BCS Guru

Ten Years of BCS: 2000

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:40:00 +0000

The Guru's Note: Beginning in June, the Guru will publish a review of each of the 10 seasons since the Bowl Championship Series came into existence in 1998. In this series -- Ten Years of BCS -- the Guru will examine the results from these seasons -- who got lucky and who got robbed, what could've been, what should've been and other controversies of the day. The series will appear weekly leading up to the 2008 season. ======================== After two years of relative calm, controversy...

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Ten Years of BCS: 1999

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:32:00 +0000

The Guru's Note: Beginning in June, the Guru will publish a review of each of the 10 seasons since the Bowl Championship Series came into existence in 1998. In this series -- Ten Years of BCS -- the Guru will examine the results from these seasons -- who got lucky and who got robbed, what could've been, what should've been and other controversies of the day. The series will appear weekly leading up to the 2008 season. ================================= Give yourself a big pat on the back,...

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Ten Years of BCS: 1998

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:40:00 +0000

The Guru's Note: Beginning in June, the Guru will publish a review of each of the 10 seasons since the Bowl Championship Series came into existence in 1998. In this series -- Ten Years of BCS -- the Guru will examine the results from these seasons -- who got lucky and who got robbed, what could've been, what should've been and other controversies of the day. The series will appear weekly leading up to the 2008 season. =========================On the precipice of a disaster in its infancy, the...

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Coming Soon ... Ten Years of BCS

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:32:00 +0000

Yes, it's hard to believe that it's been 10 years since the Bowl Championship Series was foisted upon the unsuspecting college football fan base. And what fun have we had! Just about every other year, there was a dispute and controversy. In 2001, it was Nebraska over Oregon and Colorado. In 2003, it was USC getting left out and a split championship. In 2004, it was Auburn's turn. In 2006 and 2007, nobody was quite sure who the real champion was -- except we knew it wasn't Ohio State. In the...

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If It Ain't Broke ... Why Even Talk About It?

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:48:00 +0000

So the head honchos who run college football went to Hollywood (Florida, that is) and, after a few days in the sun and too many pina coladas, they reached this shocking conclusion: The BCS is beautiful as it is. Why mess with it? (Get used to this thing) With that, the Guru breathes a huge sigh of relief, knowing that I won't have to fold up shop after the 2009 season. Heck, the way this meeting went, I should be able to count on lots of buffo business well into my retirement. (Don't worry,...

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For Once, Notre Dame is No. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:25:00 +0000

The 2007 season has not been kind to Charlie Weis. He has endured just about every humiliation imaginable. First, he lost a very public trial on a questionable medical malpractice suit. Then, his Notre Dame team failed to score an offensive touchdown until leafs started to turn. The Irish began the season 1-9, including an ignominious loss to Navy that ended a 43-year ND winning streak against the academy. Weis' squad finished 3-9 (thanks to wins over brainiacs Duke and Stanford) with the...

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Agents of Change

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:23:00 +0000

Change is not always good and not all changes are equal. Just because 15 percent of Division I-A teams hired new coaches, it doesn't mean they'll all enjoy success in due time. In fact, some programs are doomed to fail (again) while others are investing in a leap of faith in unfamiliar faces. Of 120 Division I-A schools, 18 will begin the 2008 season with a different leading man from the ones they started 2007. We'll look these new hires, assess their prospects, and of course, list them...

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West Virginia: Get a Life!

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:19:00 +0000

Dear West Virginia University: I understand how painful it is to lose someone you love, to somebody better. But that's life. It's really unhealthy for you to continue to act like this: part unhinged lunatic, part conniving slimebag. So my advice to you is: Stop it! Is it really necessary for you to keep smearing the good name of Rich Rodriguez? After what he's done for you over the past seven years? Before he arrived, your school is as well known as Trinity College and University (and...

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It's NOT the Speed, Stupid!

