I know today was supposed to be about strength of schedules. But something came up, so I will be back on Monday.
Dave
Friday, January 10, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Oh, how hath the mighty fallen!!!
ALABAMA, A DYNASTY? DON'T THINK SO
During the broadcasts of the bowl games on ESPN, I kept hearing an ad about how some people thought that Alabama was still the best team in the country. I thought "hasn't that already been decided when Auburn beat Alabama. They are not the best team in the country." It seems that since the SEC is considered the best college football conference in the country that Auburn, who played in the BCS National title game, was NOT the better of the two teams. Or maybe it's just early taunting of Auburn for the next contest in November.
Or maybe it's because Nick Saban is the coach and he is known for developing top talent into what has been referred to as a "dynasty" at Alabama. Winning three titles in four years could be evidence that a dynasty may be looming there in Tuscaloosca. But in order to build a dynasty, a team must possess ALL the necessary skills and characteristics. Obvious among these are the physical and mental preparation needed to win on a consistent, convincing basis. One of the intangibles in this mental preparation is being able to let go of a disappointing loss at the end of the regular season to win their bowl game.
The 2008 Crimson Tide pretty much rolled over their competition in the regular season. They came close to losing to LSU, but won in overtime 27-21. They went to the SEC championship game undefeated to play the Florida Gators team with just one loss. Alabama was up 20-17 going into the fourth quarter. The Florida defense literally snuffed out Alabama in that quarter, holding them to only 6 yards total offense, while scoring two TD's on drives of 65 and 67 yards to win 31-20. A big disappointment for them to be sure.
While Florida went on to play Oklahoma for the national title, Alabama went to what they considered to be a "lesser bowl", the Sugar Bowl, even though this bowl was a part of the BCS Bowl Championship Series. They had played in it 13 times previously, winning 8.
They were put up against a Utah team that had gone undefeated in the Mountain West conference, but was not considered one of the two best teams to play for the national title based on strength of schedule. It was a perfect setup for Alabama to end on a winning note. It was in the South practically in their backyard. They were being favored by 10 points; they had played in this bowl many times before. With Utah coming east to play them, they were a shoo-in to win. Right?
Well, something happened to Alabama between December 6, 2008 and January 2, 2009. Utah scored 21 unanswered points in the first quarter of the game, holding Alabama to just 33 yards. Aside from a 73-yard punt return for a TD in the second quarter, they only had 126 yards of total offense by halftime, trailing 21-10.
Great teams always come back from deficits. Alabama was no different. While the Crimson Tide kicked off opening the 2nd half, fortune seemed to be with them. On Utah's first play from scrimmage, their quarterback Brian Johnson fumbled and Alabama recovered on the Utah 35 yard line. Seven plays later they hit paydirt with a Wilson-to-Coffee TD pass making it 21-17. Alabama seemingly had seized the momentum here and the Alabama faithful became almost certain that with that momentum, the Tide would certainly start to roll.
How would Utah react?
The kickoff took the Utes to their own 29. Brian Johnson completed four passes in that drive culminating with a 28-yard TD pass. Utah told Alabama that even though they were playing as a road team and came from the Mountain West Conference, they were not afraid of the "big and bad" Tide from the power SEC. In fact, Alabama had only 6 toal yards in the fourth quarter, going 3-and-out twice with a lost fumble, losing 31-17.
I could go on with more stats, but the results are sufficient. Needless to say, Utah did not just beat Alabama, they embarrassed them in front of what, for all intents and purposes, was their home crowd. For a team averging 184 yards on the ground, and producing only 31 rushing yards on 33 attempts, they were not prepared mentally for a Utah team that had something to prove.
I will not recount the events of 2014 Sugar Bowl. They are available online. The only stat that stands out is Alabama's 5 turnovers. Alabama had 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter to get a tying score. First play from scrimmage, they fumble. Oklahoma picked it up and ran into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown. As it turned out, all of Alabama's turnovers led to touchdowns for the Sooners.
Many times during the Alabama-Oklahoma Sugar Bowl, the radio announcers stated that Alabama was not playing their best because of their loss to Auburn and a national title berth. Great teams given the label "dynasty" do not let one loss, as disappointing as it is, affect them to the point of letting another team come into their neighborhood and push them around the way Utah and Oklahoma did. The greatness of any team is reflected in the pride they take out of playing great football, and respecting their fans' support throughout the years. In these two games, the Crimson Tide did neither and, therefore, do not deserve the label of "dynasty".
