College Football Week 7: Upset Special edition

[sperry]

In something that would be comical if national media perception didn't actually impact who gets to play for the championship, ESPN is in full spin control on SEC teams losing last weekend.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/notebook/_/page/onthemark-131021/sec-biggest-threat-own-bcs-title-hopes

It's not that the SEC teams were overrated. It's that the SEC top to bottom is some kind of murderer's row, and all these great teams beat up on each other. Just an absolute joke.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

Mississippi State – Is there anyone who doesn’t think they’re at least as good as UofL?

State is mediocre at best. They very nearly lost to Bowling Green a couple of weeks ago.

I really wish y'all had that game at home...I'd pick you to win outright if you did. As it is, beating them in Starkville on a Thursday night might not be easy, but confidence in Mullen is at an all-time low. Jump on them early and you'll have a good chance.

Vandy is beatable. UT is improved and has played over their heads lately, but they're about to get ritually sacrificed in Tuscaloosa which is horrible for any team's confidence.

If UGA gets some of its skill players back as expected they will be a much tougher out than they've been the last few weeks.

[Kalbear]

I would much rather see a FSU-Oregon NCG than a Alabama-anyone NCG. FSU's just a much more fun team to watch.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

I would much rather see a FSU-Oregon NCG than a Alabama-anyone NCG. FSU's just a much more fun team to watch.

Bama wins games by attrition. FSU just stomps the shit out of people.

It's hard to argue that Alabama is better at this point.

[Maithanet]

I would much rather see a FSU-Oregon NCG than a Alabama-anyone NCG. FSU's just a much more fun team to watch.

I am in the camp that the SEC has earned their spot in the NCG at this point. I agree that the SEC looks down this year and Alabama isn't as dominant as they were. But I want to see Alabama get trucked in the NCG by FSU/Oregon. If all three teams go undefeated, even if Alabama's schedule and eye test are clearly the weakest (and at this point that seems likely), they still need to go to the Championship and lose that game. Until that happens the legend of SEC dominance that ESPN loves to harp on will just go on. Hell, even when the SEC loses BCS bowl games (like Utah over 'Bama and Louisville over Florida) it just get shrugged off because they keep winning that one big game. The SEC has the throne, and I just hope that either FSU or Oregon is up to that challenge of kicking them off.

[sperry]

I am in the camp that the SEC has earned their spot in the NCG at this point. I agree that the SEC looks down this year and Alabama isn't as dominant as they were. But I want to see Alabama get trucked in the NCG by FSU/Oregon. If all three teams go undefeated, even if Alabama's schedule and eye test are clearly the weakest (and at this point that seems likely), they still need to go to the Championship and lose that game. Until that happens the legend of SEC dominance that ESPN loves to harp on will just go on. Hell, even when the SEC loses BCS bowl games (like Utah over 'Bama and Louisville over Florida) it just get shrugged off because they keep winning that one big game. The SEC has the throne, and I just hope that either FSU or Oregon is up to that challenge of kicking them off.

I do want to see Oregon thrash Alabama in the national championship game, I really do. But I want it to happen organically. Because if Bama makes it over an undefeated FSU or Oregon, they flatout don't deserve to be there, and what other Alabama teams have done in the past makes no difference (including getting into championship games that they didn't deserve to be in).

[Rhom]

Wasn't sure where to stick this link... but figured this was as good a place as any.

I don't revert to full Band Geek mode often, but tOSU band doing a full on choreographed moonwalk in their Michael Jackson tribute is just too cool not to watch!

(Around 4:19 for those not inclined to watch the whole thing.)

[Ramsay B.]

Wasn't sure where to stick this link... but figured this was as good a place as any.I don't revert to full Band Geek mode often, but tOSU band doing a full on choreographed moonwalk in their Michael Jackson tribute is just too cool not to watch!(Around 4:19 for those not inclined to watch the whole thing.)

Wow. Pretty impressive.

All this FSU dominating talk is taking me back to the 90's...I love it. There is a lot of season left, though. A lot can happen so I'm not taking anything for granted. FSU has two rivalry games left and no matter how horrible Florida looks, they can give FSU trouble in the Swamp.

[sperry]

Wow. Pretty impressive.

All this FSU dominating talk is taking me back to the 90's...I love it. There is a lot of season left, though. A lot can happen so I'm not taking anything for granted. FSU has two rivalry games left and no matter how horrible Florida looks, they can give FSU trouble in the Swamp.

Florida State has a QB for the first time since Weinke. Ironically, that drought includes two first round draft picks, who really weren't particularly great.

[Ramsay B.]

