BCS, Nerds, and Bowling.....

Everyone it seems has an opinion on the BCS mess that seems quite inevitable at the end of the season. The popular thought is that only an Ohio State v Michigan rematch would be worthy of the true title of National Title Game, while others are looking at USC to sneak in the back door if they beat Notre Dame this weekend, and still there is another jean shorts wearing bunch that wants to see the Swamp Lizards in the BCS title game.

Personally I have struggled with how I would like to see this play out. On one hand I personally wouldn't watch a rematch game regardless of the particpants, in this case Ohio State has already beaten Michigan once, they shouldn't have to play them again. Having said that, the next five teams in line don't offer the prospect of a very good game. USC is average, Florida is probably most deserving based on their schedule, they did however struggle in several games this year against lesser opponents, Notre Dame has no argument to be there since their schedule consists of Michigan, USC and a bunch of IAA level opponents, which brings us to my personal favorites Arkansas. The Hogs are the hottest team out of this bunch and I think would give Ohio State the best game. There are those that would argue that no team that gives up 50 at home should play for the National Title, I would counter with the argument that this is not the same team that took the field against USC, and given a rematch now the Hogs would win. Arkansas is the best team in the best conference, how can you argue against them?

My ideal scenario is this, USC beats Notre Dame, UCLA beats USC, Arkansas beats LSU and Florida convicingly, and the computers don't screw them and put Michigan in the Title game.


On the subject of our upcoming reunion with our Nerdly cousins from the big city this weekend, it looks like it is going to be perfect weather (no repeat of the '04 game), and I think we are going to win (but you knew that already). Two words why we are going to win on Saturday: Mark Richt. As much as he has been criticized this season for his playcalling and game management, he is still head and shoulders a better coach than Chan "the man" Gailey. Two more words on why we are going to win on Saturday: Reggie Ball. As well as the midget has played this year, he ALWAYS has at least one melt down against the Dawgs. He puts so much pressure on himself to do well that it is counter productive. I am fully expecting his head to explode when we beat them for a sixth straight year. My prediction Dawgs 31 NATS 21.

Bowl Bids and Projections are out. The Big 10 has their post season line up set:

1. Capitol One Bowl-Wisconsin v SEC
2. Outback Bowl-Penn State v SEC
3. Alamo Bowl-Iowa v Big 12
4. Champs Sports-Purdue v ACC
5. Insight-Minnesota v Big 12

This virtually assures the Big 10 and Michigan of getting 2 BCS bids for the second year in a row. I have a problem with this for the sheer fact that the Big 10 doesn't play a championship game and therefore doesn't knock it's second best team out of BCS consideration. Since the BCS's inception in 1998 the Big Ten has had two teams in the mix 5 times compaired to the SEC (3), Pac-10 (2), Big 12 (3), ACC (0), Big East (0). The other at large spots were filled by Notre Dame (2) and Utah (1). This seems completely disproportionate to the rest of the BCS Conferences and at large teams.

All of this revives the BCS v playoff debate and once again lets me advance my solution for fixing college football. First off I am a huge fan of Bowl games, the week between Christmas and New Years is a veritable feast of College Football, one last gasp before the season ends. I don't want that to go away. My model would preserve SOME of the bowl games while incorporating others into the pseudo-playoffs, and it goes something like this.

Take the exsisting BCS conferences with some modifications and require them to all have a Championship game. Notre Dame would join the Big 10, Utah and TCU in the Pac-10, Southern Miss, Marshall, UAB, and East Carolina to the Big East. The six winners of these conference games along with 2 at large spots drawn from non BCS conferences and the remaining BCS schools would form an 8 team playoff bracket. First Round Games would be held in the Capital One, Chick-fil-a, Fiesta, and Rose Bowls. Semi Finals in the Sugar and Orange, and then the BCS championship in the Fiesta Bowl 2. The Bowl hosting the National Championship along with the most recent host would be first round game sites. This model preserves the regular season, makes each conference equal in terms of having a championship game, and preserves the lower tier bowls for those teams not involved in the playoff, all while deciding on the field the best team in college football.

Slow Week....

I am really glad that we aren't playing the Nerds til next week. I am still celebrating the victory over Auburn (as I am sure our players are also), I could just see us coming out flat after this victory and getting killed by the Techies on our own field. I had a Techie coworker talking smack (already) and I told him as long as Reggie Ballsack was the QB we always have a chance to win.

On another note a Tennessee friend of mine had the perfect headline for last weeks game had the Vowels put in famed backup QB Jim Bob Cooter (has to be the best name in College Football) and won the game.

Cooter Beats Dick, Gets Nutt

Jim Bob Cooter thrilled Vol fans by coming in to throw 6 TD passes in the last 3 minutes of the game to carry the Orange to a come from behind victory over Casey Dick and the Houston Nutt coached Arkansas Razorbacks.......


Now that would just be funny wouldn't it?

No I Didn't Watch....