Friday: The myth of "strength of schedule".
During the broadcasts of the bowl games on ESPN, I kept hearing an ad about how some people thought that Alabama was still the best team in the country. I thought "hasn't that already been decided when Auburn beat Alabama. They are not the best team in the country." It seems that since the SEC is considered the best college football conference in the country that Auburn, who played in the BCS National title game, was NOT the better of the two teams. Or maybe it's just early taunting of Auburn for the next contest in November.
Or maybe it's because Nick Saban is the coach and he is known for developing top talent into what has been referred to as a "dynasty" at Alabama. Winning three titles in four years could be evidence that a dynasty may be looming there in Tuscaloosca. But in order to build a dynasty, a team must possess ALL the necessary skills and characteristics. Obvious among these are the physical and mental preparation needed to win on a consistent, convincing basis. One of the intangibles in this mental preparation is being able to let go of a disappointing loss at the end of the regular season to win their bowl game.
The 2008 Crimson Tide pretty much rolled over their competition in the regular season. They came close to losing to LSU, but won in overtime 27-21. They went to the SEC championship game undefeated to play the Florida Gators team with just one loss. Alabama was up 20-17 going into the fourth quarter. The Florida defense literally snuffed out Alabama in that quarter, holding them to only 6 yards total offense, while scoring two TD's on drives of 65 and 67 yards to win 31-20. A big disappointment for them to be sure.
While Florida went on to play Oklahoma for the national title, Alabama went to what they considered to be a "lesser bowl", the Sugar Bowl, even though this bowl was a part of the BCS Bowl Championship Series. They had played in it 13 times previously, winning 8.
They were put up against a Utah team that had gone undefeated in the Mountain West conference, but was not considered one of the two best teams to play for the national title based on strength of schedule. It was a perfect setup for Alabama to end on a winning note. It was in the South practically in their backyard. They were being favored by 10 points; they had played in this bowl many times before. With Utah coming east to play them, they were a shoo-in to win. Right?
Well, something happened to Alabama between December 6, 2008 and January 2, 2009. Utah scored 21 unanswered points in the first quarter of the game, holding Alabama to just 33 yards. Aside from a 73-yard punt return for a TD in the second quarter, they only had 126 yards of total offense by halftime, trailing 21-10.
Great teams always come back from deficits. Alabama was no different. While the Crimson Tide kicked off opening the 2nd half, fortune seemed to be with them. On Utah's first play from scrimmage, their quarterback Brian Johnson fumbled and Alabama recovered on the Utah 35 yard line. Seven plays later they hit paydirt with a Wilson-to-Coffee TD pass making it 21-17. Alabama seemingly had seized the momentum here and the Alabama faithful became almost certain that with that momentum, the Tide would certainly start to roll.
How would Utah react?
The kickoff took the Utes to their own 29. Brian Johnson completed four passes in that drive culminating with a 28-yard TD pass. Utah told Alabama that even though they were playing as a road team and came from the Mountain West Conference, they were not afraid of the "big and bad" Tide from the power SEC. In fact, Alabama had only 6 toal yards in the fourth quarter, going 3-and-out twice with a lost fumble, losing 31-17.
I could go on with more stats, but the results are sufficient. Needless to say, Utah did not just beat Alabama, they embarrassed them in front of what, for all intents and purposes, was their home crowd. For a team averging 184 yards on the ground, and producing only 31 rushing yards on 33 attempts, they were not prepared mentally for a Utah team that had something to prove.
I will not recount the events of 2014 Sugar Bowl. They are available online. The only stat that stands out is Alabama's 5 turnovers. Alabama had 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter to get a tying score. First play from scrimmage, they fumble. Oklahoma picked it up and ran into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown. As it turned out, all of Alabama's turnovers led to touchdowns for the Sooners.
Many times during the Alabama-Oklahoma Sugar Bowl, the radio announcers stated that Alabama was not playing their best because of their loss to Auburn and a national title berth. Great teams given the label "dynasty" do not let one loss, as disappointing as it is, affect them to the point of letting another team come into their neighborhood and push them around the way Utah and Oklahoma did. The greatness of any team is reflected in the pride they take out of playing great football, and respecting their fans' support throughout the years. In these two games, the Crimson Tide did neither and, therefore, do not deserve the label of "dynasty".
