attention. If Iowa was kept out of the title game, the office of Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney would be loaded with calls and e-mails from not only Iowa fans, but all Big Ten fans clamoring for him to do something about the disparaging outcome.
Would Delaney, or any other Big Ten bigwigs for that matter, be able to actually affect the needed change? It's hard to say, but having such an ardent supporter of the system turn on the BCS would certainly be a first. Cincinnati and Boise State could also go undefeated and potentially have their bids beat out by another one-loss team. It's pretty safe to say that neither the WAC, or even the Big East, however, likely have the same type of pull with those who actually pull the BCS strings.
So, realistically, how likely is this scenario? Well, it's likely enough that I felt the need to write this article. Iowa already beat fellow front-runner Penn State, but does have to go to East Lansing for a night game against the Spartans this weekend, and then have a trip to the Horseshoe to face Ohio State three weeks later. However, other than that, they play Indiana, Northwestern, and Minnesota all at home in Iowa City, all very winnable games. As for the others, assuming Iowa beats out Cincy and Boise State in the BCS polls (it wouldn't hurt if the Bearcats lost one too), things are a bit more muddled. There's a decent chance that the SEC champion may have one-loss, and, I would say almost probably, would be ahead of the Hawkeyes in the polls. If, however, there's an undefeated SEC champion, either Florida or Alabama, we can hope Texas loses one in the regular season, then wins the Big 12, or that USC wins out, and looks strong doing so.
Any way you shake it, I do feel that the recent performance, or lack thereof, from the Big Ten in recent bowl games could keep Iowa from getting the votes. Fans across the country have blamed the Big Ten for some bad bowl games lately, and may have reason to blame the conference for the BCS still being around. Come this off-season, however, those same fans may have reason to thank the Big Ten for getting the powers-that-be to seriously consider some major BCS change.
As ESPN.com's Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg noted about a year-and-a-half ago, the Big Ten has likely benefited more than any other conference from the current BCS system. This past bowl season did nothing to detract from that thinking, as yet another pair of Big Ten teams, Penn State and Ohio State, made one of the five bowls. But what if the BCS gave the Big Ten a reason to change their tune about the system as a whole?
It might be difficult to look at from as far down the road as we are right now, but an undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes team that does not make the national title game over a one-loss USC or Texas could be that turning point us BCS haters are looking for. I know, I know, I'm a Spartan fan, we're playing Iowa for the right to be in the Big Ten championship drivers seat this weekend, yet I'm still writing this article. Believe me, I want MSU to beat the 'Hawks, but I really feel this subject needs some serious attention. If Iowa was kept out of the title game, the office of Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney would be loaded with calls and e-mails from not only Iowa fans, but all Big Ten fans clamoring for him to do something about the disparaging outcome.
Would Delaney, or any other Big Ten bigwigs for that matter, be able to actually affect the needed change? It's hard to say, but having such an ardent supporter of the system turn on the BCS would certainly be a first. Cincinnati and Boise State could also go undefeated and potentially have their bids beat out by another one-loss team. It's pretty safe to say that neither the WAC, or even the Big East, however, likely have the same type of pull with those who actually pull the BCS strings.
So, realistically, how likely is this scenario? Well, it's likely enough that I felt the need to write this article. Iowa already beat fellow front-runner Penn State, but does have to go to East Lansing for a night game against the Spartans this weekend, and then have a trip to the Horseshoe to face Ohio State three weeks later. However, other than that, they play Indiana, Northwestern, and Minnesota all at home in Iowa City, all very winnable games. As for the others, assuming Iowa beats out Cincy and Boise State in the BCS polls (it wouldn't hurt if the Bearcats lost one too), things are a bit more muddled. There's a decent chance that the SEC champion may have one-loss, and, I would say almost probably, would be ahead of the Hawkeyes in the polls. If, however, there's an undefeated SEC champion, either Florida or Alabama, we can hope Texas loses one in the regular season, then wins the Big 12, or that USC wins out, and looks strong doing so.
Any way you shake it, I do feel that the recent performance, or lack thereof, from the Big Ten in recent bowl games could keep Iowa from getting the votes. Fans across the country have blamed the Big Ten for some bad bowl games lately, and may have reason to blame the conference for the BCS still being around. Come this off-season, however, those same fans may have reason to thank the Big Ten for getting the powers-that-be to seriously consider some major BCS change.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
