2006 BCS, polls, Bowl Predictions and computer ratings

[buckeyeboy]

Pat Forde aptly summarized the reasons that IMO scUM has absolutely no argument that it should face us in the NC game:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=2667714


The Wolverines played with great heart and impressive offensive execution in a feral road setting -- but they were inferior to the Buckeyes.

The final score is closer than the game played out. The Buckeyes had 106 more yards of total offense and gift-wrapped 10 Wolverines points with a botched center snap and a tipped-ball interception deep in their own territory. They were a minus-three in the turnover department -- two of them utterly unforced -- but never really had to sweat in the final 15 minutes.

Michigan only led for 6 minutes and 29 seconds Saturday, all in the first quarter. It only had a single fourth-quarter possession with a chance to tie or take the lead. The Wolverines went three-and-out on that possession, and Ohio State promptly drove 83 yards for a 42-31 lead. School was out at that point.
*************

OK, back to my two cents.
I'm sick and tired of hearing people say that scUM should get a rematch because "they only lost by three." Before the game, it was said that if the game was neck and neck with OSU kicking a field goal to win it by three at the end, there should be a rematch. No argument here. But that's not what happened. Instead, we had the game wrapped up when Robiskie scored with five minutes to go. scUM needed a TD when our defense was playing very soft just to make the score look respectable. I am shocked that some (Herbie included) would have them retain their #2 ranking. We clearly showed that we were the superior team. There's nothing left for a rematch to settle.

 

[Saw31]

With each new poll yanking a possible berth in the national title game farther away from Florida, Gators coach Urban Meyer said Sunday that the NCAA needs to seriously consider adopting a playoff to determine a champion in Division I-A football. Meyer said a rematch wouldn't be fair to Ohio State, which beat Michigan on the field.
-- Tampa Tribune

And now Florida will go out and get beat, following historical precedent set by other whining coaches...

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

And now Florida will go out and get beat, following historical precedent set by other whining coaches...

Florida may well get beat, but I don't see how his comments are whining. Ohio State did beat Michigan on the field, and I don't think a rematch is "fair" either. No team that didn't win it's conference can ever, in my mind, seriously contend to be the best team in the nation.

If they were, they'd have gotten it done on the field. End of discussion, in my mind. (And yes, I'd like to think I'd say this even if Ohio State had lost on Saturday)

 

[strohs]

And now Florida will go out and get beat, following historical precedent set by other whining coaches...

In this case I disagree becuase he didnt say his team deserved a shot, just that the current system is BS

 

[Dryden]

Florida may well get beat, but I don't see how his comments are whining.

You need to read the whining ...

The Gators trailed 18-17 early in the fourth quarter and had third-and-3 at the 6-yard line when a questionable call resulted in a momentum-changing fumble. Meyer still believes Chris Leak was attempting to throw when the ball dropped out of his hand.

But officials ruled a fumble, and the Tigers went on to win 27-17.

"We went to a hostile environment, played our hearts out. We were on the 6-yard line and failed to get it done," Meyer said. "So I think when you look at all that, there's two schools out there that probably can go ahead and say, 'OK, we deserve a shot. Here's our schedule. We played a difficult schedule.'

"I think USC and Florida are the two teams that, if they take care of business, deserve a shot."

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=150759

Is it Mack Brown or Tommy Tuberville level whining? No. But still, you NEVER, EVER say you "deserve a shot" when you have games left on your schedule.

Karma is a bitch, Urban.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

In this case I disagree becuase he didnt say his team deserved a shot, just that the current system is BS

Because he wants his team to have Michigan's spot. Urban Meyer only says what benefits his team. He's a whiner and a bitch. If it was Florida who was #2 and they lost to the #1 team by 3, you can be assured he would be whining about getting a rematch.

 

[Okinawa's#1Buck]

You need to read the whining ...


http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=150759

Is it Mack Brown or Tommy Tuberville level whining? No. But still, you NEVER, EVER say you "deserve a shot" when you have games left on your schedule.

Karma is a bitch, Urban.

How about this? We play Florida somewhere around New Years, then USC on the 8th. We'll kill em both and shut them all up. Who can bitch then?

 

[ant80]

Florida may well get beat, but I don't see how his comments are whining. Ohio State did beat Michigan on the field, and I don't think a rematch is "fair" either. No team that didn't win it's conference can ever, in my mind, seriously contend to be the best team in the nation.