Friday: The myth of "strength of schedule".
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yea, I know it's January 7th. I am turning over a "new leaf", as they say. I stopped writing for awhile because I had more important things to work on. Now, many of those things are out of the way and I am back.
BOWL SEASON CONCLUDED
Yes, dear wives of bowl game junkies. All 35 games are done.
Florida State won on the last drive of the game, 7 plays, 80 yards beating the mighty SEC champion, Auburn 34-31. With 5:01 left on the clock in the 2nd quarter, Auburn led FSU 21-3. FSU went on a 66-yard, 11 play drive converting a 4th down on their own 40 yard line and a big 21 yard 3rd down run by Heisman Trophy Winner Jameis Winston giving them first-and-goal on the Auburn 3. Devonta Freeman, on the next play ran in for the TD.
Everyone giving Auburn a chance to win said, "Florida State hasn't really played anybody" implying the ACC was not equal to the SEC. The 2013-14 bowl season featured 10 teams from the SEC, 11 from the ACC. Of the three teams they played that won bowl games from the ACC (Clemson, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse), FSU outscored them 151-30, two of those games being on the road. Of all their 7 victories over all ACC teams that went to bowl games, including Duke in the Championship game, they outscored them 348-112. On average, that is 38.6-12.4, a difference of 26.2 Against all opponents, an average of over 50 points a game, 2nd in the country.
Only once did FSU allow a team to score more than 17 points in a game. That was the 34 they gave up to Boston College. After the 17-point game with North Carolina State, the most points they allowed in a regular season game was 14 points twice. This was not just their offense that Auburn needed to be concerned about. Their defense was top notch as well, ending up first in scoring defense.
Auburn, on the other hand, painted a different picture coming into the championship game. Their defense was nowhere near FSU's. If one looks at just the teams in their division of the SEC, they allowed 35 points against LSU (their only defeat), 41 against Texas A&M, and 38 against Alabama. They just outscored A&M and Alabama. Georgia scored 38 against them; Missouri 42. Their average points against all SEC teams was 29.6. Offensively, they beat up SEC opponents, averaging 38.4 pp/game, a difference of +8.8. While both offenses may have been equal statistic-wise, there was a big difference in the defenses.
Maybe it took a 21-10 first half to wake up FSU, at least defensively. They allowed Auburn only 35 yards in the 3rd quarter. FSU could only get 91 yards and a field goal.
It was the 4th quarter that was the most exciting. It was when both teams amassed almost 400 yards of offense and 31 points. That includes the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by . It came down to a 1:19 on the clock with Auburn up 31-27. Jameis Winston and FSU had to get 80 yards. And they did with Winston completing 7 passes for 77 yards and FSU overcoming 2 penalties in the drive.
Normally, with all the hype the SEC gets, one might say that Auburn was in a comfortable position. Afterall, the SEC had won the last 7 National Championship games. They have been touted as the most powerful conference in college football. And though Auburn led in total yards, rushing yard, first downs, 3rd down efficiency, and time of possession, (four key stats that would normally indicate dominance), they were not ahead when the final ticks of the clock ran out at the Rose Bowl.
TOMORROW: Oh, how the mighty has fallen!!!
Yea, I know it's January 7th. I am turning over a "new leaf", as they say. I stopped writing for awhile because I had more important things to work on. Now, many of those things are out of the way and I am back.
BOWL SEASON CONCLUDED
Yes, dear wives of bowl game junkies. All 35 games are done.
Florida State won on the last drive of the game, 7 plays, 80 yards beating the mighty SEC champion, Auburn 34-31. With 5:01 left on the clock in the 2nd quarter, Auburn led FSU 21-3. FSU went on a 66-yard, 11 play drive converting a 4th down on their own 40 yard line and a big 21 yard 3rd down run by Heisman Trophy Winner Jameis Winston giving them first-and-goal on the Auburn 3. Devonta Freeman, on the next play ran in for the TD.