So I decided rather than watch the abomination that has become UGA football this year, I would go bike and run through the North GA mountains and mud in the Curahee Adventure Race.

Naturally the Dawgs play the best game of the season, and I missed it!! Luckly my lovely wife DVR'd the game for me so I can watch it today.

I stated in my previous post that I wouldn't attend the Tech game if we won....is anyone really going to hold me to that? (Please say no)

Here's to a much needed and deserved bye week.

Gooo Dawgs!!

Okie State and other things....

Glad to see that we have scheduled a decent team for our home opener. I was worried Nicholls St. was about to make its Sanford Stadium debut next Labor Day weekend (for the record I have no idea if Nicholls St was even contacted reference our open date, nor do I have any idea where in the hell Nicholls St is located.) .

Call me what you will, but I will not be watching the UGA v Warchickentigerplainsmen game on Saturday. Instead I will be mountain biking and trekking up and down Curahee Mountain in Toccoa. Who knows maybe I am bad luck and this entire debacle of a season has been my fault all along. Rest assured if we win, I will not be attending the yearly reunion with our Nerdly cousins from the city.

If you are going to "The Tackiest Little Village" this weekend be safe and Go Dawgs!

Does This Look Fishy To Anyone Else?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/ncaa/11/04/thomas.booted.ap/index.html

Evidently Florida decided that after reinstating their stud DT for arguably the hardest stretch on any football schedule this year, that they didn't need him anymore. Convienient, right?

Will Someone Please Shoot Me and Put Me Out of My Misery??

I knew we were going to lose this game today before we even kicked off, yet I still held a belief that maybe, just maybe we could play well and win. Alas, that was not to happen, 4 turnovers will do that to you. I am not sure what to feel anymore, its gut wrenching to watch (or in this case listen) to the Dawgs play. I don't even enjoy the games anymore, they make my stomach hurt and I end up in a pissy mood the rest of the day. I haven't been happy after a game since the South Carolina game, and that seems like forever ago. I can't believe that I am actually typing this, but I wish the season were over today. I wish we didn't have to play Auburn or Tech, I wish we could just pack it in like a bad relationship and say "I just didn't work, let's move on and start over". I am trying to remember when I have felt this way about UGA football and I can't do it. The mid '90's we expected to lose, it wasn't an "if" but "when" type of mentality, the late '90's to '01 there were flashes of greatness, and we underachieved badly for the talent that was here, but you could pretty much hang your hat on 8-4 or 9-3, we would lose to the Vowels and Swamp Lizards , and War Chickens too often, and Tech and Bobby Gaston a couple of times, but we usually ended up in a mid tier bowl. I really thought when Mark Richt was hired at UGA that the days of losing and losing badly were gone. I am not one of those foolish fans that expected us to win the SEC every year or even win the SEC East every year, that level of success in the hardest conference in football is just not sustainable. I did (and still do) expect these teams to be competative, winning more than we lose and having a chance to win every week. This year that hasn't happened, we find more ways to lose than any team I can ever remember seeing in any level of football. It's maddening to watch the inconsistancy and lack of execution week after week after week. You hear all this BS about we are a young team and it a rebuilding year. What a load of crap! We started 8 upperclassmen on both sides of the ball, that is guys who have been here at LEAST 3 years (4 or 5 if they redshirted). What happened between the end of last year and this year? I'll grant you that they loss of D.J. Shockley's (or if you prefer J.D. Stokely) athleticism and leadership is huge, and the fact that 3 out of our starting 4 DB's from last year are playing in the NFL now is also a big deal, but come on did we really lose THAT much from last year? are those 4 players really the difference between 11-3 and 6-6? Sean Bailey being out this year is also a fairly big loss, but he and McClendon's hands were suspect at best. The lack of a running game is due to the fact that our upperclassman OL are awful. I understand that they are thin, but even when they are healthy they haven't played well. How in the world do you not get enough push to convert a 4th and 1 against UK? They have been getting their asses whipped all season long.

I realize this hasn't been the most coherant of posts, but I am just writing what I am thinking right now. I am frustrated, but more disappointed and scared than anything. I thought prior to the season that Joe T was going to be adequate enough to lead us to at least a 10-2 or 9-3 record, I thought our D was going to win us a few games we shouldn't win, I thought our "3 Headed Monster" was finally going to run wild on the SEC, I thought we wouldn't have anxiety about every kick, I thought MoMass was going to be this year's Sidney Rice. WRONG on all accouts, Joe T tried but he just doesn't have the physical tools, our D has lost us 2 games and tried really hard to lose us another one (Vandy and UK, tried to lose Miss St), our tailbacks are overrated and our OL hasn't helped any, with Cotu's injury and Ely-Kelso being "gun shy" after the three blocks I am anxious about every kick, MoMass has just struggled this year (possibly because of the constant QB rotation). I am already nervous and anxious about next year, its going to take a few big wins before I start "trusting" the Dawgs again, another year like this and we could be returning to the "Dark Times of Which We Shall Not Speak".

Only 2 more games to go.....thank God!