Top Four Stories Following College Football Regular Season Final Weekend

After the final weekend of the 2015 College Football regular season, there are some immediate topics that stand out to me.  While some storylines still need to be settled during Conference Championship weekend we know for sure a few things:

 

1. Les Miles gets redemption while LSU shows their true colors

For a couple of weeks, rumors swirled that Louisiana State University would buy out Head Coach Les Miles contract and get a new Football coach.  Despite the fact Miles has won a National Championship, two SEC Conference Titles, and is one of the top recruiters in the nation, boosters and administration wanted a new head of the football program.  They wanted to use a three game losing streak and three consecutive years of diminishing record versus in conference opponents to bring in a new guy. 

The saying “Where there is smoke, there is fire” applies to this disgraceful situation.  From LSU Boosters putting up money to pay for the contract buyout to LSU Administrators putting out “secret feelers” to three different potential coaches speaks volumes about Louisiana power brokers.  It is disgraceful to throw a great coach who has been loyal to the school and his players for years.  While Miles had opportunities to leave LSU, he stayed.  Just because Miles and LSU Football are not the top program in the SEC is negligible.  In fact, of all active SEC Football Head Coaches Miles is the second most successful man to Nick Saban of Alabama.  The truth is that it is intellectually dishonest to believe that Jimbo Fisher, Chip Kelly or any other rumored names to replace Miles would do a better job at LSU.

Moving forward LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva should be the man on the hot seat now.  He was silent for weeks, waited until after the win versus Texas A&M to declare his “support” for Les Miles. This whole dilemma has been disgraceful in the way it was handled and at some point we have to hold people accountable.  Also don’t forget Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal called out LSU Administration over how they have handled this situation and Jindal supports Miles as Football Coach at Louisiana’s top state university.

2. The College Football Playoff committee got it right on Notre Dame

When the College Football Playoff committee dropped Notre Dame out of their Top Four rankings in favor of University of Iowa I was one of the people decrying the flip flop move by the committee.  Now in hindsight of Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford it looks like the Committee got this one right.

In their last couple game Notre Dame has not played up to expectations and their litany of injuries are catching up to them.  The team is starting their 2^nd string Quarterback along with their 4^th string Running Back; not exactly a recipe for success.  Furthermore, unexpected close wins against teams such as Boston College does not help their overall resume in the eyes of the Committee.  Now the loss to Stanford not only seals their fate as not Playoff Bound but they get the consolation prize of going to a good Bowl game.  Kudos to the College Football Committee for seeing Notre Dame for who they are…like Dennis Green said “They are who we thought they were!!”

3. Virginia Tech’s next Head Coach will be Justin Fuente

Despite the “rise” of University of Memphis’ Football program over the last couple years, many college football fans do not know of Justin Fuente.  Fuente is a former collegiate Quarterback who was the TCU Football Offensive Coordinator before being hired as Head Coach at Memphis.  Over the last four years Fuente has showed he is a good recruiter and developer of talent.  But he is also the “hot coach” in college football, which does not always equal success when they move on to the next job.

In the past College Coaches such as Randy Edsall, Derek Dooley, Will Muschamp, and Tyrone Willingham all were at one time the “hot name” and got the next job but then couldn’t live up to the expectations placed on them.  Fuente is a good recruiter and offensive minded coach.  But there is a reason why Fuente is retaining Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, and that reason has to do with Fuente knowing his limitations.  Foster has been one of the top ten defensive coordinators in college football over the last two decades.  Fuente knows from his experience coaching at TCU that his offensive prowess and recruiting talents will be fruitless without a defense to compliment them.  Also, keeping Foster is a good faith gesture to Virginia Tech boosters to show he is not coming in to “change everything” like other “Hot Name” Coaches have done in other stops.  Fuente is already off to a good start and he hasn’t even coached a game yet at Virginia Tech.

 

4. Mark Richt and Kyle Flood firings expose a dark side of collegiate athletics

On Sunday University of Georgia and Rutgers University fired their Head Football Coaches, opening up more positions to be filled among the major college football programs.  But these firings indirectly expose the dark underbelly of collegiate athletics in today’s world.

Mark Richt was the Head Coach at Georgia for fourteen years, compiling a win-loss record of 145-51 and lead his team to finish the season ranked in the top ten in the country six times.  But in a “what have you done for me lately” culture, Richt had not won an SEC Conference title since 2005.  After three seasons in which Georgia did not meet pre-season expectations, Richt’s standing with the athletic department and boosters led to what the University is calling a “mutual” parting of ways.

The truth is, multiple reports tell us that Georgia Boosters and Administration had grown tired of Richt and wanted a new man in charge of the Football program.  With the resources and desire to “keep up with the Joneses” of other SEC schools, Georgia will be throwing all they have to get the biggest fish in the college football coaching availability pond.  There will be rumors that range from Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly to Alabama Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart to University of Houston coach Tom Herman; but none of these or other potential candidates bring any guarantees of success.  Richt was a symbol of stability at Georgia and hopefully the administration learns from the errors of their fellow SEC schools.

When Tennessee parted ways with their long-time head coach Phil Fullmer, the administration thought they knew how to move the football program forward.  Over the last seven seasons Tennessee has employed three different Head Coaches.  Meanwhile South Carolina went “big name hunting” after Lou Holtz retired in 2004.  In ten plus seasons with Steve Spurrier South Carolina won 86 games but never won an SEC Conference Title.  So history tells us that moving on from a Football Coach who has been in place for years does not always equal success or a real upgrade.

On the other side of the coin is the Kyle Flood firing at Rutgers.  Rutgers Football program was a prominent program during the late 1950’s through early 1960’s winning three conference titles over a period of four years.  Greg Schiano came to Rutgers after coaching at the University of Miami and brought a winning attitude on the field and on the road as a recruiter.  Schiano built up a Rutgers program from the ground up and leading Rutgers out of obscurity to their first national rankings and Bowl Games in three decades.  But after ten plus seasons Schiano wanted to take on the challenge of coaching in the NFL (an endeavor that went sour); his replacement was Kyle Flood.