When Ponder was taken 12th overrall, I was shocked. He was adequate but not great by any means. EJ Manuel was good but inconsistant and his physical build got him drafted as high as he was. The fact that they have a solid O-line is huge, also. There was a few years, not too long ago, where they couldn't run at all. During the Weinke years, their O-line was a wall.

[Arrogant Bastard]

In something that would be comical if national media perception didn't actually impact who gets to play for the championship, ESPN is in full spin control on SEC teams losing last weekend.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/notebook/_/page/onthemark-131021/sec-biggest-threat-own-bcs-title-hopes

It's not that the SEC teams were overrated. It's that the SEC top to bottom is some kind of murderer's row, and all these great teams beat up on each other. Just an absolute joke.

Ugh, I had a feeling that was going to be a Mark Schlabach article before I clicked on it. That guy is just a total hack. I remember back in 2008 he wrote an article saying that Utah didn't belong in a BCS bowl and would probably lose to Tulsa if they played. Of course, they ended up beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

[sperry]

Ugh, I had a feeling that was going to be a Mark Schlabach article before I clicked on it. That guy is just a total hack. I remember back in 2008 he wrote an article that Utah didn't belong in a BCS bowl and would probably lose to Tulsa if they played. Of course, they ended up beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

It's certainly frustrating that there is no media accountability. These authors make these predictions that take shots at or pump up certain teams, yet there is no accountability for being terrible with your predictions.

[Greywolf2375]

I am in the camp that the SEC has earned their spot in the NCG at this point. I agree that the SEC looks down this year and Alabama isn't as dominant as they were. But I want to see Alabama get trucked in the NCG by FSU/Oregon. If all three teams go undefeated, even if Alabama's schedule and eye test are clearly the weakest (and at this point that seems likely), they still need to go to the Championship and lose that game. Until that happens the legend of SEC dominance that ESPN loves to harp on will just go on. Hell, even when the SEC loses BCS bowl games (like Utah over 'Bama and Louisville over Florida) it just get shrugged off because they keep winning that one big game. The SEC has the throne, and I just hope that either FSU or Oregon is up to that challenge of kicking them off.

yeah, I can't get behind that. I understand what you're saying, but if Bama gets to the NCG because of '12, '11 & '09 then I'll have a huge problem with that.

I would much rather see (even if it isn't FSU) Oregon and...damn near anyone else. Oregon -Baylor (though Baylor does not have the quality) would be fun just from a pure offensive explosion perspective.

I think part of the problem is what you say in the last sentence - "the SEC has the throne". No, last year they did (right or wrong), the year before, etc. But this year, it has to be a new year based on current merits, not past glories.

[Maithanet]

I think part of the problem is what you say in the last sentence - "the SEC has the throne". No, last year they did (right or wrong), the year before, etc. But this year, it has to be a new year based on current merits, not past glories.

But every year we have an incomplete picture of how good the top teams in each conference are. There just aren't enough CFB games to figure it out, and this is compounded by the incentives to schedule cupcakes instead of actual challenges outside of conference play. So much of what we "know" about various conference strength is based on a very small number of marquee matchups between the power conferences. This year, games like UGA @ Clemson, Tenn @ Oregon and Florida @ Miami play a huge role in shaping our idea of the comparative strength of each conference. But there just aren't enough of these games, they cannot provide a full picture. So instead we also lean on last year's results to give us some information about how good teams and conferences are. And given that the SEC continues to win the NCG, they are going to be the best until they are beaten.

Now at this point in the season, only Alabama (and to a lesser extent Missouri) are left as SEC powers that have not been exposed. I hope Alabama does go undefeated until bowl season because otherwise the controversy of leaving out a 1-loss SEC champ for a NCG of FSU-Oregon or FSU-OSU would be too annoying.

[sperry]

But every year we have an incomplete picture of how good the top teams in each conference are. There just aren't enough CFB games to figure it out, and this is compounded by the incentives to schedule cupcakes instead of actual challenges outside of conference play. So much of what we "know" about various conference strength is based on a very small number of marquee matchups between the power conferences. This year, games like UGA @ Clemson, Tenn @ Oregon and Florida @ Miami play a huge role in shaping our idea of the comparative strength of each conference. But there just aren't enough of these games, they cannot provide a full picture. So instead we also lean on last year's results to give us some information about how good teams and conferences are. And given that the SEC continues to win the NCG, they are going to be the best until they are beaten.

Now at this point in the season, only Alabama (and to a lesser extent Missouri) are left as SEC powers that have not been exposed. I hope Alabama does go undefeated until bowl season because otherwise the controversy of leaving out a 1-loss SEC champ for a NCG of FSU-Oregon or FSU-OSU would be too annoying.

