College Football Bowl Season Thread
 

Just thought that since the bowls start this week, might as well give them their own thread.

Also, looks like BCS commissioners shot down a deal to pit 3-4 in the Orange Bowl. With a weak #2 team, I wonder why the SEC wouldn't support this matchup...hmmmm....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...bcs/index.html

Proposed Oklahoma-Va. Tech game busted by BCS
Posted: Monday December 17, 2007 7:02PM; Updated: Monday December 17, 2007 7:02PM
In the chaotic hours following the final, upset-laden night of the 2007 regular season, coaches and fans from as many as seven different teams made their case to earn one of the two spots in the BCS National Championship Game.
The BCS ultimately selected consensus No. 1 and 2 teams, Ohio State and LSU, but many followers -- myself included -- were left disappointed that none of the other highly ranked contenders (Oklahoma, Georgia, Virginia Tech or USC) were pitted against each other in bowl games.

As it turns out, an 11th-hour agreement had been reached that would have allowed the No. 3 and 4 teams in the final BCS standings -- Virginia Tech and Oklahoma -- to meet in the Orange Bowl, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. The conference commissioners who oversee the BCS, however, shot it down -- and several of the affected parties are still wondering why.

According to the official BCS selection process, the Hokies, as ACC champions, and the Sooners, as Big 12 champions, were "contractually committed" to their conference's host games -- Virginia Tech to the Orange Bowl and Oklahoma to the Fiesta Bowl.

However, there's also a written clause -- one that has yet to be invoked during the BCS' 10-year history -- that allows the commissioners to "adjust the pairings ... after the completion of the selection process." Among the circumstances that can be taken into consideration are "whether the same team will be playing in the same bowl game for two consecutive years" (Oklahoma played Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl) and "whether alternative pairings may have greater or lesser appeal to college football fans ..."

Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione confirmed Monday that on the morning of the Dec. 2 BCS selection show -- before the results of the final BCS standings were known -- he spoke with Fiesta Bowl CEO John Junker about the possibility of invoking that clause to allow the Sooners to face "the highest-ranked team available."

"If we weren't going to be in the 1 vs. 2 game, we wanted to know if there was a possibility to play the highest-ranked team out there," said Castiglione. "At that point, we didn't know which team that would be."
According to sources involved in the discussions, Junker, along with Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, began contacting officials from the other bowls to see what could be worked out. It was well known by then that the Rose Bowl intended to take Big Ten at-large Illinois to meet Pac-10 champ USC and that automatic entrant Hawaii was heading to the Sugar Bowl, leaving the Fiesta and Orange bowls as the only games with any flexibility.

According to those same sources, the Fiesta and Orange bowls worked out an agreement to "swap" Oklahoma for the Orange Bowl's anticipated at-large choice, Kansas, creating an attractive No. 3 vs. 4 matchup in Miami while also allowing the Fiesta to host a Kansas team it had coveted throughout the Jayhawks' surprising 11-1 season.

Any such "adjustment" to the written placement rules, however, must be requested and then approved by the BCS commissioners following the conclusion of the formal selection process. Beebe said he made the request on behalf of his league's school but was met by resistance.

"There was a lengthy discussion, I made my case for it, and others made a case against it. It didn't prevail," said Beebe. "I don't necessarily agree, but I respect the views of those who were against it."

According to SEC commissioner and current BCS coordinator Mike Slive, "A request was made [to adjust the pairings]; it was considered and rejected.
"After thinking about it, the commissioners exercised their discretion to leave the pairings the way they were. There was a clear consensus."

Both Slive and Beebe declined to say which commissioners blocked the move -- though multiple sources said that ACC commissioner John Swofford and Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese did not oppose it.

Slive, who in his role as coordinator acts as a spokesman for the other commissioners, declined to elaborate on why the request was rejected. Pointing out that similar requests to adjust the pairings have been denied in the past (including in 2003, when the Fiesta Bowl's at-large selection of Ohio State stuck the Orange Bowl with a Miami-Florida State regular-season rematch), Slive said such an override would require "a very high threshold."

"My sense was that the reason wasn't compelling enough given the fact that on two prior occasions -- including the Miami-Florida State year -- the commissioners had set a very high threshold and felt that this did not meet the threshold," said Slive. "There weren't such compelling circumstances as to merit a change."

