NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/TCU Is More Than Just BCS Busterhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/tcu-is-more-than-just-bcs-buster/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/tcu-is-more-than-just-bcs-buster/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/tcu-is-more-than-just-bcs-buster/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Andy DaltonFORT WORTH, Texas -- Gary Patterson really doesn't want to lobby the BCS for inclusion into its national championship mix.

The fourth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs' impressive body of work should be enough.

They are just one of six remaining undefeated teams in the country, and have collected quality road wins at Clemson, Air Force and BYU en route to moving into fourth place in the BCS standings, the highest such ranking ever for a non-automatic qualifier.

But the Horned Frogs made their boldest statement yet this season Saturday, luring the 16th-ranked and reigning Mountain West champion Utah Utes into their place with the promise of another close contest only to lock the gates on them at Amon G. Carter Stadium. When it was all over, the Frogs had thoroughly waxed their nemesis 55-28 in front of a record overflow crowd of 50,307 in Amon Carter Stadium.

So voters and computers were you paying attention?

"If the nation didn't think this was enough style points then I don't know what is," said Patterson, who is now 2-3 all-time against Utah. "We are just going to go about our business because that was a good football team."

The Utes' 8-1, 5-0 MWC record and lofty national ranking were tangible proof how good Utah was. The ease in which the Frogs, who are 10-0 for just the second time since 1938 when they won their last national championship, handled the Utes in all facets proved just how much better TCU is.

The Frogs amassed 342 yards rushing with running back Ed Wesley racing for 137 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Andy Dalton added 207 yards and a touchdown through the air, while the defense limited the Utes to 65 yards on 27 carries for the night. The specials teams units got into the act, as well, with a blocked punt and return specialist Jeremy Kerley was again his spectacular season.

"They were who we thought they were," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose team dropped to 8-2, and 5-1 on the season. "Tonight, that was a good football team. I have been a head coach for five years, that is the best team I've ever faced."
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

High praise from a man who beat the team ranked No. 1 for most of last season, Alabama, in the Sugar Bowl last season.

The only negatives were a missed 26-yard field goal and a muffed punt and then a couple surrendered deep balls after the game was well out of hand. All correctable breakdowns.

Overall, It was the kind of overwhelming performance you would expect from Texas, Florida and Alabama -- the three teams ranked ahead of them in the BCS rankings. TCU, led by a stifling defense and a highly efficient offense, is beyond good.

These Horned Frogs are flirting with greatness. But in a college football universe where the big time programs call all the shots, TCU likely will never get to test that greatness.

Oh sure, the BCS brethren from the Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl all showed up Saturday willing to extend an invite to the Frogs. Utah and Boise State have had enough success in those second-tier BCS games that the little guy stepping up to challenge Goliath has been embraced.

But the most logical and deserving next step for TCU should be the BCS national championship game in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl following the season, provided they win out against Wyoming and New Mexico to conclude the regular season.

The Frogs' defense, led by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes, is as dominant as Texas' and Alabama's units. And quarterback Andy Dalton has transformed the offense into one that's every bit as explosive as the Tim Tebow-led Florida Gators.

The compelling argument against the Frogs being the first outsiders to make their way into the BCS national title game is they haven't faced week-in and week-out challenges that exist in the SEC and Big 12 South in the Mountain West. You can't disagree there.

But since you can't blame the program that was left in the cold when the Southwest Conference broke apart to form the Big 12 anymore than you can blame the Longhorns for a joke of a non-conference schedule this season, don't you want to know how TCU would measure up against, say, Texas?

"It would be a great opportunity for the school and for our team," Hughes said Saturday night of the possibility of meeting Texas, Florida or Alabama in the national championship game. "But at the same time, we've got to take care of next week because Wyoming is a great team."

There is little reason to believe the Frogs won't handle a mediocre Wyoming squad in Laramie, Wyoming next week. But if you are Patterson, you've been down this road before where your team hits 10-0 as it did in 2003 only to have a letdown.

So you can understand his quandary as the TCU coach wants to aim for the sky for his team, but he doesn't want his players to lose sight of what's in front of them. While the MWC title seems a certainty -- the Frogs are 6-0 in league play -- they still haven't won anything.

Of course, you wouldn't have known that by the way the fans stormed the football field Saturday night.

"The biggest thing with us is we need to finish," Patterson said. "We have two games left, one on the road. I understand how big a win this is. I've been here. I've beaten Oklahoma and then got beat by SMU. We are going to finish. That's what we need to do, we need to finish."

TCU Is More Than Just BCS Buster originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Andy DaltonAndyDaltonBCSGary PattersonGaryPattersonJerry HughesJerryHughesKyle WhittinghamKyleWhittinghamTCU Horned FrogsTcuHornedFrogsTerrance HarrisSun, 15 Nov 2009 01:46:00 EST TCU Makes Boldest BCS Statement Yethttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/tcu-makes-boldest-bcs-statemen-yet/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/tcu-makes-boldest-bcs-statemen-yet/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/tcu-makes-boldest-bcs-statemen-yet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

TCUFORT WORTH, Texas -- If there were questions about the BCS worthiness of the TCU Horned Frogs, they were answered -- and resoundingly -- Saturday night.

The fourth-ranked Horned Frogs made their big game against 16th-ranked Utah seem like an exhibition as they stunned the naysayers and maybe even themselves by routing the defending Mountain West champion Utes 55-28 in front a record crowd of 50,307 at Amon G. Carter Stadium.

The most immediate result is that the undefeated Horned Frogs have a major leg up in the MWC race by getting past nemesis Utah in convincing fashion. Even bigger, the Horned Frogs sent a clear message to the BCS community that they deserve to be part of the BCS conversation, not just for one of the four big bowl bids but for a real shot at the national title game.

If Saturday night's game is any indication, the Horned Frogs are as dominant on defense as Texas and Alabama, and as potent on offense as Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators. TCU, ranked fourth in last week's BCS standings, made it look easy against a quality Utah team in a game that broke ranks with the recent competitiveness of this series.

The Frogs, sparked by highly efficient night by quarterback Andy Dalton and a stifling defensive performance, led the Utes 38-14 at halftime and never looked back as they moved to 10-0 overall and 6-0 in the MWC for the season. Utah slipped to 8-2, 5-1 on the season.

The Utes, who were supposed to be the closest thing to TCU athletically in the MWC, seemed several steps slow as running backs Matthew Tucker, Ed Wesley and Joseph Turner along with Dalton all converted explosive plays on the ground while receivers Ryan Christian and Jeremy Kerley couldn't be defended most of the night.

Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook
Defensively, led by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes, the Frogs gave Utah running back Eddie Wide little room to run while harassing quarterback Jordan Wynn all night long.

Putting forth such a convincing performance on such a major stage, which included ESPN's GameDay crew and several national media members, will make it difficult to keep the Horned Frogs out of the national title discussion should Florida, Alabama and Texas falter in these final two weeks of the regular season. But to keep the conversation going, TCU also can't afford a letdown in its final two regular season games at Wyoming and then home against New Mexico.

TCU Makes Boldest BCS Statement Yet originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Terrance HarrisSat, 14 Nov 2009 22:46:00 EST Live Blog: TCU Gives Utes the Hornshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/live-blog-big-game-feel-for-tcu-utah/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/live-blog-big-game-feel-for-tcu-utah/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/live-blog-big-game-feel-for-tcu-utah/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The atmosphere is electric and Amon G. Carter Stadium is packed to overflow capacity for what is arguably the biggest game in decades at TCU.

Should the fourth-ranked Horned Frogs (9-0, 5-0) make it past No.16 Utah (8-1, 5-0) tonight they will not only have a strong edge in the Mountain West race but will also keep them in step for a BCS bowl bid and possibly a berth into the national title game. Should the Frogs, who are ranked fourth in the BCS standings, make it to Pasadena, Calif. they will become the first non-BCS conference school to compete in the BCS title game.