Everyone giving Auburn a chance to win said, "Florida State hasn't really played anybody" implying the ACC was not equal to the SEC. The 2013-14 bowl season featured 10 teams from the SEC, 11 from the ACC. Of the three teams they played that won bowl games from the ACC (Clemson, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse), FSU outscored them 151-30, two of those games being on the road. Of all their 7 victories over all ACC teams that went to bowl games, including Duke in the Championship game, they outscored them 348-112. On average, that is 38.6-12.4, a difference of 26.2 Against all opponents, an average of over 50 points a game, 2nd in the country.
Only once did FSU allow a team to score more than 17 points in a game. That was the 34 they gave up to Boston College. After the 17-point game with North Carolina State, the most points they allowed in a regular season game was 14 points twice. This was not just their offense that Auburn needed to be concerned about. Their defense was top notch as well, ending up first in scoring defense.
Auburn, on the other hand, painted a different picture coming into the championship game. Their defense was nowhere near FSU's. If one looks at just the teams in their division of the SEC, they allowed 35 points against LSU (their only defeat), 41 against Texas A&M, and 38 against Alabama. They just outscored A&M and Alabama. Georgia scored 38 against them; Missouri 42. Their average points against all SEC teams was 29.6. Offensively, they beat up SEC opponents, averaging 38.4 pp/game, a difference of +8.8. While both offenses may have been equal statistic-wise, there was a big difference in the defenses.
Maybe it took a 21-10 first half to wake up FSU, at least defensively. They allowed Auburn only 35 yards in the 3rd quarter. FSU could only get 91 yards and a field goal.
It was the 4th quarter that was the most exciting. It was when both teams amassed almost 400 yards of offense and 31 points. That includes the 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by . It came down to a 1:19 on the clock with Auburn up 31-27. Jameis Winston and FSU had to get 80 yards. And they did with Winston completing 7 passes for 77 yards and FSU overcoming 2 penalties in the drive.
Normally, with all the hype the SEC gets, one might say that Auburn was in a comfortable position. Afterall, the SEC had won the last 7 National Championship games. They have been touted as the most powerful conference in college football. And though Auburn led in total yards, rushing yard, first downs, 3rd down efficiency, and time of possession, (four key stats that would normally indicate dominance), they were not ahead when the final ticks of the clock ran out at the Rose Bowl.
TOMORROW: Oh, how the mighty has fallen!!!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
WHO WANTS A RING?
I am not getting very many hits with this. That's only because I haven't written anything yet. So I am starting today with just a couple of things of interest.
ANALYSTS?
Before the start of the Western and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA began, most analysts were calling for a San Antonio Spurs-Miami Heat Finals series. Just goes to show that the analysts do not know much about the competitive spirit in sports. Both the Spurs and Heat are down 3-2 in both of the best of seven series with both of them going to their opponents' home court.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have outplayed the Spurs in their series. Everyone was picking San Antonio because they swept both of their series and, going back to the regular season had won 20 games in a row. During the regular season they had a 22-11 record on the road. They were looking very good.
Now they are on the verge of elimination. They lost both games in Oklahoma City and a third game at home two nights ago. It is a must-win situation for them.
Boston has just outplayed Miami. The Celtics almost won game 2 in Miami. Many factors are involved here, but the overall view is that they have played more like a team than the Heat. Again, LeBron James is playing more as a facilitator instead of a scorer. He has had opportunities to drive to the basket and, if not scoring, at least drawing a foul to shoot free throws. He is a subject of another blog another day.
It all comes down to who wants to win more. Right now, it looks like the Thunder and the Celtics. That could change tonight if San Antonio were to win. They and Miami are going to need fire in the belly if they are to stay alive. It will have to burn hotter than their opponents in order to have a chance.
I am not getting very many hits with this. That's only because I haven't written anything yet. So I am starting today with just a couple of things of interest.
ANALYSTS?
Before the start of the Western and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA began, most analysts were calling for a San Antonio Spurs-Miami Heat Finals series. Just goes to show that the analysts do not know much about the competitive spirit in sports. Both the Spurs and Heat are down 3-2 in both of the best of seven series with both of them going to their opponents' home court.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have outplayed the Spurs in their series. Everyone was picking San Antonio because they swept both of their series and, going back to the regular season had won 20 games in a row. During the regular season they had a 22-11 record on the road. They were looking very good.
Now they are on the verge of elimination. They lost both games in Oklahoma City and a third game at home two nights ago. It is a must-win situation for them.
