This week’s Blogpoll Roundtable is hosted by CollegeGameBalls.com.
1. By now everyone has heard that if there is a three way tie in the Big 12 South the highest ranked team in the BCS will play in the Big 12 Championship Game. That means the humans (66% of the BCS Poll) will determine the Big 12 South representative. Let’s assume Oklahoma sinks the pirate ship at home next week. Try to sway the pollsters by arguing which team you think should face off against the Big 12 North.
This is actually quite absurd. I’m sure most fans will want to see Oklahoma- and so would I. Texas Tech barely beat Texas and Texas beat Oklahoma. If Oklahoma beats Texas Tech, it is safe to say that Oklahoma will be in the Big 12 title game. That’s fine with me since it all falls under a current ruling. At least it isn’t decided by a coin flip. Maybe the rule should change though. Maybe the final tiebreaker should go to the school that has not played in the game the longest, which would be Texas tech- who has never played in this game. Do that. Or, the Big 12 needs to realign itself and send Oklahoma up to the north and send Missouri to the south.
2. ESPN is aggressively bidding on the rights to the BCS when Fox’s contract expires after the 2009 season. My half baked theory is if they do win the rights they will push for a +1 system. Lucrative television deals have landed ESPN in bed with each of the BCS conferences. The revenue a playoff would generate could be a huge motivator for the four letter to be the common denominator and unifier among the conferences that finally helps them all to see the light of why a playoff would be good for college football. Help expand upon or debunk this theory.
ESPN has an amazing amount of influence in college football. Maybe too much as they seem to be less like Nostradamus in predicting Heisman winners and more like a third world dictator in a “presidential” election. At any rate, the network has gone after programming that is more dollar driven than substance driven in the recent past. This bodes well for those wanting some type of playoff as Disney/ABC/ESPN would create more bang with more generated buck.
Let me just say that in NO way would the BCS or ESPN push for an 8 team playoff. This is too hard to sell to anyone riding the fence on the tradition take, or the regular season lovers. Why should they? I realize the that parody is taking over college football, but only a handful of teams would be worthy at the end of the year. The top 8 teams according to the BCS standings as of right now:
- Alabama
- Texas Tech
- Texas
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- U$C
- Utah
- Penn State
I’m not sure all of these teams are worthy. But, certainly the top 4 are and I’d rather argue about the 4/5 team getting in or not getting in than the 2/3 argument that we have now.
In short, ESPN will push for either a straight plus one or a more likely scenario of a 4 team playoff. The regular season will stay as meaningful as it is now, and the current bowl structure can stay virtually intact.
3. Rivalry week is around the corner. How do you think your team will fare? Feel free to talk a little or a lot of trash.
Actually, “Rivalry Week” is a two week affair. The Fighting Irish take on U$C next weekend for the Jeweled Shillelagh. If the Irish had a healthy team, which they don’t, I could see a close loss if they play to the fullest of potential. They are not healthy and the offense is regressing. Notre Dame probably loses this game 38-13 or something similar. Pete Carroll always finds a way to lose to a PAC-10 foe, yet destroy the Irish- especially in Los Angeles. thanks. Now I’m depressed.
4. And now for a little fun… Assemble your dream announcing team. Pick a play-by-play announcer, color commentator, sideline reporter and for the hell of it celebrity guest that drops on by.
- Play-by-play: Paul Keels. Have you heard this guy talk? The Buckeye radio guy can make a grown man weep. Put him on TV.
- Color Commentator: Is there any color commentator that I don’t want to throw out of a speeding train? No, not really. So I might as well just put me in the booth with Keels. The network better have their delay and censor button ready.
- Sideline reporter: This is an obvious choice, but Erin Andrews is also the right choice. She does a good and respectable job, and oh by-the-way… is insanely hot.
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