NCAA Football 2010 season - now friendly to foreigners and apostates!

[Charley]

Hello!

This thread is a long time in the making, and I'm sorry for not posting it sooner, but you see, I'm a lazy sod and it took me a while to get into the mix. This thread is a general interest for fans of NCAA football, as well as newcomers to the sport, whether they're ambivalent people like my wife or those outside of the states (Yog, Jenny, etc) who have expressed interest in following what I consider to be one of the best sporting events in my country.

This thread has several purposes.
I hope to educate in some rudimentary fashion about the nature of the sport of American football - NCAA style in particular. People tend to write the game off as a bunch of heavy-armored jocks smashing against each other. To some extent, this is true, but American football is also highly strategic and almost Napoleonic in it's extreme adherence to discipline and tactics.
I hope to give a good introduction to the history and culture of college sports, which I think is part of the magic that makes NCAA football way more fun than the NFL. The stories, the rivalries, etc can't all be covered, but any chance to expound on this, I'll do my best.
For our newcomers, I hope to be able to help you find a team to root for. Casual interest is fun and all, but it's a lot more fun when you've got a team you're backing, and you talk smack about your team with other people. Football is about hating the other team and talking smack, and you're missing a ton of fun if you don't do this!
Once all of this is taken care of, this thread will be a season-long venue to talk about the games each week, talk about the news happening, and any good games you've seen, listened to, etc. Trash talk, I hope, will be prolific

[Dasquian Belargic]

I think it's going to take some time for me to understand what is going on in football. Even after that game I watched with you explaining stuff, the rules are more confusing to me than cricket - and that's saying something. I'm gonna give it a go tho! :)

For non-US posters, ESPN offers a pay-per-view pass for all NCAA sports https://www.espnplayer.com/espnplayer/ncaa


Football fans can enjoy more live and on-demand games than anywhere else including College Football, where fans can watch over 300 regular season college football games including the Bowl Games in December and the much celebrated jewel event - the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Basketball fans can enjoy the best live and on-demand College Basketball action with over 250 Regular Season games featuring the best teams, the biggest rivalries and most competitive conferences.

Apparently they have lacrosse also. It's £89.99 for an annual pass, which gets you all the games either live or on-demand, whichever best suits your timezone! I had the NHL pass last year and the stream quality wasn't exactly HD, but it was clear and reliable, unlike a lot of online streams.

[Yog]

This buddy over here is ready to trample over all our enemies!

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9523/alabamacrimsontide798.gif

Rammer Jammer! Yellowhammer! Give em hell Alabama!
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[Charley]

Jen, I'll make sure to keep rules resources updated as I find good ones.

Yog, HELL YES. Reppin the Tide like a true Bama boi.


The Rules

For the most part, NCAA rules are the same rules as the NFL. There are a few key differences, in that if a ball carrier in NFL falls down without being tackled, the ball is still live and they can get up and run again. In NCAA if they fall, the ball is dead. The NCAA also has 12 minute quartes, and I believe the NFL has 15. There are other differences in rules, but I don't have a good comprehensive guide on them yet.

However, for a VERY GOOD crash course in American football in general (even if it is with an NFL bias), View this series of videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYmN1hPx3fU&p=FA83E47241279466&playnext=1). Decent explanations of major aspects of the game, with a little visual aide during it.

Further still, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football_rules) has a really good assortment of rules for the game. Again, keep in mind we're focusing on college rules, which are different than NFL or Canadian, or high school. Yes, we're strange like that.

[Charley]

History of College Football
(Shamelessly stolen from Wikipedia!)



Modern American football has its origins in various games, all known as "football", played at public schools in England in the mid-19th century. By the 1840s, students at Rugby School were playing a game in which players were able to pick up the ball and run with it, a sport later known as Rugby football. The game was taken to Canada by British soldiers stationed there and was soon being played at Canadian colleges.

The first "football" game played between teams representing colleges was an unfamiliar ancestor of today's college football, as it was played under 99 years old soccer-style Association rules. The game between teams from Rutgers College (now Rutgers University) and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) took place on November 6, 1869 at College Field (now the site of the College Avenue Gymnasium at Rutgers University) in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Rutgers won by a score of 6 "runs" to Princeton's. The 1869 game between Rutgers and Princeton is important in that it is the first documented game of any sport called "football" (which also encompasses the game of Association Football) between two American colleges. It is also notable in that it came a full-two years before a codified rugby game would be played in England. The Princeton/Rutgers game was undoubtedly different from what we today know as American football. Nonetheless it was the forerunner of what evolved into American football. Another similar game took place between Rutgers and Columbia University in 1870 and the popularity of intercollegiate competition in football would spread throughout the country.

The American experience with the rugby-style game that led directly to present-day college football continued in 1874 at a meeting in Cambridge, Massachusetts between Harvard University and Montreal's McGill University. The McGill team played a rugby union-style game, while Harvard played under a set of rules that allowed greater handling of the ball than soccer. The teams agreed to play under compromise rules. The Harvard students took to the rugby rules and adopted them as their own.
Walter Camp, the "Father of American Football", pictured here in 1878 as the captain of the Yale Football team

The first game of intercollegiate football in the United States between two American colleges that most resembles today's game was between Tufts University and Harvard on June 4, 1875 at Jarvis Field in Cambridge, Massachusetts, won by Tufts 1-0. A report of the outcome of this game appeared in the Boston Daily Globe of June 5, 1875. Jarvis Field was at the time a patch of land at the northern point of the Harvard campus, bordered by Everett and Jarvis Streets to the north and south, and Oxford Street and Massachusetts Avenue to the east and west. In the Tufts/Harvard game, participants were allowed to pick up the ball and run with it, each side fielded eleven men, the ball carrier was stopped by knocking him down or "tackling" him, and the inflated ball was egg-shaped – the combination of which marks this game as the first game of American football. A photograph of the 1875 Tufts team commemorating this milestone hangs in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. Harvard and Yale also began play in 1875 though under rules that made their game, as well as the aforementioned Princeton/Rutgers game, significantly different from what we know as American Football compared to the Tufts/Harvard contest which is more closely the antecedent to American Football than these other games. The longest running rivalry and most played game between two American colleges is between Lafayette College and Lehigh University.

Walter Camp, known as the "Father of American Football", is credited with changing the game from a variation of rugby into a unique sport. Camp is responsible for pioneering the play from scrimmage (earlier games featured a rugby scrum), most of the modern elements of scoring, the eleven-man team, and the traditional offensive setup of the seven-man line and the four-man backfield. Camp also had a hand in popularizing the game. He published numerous articles in publications such as Collier's Weekly and Harper's Weekly, and he chose the first College Football All-America Team.
1906 St. Louis Post-Dispatch photograph of Brad Robinson, who threw the first legal forward pass

College football increased in popularity through the remainder of the 19th century. It also became increasingly violent. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to ban the sport following a series of player deaths from injuries suffered during games. The response to this was the formation of what became the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which set rules governing the sport. The rules committee considered widening the playing field to "open up" the game, but Harvard Stadium (the first large permanent football stadium) had recently been built at great expense; it would be rendered useless by a wider field. The rules committee legalized the forward pass instead. The first legal pass was thrown by Bradbury Robinson on September 5, 1906, playing for coach Eddie Cochems, who developed an early but sophisticated passing offense at Saint Louis University. Another rule change banned "mass momentum" plays (many of which, like the infamous "flying wedge", were sometimes literally deadly).

Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League (NFL), college football remained extremely popular throughout the U.S. The most dense in terms of popularity is in the Southeast U.S. Although the college game has a much larger margin for talent than its pro counterpart, the sheer number of fans following major colleges provides a financial equalizer for the game, with Division I programs – the highest level – playing in huge stadiums, five of which have seating capacity exceeding 100,000. In many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests. This allows them to seat more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium, which tends to have more features and comforts for fans.

College athletes, unlike professionals, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries. Many do receive athletic scholarship and financial assistance from the university.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Perhaps you can clarify the differences between NFL and NCAA rules when it comes to the kickoff going out of bounds, I know that there's a difference there (or there was) but I can't recall what it is. And the overtimes are different too, aren't they? In college they just set up on the 20 yrd line and go at it...right?

[Charley]

Awesome stuff about College Football

A huge part of what makes college football so endearing to me is the history and culture behind it. This is just a taste of that:

Did you know:
Six of the ten largest stadiums in the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stadiums_by_capacity) host American college football teams. We're talking over 100,000 fans in attendance, and the teams with stadiums of that size sell them out consistently. That's far more than any NFL stadium, more than the largest stadiums in Australia, the UK, or the rest of the english speaking world respectively.

The first Orange Bowl was played in 1935 between the University of Miami and Manhattan College. To save money, the Manhattan College team took a three-day boat ride to Miami.

Irvine “Cotton” Warburton is the only member of the College Football Hall of Fame to receive an Academy Award. He won for his film editing work on 1964’s Mary Poppins.

Chief Osceola, the Florida State mascot who rides out and plants a flaming spear at midfield before each home game, has been approved by Florida’s Seminole Indian Tribe.

In the 1940s, college bowl games included the Raisin Bowl, Salad Bowl and Oil Bowl.

Michigan holds the record for the most bowl appearances (31).

During the 1990s, Prairie View College put together an 80-game losing streak. One season, they were outscored each game by an average margin of 56 to 4.

The Oklahoma Sooners hold the record for the longest winning streak in college football. The streak lasted 47 games, from 1954 until 1957.

The most laterals in a game (8) came during the Michigan Wolverines’ final play of the Alamo Bowl in 2005.

Before every home game, flowers are placed at the graves of every former Uga (the English Bulldog mascot of Georgia).

The forward pass first appeared in college football in 1906. It was introduced in an attempt to increase scoring and reduce injuries.

Since they began playing college football in 1879, the University of Michigan Wolverines have won more games than any other team.

Yale has won more National Championship (18) than any other college football team. Their last title came in 1927.

The first college football game took place in 1869 between Princeton and Rutgers University. Each team had 25 players on the field, and no forward passing was allowed. Rutgers won by a score of 6 to 4.

The LSU mascot, Mike the Tiger, is kept in a pen in the back of the stadium. Before home games, he’s placed in a cage and moved near the visiting team’s locker room, so that opposing players must pass by him on the way to the field.

College football’s largest margin of victory came in 1916, when Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland by a score of 222 to 0. The game was cut short by 15 minutes.

The orange and white team colors of the Tennessee Volunteers were chosen in 1891 to represent the daisies which grow on the campus.

President John F. Kennedy compared the difficulties of reaching space in a rocket to the Rice Owls’ chances of defeating the Texas Longhorns.

Field goals in college football were originally worth five points. This was decreased to four points in 1904 and three points in 1909.

The Wisconsin Badgers once had a real-life badger as their mascot. During games, it would be led around the sidelines on a leash. The animal proved too mean, and it was replaced with a costumed mascot in 1940.

During Nebraska Cornhuskers’ home games, their stadium becomes the state’s third largest city.

The Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas is the oldest rivalry played at a neutral site. The game is held in Dallas, which is halfway between both campuses.

Oklahoma was still a U.S. Territory when the Red River Shootout started in 1900. Oklahoma didn’t receive statehood until 1907.

In 1915, a group of Aggie supporters placed a brand on the longhorn steer of a Texas student. The brand, 13-0, represented A&M’s 1915 win over the Longhorns. In an effort to cover up the brand, the owner turned the one and three into the letter “B,” and then came up with “EVO.” This became the school’s mascot, although the original Bevo was later eaten.

The number of players fielded by each college team was reduced to 20 in 1873. It was reduced to 15 in 1876 and then to the current 11 in 1880.

College football fields were originally 120 yards long and 100 yards wide.

The most people to gather for a game of football in Texas is 89,442. This occurred during a 2006 game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Texas lost by a score of 24-7.

In 1953, Tennessee brought a number of dogs onto the field in an effort to find a mascot. A blue tick bloodhound named Blue Smokey let out a loud howl, and he was selected by the fans. Since that time, a blue tick bloodhound has always been used as the team’s mascot. In 1991, Smokey VI ended up on the team’s injury report with heat exhaustion.

In the beginning, the balls used for college football were round.

Touchdowns in college football were originally counted as three points.

The most popular names for four-year college mascots are Eagles and Tigers.

College football developed out of the game of rugby.

Following a number of deaths, President Theodore Roosevelt threatened to ban college football in 1906.

The NCAA was formed to govern the sport, and mass momentum plays like the “Flying Wedge” were banned.

Notre Dame has the most players in the College Football Hall of Fame.

The first college football game was broadcast on television in 1939. The teams involved were Fordham University and Waynesburg College.

In the 1985 Orange Bowl, Oklahoma received a 15-yard penalty due to the Sooner Schooner (a covered wagon pulled by two Shetland ponies) racing onto the field to celebrate an OU field goal which had been waived off. After the penalty was assessed, OU missed the next attempt and went on to lose the game.

Quarterbacks from Alabama won the first three Super Bowls. They also have more Super Bowl wins than quarterbacks from any other school (Kenny Stabler 1, Joe Namath 1 and Bart Starr 2).

Reveille, the collie mascot for Texas A&M, is commissioned as a five-star general.

If a college team played in a bowl game in 1954, they were banned from any bowl games in 1955. This was designed to give every team a chance to play.

The mascot for the University of California Santa Cruz is the Banana Slug.

Throughout the 1960s, the University of Florida kept a real-life alligator named Albert on the sidelines.

During a period in the 1950s, the national champion was selected prior to the bowl games being played. In 1950, Oklahoma was named the national champion, despite the fact that they would later lose their bowl game.

In the 1899 Army-Navy Game, the Navy arrived with a goat as their mascot. The Army did not have a mascot at the time, so they decided on a mule. A passing ice-truck was stopped, and the white mule pulling it became the first mascot for Army. These mule mascots would come to be referred to as General Scott.

The Miami Hurricanes hold a record of 82 consecutive weeks where a former Hurricane scored a touchdown in an NFL game.

In 1822, the president of Yale College prohibited students from playing football. Violators would be fined no more than 50 cents and reported to the dean.

In 1905, 18 men were killed in college football games, and 159 were permanently injured.

College teams were penalized 15 yards for an incomplete forward pass in 1910.

The white stripes on a college football are designed to help the receiver see the ball better.

The biggest crowd for a college football game was 114,000 for the 1926 Army-Navy Game. The game ended in a tie when it became too dark to play.

The first bowl game, later known as The Rose Bowl, was played on January 1st, 1902 between the Michigan Wolverines and Stanford Cardinals. Michigan won 49-0.

Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson was the first Heisman Trophy winner not to play an offensive position. The award, handed out since 1935, did not go to a defensive player until Woodson won it in 1997.

The first college football National Champion was Princeton. They received the honor in 1869 and only played two games.