If they were, they'd have gotten it done on the field. End of discussion, in my mind. (And yes, I'd like to think I'd say this even if Ohio State had lost on Saturday)

Good point, but in my mind, the reason why he is taking that road is because he is in a position to gain from it. Let's say that Florida and Arkansas are the only undefeated teams in the country, and Florida loses in the CCG, would he still be playing that tune? I think not. He'll be saying that since SEC is so strong, Florida should play in the NC against Arkansas. That lowers his credibility.

 

[Saw31]

Florida may well get beat, but I don't see how his comments are whining. Ohio State did beat Michigan on the field, and I don't think a rematch is "fair" either. No team that didn't win it's conference can ever, in my mind, seriously contend to be the best team in the nation.

If they were, they'd have gotten it done on the field. End of discussion, in my mind. (And yes, I'd like to think I'd say this even if Ohio State had lost on Saturday)

In this case I disagree becuase he didnt say his team deserved a shot, just that the current system is BS

I don't know if you heard the comments or read them, but the tone he took at the presser sure seemed self-serving and whiny to me. Not a big deal though, I was more pointing out what Dryden mentioned. Never, ever start with the BCS bashing before you have completed your schedule. The Football Gods will not be happy...

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

As a guy who is aware of the karma football Gods and their actions, I must continue to say, I have no objection to Meyer's comments. It toes the whining line (having seen the complete quote) but I'm still not seeing much wrong with it.

Karma knowledge resume (recent memory):
Called Auburn loss based on it.
Called Louisvillle loss based on it. (The wagon effect)
Called Rutgers loss based on it.
*achoo* Chad Henne *achoo*

 

[osugrad21]

ESPN

The Power 16


Ohio State started its season No. 1 in the Power 16. The Buckeyes ended their regular season in the same position after beating Michgan. The Wolverines slipped to No. 3 this week, but they are only three points behind USC. Arkansas and Florida round out the top five. Rutgers suffered the biggest fall this week. The Scarlet Knights dropped from No. 6 to No. 14, following their loss to Cincinnati. Take a look at this week's Power 16:


ESPN.com's Power 16 Week 13 RANKTEAMRECORDPOINTSCOMMENTS

1Ohio State (16)12-0256Next stop on the Buckeyes' title quest is Glendale, but there will be a quick detour to NYC so Troy Smith can pick up some hardware.

2USC9-1233Can the Trojans push past Notre Dame without Reggie Bush around to lend a hand?

3Michigan11-1230If Notre Dame knocks off USC, will the roar be bigger in South Bend or Ann Arbor?

4Arkansas10-1204The Pigs have clinched the SEC West, but a win over LSU Saturday keeps their outside shot at Glendale alive.

5Florida10-1190The Gators will meet Arkansas for the SEC title on Dec. 2, but a win over FSU is a must to stay in the national title hunt.

6Notre Dame10-1174The Irish can end a four-game losing streak to USC and end the Trojans' shot at Glendale with a win Saturday.

7West Virginia9-1138The Mountaineers probably have a better shot at a BCS bowl game than the Big East crown.

8Louisville9-1136The Cardinals will be rooting for either Syracuse or West Virginia to hand Rutgers another Big East loss.

9Wisconsin11-1123The Badgers' 11 regular-season wins set a school record, but the reward won't be a BCS bowl game.

10Texas9-2109A win over the Aggies on Friday sends the Horns to the Big 12 championship for a rematch with Nebraska.

11LSU9-298The Tigers have speed on defense. They'll need it against Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.

12Oklahoma9-281If the Sooners survive their Bedlam game and get some help from the Aggies, OU will play for the Big 12 title.

13Boise State11-059Only Nevada stands in the way of the Broncos possibly reaching their first BCS bowl game.

14Rutgers9-141What a difference a week makes. The highs of the Louisville game have been replaced by the lows of the loss to Cincinnati.

15Auburn10-230The Tigers might not win the SEC this season, but they did roll the Tide for the fifth straight year.

16Georgia Tech9-229Before the Yellow Jackets hit Jacksonville for the ACC title game, they hit Athens for a grudge match.