(Follow Terrance Harris' game blog after the jump)
More Coverage: Box Score | Play by Play


The possibility of making it to a national title game has generated never before seen excitement around the Horned Frogs program. Painting yourself purple seems to be the thing to do these days in Fort Worth and the surrounding area.

Let's just see how impressed the reigning MWC champion Utes will be with all the hype TCU has garnered for tonight's game.


FIRST QUARTER

The Horned Frogs don't waste much time in getting on the board and getting the crowd even more amped as they march 87 yards on eights plays to go up 7-0. Running back Matthew Tucker broke through the middle of the line and raced 41 yards to the touchdown with 11:33 left in first.

***************
This may or may not mean much, but the Frogs seem to be having trouble in the kicking game during the early going. Place kicker Ross Evans has missed a 26-yard chip shot attempt and punter Anson Kelton just shanked a punt that gave the Utes the ball at the TCU 43.

It will be interesting to see if these problems continue throughout the night.

***********

The Frogs problem in the kicking game has come back to bite them. Four plays after Kelton's shanked punt, running back/quarterback Shaky Smithson ran in from 10 yards to help the Utes tie the game 7-7 with 4:48 remaining in the first quarter. Smithson, who came in to run the Utes' version of the Wildcat on a couple plays during the series, now has his first touchdown of the season.

***************

Let's give TCU receiver Ryan Christian the play of the night and yes, we are still in the first quarter. But the touchdown play was nice. Christian took a swing pass from Andy Dalton then sidestepped a tackler before racing down the sideline for a 14-yard touchdown reception that put the Frogs up 14-7 late in the first quarter

****************

So much focus so far has been on the TCU offense, but the Frogs defense, led by defensive end Jerry Hughes, is playing an unbelievable game. In the final series of the first quarter, the unit recorded two negative yardage plays courtesy of Hughes and then blocked a punt to hand the offense the ball at the Utah 23.


SECOND QUARTER

Someone might want to explain to the Utes that the Horned Frogs don't need any help scoring. After spotting the Frogs on the 23 because of the blocked punt, the Utah defense then commits two mind-less penalties, an illegal substitution and then offsides on back to back plays to position TCU at the 3. That made it easy for Jeremy Kerley to barrel into the end zone from three yards to open up a 21-7 TCU lead with 14:11 left to play in the first half.

*********************


Okay, this one is looking like a rout in the making. Antoine Hicks just raced 1-yard for a touchdown to put the Frogs up 28-7. They've scored 21 unanswered points to separate themselves from the Utes. The last touchdown was set up when returnman Jeremy Kerley burst around the corner for a 39-yard punt return to the Utah 29. And on the first play from scrimmage, Dalton hit receiver Jimmy Young on a perfectly placed slant pass for a 28-yard pickup to the 1.

*******************

TCU is just putting on one of the most complete performances imaginable. The Frogs have used offense and speical teams to help put up points, now the defense has gotten into the act. Middle linebacker Carder just returned an interception 10 yards for a pick six that put the Frogs up 35-7 early in the second quarter. So much for the great battle.
***************

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has to be completely beside himself at this point tonight. Not only is his team getting smashed 38-14 in the first half, but they are being hammered by penalties. Illegal substitutions on the defense, offsides, and unsportsmanlike conduct calls have all gone against the Utes in the first two quarters. TCU hasn't been penalized nearly as much so far.


HALFTIME

Okay, who will admit they expected such a lopsided game between the Frogs and Utes to this point? Nothing about their recent past would have suggested TCU would be holding a commanding 38-14 lead at the intermission.

On paper, they seemed to be pretty evenly matched with TCU maybe holding the edge on defense and a slight advantage on offense and special teams, But so far, the Frogs have been dominant on all phases.

Dalton has been his efficient self, completing 15 of 23 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown and one interception. Dalton has hit receiver Ryan Christian for 48 yards and a touchdown on five passes. The Frogs array of runners have amassed 115 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in the first half.

But also give it up the Frogs' defense, which has limited Utah to just 27 yards rushing on 15 attempts and just 157 yards of total offense in the first two quarters. TCU's offense has put up 309 yards of offense.
Follow Us on Twitter Friend Us on Facebook

Live Blog: TCU Gives Utes the Horns originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Terrance HarrisSat, 14 Nov 2009 21:15:00 EST TCU Has Chance to Climb Mountainhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/tcu-has-chance-to-climb-the-mountain/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/tcu-has-chance-to-climb-the-mountain/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/tcu-has-chance-to-climb-the-mountain/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Gary Patterson

FORT WORTH - If you are waiting for TCU coach Gary Patterson to start lobbying for his team's inclusion into the BCS and possibly the national championship game, you will be kept waiting.

Patterson (above) can see far too many traps to get caught up in what the nation is talking about and that's that the fourth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs could very well be the first of the non-BCS schools to punch a ticket to the BCS' grandest stage.

It's a nice thought, but with 14th-ranked Utah on the horizon in a mega Mountain West Conference game Saturday night, Patterson isn't even willing to give the BCS possibilities a thought. He's strongly suggesting his players don't, either.
"Right now we are trying to only worry about things we can control," said Patterson, whose team heads into action this weekend as one of six undefeated squads at 9-0 and 5-0 in the MWC. "All of us are a fan at heart. Like I tell my kids, if you want to sit at home and drink the BCS Kool-Aid and the national championship Kool-Aid, go ahead. But we've still got three games left, three tough games."

But that isn't stopping the rest of the nation from getting excited about the possibilities that could rock the BCS to its elitist core. Sure we've seen non-BCS teams like Utah and Boise State make it to a BCS bowl and even win against the big boys.

"I think TCU has one of the best defenses that I've gone against in my coaching career."
- UNLV coach Mike Sanford But the Horned Frogs could break through to the once unthinkable BCS national title game at the Rose Bowl this season. All they have to do is remain undefeated and hope that two of the three teams ahead of them - Florida, Alabama and Texas - lose once.

Either Florida or Alabama will certainly lose once prior to the bowl season as they head on a collision course in the SEC Championship game. The Longhorns are far from invincible, but they are likely to make it into the bowl season unscathed with not much left to challenge them in the Big 12, making it unlikely that TCU will reach uncharted territory.

Still, those who love to cheer the underdog can dream.

Patterson, however, is staying in reality and in the moment, which happens to be preparing for a Utah team that's more than a little dangerous. After that the Horned Frogs visit Wyoming before returning home to face New Mexico in the regular-season finale.

"Right now it's easy to focus on what we've got to do right now," Patterson said.

And nothing is more immediate than a Utah team that's been a flat out thorn in the side of the Frogs since their Western Athletic Conference days in the mid 1990s. The Utes (8-1, 5-0) have continued to be a menace to TCU, owning a 5-1 all-time series record and a 1-2 edge in Fort Worth that qualifies them as the lone MWC team Patterson has a losing record against.

In a matchup of similar proportions last season, Utah scored a touchdown with 47 seconds left to knock off TCU 13-10, and went on to win the MWC crown. This season both teams enter 5-0 in league play and with MWC implications all over the place, though that's just a secondary prize to the rest of the nation.

Still, the signs are screaming this is a big game. The ESPN GameDay crew is in town. There will be a rare sellout at Amon G. Carter Stadium. And Nike has picked TCU to outfit in its new ultra thin combat uniforms for the CBS broadcast game.

"We understand that every ball game we have played against Utah has been very close," said Patterson, whose team has the third-longest winning streak in the nation right now with 11 straight victories dating back to last season. "They have never played us here when we have had this kind of crowd, so it'll be interesting. It's like I told my kids, it doesn't matter about uniforms or crowd size, you've got to go play. A lot of people across the country play in front of 85,000-90,000 people every week and get beat. If history repeats itself, we will play at a very high level, because we have done that when we have had a big crowd here."