In 1956, Ohio State coach Woody Hayes attacked a television cameraman following a loss. In 1959, he tried to punch a sportswriter, but he missed and hit someone else. In 1978, he was fired from Ohio State after punching an opposing player who was returning an interception along the sidelines.

The most valuable item in the College Football Hall of Fame is said to be the jersey worn by Red Grange. Its worth is estimated in the high five figures.

According to some legends, tailgating dates all the way back to the first football game, which was played between Rutgers and Princeton in 1869. It is said that fans grilled sausages after the game at the "tail-end" of the horse.

The first American college team to play on foreign soil were the LSU Tigers. In 1907, they took on Havana University in the inaugural Bacardi Bowl and defeated them 56-0.

The father of former Oklahoma Sooners’ coach Barry Switzer was a bootlegger.

The annual Florida-Georgia game is considered by many to be the world’s largest tailgate party. The game takes place on Saturday, but many fans begin arriving on Wednesday and don’t leave until Sunday.

While playing for the University of Hawaii from 2000 to 2004, quarterback Timmy Chang set an NCAA passing record with 17,072 yards.

The Butkus Award, given to the nation’s best college linebacker, was created in 1985. It’s recipient for 1985 and 1986 was Oklahoma’s Brian Bosworth.

University of Chicago running back Jay Berwanger was the first Heisman winner to be selected with the top pick in the NFL Draft (1936).

During a 1979 Cotton Bowl game, Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana began suffering from hypothermia. As a remedy, he was fed chicken soup. The soup bowl and spoon are now in the College Football Hall of Fame.

According to studies, it is estimated that 30% of tailgaters never make it inside the stadium.

Miami Hurricane quarterback Vinny Testaverde became the first (and only) player to win the Heisman, the Maxwell, the O’Brien and be selected first overall in the NFL Draft (1987).

In 1895, the North Carolina Tar Heels became the first college team to utilize the forward pass.

The rallying cry for the Maryland terrapins is “Fear the turtle.”

The first organized cheerleading yell was performed on the Princeton campus in the 1880s.

In the early years of college football, Tulsa developed the “tower play.” Two receivers would run down the field, stop, and then one receiver would lift the other onto his shoulders to make the catch. The play was banned in 1917.

During important plays of the game, some members of Texas A&M’s cadet corps will squeeze their testicles.

Beginning in 1961, the Georgia Tech team was led onto the field by a 1930 Model A Ford Sport Coupe. It has since developed into a tradition known as the Ramblin’ Wreck.

The mascot for the University of Pennsylvania is Ben Franklin. Looking like the real Ben Franklin, he sports a school uniform during home games.

Bill the Goat is the mascot for the United States Naval Academy. In 1968, the 16th Bill died of accidental poisoning after weed killer was sprayed too close to his pen. In 1971, the same thing killed Bill XVII.

With its blue playing surface, Bronco Stadium (home of the Boise State Broncos) is the only non-green playing surface in the NCAA.

After coach Warren B. Woodson was fired in 1967, the New Mexico State Aggies have only had four winning seasons in the last 40 years. Many fans have come to refer to this extended slump as “Woodson’s Curse."

Bobby Grier, an African-American fullback and linebacker for the Pittsburgh Panthers, became the first player to break the color barrier of the Sugar Bowl in 1956.

Ted, the first real-life bear mascot for Baylor, was donated in 1917 by a local businessmen who won him in a poker game.

The West Virginia Mountaineers are the winningest Division I-A team (663-442-45) to have never won a national title.

Starting in 1884, The Rivalry is an annual showdown between Lehigh University and Lafayette College. The team have played every year since 1897, making it the oldest uninterrupted rivalry in college football history.

Notre Dame has produced more All-Americans than any other Division I school.

Before changing their nickname to the Spartans in 1925, San Jose State was previously known as the Daniels, Teachers, Pedagogues, Normals and Normalites.

In 1961, Ernie Davis of Syracuse became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.

The unofficial mascot of Dartmouth College is Keggy the Keg, a tongue-in-cheek figure which parodies the stereotype of beer-swilling frat boys. With the school having no official mascot, Keggy has become widely accepted among the student body.

When the University of Texas achieves a win over rival Texas A&M, the UT Tower is bathed in orange lights.

Rutgers is known as the “Birthplace of College Football.”

In a 1925 game between Texas Tech and McMurry University, Tech’s kicker appeared to make a last-second field goal to give his team the win. The referee, however, ruled that time had expired, and the game ended in a 0-0 tie. It was later learned that the referee made the call to get even with Tech, as they had passed him over for the school’s first head coaching job.

Ed Marinaro of Cornell holds the record for most rushing yards per game. From 1969 – 1971, Marinaro averaged 174.6 yards per game. He later became an actor, starring in such shows as Hill Street Blues and Laverne & Shirley.

At the Division I level, teams must win at least 6 games to be eligible for a bowl game.

Notre Dame has only had 12 losing seasons out of 118.

The longest field goal in college football was a 69-yarder by Ove Johansson of Abilene Christian in 1976.

Joe Miner, the mascot for Missouri S&T, carries a pickaxe, pistol and slide rule.

Goal posts were moved to the rear of the end zone in 1927. Before that, numerous injuries occurred when players would accidentally run into them.

Auburn is the only school where John Heisman coached that has actually produced a Heisman Trophy-winning player.

Sylvester Croom was hired as the coach of Mississippi State in 2003. This made him the first African-American coach in SEC history.

South Carolina University’s Board of Trustees voted in 1906 to ban participation in football. This followed complaints from the faculty about inappropriate chants during the games. After public outcry, the ban was lifted in 1907.

Paul “Bear” Bryant was once quoted as saying, “I’d probably croak in a week if I ever quit coaching.” He died 27 days after he coached his last game.

The University of Mississippi Rebels were once known as the Mississippi Flood. The name was changed in 1935.

The first football squad for the University of Georgia was formed in 1892. The university’s chemistry professor served at their head coach.

Whenever a dog serving as Reveille for Texas A&M passes away, she is buried in a special cemetery at the north end of the school’s stadium.

Although their team name is “The Cardinals,” Stanford’s unofficial mascot is the Stanford Tree. The mascot’s costume is created anew each year by the incumbent Tree.

The record for most consecutive games without being shutout belongs to BYU (361 games over 28 years).

The NCAA banned the kicking tee in 1988 and required kicks from the ground.

[Charley]

Perhaps you can clarify the differences between NFL and NCAA rules when it comes to the kickoff going out of bounds, I know that there's a difference there (or there was) but I can't recall what it is. And the overtimes are different too, aren't they? In college they just set up on the 20 yrd line and go at it...right?


I believe a penalty is flagged on an out of bounds kick, which allows the receiving team to begin their possession at their 35 yard line, but I may be wrong on that one. They may mark the kicking team back and re-kick, I can't remember which one they do.

Overtime:


In college and high school football, an overtime procedure (the Kansas plan) ensures that each team has equal opportunity to score. In college, both teams are granted possession of the ball at their opponents' 25 yard-line in succession. A coin flip takes place, with the winning team having the option either 1) to declare that they will take the ball first or second, or 2) to decide on which end of the field the series will occur (both teams' series occur on the same end of the field). The losing team will have the first option in any subsequent even-numbered overtime. In the first overtime, the team with first series attempts to score either a touchdown or a field goal; their possession ends when either a touchdown or a field goal have been scored, they turn the ball over via a fumble or an interception, or they fail to gain a first down. After a touchdown, a team may attempt either an extra-point or a two-point conversion. However, if the team on defense during the first series recovers a fumble and returns it for a touchdown, or returns an interception for a touchdown, the defensive team wins the game. (This is the only way for a college overtime game to end without both teams having possession.) Otherwise, regardless of the outcome of the first team's series (be it touchdown, field goal, or turnover), the other team begins their series. If the score remains tied after both teams have completed a series, a second overtime begins. If the score remains tied after two overtimes, teams scoring touchdowns are required to attempt a two-point conversion from the third overtime on. Just as in regulation, if a defensive team recovers a fumble/returns an interception to the end zone during a two-point conversion attempt, they will receive two points.