Boston has just outplayed Miami. The Celtics almost won game 2 in Miami. Many factors are involved here, but the overall view is that they have played more like a team than the Heat. Again, LeBron James is playing more as a facilitator instead of a scorer. He has had opportunities to drive to the basket and, if not scoring, at least drawing a foul to shoot free throws. He is a subject of another blog another day.
It all comes down to who wants to win more. Right now, it looks like the Thunder and the Celtics. That could change tonight if San Antonio were to win. They and Miami are going to need fire in the belly if they are to stay alive. It will have to burn hotter than their opponents in order to have a chance.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Hello there. Yes, i am back. It has been awhile. Many things have been occurring in my life which has kept me from this page. I am making changes in my life. Maybe down the road a little ways I will share some of those things with you.
For now, I plan to move ahead with this blog, writing 2-3 times a week. Sports is always a possibility as I identify with that genre. I will make inroads in political issues, cultural issues, ideas of just about any kind. I just got through reading Fatherhood by Bill Cosby. That's a wonderful book if you like mixing comedy with fact. It's like the song A Spoonful of Sugar from Mary Poppins, facts are easier to swallow when couched with laughter.
There will be the serious side of life, too. Not everything that is good for us tastes good or comforts us. Looking at the world as it really is keeps us informed and can create an atmosphere of proactivity. This is necessary because our freedom is not free. We all must pay a price for the rights and privileges we enjoy. It is not just up to our uniformed militia to keep us free. We civilians must also do our part whereever we live to help make it a better place for the coming generation.
Being independent is great. But over 300 million people cannot live in the same place and be completely independent. Fostering a spirit of interdependence on each other, working together for the benefit of all of us, makes us all stronger.
For now, I plan to move ahead with this blog, writing 2-3 times a week. Sports is always a possibility as I identify with that genre. I will make inroads in political issues, cultural issues, ideas of just about any kind. I just got through reading Fatherhood by Bill Cosby. That's a wonderful book if you like mixing comedy with fact. It's like the song A Spoonful of Sugar from Mary Poppins, facts are easier to swallow when couched with laughter.
There will be the serious side of life, too. Not everything that is good for us tastes good or comforts us. Looking at the world as it really is keeps us informed and can create an atmosphere of proactivity. This is necessary because our freedom is not free. We all must pay a price for the rights and privileges we enjoy. It is not just up to our uniformed militia to keep us free. We civilians must also do our part whereever we live to help make it a better place for the coming generation.
Being independent is great. But over 300 million people cannot live in the same place and be completely independent. Fostering a spirit of interdependence on each other, working together for the benefit of all of us, makes us all stronger.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
TOO MANY EARLY HOME GAMES--DETRIMENTAL OR NOT?
WISCONSIN, ILLINOIS LOSE AFTER PLETHORA OF HOME GAMES
Something happened this past weekend in the Big 10 that I am not sure a lot of people noticed. Illinois looked good its first 6 games. Their first five were at home. They went on the road to Indiana and soundly defeated the Hoosiers 41-20. However, they just lost their second game two weeks later division against Purdue, a team they should have beaten.
Wisconsin won it's first 6 games. Five of those six were in Madison. The game against Northern Illinois was played at a neutral site in Soldier Field, roughly 150 miles from home. So call it a home game, too. Their first real road test as against Michigan State, which they lost 37-31 on the last play of the game on a Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol Hail Mary in which the prayer was answered.
Both Illinois and Wisconsin played their first five games virtually at home with Wisconsin at six straight home games. I don't think that's a good idea. Of course, everyone wants to start out at home. But it's not a good thing for any team. It makes the players too comfortable. They can easily lose their focus playing in front of the home crowd. Nor can they see how good they really are until they win on the opposition's home turf.
Illinois' first road game came against Indiana. They had won five straight including a 17-14 win against then #22 Arizona State. Indiana's were 1-4 with no wins against FBS schools. They easily dominated the Hoosiers winning 41-20. The Fighting Illini next had the distinction of playing Ohio State after the Buckeyes blew a 21 point 3rd quarter lead losing to Nebraska 34-27. That was not a good omen for Illinois, though the game was at home and they lost 17-7. They then go back on the road to Purdue. The Boilermakers, though only 3-3, had won all they games at home this year and proved formidable against the Illini winning 21-14.
