Monday, December 22, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
I Can't Believe I Didn't Think of This
But I just downloaded Tecmo Super Bowl - the .rom, not quite the original NES classic. And it has current (as of August or so) rosters.
So guess who's pixelating his playoff projections? Aww yeah.
So guess who's pixelating his playoff projections? Aww yeah.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
College Football News, Notes + Playoff Projections, Week 14
First off, in the name of information, I hardly saw anything this weekend. It was Thanksgiving Weekend in Louisville with Girlfriend, so I just caught most of Saturday night's games - USC-Notre Dame, and Tennessee-Kentucky. Ugly games.
That said, it was a relentlessly unremarkable weekend across the country. Sure, rivalry games are always something to pay attention to, but this year, the BCS Top 5 took their rivals behind the woodshed - Auburn, Okie State, Texas A&M, Florida State, and Notre Dame all took it on the chin in the name of poll positioning. Our championship games are set, even the Big XII, whose Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Division-Title-Winner method selected Oklahoma, and the ACC's...whatever matched up BC and unranked Virginia Tech in a meh-fest for the ages.
Given the relative chaos that has reigned the past few years, only one game remains with real BCS implications: Oklahmoma/Missouri. Now, if UCLA springs an upset on Missouri, then that bumps Boise State or Ohio State out of the BCS, since Oregon gets a Rose Bowl spot and USC will pick up an at-large spot. But if Missouri wins, get this: Oklahoma falls out of the BCS altogether. No rebounding in a BCS game; thanks to the BCS's rules, there can only be two Big XII teams, and Texas will no doubt earn a shot at the National Title, and Missouri goes with a Big XII title. So it's either Miami on January 8th or New Year's Eve in San Diego. It's Miami or bust for the Sooner Schooner. Go fig. Karma and trendspotting suggest a USC victory, but I'm gonna go out and say Oklahoma chokes away the BCS's troubles and puts Texas in Miami.
The Heisman finalists were announced today, and the safe money is on Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford. My thoughts? If you want an MVP award, as conventional wisdom dictates, then McCoy gets it for leading Texas through a remarkably tough month-long stretch of games, with only one Texas Tech drive separating them from unbeaten status. But if you want a player of the year award regardless of team record (call it the McNair Trophy), then go with Michael Crabtree, Tech's all-world wideout. Kid's gonna be a star someday.
Kudos to Phil Fulmer for keeping it classy as he departed his job at Tennessee, and props to their fans for doing the same, even as UT's athletic department pissed on Fulmer's grave before it had been dug by waiting a good four minutes to announce the hiring of Lane Kiffin. Sure, you want to get on recruiting , but they ought to at least support the façade that they still cared about the end of this season.
Alright, projection time:
No particularly meaty shakeups, but some interesting matchups emerge, as well as a first for this season: a non-BCS conference at-large team, TCU. They played the entire season under the radar while the pundits feigned interest over a Utah-BYU Holy War to end all Holy Wars.
AUTOMATIC BIDS:
AT-LARGE:
And plug all that to your BCS rankings:
So you get the following first round:
Troy @ Alabama
Boise State @ Penn State
Ball State @ USC
Cincinnati @ Florida
Boston College @ Texas
Ohio State @ Texas Tech
ECU/Tulsa @ Oklahoma
Mostly the same matchups as last week, though isn't that Ohio State/Texas Tech game juicy?
8-team projections when I feel like it.
That said, it was a relentlessly unremarkable weekend across the country. Sure, rivalry games are always something to pay attention to, but this year, the BCS Top 5 took their rivals behind the woodshed - Auburn, Okie State, Texas A&M, Florida State, and Notre Dame all took it on the chin in the name of poll positioning. Our championship games are set, even the Big XII, whose Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Division-Title-Winner method selected Oklahoma, and the ACC's...whatever matched up BC and unranked Virginia Tech in a meh-fest for the ages.
Given the relative chaos that has reigned the past few years, only one game remains with real BCS implications: Oklahmoma/Missouri. Now, if UCLA springs an upset on Missouri, then that bumps Boise State or Ohio State out of the BCS, since Oregon gets a Rose Bowl spot and USC will pick up an at-large spot. But if Missouri wins, get this: Oklahoma falls out of the BCS altogether. No rebounding in a BCS game; thanks to the BCS's rules, there can only be two Big XII teams, and Texas will no doubt earn a shot at the National Title, and Missouri goes with a Big XII title. So it's either Miami on January 8th or New Year's Eve in San Diego. It's Miami or bust for the Sooner Schooner. Go fig. Karma and trendspotting suggest a USC victory, but I'm gonna go out and say Oklahoma chokes away the BCS's troubles and puts Texas in Miami.
The Heisman finalists were announced today, and the safe money is on Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford. My thoughts? If you want an MVP award, as conventional wisdom dictates, then McCoy gets it for leading Texas through a remarkably tough month-long stretch of games, with only one Texas Tech drive separating them from unbeaten status. But if you want a player of the year award regardless of team record (call it the McNair Trophy), then go with Michael Crabtree, Tech's all-world wideout. Kid's gonna be a star someday.
Kudos to Phil Fulmer for keeping it classy as he departed his job at Tennessee, and props to their fans for doing the same, even as UT's athletic department pissed on Fulmer's grave before it had been dug by waiting a good four minutes to announce the hiring of Lane Kiffin. Sure, you want to get on recruiting , but they ought to at least support the façade that they still cared about the end of this season.
Alright, projection time:
No particularly meaty shakeups, but some interesting matchups emerge, as well as a first for this season: a non-BCS conference at-large team, TCU. They played the entire season under the radar while the pundits feigned interest over a Utah-BYU Holy War to end all Holy Wars.