Two sources not directly involved in the decision speculated that the commissioners feared such a matchup might damage the legitimacy of the Ohio State-LSU title game.

The second-ranked Tigers have the same 11-2 record as both the Hokies and Sooners. Theoretically, a decisive victory by Oklahoma -- which is ranked No. 3 in the AP and Coaches polls -- combined with a less decisive LSU victory over the Buckeyes could have opened the door for a split national championship. (Unlike the coaches, AP voters are not obligated to select the BCS title-game winner No. 1).

"We certainly recognize the rules provide for the top two teams playing in the BCS national championship, and from that a winner will be named BCS national champion," said Oklahoma's Castiglione, whose team routed then-No. 1 Missouri 38-17 in the Big 12 title game. "There could be an argument for a split national champion, and that may be stated by any number of people. The AP is a very reputable poll. We just wanted to play the highest-ranked team. That was our goal all along."
Asked whether the split possibility played a factor, Slive insisted, "It never came up."

Asked why the opportunity to see the No. 3 and 4 teams play would not qualify as a game with "greater appeal to college football fans," as the BCS manual spells out, Slive replied, "Everybody looked at that, and knowing that, still came to the same conclusion. In any such consideration of something like this, you have to look at the question of what precedent does it set -- particularly when there have been more compelling requests that have not been granted -- and what are the unintended consequences?"
Castiglione stressed that Oklahoma is still pleased to be facing West Virginia in the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl ("This discussion had nothing to do with our eventual matchup," he said), and apparently Sooners fans are as well. As of last Friday, the school had sold all but about 2,000 of its 17,500 allotted tickets.

Meanwhile, Kansas on Monday sold out its allotment (also 17,500) for the Jan. 3 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech.

The timing of the rejected Sooners-Hokies request is interesting, however. Over the next six months, BCS officials are expected to formally discuss the possibility of adding a "plus-one" game beginning with the 2010 season. Under the most commonly discussed model, in which the top-four teams would be "seeded" into semifinal bowl matchups, both Virginia Tech and Oklahoma would remain in contention for the national championship.

Slive has expressed his openness to the possibility on numerous occasions, as has Swofford, the ACC commissioner who will take over as coordinator following this year's title game. Such a plan would meet considerable resistance, however, from Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen, due to its potential effect on those leagues' relationship with the Rose Bowl.

Castiglione said the foiled OU-Virginia Tech matchup, "is a real interesting element worthy of further exploration."

"I just hope at some point in time we can hear an explanation of why this wasn't possible given the fact the rules provided that opportunity if it was in everybody's best interest. Clear-thinking, well-intentioned minds would like to know whether something like this is possible."

Boomer!

http://fastandfuriousfootball.com/Co...ia_Offense.pdf

I'm thinking that the commishes that voted it down realized that Kansas vs. West Virginia was going to less ratings than a Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech matchup was going to make up.

The Big 12, Big East, and ACC were for the matchups, according to the sources of the article. Plus, I think VT-Kansas will get the worst ratings of the two real and two hypothetical bowls, if only because it's on the day after New Year's so there will be no benefit of the Rose Bowl lead-in (I know, not the same channel) that the WVU-KU game would get.

The BCS was designed to pick two teams to play in a national championship game. Beyond that, the bowls were given conference tie-ins (Rose = Big Ten & Pac Ten; Sugar = SEC; Orange = ACC; Fiesta = Big XII) that they have adhered to at every opportunity over the past ten years. There are many things that the BCS can be criticized for, but criticizing them at the 11th hour for adhering to their own format is a bit absurd. Beyond the BCS commissioners, the Fiesta bowl committee and the Phoenix metropolitan area have big financial interests, and they would be stuck with a much less attractive matchup (while the Orange Bowl and Miami area would benefit) if this swapping of teams took place.

I understand what the BCS is. And to be honest, I'm glad we're playing WVU instead of VT because I think it's a better game...I don't think VT is very good. I don't really care about a split national title either...LSU won the national championship in 2003, OSU or LSU will win it this year.

But why put the clause in the BCS rules if it's not ever going to be used even in this rare situation where pretty much everyone involves agrees. Kansas would probably actually bring more fans. I know I went to the Fiesta Bowl last year...going again the next season isn't as appealing to me or my dad who went with me last year.

