When the Hype Won

The hype wasn’t worth the wait. The excitement that we were supposed to witness evaporated into an Arizona night. The high-powered engines known as the Blur and Cam chugged along instead of accelerating from end zone to end zone. Was that it? Did the season really end on a not-so-entertaining game-winning field goal? Exactly what happened?

Well, for starters 37 days happened. During those 37 days the hype was built on flash, speed, and quickness. Points were supposed to be put up on the board like a basketball game and offensive records were to be shattered. Cam Newton was supposed to prove his Heisman worth and dominate play after play while LaMichael James would counter with long run after long run. Defenses would be gasping for air on the sidelines not blowing up plays in the backfield. Coordinators would be shaking their heads trying to figure out how to stop each other from scoring. Auburn didn’t win this game as much as they tried not to lose it.

Great game? Hardly. Good game? Maybe. Don’t get me wrong, both teams made plays, but a week, a month, a year, or even five years from now, will you remember any specific play or moment from this game or will you just remember that Auburn won on a 19 yard field goal? Are you going to remember that Michael Dyer ‘almost’ got tackled on a 37 yard run or will you remember that Dyer ‘almost’ scored on the third to final play? I wish he would have scored on that play and Oregon probably does as well. If he goes into the end zone, Oregon gets the ball back with one timeout and 40+ seconds left in the game. Wouldn’t that have been a more entertaining ending than running a kicker out onto the field, putting the offense back on the field, running a basic kneel-down, calling timeout, then kicking a game winning field goal that was closer than an extra point?

Can you blame the field for the lack of explosive plays? Maybe, but both teams had to deal with it and you knew it was going to be an issue when Josh Huff of Oregon returned the opening kickoff for 16 yards while slipping at least three times. How about the first six possessions of the game? Punt, punt, interception, interception, interception, punt. Not exactly what you expected out of two high-powered offenses. Since Auburn won the game, will you remember Oregon’s early two-point conversion or big fourth down plays such as the fake punt?

The game was more sloppy than good. Missed throws, missed blocks, open receivers under or over thrown and red zone offenses struggling to put the ball in the end zone. Look, you can credit the Auburn & Oregon defense all you want, but it was not a defensive battle. Not when Oregon gives up 519 yards of offense and Auburn gives up 449. Both defenses made stops at big times, but are you going to remember any of them? Will you remember Nick Fairly stuffing James, Kenjon Barner, or Darron Thomas or Cam Newton missing an open receiver in the end zone? How about the Heisman winner fumbling with a 19-11 lead in the fourth quarter because of the next line in the Matthews family (Casey)?

The question when looking back at great games in history has always been, “What do you remember?” A game that was hyped for 37 days as crazy fast turned out to be a little slow. An offense that was supposed to be a blur, abandoned what they had done to get them to the Championship game turned out to be dim. A Heisman trophy winner that was supposed to be ‘the man’ turned out to be just another piece in the puzzle. A game that pundits said might be one of the greatest displays of the season, maybe decade, or longer turned out to be just another routine game with some good moments mixed in. 37 days of hype turned out to be just that, with a slow, inconsistent start and finishing with an anti-climatic 19 yard field goal. 37 days later and the hype out-played the game. Will you remember?

James Harrison's NON-Dirty Hit

Okay, by now, I get it. People will take cheap shots all the time. Especially when you're winning and you're a tough, physical football team. But, I will tell you what's not a cheap shot. The hit James Harrison put on Mohamed Massaquoi. I'm sorry, but it was not a cheap shot at all. It was a very hard hit and Mr. Harrison was making a perfect form tackle. Look below....


Here is the first part of the play. As you can see Massaquoi is running in the direction of Harrison. At this point everything looks normal.


At this point Massaquoi is starting to turn around and Harrison is headed straight towards his numbers, which by the way is exactly where they teach you to hit. Hit the numbers and drive through the tackle.


Now look at the difference between picture two (above) and picture three (below). Massaquoi, NOT Harrison is the one lowering their helmet. Harrison is still driving for his chest (numbers).

Now here you can see clearly that Massaquoi is the one 'leading with his helmet' while Harrison has stayed true to his form tackle during the entire play. We all know what happens next...


And here is the hit...


Let's review again. James Harrison is coming in stride to make form tackle on Mohamed Massaquoi. Unfortunately for Massaquoi, he had trouble hanging onto the ball that led him to drop his head and locate the ball which was falling below his waist.