 

[osugrad21]

SI

My method to the madness

Why Michigan stays put and USC leapfrogs SEC duo

Posted: Tuesday November 21, 2006 12:31PM; Updated: Tuesday November 21, 2006 1:47PM

Well, there are two pretty notable occurrences in this week's ballot that I know people are going to say contradict some of my previous statements (one of them flat-out does), so I best go ahead and address them now:
Why did I keep Michigan No. 2 when I was so adamantly anti-rematch last week?
Because, like I said last week, the season isn't over yet. At this point, Michigan is still the second-best team in my mind, not as much because of its performance last Saturday (the Wolverines did give up 500-plus yards and, contrary to how many remember it, only had one series the entire second half where they had the ball with a chance to take the lead), but because no one else has yet to step up and make a statement that they're definitively better. That could happen over the next two weeks, however, and in fact one team is getting awfully close. Which leads me to ...
Why did I bump USC ahead of Arkansas and Florida after scoffing at others who did the same thing last week?
Two reasons, actually. First of all, the Trojans finally looked like the Trojans in the second half against Cal, burying the Bears under a barrage of successful blitzes, C.J. Gable runs and two beautiful John David Booty touchdown passes, one of them a check-off to Steve Smith (the play was supposed to be a short pass to Patrick Turner but Booty instead went deep to Smith) that I'm not sure he would have pulled off earlier in the season.
But beyond that, I'll also admit I changed course in my thinking about the USC/Arkansas situation. While I do still recognize that the Razorbacks are an entirely different team now and that a second game between the two could easily go either way, now that they're both in contention for a national-title spot, I just no longer felt comfortable having the Trojans behind a team they beat 50-14. If that seems a little John Kerry-esque of me ... well it is.
NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW
Team 1 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0)
Last Saturday's game was a big testament to coach Jim Tressel and his staff. Obviously, their offensive game-plan (heavy on four and five receivers) worked to perfection. But also, listening to the players speak afterward, I don't know that I've ever heard a team so in unison with their coach.
Next game: Jan. 8 vs. TBD. 2 2 Michigan Wolverines (11-1)
Considering the opponent and the atmosphere, I thought QB Chad Henne handled himself exceptionally Saturday. He made one crucial mistake early in the game, overthrowing Mario Manningham on what would have been an easy touchdown, but overall he played very well.
Next game: Bowl game TBD. 3 5 USC Trojans (9-1)
"Maturation" is the buzzword around Heritage Hall this week -- not just the maturation of Booty, but of a young defense that, after struggling earlier in the season, has allowed a total of 19 points in its last three games. Young safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays made big plays against Cal.
Next game: Saturday vs. Notre Dame. 4 3 Arkansas Razorbacks (10-1)
Darren McFadden's versatility just keeps growing. Against Mississippi State, he rushed 26 times for 84 yards, completed his only pass attempt for 16 yards and returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. I cannot wait to watch him go up against LSU's sixth-ranked rushing defense.
Next game: Friday vs. LSU. 5 4 Florida Gators (10-1)
While I certainly understand Urban Meyer's position about the Ohio State-Michigan rematch issue, I'm not sure complaining about it now when your team still has two losable games left is the right approach. Take care of your own business -- then start the lobbying effort.
Next game: Saturday at Florida State. 6 8 West Virginia Mountaineers (9-1)
Is it possible to nominate a tandem for the Heisman? The Pat White-Steve Slaton show against Pittsburgh last Thursday was unbelievable. White: 220 yards rushing, 204 passing (on 11-of-16 attempts). Slaton: 215 yards rushing, 130 yards receiving. They also scored all six WVU touchdowns.
Next game: Saturday vs. USF. 7 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-1)
The war of wits between Charlie Weis and Pete Carroll on Saturday is going to be unreal. Weis said after the Army game that he's watched every USC play this season. And Carroll has been chomping at the bit for another shot at Weis ever since people said he got outcoached last year.
Next game: Saturday at USC. 8 7 Louisville Cardinals (9-1)
The Cardinals' slight drop this week had nothing to do with their 31-8 rout of USF. The fact is, after covering both West Virginia-Louisville and Louisville-Rutgers, the Big East team that impressed me most was the Mountaineers. In light of Rutgers' blowout loss at Cincinnati, I made an adjustment.
Next game: Saturday at Pittsburgh. 9 12 Wisconsin Badgers (11-1)
Oh, the irony. If Michigan winds up going to the title game, the Rose Bowl will have an empty spot opposite USC just begging to be filled by an 11-1 Big Ten team, but the BCS can't take a third conference team. There are certainly worse consolation prizes than Orlando for New Year's though.
Next game: Bowl game TBD. 10 9 LSU Tigers (9-2)
JaMarcus Russell did it again, completing a fourth-down touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe with 14 seconds left to send the Ole Miss game to overtime. The question is, how were the 3-8 Rebels able to hang with LSU in the first place? Not exactly encouraging heading into Arkansas week.
Next game: Friday at Arkansas.