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:13:00 +0000

Another BCS title game. Another beatdown of Ohio State. And by extension, another hit on the woebegone Big Ten. Too big. Too slow. Nonsense. Speed is not the Big Ten's problem. Coaching is the problem. The Big Ten has athletes. Plenty of athletes. Athletes big and small. Speedy and slow. Explosive and plodding. Just like any other conference. Just like the SEC. On the 2007 NFL opening day rosters, there are more Buckeyes (44) on NFL teams than any SEC school. There are more Michigan alums...

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A Split National Championship?

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 17:52:00 +0000

Right about now, many LSU fans -- and by extension, some SEC fans -- have worked themselves up into a tizzy about the possibility of a split national championship. Gulp, that's right, it's possible that the AP will decide not to go along with the winner of Monday night's BCS title game and declare its own champion, a la 2003. And yep, the potential perp, again, is the damned three-letter word that Geaux Tigers fans hate to utter ... U-S-C. If Ohio State wins the game, there would be no...

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SEC Supremacy: Myth or Reality?

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:49:00 +0000

In the world of marketing, it's assumed that if you repeat something enough times, people will think it as true. So how often have you heard this: "The SEC is the best conference in college football." Baloney? Could be. It is no surprise that this truthiness-sounding statement is often perpetuated by the southern media and CBS, the mouthpiece of SEC football. But it is gaining enough currency that some in the national media are buying into it. The claim's legitimacy received a major boost...

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Dog Days of 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 17:47:00 +0000

To classify 2007 as a season of upsets is like calling Operation Barbarossa a border skirmish. The year that began with Appalachian State's victory at the Big House turned out to be the gift that kept on giving, with nary a weekend without a mind-blowing victory by an underdog. In the final analysis (so far), because of the abundance of unexpected outcomes, some games in retrospect hardly seemed to surprise any more. For instance, Syracuse's 38-35 win over Louisville was considered a huge...

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Bowling with the Guru

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:44:00 +0000

'Tis the season to celebrate mediocrity. Heck, even if your team went 6-6 and got its coach fired, that's not enough of a reason for them to be home for the holidays. Chances are, there will be a spot in Toronto, Detroit, Boise or even Honolulu for the guys. But the Guru understands that there's big money involved in the bowls. And I'm not even talking about the $17 million payout to BCS teams. While the Guru would be "shocked! shocked!" that there would be gambling going on in places not...

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What's Wrong with BCS?

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:40:00 +0000

As expected, Ohio State and LSU will be paired in the BCS national title game. But this result was, at best, accepted conventional wisdom; or at worst, a travesty. There are lots of upset people from Athens, Norman, Blacksburg to Los Angeles, not to mention Columbia and Tempe, where two teams were perceived to be robbed of deserved BCS berths. So what's wrong with the BCS? In short, everything. The much revamped standings have reduced the system to a series of beauty pageants late in the...

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Ohio State vs. LSU

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 07:50:00 +0000

The season of upsets brought us one fine ending ... and a fine mess. The BCS Guru now projects that Ohio State and LSU, two teams that occupied the top spot of the BCS standings for much of the season, will meet in New Orleans in the BCS national championship game. Ohio State will be a comfortable No. 1 against LSU, which will edge Virginia Tech (No. 3) and Georgia (No. 4) and Oklahoma (No. 5) for the spot. The Tigers' early-season rout of the Hokies, and the victory over a Tennessee team that...

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An Anti-Climactic End, Perhaps?

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:24:00 +0000

Call it a hunch. But the 2007 season, one spectacularly long on upsets and short on dominant teams, might end with sort of a whimper. Maybe everything will fall in place according to form on Saturday and thus giving us one hell of a boring bowl season. If West Virginia defeats Pittsburgh, as widely expected, then there won't be much drama as to the BCS bowl lineup. The Mountaineers will play either Missouri or Ohio State, with Georgia, Kansas, USC, Arizona State, Hawai'i and champions of the...

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The Case for Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:03:00 +0000

One win away. A victory over a 4-8 Washington team apparently is the only thing separating Hawai'i from a BCS bowl invitation. Destination: New Orleans. I did say "apparently," didn't I? The formula for Hawai'i seems simple. Win, stay in the Top 12 of the BCS standings, and earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl. But there are a couple of potential scenarios that are out of the Warriors' control. And if Hawai'i has to leave its fate to others, i.e. the BCS selection committee, then it has a lot to be...