Jerry HughesBut don't be confused, this game will be decided between the lines between two teams with quality offenses and outstanding defense. The Horned Frogs, led by All-American senior defensive end Jerry Hughes (right), have the most dominant defense in the MWC this season and one of the best in the nation.

Just ask teams like the ACC's Virginia and the SEC's Clemson, who were both stifled in front of their home crowds by TCU this season. UNLV coach Mike Sanford has come up against both TCU and Utah this season and doesn't hesitate on which is best.

"I think TCU has one of the best defenses that I've gone against in my coaching career," he said. "I think Utah has the next-best defense in the conference.

"But I think TCU is the best defense in the conference and one of the best I've ever gone against in my career."

The winner of Saturday night's game will undoubtedly have the leg up in the MWC race. Should the Frogs win, they will be even closer to solidifying a coveted BCS bowl berth, even if it's not the big one. Should they lose then the non-BCS mantle is passed to Boise State, which is also one of six undefeated teams in the nation heading into Friday night.

But right now, the Frogs would just as soon keep the buzz around them.

"To me, it's just fun," TCU junior safety Tejay Johnson said of being in the BCS mix a couple weeks ago. "The best part about this is for all the coaches, because you work so hard all year. It's fun to be in a situation at the end of the year where all of your games count. Not counting to keep your job, but counting towards something that is a lot of fun for your kids, fans and community."

Patterson, who shut his players down from the media this week, also recognizes the excitement that's around the program and knows what it can mean to a community that is still feeling jilted when the Southwest Conference broke up and left TCU behind.

"I'm excited for our fans. I'm excited they have something to talk about," he said. "Nationally, we have gained a lot of attention. My job is to make sure the fans don't get their hearts broken. We need to finish up and do the things we need to do. There's a lot of excitement here. There's a lot of people excited about where we're at, what we're doing and how we're doing it."

TCU Has Chance to Climb Mountain originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>bcsGary PattersonGaryPattersonJerry HughesMike SanfordMikeSanfordTCU Horned FrogsTejay JohnsonTerrance HarrisFri, 13 Nov 2009 23:32:00 EST Mountain West Loses BCS Turf Warhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/mountain-west-loses-bcs-turf-war/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/mountain-west-loses-bcs-turf-war/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/19/mountain-west-loses-bcs-turf-war/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Florida StateWhat was left of BYU's season sat just above the cast on Dekoda Watson's left arm, a paperback-sized chunk of manicured grass that looked like a divot from Goliath's back nine.

The Florida State linebacker the turf trophy around in front of a small crowd of Seminole supporters in LaVell Edwards Stadium, beaming like an oversized 5-year-old at his first show and tell. Florida State had arrived a seemingly fragile program, looking at a 1-2 start following a heartbreaking loss to Miami in Week 1 and a vague impersonation of a win against Jacksonville State last Saturday.

But over 60 minutes of a 54-28 rout of Brigham Young that likely proved even Utah friendly has its limits, the Seminoles hadn't just ripped their heart out. They'd ripped their turf out, too.

By the time Watson finished his parade, they had literally taken the ground out from under the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars lost the battle, the MWC lost the turf war.

Watson held the proof in his left hand. In a season of 15 weeks, a single day had just ended the conference's BCS hopes.

For the MWC, it was a shockingly quick end to the talk of BCS inclusion that had peppered college football's offseason. Even with the conference's third major power, TCU, still undefeated, it seems unlikely the league will have a chance to return to the scene of its Sugar Bowl triumph, and it's all but impossible they'll improve on it.

All because of Saturday and two second-tier BCS teams that took a baseball bat to the Beehive State, base camp for the MWC insurgency.

A time zone away from the disaster in Provo, Utah, the Oregon Ducks, a team whose wardrobe coordination notes are thicker than their playbook, handed No. 18 Utah its first loss since 2007. And like that, 16 straight Ute wins and 18 straight wins at home for the Cougars became historical footnotes.

"I think Florida State was more prepared in general than we were tonight, really from beginning to end," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said after the game. "I think their preparation exceeded ours and it showed."

For a non-BCS team, let alone the face of the premiere non-BCS conference, nothing could be more unforgivable.

Fair or not, the margin for error for non-BCS teams is cheerledear skinny. For the teams on the wrong side of the Big Six tracks, every game is a playoff, if you want to earn a BCS slot. Nevermind that all teams have bad days -- supposed Big 12 power Oklahoma State lost to Houston last week, after all, and LSU won the national title with two losses in 2007 -- as soon as a non-BCS team loses to a big brother squad, they're outed as frauds.

Of course, in BYU's case, that might've been deserved. Two weeks after breaking Oklahoma's will and their quarterback, the Cougars played like they were literally carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders Florida State zipped around a permanently flat-footed BYU squad on offense, while quarterback Christian Ponder carved the Cougars into fine pieces. Coleby Clawson, the senior linebacker who flew around the field against Oklahoma and planted Sam Bradford into the turf like a Heisman-winning flag post, and the usually cateogorically staunch BYU defense yielded more than 500 yards of offense.

Utah, too, likely stood no chance of a second consecutive undefeated season after losing seven starters on offense, including star quarterback Brian Johnson, and second-round NFL draft picks Paul Kruger and Sean Smith on defense, the Utes hardly seemed as intimidating, or as charmed, as last year's edition. Saturday, Johnson's replacement, junior college transfer Terrance Cain, completed less than 50 percent of his passes against Oregon and tossed two fourth-quarter interceptions, failing in the exact sort of situation Johnson managed to bail the Utes out of last year.

And so, the Mountain West, which went before Congress this summer to try and earn a spot at the BCS table, now has only faint hopes of another January appointment.

All that's left for the league is TCU, but without a strong team on its non-conference schedule -- admittedly as much a fault of ACC opponents Virginian and Clemson struggling as the Horned Frogs' scheduling -- and no team inside the league that won't be dismissed by voters, Gary Patterson's club will have a hard time maneuvering around teams like Houston, which already owns a win over Oklahoma State, Boise State, which beat Oregon, or the litany of Big Six also-rans.

Even an undefeated TCU might prove that close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and BCS cronyism.

And so, for the MWC, it's summer of discontent comes to a close with a whimper. The league had even gone so far earlier this year as to go to Capitol Hill to press their case thousands of miles away from their native footprint.

But, as Dekoda Watson walked around with a hunk of Provo in his left paw, it turned out that for at least this year, the Mountain West didn't need to worry about road victories in Washington D.C.

In the end, it couldn't even defend its home turf.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Mountain West Loses BCS Turf War originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:38:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Ray HollomanSat, 19 Sep 2009 22:38:00 EST Thursday Night FanHouse College Football Chat and Experts' Twitter Feedhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/03/thursday-night-fanhouse-college-football-chat-and-twitter-feed/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/03/thursday-night-fanhouse-college-football-chat-and-twitter-feed/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/03/thursday-night-fanhouse-college-football-chat-and-twitter-feed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

College football is B - A - C - K so grab a seat, pop on ESPN or some other network if you're watching one of the undercard games (Coastal Carolina at Kent State, perhaps?), and lets talk college football's opening night starting at 7 PM Eastern.