 

[osugrad21]

SI

Bowl Projections

Michigan No. 2, but USC has inside track on title game

Posted: Monday November 20, 2006 11:43AM; Updated: Monday November 20, 2006 11:48AM

Mike Hart and Michigan are still No. 2 in the BCS, but it will be tough to stay there if USC beats Notre Dame and UCLA in its final two games.
Al Tielemans/SI

Staying No. 2 in the BCS standings was the worst thing that could have happened to Michigan -- because the only direction it can go now is down. And I fully expect that to happen. As one USC follower said to me on Sunday, the Wolverines may be about to suffer a case of "Brad Banks Syndrome."
You remember Banks, Iowa's one-year wonder of a quarterback who finished second in the Heisman voting in 2002. Banks had a phenomenal regular season, but it ended on Nov. 16. USC's Carson Palmer played twice more after that, including a dazzling prime-time performance against Notre Dame in his regular-season finale, and there was nothing Banks could do to counter it. He was, for all practical purposes, out of sight, out of mind.
And that's what I think is going to end up happening to Michigan. Considering the weeks and weeks of attention that had been heaped on the impending Game of the Century, one that actually lived up to the hype, it's not surprising that many voters (including this one) opted to keep the Wolverines No. 2. The majority of those ballots were turned in just hours after taking in that incredible game. It was fresh on everyone's minds, and the fact is, at this point, Michigan is as qualified to be No. 2 as anyone.
But over the next two weeks, the Wolverines are going to sit on the backburner while the nation focuses its attention first on Notre Dame-USC, then Florida-Arkansas. If the Trojans beat both the Irish and UCLA, there's little question in my mind they will rise to No. 2, which is why I've placed them, not Michigan, in the projected title matchup below.
The two SEC teams seem to be lagging behind in the opinion arena -- when did that happen, by the way? Earlier in the season you couldn't go two seconds without hearing about the SEC -- but if the Trojans slip up, the Gators-Razorbacks game may itself become a championship play-in ... for Florida. Fair or not, I think Arkansas' lopsided loss to USC will keep voters from moving the Hogs ahead of Michigan. It also seems highly unlikely Notre Dame could move past the Wolverines -- the team they lost to 47-21 -- even with a win over the Trojans.
So realistically, there are three remaining contenders with a chance to face Ohio State: USC, Michigan and Florida. The only scenario under which I see the Ohio State-Michigan rematch actually coming to fruition is if USC loses a game, and if Arkansas loses to LSU, thus taking away some of the luster from a possible Florida victory. Even then, I feel like most of the country hasn't seen a Gators game since their loss to Auburn, and if it does comes down to Michigan and Florida, the Gators -- in particular their defense -- will get a chance to make a final impression just a few hours before the last ballots are due.
Sound familiar?
BCS/New Year's Day Games Date Bowl Matchup
Jan. 8 Title Ohio State (BCS No. 1) vs. USC (BCS No. 2)
Jan. 3 Sugar Arkansas (SEC champ) vs. Notre Dame (BCS at-large) Jan. 2 Orange Georgia Tech (ACC champ) vs. Louisville (Big East champ)
Jan. 1 Fiesta Texas (Big 12 champ) vs. Boise State (BCS at-large) Jan. 1 Rose Michigan (BCS at-large) vs. West Virginia (BCS at-large) Jan. 1 Capital One Wisconsin (Big Ten No. 2) vs. Florida (SEC No. 2) Jan. 1 Gator Boston College (ACC No. 3) vs. Oklahoma (Big East No. 2/Big 12)
Jan. 1 Outback Penn State (Big Ten No. 3) vs. Auburn (SEC)
Jan. 1 Cotton Nebraska (Big 12 No. 2) vs. LSU (SEC)