[CMJ]

I'm slightly more of a college basketball guy, but College football is probably my 2nd favorite sport. I'm very much looking forward to the season.

Hopefully my alma mater will get back to respectability.

[Figrin D'an]

Just to clarify, the penalty for a kickoff going out of bounds is 15 yards in college, 20 in the NFL. In other words, the team taking possession would start at their own 35 yard line in college (20 yard line + 15 penalty) and their own 40 yard line in the NFL (20 yard line + 20 yard penalty).

Additionally, as was mentioned, the college overtime rule is based on the concept of "alternating possession." Each team is guaranteed at least one offense possession in overtime. The NFL overtime rule is sudden death, ie. whomever scores first wins. The NFL is reviewing possibilities for changing their overtime format, as the team that wins the coin toss in overtime wins at a little better than a 60% rate.

Like Charley, I'm a college (and pro) football nutcase, so I'll chime in on this quite a bit this season I'm sure.

[Yog]

I think it's going to take some time for me to understand what is going on in football. Even after that game I watched with you explaining stuff, the rules are more confusing to me than cricket - and that's saying something. I'm gonna give it a go tho! :)

If you're completely new to american football, and just want to be able to watch a game with some faint idea what the hell is going on, and enjoy it, then watch these videos first video 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-thhQ5RiEk4&feature=related) and video 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6UmBeDUEDk&feature=related). If you can tolerate the terrible whispering french accent, you'll find it explains the fundamentals such as the scoring, the downs, and the aim of the game in a very understandable manner. THEN watch those videos posted by Charley, which goes more into detail.

American football is actually very easy to understand. Just watch some more games, and you will get the hang of it. :)

[Charley]

Divisions & Conferences

The big difference in NCAA vs the NFL is that the number of teams you could potentially pull for is, well, enormous. A good chunk of decently-large colleges and universities here (and in America, that means more or less the same thing, a post high-school educational institution) have football teams. Most of the smaller teams participate in the Football Championship Subdivision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_FCS_playoff_appearances_by _team) or FCS. These are usually smaller in size and less in talent, but can sometimes have very dedicated fanbases in their own right. Usually you find a lot of very inventive strategies born in the FCS that move up to the bigger schools.

Primarily, however, when we talk about NCAA football, we're talking about the Football Bowl Subdivision (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_I_%28NCAA%29#Football_Bowl_Subdivision) or FBS. These are the very large schools, with the high-talent teams that are usually considered the best in the nation. In this category alone, there are 120 teams to choose from.

Sounds like a lot, huh? Fortunately the FBS is divided into Conferences. Consider conferences to be like mini-leagues. Most teams play most of their season's games against opponents within their own conference, and then have a few non-conference games scheduled too. Conferences allow for playoffs between conference members and regions, and allow a conference champion to be determined, which can then possibly receive a bid to the Bowl Championship Series, or BCS, which are the best kind of bowl games. BCS is hella confusing so that's for another time to discuss, but consider bowl games as a reward. By having good records you get to play an extra game at the end of the season that can often have national title implications and have potentially a lot of money at stake.

Ahem, I was talking about conferences, wasn't I? Right. Now, most of the conferences are at least roughly tied to a particular region. Some moreso than others. Usually the better conferences stick to this rule, with the "mid-majors" tending to be more geographically spread out as they don't have as much influence get schools to join them.

Your conferences are:
Atlantic Coast Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Coast_Conference) (or ACC) Primarily known for basketball, they occasionally have national title contenders in football
Big East (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_East_Conference) Another basketball-heavy conference, they're arguably the weakest conference that gets an automatic bid into the BCS.
Big Ten (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ten_Conference) (Which has 12 members) One of the most iconic conferences in football, with a large number of very good and storied programs. They picked up Penn State in the nineties to bring their team total to 11, and in 2012 they'll add Nebraska to make 12 teams. Purdue University, which is Figrin D'an's alma mater, is a Big 10 member. The University of Minnesota, which is Karl Valten's alma mater, is also a Big 10 member
Big Twelve (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_12_Conference) (Which has 10 members...confused yet lol!) Big 12 is primarily centered around Texas and Oklahoma, with a few other schools for flavor. The conference nearly self destructed this year, but managed to stay together after losing Nebraska to the Big 10 and Colorado to the Pac 10
Conference USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conference_USA) (or C-USA) is an average mid-major and one that is very spread out geographically.
Mid American Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-American_Conference) (or MAC). One of the weaker mid-major conferences, drawn from roughly the same geographic region as the Big 10, but with a shadow of their talent.
Mountain West Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_West_Conference) (or MWC). Probably one of the best mid-major conferences around, and for the past few years, they've fielded teams with long-shot odds at the championship. Recently lost a very good Utah team to the PAC-10 but picked up an equally good Boise State team from the WAC.
Pacific 10 Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific-10_Conference) (or PAC-10). A powerful conference consisting of west-coast schools. Best known for the USC Trojans, though other teams occasionally vie for consideration. Recently picked up Utah from the Mountain West Conference, and Colorado from the Big Twelve.
Southeastern Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeastern_Conference) (or SEC) For the past decade, has managed to dominate the national championship venue. They field a very large number of storied, powerful teams. The past decade, Alabama, Florida, and LSU, all SEC members, have won a total of five championships. My alma mater, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, is a member of the SEC.
Sun Belt Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Belt_Conference) (or Sun Belt). The weakest of the mid-major conferences, and the weakest of all FBS conferences. CMJ's alma mater The North Texas Mean Green, are members of the Sun Belt.
Western Athletic Conference (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Athletic_Conference) (or WAC) is a mid-major that was previously best-known for the Boise State Broncos, their only good team. Occupying roughly the same geography as the PAC-10, the teams in the WAC are usually of lesser quality.
FBS Independents (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_I_FBS_independent_schools) are three non-aligned schools that participate in FBS but aren't a member of conferences. These include Army, Navy, and Notre Dame. My wife, who cares very little about football, will sometimes lackadaisically pull for Navy since her dad and grandfather played football for them. I happen to know more about Navy football on accident than she manages to know on purpose for some reason.

[Captain Untouchable]

I've watched College Football played live, in this country. It took four hours, was freezing cold, and by the end of it I couldn't feel my toes.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to enjoy this spectacle without frostbite. >_<

[Figrin D'an]

American football is actually very easy to understand. Just watch some more games, and you will get the hang of it. :)


It's pretty easy to learn the basic rules and objectives of the game. Where things get really complex, yet interesting, is the depth of the strategies, tactics and intricacies of the different schemes used on both sides of the ball. One of the fun aspects of college football, much more so than the NFL, is the sheer diversity one will see in offensive and defensive styles. Just to give an example, here are some of the names of different offenses that different college programs run. Each has it's unique aspects:

Two-back Pro-style
Single back
West-Coast
Spread
Spread Option
Run-and-shoot
Single Wing
Triple Option
Wishbone
Pistol
Wildcat


Many teams will use more than one of these styles as well.