A team of FanHouse writers will be your hosts and we'll have updated Twitter feeds from various sources related to the involved teams updating within the chat software. See it all ... after the jump!
Live Scoreboard | South Carolina Grinds Out Win
David Whitley: Erin Andrews Watch


Thursday Night FanHouse College Football Chat and Experts' Twitter Feed originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Brian GrummellThu, 03 Sep 2009 18:47:00 EST Gators Near-Unanimous Preseason No. 1 In USA Today Coaches Pollhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/07/florida-gators-near-unanimous-preseason-no-1-in-usa-today-coach/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/07/florida-gators-near-unanimous-preseason-no-1-in-usa-today-coach/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/08/07/florida-gators-near-unanimous-preseason-no-1-in-usa-today-coach/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

After an offseason of tumult, the preseason USA Today coaches' poll has arrived, proclaiming Tim Tebow's Florida Gators the early favorites as college football's top team. No surprise there, as the defending BCS Champion Gators return the rhino-QB and the bulk of their offense, plus the entire two deep from a top-five 2008 defense.

That choice is the most obvious and uncontested since the much-hyped start of USC's 2005 run. There's a lesson there, of course, for both the Gators and for fans. Its not like USC was a bad team, but the still-impressive results didn't quite match the hype. So what about the rest of the poll? We report, we decide, after the jump.

So about that near-unanimous thing. Florida actually lost a few first place votes -- four to Texas, one to Oklahoma and one to USC. Its a bit surprising, but then it's also merely the preseason poll, where silly ballots are most easily dismissed and least damaging.

What I find interesting is that, although USC is fourth, they'll be No. 3 (ahead of the Red River Rivalry loser the subsequent week) if they go undefeated through the first few weeks, and in a position to pounce if Florida or Texas/Oklahoma falters. That assumes they beat No. 6 Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor in Columbus, of course.

As far as conference talk, the SEC placed five teams in the top 13, at Nos. 1, 5, 9, 10 and 13. The Big 12 came in at Nos. 2, 3, 11 and 22. The Pac-10 could be sneaky with teams at No. 4, 12, 14 and 25. The ACC enters with the Nos. 7, 15, 19 and 20 teams and the Big Ten has the Nos. 6, 8 and 21 teams.

Where's the Big East, you ask? Not here! Meanwhile, part-time Big East member Notre Dame sneaks in at No. 23 while playoff-crusading Mountain West powers TCU, Utah and BYU are at Nos. 17, 18 and 24. Perennial wildcard Boise State is at No. 16.

Michigan actually received one vote, which angered my colleague Mark Hasty. "Tennessee and Michigan should have received no votes at all," he said. I haven't done my preseason rankings yet, but its hard to count Michigan out despite what happened last year. That's a talented team, used to winning, that had terrible quarterback issues. New freshman quarterback Tate Forcier might erase many of those concerns once the Big Ten season rolls around.

The larger concern among the FanHouse college football staff was the treatment of Alabama and the handful of non-BCS invaders.

Said Hasty: "Nope, there's no glass ceiling in this poll, what with Boise State, TCU, and Utah stuck together at 16-18. How does Utah go undefeated, totally embarrass a team from America's Greatest Conference in a bowl game and wind up ranked well out of the top 10? And why are they below Boise State and TCU? What does Utah have to do to be taken seriously?"

Adds Clay Travis, "How are Alabama and LSU legit top-10 teams. I mean that really. Alabama at 5? That's insane."

I probably won't be putting Alabama that high, but I don't think it's unreasonable either. I will be buying what LSU's selling this year, however. Last year's woes had more to do with shaky quarterback play and a two-headed-monster defensive coordinator setup with too many chefs in the kitchen. Les Miles seemed to address those issues by promoting redshirt freshman Jordan Jefferson to the starting quarterback position the Tigers' final two games -- thus mercifully ending Jarrett Lee's parade of pick-sixes -- and hiring Tennessee outcast John Chavis to run his defense. They'll be fine.

As for Utah, lets not forget they lost arguably their best player in quarterback Brian Johnson. There's a winning system in place and, while they went undefeated last season, the Sugar Bowl romp seems more of an isolated event rather than a trend. Don't forget they had miraculous escapes against TCU and Oregon State last year, and barely held on to a two-point win against the worst Michigan team in decades. Undefeated is undefeated but, as sometimes happens, I think the record was a little better than the team last year, something the surprise Sugar Bowl victory obscured.

Also, lets remember that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham could only stomach voting his team No. 5 for last year's end of regular season ballot. Let that marinate for a while.

As a matter of pure argument, I happen to believe Utah's 2004 team (under now-Florida coach Urban Meyer) was much superior to the undefeated group last year. They had the misfortune of timing that undefeated run with the year USC had a juggernaut and both Oklahoma and Auburn went undefeated. They have my sympathy inasmuch as I probably would have voted them over at least Auburn at the end of the year.

Other issues raised within FanHouse included the merits of a preseason poll altogether and these polls being less reflective of the teams than the biases of the voters.

Said Bruce Ciskie, "The worst part about this is that the biases are now in place. I mean, even if BYU beats Oklahoma in the opener (highly unlikely, but play along), they have a long way to go from 24th. Imagine how high they would be if the initial poll wasn't out until six weeks into the season, and BYU somehow got through the minefields and started 6-0."

And Michael David Smith, "I agree completely that the preseason polls are useful mostly as a measurement of the biases of the voters."

I'm in the minority here, but I think college football is all about debate and discussion and not so much about finality. Its quirks and flaws are inherent and somehow make for a compelling product. I understand the concern about preseason polls and I'd be willing to see the official ones pushed to a later date experimentally, but have a hunch that really wouldn't have as much effect as we might anticipate. In the interim multiple somebodies (fans, the AP poll, etc.) will have their polls and people will be watching them and perhaps influenced by them. There is no vacuum from which to avoid the chatter.

In the meantime, they're great discussion and, whatever the biases of voters, what's even more influential are the events of a 12- (sometimes 13-) game regular season in which only the final ballot matters. The regular season, how teams evolve and perform, is what is most important anyway.

If your blood is boiling in early August because of some preseason polls, perhaps its time to find another game.

As for BYU, 'Senator Blutarsky' at Get The Picture takes a less cynical view of their chances
[If] BYU somehow runs the table, it's going to be a serious contender to play in the BCS title game, no matter what else goes on, as it faces four teams in the preseason top twenty, including #3 Oklahoma. I'm not saying the Cougars would be a lock to play if they're 12-0, but they'll be in the mix, and deservedly so.
Cosigned.

Gators Near-Unanimous Preseason No. 1 In USA Today Coaches Poll originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Tim TebowUSA TodayBrian GrummellFri, 07 Aug 2009 12:19:00 EST MVC, WAC Reluctantly Agree to Stay With The BCS systemhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/09/mvc-wac-reluctantly-agree-to-stay-with-the-bcs-system/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/09/mvc-wac-reluctantly-agree-to-stay-with-the-bcs-system/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/09/mvc-wac-reluctantly-agree-to-stay-with-the-bcs-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Mountain West Conference has been dissatisfied with the Bowl Championship Series system for years and their disdain hit the pinnacle when Utah finished the 2008 regular season undefeated and did not rank in the top 2, preventing the Utes from playing in the BCS National Championship Game.

Utah soundly beat Alabama and finished as the lone undefeated team in America, and the MVC lobbied for an automatic bid in the BCS system. But negotiations with the MVC and the Western Athletic Conference never advanced, and both conferences signed an agreement to retain their same role in the BCS -- reluctantly.

"Today, the Mountain West Conference has executed the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) agreement and the attendant rights agreement with ESPN," the conference said in a statement on their Web site. "While the Mountain West has expressed serious concerns with the various fundamental flaws in the current BCS system, our various good faith initiatives to generate reform have thus far not been accepted."

The MVC admitted that negotiations with BCS officials weren't progressing. The current system invites a non-BCS conference team -- which includes the MVC and WAC -- into the bowl system if it finishes in the Top 12 in the BCS rankings. Utah finished in the Top 12 and therefore was invited to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

The rankings are based on strength of schedule and how opponents fare during the season. Given that MVC and WAC schools play lesser schedules, the possibility of a conference member being in the BCS title game is highly unlikely under the current system. MVC officials proposed an eight-team playoff system that would allow non-BCS teams a better opportunity for a national title, but it was shot down by the BCS conferences.