Massaquoi was standing tall (as receivers do when the ball is coming towards them). He then bobbles the pass which causes him to lower his helmet and ends up bent at the waist. During that time, there is no possible way for Harrison to change his direction or form on his tackle. As you can see by the pictures, Harrison was not intending to injure Massaquoi. He was doing his job and preparing to make a tackle. If anyone is at fault, it should be Massaquoi for lowering his helmet.

Where is the King's next throne?

July 1, 2010. Is it the end of an era and the start of a new one? Will the city of Cleveland lose it's most beloved athlete in history to Miami, New Jersey, New York or even Chicago? Are we headed for a super-dynasty somewhere? What's going to happen come midnight?

Okay, I can answer one of those questions with a right answer. At midnight, nothing is going to happen. King James will take the time to think this through and listen to offers from every city and every team and where he ends up will be his decision and his decision only. Here are my odds with each team.


50:1 -- Los Angeles Clippers

I will just refer you to the article Bill Simmons wrote to Blake Griffin before last year's NBA draft. It has everything you need to know about the Clippers and the future & past of the franchise.


25:1 -- New York Knicks

You tried. I will give you credit. Donnie Walsh did everything he could to clear cap room to sign two max contract players. Give them the glimmer and hope that the Knicks have to offer. Give LeBron a key to the city and tell him whatever you want, you can have. The biggest market in America where you can get all the attention that you ever wanted and oh, yeah, you get to play inside the Garden. Not bad, right? WRONG. The Knicks are not the Yankees. You don't grow up saying you want to play for the New York Knicks. If you were in my generation, you wanted to play for the Bulls. Before me? Probably the Celtics or the Lakers. Currently? Probably the Celtics or the Lakers. Sorry New York, you just don't have what it takes. Look on the bright side though...you can offer Amar'e and Joe Johnson big contracts!


15:1 -- Dallas Mavericks

Or as I like to call them, the absolute dark horse. Mark Cuban has money and Mark Cuban wants to win. Probably more than any other GM in this league. You've heard the stories how Cuban absolutely pampers his players and has their backs at the same time. Why would you not want to play for the guy and then go have a couple of drinks after the game with him? This seems like a perfect place to play. The other key here is Dirk. More than Bosh, Amar'e or even Boozer, Dirk's game would co-exist the best with LeBron. They have other pieces around to build. The two biggest problems facing Dallas are being in the Western Conference and well, being in Dallas. Again, it's the Mavericks, not the Cowboys we are talking about.


10:1 -- New Jersey Nets

Excuse me, Newark Nets. But, in two years they will be in Brooklyn. Wait, the team with the worst record in the NBA last year? Yes, that team. Global Icon Status is what LeBron could achieve. Is that enough to convince LeBron to come? If you think Mark Cuban has money, you haven't seen anything yet! Mikhail Prokhorov is going to be a force to reckon with in the NBA for years to come. His partner? Thou who shall not be named on my blog is also with him. James and him are really close friends and Prokhorov has the ability to make him a BILLIONAIRE. However, does he want to suffer a couple of years in Newark before the big move to Brooklyn? I don't think so...


5:1 -- Miami

So, why not end up in South Beach with D-Wade and Chris Bosh? The 'new big three' would form an immediate dynasty and Pat Riley might end up back on the bench with these three guys. Any veteran that wants to win a ring and sign for the minimum, please follow us. However, is there enough touches to go around and does LeBron and/or Bosh become jealous of the fact that Wade can make more than both of them by re-signing. Ultimately, I don't think the Heat could afford to give all three guys max contracts. Even if you are able to sign a couple of veteran guys, the bench would be depleted and it's not like these guys are at the end of their careers a la KG, Pierce, Allen. It would be tough if everyone wants to the be 'The Man'.


3:1 -- Chicago

Max contract offer? Check. Max contract for another player? Check. Other pieces in place? Check. Championship Team? Check. Big market size? Check. An owner who cares about winning? Check. Immediately becoming the biggest athlete in the city? Check. A place to build your legacy? Check.

However. That legacy will never, ever, ever, trump the guy who's statue is outside the arena. The best player in the history of the NBA. You will always be number two in this town...unless somehow you win seven or more rings...which is why...


