Championship Saturday has ended, which means the BCS projections are pretty much set. Check out the updated BCS projections.

I was trying to figure out in my own mind what all of the BCS scenarios are and who will be playing who. So, while I go through the process of figuring it out, I’ll just type a post and share my knowledge.

First, here are the updated BCS Standings going into the conference championship games:

BCS Standings

And now, the BCS schedule, with tie-ins:

January 1, 2009 – Rose Bowl presented by Citi in Pasadena, CA | Big Ten Champ vs Pac 10 Champ

January 1, 2009 – FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami, FL | ACC Champ vs BCS At-Large

January 2, 2009 – AllState Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA | SEC Champ vs BCS At-Large

January 5, 2009 – Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, AZ | Big 12 Champ vs BCS At-Large

January 8, 2009 – FexEx BCS National Championship Game in Miami, FL | BCS #1 v BCS #2

Let’s take a look at some of the scenarios:

The winner of the SEC title game between Florida and Alabama will almost assuredly play in the BCS Title game against either Oklahoma (if they win the Big 12 Title game) or Texas (if Oklahoma should lose to Missouri in the Big 12 Title game).

I don’t really see any way that the BCS National Championship game is not the SEC winner versus either Oklahoma or Texas. And that is how it should be.

With the way Oklahoma is playing right now, and considering that Missouri just lost to Kansas, I think it is a safe assumption that Oklahoma will win the Big 12. (Well, at least as safe as any assumption can be in college football. And Missouri knows what that’s like in the Big 12 title game.)

If Oklahoma wins, the BCS will most likely look like this:

BCS National Championship: Oklahoma versus Alabama/Florida winner

Fiesta Bowl: At-Large vs At-Large

Sugar Bowl: At-Large vs At-Large

Orange Bowl: Boston College/Virginia Tech winner in ACC title game vs At-Large

Rose Bowl: Penn State vs USC

Because the Fiesta Bowl is played closest to the National Championship game, it gets the first pick of replacement team (since the Big 12 champ would be in the BCS National Championship game). I am thinking that the Fiesta Bowl would take Texas and then match them up with Penn State. Those traveling fan bases talk baby!

The Sugar Bowl would then pick next, and they would take the SEC #2, whoever loses between Alabama and Florida…

and I’m spent. I just spent the last fifteen minutes toggling back and forth between writing this and trying to figure out all of the different rules for how the BCS teams are chosen, and my head hurts. I am officially calling this Reason #4,672 why we need a playoff!

How about this? Take the top 8 damn teams (Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, USC, Utah, Texas Tech, Penn State) and let them duke it out in an Elite 8 tourney for the champion. Want to cry because the ACC isn’t represented? Too bad. The highest rated ACC team is Georgia Tech and they are 15th. If your conference sucks so bad that you don’t have a team in the top 8, then you’re screwed. Or if you need to appease the ACC, then give them an automatic tie-in for the conference champ and bump out the lowest rated team that didn’t win its conference. In this case, Texas Tech would be gone.

Now we would have (if the standings stayed as they are now):

1 Alabama/Florida vs 8 ACC Champion

2 Oklahoma/Texas vs 7 Penn State

3 Oklahoma/Texas vs 6 Utah

4 Alabama/Florida vs 5 USC

You would need two more games so add in the Cotton Bowl and another bowl and then the teams can decide it on the field. Why is it so hard to make this happen??? I just don’t get it.

For anyone who came to this post looking for a detailed explanation of the potential BCS scenarios, you have my apologies. If you’d like to figure it out on your own, here you go:

BCS Selection Procedures

Good luck.

I’m glad I went through this little exercise. The BCS National Championship game will be the champions of the two best conferences, so that is good. And the Rose Bowl will be the Big 10 champ and the Pac 10 champ, so that is good.

Still, try telling me that an 8-game playoff wouldn’t be infinitely more exciting. I just don’t see any reasonable argument to the contrary.

F$&k the BCS!

My, how things have changed.

Illinois now finds itself fighting for the scraps when it comes to the college football bowls. Ron Zook’s squad is 5-6 heading into Saturday’s season finale at rival Northwestern and needs a win to become bowl eligible.