AUTOMATIC BIDS:
- ACC: Boston College
- Big East: Cincinnati
- Big Ten: Penn State
- Big XII: Oklahoma
- Conference USA: Tulsa/ECU pick 'em
- MAC: Ball State
- Mountain West: Utah
- Pac 10: USC
- SEC: Alabama
- Sun Belt: Troy?
- WAC: Boise State
AT-LARGE:
- Texas
- Florida
- Texas Tech
- Ohio State
- TCU
And plug all that to your BCS rankings:
- Alabama
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Florida
- USC
- Utah
- Texas Tech
- Penn State
- Boise State
- Ohio State
- TCU
- Ball State
- Cincinnati
- Boston College
- C-USA pick 'em
- Troy
So you get the following first round:
Troy @ Alabama
Boise State @ Penn State
Ball State @ USC
Cincinnati @ Florida
Boston College @ Texas
Ohio State @ Texas Tech
ECU/Tulsa @ Oklahoma
Mostly the same matchups as last week, though isn't that Ohio State/Texas Tech game juicy?
8-team projections when I feel like it.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
This Is Where Divisiontitlequest Would Show Up...
...if there were even a snowball's chance at a Wild Card spot.
Browns lose again, despite limiting the Colts to 10 points, including a late touchdown.
Anderson's out for the rest of the year.
Man, even hardcore Browns fans are getting bummed out now. It's gonna be a long December in Browns Stadium.
I didn't catch much of anything else, as today was a travel day. The closest I got to football was getting stuck in a Cincinnati traffic jam partially induced by post-Bengals traffic. Gotta hand it to 'em, they apparently stuck around to the bitter end. Say what you will, Ohio football fans suck it up, even as their teams suck hard.
Browns lose again, despite limiting the Colts to 10 points, including a late touchdown.
Anderson's out for the rest of the year.
Man, even hardcore Browns fans are getting bummed out now. It's gonna be a long December in Browns Stadium.
I didn't catch much of anything else, as today was a travel day. The closest I got to football was getting stuck in a Cincinnati traffic jam partially induced by post-Bengals traffic. Gotta hand it to 'em, they apparently stuck around to the bitter end. Say what you will, Ohio football fans suck it up, even as their teams suck hard.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Divisiontitlequest, Week 12
Browns lose, 16-6. Not even a particularly close game. Add three more drops to Braylon's season total (is there any kind of historical stat on this, and if so, where does he stand?) and Brady Quinn didn't look any better than Derrick Anderson would have.
Fuck this, I'm going home.
Fuck this, I'm going home.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
College Football News & Notes, Week 13
This Texas Tech-Oklahoma game went from mildly competitive to downright ugly fast. Shiny, high-scoring offenses may be shiny and exciting, but in the end the same boring defenses will reign supreme. Now there's a torrid triangle atop the Big XII Texlahoma Division. Chaos will reign. Now watch and behold the horror when either Florida or Alabama lose next weekend but win the SEC, setting up a Texas-Oklahoma title game. Remember when people said that Ohio State and Michigan could have ended up playing again for the title in 2006? This could happen and again, and I'm pretty sure Mike Tranghese is ripping his hair out one follicle at a time.
Rick Rodriguez epically failed this entire season, then goes on GameDay this morning and says he lost because of Lloyd Carr's recruits? It takes a lot to alienate an entire program's fan base in a mere season, but here we are. Also, local reports claim RichRod's postgame chat with Tress consisted of Rodriguez saying, "this is the last time this happens." West Virginia, I'm pretty sure he did y'all a favor. And Michigan fans? I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I feel bad for you guys. You guys do run a classy program, and Rich...he makes Nick Saban a model of integrity. Bobby Petrino's still a douche.
An ACC update: If Virigina Tech wins next week, they win the Coastal Conference with a win next week. Georgia Tech can win if Virginia Tech, and the game against Georgia doesn't matter. Boston College....awwwwww, fuck it. I just give up on predicting anything. They can play games the next two weeks, then whoever shows up in Tampa gets to play for the title. It's a clusterfuck of a year in the BCS's real chump conference - would you belive the ACC is 1-9 all-time in BCS games? Freals. Even the Big East has done better. More on this sometime.
Man, I think the Big XII is the only conference/division that isn't overrated.
What happens if Ohio State gets picked by the BCS over an undefeated Boise State? Dear lord, I'm taking a month-long hiatus from sports talk shows. Come to think of it, I may be better off doing that until after the season anyway.
I wanna see the top four teams lose next weekend. Hey, Missouri and West Virginia choked it away despite themselves, why can't, like, four teams. I just wanna see all hell break loose and see, like, Boise State and Texas Tech play for the National Championship. Let's see Penn State take on, like, USC. I WANT A UTAH UTES NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE THINGER WITH MY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SUBSCRIPTION, DAMMIT. Grumble grumble playoffs grumble.
The Rose Bowl is currently projected as a matchup between Penn State and Oregon State. Man, people were worried over a USC-Ohio State matchup.
I gotta say, Texas Tech's utter spewing tonight was pretty impressive. I mean, we've seen a host of top-ranked teams blow their big shot the last two seasons, but not quite in this horrific a fashion. There is no one talking them up, and it's only been over officially for less than three hours. Yeah, I'm still awake. Whatevs.
So looking ahead, no giant matchups, but still, give me three days to surf games at the girlfriends' place, and you've got a pretty content guy here.
Preaseason coulda-been game: UCLA (4-6) @ Arizona State (4-6), Friday 9:30. Both were ranked in the Top 25 preseason, and both just snoozed away in a pretty boring conference. Give this one to the Sun Devils, I think UCLA's got bigger fish to fry - namely, fucking up USC's title hopes at the last minute, and at great expense.
The Surprisingly Big Game: Given that most of the shockers have been wiped out (Texas Tech, don't forget to turn out the lights as you leave, I give you Tennessee-Kentucky. Tennessee needs this win for a surprising reason: with a loss, they'll have 8 losses in a season for the first time in school history, leaving only one school in I-A without an 8-loss campaign. Which team?