2:1 -- Cleveland

He should stay in Cleveland. This is his city, his state, his livelihood, his everything. If LeBron brought just one championship to the city, everything would be forgotten. The Fumble, The Collapse, The Shot. All of them erased from the memory bank with one title. He can make the most money here in terms of a contract. The NBA would not be destroyed by a super dynasty somewhere else. He could help choose the next head coach. He doesn't have to pack up and leave home. He can be himself. That statue in Chicago? You can build one in Cleveland when he brings a title back. Start on the day it happens.

Here is what you do. You sign the max deal possible (six years) with an opt-out clause after three. If after three years, the team has not won or is not close enough to winning a championship, you move on. That would be ten years in the league and I think a decade is more than enough time to try to put a winning team around you. There are smaller pieces in place; but a sign-and-trade for at least another All-Star (insert Shaq & Mo Williams jokes here) would be necessary. Give him one GOOD player to play with for one year and see what happens.

You could go to to New York and be the King of the City. You could go to Miami and be the King of the Dynasty. You could go to Chicago and be the King of the New Era. Or, you could stay at home, keep your loyalties, your family, your friends, your heart and you could be the King of Everything.

The choice is yours King James. Choose wisely.

Kobe Bryant: Easy Choice for MVP…Or Not?

Okay, let me start by saying this: As much as I hate to say this and it’s going to pain me that I am even typing this, but Kobe Bryant is still probably the best player in the game today. There, I said it. Now, can we move on please?

Kobe was a monster in the playoffs but not so much in the NBA Finals. You say, but A-Ro, Kobe averaged 28.6 points per game, the tops of anyone in the Finals. I say he also only shot 40.5% and 27% in the fourth quarters. But A-Ro, he had a monster game five, where he scored 38 and carried the Lakers on his back. I say he didn’t involve his teammates at all, thus why they seemed to give up and not play defense. You say, but A-Ro, he is the best player on the team that won! I say, so what, he wasn’t the best player on his team for those seven games. But, A-Ro, if not Kobe, then who? I say Pau Gasol.

Let’s get this out of the way as well. Just because someone scores the most points in a game or in a seven game series, does NOT mean he is the best player. If shots were distributed equally, then you can justify that argument. I am about to show you some different types of statistics that will help back my reasoning why Gasol should have been MVP and not Bryant.

First, here are the normal statistical measurements that normal people will judge a player by:

Kobe: 28.6 points, 8 rebounds (1.7 off), 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.7 blocks, 3.9 turnovers
Gasol: 18.6 points, 11.6 rebounds (5 off), 3.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.6 blocks, 1.9 turnovers

Kobe in wins: 27 ppg, 10 rbg (2.5 off), 3.8 apg, 2 spg, 1 bpg, 2.8 to
Gasol in wins: 18 ppg, 13.8 rbg (6 off), 5 apg, 0.5 spg, 2.5 bpg, 1.8 to

Kobe in losses: 30.7 ppg, 5.3 rbg (.7 off), 4 apg, 2.3 spg, .3 bpg, 5.3 to
Gasol in losses: 19.3 ppg, 8.7 rbg (3.7 off), 2 apg, 1 spg, 2.7 bpg, 2 to

Kobe did average ten more points per game, he also attempted 23.3 shots per game compared to Gasol’s 12.9. You will notice Gasol averaged five offensive boards per game which led to five more possessions for the Lakers and turned the ball over two less times per game as well. While Kobe scored more in his losses, he also committed almost three more turnovers per game and was held off the glass. Gasol averaged 5 less rebounds per win and 3 less assists. Okay, so I already know what you’re thinking, how does this prove anything for Gasol? Let’s get into some details.

Thanks to John Hollinger we can calculate a game score for each player. I’ll let you read on your own what it’s all about, but basically it determines how well a player performed for an individual game. For example, a score of 40 would be outstanding, while a score of 10 would just be average.

Kobe’s game score for all seven games: 130.7 = 18.67 per game
Gasol’s game score for all seven games: 130.1 = 18.59 per game

Right from the start, you can tell that the differential is not very much. What about in the games won and lost?

Kobe: 18.93 per win; 18.33 per loss
Gasol: 19.10 per win; 17.9 per loss

Not much difference, but you will notice Gasol did have a better game score in the games won and a worse score in the games the Lakers lost. Two other methods to compare players that Hollinger uses are a True Shot % and Effective Field Goal %. These two statistical measures are able to compare a big man to a guard. The True Shot % takes into account, field goals, three pointers, and free throws while the Effective Field Goal % adjusts for the fact that three pointers are worth one more point.

