This Saturday begins the bowl season in college football. That right, the time of the college football year where it really does not matter what you did in the regular season, just as long as you get 6 wins (even when at least 4 can be against 1-AA (FCS) teams) and get a trip to Las Vegas, San Francisco, or Tampa. This year's bowl games will feature 9 teams who did that very thing, only winning 6 games. 18 teams won 7 games, 14 teams won 8 games, 11 teams won 9 games, and 15 out of the 68 bowl eligible teams won 10 or more games.
Headlining the bowl season, as always, is the controversial Bowl Championship Series, which was created to do two things: 1) Eliminate the chance of having a split National Champion and 2) Placing the best teams in best 5 bowl games (Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, Orange, BCS Title Game). The 2008 version of the BCS does neither of the two. The likelihood of a split champion this year still looms large, especially after the fact it has happened twice in the 10 years since the BCS came into existence (2003 and 2004). This year's title game features two 12-1 teams in Oklahoma and Florida. The Texas Longhorns, however, still sit at 12-1 as well and some feel as though they were slighted out of a National Title slot, since they defeated Oklahoma earlier this season. If either team, Oklahoma or Florida, only win by the slimmest of margins and Texas blows out Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, some AP and USA Today voters could vote and we have a split champion. The 2nd problem with the BCS has to do with the fact the best teams don't play in the 5 bowls. Two 12 win teams, Boise State and Ball State, got left out of the BCS and are heading to the Poinsettia and GMAC Bowls, respectively. One 11 win team, Texas Tech, has also been left out and is going to the Cotton Bowl. While a 10-2 Ohio State team and a 9-4 Virginia Tech team both got BCS selections.
Now onto the rest of the bowls. The main problem with this bowl system is all of the contracts that major conferences hold on the bigger of the non-BCS bowls. SEC currently holds contracts to the Cotton, Outback, Capital One (Citrus), and Chick-Fil-A (Peach) Bowl. In those games, respectively, Ole Miss (8-4), South Carolina (7-5), Georgia (9-3), and LSU (7-5). While Georgia belongs in the Capital One Bowl, more deserving teams like Boise State (12-0), TCU (10-2), and BYU (10-2) all should get a chance at showing what they're made of on a bigger stage. The problem is, that these teams play in much smaller conferences, and are looked down upon because of it. BYU and TCU both play in the Mountain West. Utah, another Mountain West team, earned a shot at the BCS Fiesta Bowl by going 12-0, while their counterparts are heading to Las Vegas and San Diego. Boise State plays in the WAC and will be joining TCU in San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl.
As for the games themselves, here is the list of the Headliners, Under the Radars, and Duds of this season:
Headliners:
Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego: Boise State (12-0) vs. TCU (10-2)
BCS Rose Bowl in Pasedena: Southern Cal (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1)
BCS National Title Game: Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1)
Under the Radars:
Meineke Bowl in Charlotte: North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4)
Holiday Bowl in San Diego: Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3)
Sun Bowl in El Paso: Pittsburgh (8-4) vs. Oregon State (8-4)
Capital One Bowl in Orlando: Michigan State (9-3) vs. Georgia (9-3)
GMAC Bowl in Mobile: Ball State (12-1) vs. Tulsa (10-3)
Duds:
St. Petersburg Bowl in Tampa: Memphis (6-6) vs. South Florida (7-5)
Hawaii Bowl in Honolulu: Notre Dame (6-6) vs. Hawaii (7-6)
Alamo Bowl in San Antonio: Northwestern (9-3) vs. Missouri (9-4)
International Bowl in Toronto: Buffalo (8-5) vs. Connecticut (7-5)
BCS Fiesta Bowl in Tempe: Ohio State (10-2) vs. Texas (11-1)
Travis's Bowl Picks:
Here are my selections for the Bowl Championship Series:
Orange Bowl in Miami: Cincinnati over Virginia Tech
Sugar Bowl in New Orleans: Alabama over Utah
Fiesta Bowl in Tempe: Texas over Ohio State
Rose Bowl in Pasedena: Southern Cal over Penn State
National Title Game in Miami: Oklahoma over Florida 31-30
In conclusion, this year's bowl games are very lackluster. The ones that stand out from the rest are few and stand out quite a bit. When so many teams only win 6 and 7 games are awarded with bowl games, it's almost a slap in the face to a team that has won 10 or more games that get awarded with the same honor. One of those 6 win teams, Notre Dame, has only beaten one other team who is bowl eligible (Navy (8-4)). If a playoff system is out of the question, let's reduce the number of game from 34 down to 20. Second, make a rule that a team must have at least 8 wins and 3 of those wins against teams with winning records in the FBS. If 40 teams do not reach that criteria, then reduce the number of bowl games for that year. This would make sure that only deserving teams are able to reap the rewards of a bowl win, and restore the prestige to not only going to a bowl, but winning a bowl game.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Grades on the UT Football team: 9/01/08 @ UCLA
Every week that UT plays this season (and possibly the Titans too) I will attempt to do my own grading on the UT football team and how I think they performed in that week.