Ohio State.
Rick Rodriguez epically failed this entire season, then goes on GameDay this morning and says he lost because of Lloyd Carr's recruits? It takes a lot to alienate an entire program's fan base in a mere season, but here we are. Also, local reports claim RichRod's postgame chat with Tress consisted of Rodriguez saying, "this is the last time this happens." West Virginia, I'm pretty sure he did y'all a favor. And Michigan fans? I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I feel bad for you guys. You guys do run a classy program, and Rich...he makes Nick Saban a model of integrity. Bobby Petrino's still a douche.
An ACC update: If Virigina Tech wins next week, they win the Coastal Conference with a win next week. Georgia Tech can win if Virginia Tech, and the game against Georgia doesn't matter. Boston College....awwwwww, fuck it. I just give up on predicting anything. They can play games the next two weeks, then whoever shows up in Tampa gets to play for the title. It's a clusterfuck of a year in the BCS's real chump conference - would you belive the ACC is 1-9 all-time in BCS games? Freals. Even the Big East has done better. More on this sometime.
Man, I think the Big XII is the only conference/division that isn't overrated.
What happens if Ohio State gets picked by the BCS over an undefeated Boise State? Dear lord, I'm taking a month-long hiatus from sports talk shows. Come to think of it, I may be better off doing that until after the season anyway.
I wanna see the top four teams lose next weekend. Hey, Missouri and West Virginia choked it away despite themselves, why can't, like, four teams. I just wanna see all hell break loose and see, like, Boise State and Texas Tech play for the National Championship. Let's see Penn State take on, like, USC. I WANT A UTAH UTES NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE THINGER WITH MY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SUBSCRIPTION, DAMMIT. Grumble grumble playoffs grumble.
The Rose Bowl is currently projected as a matchup between Penn State and Oregon State. Man, people were worried over a USC-Ohio State matchup.
I gotta say, Texas Tech's utter spewing tonight was pretty impressive. I mean, we've seen a host of top-ranked teams blow their big shot the last two seasons, but not quite in this horrific a fashion. There is no one talking them up, and it's only been over officially for less than three hours. Yeah, I'm still awake. Whatevs.
So looking ahead, no giant matchups, but still, give me three days to surf games at the girlfriends' place, and you've got a pretty content guy here.
Preaseason coulda-been game: UCLA (4-6) @ Arizona State (4-6), Friday 9:30. Both were ranked in the Top 25 preseason, and both just snoozed away in a pretty boring conference. Give this one to the Sun Devils, I think UCLA's got bigger fish to fry - namely, fucking up USC's title hopes at the last minute, and at great expense.
The Surprisingly Big Game: Given that most of the shockers have been wiped out (Texas Tech, don't forget to turn out the lights as you leave, I give you Tennessee-Kentucky. Tennessee needs this win for a surprising reason: with a loss, they'll have 8 losses in a season for the first time in school history, leaving only one school in I-A without an 8-loss campaign. Which team?
Ohio State.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Week 13 Playoff Projections
So, as promised last week, here are your Tuesday projections. Not much change, though I shook up some conference champion projections, if only for shits and giggles.
AUTOMATIC BERTHS:
AT-LARGE BERTHS:
SEEDING:
First Round:
Troy @ Alabama
Boise State @ Penn State
Cincinnati @ Oklahoma
Oregon State @ Florida
Miami @ Texas
Ball State @ USC
Ohio State @ Utah
Tulsa @ Texas Tech
The first round doesn't exactly inspire salivation (though the Ohio State-Utah game appears intriguing), but the second round has the potential to be epic - Penn State/'Bama, Florida and Oklahoma, and Texas Tech against either OSU or Utah, plus a Vince Young Show rematch. Lord, can we please, please, PLEASE make this happen?
And now for the Obama Bowl tournament, the 8-team tourney supported by President-elect Barack Obama.
AUTOMATIC BERTHS:
AT LARGE:
That's right, thanks to their loss to Oregon State, and coupled with Utah's latest rise, USC, along with Oklahoma, Ohio State and Boise State miss out. Not particularly satisfying, now is it?
Your seeds:
And your Obama Bowl First Round:
Miami @ Alabama
Cincinnati @ Texas Tech
Penn State @ Texas
Utah @ Florida
Two matchups of classic powers, including a potential Penn State/Texas game for the ages, and the juciest game of the first round? The Urban Meyer Memorial Grudge Match. Not bad, but it lacks the pizazz and potential. Plus, NO USC?! OMGWFBBQ.
Alright that's enough of that.
The past weekend was rather ho-hum, doncha think? Though Troy's EPIC FAIL against LSU was pretty mind-blowing. To hold a 31-3 lead on the defending champions? That's something you'll never forget. Blowing it in the fourth quarter? That's something you'll never want to remember.
It's off to the first last week of the season. The Big Ten and Mountain West will have champions, the Big XII will have a clearer answer for its mess, and we we still have solved very, very little. So stayed tuned, folks.
AUTOMATIC BERTHS:
- ACC: Miami
- Big East: Cincinnati
- Big Ten: Penn State
- Big XII: Texas Tech
- Conference USA: Tulsa
- MAC: Ball State
- Mountain West: Utah
- Pac 10: Oregon State
- SEC: Alabama
- Sun Belt: Troy
- WAC: Boise State
AT-LARGE BERTHS:
- Texas
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- USC
- Ohio State
SEEDING:
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- Texas
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- USC
- Utah
- Penn State
- Boise State
- Ohio State
- Ball State
- Cincinnati
- Oregon State
- Miami
- Tulsa
- Troy
First Round:
Troy @ Alabama
Boise State @ Penn State
Cincinnati @ Oklahoma
Oregon State @ Florida
Miami @ Texas
Ball State @ USC
Ohio State @ Utah
Tulsa @ Texas Tech
The first round doesn't exactly inspire salivation (though the Ohio State-Utah game appears intriguing), but the second round has the potential to be epic - Penn State/'Bama, Florida and Oklahoma, and Texas Tech against either OSU or Utah, plus a Vince Young Show rematch. Lord, can we please, please, PLEASE make this happen?