It's pretty cool once you start to dig into it. Some of these schemes are just ridiculously complex.

[Charley]

Fan List

I will keep this updated so we can track who pulls for who, and more importantly, who we should heckle and give grief to when our team beats theirs, (and who we might need to avoid if their team beats our own) You can technically be a fan of more than one team, but you should have one that is your primary pick, indicated by an asterisk (*) that trumps all match-ups.
Alabama Crimson Tide - Charley*, Yog, Morg
University of Miami Hurricanes - Morg*
Purdue Boilermakers - Figrin D'an
Minnessota Golden Gophers - Karl Valten, Lykaios
North Texas Mean Green - CMJ
Navy Midshipmen - Christin
Oregon Ducks - Holly, Charley
Ohio State <strike>Windowless conversion van full of free candy</strike> Buckeyes Lykaios*

[Lykaios]

Ah, the joy that is football. Can't wait for another season to start, though I'm more of an NFL than NCAA kinda guy. That is to say I follow the pros with more zeal than I do college but I love them both.

Charley you can pencil my name next to Karl's since the Golden Gophers are my hometown team but my primary one are the Buckeyes!

[Charley]

Ah, the joy that is football. Can't wait for another season to start, though I'm more of an NFL than NCAA kinda guy. That is to say I follow the pros with more zeal than I do college but I love them both.

Charley you can pencil my name next to Karl's since the Golden Gophers are my hometown team but my primary one are the Buckeyes!

Buckeye fan huh? Are you legally restricted from being within 100 meters of schools or playgrounds? Have you ever been interviewed by Chris Hansen on To Catch a Predator?

[Lykaios]

LMAO

Yes. No. No. :p

In other news, I hear that 'Bama might be switching mascots with one who mirrors a Crimson Tide (http://www.boredstop.com/imgp/bloodytamponninja.jpg) more accurately.

*Warning: link may be offensive and not for the faint hearted

[Charley]

Awesome, let the trash talkin begin.

Alright, now for something a little fun!

SEC Teams as Star Wars Characters (http://chadgibbs.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/the-sec-as-star-wars-characters/)

This might give you a little insight into my conference, if you're looking to follow a team. The analogies are actually pretty awesome.

[Figrin D'an]

Season officially kicked off tonight. A few typical early season blowouts, but a couple of good games... Middle Tennessee State gave Minnesota a scare into the 4th quarter, and Utah is up on Pittsburgh and looking to pull a moderate upset.

Oregon State/TCU and LSU/UNC make for a couple of good ranked matchups on Saturday. I would expect UConn/Michigan to also be entertaining.

And, of course, the Monday night matchup with Boise State and Virginia Tech will be intriguing.

Good to have college football back for another season.

[Atreyu]

If you're completely new to american football, and just want to be able to watch a game with some faint idea what the hell is going on, and enjoy it, then watch these videos first video 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-thhQ5RiEk4&feature=related) and video 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6UmBeDUEDk&feature=related).
Wow, thanks Yog - those were great. I've watched a bit of American football (including the Super Bowl earlier this year) and whilst I had a rough idea of what was going on there were still some things I didn't get ... such as the whole '4 downs' (I was always wondering what those numbers were on the screen with the lines). :lol

[CMJ]

The Utah/Pittburgh game was fantastic. Underrated/off the beaten path contest of the night? FAU at UAB....Owls beat the Blazers 32-31 by blocking a FG as the clock expired.

[Charley]

Yes, but UAB is turrrrible, to use a Charles Barclay-ism.

We start with San Jose State today, and we were going to tailgate for it, but that fell through. Now, I'm sick, so I may not even be able to see it in a bar or something. Meh.

[CMJ]

Yes, but UAB is turrrrible, to use a Charles Barclay-ism.

We start with San Jose State today, and we were going to tailgate for it, but that fell through. Now, I'm sick, so I may not even be able to see it in a bar or something. Meh.

FAU wasn't that great last year either - tho I do think they should be improved. Schnelly usually fields decent teams.

NT starts at Clemson. I'm hoping to keep it under the spread (which was 24 last I saw).

[Lilaena De'Ville]

We're ready for the Ducks to roll over the Lobos. :D Got Owen a new jersey because the teams he wore last year all did really well. When he wore his jersey. :lol

His NFL jersey last year? The Saints. They only lost the games he didn't wear it for! :ohno he's wearing a Niners jersey this season

[Figrin D'an]

Boise St./Virginia Tech certainly lived up to the billing. I question the Hokies a) going for the 2 pt conversion late in the 3rd quarter, and b) not choosing to run the ball late in the 4th quarter on 3rd and long to burn another 40 seconds off the clock. Those are major coaching mistakes IMO. Boise St. certainly has a lot of talent on their roster though, and they overcame well over 100 yards in penalties to win.

I still think it's going to be difficult road for Boise St. to get a chance at the national title though. I'm not sure a one-loss Big Ten/SEC/Big 12 team won't make it ahead of them. And they can't lose at all themselves.

[CMJ]

Too early to worry about national Championship stuff for me. All I know is that was a freaking awesome game.

[Charley]

The game was awesome to watch, but I kind of hate it because Boise State fans are insufferable entitlement complex jackasses and while their team is a meth-addled cinderella story, I cannot abide anything that feeds that fanbase.

Also, LOL at Ole Miss. "It's a Trap" game, indeed. Nobody told them that Jacksonville State's offense was fully armed and operational, hahahaha.

Speaking of, and in the theme of building interest for our casual fans:

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jx0pTIDb-r0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jx0pTIDb-r0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[CMJ]

If Boise State fans have an attitude problem(which i don't particularly agree with), I feel years of not being given respect just has given them a huge chip on their shoulder. Entitlement? They've had something like 3 undefeated regular seasons in the last four years. I'm sure I would have a complex too!

Hell when I was in college we played Boise State five times and won 3 of them. It's amazing to think that could be us.

[Figrin D'an]

Boise State just has a perfect storm of factors working for it to have been able to build a good program. Some of it is luck, some of it is fortune of their own making. I don't really know any of BSU fans personally, but at this point, given what they have accomplished on the field over the last 6 years and given the huge flaws in the BCS that kind of make a mockery of the whole "national championship" anyway, they might as well have as good a shot at playing for the whole enchilada as any of the other major power programs.

That said, if programs like BSU and TCU are still flying high when the next round of conference realignment hits (say 2018 or so), I think it's time to man up and join a big-boy league. TCU would be a great fit for the Big 12 (or whatever they end up calling themselves in the future) and Boise State could pretty easily fit into the Pac-12.

[CMJ]

That said, if programs like BSU and TCU are still flying high when the next round of conference realignment hits (say 2018 or so), I think it's time to man up and join a big-boy league. TCU would be a great fit for the Big 12 (or whatever they end up calling themselves in the future) and Boise State could pretty easily fit into the Pac-12.

You don't think they'd want to? I don't think the Pac-10 would invite Boise in a hundred years. Likewise, I doubt the Big 12(-2) invites TCU anytime soon. It's not about TCU and BSU "manning up" --- all schools in the Non AQ conferences would love to be invited to one!

[General Dan]

Those conferences would rather eat cyanide than to admit either of those schools into them. Boise's academic endowment is pitifully small, and Big Texas politics will make sure that the state would sooner re-join Mexico than to admit TCU into the Big <strike>12</strike> 10

[Lilaena De'Ville]

DOWN WITH BOISE STATE!! :shakefist

The Pac-10/12 whatever - we hate them. HATE THEM.