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The Final Week

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:00:00 +0000

The maddening 2007 season is coming to a close. And the lucky ones are those who have already finished playing. Last week, Nos. 1 and 2 both went down, clearing the path for three teams to vie for the BCS national championship. After the release of the latest BCS standings, the scenarios are much clearer -- though there is still potential for Armageddon. The Guru has broken down those scenarios and the attendant results for all BCS bowls: (*denotes team must win its final game to earn...

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These Tigers are No. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 16:50:00 +0000

Just like last week, the Tigers will be atop of the new BCS standings. But it will be the Missouri Tigers who replace the LSU Tigers as the 2007 regular season enters its final week. Closing in at No. 2 and a spot in the BCS title game will be West Virginia. After demolishing overmatched UConn on Saturday, the Mountaineers should have a commanding lead in the standings over No. 3 Ohio State. The Buckeyes are hardly out of it, however. Should Missouri lose to Oklahoma in the Big XII...

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Strange Days

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 16:47:00 +0000

If the 2007 isn't the most surreal of recent college football seasons, then Trojan fans will be rooting for the Bruins. Wait, they will be, at least this weekend. That's just one of the many unreal subplots in this penultimate weekend of the 2007 regular season, consider: * No. 1 LSU was beaten for the second time this season in triple overtime. The first defeat, at Kentucky, knocked the Tigers down. This one, a shocker of a loss to Arkansas at home, knocked the Tigers out of the national...

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Hawaii F-ed Over

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:44:00 +0000

The BCS's big dogs apparently are not satisfied that Hawai'i's BCS hopes are already on life support. They want to pull the plug altogether. The commissioners of the six BCS conferences voted to expand the at-large pool from their own conferences from 14 to 18 teams, adding yet another obstacle in Hawai'i's quest to earn a berth in one of the BCS bowls. Here's how it works: Until Tuesday, only teams in the Top 14 of the final BCS standings may be considered for a BCS at-large berth. But there...

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Leader in the Clubhouse

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:40:00 +0000

Jack Nicklaus is the greatest golfer in history (hold on there, Tiger, you'll get your turn). And since he went to Ohio State, a golf analogy would be apt here. After their Big Ten-clinching victory over Michigan, the Buckeyes became the first team guaranteed to have no more than one loss in the regular season. Kansas is technically there, too, but the Jayhawks aren't quite finished yet. So the Bucks can light up a cigar in the clubhouse and watch the numbers on the leaderboard recede. You...

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UO, OU, Oh, My!

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:37:00 +0000

Just when you thought we already had our upset of the week on Thursday, Texas Tech threw a monkey wrench to the BCS machine that was just beginning to churn somewhat normally. Oklahoma's loss provided new life to the BCS title quests of West Virginia and Ohio State. And even Arizona State, with a key game against USC on Thanksgiving, might get back in the race as well. The Guru projects that LSU will remain No. 1, Kansas will be the new No. 2, with West Virginia moving into No. 3, followed by...

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Thanks, Bro!

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:32:00 +0000

Family business, it's a beautiful thing. Bob Stoops wants to coach in the BCS national championship game badly, so brothers Mike and Mark took care of business Thursday night, as Arizona took down No. 2 Oregon. It was a devastating loss for the Ducks. Besides seeing their chance to play for the national title vaporize, the Ducks might miss out on a BCS bowl altogether. As of now, Oregon doesn't even have the inside track to the Rose Bowl. The USC-Arizona State game on Thanksgiving may very...

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A WAC-ky Break

noreply@blogger.com (Samuel Chi) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:29:00 +0000

Losses by Michigan and Ohio State have a much greater meaning than knocking the Buckeyes out of No. 1, and in all likelihood, the national title race. The Wolverines now have picked up a lot of WAC fans on their bandwagon for Saturday's annual showdown for the Big Ten title. A Michigan victory will earn it the Big Ten championship outright, and a Rose Bowl berth. But it also should kick in the Top 16 clause: Any non-BCS member will qualify for a BCS bid if it finishes in the Top 16, as long as...

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