ACC and Big 12 Championship Games

[buckeyebri]

Man are these games going to blow with Colorado and FSU getting the nods....

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Man are these games going to blow with Colorado and FSU getting the nods....

Yeah they are going to be snoozefests. Texas has already beatin' CU by about 20 and FSU is in a total downward spiral. I think after their bowl game they will have lost 5 in a row, unless they get their act together.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

I love how all the SEC/ACC/Big12 whiners bitch about how we don't have a conference playoff........meanwhile they are letting teams like FSU and Colorado have a shot to play for a BCS game.

 

[Bucklion]

I love how all the SEC/ACC/Big12 whiners bitch about how we don't have a conference playoff........meanwhile they are letting teams like FSU and Colorado have a shot to play for a BCS game.

The funny thing is the coaches really hate it. I forget what article I was reading, but I believe it was the ACC where the coaches voted all-0 against a title game, but the ADs voted all-0 for it...I'm assuming for the monetary factor, but of course we've seen conference championship games cost undefeated teams a shot at a title (Kansas State whatever year that was), and who in the hell wants to watch Colorado or Iowa State get murdered....again? Where's the $ coming from?

 

[cincibuck]

Money, money, money. Screw the kids. It must be big TV money because I don't recall too many of these playoff games taking in that much at the gate. I sure wouldn't put any effort into seeing Texas kick the snot out of Ralphie... and what in the world would you do if Colorado managed to pull off the upset, or if Florida State suddenly found an offense and beat Miami again?

The basketball playoff system makes big money for the ACC where you have the heart of the league within a hundred mile radius of Raleigh, but I doubt that any other league makes much. I sure haven't spent any effort to watch the Big 10's Chicago show. But the fact remains that several times you reward a mediocre team with the leagues top tournament slot at the expense of more deserving teams. What the hell is the season all about if it still comes down to a shoot out?

 

[sandgk]

The funny thing is the coaches really hate it. I forget what article I was reading, but I believe it was the ACC where the coaches voted all-0 against a title game, but the ADs voted all-0 for it...I'm assuming for the monetary factor, but of course we've seen conference championship games cost undefeated teams a shot at a title (Kansas State whatever year that was), and who in the hell wants to watch Colorado or Iowa State get murdered....again? Where's the $ coming from?

That might have been the Big12. On College Gameday they interviewed Mack Brown and he related the exact story you just reported, though with the Big 12 coaches saying Nay, and all the Big 12 ADs saying Yea.

EDIT: 'Course, could be that both the Big 12 and ACC coaches were all of a similar mind in their respective meetings.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

I would laugh if FSU beats Va. Tech, but would cry if Colorado beat Texas.....because we'd be screwed.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I would laugh if FSU beats Va. Tech, but would cry if Colorado beat Texas.....because we'd be screwed.

I think your chances of laughing are much better than your chances of crying.

To the tune of about 40% vs 0%.

 

[kippy1040]

To me it seems that there is so much Parity in college football anymore that it is difficult to tell how good these teams in the ACC, Big 12, SEC and then thier playoff games seem to so non-dimentional. The balance seems out of proportion if the teams that were projected to win are not thier at all.

Florida State is suffering thru so many injuries as well as many other teams. yet in the Big10 it was not sure who was going to be the winner until the final week.
In reality the Big10 is no better than any other conference at this point in time. Other than the fact that we do not know how strong Ohio State could have been if they would have beat Texas and Penn State. The Pac 10 i don't believe has a playoff either and who is to say that they are really a stronger conference compared to all of the above. So/Cal has a riddled defense right now yet they still win thier games so its hard to say if conference playoffs are the true measuring of who is worthy of a National Championship. Who really can figure this out is a big question.

 

[Sloopy45]

Here's my biggest problem with the Championship games:

1. Fans of the SEC, Big 12, and now ACC make it seem like this game is such a huge hurdle and a roadblock to the BCS Title game. But the fact of the matter is, the favorite in these games (more times than not) plays a patsy from the other division, rather than a legit team with the ability to knock them off.

2. These games are more of a cop-out, and have allowed teams to back into the BCS. Look at these instances:

- 1996, Florida LOSES its last game to FSU, but gets to go to the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship on the strength of a 45-30 win over an average Alabama team in the SEC Title game.

- 2001, Colorado beats Texas, 39-37, allowing Nebraska (who didn't even play in the game) to back into an ass-whooping in the Rose Bowl, courtesy of Miami.

- 2003, Oklahoma gets smoked, 35-7, by Kansas State, and STILL makes the Sugar Bowl & a shot at the Championship.