[CMJ]

I think that's just Oregon who hates them -- because BSU whooped the Ducks in 2 seasons where they had National Title dreams.

The rest of the Pac-10 is pretty nuetral/slightly positive towards the Broncos going off of messageboards. That said they don't want to be associated with a school that was a Junior College just over 40 years ago (the Pac-10 schools are pretty snobbish acadmically -- mostly Cal-Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford). Especially one that doesn't give any major media market following.

[Mu Satach]

(the Pac-10 schools are pretty snobbish academically -- mostly Cal-Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford).

Woot - Come next year, we be snobs!

[Taataani Meorrrei]

(the Pac-10 schools are pretty snobbish academically -- mostly Cal-Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford).

Woot - Come next year, we be snobs!


Utah's academic endowment is about average for the PAC-10, so y'all will do just fine

[Rossos Atrapes]

Put me up for the Hokies, Charley, with a penchant for Penn State. I read about the game and Va Tech coming from a 25 or so deficit only to have a touchdown on them in the last two minutes. I'm not a big fan of football, but any epic sports competition like that is just plain awesome.

[Taataani Meorrrei]

I'll get that updated tonight. Hope you have no luck with Penn state this weekend!

[Morgan Evanar]

It's all about da U! I hope we kick the buckeyes into last week, but it's probably gonna be a close game. Miami's biggest questions is their O-line and if they can keep Terrelle Pryor in the pocket and make him throw. We've got a proven passing game. If the line can run block against OSU we'll be in great shape and we can rain doom down upon the doomed heads of our doomed enemies.

[Charley]

Swag is back, and it wears Jim Tressel's sweatervest

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p156/LoungieMu/jacory.jpg

Please oh please oh please beat Ohio State, the boringest team in the country.

[General Dan]

Also, Holly if the Ducks don't hang 50 points on the garbage truck workers I'm finding the nearest Duck fan (you) and holding you personally responsible.

[Figrin D'an]

Not that Penn State was going to have a great chance against Alabama, but the Nittany Lions are just handing this game to the Tide. JoePa's teams don't normally make those kind of killer mistakes.

[Morgan Evanar]

Apparently our quarterback is a bird and he laid a big dumb egg in every red zone trip but one. Jacory you are awful and your sweater vest is awful. Please get non-critically injured for the rest of the season so Spencer Whipple or Highsmith can play instead.

[Kale]

I know Penn State's getting killed, but holy crap, what an effort on that fumble return to strip it and get it back! I was really afraid it would be for naught, but obviously the refs believed the Bama player who rolled over the ball at the two never had possession.

I'm very impressed with Alabama and am just hoping Penn State can hang with them as long as possible at this point. Hey, if nothing else, if they can convert this third and nine and set up another long drive, the Nittany Lions can dominate time of possession...

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Also, Holly if the Ducks don't hang 50 points on the garbage truck workers I'm finding the nearest Duck fan (you) and holding you personally responsible.

We're doing our best to get to 50 pts up, but no promises :uhoh

[CMJ]

Ranked teams to lose this week(AP ranking used).

(12) Miami (FL) l
(13) Virginia Tech
(15) Georgia Tech
(17) Florida State
(18) Penn State
(22) Georgia




Really, really, crappy day for the ACC all around.

[Figrin D'an]

I think my team is already done this year. Only beat an FCS team by 10, and lost probably the best receiver in the Big Ten to a season ending ACL/MCL tear. The O-Line is terrible, the run defense is marginal, and the coaching staff can't seem to put together a cohesive game plan.

Is is basketball season yet?

[Morgan Evanar]

Awful Crap Conference.

[CMJ]

By my count, there are 46 unbeatens remaining after 2 weeks. How long does it take to get that number inside 10?

I'm thinking not more than three weeks.

[Charley]

Well, at least we'll still be in that list.

My biggest hope for this week is that we can somehow hold Duke out of the end zone. They've got a reasonably high-octane offense (against anemic ACC teams and FCS teams, but still)

I think that's a challenging benchmark to set for this young defense. At least we'll have Dareus back. Oh yeah and that Ingram guy, but we aren't exactly hurting for blue chip running backs lol.

Also, Auburn is going to cornhole Clemson. You heard it here, folks.

[Kale]

Ahhhhahahaha, Michigan is down 17-7 against U Mass with a minute left before the half! :lol

Maybe they should stop scheduling these FCS teams...

EDIT: Okay, so Michigan just scored again before the half on a long pass, but my :lol remains.

[CMJ]

Some good games today, including a couple of great OT contests. Only one game involving 2 ranked teams, and Iowa/AZ definitely put on a show.

Anyways, only two ranked teams lose today so the Top 25 won't change much.

9. Iowa
23. Houston

[CMJ]

Some great games today. Several undefeateds go down as well. Biggest stunner was probably UCLA over Texas. Best game? Probably Alabama over Arkansas. Most important game? My alma mater North Texas getting our first win of the season! :D

Ranked(AP) teams to lose this week.


(7) Texas
(10) Arkansas
(12) South Carolina
(22) West Virginia
(24) Oregon St.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Really really wanted OSU to pull out that win over Boise State. :mad Then we were going to trounce OSU later in the year and make Boise State look awful. :shakefist

[CMJ]

I think Boise is safe until November. If I remember their schedule they play both Fresno and Nevada that month -- both of which appear pretty legit. Especially Nevada.

[Figrin D'an]

I'm embarrassed for my alma mater after yesterday. They've been bitten by the injury bug, yes, but no Big Ten team should lose to a terrible MAC team, at home, by double digits. It was one of the most pathetic displays I've ever seen out of the program.

It kills me how, just 5 years ago, the program was a perennial in the Top-20, and even cracked the Top 5 at one point with a chance to really make a statement and change the landscape of power in the conference, and it's been one giant slide ever since. The last coaching staff gave up and stopped recruiting well after 2005, then just rode out their tenure long enough to get the school career wins record. The new staff just seems incompetent. They have some really talented young guys that they've recruited, but they don't seem to know how to maximize that talent and game-plan appropriately.

I really hope it can't get any worse, but I think it's going to. I feel like the Purdue football program is snake-bitten, and with the way things are going, I don't see a way out any time soon. Purdue might not win a single conference game this year. If they get lucky, maybe they beat Minnesota or Illinois or Indiana. They won't touch anyone else on the schedule.

[Keerrourri Feessaarro]

Come on, that's being apocalyptic. Yes Purdue is bad this year but there is no way they're worse than Minnesota or Indiana. No way at all and I will put 100 e-dollars on that.

[Charley]

Week two of our hellfire crucible begins against Florida :ohno

Sooo nervous

[Figrin D'an]

Florida is too inconsistent on offense. I'd take Bama by 7.

[Morgan Evanar]

I agree. If Florida doesn't get everything right in the first half they could be in deep trouble.

Miami won out over a decent Clemson team. Miami's offense still isn't clicking consistently but the defense looks nasty.

[Figrin D'an]

Stanford is looking like the real deal right now against Oregon. Andrew Luck might be the best QB in the nation.

[CMJ]

No huge upsets this week to speak of, but the polls will be altered a bunch because of all the schools playing each other. AP ranked teams to lose this weekend.


(7) Florida
(9) Stanford
(11) Wisconsin
(18) USC
(21) Texas
(22) Penn St
(23) N.C. State


We're down to 18 unbeatens.

[Figrin D'an]

Will be interesting to see if Oregon jumps up to #3 or even #2.