The BCS sucks eggs. We need a playoff system, maybe with the top 15 or top 25 teams involved. I don't want to hear about how the season will be too long and players will miss their exams and blah blah blah. The championship game now is on January 7th. Does anyone remember when the big game was on New Years Day???? WTF is wrong with the NCAA??

ESPN story on the swag the players get from the various bowls.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls0...t&lid=tab2pos1

I don't mind us playing Kansas...beating one Big 12 team is as good as beating the other. I have to admit, though, it probably would have been more fun to beat the one who thought they deserved a title shot after losing to two unranked teams.

It would have been a good, hard-fought football game. Both teams play pretty good defense. It would be the best team OU played and without a doubt the second best team VT played--perhaps the best. Unlike Kansas who I believe is the only team in the BCS to not beat a team who is currently recieving votes in the AP poll (I believe Boise is, though I'm too lazy to look it up). VT should take the game...I can't really see the Hokies losing this one.

Wow...the Motor City Bowl sucks.

Not that I have anything against your team (actually, I am a Miami Hurricane fan), but isn't VT the same team that got hammered by LSU 48-7? Oklahoma-VT would be a better game, but if I was Frank Beamer I would make sure my guys were focused and ready for Kansas. ;)

Wow, noise reduction headphones from Sony in the GMAC bowl. What a bummer. :(

Not really. The offense improved dramatically this season to the point where when we started using the two QB system, we averaged 35 ppg over the last five games (which was our toughest stretch of games, to be honest)...plus, we're healthier than we've been all season (our best OL was out for the first half of the year) and the two new starters on defense who were abused by LSU have turned the corner into solid players.

So, no...I wouldn't consider VT to be the same team that was blown out by LSU. The team that finished the year for us would have blow out that VT team, as well.

Ohio State just suspended their #2 CB for the title game due to an unspecified violation. That's not going to help.

Dirty program. Dirty, dirty program.

What's that? I can't see the screen because of all these piles of cash Ed Martin left laying around.

I.... don't know what you're talking about. If it has something to do with UofM basketball in the early 90's and Chris Weber, you seem to be under the same weird impression that many folks are that Michigan actuallly had a basketball program during those years and Chris Weber actually played basketball there. It's a common misconception, so I don't blame you, but it NEVER happened. Look in the rule books.

I know Juan Howard went to school there, because I saw him getting his hair cut in my dorm bathroom my freshman year, but there is no record of him playing basketball there. Trust me.

Ok. Just thought I would ask. With that being said, I hope you beat the crap out of Kansas.

I hope Sweater Vest Tressel can keep hiding all the obvious infractions that are being broken at "The" Ohio State University. Ok, I have no proof of the above mentioned infractions, but I am sure they are going on. Either way, I will say these things because I loathe OSU. :D

Did you know that the new head coach at Navy is the first D1 head coach of Polynesian descent?

If not, then you obviously aren't watching the game since that's pretty much all the booth has said since the 2nd half started.

17-7 Navy after a nice long fullback run.

Hell of a game between Utah and Navy. I thought Navy was dead when they went for it at their own 10 on 4th down with 2 and half to play. They had a shot to get at least into FG range to tie the game with about 30 seconds to play, but the receiver slipped on the route and the ball was picked off.

Thats like the pot calling the kettle black.

OSU's stayed out of trouble the last few years, this year they've had a couple hiccups. Henton earlier in the year and who knows what Clifford actually did. The whole Henton thing was a complete joke.

The report was they were suspending Donald Washington... the actuality is they're not. Sorry for the misinformation. Not sure exactly what happened, they are being very tight lipped with details.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3164159

Tennessee's football team will be without two of its defensive starters for the Outback Bowl.

Junior tackle Demonte Bolden and sophomore outside linebacker Rico McCoy failed to meet the necessary academic requirements and will be ineligible to play against Wisconsin on Jan. 1, multiple sources within the Tennessee athletic department told ESPN.com.

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer is expected to announce the suspensions on Friday. The Vols wrapped up their pre-bowl practices on Thursday. Bolden missed practice earlier this week, and Fulmer said at the time that he was tending to academic business.