And now for the Obama Bowl tournament, the 8-team tourney supported by President-elect Barack Obama.
AUTOMATIC BERTHS:
- Miami
- Cincinnati
- Penn State
- Texas Tech
- Oregon State
- Alabama
AT LARGE:
- Texas
- Florida
- Utah
That's right, thanks to their loss to Oregon State, and coupled with Utah's latest rise, USC, along with Oklahoma, Ohio State and Boise State miss out. Not particularly satisfying, now is it?
Your seeds:
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- Texas
- Florida
- Utah
- Penn State
- Cincinnati
- Miami
And your Obama Bowl First Round:
Miami @ Alabama
Cincinnati @ Texas Tech
Penn State @ Texas
Utah @ Florida
Two matchups of classic powers, including a potential Penn State/Texas game for the ages, and the juciest game of the first round? The Urban Meyer Memorial Grudge Match. Not bad, but it lacks the pizazz and potential. Plus, NO USC?! OMGWFBBQ.
Alright that's enough of that.
The past weekend was rather ho-hum, doncha think? Though Troy's EPIC FAIL against LSU was pretty mind-blowing. To hold a 31-3 lead on the defending champions? That's something you'll never forget. Blowing it in the fourth quarter? That's something you'll never want to remember.
It's off to the first last week of the season. The Big Ten and Mountain West will have champions, the Big XII will have a clearer answer for its mess, and we we still have solved very, very little. So stayed tuned, folks.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Divisiontitlequest, Week 11
(Note: Divisiontitlequest is an weekly series of blog posts accounting the the struggles I, and all Browns fans face in this season of so much promise. It's been published weekly on my Tumblr, and it's high time I moved it on over here, just in time for the probable death knell.)
This might be it. The Ravens lost, but the Steelers eked out what has been an day for odd scores in the AFC North. Now, it comes down to tonight's game at Buffalo to determine if we'll have even a slim shot at playoff glory.
I don't believe I posted my reactions to last Thursday's loss versus the Broncos, but I think a simple, grunted "GOD DAMMIT" will suffice.
This might be it. The Ravens lost, but the Steelers eked out what has been an day for odd scores in the AFC North. Now, it comes down to tonight's game at Buffalo to determine if we'll have even a slim shot at playoff glory.
I don't believe I posted my reactions to last Thursday's loss versus the Broncos, but I think a simple, grunted "GOD DAMMIT" will suffice.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
It is officiallly:
Beat Michigan Week
Yes, this is a bit of seminal week here in Columbus. Even if that other team is a bit of a joke. Let the madness - tell me that jumping into Mirror Lake in the end of November isn't that - begin.
Yes, this is a bit of seminal week here in Columbus. Even if that other team is a bit of a joke. Let the madness - tell me that jumping into Mirror Lake in the end of November isn't that - begin.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
TJBFC Presents: Road to the Summer Bowl
PLAYOFF! PLAYOFF! PLAYOFF!
It seems to be the hottest topic on the college football scene at the moment. Even President-elect Obama got in on the action last week. Proponents mostly present the merits of an 8-team playoff that retains the BCS formula. That's well and all, but the ideal method, I believe is a 16-team tournament. Realistically, the best we can hope for anytime soon is a "plus-one" system after the bowls - using the current BCS Title Game.
Little do these so-called "experts" know that I've been secretly determining college football's true champion since 2003, with a little thing I like to call the Summer Bowl. And it's about to blow your mind.
So how does the Summer Bowl work?
First off, let's establish the fact that it is no more than a fantasy simulation, played entirely on my six-year-old XBox (I still haven't made the platform jump). And it will never, ever happen in real-life due to it's detail and it's placement (which could be easly altered for real-world demands. It stems from the stalemate that came about between USC and LSU a few years back. The BCS not only didn't prevent, but more or less caused a split championship. So who was the true champion? My cousin and I, in the boredom of a youthful summer, decided one lazy afternoon to play it out with NCAA Football. We picked a relatively neutral site - Kansas City - and played it out. USC pwned 'em, 62-14, and suddenly a tradition was born. It evolved into a playoff the following year, at one point becoming a massive 32-team affair.
As for the current setip, it's based on my idealistic 16-team system. It ensures fairness and helps out the little guy.
So currently, let's use some logical projections and current BCS rankings to set our field:
AUTOMATIC BERTHS
AT-LARGE BERTHS
So take the 16 teams, and apply the BCS rankings (all teams, except for UL-Lafayette are in the BCS Top 25)
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Georgia
11. Ohio State
12. Ball State
13. North Carolina
14. Pittsburgh
15. Tulsa
16. UL-Lafayette
And the first-round matchups look something like this:
UL-Lafayette @ Alabama
Boise State @ Penn State
Ball State @ Oklahoma
North Carolina @ Florida
Pitt @ Texas
Ohio State @ USC (groan)
Georgia @ Utah
Tulsa @ Texas Tech
Draw your own conclusions at will, but there are some nifty matchups, including a potential 'Bama-Penn State slugfest in the second round. Stay tuned every week for updated projections, then check in this summer as we play it out.