"The Mountain West believes it has no choice at this time but to sign the agreements," the statement said. "If a conference wishes to compete at the highest levels of college football, and the only postseason system in place for that is the BCS, no one conference can afford to drop out and penalize its football programs and student-athletes."

The current system expires in 2013, but the MVC made it clear it wasn't satisfied with the system.

"The Mountain West will continue its efforts for change," the statement concluded, "including a request for dialogue with representatives of the BCS. Our goal is to ensure the eventual outcome of these endeavors is what our universities and student-athletes need, what the vast majority of American sports fans want, and what is long overdue: an equitable system."

MVC, WAC Reluctantly Agree to Stay With The BCS system originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Gary WashburnThu, 09 Jul 2009 01:30:00 EST Lawyers Encircle College Footballhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/15/lawyers-encircle-college-football/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/15/lawyers-encircle-college-football/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/06/15/lawyers-encircle-college-football/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

There's an unnerving, repetitive theme to the first four items in this week's FanHouse Walk -- lawyers. Maybe its just the offseason or an odd week, but they seem to be everywhere related to college football right now. Today's headliner finds Florida's Attorney General Bill McCollum threatening the NCAA and its president Myles Brand with a $1,000 fine or even jail time if it doesn't make public documents related to its confidential investigation into Florida State athletics.

McCollum is leaning on Florida law that appears to force sunlight into otherwise confidential processes involving public entities like Florida State University. Florida State has so far declined requests for documents citing NCAA policy asking member institutions not to release confidential details related to investigations. To which McCollum answers thusly:

A lack of physical custody of a document does not excuse Florida State University from its obligations under Florida law.

Any lawyers in the house care to assess the NCAA and Florida State's chances of keeping matters private here? Seems like a slam dunk victory for the state of Florida if they take this to court. I'm big on privacy but McCollum's got a point that when matters involve an entity like Florida State University serving at the behest of the public, some of that privacy is necessarily thrown out the window.

Good Attorney General, Bad Attorney General -- At the moment I'm sympathetic towards Florida AG Bill McCollum, but Utah's AG Mark Shurtleff (who claims to be a "true fiscal conservative" on his Twitter page) is just plain annoying. Whatever you think of the BCS, its clear he's overreached the bounds of his office in taking on the dominant presence in college football's postseason structure.

His latest antics include calling on the Department of Justice to waste its time and further taxpayer dollars investigating the BCS.

In an interview with KSL NewsRadio, Shurtleff said he plans to make a pitch to the Justice Department to bring the weight of its antitrust division into the probe. "Because they have the resources that Utah does not have," Shurtleff said. "Taking on the BCS is a huge undertaking financially."

Here's an idea, if its a huge financial undertaking, not really of high public priority and you're a fiscal conservative, don't bother. Anyone created one of those recall petitions yet for Mr. Shurtleff? I'll sign it.

Preventative Medicine -- Missouri will now test all athletes for sickle cell trait, which is linked to exercise-related fatalities. This move is seemingly related to the settlement of a lawsuit after the death of football player Aaron O'Neal.

While the official cause of death was listed as viral meningitis, several experts - including the chairman of Missouri's pathology department - suggested that a sickle cell trait O'Neal possessed was a contributing factor in his death.

Briefly reading up on the condition it seems extremely rare and not quite fully linked to exercise death, but it sounds like a worthwhile test if it can prevent death. Hopefully more universities follow Missouri's example here although perhaps the costs for such testing are generally prohibitive?

Florida's Get Out Of Jail Card -- Florida's point man when it comes to athlete legal troubles is one Huntley Johnson.

... Sentinel research shows that of the 23 cases handled by Johnson, 21 resulted in dropped charges, a plea deal or pre-trial deferment plans that help first-time offenders avoid charges after fulfilling court-ordered stipulations.

The remaining two cases are unresolved, including sophomore cornerback Janoris Jenkins' arrest two weeks ago on charges of affray and resisting an officer. Eight felony cases have been reduced to misdemeanors or thrown out of court.

"As far as the legal aspect, he's the [team's] MVP," said Cecil Newton, the father of former Gators quarterback Cam Newton.

He sounds a lot like Carmen Trutanich, who has been vilified by UCLA fans as something of a Houdini helping USC football players get out of trouble. Trutanich, by the way, is the newly elected Los Angeles City Attorney.

Overtime, Ball on the 25

-- The Rose Bowl will now be televised by ESPN starting in 2011, meaning all the major BCS bowl games are under contract with The Worldwide Leader through 2014.

-- Meanwhile, the Pac-10 is looking into negotiations with the Alamo Bowl. Hopefully that works out as the Pac-10 could use a shakeup in their bowl arrangements and a chance to play some bigger teams out east.

-- Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer a star in race relations?

-- Priorities. The NCAA blog wonders if candy is good for athletes.

Lawyers Encircle College Football originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>BCSMark ShurtleffNCAARose BowlThe FanHouse WalkBrian GrummellMon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST Utah Attorney General Vows to Sue BCShttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/07/utah-attorney-general-vows-to-sue-the-bcs/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/07/utah-attorney-general-vows-to-sue-the-bcs/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/07/utah-attorney-general-vows-to-sue-the-bcs/#commentsFiled under: ,


The federal government's opposition to the Bowl Championship Series is well established: President Obama favors a college football playoff, and last week a member of Congress compared the BCS to Communism. And now the attorney general of Utah is saying that if the feds don't go after the BCS, he will.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says that he plans to take the BCS to court. Utah television station KUTV reports:
"It doesn't matter what Congress does, we're going forward, and we will sue," Shurtleff said. ... The next step is to talk to the Department of Justice, and see if they will lead on this suit."
Obviously, Shurtleff is motivated by the fact that Utah was shut out of the BCS championship game after finishing the 2008 season undefeated. And obviously, he's hoping to curry favor with his Ute fan constituents.

But I have a feeling quite a few of those constituents won't be so favorably inclined toward Shurtleff when they realize that Shurtleff is planning to spend a whole lot of their money on this issue. Shurtleff says he is willing to spend millions of dollars on this lawsuit if the Justice Department doesn't, claiming that a college football playoff is valuable enough to the state of Utah that it would be worth it in the long run.

I'm with Shurtleff in his calls for a playoff. I just think figuring out how to run the college football postseason is up to the NCAA and the individual schools, and not up to the attorney general of Utah.

More at College Football Talk.

Utah Attorney General Vows to Sue BCS originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 16:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Michael David SmithThu, 07 May 2009 16:34:00 EST Congressman: BCS 'Like Communism'http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/01/congressman-says-bcs-is-like-communism/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/01/congressman-says-bcs-is-like-communism/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/01/congressman-says-bcs-is-like-communism/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Don't get U.S. Rep. Joe Barton wrong: He doesn't think Tim Tebow is a Communist. He just thinks the process by which Tebow and the Florida Gators became national champions is reminiscent of Communism.

Barton is the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's commerce, trade and consumer protection subcommittee, and that subcommittee had a hearing Friday on the pressing issue of whether college football needs a playoff. Barton isn't a fan of the Bowl Championship Series, and he said this:
"That time, I had hoped through a spirit of volunteerism, the BCS would decide to go to a playoff system," he said. "That hasn't happened yet. It is interesting that people of good will - I think everybody on whatever side of the issue is a person of good will - keeps trying to tinker with the current system. ...

"It's like communism, you can't fix it."
I think Barton may have gone a tad too far there, but I happen to think he's right that the college football postseason is ridiculous. I'm not sure that this is an issue best left to Congress, but I am sure that I long for a day when we can forget about the BCS. That day isn't coming any time soon, though.


