A look at the BCS Championship Game

LSU (11-2, 6-2)
Ohio State University (11-1)
New Orleans, LA
Today’s Line: LSU -4

LSU Tiger Rankings: (Conference, Nationally)
Total Offense: 448.2 (3rd, 21st)
Offensive PPG: 38.7 (3rd, 12th)
Total Defense: 283.8 (1st,3rd)
Defensive PPG: 19.6 (2nd, 20th)

Ohio State Buckeye Rankings: (Conference, Nationally)
Total Offense: 397.1 (8th, 59th)
Offensive PPG: 32.0 (3rd, 36th)
Total Defense: 225.3 (1st, 1st)
Defensive PPG: 10.7 (1st, 1st)

It’s finally time to put a nightcap on this crazy football season and send it to bed. One final bowl game remains and it’s for all the marbles. The winner will be the first team to win a 2nd BCS Championship.

LSU has a clear advantage in that the game is being played in its backyard, much like their 2004 victory over Oklahoma. They’ll have the overwhelming majority of the crowd there and that could prove to be the deciding factor. Well, that, and the fact that the perennially overrated Buckeyes are 0-8 all-time against the SEC in bowl games. And the fact that no one Ohio State has played this year is as big, strong, fast, and talented as the Tigers. Sure the coach is a little nutty and doesn’t always take the safe way out, but the Magic 8Ball has one more good game left in it… right?

The Buckeyes will tell you they went 4-0 against ranked teams during the season. When examined a little closer though, only 1 of those teams – Wisconsin – finished the season ranked. They also lost to Illinois, which was the only other Big 10+1 to finish the season ranked. LSU, meanwhile, played 4 teams that finished ranked in the Top 25, so they’re much more battle tested. There’s also rested and healed – including stars Glen Dorsey and Early Doucet – so the Tigers will be playing with a full deck for the first time since the early season.

Look for LSU to control the line on both sides of the ball with their speed and quickness. Give the Buckeyes credit for getting back to the title game after losing Heisman winner Troy Smith last year, but take it all back for losing yet another bowl to the SEC.

Dead Guy sees:
LSU 17
tOSU 10

As an aside, even though this is the BCS Championship game, and the winner takes home the shiny trophy and gets a year of bragging rights, you’ll never convince me that either of these teams is the best in the country. Congratulations to whoever wins, but count your blessings there’s no playoff.

OU beatdown

Photo by Mr2Cents


While I really don't care about West Virginia football, I will almost always pull for anybody playing Oklahoma and the always overrated Bob Stoops. Back to back years now, OU has laid a giant egg in the Fiesta Bowl, getting manhandled by West Virginia last night and losing to WAC team last year. It was thoroughly enjoyable to see yet another Stoops team be woefully unprepared for a bowl and his inability to make in-game adjustments. The failed onside kick was pure comedy gold.

By the way, why does Bob Stoops keep his watch and wallet on a plate?
If he put them in a bowl, he'd lose them...

Is There any Doubt we Need a Playoff?

After attempting to watch and remain interested in 2 highly unentertaining BCS bowl games, the need for a playoff is more obvious than ever. I know BCS sunshine pumpers like this guy want to argue, but after yesterday's blowouts, it's hard to argue the BCS didn't lose a heaping chunk of its already waning credibility.

Let me preface this by saying I understand the BCS is significantly better than the old way. It does attempt to give us a 1-2 game, which is more than we had before. Now, that being said, just because it's better doesn't mean it's time to stop evolving it. Can you honestly tell me that USC and Georgia aren't playing better than Ohio State and LSU right now?

Another major argument from BCS proponents is that a playoff would cheapen the regular season. Every game is a must win for title contenders as they navigate towards a top 2 placement in the final BCS standings. If there were a playoff, the regular season games wouldn't mean as much. Tell that to the Auburn fans who watched their team pour their guts out for 14 games in 2004 and go undefeated in the SEC and beat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, but somehow were denied a chance to even play for the national title.

USC's victory may be a little tainted because Illinois had no business whatsoever in the Rose Bowl in the first place. Let's call them this year's Notre Dame. Giving the bowl committees the power to select the teams that play in their games as opposed to the teams that most deserve to be there is a huge strike against the BCS. Missouri dominated Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl and beat both Illinois and Kansas (Orange Bowl participant) on a neutral field. Missouri finished 6th in the BCS standings. Kansas finished 8th. Illinois finished 13th. I'd love for a BCS Sunshine Pumper to justify that for me...

Georgia, meanwhile, has been the best team in the country since an inexplicable hiccup in Knoxville in early October. They'd won 6 straight heading into the Sugar Bowl last night where they proceeded to dominate an undefeated Hawaii team. The Warriors 10 points was 18 points lower than their previous season low. They'd scored 50 or more 4x this season, yet mustered just one TD against the 'Dawgs. Had the Vols not handled business down the stretch, it's a safe assumption UGA would have manhandled LSU in the SEC Championship game.

So I hope the BCS committee and their supporters are satisfied. They brought us two remarkably bad bowl games yesterday featuring two great teams and two teams that didn't deserve to be there. While tonight's Fiesta Bowl has the potential to be entertaining, the upcoming Orange Bowl will certainly be one of the lowest rated BCS games in history. Early next week, LSU and tOSU will play for the national title. Regardless of who wins, you'll never convince me that they're the best team in the country.

But hey... at least it's better than it used to be.

A look at the New Year's Day Bowls

As usual, life got in the way of blogging last night, so no in-depth preview of the 4 SEC Bowl games today. Here's a brief look at each...

Outback: Tennessee vs Wisconsin
Even without leading receiver Lucas Taylor, QB Erik Ainge should have enough weapons to exploit a Big10 defense. The speed of the SEC was very evident yesterday in Kentucky and Auburn's wins over ACC teams. It'll be more obvious against the Big10.

Dead Guy sees:
Tennessee 27
Wisconsin 17

Cotton: Arkansas vs Missouri
This is the only bowl game remaining that I originally picked the SEC to lose. The Hogs are without their coach (which may not be a bad thing considering his bowl record) and without a QB, but that's how they've played - and won - all year. Mizzou may be somewhat disappointed to not be in a BCS game, but they'll still have enough to get by the Hogs in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Dead Guy sees:
Missouri 35
Arkansas 33

Capital One: Florida vs Michigan
This will basically amount to home game for the Gators as they send Michigan coach Lloyd Carr off into the sunset. The Wolverines have done well historically against the SEC, but have not done well against the spread offense this year (see: State, Appalachian). Last I checked, Florida runs the spread fairly decently. While talent wise, the Gators look much better on paper, the Wolverines will play over their heads for their departing coach. It won't be enough though.

Dead Guy sees:
Florida 34
Michigan 28

Sugar: Georgia vs Hawaii
The Dawgs have been the SEC's best bowl team over the last decade, going 8-2 in 10 games. They'll have their hands full as they take on an explosive Hawai'i team led by Heisman finalist QB Colt Brennan. While the Rainbow Warriors will score a bunch of points, they will be woefully unprepared for aforementioned SEC speed. RB Moreno will have a huge game, and the Bulldogs will use this game as a springboard for a legitimate run at a national title in 2009.

Dead Guy sees:
Georgia 45
Hawai'i 31