And just for shits and giggles, let's draw up a more reasonable 8-team playoff using the current (er, pre-fifth game) BCS formula
AUTOMATIC:
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Penn State
Texas Tech
USC
Alabama
Utah (automatic qualifier)
AT-LARGE:
Texas
(apologies to Florida and Oklahoma fans, blame Utah)
Seeding:
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Utah
6. Penn State
7. North Carolina
8. Pittsburgh
First Round:
Pitt @ Alabama
Utah @ USC
Penn State @ Texas
North Carolina @ Texas Tech
Less appealing, but only slightly so. The Notre Dame clause and the conference tie-ins neuter it a bit, but hey, gotta let everyone have an equal shot, right?
It seems to be the hottest topic on the college football scene at the moment. Even President-elect Obama got in on the action last week. Proponents mostly present the merits of an 8-team playoff that retains the BCS formula. That's well and all, but the ideal method, I believe is a 16-team tournament. Realistically, the best we can hope for anytime soon is a "plus-one" system after the bowls - using the current BCS Title Game.
Little do these so-called "experts" know that I've been secretly determining college football's true champion since 2003, with a little thing I like to call the Summer Bowl. And it's about to blow your mind.
So how does the Summer Bowl work?
First off, let's establish the fact that it is no more than a fantasy simulation, played entirely on my six-year-old XBox (I still haven't made the platform jump). And it will never, ever happen in real-life due to it's detail and it's placement (which could be easly altered for real-world demands. It stems from the stalemate that came about between USC and LSU a few years back. The BCS not only didn't prevent, but more or less caused a split championship. So who was the true champion? My cousin and I, in the boredom of a youthful summer, decided one lazy afternoon to play it out with NCAA Football. We picked a relatively neutral site - Kansas City - and played it out. USC pwned 'em, 62-14, and suddenly a tradition was born. It evolved into a playoff the following year, at one point becoming a massive 32-team affair.
As for the current setip, it's based on my idealistic 16-team system. It ensures fairness and helps out the little guy.
- All FBS conference champions earn a spot
- Five at-large teams qualify, limit of two per conference
- Seedings are based on BCS standings
So currently, let's use some logical projections and current BCS rankings to set our field:
AUTOMATIC BERTHS
- ACC: North Carolina
- Big East: Pittsburgh
- Big Ten: Penn State
- Big XII: Texas Tech
- Conference USA: Tulsa
- MAC: Ball State
- Mountain West: Utah
- Pac 10: USC
- SEC: Alabama
- Sun Belt: UL-Lafayette
- WAC: Boise State
AT-LARGE BERTHS
- Texas
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- Georgia
- Ohio State
So take the 16 teams, and apply the BCS rankings (all teams, except for UL-Lafayette are in the BCS Top 25)
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Georgia
11. Ohio State
12. Ball State
13. North Carolina
14. Pittsburgh
15. Tulsa
16. UL-Lafayette
And the first-round matchups look something like this:
UL-Lafayette @ Alabama
Boise State @ Penn State
Ball State @ Oklahoma
North Carolina @ Florida
Pitt @ Texas
Ohio State @ USC (groan)
Georgia @ Utah
Tulsa @ Texas Tech
Draw your own conclusions at will, but there are some nifty matchups, including a potential 'Bama-Penn State slugfest in the second round. Stay tuned every week for updated projections, then check in this summer as we play it out.
And just for shits and giggles, let's draw up a more reasonable 8-team playoff using the current (er, pre-fifth game) BCS formula
AUTOMATIC:
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Penn State
Texas Tech
USC
Alabama
Utah (automatic qualifier)
AT-LARGE:
Texas
(apologies to Florida and Oklahoma fans, blame Utah)
Seeding:
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. USC
5. Utah
6. Penn State
7. North Carolina
8. Pittsburgh
First Round:
Pitt @ Alabama
Utah @ USC
Penn State @ Texas
North Carolina @ Texas Tech
Less appealing, but only slightly so. The Notre Dame clause and the conference tie-ins neuter it a bit, but hey, gotta let everyone have an equal shot, right?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Does Anyone Else....
want to see a Brewers-Rays World Series?
The Yankees are out. Ha.
The Mets are going to choke it away, mark my words. Even if Santana has a killer outing tomorrow, they'll outchoke the Brewers. And given the abysmal September Milwaukee has had, that's saying something. [Side note, Stats Inc. reported that if games ended after the 8th inning, the Mets would have won the NL East by 8 games. lol failpen.]
Boston? Psh, I stopped cheering for them the moment they won their first title in 04. How they expect anyone to see them as an underdog still is beyond me. When you outspend everyone except the Yankees, you are not an underdog.
The Dodgers? Let's see them play someone other than the Padres and Rockies week in, week out. When you win your division as the only team with a winning record...no.
The Angels, sorta like the Dodgers. Better team, far worse division. I don't know if anyone appreciates just how wretched the rest of the AL West is. Honestly.
Cubs? Obama said it best. White Sox fans are the real heroes. The Cubs are the trendy underdogs. Except Bill Murray. He's always cool in my book.
Alright, I can't find any reason to hate the Phillies, so if they make it, that's cool. Whatev. Remember, though, it's for them, not their fans. DIFFERENCE
The realistic scenario I like best? Philadelphia andAnaheim Los Angeles...of Anaheim. Whatever.
But I'd love to see the two smallest markets, the two most ho-hum teams in the playoffs (assuming I'm right, and the Brewers make it. And I'm always right. You can't count Ohio State and the Browns against me). Seriously, can you imaginethe good folks Joe Buck of Fox trying to give two shits about teams not in one of the big four cities?
"Here we are at historic Tropicana Field, here in St. Petersburg, Florida. If I said it was a perfect evening for baseball, I'd be lying. We're here under the sanitary glow of a Wal-Mart Warehouse, a building with the charm of a Bronx DMV office. There's a tepid air of semi-believable enthusiasm, and the stands are filled with fine folks who look like my father, who has been dead for a few years now."