Other Games Date Bowl Matchup
Jan. 7 GMAC Southern Miss (C-USA No. 2) vs. Ohio (MAC)
Jan. 6 International USF (Big East No. 4/5) vs. Northern Illinois (MAC)
Dec. 31 MPC Computers San Jose State (WAC) vs. Western Michigan* (ACC)
Dec. 30 Chick-fil-A Virginia Tech (ACC No. 2) vs. Tennessee (SEC) Dec. 30 Alamo Iowa (Big Ten No. 5) vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 No. 4) Dec. 30 Meineke Navy (Big East/Navy) vs. Clemson (ACC)
Dec. 29 Champs Sports Wake Forest (ACC No. 4) vs. Purdue (Big Ten No. 4)
Dec. 29 Insight Kansas State (Big 12 No. 6) vs. Minnesota (Big Ten No. 6)
Dec. 29 Liberty Houston (C-USA champ) vs. Georgia (SEC)
Dec. 29 Sun Oregon State (Pac-10 No. 3) vs. Rutgers (Big 12/Big East)
Dec. 29 Music City Maryland (ACC No. 5) vs. Kentucky (SEC)
Dec. 28 Texas Oklahoma State (Big 12) vs. Cincinnati (Big East) Dec. 28 Holiday Cal (Pac-10 No. 2) vs. Texas A&M (Big 12 No. 3) Dec. 28 Independence Missouri (Big 12 No. 7) vs. Alabama (SEC) Dec. 27 Emerald Arizona (Pac-10 No. 5) vs. Florida State (ACC No. 7)
Dec. 26 Motor City South Carolina* (Big Ten No. 7) vs. Central Michigan (MAC)
Dec. 24 Hawaii Hawaii (WAC) vs. UCLA (Pac-10 No. 6)
Dec. 23 Armed Forces TCU (MWC) vs. Rice (C-USA)
Dec. 23 New Mexico New Mexico (MWC) vs. Nevada (WAC)
Dec. 23 Birmingham Pittsburgh (Big East) vs. Tulsa (C-USA)
Dec. 22 New Orleans Middle Tennessee St. (Sun Belt) vs. SMU (C-USA)
Dec. 21 Las Vegas Oregon (Pac-10 No. 4) vs. BYU (MWC champ) Dec. 20 Poinsettia Utah (MWC) vs. Arizona State (at-large)


Teams in bold have accepted bowl invitation
* -- replacement team for conference without enough eligible teams

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

SI

My method to the madness

Why Michigan stays put and USC leapfrogs SEC duo

Posted: Tuesday November 21, 2006 12:31PM; Updated: Tuesday November 21, 2006 1:47PM

...
Team 1 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0)
Last Saturday's game was a big testament to coach Jim Tressel and his staff. Obviously, their offensive game-plan (heavy on four and five receivers) worked to perfection. But also, listening to the players speak afterward, I don't know that I've ever heard a team so in unison with their coach.
...

That comes from one thing and one thing only...

L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P

 

[osugrad21]

Yahoo

5 Big Ten teams accept bowl bids

By The Associated Press 17 minutes ago

The Big Ten bowl picture is all but set. Five teams accepted postseason bids Tuesday, led by No. 10 Wisconsin's return to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando Fla., to take on a Southeastern Conference team on Jan. 1
http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=ljTxoULa...8584.8503966.9890926.1442997/D=LREC/B=3829106
Top-ranked Ohio State already is headed to the Bowl Championship Series title game, in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8, and No. 2 Michigan still awaits its BCS matchup.
Penn State, Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue joined Wisconsin (11-1) in learning their postseason destinations.
? Penn State is in the Outback Bowl, making back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time since the 1998 and '99 seasons. The Nittany Lions (8-4) and an SEC team will play Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla.
_Purdue (8-4) is going to the Champs Sports Bowl, making a return to the postseason after missing last year for the only time in Joe Tiller's 10 seasons as coach. The Boilermakers will take on an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
_Minnesota's appearance in the Insight Bowl will be its fifth consecutive bowl game and seventh in the past eight seasons. The Gophers (6-6) will meet a Big 12 team Dec. 29 in Tempe, Ariz.
_Iowa (6-6) is headed for the Dec. 30 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio for a matchup against a Big 12 school. In 2001, Iowa's win against Texas Tech drew the second-largest crowd in Alamo Bowl history.
BYU, Navy and No. 25 Hawaii are the only other schools who have accepted bowl bids.
Navy is going to the Meineke Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N.C., and BYU has accepted a spot in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 21. The Warriors are playing in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.
Now that the Nittany Lions have a bowl game, the big question is whether coach Joe Paterno will be on the sideline. He had surgery to repair a broken shinbone and two knee ligaments in his left leg after getting leveled by two players during a sideline collision on Nov. 4 at Wisconsin.
He missed Penn State's game against Temple and watched its regular-season finale from the press box.
"This team has worked hard all season and has been a great group to work with," Paterno said in a statement. "I'm happy for the squad that their efforts will be rewarded with an opportunity to go to Tampa."
The 79-year-old coach is the career leader in postseason coaching appearances and wins (21).
Athletic director Tim Curley said in a conference call that he anticipates the recuperating Paterno to join the players for his 33rd bowl game. It's still unclear, though, exactly where JoePa will be inside Raymond James Stadium.
Purdue won't know its opponent until after the ACC championship game on Dec. 2.
The Boilermakers are back in a bowl following a 5-6 finish last year that included a six-game losing streak after being ranked No. 11 early in the season.
"I am pleased for our players that they get this reward," Tiller said. "We have a young team that has worked hard, gotten better over the course of the season and put itself in position to play in this game."