Flood would get off to a hot start as a Head Coach in which he led his team to co-Conference champions and close Bowl game loss.  But after that initial success, Flood’s Rutgers team would stumble, compiling a mediocre over win-loss record of 18-20.  Many of the issues with Flood came to a head earlier in 2015 when several players on the football team were arrested and charged with felonies.  Meanwhile, Flood reportedly had a physical confrontation with a university professor over the “mistreatment” of one of his players.  What was revealed in 2015 was that Flood’s success in 2012 was with Schiano’s recruits and in Flood’s efforts to keep up the talent level of the program was more willing to take chances on recruits with troubled histories.  Flood, not being the caliber of coach or recruiter Schiano was, made the mistake of sacrificing scruples to win ball games.  Those choices led to the university’s football program to receive a black eye in the aftermath of past issues with the Athletic Department and Admiration over recent issues.

Now Rutgers must move forward and bring in a Football coach who doesn’t just change the culture of the program but has the moral high ground to pull the program back to a level of respectability while also being able to recruit at a level on par with their membership in the Big Ten Conference.  Rutgers will also be looking for a new Athletic Director; with the firing of Julie Hermann Rutgers will replace her with Pat Hobbs who will be the university’s third Athletic Director in four years.

Universities have become multi-million dollar operations who utilize their Football programs as revenue generators.  Memberships in major athletic conferences such as the SEC and Big Ten help garner the University’s Athletic Department money and exposure that they would not receive with membership.  Also part of the deal is the expectations placed on these programs by Administration and Boosters; whether a coach is fired for bringing shame to the university or the coach has outstayed his welcome, the dark truth of College Football is that winning more games than you lose each season is not enough to keep a coach his job.  There are numerous layers that are both public and private that go into the hiring and firing of Football Coaches.

Future of University of Miami Hurricanes Football

With the firing of former University of Miami Hurricanes Football Coach Al Golden, Miami will be in search of their fifth Head Coach since 2000.  “The U”, as it is famously and infamously known as, has been in search of reclaiming their “glory years” for over a decade.  Back in the 1980’s Miami’s Football was one of the dominant forces in college football, winning three national titles with three different Head Coaches.  From 1983-2001 Miami has won five National Championships while sending hundreds of players to the ranks of the NFL. 

But since their loss to Ohio State in 2002 National Title game the Football program at Miami has been on a downward spiral.  From poor recruiting classes to teams not meeting expectations to coaching mis-hires by Athletic Directors, the tumult of the Miami Hurricanes program has been well documented.  In fact, if it wasn’t for Billy Corben’s documentaries about “The U” many people would not understand the depth of the impact of Miami Hurricanes’ Football Program.  The 1980’s Miami Hurricanes changed how other college football programs looked at players and football success. 

Before the 1980’s many football programs success was gauged by winning Bowl games and beating their rivals year to year, and if you had players who won a Heisman Trophy or other major awards that was credited to coaching legacy.  The emphasis was on the school and coaches. The players were treated as an accessory to success.  But Miami Hurricanes Head Coaches Harold Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, and Dennis Erickson were not demonstrative leaders of their football programs.  They focused on the student-athletes and let players express themselves on the field.  After Miami’s dominance the standards for college football excellence shifted.  No longer was the emphasis on just winning versus rivals and winning bowl games to make the university money.  Instead the goal was great recruiting classes, sending as many players as possible to the NFL, winning as many games as possible, and playing a schedule that gets you on TV.  Yes, winning championships are the ultimate goal, but the 1980’s Miami Hurricanes showed that a successful football program could no longer be gauged by just the old standards.

The standards set by “The U” in the 1980’s have evolved over the last 25 years.  In 2015 The University of Miami is behind the times in terms of facilities, quality coaches, and winning big games.  Miami’s football facilities are not up to par compared to many other schools who play Division 1 Football at the highest level of competition.  Their stadium is a 45-60 minutes’ drive away from campus (depending on the time of day), and they have an obsession with hiring coaches who are lacking certain necessary skills to be successful head coaches at a University such as Miami.  After Butch Davis left in 2000, look at the coaches who were brought in to be Head Coaches:

-Larry Coker was considered a “Players’ Coach”.

With a background as an offensive position coach and offensive coordinator, Coker won a National Title in 2001 and led the Hurricanes to another championship game in 2002 with a roster full of players recruited by former coach Butch Davis.  Once those players left for the NFL, Coker never won more than 9 games in a season and he had trouble recruiting the same level of talent.  Also as an offensive minded coach and his lack of recruit acumen the defenses his last couple years dropped off.

-Randy Shannon was hired to be a throwback Head Coach.

Because of his background as a defensive coach and as a former player at “The U” he was a very good recruiter.  Despite Shannon raising the level of play of the team’s defense, cultivating top 25 recruiting classes for four straight years, and also raising the overall graduation rates and GPA of the football program, his win-loss record before he was fired was 16-16.  Shannon was not a great football game manager nor was he good at hiring the right offensive coaches to develop the team’s offensive skill players.

-Al Golden was a rebuilding coach from Temple

Golden spent five years rebuilding a University of Temple Football program that had a win-loss record of 3-31 before he arrived on campus.  After bringing Temple back to Football relevance and their first winning seasons in 30 years, he was hired to do the same in Miami.  But when the school fell under NCAA sanctions, Golden’s uphill battle to rebuild the program took a major hit.  His style of recruiting and coaching was not the best fit for a program whose tradition was based around great athletes being led to win big games.  Golden had trouble beating rivals, consistently finishing the season below expectations despite the talent on the roster.  According to many reports, Golden had trouble relating to players and his game plans were lacking in creativity.

Whoever becomes the next University of Miami Football Head Coach has an uphill battle in their efforts to try to raise the level of play of a program that has not won more than 9 games since 2003.  Overcoming a lack of support from school administrators, underwhelming football facilities, poor stadium location, and recruiting to players who were in kindergarten the last time Miami was playing in a National Championship game; the challenge is real and daunting for anyone becoming the next Head Coach.  Their next Head Coach needs the following attributes:

-High Football IQ and good coaching staff:

Miami needs to bring in someone who is more well-rounded than previous coaches.  The great head coaches in college football in 2015 are great game day strategists, work well with their coaching staff, and know how to hire great coaches that compliment and fulfill the needs of the football program.

-Recruiting plus development:

Miami’s next Head Coach needs to be more than just a great recruiter.  The coach needs to have experience at developing players to be great on game day.  Having talent is a good start for any football team, but a coach who can maximize that talent on the football field is just as important.  One of the major traditions at Miami is the hundreds of players who have gone on to be starting players in the NFL.  Continuing this tradition is an important part of the school’s history and future success.