Kobe TS%: Total: 52.8%, Wins: 49.5%, Losses: 58.4%
Gasol TS%: Total: 55.6%, Wins: 52.8%, Losses: 61.6%

Kobe eFG%: Total: 45.1%, Wins: 39.7%, Losses: 53.2%
Gasol eFG%: Total: 47.8%, Wins: 45.8%, Losses: 52.6%

Remember when I said if each player got the same number of shots? Well, Gasol would have had better averages either way. A little known fact also from the NBA Finals is that in the four Lakers wins, Kobe was 3-19 from the three point line. Theoretically, Kobe was hurting his team by missing more shots in the games they won than the ones they lost.

The last two measures to judge a player are Win Shares and Player Rating (both offensive and defensive). While I don’t have the Win Shares for the only the Finals game, I will point out that Kobe’s Win Shares during the playoffs was 2.7 offensive and 0.9 defensive compared to Gasol’s Win Shares of 3.2 and 1.1. What about Player Rating? Player Rating was developed by Dean Oliver in his Basketball on Paper book. Basically, it shows how many points a team would score or allow when the individual player was on the court per 100 possessions.

Kobe O-Rating: 108 (Lakers would have scored 108 points if they would have had 100 possessions with Kobe on the floor.
Kobe D-Rating: 98.4

Gasol O-Rating: 122
Gasol D-Rating: 100

As you can see, the Lakers would have scored 14 more points per 100 possessions when Gasol was on the floor and only allowed 1.6 more points. Now, look at this split during games won and games lost.

Kobe O-Rating in wins: 109
Kobe O-Rating in losses: 106
Kobe D-Rating in wins: 90.8
Kobe D-Rating in losses: 109

Gasol O-Rating in wins: 118
Gasol O-Rating in losses: 127
Gasol D-Rating in wins: 92.8
Gasol D-Rating in losses: 111

While Kobe averaged 30.7 points per game in the games the Lakers lost, his offensive rating in those games (106) was less than his defensive rating (109), basically saying that for every 100 possessions the Lakers would have been down three points with Kobe on the floor. Now, when you look at Gasol’s split, it was 127 offensive rating and 111 defensive rating. So, in the losses, the Lakers actually would have scored 16 more points per 100 possessions with Gasol on the floor! The last little tidbit I would like to add is the plus/minus formula, which shows how a team did with a player on the floor. Gasol had a score of +40 in the four wins, while Kobe only had a +31.

Obviously most times the media and everyone else just takes the ‘best player on the best team’ to win the MVP. But, for this series, if you look at the APBRmetrics (aka the ‘new statistics’) you will see that Kobe was not on the best player and it was in fact Gasol. At the very least you should recognize that Kobe was NOT the run-a-way MVP that you once thought he was.

Live Blog for Game 7! Why not?

GAME SEVEN!!!!!!!! Prediction Lakers 97 Celtics 81.

Before we get started, let's get a little history of this date out of the way...

And there is my fun for tonight!!! You gotta respect O.J., right? Okay, maybe not...but what about his buddies that were with him in Vegas that one night? Remember the robbery case? You can find it here! I mean, what do you say if your with buddies with Simpson? "Hey, Juice, let's go get your stuff back!!" ... okay let's get to the game...ten minutes until tip!

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Christina singing the anthem...for the second time in the series. I think I remembered how this played out the first tiem. The Lakers dominated. Yes, it will happen again and here is why:

1. Kobe will not let the Lakers be outplayed. Period. End of Discussion.
2. The loss of Perkins hurts much, much, much more than you think. KG, Baby, and Rasheed have to play more minutes and guess who is coming off the bench...Sheldon Williams. That name should make you sick, unless you are Lakers fan or think he is still playing for Duke.
3. Ray Allen didn't lose his jumper. He never had it. It randomly showed up in game 2 but hasn't been seen since. I think I saw an ad on milk carton looking for it.
4. Rajon Rondo just hasn't been the same as he was against the Magic or the Cavs. It looks like he is playing a little scared....which is not good in the NBA Championship.
5. KG and Paul Pierce will get theirs, but that will be it. Bynum & Gasol will shut down KG enough and Artest will win the battle with Pierce.
6. Legacy's are on the line tonight...for Kobe (again) and Phil Jackson. One of the best coaches ever and one of the best players ever. They are NOT losing this game!!!