Pretty impressive statement by Alabama. There aren't many (any?) other teams that could curb stomp the Gators like that.


Hey, at least Purdue didn't lose. Of course, they didn't play this weekend.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Oregon looks very very good. They should jump Boise at least.

[CMJ]

I know every year is different, but Boise did beat Oregon the last 2 years - with basically the same team. I'd be hard pressed to put Oregon over BSU personally.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Oregon just looks very impressive to me. I wouldn't put them above Alabama or OSU but I think they deserve 3rd. I think Boise's problems will once again be schedule. It hurts them and it will keep them from getting to the Championship game unless they are one of two unbeaten teams.

[CMJ]

I didn't say I'd put BSU above Ohio State or Alabama. I just said I wouldn't drop them below Oregon.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I didn't say I'd put BSU above Ohio State or Alabama. I just said I wouldn't drop them below Oregon.

Oh I know that, I was referring more to their overall problems of getting into the title game. I think the BCS though will keep them below Oregon and even if one of the Big 12 teams if they remained unbeaten.

[General Dan]

Just did. AP and Coaches both place them at 3. Good times, and much rejoicing!

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The Ducks are for reals. Ty was at the game yesterday, had a great time twenty rows up from the field. :)

[General Dan]

LSUfreek owns

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p156/LoungieMu/meyer_beatdown.gif

Still scared for this weekend though. Tough tough game for us ahead.

[Morgan Evanar]

I honestly think you guys look better than everyone in college football right now. However, anything can happen. I think the Canes should beat FSU but who knows.

[General Dan]

I'm pretty sure that's the case. Jacory is still pick-prone, but if he stays clean, he's got Ponder beat.

[CMJ]

After Nebraska's annihilation of KSU, we're down to 17 unbeatens. And perhaps we have another legit National Title contender. The Cornhuskers look back for real now. Wasn't sure if last season was a fluke, but this is starting to resemble the powerful Nebraska of 9-15 years ago.

[Figrin D'an]

After Nebraska's annihilation of KSU, we're down to 17 unbeatens. And perhaps we have another legit National Title contender. The Cornhuskers look back for real now. Wasn't sure if last season was a fluke, but this is starting to resemble the powerful Nebraska of 9-15 years ago.

Denard Robinson has kind of stolen a lot of the limelight as a duel-threat QB, but Taylor Martinez might be just as good, and he has a better team around him than Robinson does. I'm impressed with how well he runs the Nebraska offense.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I can't believe no one's posted about how Alabama just went down hard to South Carolina.

I wasn't about to count them out after the first half, but I guess they couldn't get closer than needing a touchdown to tie it up.

Have the Ducks game paused at the beginning of the second half - hoping we can wrap up these Cougars without any more injuries.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am shocked Alabama lost. They must have a major letdown because South Carolina isn't that good. They looked awful two weeks ago and their QB is god awful.

[Bretak]

No kidding - after he threw it out of the endzone for a safety I thought S.C. was done for.

[CMJ]

South Carolina had Auburn on the ropes on the road, and just beat Alabama. They seem plenty good to me.

[General Dan]

South Carolina is legit. I don't know where people are coming from when they say they aren't good. I've had this game circled on my calendar all year as the potential game we'd lose. I just hate that I was right.

[CMJ]

Ranked teams according to the AP to lose this week.


(1) Alabama
(9) Arizona
(13) Miami (FL)
(14) Florida
(18) Michigan


Obviously the big game was South Carolina upsetting Alabama. But there were some other great games today including Stanford nipping USC at the wire and LSU pulling another one of of the fire.

[Jedi Master Carr]

South Carolina is legit. I don't know where people are coming from when they say they aren't good. I've had this game circled on my calendar all year as the potential game we'd lose. I just hate that I was right.

Well its more their QB he sucks. He is the most inconsistent QB I have see. Also they didn't have Auburn on the ropes. Auburn dominated that game in the second half and won by two scores. I still think Alabama had a down game, and they will be back.

[CMJ]

South Carolina was dominating Auburn in that game dude. The Tigers were definitely on the ropes in the first half.

And last time I checked...8 points is potentially just one score.

[Jedi Master Carr]

South Carolina was dominating Auburn in that game dude. The Tigers were definitely on the ropes in the first half.

And last time I checked...8 points is potentially just one score.

The part of the game I saw Auburn looked dominant but I only saw the second half. I must admit my hatred for SC is coming out. I hate that damn school for a lot of reasons along with Spurrier.

[CMJ]

Too bad for you they might win the SEC East this year. ;)

[General Dan]

South Carolina will win the east. The rest of the east is a sad sorry state of affairs. About the only way they don't win is if they lose to Arkansas, and Florida miracles victory from the jaws of defeat.

[CMJ]

Investigative journalism at its finest. :lol

http://winesfamily.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-are-oregon-cheerleaders-so-hot.html

[Lilaena De'Ville]

:lol

Duck game this week is being broadcast by ESPN in 3D

[CMJ]

So...interesting day, eh?

[Jedi Master Carr]

Telling me, there was at least 5 upsets with Ohio State being the largest. Oregon is now #1 but wonder how long they will last. Not sure about their schedule. Hell Alabama is back in the picture. They just need Oregon or Oklahoma to lose and beat Auburn.

[Eluna Thals]

This week may not matter as much quality of opposition-wise for Bama, but this is, for me, the Most Important Week.

Kill Tennessee.
Salt the Earth.
Slay the First Born.
Knoxvillo Delenda Est.

[CMJ]

A semi chaotic Saturday with a few upsets and some great games between ranked teams. I think Cameron Newton has to be the favorite for the Heisman at this point.

Ranked AP schools to lose.


(3) Oklahoma
(6) LSU
(13) Iowa
(17) Oklahoma State
(20) West Virginia
(22) Texas


At this point I believe unbeatens are down to 7.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am not shocked about Oklahoma. I really didn't think they were that good as they barely beat Cincinnati and Air Force. The question for the Big 12 is Missouri that good? I guess we will see if they can beat Nebraska next week. I think the top 5 in the BCS now will be
1 Oregon
2 Auburn
3 Boise State
4 TCU
5 Missouri

[CMJ]

I'm expecting -

1. Auburn
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Michigan State

[Jedi Master Carr]

I'm expecting -

1. Auburn
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. TCU
5. Michigan State

I could see that, although I think Oregon deserves #1 but we shall see. The fifth slot could go between Michigan State, Missouri, or even Alabama.

[CMJ]

Oregon is not nearly as strong as Auburn is in the computers, so even though AU is #3 in the polls - I suspect the Tigers will be #1.

[Jedi Master Carr]

That is why I hate the BCS, relying on computers is crazy. They gave too much to Oklahoma and LSU who both weren't as good as their records. I think this is the worse system in all of sports.

[CMJ]

On the other hand, you could say the computers don't have the biases that humans have, so their rankings might be more legit rather than the "eye test".

[Jedi Master Carr]

It would be legit if computers weren't programed by humans. I have read some studies by Mathematicians that says the computers programs they use are very flawed. I still think they should follow the NFL model and decide on the field.

[CMJ]

It would be legit if computers weren't programed by humans. I have read some studies by Mathematicians that says the computers programs they use are very flawed. I still think they should follow the NFL model and decide on the field.

If you ask 4 people, you'd probably get five different ways to set up a playoff. Hence, don't expect one anytime soon.

[General Dan]

Auburn, please don't lose (until the Iron Bowl, that is)

Uuuuuuugh they'll probably beat us badly who am I kidding?!