-Bridge the gap between the athletic department and the rest of the University: The next Head Coach of the University of Miami needs to build the relationship behind the scenes of advancing the football program.  Whether people in South Florida want to admit it or not, Miami’s Football program has made that university millions of dollars, most of that money that has not been invested back into the football program.  Most of that money was used to invest in academia, other athletic programs, and giving people with fat pockets more money to put in those pockets among the university’s administration.  What made Charlie Strong a great coach at University of Louisville, Chris Pederson at Boise State, Mark Richt at University of Georgia, Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, as well as Mark Bellotti and Chip Kelly at University of Oregon was their ability to not just win football games, not just recruit high level talent, but also get their university to invest resources into the football program and its players.  These skills at relationship building with administration, academia, players and future recruits open doors for Strong, Pederson, and Kelly to get next level job opportunities while coaches such as Richt, Gundy and Bellotti became mainstays at their Universities.

Can the University of Miami reclaim their tradition of excellence?  Yes, but they need the right head coach who can do what Larry Coker, Randy Shannon, and Al Golden were unable to do.  Like I said earlier, you are recruiting kids who were in kindergarten the last time Miami was a great football program.  The football program needs a fresh approach, a different strategy on and off the field, things that Coker, Shannon, and Golden were unable to offer.  

2015 College Football Preview: Big 12 Conference

The 2015 College Football Season begins this week and this will be the second year of the College Football Four-Team Playoff format.  This week I will be giving my preview of the major teams and players to watch for in 2015.  One of the elements that makes the College game so exciting is the unpredictability. There’s no preseason, always new players coming in as freshman, and past players leaving via graduation or early exit for the NFL.  Also, I enjoy watching College Football for the many different styles of offenses and defenses run on the field each week.  Unlike the NFL in which only a few different schemes are utilized each week, the College ranks over the last few decades have seen so many variants of styles and we the viewers have seen some of the greatest players succeed with these unique game plans.

Today I will highlight teams to watch from the Big 12 Football Conference:

University of Texas

2015 Projected Record: 6-6

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +3/-0

Make or Break Games: 9/5 @ Notre Dame, 9/19 vs Cal; 10/3 @ TCU; 10/10 vs Oklahoma; 11/14 @ West Virginia; 12/5 @ Baylor

Synopsis: Entering his second season at Texas, Head Coach Charlie Strong has to lead his team through one of the toughest schedules in the nation.  If playing Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana wasn’t enough, Texas gets to host one of the top offenses in the nation in California a couple weeks later.  Then that brutal inter-conference schedule: Having to travel to play at TCU, at West Virginia, and at Baylor.  What Texas has going for them is a young, but very talented defensive unit headlined by freshman Malik Jefferson who is a special player at Linebacker.  I am unsure if Texas has the offensive firepower to keep up with their competition, especially if the games turn into shootouts.  Time will tell if starting Quarterback Tyronne Swoopes is up for the challenge.

University of Oklahoma

2015 Projected Record: 8-4

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games: 9/12 @ Tennessee; 10/10 vs Texas; 10/24 vs Texas Tech; 11/14 @ Baylor; 11/21 vs TCU; 11/28 @ Oklahoma State

Synopsis: Oklahoma has a name that demands respect in the college football world for years, but this year they may have too much to overcome.  We know the offense will be talented with Baker Mayfield at Quarterback and Freshman Running Back Joe Mixon.  But the defense is still young and lacks depth at certain positions, leaving Oklahoma susceptible when facing high powered offenses like Baylor, TCU, and don’t discount that Texas Tech game.  Mayfield, who transferred to Oklahoma from Texas Tech, will have the luxury of facing his old school on the Oklahoma home field.  But don’t assume that equals a win that day because Mayfield was recruited by Texas Tech and his old coaches may make him look bad.

Texas Tech University

2015 Projected Record: 8-4

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +2/-1

Make or Break Games: 9/19 @ Arkansas; 9/26 vs TCU; 10/3 vs Baylor; 11/24 @ Oklahoma; 11/7 @ West Virginia; 11/26 @ Texas

Synopsis: While Texas Tech is still rebuilding through recruiting missteps after the saga that ended the Mike Leech era in Lubbock, Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury has many talented pieces to work with on both sides of the ball.  While not announcing who the starting Quarterback will be, both Davis Webb and Patrick Mahomes showed last season they can run this high powered offense.  While their defense is still suspect in terms of depth, they are getting better.  This season’s team will give inter-conference opponents trouble because it’s another full season for players in Kingsbury offensive system.  Senior Wide Receiver Jakeem Grant is poised for a breakout season while Texas Tech is setting up to walk away with some up upset victories in 2015.

Baylor University

2015 Projected Record: 10-2

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games: 10/3 vs Texas Tech; 11/5 @ Kansas State; 11/21 @ Oklahoma State; 11/27 @ TCU

Synopsis: In Baylor’s 56-21 win last night over SMU we got to see what makes this team so good: talented starting Quarterback in Seth Russell with dynamic wide receivers and an underrated running game opening up the offense for the Baylor Bears.  But we also saw the underwhelming defense that is Baylor’s weakness coming into the 2015 season.  No offense to SMU, but this game was closer than it should have been early on.  It is obvious that this team will have another season averaging around 40 points scored per game, but can their defense slow down high powered offenses such as Texas Tech and TCU?  I do not expect Baylor to be winning the Big 12 championship when three of Baylor’s final five games this season are on the road against tough inter-conference opponents.

University of West Virginia

2015 Projected Record: 9-3

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games: 10/3 @ Oklahoma; 10/17 @ Baylor; 10/29 @ TCU; 12/5 @ Kansas State

Synopsis:  Never did I ever expect the day to come I would to say or write the following: West Virginia may have the best defense in the Big 12 Conference.  The West Virginia Mountaineers have for years before known for their offensive skill players, only sending one major defensive NFL prospect to the profession ranks in the last several years.  But with eight returning starters on defense, a unit that includes Safety Karl Joseph, Linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, and Cornerback Daryl Worley, West Virginia has a chance to be the foil of the Big 12 power teams in 2015.  Also don’t forget about the two headed running attack lead by Running Backs. Rushel Shell and Wendell Smallwood have the chance to frustrate many opponents who lack the linebacker depth to compensate.  The biggest question in Morgantown is if Junior Quarterback Skyler Howard is ready to be the starting Quarterback for a full season after spot duty last season?