Wisconsin's first road game of the year was against Michigan State. They come into the game 6-0 and ranked #6 in the first BCS standings of 2011. What probably got them there was their decisive win at home against #13 Nebraska.
The Badgers have lost 3 out of the last 4 games against the Spartans. All three defeats came in East Lansing. The win on Saturday was not a fluke, in my opinion. MSU did not march down the field to win the game. It came on a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game. But they scored 37 points against the Badgers who had, up to this game, had allowed just under 10 points a game. The Spartans deserved the win.
All of the teams in the BCS Top 10 had at least one road game in their first five games. Six of those schools started with at least two road games out of the first five. Five of those teams are ranked 6th or higher. Now maybe that's just coincidence. I don't think so. The teams who want to be the best know that they have to win on the road. They test their players early in the year to see what they're made of. Equally as important is the players' realization of what they are capable of on their opponent's turf. Those games show them where they are good and where their skills need refinement. It is a reality check to keep their minds on the game and not the hype of the media.
So those who scheduled the Badgers and Illinois may have done their team a disservice, though perhaps well-intentioned. Now that the Badgers have had their wake-up call against Michigan State, can they recover in time for a game against Ohio State on the road? Will they recover from the emotional loss last weekend and be able to win against a Buckeye team that is determined to prove that they can still be contenders in the Big Ten by putting all of the bad experiences of 2011 behind them? Illinois' path is tough as well. They must go on the road this weekend against Penn State, who is the only undefeated team in the Big Ten--Leaders Division and then they encounter both Michigan and Wisconsin. Though both of those are home games, they won't prove as easy as the early season schedule.
Something happened this past weekend in the Big 10 that I am not sure a lot of people noticed. Illinois looked good its first 6 games. Their first five were at home. They went on the road to Indiana and soundly defeated the Hoosiers 41-20. However, they just lost their second game two weeks later division against Purdue, a team they should have beaten.
Wisconsin won it's first 6 games. Five of those six were in Madison. The game against Northern Illinois was played at a neutral site in Soldier Field, roughly 150 miles from home. So call it a home game, too. Their first real road test as against Michigan State, which they lost 37-31 on the last play of the game on a Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol Hail Mary in which the prayer was answered.
Both Illinois and Wisconsin played their first five games virtually at home with Wisconsin at six straight home games. I don't think that's a good idea. Of course, everyone wants to start out at home. But it's not a good thing for any team. It makes the players too comfortable. They can easily lose their focus playing in front of the home crowd. Nor can they see how good they really are until they win on the opposition's home turf.
Illinois' first road game came against Indiana. They had won five straight including a 17-14 win against then #22 Arizona State. Indiana's were 1-4 with no wins against FBS schools. They easily dominated the Hoosiers winning 41-20. The Fighting Illini next had the distinction of playing Ohio State after the Buckeyes blew a 21 point 3rd quarter lead losing to Nebraska 34-27. That was not a good omen for Illinois, though the game was at home and they lost 17-7. They then go back on the road to Purdue. The Boilermakers, though only 3-3, had won all they games at home this year and proved formidable against the Illini winning 21-14.
Wisconsin's first road game of the year was against Michigan State. They come into the game 6-0 and ranked #6 in the first BCS standings of 2011. What probably got them there was their decisive win at home against #13 Nebraska.
The Badgers have lost 3 out of the last 4 games against the Spartans. All three defeats came in East Lansing. The win on Saturday was not a fluke, in my opinion. MSU did not march down the field to win the game. It came on a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game. But they scored 37 points against the Badgers who had, up to this game, had allowed just under 10 points a game. The Spartans deserved the win.
All of the teams in the BCS Top 10 had at least one road game in their first five games. Six of those schools started with at least two road games out of the first five. Five of those teams are ranked 6th or higher. Now maybe that's just coincidence. I don't think so. The teams who want to be the best know that they have to win on the road. They test their players early in the year to see what they're made of. Equally as important is the players' realization of what they are capable of on their opponent's turf. Those games show them where they are good and where their skills need refinement. It is a reality check to keep their minds on the game and not the hype of the media.