As an imitation Reds fan, I would love to see either team, particularly the Rays, make a run of it. You know, for the little guy. And to give Rays fans a reason to show up, other than one dollar beers in the cheap seats. And, as always, for the lulz.
Seriously, though, this would be one for the purists. It's the true sign of this "New Era" stuff, you know, the end of the steroid era. Two teams who combined have one player anyone can name (and hell, you still wonder, "Sabathia's in Milwaukee?!"), micromanaging their way to glory. It's a baseball nerd's wet dream. The dinger is dead. Long live small ball.
And who doesn't like to see Joe Buck reduced to the smug bastard he really is?
The Yankees are out. Ha.
The Mets are going to choke it away, mark my words. Even if Santana has a killer outing tomorrow, they'll outchoke the Brewers. And given the abysmal September Milwaukee has had, that's saying something. [Side note, Stats Inc. reported that if games ended after the 8th inning, the Mets would have won the NL East by 8 games. lol failpen.]
Boston? Psh, I stopped cheering for them the moment they won their first title in 04. How they expect anyone to see them as an underdog still is beyond me. When you outspend everyone except the Yankees, you are not an underdog.
The Dodgers? Let's see them play someone other than the Padres and Rockies week in, week out. When you win your division as the only team with a winning record...no.
The Angels, sorta like the Dodgers. Better team, far worse division. I don't know if anyone appreciates just how wretched the rest of the AL West is. Honestly.
Cubs? Obama said it best. White Sox fans are the real heroes. The Cubs are the trendy underdogs. Except Bill Murray. He's always cool in my book.
Alright, I can't find any reason to hate the Phillies, so if they make it, that's cool. Whatev. Remember, though, it's for them, not their fans. DIFFERENCE
The realistic scenario I like best? Philadelphia and
But I'd love to see the two smallest markets, the two most ho-hum teams in the playoffs (assuming I'm right, and the Brewers make it. And I'm always right. You can't count Ohio State and the Browns against me). Seriously, can you imagine
"Here we are at historic Tropicana Field, here in St. Petersburg, Florida. If I said it was a perfect evening for baseball, I'd be lying. We're here under the sanitary glow of a Wal-Mart Warehouse, a building with the charm of a Bronx DMV office. There's a tepid air of semi-believable enthusiasm, and the stands are filled with fine folks who look like my father, who has been dead for a few years now."
As an imitation Reds fan, I would love to see either team, particularly the Rays, make a run of it. You know, for the little guy. And to give Rays fans a reason to show up, other than one dollar beers in the cheap seats. And, as always, for the lulz.
Seriously, though, this would be one for the purists. It's the true sign of this "New Era" stuff, you know, the end of the steroid era. Two teams who combined have one player anyone can name (and hell, you still wonder, "Sabathia's in Milwaukee?!"), micromanaging their way to glory. It's a baseball nerd's wet dream. The dinger is dead. Long live small ball.
And who doesn't like to see Joe Buck reduced to the smug bastard he really is?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
USC Goes Down
Oregon State pulls off their second straight home upset of USC, and Mark Sanchez is uuuunhappy. Throwing shit around, pouting, pouting, pouting some more. Oregon State came out swinging and USC didn't think this game through.
Jaquizz Rogers got pounded (I'm literally blogging this as I watch SportsCenter) and still took the vaunted USC defense to town. 186 yards. So much for being unstoppable.
Another online dude:
USC didn't have their heads in a game Oregon State considered their Big Game for the year. Hrm, sounds familiar...argh.
Well, if we can't bring 'em down, at least someone did. Go OSU!
Holy shit. Oregon State is 5-2 against ranked teams in Corvallis. Shit, that would make it a pretty damned hard place to play, amirite?
And finally, to quote Ben Folds, and to promote his new CD and my other blog:
IF THERE IS A GOD, HE IS LAUGHING AT US, AND OUR FOOTBALL TEAM.
Edit: someone over at 4chan /sp/ just delivered this:
Win.
Jaquizz Rogers got pounded (I'm literally blogging this as I watch SportsCenter) and still took the vaunted USC defense to town. 186 yards. So much for being unstoppable.
Another online dude:
best quote of the night..."I'm a small dude, they couldn't find me"...how bout them Beavers
USC didn't have their heads in a game Oregon State considered their Big Game for the year. Hrm, sounds familiar...argh.
Well, if we can't bring 'em down, at least someone did. Go OSU!
Holy shit. Oregon State is 5-2 against ranked teams in Corvallis. Shit, that would make it a pretty damned hard place to play, amirite?
And finally, to quote Ben Folds, and to promote his new CD and my other blog:
IF THERE IS A GOD, HE IS LAUGHING AT US, AND OUR FOOTBALL TEAM.
Edit: someone over at 4chan /sp/ just delivered this:
Win.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hockey is back!
And so is Don Cherry.
Canada, this is your boyfriend. Sorry, this is one of your national heroes. Or villains. Depends who you talk to.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Hey, Remember Mo Clarett?
Copy-pasta from Tumblr
That man used to be a hero. Really.
Maurice Clarett was going to the next great college tailback. He was going to be the next great Buckeye. He would have been the next Archie. Then he fucked it all up. And harsh as it is, that’s the only word that can truly express how badly No. 13 messed it all up and slipped out of relevance.
I remember watching that first game. I was a 14 year old kid, a freshman, and major Ohio State fan - this is Columbus, y’know. Jim Tressel was still the new guy, and had something to prove. And so did this kid. He was a true freshman, out of Warren Harding. And all of a sudden, he was a starter. And what a game he had.
He pretty much plowed through the schedule, Big 10 and all. I still have many, many vivid memories of the whole season - especially listening to the very end of the Purdue game on the radio on the way home from Wittenberg. Krenzel threw the winning touchdown as we hit the driveway…anyway, that’s a story for another day.
