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Game Thread BCS Championship Game, tOSU vs. Florida - Jan 8th

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BCS Determines No Team Worthy Of Facing Ohio State In Championship Game

December 7, 2006 | Onion Sports

COLUMBUS, OH In what many BCS officials are citing as "proof that their flawless system indeed works," no Division 1-A college football team was found to possess the sheer excellence required to face Ohio State, the No. 1 ranked team since the season began, in this year's BCS Championship game.
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"The main job of the BCS is to place the best football players in the nation in a single game in order to decide the national champion," said BCS chairman Mike Coleman. "This year, our computer took hours to process the polls' relevant data?by which I mean the opinions of the nation's finest sportscasters, sports-radio hosts, coaches, color commentators, and ESPN The Magazine contributors?and determined that no championship game is necessary. No team in America deserves to even step on the same field as Ohio State, let alone actually play in a game against them."
"It's good to know that, after the Harris and the USA Today polls carefully and painstakingly take care of the fallible, emotional, potentially biased human element of the ranking through old-fashioned voting, the BCS then takes that human element and subjects it to its own infallible rigid mathematical formulas," Coleman continued. "It's a confidence-inspiring system that has never failed us before."
"Although I'll be the first to admit that previous years have usually featured some sort of game," Coleman added.
According to Coleman, the University of Florida's lackluster running game and one-loss season, USC's "abominable" offense and two losses, and Michigan having already lost to Ohio State 42-39 seemed to be the determining factors in the BCS's decision. Coleman also said that Ohio State clearly being the most popular and exciting team in college football didn't hurt. However, Coleman insisted on adamantly stating for the record that the BCS is not a popularity contest.
"I think this year more than any other year proves that the BCS is working," ESPN College GameDay anchor Lee Corso said during a live broadcast from Ohio State's campus. "The system does an excellent job taking into consideration things that poll voters don't even think about: strength of schedule, whether or not the team won their conference, total distance the teams' fans are willing to travel for bowl games, average amount spent on souvenirs by alumni, and grade point average. After all those things, it's Ohio State, baby. And only Ohio State."
Corso then put on the costume head of Ohio State mascot Brutus Buckeye and was met with cheers from thousands of students.
"My guys were disappointed at first, but they eventually understood," said Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. "We had our chance against Ohio State and we blew it, and I guess a rematch would be boring. But can you blame us for thinking we had a chance? Sure, Troy Smith is easily the best player ever, and that defense, well, quite frankly, I'd be afraid for our guys' safety if we had to go up against that defense again, but our fans are rabidly single-minded and a lot of them have poll votes."
"I wish Bo Schembechler had lived to see this," Carr added. "He had a vote in the poll, you know."
Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer agreed with Carr, saying that even if his team had been offered a chance to play Ohio State, he may not have taken it.
"We don't deserve to play Ohio State. Period," Meyer said, adding that though Florida had a tough schedule, being the SEC champion was not the same thing as being Ohio State. "Every coach that I know voted for Ohio State in the coaches' poll, or at least had them second after their own team. In any case, I can certainly see why no one who votes in the BCS wants the national championship to be decided by a mere football game."
All coaches interviewed supported Meyer's claim, with the notable exception of Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis, who said that despite his team's two losses, weak schedule, and unremarkable defense, he still felt in his heart that Notre Dame deserved a chance at the title?a feeling that, according to a BCS official who wished to remain anonymous, was not completely overruled.
"First of all, I should note that although Notre Dame is an independent, and a highly regarded independent at that, it does not have its own special set of rules as far as determining its football team's rankings," the official said. "Instead, we use a special set of mathematical algorithms to determine its football team's rankings, which the BCS specifically determines only after ranking all the other teams. And though I shouldn't say this, we?er, the computer?would have dearly loved to have seen Notre Dame in the championship."
The Fox network has announced that in place of the game on January 8, it will broadcast four hours of Buckeye players working out in preparation for the 2007 NFL draft.
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:shake:

Good stuff. That article is almost as funny as it was two pages ago in this thread when it was posted yesterday, but funnier than when Peach started a new thread for it in Open Discussion. :tongue2:
 
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Posted elsewhere, but worth the read:

Link

Meyer never has forgotten his Ohio ties


By RUSTY MILLER
AP Sports Writer


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Born, raised and educated in Ohio, Urban Meyer now finds himself trying to destroy the championship dreams of the team he rooted for as a kid.

When Florida's second-year coach leads the Gators into the national championship game against top-ranked Ohio State on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz., his past will collide with his present.

``You walk into my home now and there's a picture of Woody Hayes. There is - a big one, too,'' Meyer said. ``I don't want to tell you I genuflect in front of it, but darn close. That's the way I was raised.''