Texas Christian University

2015 Projected Record: 11-1

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games: 9/26 @ Texas Tech; 10/29 vs West Virginia; 11/21 @ Oklahoma; 11/27 vs Baylor

Synopsis: Entering the 2015 College Football season as the number two ranked team in the country, TCU has come a long way under Head Coach Gary Patterson.  Several years ago TCU was playing in a mid-level conference causing National upsets with great defense and an underrated offense.  This year the script has flipped with a high powered offense led by starting Quarterback Trevone Boykin, who is considered an early front runner for the Heisman Trophy.  The defense is not at the caliber of past TCU teams and that is what may be the tripping point for Gary Patterson’s team who is on a mission to be the Big 12 Conference champions and get into this year’s College Football Final Four Playoff.  Matchups with high powered offenses like Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Baylor will be major tests of TCU’s defensive depth and efficiency.

2015 College Football Preview: Big Ten Conference

The 2015 College Football Season begins this week and this will be the second year of the College Football Four-Team Playoff format.  This week I will be giving my preview of the major teams and players to watch for in 2015.  One of the elements that makes the College game so exciting is the unpredictability. There’s no preseason, always new players coming in as freshman, and past players leaving via graduation or early exit for the NFL.  Also, I enjoy watching College Football for the many different styles of offenses and defenses run on the field each week.  Unlike the NFL in which only a few different schemes are utilized each week, the College ranks over the last few decades have seen so many variants of styles and we the viewers have seen some of the greatest players succeed with these unique game plans.

Today I will highlight teams to watch from the Big Ten Football Conference:

University of Michigan

2015 Projected Record: 7-6

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +3/-1

Make or Break Games: 9/3 @ Utah; 9/26 vs BYU; 10/17 vs Michigan State; 10/31 @ Minnesota; 11/21 @ Penn State; 11/28 @ Ohio State

Synopsis: In his first year as Head Coach at his Alma mater, Jim Harbaugh has to navigate one of the toughest schedules in all of college football in 2015.  They are scheduled to play two teams in the top ten in the country (Michigan State and Ohio State), play away against three of the most underrated teams in the country (Utah, Penn State and Minnesota) and play a team with a potential Heisman trophy finalist (BYU with Taysom Hill).  Despite all of these obstacles, Harbaugh is great at bringing out the best in his players and maximizing their talents.  That projected record above is a low ball guesstimate; don’t be surprised if Michigan wins a couple games this season that they are “expected to lose”.  Michigan has a lot of depth on defense and that could prove a folly for many inter-conference opponents, allowing Michigan to walk away with a few upset victories in 2015.

Michigan State University

2015 Projected Record: 9-3

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games:  9/12 vs Oregon; 10/17 @ Michigan; 11/7 @ Nebraska; 11/21 @ Ohio State; 11/28 vs Penn State

Synopsis: The good news for Michigan State is their starting Quarterback Connor Cook is really good; bad news is their defense last season was underwhelming to say the least.  For years Michigan State has been known to play good defense but last season they got ran over by high powered offenses like Oregon and Baylor.  The potential of Michigan State Spartans season hinges on if that defense is improved enough from last season because they cannot expect their QB Cook to win every game for them.  Football is a team sport and the defense needs to step up this season.  If they don’t, then those gamblers in Las Vegas are going to lose money when placing bets and Spartans’ fans will be disappointed with a season in which they lost to rivals.

Penn State University

2015 Projected Record: 9-3

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games: 10/17 @ Ohio State; 10/24 vs Maryland; 11/21 vs Michigan; 11/28 @ Michigan State

Synopsis: Penn State comes into the 2015 season with two major positives: upperclassmen depth at many positons and Christian Hackenberg at Quarterback.  Both of those positives could also become sticking points as the season progresses.  Before October 17^th’s game at Ohio State, Penn State plays four non-conference opponents with less talent on their rosters than they do.  This may lead to overconfidence.  Confidence is a powerful emotion, able to lift their level of play above and beyond what is expected or it can set one up for disappointment and failure.  From October 17^th through November 28^th Penn State has a gauntlet to survive of four games away from their home field against inter-conference opponents, two of them top ranked teams (Michigan State and Ohio State).  Hackenberg will be tested and so will the confidence of this team during the second half of the 2015 season.  Passing this difficult test will determine more than just what bowl they will end up playing in, it can also determine the potential NFL draft futures of many of the players on the roster.

University of Wisconsin

 2015 Projected Record: 11-1

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +0/-3

Make or Break Games: 9/5 vs Alabama; 10/10 @ Nebraska; 11/28 @ Minnesota

Synopsis: Wisconsin comes into the 2015 season with their third head coach in the last four seasons.  Despite the lack of stability, the team continues to be a consistent contender in the Big Ten Conference.  The Wisconsin Badgers start of the season against one of the top football teams in the nation (Alabama) then proceed to have one of the easiest schedules, in terms of strength of opponent, in the conference.  This may be a blessing in disguise because they will be starting a young offensive line, a new Running Back, and starting Quarterback Joel Stave is coming off a rough 2014 season.  It make take this team some time to come into their own and that schedule may allow them to grow through the season before facing equally talented competition again.

Ohio State University

2015 Projected Record: 11-1

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-1

Make or Break Games: 9/7 @ Virginia Tech; 10/17 vs Penn State; 11/21 vs Michigan State; 11/28 @ Michigan

Synopsis: Ohio State enters the 2015 College Football season as the number one ranked team in the nation.  Last season’s national champions return 18 starters from last year’s team and they are arguably one of the most talent deep teams in college football.  The biggest pitfall for Ohio State this season will be underestimating their competition.  Starting the season on the road playing Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia will not be an easy task.  They also have at the end of their schedule a talented Michigan State team and then face their rivals, Michigan, in a game that never seems to play out as anticipated by experts.  Head Coach Urban Meyer has been down this road before and the burden will be on him to keep his team hungry while not being overconfident.  Starting the season without a couple players due to suspensions (One being the top Defense End in all of College Football, Joey Bosa) will make the first game the biggest obstacle from going undefeated in 2015.