Anyway, he had a killer freshman year. Naturally, he was set to be the latest hero in Ohio State lore. And yet, a random online article was the first time I’ve heard his name in god knows how long. It’s like a collective family secret, one no one mentions, and no one acknowledges. Hell, even ESPN, who was at one time totally out to get us, hasn’t done the inevitable catching-up piece. Or maybe they have. I’ve only recently caught up on my morning SportsCenter. But he’s gone for all we know, locked away in a prison up in Toledo. And it’s his own damn fault.
It started the summer after The Glory (as I still refer to the whole “ness” of the one actual championship season - again, another story) when Mo’s car got robbed. Suddenly, he helped himself to bunch of stuff that just wasn’t there - for those of you familiar with insurance terms, it’s called “fraud” and it’s sort of illegal. This played out as a “oh no” bit, while he was bitching about how Ohio State treated him like shit, he got suspended…and it just went to hell from there.
He never did play another game, not at Ohio State. Man, imagine if he’d had a young Justin Zwick or Troy Smith handing him the ball…damn. Anyway, we digress.
From here, Mo sits out a year. Doesn’t plan on coming back. Whines to ESPN some more. Then, he decided to challenge the NFL. If you’re not familiar with it, the NFL was the only league at the time that had college-experience age limits (the NBA has since passed a 20-year-old restriction for draftees). He decided he’d be the supposedly inevitable guy to bring the rule down. So he challenged it. And lost. In a word, “shit”.
So he waited. Not much was heard till the next draft came ‘round. He’d sat out two years, but since he was soooooooo good, that wasn’t gonna be a problem. Right?
His two 40-yard-dash times were around 4.7 and 4.8. That would equal most of the guys actually measuring the tests. Still, the Broncos took a flyer on him - in the third round, no less. He signed the first deal they shoved his way, much to the chagrin of his agents. Turns out, he was almost a million dollars in debt after his lawsuit against the NFL went almost the Supreme Court (who declined to hear it). Instead of taking more guaranteed money, he wanted a Ricky Williams-esque deal laden with incentives. He figured he’d be the same guy he’d been his freshman year. Hell, with Shanahan’s system, he had a shot. Except for the part where he showed up to training camp injured and 20 pounds overweight.
So that was kinda over before it started. He considered bouncing around a few local arena league teams. Then came New Year’s 2006. After a late night of partying, a couple of guys walked out of the old Opium lounge, when suddenly, they were accosted by a vaguely familiar looking man. Suddenly, they realized, “fuck, dude, you’re Maurice Clarett!” All he got out of them was a cell phone. He turned himself in the next night during the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, and that was that. He got a court date, and all was calm. Then, the night before his trial began, he went batshit insane. Almost literally.
The C-Bus collectively woke up to remember Mo when he was splattered all over newspapers - even the Dispatch had gotten it just in time. He’d led police on a chase down I-70, ended with spike strips and Mo being “removed” from the vehicle. Police, er, calmed him with mace. They tried a taser, but he had on a bulletproof kevlar vest. He was ridin’ dirty with two handguns, a knockoff AK-47 and a used bottle of Grey Goose and - you can’t make this shit up - “a compact disc of children’s songs recorded by Ohio prison inmates that the state distributed…to prisoners and their families.” Yep.
He made his hearing after all, then, to no surprise, got sent to prison. He’s currently serving, due out in a year or so.
So there you have it. He might have been the best tailback Ohio State had seen since Archie, or at least Eddie. Instead…well, you see the picture above.
Good luck, Mo. Just…stay the fuck away from me, alright? Thanks.
That man used to be a hero. Really.
Maurice Clarett was going to the next great college tailback. He was going to be the next great Buckeye. He would have been the next Archie. Then he fucked it all up. And harsh as it is, that’s the only word that can truly express how badly No. 13 messed it all up and slipped out of relevance.
I remember watching that first game. I was a 14 year old kid, a freshman, and major Ohio State fan - this is Columbus, y’know. Jim Tressel was still the new guy, and had something to prove. And so did this kid. He was a true freshman, out of Warren Harding. And all of a sudden, he was a starter. And what a game he had.
He pretty much plowed through the schedule, Big 10 and all. I still have many, many vivid memories of the whole season - especially listening to the very end of the Purdue game on the radio on the way home from Wittenberg. Krenzel threw the winning touchdown as we hit the driveway…anyway, that’s a story for another day.
Anyway, he had a killer freshman year. Naturally, he was set to be the latest hero in Ohio State lore. And yet, a random online article was the first time I’ve heard his name in god knows how long. It’s like a collective family secret, one no one mentions, and no one acknowledges. Hell, even ESPN, who was at one time totally out to get us, hasn’t done the inevitable catching-up piece. Or maybe they have. I’ve only recently caught up on my morning SportsCenter. But he’s gone for all we know, locked away in a prison up in Toledo. And it’s his own damn fault.
It started the summer after The Glory (as I still refer to the whole “ness” of the one actual championship season - again, another story) when Mo’s car got robbed. Suddenly, he helped himself to bunch of stuff that just wasn’t there - for those of you familiar with insurance terms, it’s called “fraud” and it’s sort of illegal. This played out as a “oh no” bit, while he was bitching about how Ohio State treated him like shit, he got suspended…and it just went to hell from there.
He never did play another game, not at Ohio State. Man, imagine if he’d had a young Justin Zwick or Troy Smith handing him the ball…damn. Anyway, we digress.
From here, Mo sits out a year. Doesn’t plan on coming back. Whines to ESPN some more. Then, he decided to challenge the NFL. If you’re not familiar with it, the NFL was the only league at the time that had college-experience age limits (the NBA has since passed a 20-year-old restriction for draftees). He decided he’d be the supposedly inevitable guy to bring the rule down. So he challenged it. And lost. In a word, “shit”.