In 1986, Ohio State coach Earle Bruce hired Meyer as a graduate assistant. Something about the enthusiastic and intelligent kid caught his eye.

``He was a very knowledgeable football guy and very conscientious about what he did and how he did it,'' Bruce said. ``I found out he was one hell of a football coach.''

Meyer arrived in Columbus having been steeped in Ohio State's traditions, memorable games and legendary performances. He spent two years as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, and picked up a master's degree.

``I love Ohio State,'' Meyer said.

Meyer's intensity stood out at an early age while playing football and baseball at St. John High School in Ashtabula, a town that sits along Lake Erie in the northeast corner of the state.

The son of a chemical engineer, school came first in the family, followed closely by sports.

``He was always very focused,'' said Don Cannell, the school's former principal. ``I'm not surprised he's carried that over to coaching.''

On one occasion, Meyer's intensity got the best of him.

``He is the only player I've ever had that was thrown out of a game arguing a strike-two call,'' said Bill Schmidt, Meyer's old baseball coach. ``It's kind of funny to think about now.''

Meyer was a captain of the football team, but baseball was his best sport. Scouts followed his every move during his senior year, and he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round.

He struggled in the minors before going off to the University of Cincinnati, where he walked on to the football team in 1984. He saw limited action, totaling one tackle and two assists on special teams while holding for kicks.

After Bruce abruptly was fired by Ohio State in 1987, he became the head coach at Colorado State in 1990. He never forgot about the bright young assistant and hired him as receivers coach. Meyer had spent two years coaching at Illinois State, waiting for the call.

``He could have been anything. He was a great recruiter, he knew the game of football, he taught the game on the field, he was knowledgeable about how to call plays,'' said Bruce, now retired from coaching and a football analyst for a Columbus radio station.

After five years with Bruce at Colorado State, Meyer moved over to Notre Dame, where he coached wide receivers from 1996-2000. Bowling Green had an opening for a head coach in 2001 and alumni were asking around for quality candidates.

``I said, 'There's only one. Go get him. He's at Notre Dame,''' Bruce said. ``And they went and got him.''

Meyer took over Bowling Green in 2001 after seven straight losing seasons, and told his new players that their first priority was going to class. They didn't get the message and what followed was ``the death run,'' said Ryan Wingrove, a defensive lineman on Meyer's first team.

Meyer had the entire team running sprints and doing push-ups and sit-ups before dawn.

``He was telling us what he thought of us the whole time,'' Wingrove said with a laugh. ``What he said was true and it worked out.''

Before the first game, a dozen players left the team. The Falcons finished 8-3 and Meyer was named the Mid-American Conference's coach of the year.

The following season, Bowling Green won nine games and broke into the Top 25. ``He had an immense impact, and he was there for only two years,'' Wingrove said.

Meyer changed the culture surrounding Bowling Green's football program. He visited campus dormitories to encourage students to attend games, and challenged boosters to get more involved.

``I've never met a guy who paid more attention to every small detail,'' said Tim Dunn, a member of Bowling Green's booster group. ``He made things happen.''

After Bowling Green came another successful two years at Utah, during which his teams went 22-2 - including a perfect 12-0 mark in 2004 and a No. 4 ranking in the final poll. Then he had the choice of two jobs - Notre Dame or Florida. After much deliberation, he took the latter.

Two years later, with 21 wins in 25 games, he's got the Gators in the national championship game - against a team from his past.

``Ohio's a great place, man,'' Meyer said. ``It's all about the Buckeyes.''

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Associated Press Writer John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Fla., contributed to this report.
 
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Whats so frustrating to me is that Ohio State still has 31 days to wait to play for the National Championship. To me the N/C game was already played on November 18th. The rest is just Icing on the cake after that. How the NCAA can have controls and rule how to have a Playoff system for the 1-AA division and have no power of say into what system to put down for the 1-A division is somewhat phoney to me. Or is it because the BCS still have the reigns until 2008. The 4 bowls of the Cotton - Orange - Rose - Sugar and Orange are sitting here for 31 days empty with no system in place to utilize them in some manner before the holidays are upon us ? I realize learning institutions have schedules for student exams to be met before going off for the holiday breaks but someone with brains in the NCAA could surely come up with a solution here don't you think? Or are the college presidents afraid of losing all that revenue. Go figure.
 
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kippy1040;683064; said:
Or are the college presidents afraid of losing all that revenue. Go figure.
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There it is.
If your team is ahead in the standings and there is a playoff and your team lost you would be mad about all the money you just lost right?
 
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johnthelonghorn;683318; said:
Just stopped by to wish you all good luck in the NC game vs. the Gators. I'll be pulling for you guys on January 8!
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Thanks.

Although I normally try rooting for the Big Ten in Bowl Games, its going to be fun watching Tate whine/bitch/throw a tantrum(spelling?) against the Horns defense.