So those who scheduled the Badgers and Illinois may have done their team a disservice, though perhaps well-intentioned. Now that the Badgers have had their wake-up call against Michigan State, can they recover in time for a game against Ohio State on the road? Will they recover from the emotional loss last weekend and be able to win against a Buckeye team that is determined to prove that they can still be contenders in the Big Ten by putting all of the bad experiences of 2011 behind them? Illinois' path is tough as well. They must go on the road this weekend against Penn State, who is the only undefeated team in the Big Ten--Leaders Division and then they encounter both Michigan and Wisconsin. Though both of those are home games, they won't prove as easy as the early season schedule.
Monday, October 24, 2011
BCS shaken up; BYU vs TCU
TWO UPSETS STIR UP BCS POT
Well, now the BCS is actually looking interesting now. Two losses by Oklahoma and Wisconsin really puts things in perspective. One thing I do not understand is how Oklahoma only dropped six places in the rankings while Wisconsin dropped nine. Oklahoma lost to Texas Tech who was an unranked team in the BCS last Saturday. Another factor is that Tech beat the Sooners at home. That snapped a 39 home game winning streak by the Sooners.
Wisconsin lost on a last second Hail Mary pass from Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol that was originally ruled not a touchdown only to be overturned by the replay official. I am sure that the official took long hard looks at that play knowing how his decision would affect the outcome. It puts a damper on the Badgers' goal of a perfect season along with the BCS championship game. But one-loss teams have made it to the game before so hope is not lost.
Frankly, the Sooners should be out of the Top 10. They lost to a non-ranked team at home. That should not happen to a championship caliber team. Wisconsin lost on its first real road game of the year. AND they lost to a BCS ranked team. So they should not have fallen as far. It looks like a bit of doctoring in the polls where pollsters just can't accept the Sooners losing, so they keep them close to the top when it's actually Wisconsin who should still be ranked in the Top 10. A last minute Hail Mary pass should not drop the Badgers below the Sooners, who lost at home to a then unranked team.
The more interesting part of the BCS standings is the top 4 of LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, and Boise State. LSU has the blessing of a week off before playing at Alabama on November 5th. But they also have #10 ranked Arkansas the last week of the season. Other than LSU, Alabama has a much softer schedule ending with the Iron Bowl against cross-state rival Auburn who does not deserve their #23 ranking in the BCS with 3 losses.
Oklahoma State has three big games coming up--Baylor, Kansas State, and Texas Tech. I am not worried too much about the Bears because they have a very porous defense. They allowed 55 points to Texas A&M in their last game. Though they have a week off, I don't think they can outscore the Cowboys who are #2 in scoring offense at 48.6 points a game. Kansas State is 7-0. They face Oklahoma this weekend at home and the Cowboys the following week on the road. That is a brutal schedule. However, the Wildcats have beaten Miami(FL) and Texas Tech on the road, not to mention beating two other high-powered offenses in Baylor and Missouri. They and the Cowboys are at the top of the Big 12 with 4-0 records. The Wildcats will give the Sooners all they can handle this Saturday. They question will be if they have enough to beat Oklahoma State on the road.
Last, but not the least by any measure, are the Boise State Broncos. They still have to beat TCU at home. But TCU has had no trouble winning on the road at Air Force and San Diego State. They need to keep on winning. They play the up and coming BYU Cougars, who have not lost since being trounced by Utah in week 3. The Horned Frog defense has not been as formidable this year as in years passed, but they can still score with the likes of the Cougars.
Here's where Boise State can sneak into #2 in the rankings. There will be a loser with LSU-Alabama. Oklahoma State has the potential to lose at least one of their games. Boise State with its non-AQ status must beat TCU well so they will rise to #2 behind the #1 team if the Cowboys lose one. It is not that far of a stretch.
BYU'S FUTURE
Brigham Young has won 5 consecutive games. But four of those five have been at home. The wins against UCF and Utah State came down to the last minutes of the fourth quarter. Their only road win has been Oregon State, a winner of only one game this year. The last team to beat them, Utah(3-4, 0-4), has lost 3 of 4, winning only at Pittsburgh. The last game the Cougars played against a quality opponent was against Texas, a game which they lost in the last few minutes.
TCU has played but two quality opponents-Texas A&M and Southern Methodist. Both of those are losses giving up a combined 90 points. This looks like an even game between these two schools. It will definitely be a toughly fought encounter between these two schools who have become rivals.