Here's more from Barton on the BCS:

Congressman: BCS 'Like Communism' originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 01 May 2009 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Joe BartonJoeBartonTim TebowTimTebowMichael David SmithFri, 01 May 2009 16:55:00 EST Saban Still Whining About Sugar Bowlhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/22/saban-still-whining-about-sugar-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/22/saban-still-whining-about-sugar-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/22/saban-still-whining-about-sugar-bowl/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Sugar Bowl was a great night for those not in love with the college football establishment. Unbeaten Utah, getting no consideration for the national championship, blitzed former title favorite Alabama on a neutral field in New Orleans.

It wasn't cheap. It wasn't just dumb luck. The Utes whipped the Crimson Tide, and earned every bit of credit for a sound victory. Of course, if you're Alabama coach Nick Saban, it's easier to blame others than it is to give that credit.

Saban was asked about changing attitudes and expectations in the Alabama program. After all, there's no doubt that he's done a great job so far, even though they haven't climbed the mountain yet.

The coach started talking.
"I want our fans to understand that when they don't have positive passion and energy for what we're trying to accomplish, then it affects everyone," Saban said. "Last year's team was a great example of that."
Wait.

You're blaming the fans? The fans didn't have positive passion and energy? What?
"There's very little interest from our fans, our players or anybody else to play in the Sugar Bowl, which to me is a tremendous opportunity," Saban said. "I tried to tell everyone, you're only going to remember one thing about this game and that's the outcome. So there's no interest, there's no passion and everybody is embarrassed because of how we played. Well, it's because you didn't have any passion for it, you didn't have any interest in it, you didn't have any enthusiasm to do it, and that's across the board. And that's not right. We go to a BCS bowl game, everybody ought to be positive and enthusiastic about what we're doing."
Emphasis mine, by the way.

Saban went on to say he was not blaming the fans, which explains him saying "across the board". However, if this was about him and his players not being ready enough to play, what reason was there to involve the fans?

After all, if the players are incapable of "getting up" for a BCS bowl game, what good will the fans do you?

Saban likes to try to shield his players from public criticism, but he usually puts it on himself. This is a good thing, and a part of coaching for many guys. However, it's inexcusable to rant like this about one of the most intense and supportive fanbases in all of college football.

Latest College Football Images

    In this undated photo provided by Faulkner University, football player Teirson Hollis is shown. The university said Tuesday, April 21, 2000, that Hollis and teammate Ryne Wilhite were killed when the vehicle they were riding in struck an 18-wheeler on Highway 82 in Chilton County, Ala., early Tuesday. Hollis and Wilhite were returning to Montgomery after visiting a friend in Tuscaloosa. (AP Photo/Faulkner University) ** NO SALES **

    AP

    In this undated photo provided by Faulkner University, football player Ryne White is shown. The university said Tuesday, April 21, 2000, that Ryne White and teammate Teirson Hollis were killed when the vehicle they were riding in struck an 18-wheeler on Highway 82 in Chilton County, Ala., early Tuesday. Hollis and Wilhite were returning to Montgomery after visiting a friend in Tuscaloosa. (AP Photo/Faulkner University) ** NO SALES **

    AP

    President Barack Obama arrives in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, where he presented the Commander in Chief trophy to the U.S. Naval Academy football team. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    AP

    President Barack Obama looks through a paperweight replica of a team ring that was given to him by the U.S. Naval Academy football team as he presented the Commander in Chief trophy to them, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    AP

    President Barack Obama poses with an autographed helmet given to him in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, during a ceremony where he presented the Commander in Chief trophy to the U.S. Naval Academy football team. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    AP

    Michael Crabtree, a wide receiver from Texas Tech, speaks before an interview at the Associated Press on Tuesday, April 21 2009, in New York. Crabtree dominated college football like few receivers have in two seasons at Texas Tech, scoring more than a touchdown per game. He seemed a lock to be a top-five NFL draft pick until a foot injury interrupted his preparation. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

    AP

    Michael Crabtree, a wide receiver from Texas Tech, speaks before an interview at the Associated Press on Tuesday, April 21 2009, in New York. Crabtree dominated college football like few receivers have in two seasons at Texas Tech, scoring more than a touchdown per game. He seemed a lock to be a top-five NFL draft pick until a foot injury interrupted his preparation. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

    AP

    President Barack Obama looks on as U.S. Naval Academy football head coach Ken Niumatalolo speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, where the president presented the Commander in Chief trophy to the team. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    AP

    President Barack Obama greets U.S. Naval Academy football players in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, during a ceremony where he presented the Commander in Chief trophy to the team. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    AP

    President Barack Obama speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 21, 2009, during a ceremony where he presented the Commander in Chief trophy to the U.S. Naval Academy football team. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    AP



Alabama's performance in the Sugar Bowl had nothing to do with Alabama fans feeling let down about not playing for a national title. Instead, it was about the players and coaches not being properly prepared, and Utah being a great team that played a great game when it mattered most to them.

(Pat on the butt: CFT)

Saban Still Whining About Sugar Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>nick sabanNickSabanBruce CiskieWed, 22 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST Orrin Hatch: Senate Republican, College Football Democrathttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/09/orrin-hatch-senate-republican-college-football-democrat/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/09/orrin-hatch-senate-republican-college-football-democrat/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/04/09/orrin-hatch-senate-republican-college-football-democrat/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In several decades of public service, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch has been reliably conservative. However, when it comes to discussing matters of college football the Senator walks and talks like a member of the other party. Since 2003 Hatch has been complaining about the BCS and its unfairness, accusing the major conference commissioners of being 'elitists' and threatening to haul the entire show before Congress.

In an interview with CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd, Orrin Hatch Senate Republican appears to be playing a hand from the Democratic playbook railing against unfairness, threatening congressional intervention into a private entity and a radical change in how wealth is earned and distributed among the involved parties.

Take this excerpt:

But, in general, I think the funds should be allocated in a way that is based on the teams' performance on the field. Right now, the money may as well be handed out at the beginning of the season because, in the end, we all know which schools and conferences will be getting the money. That, more than anything, is the problem with the BCS.

Conveniently ignoring that the other conferences are securing those spoils because they are vastly more popular and lucrative and whose members have, over time, created far more wealth and had more success than their peers. That's kind of how our system works and theoretically a framework Hatch supports given his political leanings. As the great Get The Picture notes:

Look, like it or not, what Hatch is proposing would radically restructure the sport of college football. The fact is that right now, the money flows where the interest is. As a general rule of thumb, the BCS conferences are better draws and generate better TV ratings than do the non-BCS conferences and that's why they get the lion's share of the money. Hatch would do away with that.

Need more?

At the same time, nearly half the teams in college football share a much smaller pot, even if they are fortunate enough to play their way into a BCS game. This creates an inherent disadvantage, not just on the field, but with regard to recruiting, facilities, and funding for other athletic programs. Given the amount of money involved here, which is unprecedented in the history of collegiate sports, I think these inequities warrant the attention of Congress.

See above. There are ways to address unfairness in college football's upper division (FBS) but in my mind that involves redirecting a great many teams into lower divisions where they could be more consistently competitive. They'd all balk at the idea, of course, realizing just how much benefit they gain from simply being in the FBS with the actual revenue machines in college football. The best mechanism by which Utah will gain access to that bigger pot is to find a way to become lucrative themselves. It isn't a lack of BCS money holding them back, but their own fan base.

Not many years ago there were a great many successful independent football teams, but now only Notre Dame remains. The rest were scooped up by the various conferences. Even within the conferences, realignment occasionally happens such as when the ACC was able to lure Miami from the Big East. So, too, can Utah be pried from the Mountain West and into say, the Pac-10 or Big 12 if they were attractive enough to the more lucrative conferences.