So he waited. Not much was heard till the next draft came ‘round. He’d sat out two years, but since he was soooooooo good, that wasn’t gonna be a problem. Right?
His two 40-yard-dash times were around 4.7 and 4.8. That would equal most of the guys actually measuring the tests. Still, the Broncos took a flyer on him - in the third round, no less. He signed the first deal they shoved his way, much to the chagrin of his agents. Turns out, he was almost a million dollars in debt after his lawsuit against the NFL went almost the Supreme Court (who declined to hear it). Instead of taking more guaranteed money, he wanted a Ricky Williams-esque deal laden with incentives. He figured he’d be the same guy he’d been his freshman year. Hell, with Shanahan’s system, he had a shot. Except for the part where he showed up to training camp injured and 20 pounds overweight.
So that was kinda over before it started. He considered bouncing around a few local arena league teams. Then came New Year’s 2006. After a late night of partying, a couple of guys walked out of the old Opium lounge, when suddenly, they were accosted by a vaguely familiar looking man. Suddenly, they realized, “fuck, dude, you’re Maurice Clarett!” All he got out of them was a cell phone. He turned himself in the next night during the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, and that was that. He got a court date, and all was calm. Then, the night before his trial began, he went batshit insane. Almost literally.
The C-Bus collectively woke up to remember Mo when he was splattered all over newspapers - even the Dispatch had gotten it just in time. He’d led police on a chase down I-70, ended with spike strips and Mo being “removed” from the vehicle. Police, er, calmed him with mace. They tried a taser, but he had on a bulletproof kevlar vest. He was ridin’ dirty with two handguns, a knockoff AK-47 and a used bottle of Grey Goose and - you can’t make this shit up - “a compact disc of children’s songs recorded by Ohio prison inmates that the state distributed…to prisoners and their families.” Yep.
He made his hearing after all, then, to no surprise, got sent to prison. He’s currently serving, due out in a year or so.
So there you have it. He might have been the best tailback Ohio State had seen since Archie, or at least Eddie. Instead…well, you see the picture above.
Good luck, Mo. Just…stay the fuck away from me, alright? Thanks.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Secret Club
So here's the thing: I, er, gave up blogging for the rest of this year, Twenty Ought Eight. Just couldn't pull it off. However, seeing as how you've found this and it's less than a week after I made said declaration, I'm fudging. Officially, the lie will not be revealed until January, but again, we're here, and it's September. And that sentence should not have been that long.
Point is, I won't stop blogging, I'll just...refine? Sure. Call this a dry run, a secret show, like when the Stones show up at a 300 capacity bar to test their arena tour and end up bringing in 12,000. Except if my, er, "readership" doesn't know about this, then I play to the bartender and whichever chicks show up to, uh, "get their drink on." Sorry about that.
So what exactly is the Jeff Blake Fan Club? Funny you should ask. Jeff Blake was, let's be honest, a rather forgettable quarterback for the Bengals in the mid 1990s.
Hailing from ECU, he helmed the Bengals to the heights of mediocrity, including an 8-8 campaign in...1997, if memory serves me correctly.
So why is he immortalized as such in this little site? Well, simple: he was my quarterback. When I was still a Bengals fan (yeah, I kinda gave up on a professional sports team at the precocious age of 11), he was the man. The Man. I bought the posters, wore the jersey, wrote the fan letters. Hell, to this day I drag my toes when I throw a football, because that's how Jeff did it. And more than most things in life that don't relate to Sigmund Freud, your sports memories as a kid shape your views today. Unless you give up one of your childhood teams before you hit puberty.
So I'm a man of two teams: Ohio State football (Dad's a grad, best friend's a junior, and, well, this IS Columbus. And the Cleveland Browns. I have a fickle relationship, much like an abusive boyfriend. We're like Cubs fans, except that it's not hip to be long-suffering Browns fan (given that I'm not long-suffering, I refrain from using we often).
Trials and tribulations are our forte here in Ohio - home of the Chokin' Brownies and the Ohio State Buckeyes - this decade's Buffalo Bills.
So check back, secret blogging friend. I promise, much lies ahead. Farewell and goodnight.
Point is, I won't stop blogging, I'll just...refine? Sure. Call this a dry run, a secret show, like when the Stones show up at a 300 capacity bar to test their arena tour and end up bringing in 12,000. Except if my, er, "readership" doesn't know about this, then I play to the bartender and whichever chicks show up to, uh, "get their drink on." Sorry about that.
So what exactly is the Jeff Blake Fan Club? Funny you should ask. Jeff Blake was, let's be honest, a rather forgettable quarterback for the Bengals in the mid 1990s.
Hailing from ECU, he helmed the Bengals to the heights of mediocrity, including an 8-8 campaign in...1997, if memory serves me correctly.
So why is he immortalized as such in this little site? Well, simple: he was my quarterback. When I was still a Bengals fan (yeah, I kinda gave up on a professional sports team at the precocious age of 11), he was the man. The Man. I bought the posters, wore the jersey, wrote the fan letters. Hell, to this day I drag my toes when I throw a football, because that's how Jeff did it. And more than most things in life that don't relate to Sigmund Freud, your sports memories as a kid shape your views today. Unless you give up one of your childhood teams before you hit puberty.
So I'm a man of two teams: Ohio State football (Dad's a grad, best friend's a junior, and, well, this IS Columbus. And the Cleveland Browns. I have a fickle relationship, much like an abusive boyfriend. We're like Cubs fans, except that it's not hip to be long-suffering Browns fan (given that I'm not long-suffering, I refrain from using we often).
Trials and tribulations are our forte here in Ohio - home of the Chokin' Brownies and the Ohio State Buckeyes - this decade's Buffalo Bills.
So check back, secret blogging friend. I promise, much lies ahead. Farewell and goodnight.
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