2015 College Football Preview: PAC-12

The 2015 College Football Season is this week and this will be the second year of the College Football Four-Team Playoff format.  This week I will be giving my preview of the major teams and players to watch for in 2015.  One of the elements that makes the College game so exciting is the unpredictability. There’s no preseason, always new players coming in as freshman, and past players leaving via graduation or early exit for the NFL.  Also, I enjoy watching College Football for the many different styles of offenses and defenses run on the field each week.  Unlike the NFL in which only a few different schemes are utilized each week, the College ranks over the last few decades have seen so many variants of styles and we the viewers have seen some of the greatest players succeed with these unique game plans.

Today I will highlight teams from the PAC-12 Football Conference

University of Southern California

2015 Projected Record: 9-3

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +2/-2

Make or Break Games: 9/19 vs. Stanford; 9/26 @ Arizona State, 10/17 at Notre Dame, 10/31 @ California; 11/21 @ Oregon; 11/28 vs UCLA

Synopsis: USC is coming out from the shadow of NCAA sanctions a couple years ago and has Head Coach Steve Sarkisian entering his second season as leader of the Football Team.  It has taken a few years for USC to recover in recruiting to gain more depth on their team.  As a result, they are considered one of the most talented teams in the PAC-12.  The biggest problem is that there are many talented players on this team that are not as battle tested as their opponents.   Will starting Quarterback Cody Kessler be able to put the team on his shoulders and carry them to a conference title?  Or will the team run head long into the perfect storm and come up short thanks to missed opportunities?  Playing at Oregon and Arizona State will definitively not be easy in-conference matchups.

University of Oregon

2015 Projected Record: 9-3

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-2

Make or Break Games: 9/12 @ Michigan State; 10/29 @ Arizona State; 11/14 @ Stanford; 11/21 vs USC

Synopsis: Oregon, over the last several years, has raised their national profile with multiple runs at a National Title, but they have not been able to win it all.  Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is now in the NFL and Head Coach Mark Helfrich is looking for a new starter at Quarterback.  Vernon Adams, who transferred from Eastern Washington, has taken the starting job from long time Mariota backup Jeff Lockie.  Adams, a dynamic athlete with great arm talent, has the potential to put up big numbers in the Oregon Ducks fast paced offensive attack.  But can he be anywhere as efficient as Mariota was last season?  The biggest reason Oregon was able to compete for the PAC-12 Title the last few years was because Marcus minimized mistakes and kept his team in games.  In the past Vernon Adams has been known to be a risk taker and overthink when in the moment.  If Vernon Adams makes too many mistakes, I am not sure the Oregon defense is built to overcome a mistake prone offense.     

Arizona State University

2015 Projected Record: 10-2

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +1/-3

Make or Break Games: 9/5 vs Texas A&M; 9/26 vs USC; 10/3 @ UCLA; 10/29 vs Oregon; 11/21 vs Arizona; 11/28 @ California

Synopsis: 2015 could be a great year or a disappointing season for the Arizona State Sun Devils.  The good news is they play three of their toughest games at home.  The bad news is they play two high powered offenses away from home (Texas A&M and Cal).  Mike Bercovici is entering his first full season as the team’s starting Quarterback, having to lead a high powered offense against a tough schedule of opposition.  The defense may be what makes or breaks this team, with one of the best secondary units in the conference.  They will be starting two Defensive Backs that could finish the season top three at their positions, but will that be enough to slow down high powered offenses like Oregon, Cal, Texas A&M, USC, and Arizona?  

University of Arizona

2015 Projected Record: 8-4

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +3/-1

Make or Break Games: 9/26 vs UCLA; 10/3 @ Stanford; 11/7 @ USC; 11/21 @ Arizona State

Synopsis: Arizona may have the best defensive player, Linebacker Scooby Wright, and the most underrated player, Quarterback Anu Solomon, in the PAC-12 coming into 2015.  But can these transcendent talents really carry Arizona to a conference title?  Maybe, although their underwhelming out of conference schedule may help inflate their record and team statistics.  It is much easier to be a dominant team against average competition than against teams with comparable or better talent on the field.  Arizona has pulled off some big wins the last three seasons under the guidance of Head Coach Rich Rodriguez, but I am not sure they have enough talent around their superstars to take that next step to be a contender for the College Football Final Four Playoff. 

University of Stanford

2015 Projected Record: 8-4

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +2/-1

Make or Break Games: 9/19 @ USC; 10/3 vs Arizona; 10/15 vs UCLA; 11/14 vs Oregon

Synopsis: Stanford has had one of the top ten defenses in the country the last few years.  But this year, they go into the season with only two starters in place from last season.  This major turnover on defense puts Stanford in the difficult position of going head to head with high powered offenses without the experience on defense to fully handle what is coming at them.  Also, can their offense really put up enough points to keep up with offenses like Oregon, USC, Cal, and Arizona?

University of California-Los Angeles

2015 Projected Record: 9-3

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +2/-3

Make or Break Games: 9/26 @ Arizona; 10/3 vs Arizona State; 10/15 @ Stanford; 11/21 @ Utah; 11/28 @ USC

Synopsis: UCLA returns 18 starters from last year’s squad, so they are one of the top teams in the conference in terms of upperclassmen on the roster.  On top of that, their starting Quarterback Josh Rosen is one of the most talked about QB prospects entering college football in over fifteen years.  If UCLA plays up to their potential and Rosen is half as good as predicted, this team could be the PAC-12 champions.  That is a lot of ifs though; UCLA has one of the toughest inter-conference schedules in the country.  Of their away games, three of them are versus nationally ranked opponents (Stanford, Arizona, and USC) while home games versus Arizona State and California will be no easy task.  If UCLA can weather the storms of their tough schedule, they may land themselves in among the Final Four teams of this season’s College Football Playoffs.

University of California- Berkeley

2015 Projected Record: 8-4

Win/Loss Plus-Minus Variable: +3/-1

Make or Break Games: 9/19 @ Texas; 10/10 @ Utah; 10/22 @ UCLA; 10/31 vs USC; 11/7 @ Oregon; 11/21 @ Stanford; 11/28 vs Arizona State

Synopsis: I purposely listed California at the end of my highlighted team list for the PAC-12 because this team holds the destiny of the 2015 PAC-12 Conference champion with the result of their play this season.  The Cal Golden Bears will have as their starting Quarterback potentially the top QB in the conference this season, Jared Goff, who will be orchestrating one of the most high-powered offenses in the country.  Yes, that right, not just one of the best in the PAC-12 but the nation overall!  The problem for Cal this season will be how their defense improves from the last couple years of below average play.  With a difficult schedule to navigate, the Bears offense could be responsible for the downfall of many hopes and dreams of opposing PAC-12 school fans and alumni as they will most likely average around 40 points per game this season.  If their defense can play at least on par with the rest of the conference, Cal could be running to a Bowl game while the rest of the conference is licking their wounds.