Week 1:
Running backs: B-. Hardesty broke a couple of awesome TD runs and Foster busted off some good runs as well.
Quarterback: C. Inaccurate at times and didn't respond to pressure real well. Good job, though, running the "2-minute" offense at the end.
Offensive line: D. Probably the biggest disappointment of the game. For a line that only gave up 5 sacks all year long, they looked like scrubs out there versus the Bruhins.
Wide Recievers: C+. Dropped balls continually, but made a few good plays. Gerald Jones was the class of the recieving core and probably deserves a B+.
Defensive Line: B+. I thought they got to the QB well but didnt put him into the turf enough. They disrupted his passing motion, but it didn't seem to work much at the end.
Linebackers: C. Rico McCoy, Elix Wilson, and Adam Myers-White were almost non exsistent in this game. Backup Nevin McKensie made a good play off his interception for the TD.
Secondary: B-. A+ 1st half with 4 INTs, but didn't execute in the end which led to the game going into overtime. Very soft coverage on the final UCLA drive.
Special Teams: D. While blame should not be put on Lincoln for the loss, 1 for 4 on field goals are not a good stat. The punt block for a TD was a wild mess and shouldn't have happend. The bright spot again was Gerald Jones with a few good punt and kick off returns for good yardage.
Coaching Staff: C-. Players have to execute, but play calling was a head scratcher at times. Tennessee is at their best when the run the ball. Not when they pass 41 times in a game. Foster and Hardesty were producing on the ground, but weren't given the ball more than they should have. Finally, the odd punt formation that led to a block for a TD was very confusing.
Overall Grade: D+. Should have never lost this game. Poor execution and iffy play calling led to this victory for the Bruhins. UT is a better football team, but they failed to show it on either side of the ball for 4 quarters...and 1 OT.
Players of the Game: Offense: Montario Hardesty: 12 carries 66 yards 2 TDs
Defense: Nevin McKenzie: INT returned for a TD
Special Teams: Gerald Jones: 3 K/P ret.109 yards
Week 1:
Running backs: B-. Hardesty broke a couple of awesome TD runs and Foster busted off some good runs as well.
Quarterback: C. Inaccurate at times and didn't respond to pressure real well. Good job, though, running the "2-minute" offense at the end.
Offensive line: D. Probably the biggest disappointment of the game. For a line that only gave up 5 sacks all year long, they looked like scrubs out there versus the Bruhins.
Wide Recievers: C+. Dropped balls continually, but made a few good plays. Gerald Jones was the class of the recieving core and probably deserves a B+.
Defensive Line: B+. I thought they got to the QB well but didnt put him into the turf enough. They disrupted his passing motion, but it didn't seem to work much at the end.
Linebackers: C. Rico McCoy, Elix Wilson, and Adam Myers-White were almost non exsistent in this game. Backup Nevin McKensie made a good play off his interception for the TD.
Secondary: B-. A+ 1st half with 4 INTs, but didn't execute in the end which led to the game going into overtime. Very soft coverage on the final UCLA drive.
Special Teams: D. While blame should not be put on Lincoln for the loss, 1 for 4 on field goals are not a good stat. The punt block for a TD was a wild mess and shouldn't have happend. The bright spot again was Gerald Jones with a few good punt and kick off returns for good yardage.
Coaching Staff: C-. Players have to execute, but play calling was a head scratcher at times. Tennessee is at their best when the run the ball. Not when they pass 41 times in a game. Foster and Hardesty were producing on the ground, but weren't given the ball more than they should have. Finally, the odd punt formation that led to a block for a TD was very confusing.
Overall Grade: D+. Should have never lost this game. Poor execution and iffy play calling led to this victory for the Bruhins. UT is a better football team, but they failed to show it on either side of the ball for 4 quarters...and 1 OT.