[Jedi Master Carr]

It would be legit if computers weren't programed by humans. I have read some studies by Mathematicians that says the computers programs they use are very flawed. I still think they should follow the NFL model and decide on the field.

If you ask 4 people, you'd probably get five different ways to set up a playoff. Hence, don't expect one anytime soon.

Well I think when these super conferences happen we will probably get one because there will be less conferences easier to divide it up. I still hate the BCS it is crap and everybody but a few people know it.

[CMJ]

I suspect we're quite a ways from Super conferences. Especially if Texas continues to run the Big XII

[Figrin D'an]

Criticisms of the BCS are fine, because there are a number of issues with it. I'm no staunch defender of it myself. However, it continues to amaze me how quickly college football fans have forgotten what the national championship race was like under the old Bowl Alliance system.

Every time someone I know bitches about how the BCS is crap and should be immediately blown up, I always ask "With what are you going to replace it?" CMJ is correct that super conferences are not going to happen for a while yet. Until then, what would you rather have? A system where direct conference tie-ins to bowls trump everything and there's no guarantee of the top teams matching up, or a system that at least makes an effort to determine #1 and #2 and put them on the field together to decide a champion?

Yes, the BCS needs work, and yes, I too would ultimately like to see a playoff of some kind. Getting to that point isn't going to happen overnight.


Additionally, people bitch about the computer rankings because they are an easy target. No, they aren't perfect. But at least they make an attempt to rank the teams according a (hopefully) logical set of criteria. The far bigger problem, IMO, is the coaches poll. Coaches are, in reality, all but completely clueless about teams outside of their own and whomever is next on the schedule. They don't have time to evaluate the performances of the rest of D1 outside of looking at a box-score (if that). Asking them to rank a top 25 every week in any objective manner is preposterous (so much so, that some have non-coaching assistants fill our their ballots for them). There's no effective policing of this either, so there's little consistency. If you want to make the ranking more fair, ditch the coaches poll as part of the BCS formula. It's far more biased and questionable than any of the computer rankings IMO.

[CMJ]

It was a huge weekend of action. Some great games, some upsets, and some statements made.

Ranked schools to lose(AP poll used).

(5) Michigan State
(7) Missouri
(16) Florida State
(22) Miami (FL)
(24) USC


Oregon and Auburn both with big wins when many were calling for upsets. Baylor beats Texas for the first time since 1997. Joe Paterno gets to within one of an insane 400 all-time wins.

And most importantly, NT won their second game of the season!

[CMJ]

A ton of ranked schools went down, some in upsets, some inmessive tilts against other ranked teams. TCU and LSU probably made the biggest statements. Top 25 (AP) to lose this week.

(5) Alabama
(6) Utah
(11) Oklahoma
(13) Arizona
(14) Missouri
(18) South Carolina
(22) Baylor
(23) N.C. State
(24) Florida State

[Jedi Master Carr]

Alabama is done for National Title consideration. I guess they lost too many important pieces from last year because they are just not the same team. Oregon and Auburn should stay 1 and 2 TCU and Boise need one of those teams to lose.

[Figrin D'an]

TCU is in great position right now. There's a good chance that either Auburn or Oregon will trip up yet, and unlike Boise, I don't think a one-loss team would jump an undefeated TCU team in the standings.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The big question is about Cam Newton. Is he going to get suspended? If he does I think Auburn will lose to Alabama or in the SEC title game. The Newton scandal is a huge mess. Of course I think the cheating thing is a bigger deal to me. If that is true the should throw him out. I think people who cheat should be thrown the book at and never allowed back in to school (I am talking about college here).

[Sanis Prent]

The bigger issue vis a vis Newton is whether he's going to be declared ineligible or not. Suspension is not going to happen, but if he's ineligible, then it essentially nullifies Auburn's entire season up to that point, since they've been playing an ineligible player all season.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The bigger issue vis a vis Newton is whether he's going to be declared ineligible or not. Suspension is not going to happen, but if he's ineligible, then it essentially nullifies Auburn's entire season up to that point, since they've been playing an ineligible player all season.

Well the school could suspended him if more allegations come out. It could be another Reggie Bush situation where he could be stripped of the Heisman and Auburn stripped of the National Title in a future season.

[Sanis Prent]

There is absolutely nothing in Auburn's benefit if they pre-emptively bench Newton. You aren't going to win brownie points from the NCAA if you do it. It just doesn't work that way. Your hypothetical assumes that Auburn is not complicit in any pay-for-play scheme (which I believe they aren't involved, but that of course is up in the air too). Even if they're not, and it comes up later that there's some nugget of info that proves Cam is ineligible, that's pretty much it, whether Auburn acts on it or no. He would be ineligible retroactively, and that would pretty much nullify all games this season and while the program may avoid sanctions, it would negate the wins they've had.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I was thinking they might do it because it is the right thing to do, but there would have to be more allegations for that to happen. I guess we will have to see what happens if is declared ineligible then the season is over for Auburn. Of course that could happen after the season. I think he might have screwed himself out of the Heisman though as many voters won't vote for him with this cloud over him. And pretty much this is it for this kid. He will not make it in the pros. Running QBs don't do well in pro offenses.

[Figrin D'an]

And pretty much this is it for this kid. He will not make it in the pros. Running QBs don't do well in pro offenses.

With the talent he has displayed, there will be NFL teams that will want to draft him and try to convert him into a TE/WR.


Bottom line, the kid is innocent until it's proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he did something wrong. I hope those who vote for the Heisman Trophy keep that in mind.

[CMJ]

Great day for action, with some conference races becoming more clear (and others not so much). Next week will REALLY be interesting. Nonetheless some really good games today(Michigan State pulling another one out of the fire, A&M winning a defensive war, Les Miles using another one of his 1000 lives are the ones that jump out at me).


Ranked AP schools to lose this week.


(9) Nebraska
(20) USC
(21) Iowa
(22) Mississippi St.
(24) Miami (FL)

[Figrin D'an]

Down goes Boise St.

Auburn eeks out the Iron Bowl in a big comeback.

Oregon rolls after some early issues.

Big Ten will be decided today, other half of the Big 12 title game as well.

[CMJ]

Pretty epic weekend. First off the ranked schools to lose....


(3) Boise State
(6) LSU
(9) Alabama
(10) Oklahoma State
(20) Arizona
(21) N.C. State
(24) Iowa


The Auburn comeback yesterday was pretty amazing. I felt nice for Florida State and Notre Dame ending long streaks against ancient rivals. Virginia Tech amazes after that 0-2 start with ten straight victories. Oklahoma and OSU combined for about 5 plays over 70 yards as the Sooners force a 3 way tie for the Division (and will likely be the one to move on - tho right now I believe A&M is the best of the lot at the moment).

There's a lot more out there. Pretty crazy few days though.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

CIVIL WAR DAY BIOTCHES

:shakefist OSU Beavers are going down, and going down hard.

Go Ducks!

[Figrin D'an]

After today, would think the BCS should shape up as follows:

Rose Bowl: TCU vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Stanford
Orange Bowl: Connecticut vs. Virginia Tech
Sugar Bowl: Ohio State vs. Arkansas

National Title Game: Auburn vs. Oregon


I actually think the Rose Bowl could be the best game of the bunch.

[CMJ]

Thoughts on the Bowl season so far?

For the most part, not that many competitive games. Big 10 is sure struggling, and go Sun Belt, we can win the Bowl Challenge Cup! :lol

I was at the Rose Bowl this year and that was amazing - not just the game but the whole festival atmosphere.