And as far as being a roadblock?? Didn't stop these teams:

-1997, Nebraska plays an overmatched Texas A&M team and absolutely rolls, 54-15, en route to its 3rd National Title in the decade.

- 1998, Tennessee plays a horrible Mississippi State team and rolls, 24-14, to the Fiesta Bowl & a National Championship.

- 2004, Oklahoma ROLLS Colorado, 42-3, en route to the Orange Bowl, and a pasting at the hands of USC.

Can someone please show me how a Championship game is that significant? There's a littany of these blow-ups (above), and very few times where a National Title run was derailed .. Texas A&M over K-State in '98 is the ONLY instance I can think of.

 

[Golferdow01]

I think it's possible that FSU could eek out a win over Va Tech because IMO, Va Tech isn't all that great. Colorado over Texas...not in a million years

 

[BB73]

Can someone please show me how a Championship game is that significant? There's a littany of these blow-ups (above), and very few times where a National Title run was derailed .. Texas A&M over K-State in '98 is the ONLY instance I can think of.

In 2001, Texas lost 39-37 to Colorado, a team they had defeated 41-7 earlier in the year. I think Mack Brown will mention that fact to his team about 1000 times this week. They probably would have finished #2 in the BCS that year if they had defeated Colorado.

One week later in 2001, Tennecheat lost the SEC game, 31-20 to LSU, or they would have made the Rose Bowl against Miami, rather than the joke of sending Nebraska.

So 2 teams lost out on the NC Rose Bowl after the 2001 season due to the CCG's.

 

[Sloopy45]

BB73: "They probably would have finished #2 in the BCS that year if they had defeated Colorado."

Texas had a loss going into that game (14-3 to Oklahoma). Probably would've finished # 2 doesn't cut it for me. You never know what would happen with the computers or the polls. I consider that a derail if Texas is unbeaten going into that game.

"One week later in 2001, Tennecheat lost the SEC game, 31-20 to LSU, or they would have made the Rose Bowl against Miami, rather than the joke of sending Nebraska."

Again, the School You Can't Spell Citrus Without had a loss to Georgia (24-26) going into that game.

I can't call either team a lock for the Rose Bowl that season - what if they both won the Big XII and SEC Title games?? See my point ..

 

[sandgk]

Sloopy45 and BB73 both raise good points, illustrating that the conference championship games can and do distort the picture of a season, largely in a negative manner.

I think it is for that reason, in his interview yesterday on College Gameday, Mack Brown opined that if the conferences want to have divisional play-offs (championship games) then OK. But why not Brown continued have the result of that game NOT decide who goes to the bowl games.

Tough pill to swallow I'm sure, but if you distrust championship games that is the only other choice.

 

[BB73]

BB73: "They probably would have finished #2 in the BCS that year if they had defeated Colorado."

Texas had a loss going into that game (14-3 to Oklahoma). Probably would've finished # 2 doesn't cut it for me. You never know what would happen with the computers or the polls. I consider that a derail if Texas is unbeaten going into that game.

"One week later in 2001, Tennecheat lost the SEC game, 31-20 to LSU, or they would have made the Rose Bowl against Miami, rather than the joke of sending Nebraska."

Again, the School You Can't Spell Citrus Without had a loss to Georgia (24-26) going into that game.

I can't call either team a lock for the Rose Bowl that season - what if they both won the Big XII and SEC Title games?? See my point ..

No, I don't really see your point.

If they both won, one of them would have gone to the NC game, so at least one of them was 'derailed'. In Tennessee's case, since Texas had lost the week before, and Tennessee was #2 in the polls and had the #3 SOS in the country, they were definitely in the Rose Bowl win a win against LSU. I don't care if they had a previous loss or not, if a CCG loss is the only thing that prevents you from making the NC game, your title run was 'derailed' by that loss.

Despite not being undefeated, Tennessee was derailed every bit as much as K-St was in 1998.

And given the Tennessee loss, a Texas win in their CCG would have meant they would have made the Rose Bowl. That CCG loss cost them big time, even though a win may not have guaranteed them the Rose Bowl at the time. I would call that a 'significant' CCG, in answer to your original question.

Can someone please show me how a Championship game is that significant? There's a littany of these blow-ups (above), and very few times where a National Title run was derailed .. Texas A&M over K-State in '98 is the ONLY instance I can think of.

Those CCG losses were very meaningful for both Texas and Tennessee in 2001. Let's not waste time debating the semantics of 'significant' and 'derailed'.