Bolden started in 12 of the Vols' 13 games this season. He had five tackles for losses and two sacks and was a big part of Tennessee's improvement up front defensively. The Vols, after struggling early, played some of their best defense during their five-game winning streak en route to their SEC championship game appearance. They then turned in perhaps their best defensive performance of the season in a 21-14 loss to LSU in the SEC title game.

McCoy started all 13 games at weak-side linebacker. He was Tennessee's second leading tackler with 106 total hits, including 4.5 for losses. McCoy and junior middle linebacker Jerod Mayo (127 tackles) teamed up to form one of the most productive duos defensive coordinator John Chavis said he's coached at Tennessee.

Senior J.T. Mapu is expected to replace Bolden in the starting lineup against the Badgers, while sophomore Dorian Davis and junior Ellix Wilson are the front-runners to step in for McCoy.

Fulmer also has at least two openings to fill on his staff and possibly more depending on who goes with offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe, who's leaving for the Duke head coaching job after the Outback Bowl.

One of the leading candidates to replace Cutcliffe is Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence, who will be in Knoxville on Friday to interview with Fulmer about the job.

edit to add: It gets worse :(
The hits keep coming for Tennessee's football team, as coach Phillip Fulmer announced Friday that six scholarship players would be academically ineligible for the Outback Bowl.

The Vols' leading receiver, Lucas Taylor, is ineligible to play against Wisconsin on Jan. 1 as well as reserve receiver Kenny O'Neal, reserve defensive back Ricardo Kemp and freshman linebacker Chris Donald. ESPN.com reported on Thursday that defensive starters Demonte Bolden and Rico McCoy failed to meet the necessary academic requirements to play in the Outback Bowl, too.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls0...ory?id=3165186

WOW! Amazing Ending to the UCLA/BYU game. BYU blocks a FG to win the game.

Fuck BYU

The way the Mormon's are rushing the field, you'd think the Golden Tablet's are buried there

*sigh*

Dude, Kyle, gimme a break. That's low commentary in those last two posts.

It was a terrific game, and kudos to BYU for coming up with the play at the end. A finger was really all that stood in the way of a Bruin victory.

Despite the loss, I couldn't be prouder of our guys and the way they fought for this one tonight. The defense was stellar again. We dominated a Top 20 offense, holding them almost 200 yards below their average. We had the first 100 yard rusher against them all season (they had been the only D1 team to not allo w a 100-yard rusher), and we got 162 yards on the ground against the 9th best run D in the country. The goat of the Notre Dame game, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, came in for an ineffective Rashaan (so our 4th string QB replaced our 3rd string QB), did just good enough to keep us in it. By all rights, we should have won this game, and both teams walked off that field knowing it, IMO. Winning this game gets us nothing. The manner of play was far more important. I am disappointed to lose, but BYU made the plays they needed to, and we almost did, too. One play. That's what it came down to.

I am going to miss Bruce Davis, Trey Brown, Chris Horton and the other seniors on this team. That's one heck of a D that's leaving Westwood.

UCLA played their guts out with a 4th string QB and a puppet head coach. Heck of a game.

I know but this was a tough loss. Had they been blown out, I wouldnt have cared and I echo everything you said in this post, but it's tough when you're team shouldn't have any shot, are in a position to win, and it just missed.

Paulsen should have stopped at the 33 yard line so Kai could have made the long kick

Incidentally ... the refs admitted they blew the call that went against Navy late.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls0...ory?id=3165857
The officiating crew from the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl has acknowledged an error in a fourth-quarter call that affected Navy's chances to beat Utah.

The crew and replay official, all from the Mid-American Conference, issued a statement after the game that a fourth-quarter play at the goal line should have been ruled a touchback and Navy ball at the 20-yard-line, rather than Utah ball at the 1-yard-line.

After turning the ball over on downs, Utah scored on its next possession to go ahead 35-25 and held off Navy's late comeback to defeat the Midshipmen, 35-32, on Thursday night.

On third and goal from the 4-yard line, Utah wide receiver Jereme Brooks caught a pass from Brian Johnson. As he extended the ball toward the goal line, he was hit by Navy cornerback Ketric Buffin. The ball fell forward and hit the pylon.

Initially, the referee ruled that the ball belonged to Utah at the 1-yard line. Navy called for a review, but the review official confirmed the call on the field.

After the game, the crew admitted it was the wrong call.