There will be no controversy leaving out a 1 loss Bama for undefeated Oregon or FSU. Even ESPN won't be able to stand up there with a straight face and argue that. The controversy will come if it's Baylor or Ohio State.

Looking at the past is emphatically NOT the answer though.

[VaramyrSixchins]

I do want to see Oregon thrash Alabama in the national championship game, I really do. But I want it to happen organically. Because if Bama makes it over an undefeated FSU or Oregon, they flatout don't deserve to be there, and what other Alabama teams have done in the past makes no difference (including getting into championship games that they didn't deserve to be in).

I'm at a loss to think of an instance in ANY sport, or any organized competition, for that matter, in which a team wins the title one year, goes undefeated the following year, & ISN'T given a chance to defend their title. I agree that if Bama loses, their spot is fair game. But if they run the table, I see no reason why someone else should get the nod.

That being said, it's really not surprising--considering the same media conglomerate has stake in the SEC network, one of the major polls, & rights to airing the majority the season's most impactful games--that this same entity will trumpet the SEC's dominance, even in an off year. Ratings have & always will be a component of the BCS, however unspoken, & if they think more viewers can be snagged by an Bama/FSU matchup than a Bama/Oregon, it will be so.

On an on-field note, I'm not so sure sure Oregon COULD trounce Bama. Not to say that they couldn't win, bc they certainly could, but it would be close. Bama has shown an ability to keep pace w high scoring teams, & to discount Saben's ability to adjust gameplans, his championship experience, & Bama's overall talent would be a mistake...

[Greywolf2375]

I'm at a loss to think of an instance in ANY sport, or any organized competition, for that matter, in which a team wins the title one year, goes undefeated the following year, & ISN'T given a chance to defend their title. I agree that if Bama loses, their spot is fair game. But if they run the table, I see no reason why someone else should get the nod.

For the same reasons that have been discussed - if at the end of the year FSU and Oregon (or any two teams) have played a tougher schedule and both remain undefeated, they should be going head to head for the championship.

In other news...Miami loses 9 scholarships and (in hoops), Mizzou will lose their coach for 5 games because of the issues..

[Maithanet]

For the same reasons that have been discussed - if at the end of the year FSU and Oregon (or any two teams) have played a tougher schedule and both remain undefeated, they should be going head to head for the championship.

In other news...Miami loses 9 scholarships and (in hoops), Mizzou will lose their coach for 5 games because of the issues..

I agree with Varamyr, I have no problem with Alabama as defending champ holding the #1 spot as long as they remain undefeated. I would even go so far as to say that if Alabama were left out (and that would never happen), it would seem wrong to me. Sure their schedule may be easier, but it isn't exactly Louisville we're talking about. If they beat ATM, LSU and Missouri, that is a reasonably difficult schedule.

Regardless, that 4 team playoff can't come soon enough.

[sperry]

I'm at a loss to think of an instance in ANY sport, or any organized competition, for that matter, in which a team wins the title one year, goes undefeated the following year, & ISN'T given a chance to defend their title. I agree that if Bama loses, their spot is fair game. But if they run the table, I see no reason why someone else should get the nod.

That being said, it's really not surprising--considering the same media conglomerate has stake in the SEC network, one of the major polls, & rights to airing the majority the season's most impactful games--that this same entity will trumpet the SEC's dominance, even in an off year. Ratings have & always will be a component of the BCS, however unspoken, & if they think more viewers can be snagged by an Bama/FSU matchup than a Bama/Oregon, it will be so.

On an on-field note, I'm not so sure sure Oregon COULD trounce Bama. Not to say that they couldn't win, bc they certainly could, but it would be close. Bama has shown an ability to keep pace w high scoring teams, & to discount Saben's ability to adjust gameplans, his championship experience, & Bama's overall talent would be a mistake...

Because what they did the year before is completley independent from this year. Oregon and FSU will have played signfiicantly tougher schedules.

Bama won last year's championship on the backs of an offensive line that completely mauled people. Well, guess what, those guys are in the NFL now.

I do agree that any system that potentially leaves out a team that went undefeated is complete garbage, but we have to work within the confines of the system we have now, and rewarding a team for doing well last year is just absurd. It's essentially punishing FSU because they were worse last year with different players.

[Kalbear]

If we want to have defending champions like boxing and wrestling we also need to be able to challenge at any time. Oregon should be able to schedule a bout and Alabama has to answer or forfeit.

Since it's not like that and last years team isn't this years team, it doesn't matter that Alabama won.