For my friend . . .

[Skripper]

Hi Steve and Dave,

Forget LSU and (what's that other one?)....


GO USC GO!!!

(my husband graduated from USC... so of course, we route for them).

Hi Diane.

USC is a disappointment this year. I would have thought they'd be playing in the Championship game.

 

[Skripper]

Only to lose to Oklahoma.

Boomer Sooner!

You really think they'll be there? I don't know, Tom. Plus, I'm still a little ticked at them for getting spanked like they did in 04 by USC. I beat on them.

 

[Davidnic]

You really think they'll be there? I don't know

I think it would work like this:

LSU wins out.

Oklahoma dominates Kansas in the big 12 championship game. Wins by about 3 scores and does not give up over 28 points.

Then they could go from 3 to 2 and be in the Championship game.

Just a guess....who knows with the arcane mathematics of the BCS.

 

[Skripper]

I think it would work like this:

LSU wins out.

Oklahoma dominates Kansas in the big 12 championship game. Wins by about 3 scores and does not give up over 28 points.

Then they could go from 3 to 2 and be in the Championship game.

Just a guess....who knows with the arcane mathematics of the BCS.

What about Oregon?

 

[Davidnic]

What about Oregon?

I think they deserve the chance to play for the championship. But they have no conference championship so that will hurt them since Oklahoma and Kansas will have an extra game. And if they are close enough in the BCS math and Oklahoma buries the last undefeated team then it should be enough (along with some Midwest writers votes given them some traction in the human polls) to get the Sooners in the game.

But I want to see LSU vs Oregon. That would be a fast paced game.

But Kansas or Oklahoma could both make it into #2 because there is no pac-10 championship game for Oregon to showcase against a top ranked opponent.

I am shocked Ohio State only dropped to #7 in the other polls. I thought they would go down to like 12 or lower.

 

[Skripper]

I agree about the conference championship games. That definitely gives those teams that have them (and win them) two advantages. One, like you said, an extra game (and an extra win). And two, it's better to not have quite as long of a lay-off between your last regular season game and the BCS game. For example, Florida last year. Not only did their conference championship game help them to leap-frog Michigan, I think it helped them maintain an edge for the championship game as well. They smoked an OSU team that many didn't even give them a chance of competing with, let alone beating (and certainly not in such convincing style).

 

[nyj]

The Sooners are going to have to take care of business on their end, and get a little bit of help. Kansas being ranked #3 is no problem. OU will take care of them in the Championship game. I'd much prefer Kansas beating Missouri in their upcoming game, because that will favor the Sooners in "strength of schedule" matchups in upcoming games (we've already beaten Missouri once), and if OU then beats KU, we'll jump up to #3. Then, we really do need Oregon or LSU to lose. LSU obviously has the harder route to go, with the SEC championship game. Though, I hope they "overlook" Arkansas. I think Georgia (rather than Tennessee) has the better shot at beating LSU. However, this upcoming week, Oregon plays Arizona ... who is coached by Mike Stoops, the brother of Bob Stoops who is Oklahoma's head coach. You don't think Bob is calling in a favor this week? Maybe Arizona can pull up the upset, or maybe the instate rivalry game at the end of the year with the Beavers might be Oregon's undoing.

If all three teams (LSU, Oregon and OU) win out ... I'm afraid it may be LSU vs. Oregon in the BCS Championship game. Which, while it'd stink for us OU fans, it would be a bit of justice ... like when we lost in the Big XII Championship game but still made the BCS Championship ... only to get demolished. So we've had our shots before, and blew them.

 

[Skripper]

I didn't realize OU lost the Big 12 Championship game the year they went to the BCS Championship. I just remember them being in the BCS Championship and losing (big) to USC (I probably jinxed them by betting on them). How did that happen? Were they ranked number 1 before the Big 12 Championship game? And only dropped one slot with the loss? Was it a really close game or something?

 

[nyj]

I didn't realize OU lost the Big 12 Championship game the year they went to the BCS Championship. I just remember them being in the BCS Championship and losing (big) to USC (I probably jinxed them by betting on them). How did that happen? Were they ranked number 1 before the Big 12 Championship game? And only dropped one slot with the loss? Was it a really close game or something?