Players of the Game: Offense: Montario Hardesty: 12 carries 66 yards 2 TDs
Defense: Nevin McKenzie: INT returned for a TD
Special Teams: Gerald Jones: 3 K/P ret.109 yards
Sunday, March 2, 2008
NASCAR: Fastly becoming America's New Pastime
Just imagine....a warm spring day. The whole place is full of fans wanting to see their favorite athletes, and how they will fare today. The beers are flowing and the hot dogs go on the grill about as fast as they come off. Seems like a perfect day at a sporting event. That is until that 15 car pileup in turn 3 happens. What? Were you expecting baseball and not NASCAR?
Sure, about ten or twenty years ago, those thoughts would have been used for "America's favorite pastime". But those thoughts are quickly going up in a cloud of dust. More and more, people are tuning away from the Yankees vs. Red Sox, and tuning in to see if Tony Stewart is going to wreck Kurt Busch. Baseball used to be recognized by the last names of players instead of the the sport itself. Not too long ago, people could say Ruth, Mantle, Ryan and Ripken, and they would know what you were talking about. In fact, NASCAR wasn't even relevant at the time. Aside from guys like Jeter and Rodriguez, baseball is straining to have those big names that pop out to the average sports fan that may not follow baseball as contently. Instead, the Major League Baseball is recognized by Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Jose Canseco for their alleged steroid use. Bonds and Clemens have yet to be found guilty, but we all know that the court of public opinion outweighs the court of law.
On the other hand, there is NASCAR. Being more and more recognized through correct publicity for their athletes like Gordon, Stewart and the ever present Earnhardt, Jr. NASCAR doesn't have to worry about steroid use. Other than Michael Waltrip using jet fuel at the 2007 Daytona 500, NASCAR is virtually clean. More and more fans are getting tired of seeing mediocre pitchers getting paid millions and millions of dollars. Instead, they like the idea that NASCAR drivers don't get paid by lengthy contracts, but rather their performance on the track. Yes, they get big contracts from sponsors, but guys like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, as well as most other drivers, got those big contracts by starting out as the low man on the totem pole and working their way up. Even though millions of dollars is rewarded to these drivers, NASCAR is one of the only truly "blue-collar" sports of the major ones. Golf being the other exception.
Baseball still has its rivalries to fall back on for ratings boosts. People still tune in to watch the Yankees/Red Sox, Dodgers/Giants, Braves/Mets, and Cubs/White Sox. But more and more, people get tired of seeing four or five teams dominate a season, then some no name team win the World Series. NASCAR does have racing stables that are very dominant. No one will deny that Hendrick Motorsports (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Casey Mears) and Roush-Fenway Racing (Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and David Regan) are usually up at the front most races. But when it is one lap to go, it doesn't matter if Johnson's car is half-owned by Gordon, if he has to move him out of the way to win, he will. Rivalries are also a big part of NASCAR. Ford vs. Chevrolet used to be the biggest until all the bodies were made the same. Roush-Fenway Racing vs. Hendrick Motorsports. Toyota vs. Everyone else. Kurt Busch vs. Tony Stewart.
More fans are also being turned onto NASCAR based off of its fan base. How many times do you see a Red Sox fan share a beer with a Yankee fan two hours before the opening pitch? Rarely ever. NASCAR fans are one big community. Gordon fans will prop their number 24 flags up and have them wave beside the Earnhardt 3 and 8 flags, then share a beer and grill up some food. For 500 miles, chances are you would love nothing more than to punch that lone Robby Gordon fan in the head for not having a real driver, but then again everyone hates everyone for those 500 laps. But its the sense of almost a family before and after every race. They share their alcohol and their hangovers together.
The proof isn't necessarily in the pudding, but rather in the TV ratings. The Daytona 500 keeps gaining and gaining viewers every year, whereas viewers of the World Series keep declining. Keep in mind, that Daytona is one race, and the World Series is up to seven games. For the 500 to even compete with an average of seven games on the biggest stage in baseball, it is remarkable to see. The All-star events have changed too. Baseball saw a ten percent decreased from this All-Star Game in 2007 from 2006. Whereas the NASCAR All-Star race, which is basically a 30 car dash for about one million dollars, saw its best ratings. Obviously more people enjoy seeing drivers wreck other drivers to get that cool million, rather than Barry Bonds whiff at three fastballs from Roger Clemens.
Baseball will never go out of style. There are too many little leagues and softball leagues for that to happen. There aren't new as many tracks from five and six year olds, as there are tee ball fields. But in terms of mainstream popularity on the major league level, baseball could fall into the same breath as the NBA, soccer and tennis. The game has been tampered with and tainted too much with the allegation of steriod use on its most influential players. Five years from now, numbers 8, 20, 24 and 48 won't be recognized by the guys taking 95 mile per hour fastballs, but rather by the guys driving the 195 mile per hour race cars.