In season’s past, a win over Northwestern could be considered a distinct possibility. But this season, the Illini are scuffling along and by most accounts, have underachieved after representing the Big Ten in the “Granddaddy of Them All” out in Pasadena, Calif. Northwestern takes a 8-3 record into the contest and the Wildcats’ program has been rejuvenated under the direction of former Wildcat All-American linebacker Pat Fitzgerald.

There have been Illinois losses to quality teams like No. 6 Missouri (52-42 to open the season), No. 11 Ohio State (30-20 last week) and No. 12 Penn State (38-24). But there have been frustrating defeats at the hands of Minnesota (27-20 at homecoming in Champaign) and Wisconsin (27-17).

Then on Nov. 8, the Illini couldn’t beat Western Michigan (23-17 loss) of the Mid-American Conference at Ford Field in Detroit. Ironically, if Illinois is able to beat Northwestern on Saturday, it could find itself making a return trip to Detroit for a spot in the Motor City Bowl. The Big Ten has a bowl agreement with the Motor City Bowl to play a team from the MAC.

There are others that Illinois could be a candidate for should it find a way to reach the .500 mark. The Alamo Bowl, Insight Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl are possibilities, too.

But that’s a far cry from Pasadena. Despite the presence of quarterback Juice Williams and wide receiver Arrelious Benn on offense, and NFL prospect cornerback Vontae Davis on defense, the Illini haven’t been able to sustain any success this season.

Illinois has not won two in a row since downing Eastern Illinois and Louisiana-Lafayette in early September, and that latter win (20-17) was a downright struggle — at home, nonetheless.

Arrelious Benn has 63 catches and 1,012 receiving yards, but only has three touchdown receptions. Juice Williams has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 22 TDs, but his development into a complete college quarterback has been frustrating at times.

Williams, Benn and Davis each have college eligibility left, with Benn being just a sophomore. If those three return and the development of Williams reaches another level, in addition to finding a stud running back who could match the production of 2008 first-round pick Rashad Mendenhall (junior Daniel Dufrene or freshman Jason Ford anyone?) while getting more takeaways from the defense (they are minus-5), the Illini have a chance at competing for either the Rose Bowl or the other top-tier bowls in the 2009 season. Their offense is ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in yards per game.

But if those things don’t come to fruition, the Zook and the Illini could be back in the same boat again next season.

(Editor’s Note: The picture to your right is not a photo of Illinois’ next stud running back. Rather, I am fairly certain it is Ron Zook from his playing days. It came up in a Google image search for “Ron Zook”. Either way, all pictures of football players from the 70s with floppy hair, striped tube socks, and Fu Manchu mustaches are awesome.)

[tags]illinois fighting illini, ron zook, college football, big ten[/tags]

This post was written a few weeks ago, and included the wishful thinking of an Ohio State fan who wanted the Buckeyes to make it to the Rose Bowl. Follow the link to view the 2008 college football schedule, which will be filled in with all the matchups once they are set.  You can also view the updated BCS Bowl projections, with Ohio State likely going to the Fiesta Bowl.

We are down to the final two weeks of Big Ten football play and I am pretty sure every fan believes their team underachieved this year. This probably doesn’t include Michigan State, Northwestern and Minnesota but all three got destroyed by Ohio State (30 plus point losses). All three teams probably lost a lot of their fan base before this year. Speaking of losing a fan base, I look at Indiana and Purdue in last place and Notre Dame barely bowl eligible and Ball State is the only exciting team in Indiana.

Anyway, moving on to the top of the Big Ten we virtually have a three way tie for first. Michigan State sits atop at 6-1 and they have a bye this week to prepare to go to Happy Valley for the Penn State rivalry game November 22nd.

Penn State is playing at home against IU this weekend and it could get ugly since they are coming off the last second FG loss at Iowa. The sports media world took a collective sigh of relief because they were not ready to cover a national championship game where a Big Ten champ gets their asses handed to them for a third straight year. Plus one model should be the motto for the future of the Big Ten conference so they can have a championship game.