When we attack the BCS we ignore that the power conferences and college football's power brokers have in fact voluntarily opened up the process, inviting increasing numbers of schools to join college football's upper division, creating the BCS and rejecting the old contractual major bowl system, expanding the number of bowl games, expanded coverage to where lesser programs have far greater exposure than before.

All of that and more either directly or indirectly addresses fairness without threatening a large share of the rightful take the most powerful in the game have earned.

All of that has opened up the game and its spoils to more and more participants, but at the end of the day the game has its winners and losers. This isn't the NFL with just 32 teams, a salary cap, a rigged draft that allocates talent more heavily to the less-successful, and so on. Nor should it be, it's college football. At the end of the day SEC fans are going to spend more money on their schools than Big 10 fans who will spend more money on their schools than Mountain West fans. With those spoils come greater facilities, television coverage, potential to recruit better talent, adoration, you name it. As fans we either accept this and watch the various programs compete as they can in that environment or reject it wholesale.

I accept it. I smile knowing that Florida State was once a women's college and Miami nearly on its death bed as a football program. The little guy still finds a way in this game, often becoming quite the giant. Give it time and some very surprising things happen, and things aren't really as unfair as they once seemed. If Utah does the right things, it will have its day and then some.

So, about that intervention part.

Exhibit A: "As far as the current agreement is concerned, it is my understanding that the current BCS agreement expires next year and that there is a proposal on the table to extend it through 2014. The deal is not yet in place and a number of the conferences, particularly the Mountain West, have expressed serious concerns about the proposed extension. Frankly, I think this proposal is the reason for Congress to get involved right now"

Exhibit B: "The NCAA is clearly not involved in the college football postseason, and that may be part of the problem".

Yes, the same NCAA hypocritically cashing multimillion dollar checks from CBS for the NCAA Tournament while denying an extra year of eligibility to an athlete who played for a year on a tiny semi-pro team while trying to put his troubled life back together.

Senator's lost his mind.

(Several massive tips of the hat to Get The Picture)

Orrin Hatch: Senate Republican, College Football Democrat originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>BCS whiningCongress and sportsorrin hatchBrian GrummellThu, 09 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST Mountain West Conference Pitches Playoff: Good Idea, Badly Proposedhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/05/mountain-west-conference-pitches-playoff-good-idea-badly-propo/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/05/mountain-west-conference-pitches-playoff-good-idea-badly-propo/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/05/mountain-west-conference-pitches-playoff-good-idea-badly-propo/#commentsFiled under: ,

You can't blame the Mountain West Conference for wanting a college football playoff. In two of the last five seasons, Mountain West champion Utah went undefeated but wasn't allowed to compete for the national championship. That's just not the way sports should work.

But the Mountain West's idea for an eight-team playoff is a badly written, badly conceived proposal that will be dead on arrival in the college football world.

For starters, the four-page proposal (PDF here) is so full of notes and footnotes and jargon like "non-AQ conferences" that it's practically unreadable. Any English professor at the University of Utah would flunk it.

More importantly, it contains absolutely nothing that would convince any of the power brokers in college football to give up what they currently have with the Bowl Championship Series. The purpose of the Mountain West's proposal is ostensibly to persuade the BCS conferences and Notre Dame that they should let the smaller conferences play with the big boys, but nothing in this proposal will even come close to convincing the haves in college football that they'd get more money out of an eight-team playoff than they get out of the status quo of five BCS bowls.

The closest the Mountain West comes to talking turkey with the BCS schools is a sentence in the proposal that says, "An equitable revenue calculation will be determined once all revenue, including from television and the bowls, is known." That, of course, is utterly ridiculous. There's no way to know what "all revenue" will be until after you've gone to the TV networks and the bowls with a proposal that the six BCS conferences and Notre Dame have signed off on. And the six BCS conferences and Notre Dame aren't going to sign off until they're sure their slice of the pie isn't getting smaller. That's just the way the college football world works.

And that's why there's no chance that the BCS will accept this proposal. Here's what the head of the BCS had to say about it:
"We have received the Mountain West proposal," BCS coordinator and ACC commissioner John Swofford said in a statement. "Some of these ideas or similar ones have been addressed before in BCS meetings. We will make sure that the proposal has a full airing by the commissioners and presidents, and we will respond to the Mountain West at the conclusion of those discussions."
That sounds like a polite way of saying, "We're putting the Mountain West proposal into our circular file." Which is a shame, because buried in all the bad writing is a pretty good idea about how to reform the postseason in college football.

It does make sense to transform the four marquee bowl games into the first round of an eight-team playoff, and it does make sense to re-think which eight teams make the college football postseason. The Mountain West is right on the merits. It's just wrong about the way to make its case. And that's why this proposal is going nowhere.

Mountain West Conference Pitches Playoff: Good Idea, Badly Proposed originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Michael David SmithThu, 05 Mar 2009 09:50:00 EST Unsatisfied With Pity Party Results, Mountain West Foolishly Targets BCShttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/unsatisfied-with-pity-party-results-mountain-west-foolishly-tar/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/unsatisfied-with-pity-party-results-mountain-west-foolishly-tar/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/02/24/unsatisfied-with-pity-party-results-mountain-west-foolishly-tar/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Mountain West is mad as heck, and not gonna take it anymore. Or at least, that's their public face this week as Commissioner Craig Thompson has taken his grievances with the BCS to the halls of Congress. They've spent time lobbying various sympathetic representatives while calling the process 'rigged'.

All because Utah beat up on Alabama. It appears the Mountain West is after a guaranteed slot in the BCS (helloooo, BCS expansion) while threatening to go nuclear in Congress which would threaten the tax-exempt status of the various institutions. That is a bridge too far, and even sympathetic parties are publicly condemning the conference.

Our nominee for ridiculous quote of the day goes to Thompson who said 'I'm not certain that we're ultimately looking for government intervention. We're trying to raise public awareness.'

Translation: capitulate to our demands or we press this really shiny red button right next to our finger, pretty please.

Sympathetic FanBlogs.com rightly calls their actions a stunt.
Ultimately the Mountain West must end this charade. It's a stunt, plain and simple, to get more attention for the conference. And given the amount of effort that the MWC has put behind this campaign, it's starting to look more and more like an act of desperation by a conference that is on the cusp of a great decline, rather than the actions of division that is on the rise.
Broad-based support is also unlikely thanks to the limited nature of the Mountain West's actions. Instead of looking collectively for more entries for all smaller conferences, it appears they'd want a guaranteed opening only for themselves. The Sun Belt is having none of that.
Wright Waters doesn't want the Mountain West to get the seventh automatic BCS bid.

The Sun Belt Commissioner said that if the BCS had seven automatic bids, it would shut the rest of the non-automatic qualifying schools out of potential BCS bowls.

"There are only 10 slots," Waters said. "If you go from six to seven automatic qualifiers then you're filling three at-large spots rather than four. And when you've only got four, every one of them is important. I am not in favor of a seventh automatic qualifying team."
The Mountain West's actions are dead in the water unless they press forward and find some success in Congress. Problem is, by doing so, they open Pandora's Box and collegiate athletics to dramatic, unintended changes. In the meantime they look like petulant children.

(Via Get The Picture)

Unsatisfied With Pity Party Results, Mountain West Foolishly Targets BCS originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>BCSBrian GrummellTue, 24 Feb 2009 13:59:00 EST Five Congressmen Vote No on Resolution Honoring Florida as BCS Championhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/five-congressmen-vote-no-on-resolution-honoring-florida-as-bcs-c/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/five-congressmen-vote-no-on-resolution-honoring-florida-as-bcs-c/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/22/five-congressmen-vote-no-on-resolution-honoring-florida-as-bcs-c/#commentsFiled under: ,


Congress frequently votes on resolutions to honor the Teacher of the Year or the men and women of the Armed Forces or the spelling bee champion. These things are noncontroversial and usually pass unanimously.