Sure, about ten or twenty years ago, those thoughts would have been used for "America's favorite pastime". But those thoughts are quickly going up in a cloud of dust. More and more, people are tuning away from the Yankees vs. Red Sox, and tuning in to see if Tony Stewart is going to wreck Kurt Busch. Baseball used to be recognized by the last names of players instead of the the sport itself. Not too long ago, people could say Ruth, Mantle, Ryan and Ripken, and they would know what you were talking about. In fact, NASCAR wasn't even relevant at the time. Aside from guys like Jeter and Rodriguez, baseball is straining to have those big names that pop out to the average sports fan that may not follow baseball as contently. Instead, the Major League Baseball is recognized by Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Jose Canseco for their alleged steroid use. Bonds and Clemens have yet to be found guilty, but we all know that the court of public opinion outweighs the court of law.
On the other hand, there is NASCAR. Being more and more recognized through correct publicity for their athletes like Gordon, Stewart and the ever present Earnhardt, Jr. NASCAR doesn't have to worry about steroid use. Other than Michael Waltrip using jet fuel at the 2007 Daytona 500, NASCAR is virtually clean. More and more fans are getting tired of seeing mediocre pitchers getting paid millions and millions of dollars. Instead, they like the idea that NASCAR drivers don't get paid by lengthy contracts, but rather their performance on the track. Yes, they get big contracts from sponsors, but guys like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, as well as most other drivers, got those big contracts by starting out as the low man on the totem pole and working their way up. Even though millions of dollars is rewarded to these drivers, NASCAR is one of the only truly "blue-collar" sports of the major ones. Golf being the other exception.
Baseball still has its rivalries to fall back on for ratings boosts. People still tune in to watch the Yankees/Red Sox, Dodgers/Giants, Braves/Mets, and Cubs/White Sox. But more and more, people get tired of seeing four or five teams dominate a season, then some no name team win the World Series. NASCAR does have racing stables that are very dominant. No one will deny that Hendrick Motorsports (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Casey Mears) and Roush-Fenway Racing (Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle and David Regan) are usually up at the front most races. But when it is one lap to go, it doesn't matter if Johnson's car is half-owned by Gordon, if he has to move him out of the way to win, he will. Rivalries are also a big part of NASCAR. Ford vs. Chevrolet used to be the biggest until all the bodies were made the same. Roush-Fenway Racing vs. Hendrick Motorsports. Toyota vs. Everyone else. Kurt Busch vs. Tony Stewart.
More fans are also being turned onto NASCAR based off of its fan base. How many times do you see a Red Sox fan share a beer with a Yankee fan two hours before the opening pitch? Rarely ever. NASCAR fans are one big community. Gordon fans will prop their number 24 flags up and have them wave beside the Earnhardt 3 and 8 flags, then share a beer and grill up some food. For 500 miles, chances are you would love nothing more than to punch that lone Robby Gordon fan in the head for not having a real driver, but then again everyone hates everyone for those 500 laps. But its the sense of almost a family before and after every race. They share their alcohol and their hangovers together.
The proof isn't necessarily in the pudding, but rather in the TV ratings. The Daytona 500 keeps gaining and gaining viewers every year, whereas viewers of the World Series keep declining. Keep in mind, that Daytona is one race, and the World Series is up to seven games. For the 500 to even compete with an average of seven games on the biggest stage in baseball, it is remarkable to see. The All-star events have changed too. Baseball saw a ten percent decreased from this All-Star Game in 2007 from 2006. Whereas the NASCAR All-Star race, which is basically a 30 car dash for about one million dollars, saw its best ratings. Obviously more people enjoy seeing drivers wreck other drivers to get that cool million, rather than Barry Bonds whiff at three fastballs from Roger Clemens.
Baseball will never go out of style. There are too many little leagues and softball leagues for that to happen. There aren't new as many tracks from five and six year olds, as there are tee ball fields. But in terms of mainstream popularity on the major league level, baseball could fall into the same breath as the NBA, soccer and tennis. The game has been tampered with and tainted too much with the allegation of steriod use on its most influential players. Five years from now, numbers 8, 20, 24 and 48 won't be recognized by the guys taking 95 mile per hour fastballs, but rather by the guys driving the 195 mile per hour race cars.
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