THE Ohio State University Buckeyes go to Illinois for a noon game (ESPN) and they have revenge on their minds after last year’s 28-21 loss in Columbus. The Illibuck Trophy is up for grabs in Champaign which will be playing in freezing temperatures, maybe some flurries, before they get the Wolverines at home in The Game November 22nd. Now on to Bowl projections:

ROSE BOWL (Jan 1st) – Ohio State v. USC - The Buckeyes have a not so outside shot at a rematch against USC with a Michigan State win at Penn State. If the Spartans do win, Ohio State couldn’t be happier going to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997 when they beat Jake “The Snake” Plummer’s Arizona State team 20-17. If Penn State wins out look for the Buckeyes to be in the BCS at-large game (Fiesta or Sugar) against maybe Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Utah, or even Ball State.

CAPITAL ONE BOWL (Jan 1st) – Michigan State v. Georgia - The Spartan faithful would enjoy a trip to the Capital One Bowl with a win at Happy Valley. Javon Ringer would go pro after this game if can run wild on the recently porous Georgia defense. The last four #2 Big Ten v. #2 SEC match ups have gone to the Big Ten squad in this January 1st Bowl game. Michigan, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, and Iowa over Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, and LSU respectively.

OUTBACK BOWL (Jan 1st) – Penn State v. South Carolina – Joe Pa versus the Ol’ Ball Coach. Sounds ironic considering Spurrier is about 30 years younger right? Anyway, who knows who will show up in this 11am New Years Day bowl. Then again it is premature to discuss this potential game two weeks before the season is over and since I am probably underestimating Penn State who could get their starting QB back for the MSU game.

ALAMO BOWL (Dec 29th) – Iowa v. Missouri - Most would look at the QB match up here and would check the spread for Chase Daniel’s Tigers, bet their savings, and laugh all the way home. But Kirk Ferentz’s Hawkeyes always stay competitive (or win) in these Bowl games that they are supposed to be over matched. They almost beat Texas last year, came close to Florida before that, and beat LSU and Florida respectively the previous years before the close losses.

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL (Dec 29th) – Northwestern v. Miami (FL) - Two private schools, North versus South (or Thugs vs. Dorks whichever you prefer). Both programs are young and on the rise so if they meet here, the winner could build off the momentum and be pretty tough next year. The loser could as well.

INSIGHT BOWL (Dec 31st) – Illinois v. Nebraska - This is a coin flip between Minnesota and Illinois but I think Illinois will get the nod based off of fan base. It is unbelievable to me that the Fighting Zooks even have a chance to make a bowl after tanking it against WESTERN Michigan last weekend. Illinois has to beat Ohio State or Northwestern to even become eligible.

MOTOR CITY BOWL (Dec 27th) – Minnesota v. Ball State - The Gophers had a pretty good year but a lot of their Bowl eligibility has to do with a horrible non-conference schedule. Ball State is probably better than their non-conference and half of their Big Ten schedule. If Ball State runs the table while Utah and Texas Tech lose, then you would see Ball U in a BCS game and Central Michigan here against Minnesota.

I’m talking about the Boston College/Notre Dame game.

This year the 5-3 teams face off for the 18^th time since 1975. Irish Catholics from Chicago to Boston will be drinking heavily, and pleading with their teams to rise out of bitter mediocrity to walk away saying, “If the rest of the season fails, at least we beat them.”

I’ll give you some history. You may be wondering, “Kaner, Chicago based? You must be an ND fan.” Bull. I would have already made some pretentious comment about how Jimmy Clasuen is the truth, our “storied history” or how everything is Ty Willingham’s fault. I am a Boston College Eagle to the core.

Here’s a personal aside, an op-ed statement about my relationship with the Irish:

As I watched the ND-Michigan game I almost threw up in my mouth.

Disgusting. Good god, there is nothing worse than the “ND mystique.” I know I’m part of a select population, especially here in Chicago, that cannot stand the media’s allegiance to Notre Dame football. So they’re winning, winning big in the 1st quarter against a major rival at home, all the pieces are in place for the ND bookstore to spike in sales this week and NBC to get a small boner about the Domers. Frankly, are they deserving of this? More importantly, how is the mood on the sideline a key story they need to shove down my throat? Why do I have to listen about Jimmy Clausen’s smile and demeanor? I get it, people can’t avoid being all verklempt about the tradition of great white football players (minus Tim Brown), they love. Just don’t make me listen to it. It’s like watching Fox News cover John McCain, not any interest in balance at all. It’s as annoying as watching Joe Buck broadcast the Yankees.