"The ball was fumbled forward and hit the pylon. The pylon is out of bounds and also in the end zone," read an official statement from the officiating crew, citing Rule 8, Section 6, Article 1, Item 1 in the NCAA college football rule book. "There was a mistake made. It should have been ruled a touchback and the ball should have been placed at the 20-yard line."

We attended the New Mexico Bowl yesterday, and had a really good time. I would definitely be willing to go again.

I truly applaud UCLA yesterday, BYU should not have let it get close and I feel our players thought the game was in the bag. UCLA brought, and showed their toughness and resolve..especially with the rash of injuries they had.

Trust me, the text messaging was happening last night through the circle of friends here that we handed that game to UCLA on a silver platter.

Well, we play again in 9 months (or is it 10)...the differences being our offense is a year older and our defense will get younger, but not much.

Praise to UCLA for playing a tough game

lol, and you will likely play UCLA's third coach and maybe a different QB, too, in the three game "series". We like to roll out new ones for every rematch. :)

I think there was equal parts giving the game and taking it away from both sides. BYU probably should have beat us by more, going on record. But, frankly, there was no way they were stopping our rush or running the ball against us. And that's a tough recipe to beat or to say UCLA was handed a chance to win.

Put a QB who the opponent thinks will complete a pass at at least a 50% clip, and yesterday's game might not have been too close--the other way.

But like I said, BYU is a very good team, and unlike UCLA, they have a terrific head coach. They should be proud of their season.

Your guess is as good as mine, though, what the team will be like in nine months. New coach almost for sure, the defense will be gutted by graduation, and the offense will be a mishmash of players who were ineffective in the WCO and new players trying to replace the few effective players we had on offense. We'll be lucky to get to a bowl game next year.

Curious, but at what point wqould BYU think they had it in the bag? I could see thinking that at 17-6 in the second quarter (with the way our offense was running), but that should have lasted, oh, to halftime, when UCLA made it 17-13. After that and knowing they were being dominated on both LOS, why would BYU think they ahd it in the bag? If they did, I don't think they were paying too much attention to the game. Just saying...

Didn't they used to show bowl games on Christmas Day? I just looked at espn.com and saw none listed until Wednesday. What the heck am I supposed to do Monday and Tuesday with my in-laws here now?

Vegas bowl used to be on Christmas

Yeah, I remember the EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl was played a few times on Christmas, but they moved it to increase attendance. Pioneer has taken over the sponsorship the past three years, and all of the games have been sellouts. They like to get BYU because their fans travel well, and there are a lot of local BYU fans in the Las Vegas metropolitan area also.

IIRC there also used to at least one (two?) of the all-star games on Christmas Day? Blue-Gray game maybe?

Actually, I think it would have been "In the bag" if we wouldn't have fumbled it at the end of the half.

But here is the thing, UCLA had such a rash of injuries, playing their 3rd and 4th string QB's going against a team that had been on fire up until then. You could only see that they thought it would be a cake walk, the press had it picked that way as well. They were saying UCLA had nothing to lose, and would come at BYU hard, and if BYU played poorly, they have everything to lose....and it almost came true.

If you want to say they came in assuming that, I would agree, although they would have been foolish to think so, considering UCLA had beaten them already.

As for the fumble at the end, you guys were handed your second TD off of a PR fumble (essentially). I would say if BYU ever thought they had it in the bag, it was just for that fleeting moment from the second TD to the fumble in the second quarter. So BYU was probably playing more than lightly for the rest of that game.

ECU is dominating Boise State 24-7 midway through the 2nd quarter. Boise State lost to Hawaii and Washington (the 2nd worst team in the Pac Ten), so it looks like they might be a mirage this year.

There's still a lot of time left, so Boise might come back.

The WAC is whack.

Funny stuff at the end of the BSU-ECU game - the ref calling an penalty lifted his arms to make the call, and the wind took his hat right off and about ten yards away.

ECU impressive.

Boise State just tied it up with a minute and a half to go.

winner winner chicken dinner. ECU sneaks a field goal in as time expires.

East Carolina RB Chris Johnson may decide to go pro after that game. He's a hoss.

I was also thinking maybe the Oahu Bowl, or something in Hawaii.

Boise State was Hawaii's "signature" win this year?