Evaluating College Quarterbacks to the NFL: The Eagles Quandry

I heard it said numerous times over the last 20 years: “Projecting College Quarterbacks to the NFL is an inexact science”.  This mantra has been repeated by many scouts, coaches, and TV analysts.  Some say it as a cover for incorrect prognostications, some say it because they are just not sure about a specific prospect, and others say it because they heard others say it so they repeat it.  The truth is that there are some objective factors to consider when projecting from college to the professional arena for Quarterbacks.  The real problem is the coaches and environment those players come from then go to after they leave college.

What tends to be overlooked when evaluating the Quarterback position is the commonalities versus the difference between Professional and Collegiate American Football.  The first major similarity between both levels are the Quarterback must be accurate, keeping the opportunities for the opposing defense to force turnovers down to a minimum.  Accuracy is more than just about throwing the ball to the right spot or the open player, it’s also about communicating to the team about what the QB needs to execute the play on hand.  The second element is arm strength, since the man throwing the ball needs enough juice behind the throw to get it to his receivers.  If the Quarterback does not have enough arm strength he runs into two major problems: giving defenders more time to attempt to break up the pass attempt and forces the receiver of the pass to wait on the ball, potentially putting them in the position to have to change their planned route on that play in order to adapt to the throw.

The major difference between the two levels of play come down to what, in any area of life, separates the good from the great: the mental aspect.  In college, players who are talented can be great because the talent they play against is diluted compared to the Pro game.  As a result, if that player happens to be the best athlete on the field, then success is more of a sure thing for that player and his team.  But on the Professional level, having talent is never enough because everyone at that level is talented.  In the National Football League (NFL) are the best of the best Football players whose jobs depend on them perfecting their skills.  So for the Pro QB, the cerebral aspect of the game is more important since they have to spend hours upon hours preparing to execute on game day and deal with numerous obstacles on and off the field.  The great Quarterbacks have to outthink their opposition, out work them, and have the competitive fire to push through adversity.

Evaluating how a player projects to the next level is layered; while it is not an exact science, there are elements about who the player is and knowing what they can and can’t do that transcend everything else.   This is where the rubber meets the road for many coaches, scouts, and TV analysts.  This issue with projecting Quarterbacks from college to the Professional ranks is embodied in the Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback situation.  This past offseason the Eagles traded away starting QB Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for Sam Bradford.  A couple months later they signed former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow to compete for one of the backup Quarterback positions, with the assumption Sam Bradford would be the starter in 2015.

With the Eagles QB Depth Chart four players deep (most teams usually have 2-3 Quarterbacks during the season on the roster), all of these players have unique backgrounds and attributes.  Three of the four are former 1^st round Draft Picks (Bradford, Sanchez, and Tebow) while three of the four passed for over 8,000 yards in their careers and threw for over 80 career Touchdowns (Bradford, Barkley, and Tebow). 

Let’s quickly profile each player:

-Sam Bradford (University of Oklahoma: 2007-2009; #1 Overall Pick in 2010 NFL Draft by St. Louis Rams)

Positives: Sam Bradford is one of the most awarded and talented college Quarterbacks of the last 20 years of college football.  In the year Sam won the Heisman Trophy (2008), he threw for 4,720 yards and 50 Touchdowns.  An accurate QB in college, Sam Bradford only threw 16 interceptions and had a completion percentage of 67.6 percent for his college career.  He has a great throwing arm and excellent work ethic to match his talents.  Bradford was able to maximize his abilities with his high Football IQ and commitment to helping his team win games.

Negatives:  Since college, Sam Bradford has had health issues including Shoulder, ankle and knee injuries that have taken him off the field numerous times.  Of his four seasons coming into 2015 NFL campaign, He has only been healthy enough to play through two of them.  When Sam has been healthy, he has put up solid statistics, but his completion percentage is a bit of a disappointment compared to his college numbers.  In the NFL, Bradford has a career average 58.6 completion percentage; that is almost a ten percent drop from college.

-Mark Sanchez (University of Southern California 2006-2008; #5 Overall Pick in 2009 NFL Draft by New York Jets)

Positives: Mark Sanchez capped a top tier season in 2008 at USC in which he was the top Quarterback in the PAC-10 Conference with becoming the Jets 1^st round pick and quickly being appointed the starting job.  With above average arm strength, what was considered Mark’s real strength for playing the QB position is his high Football IQ and work ethic on/off the field. 

Negatives: Mark Sanchez only had one season as a starting quarterback at USC, a lack of playing experience that hurt him when he got to the NFL.  Never the most accurate quarterback in college, those issues multiplied at the NFL level where with the Jets he finished two seasons with more interceptions than touchdowns (2009 & 2012).  Mark’s only above average arm talent has also held him back with his inability to squeeze passes into tight openings for his receivers consistently or throw the deep pass with accuracy.

-Matt Barkley (University of Southern California: 2009-2012; 98^th Overall Pick in 2013 Draft by Philadelphia Eagles)

Positives: At USC Matt Barkley had a stellar career with three straight seasons with a completion percentage over 62 percent and a minimum of 26 passing touchdowns.  He showed the pocket presence in college that is necessary at the NFL level; his ability to read defenses and be poised under pressure was evident.  With good arm strength, above average accuracy, and a high Football IQ, Matt Barkley looked ready made to be a solid NFL QB.

Negatives: Matt Barkley was drafted by a team (Philadelphia Eagles) who were not looking to develop him to be the Quarterback of the future; they selected him because his skill set was expected to work well within Head Coach Chip Kelly’s offense.  Barkley has looked inconsistent during preseason and regular season games.  At times he has shown he can execute a team’s offensive game plan with precision, other times he has looked flustered under heavy defensive pressure.  The reality is that unless Matt Barkley is on a team that believes they can develop him to be their future starter, he will never get the number of opportunities on the field he needs to grow into a successful QB in the NFL.