“Why are you hating on Coach FUPA and the Irish, Sean? The squad deserves the credit, they look good and they’e due.” It’s because I’m too close to it, that’s why. When you grow up watching Doug Flutie as an NFL journeyman, remember being unable to sleep after last year’s last minute Virginia Tech upset heroics led by Matty Ice and your favorite player on the hometown Bears is Josh Beekman. I’ll decode it for you. As a Boston College boy I hate the university that has looked at us like a little brother for the last 33 years and 17 meetings. We’ve grown up it’s not the mid nineties when we were a spoiler in 93 we’ve enjoyed some legitimate success and deserve the respect. We’ve managed to win 6 of the last 7 meetings (8 of 17, all time.).

Really, though, I can’t stand watching Notre Dame succeed because it makes us look like the kid brother again. It stings because everyone believes that we really are the little brother. Even worse, I have to listen to it. With family attached to South Bend and traveling in circles of friends here in Chicago, where ND fans don’t fume about the rivalry like I do. This year seems no different. As my Eagles dropped the home opener to Georgia Tech, basically in the 4th quarter, I poured myself into a pitcher, just another misplaced college football fan in a bar away from school. It’s clear, Matt Ryan is gone We’ve got a solid D, but that is only going to stop us from getting blown out in the super athletic ACC. Now, I know Jags has a plan but let’s face it, BC is taking on little brother status again this year and the Eagles may be headed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl to play the fourth seed out of the WAC, if we’re lucky. While the shining blond All-American, Notre Dame, strikes up the band and leprechauns everywhere do pushups

.

Maybe we are the little guy but I, like the faithful Superfans got self-respect and hate that smiley big brother of the Midwest who pats you on the head. You wanna punch him in the balls over and over again, and we have but he doesn’t really care. Let’s just say this, I will await November 8th in Alumni Stadium with great anticipation to punch Notre Dame square in the nuts, again. Until then I’ll put the TV on mute and stop my whining.

Needless to say, I’m getting on a plane Thursday night and I’m shipping up to Boston to start the tailgate. All pissing and moaning about feeling underappreciated and bad blood aside, this is a huge football game for both teams.

ND is coming off an excruciating loss to Pitt. After four overtimes, the ND defense proved they couldn’t stop the Panthers running game for that long and couldn’t find the endzone. They picked up their third loss which comes in addition to losses to Michigan State and North Carolina. They have proved they can beat mediocre teams, but those who put up a challenge with some speed will get over on them.

My Eagles are almost in the exact same boat. Without Matt Ryan, this team has struggled to sustain any offensive identity, looking to multiple QBs and a number of backs in the backfield they have gotten some decent wins but also lost to 3 pretty-mediocre teams. They lost a home opener to Georgia Tech, got stuffed at home by UNC and lost a comeback heartbreaker to Clemson last weekend. We are desperately in need of another win to get some momentum going into the last month of the season. The ACC is about the most backwards conference in the nation with no team staying in the rankings for more than five mintues. If the Eagles expect to get a mediocre bowl bid to, if nothing else, continue the streak (9 bowl games in 9 years), then we have to start getting quality wins and try to run the table. A loss to Notre Dame could be a blow that puts us down and out.

ND has got to impress as well. While their cocktail of Big-Ten, Big-East, ACC schedule is tough, if they don’t get to 8 wins, they will be sitting at home in December. They have USC coming up, so they can’t count on getting an 8^th win there, they’ll have to run the table till then, starting Saturday.

Realistically, the battle determines little, will the Irish go to the Gator Bowl? Will the Eagles make another appearance in the Meineke Car Care bowl? While the game on Saturday has little consequence, as an Eagle I pray that getting to see George Foreman’s face next to my team’s name doesn’t make us the best team in the country but it does mean that we beat Notre Dame. Thus, the year was not a wash, a rebuilding year but a rebuilding year when we won at home against the team we hate. And for those of us who don’t even know what the BCS stands for, because our team won’t even bother with it, that’s what college football is really all about, making the trek to your Alma Mater, getting loose in the parking lot and beating the bad guys at home.

[tags]college football, notre dame, boston college[/tags]