Funny looking back at all the pre-season magainzes that had Drew Tate ahead of Troy Smith. :biggrin:
 
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As a Gator living in Columbus I like to think I have a decent perspective on both teams, having seen 10 Gator games and 8 Buckeye games this season. This has always been my 'dream' matchup by the way.

Gator Offense
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The premise of our offense is to get the ball in the playmakers hands as much as possible. We do this with reverses, end arounds, quick options, direct snaps and a short passing game, spreading the field as much as possible to let the individual talent take over. Harvin is the most explosive but Caldwell is also used in the short routes, bubble screens. Dallas Baker is used on skinny posts where he can use his height and jumping skill to come down with the ball. Ingram is either a really big WR or a very fast TE and we featured him as our top possession guy against Arkansas. If Wynn is healthy at RB, he will provide some power but this guy would've been better in an I formation offense. He is not a quick cutting guy. Latsko is our FB and a great lead blocker. If the run is successful it probably involved a Latsko block. Leak throws what I call a pretty pass, where he flicks it instead of throwing it at times. While this looks nice and is often on target, it takes longer to get to the WR and usually hangs them out to dry. He can put zip on the ball but I think his lack of height in the pocket makes him throw in this style at times. Leak has been very average in the big games although I have to add that he has directed some big drives in the 2nd half of close games this year. Tebow has his own package of plays, often used in the red zone and has been effective running and throwing. Our OC Dan Mullen is in his 2nd season and still struggles with play calling. He either goes to the well too often with the same play or he doesn't use the plays to set up other plays. He also is slow getting plays to Leak so Leak has little time to read the defense setup and audible. Leak struggles under heavy pass rushes so they look to roll the pocket from time to time. When he has time, he is very accurate.

We commit far too many penalties, some of which are baffling considering what a disciplinarian Meyer is on that stuff. We do a decent job of not fumbling although Leak has been good for at least one pick against good teams.

All season long we have been able to get the ball to our playmakers enough to put some points on the board but not many of them are long time consuming drives. We also have struggled in the red zone which has been a problem since our kicker has lost his mind. We will get big chunks of yardage or stop ourselves with penalties and dumb play calling. Meyer has done a good job tweaking the offense and with this much time off he will have some new wrinkles that nobody has seen yet. We usually have good first halves and hold on in the 2nd half.

Gator Defense
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We are very fast and nasty on defense. WE lost our best run stuffer in Marcus Thomas and DT Ray McDonald hyperextended his arm but we have had pretty good depth and productivity from the line all season. Moss will play on Sundays and DE Derrick Harvey has shown flashes that made him the high school player of the year. We have not given up 100 yds to any one RB all season. Our LBs Siler and Everett are as good as anybody in the country which sounds like hyperbole but I think its valid. Our DB's were the question mark at the beginning of the season but S Reggie Nelson and CB Ryan Smith have made many big plays in big games this year. Our defense played a lot of bend don't break part of the year until the DC's got more aggressive with their blitz calls. We have been burned a few times but we also have produced more three and outs, at least it seems that way to me.

Gator Special Teams
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Place kicking =horrible, punting = above average, punt return, Brandon James has had several TD returns called back because of penalties but he is explosive. We have blocked 13 punts over the past 2 seasons which is pretty impressive and many saw Moss block those 2 FGs against the Gamecocks.

For the Gators to win
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The Bucks have been a bend but dont break defense all season. They give up yards easily at times but come up with a turnover or sack to halt drives. I think the Gators will have some plays where we rip large chunks of yards. If we can avoid the turnovers and we can keep Pitcock and the pass rushers from getting the sack, we will put some points up. Meyer will gamble a lot and most of these will have to pay off for the Gators to put up enough points. We will rely on our defense to keep the Bucks from running the ball and hopefully be in long down and distance situations all night. Troy will be tough to stop but he is not infallible. Maybe he will have a Heisman hangover. If we don't give up the big play, we can keep the score down in the 20's and have a shot for a victory.

When the Buckeyes have it going on offense like they did against Michigan, they look unstoppable. So the question is whether the Gators can keep them from executing flawlessly like they did and whether we can get our offense to score like Michigan's did against the Bucks. LSU was probably the best team we played and we made Jamarcus Russell look pretty bad. If our playmakers perform like they have all year, we have a shot. I also think that Meyer is excellent with this much time to prepare.

Comparisons
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I think our defense is a little faster than the Buckeyes although the Bucks a re a little more physical.
I think team speed is about the same on offense at the skill positions. Troy is better than Leak, surprise.
Pittman and Wells are slightly better than Wynn but Wynn would do really well in the Bucks offense.
Harvin is as good as Ginn although I know you guys won't buy that.
 
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