-Tim Tebow (University of Florida: 2006-2009; 25^th Overall Pick in 2010 Draft by Denver Broncos)

Positives: While at Florida Tim Tebow had a career that places himself as one of the greatest college players of all time.  Aside from winning two national titles and a Heisman Trophy, Tim also threw 88 career passing touchdowns and ran for 57 career rushing touchdowns.  Tebow has a strong throwing arm that he displayed at both the college and pro levels when throwing the deep ball.  Also, he is a very good athlete and ultra-competitor willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win.

Negatives: Tim Tebow has two major issues as a Quarterback that he has yet to overcome.  The first is his inconsistency on short and intermediate passing plays.  Either he has trouble making the throw accurately or, takes too long to pull the trigger on the throw in a timely manner.  Secondly, Tim has never been truly coached to be a Quarterback in the style of the NFL’s game.  Tim was in a triple-option, run first offense at Florida in which he was not asked to read defenses or make quick decision throws.  In the NFL teams have tried to build washed down offensive game plans to work around his short comings.  Up to this point I have not seen any coaches instructing or working with Tebow on how to read defenses and work through the progression of different options during a called offensive play.

So with each of these Quarterbacks on the Eagles roster, there are reasons why they have not had major success at the NFL level and also reasons why they could be successful at the NFL level.  Whether it is injuries (Sam Bradford), inconsistent play (Mark Sanchez), not being put in a position to be successful (Matt Barkley) or lack of coaching and instruction (Tim Tebow), there is always an explanation for why a player’s career has gone as it has over time. 

Now no one could have predicted Bradford would sustain ankle and knee injuries in the NFL but the Rams could have put a better constructed offensive line in front of the rookie Quarterback in order to allow him more protection.

 We knew that Sanchez only played one full season as a starter in college, so it’s not an unrealistic stretch to think he probably needed time to develop before being “thrown to the wolves” in the NFL.  The Jets could have signed a veteran Quarterback to start at the beginning of Sanchez’s career, allowing Mark to learn how to be a pro and buy time for him to further develop his craft.

What if Matt Barkley would’ve been drafted by the Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, or Houston Texans instead of the Eagles?  He would’ve been drafted to teams that are influx at the starting Quarterback position with offensive minded Head Coaches who would look to develop Barkley, giving him ample opportunities to show what he can do at the NFL level.

Tim Tebow is a hardworking, ultra-competitive athlete who wants to help his team win.  Instead of building an offensive game plan to mask his below average throwing mechanics and underdeveloped cerebral Quarterback skills, coaches should have worked with him to improve those weak areas.  Tim has been stereotyped and quantified instead of developed and properly coached. 

In summary, an individual with enough football knowledge watching a Quarterback in college can make honest assessments about a player’s strengths and weakness along with how those positives and negatives would translate against higher level competition.  Too many times teams and coaching staffs attempt to force a player to fit their system instead of giving that player the tools needed to be successful.  Quarterbacks need receivers to throw to, an offensive line to block for him, and coaches who will develop a game plan to help him to fully utilize his skills while improving his weak areas. 

Often in the NFL Quarterbacks are burdened with “saving” or “resurrecting” a franchises, the hopes and dreams of a team and fan base are put on that players shoulders.  Instead of building a team that can execute the coach’s winning formula, too much is invested in one player.  That one player needs others around him to be able to execute on each play in order for the Quarterback to have the chance to move the offense in a positive direction in order to score.

Look at all the great Hall of Fame Quarterbacks:

-Bart Starr played for one of the greatest coaches of all-time (Vince Lombardi) and on one of the most talented teams in NFL history (1960’s Green Bay Packers).

-Terry Bradshaw had the luxury of throwing the ball to two future Hall of Fame Wide Receivers (Lynn Swann and John Stallworth) and was coached by a Hall of Fame Head Coach (Chuck Noll).

-Joe Montana was drafted and coached by one of the greatest offensive minds in NFL history (Bill Walsh) who built a team for Montana to win with (1980’s San Francisco 49ers).

-John Elway lost numerous Super Bowls before he had a 2,000 yard rusher at Running Back (Terrell Davis) and a future Hall of Famer at Tight End (Shannon Sharpe); only then did he win two titles with the Denver Broncos

Of those four QBs I listed above, Elway had the most pure talent, Bradshaw had the best deep throw ability, Montana had the highest football IQ, and Starr was an ultra-competitive leader.  Yet none of those superlatives meant nothing without being in the right situation to allow them to be successful.  Whether the Eagles start Bradford, Sanchez, Barkley or Tebow this season there is a constant variable: it is up to the coaches to put them in a position to be successful in order for those players to overcome their weakness and best utilize their strengths.

Johnny Manziell and NCAA Corruption

The whole Johnny Manziel fiasco has become the rampant celebrity gossip talk of the sports world.  But many are ignoring the real issue that this saga has presented to us, not about Manziel, but about college athletics as a whole.

Manziel was suspended for the 1^st half of Texas A&M’s first game of the 2013 Football season for violating the “Spirit of the Law” concerning his signing of autographs and memorabilia.  The NCAA informed Texas A&M that they had not found evidence that Manziel had received money for signing thousands of items in random hotel rooms during the winter months of 2013.  Of course, the NCAA came to this conclusion within a couple weeks after Manziel’s parents had retained the services of a power, well-known lawyer. 

This is where college athletics showed their true colors.  Since most college athletes do not have the family or financial resources to attain such legal representation, many athletes over the years have received suspensions and schools have had to “vacate” past wins, loose scholarships and receive bowl bans over other “violations”.  While none these violations equal any actual felonies or misdemeanors in the court of law, the NCAA has bi-laws and regulations that are in place to “protect” the student-athletes.  So while these same athletes are not allowed to have jobs during the athletic season or use their fame for profit, the schools and NCAA can make as much money as they want.  But there is no Congressional investigation into the “monopoly” that is college athletics, because there is money involved and they are part of the in-crowd. 

Let’s look back at another athlete who did not have legal representation and was punished by the NCAA.  Former Oklahoma State Wide Receiver Dez Bryant was considered a candidate for the Heisman Trophy in 2009.  But the NCAA suspended him for the rest of the season because he “failed to disclose” he had lunch with former NFL Superstar and current NFL Network TV personality Deion Sanders.  Apparently, because Bryant had associated himself with some with an indirect connection to the NFL and “lied” about it, he violated his Amateur Status and was then deemed ineligible to play college football.