But when it comes time to honor the national champion in college football, there's no such thing as noncontroversial.

So today's roll call vote on a bill titled "Commending the University of Florida Gators for winning the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game" didn't pass unanimously. Five members of Congress -- Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, Joe Barton of Texas, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Marion Berry of Arkansas and Jack Kingston of Georgia -- voted no.

More interesting is that another seven members of Congress voted present, and those votes included all three Representatives from Utah, whose state university was kept out of the national title picture despite being the only major college football team to go undefeated.

Of course, you could vote to commend the Gators for winning the BCS national title game and not necessarily agree with the process for choosing the Gators as one of the two teams playing in the game. But I salute the few members of Congress who decided to make an anti-BCS statement.

Via The Big Lead.

Five Congressmen Vote No on Resolution Honoring Florida as BCS Champion originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Michael David SmithThu, 22 Jan 2009 19:55:00 EST President-Elect Barack Obama: Utah, USC, Texas Show We Need a Playoffhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/president-elect-barack-obama-utah-usc-texas-show-we-need-a-p/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/president-elect-barack-obama-utah-usc-texas-show-we-need-a-p/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/president-elect-barack-obama-utah-usc-texas-show-we-need-a-p/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Say this for the President-elect's support for a college football playoff: It's not about political expediency.

In comments that will delight the football fans of a small state whose electoral votes he has no chance of winning in 2012 while angering the football fans of a large state whose electoral votes will be up for grabs in 2012, Barack Obama today congratulated Florida for winning the 2009 BCS National Championship Game -- but then reminded everyone that Utah has a case for No. 1, too.

Obama said he sent a message of congratulations to a friend whose son plays for the Gators. But he then reiterated his long-held belief that the BCS is a lousy way to crown a national champion.

"If I'm Utah, or if I'm USC or if I'm Texas, I might still have some quibbles," Obama said. "That's why we need a playoff."

I couldn't agree more. I fully expect Obama to get right on fixing this, just as soon as he's got the economy straightened up.

President-Elect Barack Obama: Utah, USC, Texas Show We Need a Playoff originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Barack ObamaBarackObamaMichael David SmithFri, 09 Jan 2009 12:16:00 EST Utah Gets 16 Votes for No. 1, Finishes Second to Florida in Final AP Pollhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/utah-gets-16-votes-for-no-1-finishes-second-to-florida-in-fina/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/utah-gets-16-votes-for-no-1-finishes-second-to-florida-in-fina/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/utah-gets-16-votes-for-no-1-finishes-second-to-florida-in-fina/#commentsFiled under: ,

The final Associated Press college football poll is out, and Florida, of course, is No. 1. But a quarter of the AP voters picked Utah as the No. 1 team in the country, and the Utes finished the season No. 2.

Overall, Florida got 48 first-place votes, Utah got 16 and USC got one. At least one AP voter picked both Utah and USC ahead of Florida.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said he was disappointed his team wasn't crowned the national champion:

"I thought we had an outside chance," Whittingham told the AP. "There was enough national sentiment, I thought we might get the No. 1 slot. It wasn't to be. ... All you can do is go out and beat the people on the schedule, which was exactly what our guys did."

Whittingham is right, of course, that all you can do is what his guys did. But this is college football, where the Utahs of the world aren't allowed to compete for the national championship. Utah did everything it could do, and was rewarded with the highest honor Utah could possibly receive in college football: No. 2.

Utah Gets 16 Votes for No. 1, Finishes Second to Florida in Final AP Poll originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Kyle WhittinghamKyleWhittinghamMichael David SmithFri, 09 Jan 2009 07:02:00 EST Bill James Rips the BCS, Calls on Fellow Statistical Analysts to Boycotthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/07/bill-james-rips-the-bcs-calls-on-fellow-statistical-analysts-to/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/07/bill-james-rips-the-bcs-calls-on-fellow-statistical-analysts-to/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/07/bill-james-rips-the-bcs-calls-on-fellow-statistical-analysts-to/#commentsFiled under: , ,


In the years when the BCS works more or less as well as can be expected, and the top two teams play each other for the national championship, the powers that be in college football like to pat themselves on the back for using computer rankings as part of the BCS formula. "See?" they say, "We're using the computers to make sure we have a fair, objective system."

And then in the years when the BCS doesn't work well, and college football fans are up in arms, the powers that be in college football like to blame the computer rankings in the BCS formula. "The poll voters got it right," they say, "But the computers messed everything up."

And so it goes, year after year, with the powers that be in college football using and misusing statistical analysis to suit their own needs. And now the most influential statistical analyst in the history of sports says he's fed up.

In a great article at Slate.com, Bill James calls on his fellow statistical analysts to stop participating in the BCS. According to James, analysts like Peter Wolfe and Jeff Sagarin -- though they mean well -- end up harming both statistical analysis and college football more than they help it when they allow the BCS to use their formulas. James says (and I agree) that it's absurd that the BCS has told the Wolfe and Sagarin and the rest that they're not allowed to use margin of victory in their formulas.

James writes:

Look, guys, none of us are claiming that the statistical analysts understand the game of football as well as the football coaches do, or that our analysis should take precedence over the informed opinions of experts. I'm not saying that at all.

But at the same time, statistical analysts are professional people. Heck, some of us are almost as smart as football coaches-high-school football coaches, anyway. There is no point in our participating in the process if you're going to tell us how to do the analysis based on your ignorant, backward-looking prejudices. Run your own damned computers.

We'd all be better off if college football just did away with the BCS entirely. But if college football is going to keep the BCS, it ought to be done right. And as long as people who know nothing about quantitative analysis are dictating which data can be included in the computer rankings, the BCS is done wrong.

Bill James Rips the BCS, Calls on Fellow Statistical Analysts to Boycott originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Bill JamesBillJamesMichael David SmithWed, 07 Jan 2009 18:31:00 EST Utah's Attorney General Latest to Threaten Lawsuit for a Playoffhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/06/utahs-attorney-general-the-latest-to-threaten-lawsuit-for-a-pl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/06/utahs-attorney-general-the-latest-to-threaten-lawsuit-for-a-pl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/01/06/utahs-attorney-general-the-latest-to-threaten-lawsuit-for-a-pl/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The whole state of Utah seems to be losing it's mind. They are spamming AP voters. To raise the money to send the Utah band to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, they are requesting that any donations to the Utah band be for $13 or $130 (13-0, get it?). Now, the Utah Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff -- who immediately announced his donation of $130 -- has also made it known that his office is investigating whether the BCS violates federal antitrust laws.
Now, fuming over their apparent denial of a national championship after an undefeated season, he's considering launching an investigation into college football's Bowl Championship Series. Shurtleff plans to meet with some of his lawyers and investigators next week to consider building an antitrust case against the BCS.

"This game proved that it's an unfair system," the attorney general said in an interview with the Desert News on Monday. "A team like Utah will never be given a chance."
Shurtleff, a BYU grad and Utah law school grad, made the trip to Louisiana to cheer the Utes before returning to Salt Lake City to be sworn in for his third term. This isn't the first time, Shurtleff has complained about the system. He started threatening a similar thing back in 2003, but dropped the matter when Congress held hearings.

Expect a little more publicity and grandstanding from attorney generals and US Congressmen in Utah, Idaho, Hawaii, and maybe Wyoming, Nevada and New Mexico (the six states with 1-A football programs, but no BCS member teams). Utah Senator Orrin Hatch has already thrown his support (or at least press release) of a probe.

Aside from that, little else. The 2008 Utah team will still not be given a part of the BCS Championship.

Utah's Attorney General Latest to Threaten Lawsuit for a Playoff originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

]]>Chas RichTue, 06 Jan 2009 23:43:00 EST