Actually in 2003 Oklahoma was undefeated until the Big XII Championship game and was upset by Kansas State. Didn't matter though, OU remained #1 in the BCS Bowl and went on to lose to LSU that year (in a game that while it looked close in the score, and we actually had a chance to win it ... were outplayed almost the entire game). In 2004, we just plain got whooped.

Three BCS teams finished with one loss, and the system had to choose two to play in the title game. USC had lost a triple overtime thriller at California on September 27. LSU lost at home to Florida on October 11. Oklahoma had been #1 in every BCS rating[1], AP and coaches' poll[2] of the season, but then lost badly to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game on December 6. USC finished #1 in both polls, but both USC and LSU fell short on several computer factors. Oklahoma had better schedule strength (11 to LSU's 29 and USC's 37), schedule rank (0.44 to LSU's 1.16 and USC's 1.48), and quality wins (neither LSU or USC had any quality wins). As such, despite the timing of Oklahoma's loss affecting the human voters, the computers kept Oklahoma at #1 in the BCS poll, with LSU and USC separated by only 0.16 points.

 

[Davidnic]

Actually in 2003 Oklahoma was undefeated until the Big XII Championship game and was upset by Kansas State. Didn't matter though, OU remained #1 in the BCS Bowl and went on to lose to LSU that year. In 2004, we just plain got whooped.

That was the year people were calling them the greatest team ever right? I remember a debate over: "Could they beat the Bengals" who were horrible at the time. Jason White was their Quarterback. They were throwing up unbelievable scores on people. They lost to LSU that year and then USC the next year in the Championship. And that is why in 2005 versus Texas everyone was saying USC could three-peat, because they viewed them as co-champs from 2003 and champs from 2004. Even though all USC ever did was really...win one. They had a one-peat.

That was also one of Penn State's very bad seasons when everyone turned against Joe. Sorry but working up here, my time line is based around Penn State.

This is why I love College Football and Pro-Baseball. So many story lines and so much history year to year.

 

[Skripper]

The ole memory ain't what it used to be. Forgot about they were in the 03 game too.

I can't take responsibililty for that loss, though . . . didn't bet on them that year.

 

[nyj]

That was the year people were calling them the greatest team ever right?

Yep. It was their highest scoring team in Oklahoma history (and this coming from a team who's greatest coach [Barry Switzer] used to say "Let's go hang half a hundred on our opponent today!") . That year, they scored 601 points, and only allowed 214. They whooped Texass A&M that year 77-0, and Texass by 65-13 (the best OU/TU game ever!). Jason White won the Heisman that year as well. Unfortunately at the end of that year, they began to believe the hype, and it cost them. I remember listening to that Big XII Championship game on the radio ... it was a very cold, dark night.

 

[edie19]

Me too. I just would prefer if Nick Saban was still there . . . being a MICHIGAN man (whether State or U of M).

Even still, I'm happy for them.

He was at the University of Toledo first

I followed him at MSU too - my sister is an alum.

Then at LSU - my husband has been a LSU fan for years.

we just plain like the teams he's coached.

 

[NiteClerk]

Hey. The Saint Louis Rams won a game. We're on a comeback streak.
.
.
.
.

Wait. Never mind. I'll go away now.
/me leaves.

 

[Benedicta00]

So you're an LSU fan, Dave... know what that makes you huh?

 

[Skripper]

So you're an LSU fan, Dave... know what that makes you huh?

Honorary hick?

 

[Benedicta00]

Honorary hick?

Dis-honorary

 

[Skripper]

Dis-honorary

C'mon, now . . . I'm a pretty honorable guy.

 

[Benedicta00]

C'mon, now . . . I'm a pretty honorable guy.

Be that as it may, you like LSU, you a bumpkin like the rest of us.

 

[Skripper]

Be that as it may, you like LSU, you a bumpkin like the rest of us.

I like good football and good football teams, wherever they are. Even if they're down in the sticks.