But what if Bryant’s family had the money or he had the resources to attain a powerful attorney, would he have been ruled ineligible?  If his college was a private school (Oklahoma State is part of the public college system in that state) and had an athletic department who would hire an attorney to represent Bryant on his behalf (similar to what happened at Auburn with Cam Newton during his breakout, Heisman Trophy season) then what would have happened?

The reality is that this propaganda about “We are here to protect the kids” from the NCAA and the schools who say “We really care about this kids as people” is a total farce.  Universities and the NCAA are institutions of Business that offer a service to educate people who they deem “qualified” to attend and enroll.  The absolute disregard for precedent or justice by the people who run these institutions is a disgrace.  Whether it is the mishandling of the investigation into potential violations at the University of Miami or the “see no evil, hear no evil” disgrace that was the Mike Rice situation at Rutgers or the NCAA making money off the likeness of athletes on the covers of video games that have the official NCAA stamp on them, the concept of a moral high ground is an absolute joke. 

Manziel is a blue-blood, member of the upper class in America, he thinks he can get away with anything, that he is “above the law”.  The NCAA always punishes schools and athletes they deem are “guilty” because they can’t defend themselves or because they cannot stand before an independent arbitrator to plead their case.  Whether its Dez Bryant, University of Southern California, or Southern Methodist University, there is a common theme: if you are not in with the blue-bloods or elites, you are definitely going to get punished for your “transgressions”.

 Is Dez Bryant the only collegiate athlete to have lunch with someone associated with a professional sports organization? Nope.  Was USC the only school to ever have a player whose family received favors from a prospective agent? Nope.  Was Miami the only school to ever have students receive money from “supporters” of the athletic program? Nope.  Was SMU the only school who was “paying” players to come to their school?  Nope.  But these were the ones who the NCAA decided to investigate.  The reality is that for every school or athlete who is caught and punished, there are two others who get away with the same or similar violations of the NCAA bi-laws.

So instead of people asking the US Congress to get involved in the affairs of professional sports organizations like the NFL and MLB over steroid testing, why don’t they instead investigate the NCAA and its member institutions who claim to have the best interests of the student-athletes in mind, when in reality, it’s a flawed system that is more interested in the financial bottom line than the well-being of these so-called student-athletes.  There’s no investigation into why USC received punish for the actions of the family of a member of their football team.  No investigation into how the NCAA is making money from the likenesses of their student-athletes in video games or selling of their jerseys on their website.  No investigation into the debacle at Rutgers University with the Mike Rice fiasco. 

Obviously, the people who scream the loudest “We want to protect their children from those who would take advantage of them” are actually the ones who really don’t care an ounce about them.  Yelling and screaming is for those who want attention or to justify their existence.  It doesn’t matter if its Politicians, University Presidents and Athletic Directors, or the “powers that be” at the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Modus Operandi seems to have a common theme: They do what they need to do to stay in positions of power and influence, while making as much money as possible while not being held accountable for their actions. 

So the next time you see Johnny Manziel pop up on your tv, just remember, he gets to continue to play football because he had the resources to afford him legal representation, while many other athletes are not so fortunate.  Have fun explaining this one to your kids.

The BS of the BCS

Now that the College Football regular season is over and the final Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings have been revealed with all of the bowl game matchups, still everything is a mess.

While most people wouldn't dispute the National Title Game matchup between the two teams considered the best in Division I football, Oregon and Auburn, the rest of the matchups are bit head scratching.

Lets start with the Big East Conference Champion Connecticut facing Oklahoma (the Big 12 Champion) in the Fiesta Bowl. Some people may look at this as a "David versus Goliath" matchup, when in reality it more so resembles car race between a Minivan and a Corvette (Connecticut is the Minivan and Oklahoma being the Corvette). Connecticut won the Big East Championship because they won two close games against West Virgina and Pittsburgh, then finished the season with the best in-conference record. But they did not finish with the best overall record in the Big East (West Virgina finished the season at 9-3; Connecticut finished 8-4). West Virgina lost their three games by 6 or less points, one of those losses being to SEC powerhouse LSU. On the other hand, Connecticut lost three of their four games by 14 or more points, one of those losses being a 26-0 shutout against a Louisville team that finished the season 6-6.

There is no Big East Football Championship game, so the conference champion was awarded to Connecticut because they held the tie breaker over West Virgina since they beat them earlier in the season. As a result, Connecticut will face a Oklahoma team that is ranked 7th overall by the BCS college football rankings and has possibly four players on their offense that could be picked in the first round of the NFL draft. But because there is a rule that states that the Champion of the Big East gets an automatic berth in a major Bowl Game, Connecticut gets the opportunity to be overmatched against a very talented Oklahoma team.

Another conference that has thrown out a mess onto the college football landscape is the Big Ten. Three schools ended the season as co-Conference Champions: Wisconson, Ohio State, and Michigan State. Again, they have no conference championship game. All three schools finished with the same 11-1 overall record and the same 7-1 in-conference record. According to the BCS rules, the team that finished with the highest ranking in the final standings will get a trip to the Rose Bowl and the team with the second highest rank from the Big Ten can get an automatic berth into another major Bowl game. So Wisconson will play TCU in the Rose Bowl, Ohio State will play Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl and Michigan State gets left out of a major bowl, being selected to play Alabama in the Capital One Bowl.

And why was Wisconson and Ohio State ranked ahead of Michigan State? Beware, this gets complicated: Since Wisconson beat Ohio State and Iowa they get the highest ranking, even though Michigan State beat Wisconson they lost badly to Iowa who was beaten by Ohio State and since Michigan State didnt play Ohio State, the Michigan State Spartans get left out of the top 2 rankings of schools from the Big Ten conference. Confussed yet?

Dont worry, it gets better. The Orange Bowl will matchup the ACC Champion, Virgina Tech, against a top ranked non-conference champion, which according to the BCS is Stanford. The reason why Stanford is ranked 4th by the BCS is because their only loss was to Oregon, one of the two undefeated teams playing for the national title. Atleast this matchup is between two talented, high powered offenses and their isn't any great disparagement in talent or level of play during the season.

All of this chaos only accentuates the point that college football needs a playoff instead of this mess of bowl games that are selected matchups according to the computer results of the BCS. The BCS is basically a system that enables the universities and their conferences to make lots of money. Its not about the best matchups or the best teams playing for the title. Its not about the student-athletes, the fans, or what is fair. Its all about money. Although I love watching college football, I know that in the end, the BCS is just a bunch of BS!