In the six years that TCU played BYU in conference play, the Cougars are 2-4, averaging just under 21 ppg. However, their last three encounters have proven devastating, losing 32-7, 38-7, and 31-3. The last time the Cougars beat the Horned Frogs was 2007, where they won 27-22.
Well, now the BCS is actually looking interesting now. Two losses by Oklahoma and Wisconsin really puts things in perspective. One thing I do not understand is how Oklahoma only dropped six places in the rankings while Wisconsin dropped nine. Oklahoma lost to Texas Tech who was an unranked team in the BCS last Saturday. Another factor is that Tech beat the Sooners at home. That snapped a 39 home game winning streak by the Sooners.
Wisconsin lost on a last second Hail Mary pass from Kirk Cousins to Keith Nichol that was originally ruled not a touchdown only to be overturned by the replay official. I am sure that the official took long hard looks at that play knowing how his decision would affect the outcome. It puts a damper on the Badgers' goal of a perfect season along with the BCS championship game. But one-loss teams have made it to the game before so hope is not lost.
Frankly, the Sooners should be out of the Top 10. They lost to a non-ranked team at home. That should not happen to a championship caliber team. Wisconsin lost on its first real road game of the year. AND they lost to a BCS ranked team. So they should not have fallen as far. It looks like a bit of doctoring in the polls where pollsters just can't accept the Sooners losing, so they keep them close to the top when it's actually Wisconsin who should still be ranked in the Top 10. A last minute Hail Mary pass should not drop the Badgers below the Sooners, who lost at home to a then unranked team.
The more interesting part of the BCS standings is the top 4 of LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, and Boise State. LSU has the blessing of a week off before playing at Alabama on November 5th. But they also have #10 ranked Arkansas the last week of the season. Other than LSU, Alabama has a much softer schedule ending with the Iron Bowl against cross-state rival Auburn who does not deserve their #23 ranking in the BCS with 3 losses.
Oklahoma State has three big games coming up--Baylor, Kansas State, and Texas Tech. I am not worried too much about the Bears because they have a very porous defense. They allowed 55 points to Texas A&M in their last game. Though they have a week off, I don't think they can outscore the Cowboys who are #2 in scoring offense at 48.6 points a game. Kansas State is 7-0. They face Oklahoma this weekend at home and the Cowboys the following week on the road. That is a brutal schedule. However, the Wildcats have beaten Miami(FL) and Texas Tech on the road, not to mention beating two other high-powered offenses in Baylor and Missouri. They and the Cowboys are at the top of the Big 12 with 4-0 records. The Wildcats will give the Sooners all they can handle this Saturday. They question will be if they have enough to beat Oklahoma State on the road.
Last, but not the least by any measure, are the Boise State Broncos. They still have to beat TCU at home. But TCU has had no trouble winning on the road at Air Force and San Diego State. They need to keep on winning. They play the up and coming BYU Cougars, who have not lost since being trounced by Utah in week 3. The Horned Frog defense has not been as formidable this year as in years passed, but they can still score with the likes of the Cougars.
Here's where Boise State can sneak into #2 in the rankings. There will be a loser with LSU-Alabama. Oklahoma State has the potential to lose at least one of their games. Boise State with its non-AQ status must beat TCU well so they will rise to #2 behind the #1 team if the Cowboys lose one. It is not that far of a stretch.
BYU'S FUTURE
Brigham Young has won 5 consecutive games. But four of those five have been at home. The wins against UCF and Utah State came down to the last minutes of the fourth quarter. Their only road win has been Oregon State, a winner of only one game this year. The last team to beat them, Utah(3-4, 0-4), has lost 3 of 4, winning only at Pittsburgh. The last game the Cougars played against a quality opponent was against Texas, a game which they lost in the last few minutes.
TCU has played but two quality opponents-Texas A&M and Southern Methodist. Both of those are losses giving up a combined 90 points. This looks like an even game between these two schools. It will definitely be a toughly fought encounter between these two schools who have become rivals.
In the six years that TCU played BYU in conference play, the Cougars are 2-4, averaging just under 21 ppg. However, their last three encounters have proven devastating, losing 32-7, 38-7, and 31-3. The last time the Cougars beat the Horned Frogs was 2007, where they won 27-22.
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