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And right from the start, we see what the Lakers have been doing all series, pound the glass. Another reason why Boston has no chance in this game. I do feel really sorry for Kendrick Perkins...this is something you dream about and you can't play in it.

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What did I just say? Offensive rebounds are killing the Celtics. The first four possessions, the Lakers has at least two chances to score. Somehow, Rasheed has made two quick buckets to at least stay close early. Looking like a LONG night for the Celtics.

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Rondo with back to back layups to give the Celtics an early 10 to 7 lead, followed by Kobe jacking something up. Ray Allen is all over him, but this won't happen all game. Look for Kobe to get going here soon. Gasol...again...nobody on the Celtics team can stop him.

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Early thoughts during the first TV Timeout. Lakers rebound advantage 10-3. Yikes. Gotta give props to the referees. No bailout calls as of yet and they are letting them play. Always a good thing to see!

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Did Ray Allen find his jumper? I won't believe it until I see at least three of them go in. I do have to give him credit for being all over Kobe early on. These two absolutely hate each other.

After an alley-oop to KG, Kobe finally gets on the board. Look for him to go on a run here. It's going to get scary (if your a Celtics fan!).

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Allen wide open for three and misses...those shots need to go in for the Celtics to have any chance. Huge foul on Gasol, that's two for him early. The Lakers can't afford to have him in the bench for long. KG now picking up his second. Even worse for the Celtics...

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Well...that was an ugly way to end the first quarter. An air-ball from Kobe, loose ball on the floor that somehow the Celtics came up with. Eiher way, no points and a nine point Celtics lead. Unfortunately for them, the second quarter will be ALL Lakers. Time for players to get going...aka Kobe...just watch! Lakers are not going to shoot 22.2% the rest of this game. Even if they do, they will continue to grab offensive rebounds and get second chance points. Gasol and KG both have two fouls. The Lakers can afford Gasol being out longer than the Celtics can with KG. The third foul in this quarter will be huge.

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Lakers come out much more aggresive to start the quarter. Celtics put Pierce back in early. Smart move...they either need him or KG on the floor to score. Ray Allen hasn't hit anything since that first jumper.

And here comes that Lakers run I was telling you about....

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The difference between both teams missing shots? The Lakers have been getting second and third chances, but the Celtics have not. Kobe is back in for the Lakers. Going to have a big lead here shortly...

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Mark it down. 23-23. GAME. OVER. Lakers win.

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Lakers just have so much more energy than the Celtics. They are getting loose balls and grabbing offensive rebounds. Celtics are getting open jumpers but not hitting them. They have the tired legs and that extra energy that the Lakers also comes from that home court advantage. The Lakers survived early and now have the Celtics where they want em. My guess is that they will go into halftime with about a 7-10 point lead.

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Ray Allen with no points since his opening three and KG picking up his third fould. Can't win with KG off the floor and Ray not playing up to snuff. Baby & Wallace are now forced to play the rest of this half. Look for Gasol to get a bunch of touches now.

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Rebounding advantage is starting to even up, however Lakers have 15 offensive compared to teh Celtics 2. Lakers are also winning the turnover battle (3-7). Little less than three minutes left...sounds like Kobe time!

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Artest didn't go off on the double technical? Are you serious? Is this really the same Ron-Ron that was in Indiana? Artest actually keeping his cool and has been a key part tonight. Last minute could get interesting...

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Game SEVEN. One more half to play! Let's get it!! I'm still in shock that Scalabrine checked in for one possession, although I will give him credit for checking Odom! Artest the suprise of the first half with 12 points, leading the Lakers. Kobe only has 8, so I think the over/under for him is about 24 for the second half. He will probably have another HUGE third quarter.

The biggest factors so far are still the same thing, offensive boards (15-2) and turnovers (3-8). Once the Lakers start hitting shots, they will run away with this thing. Garnett is really the only person in foul trouble with three.

Let's get this started! GAME SEVEN!!!!!! ONE HALF TO GO!!!!

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Celtics doing a nice job of getting the ball the KG to start the second half. KG is the key (along with Pierce) for the Celtics to try and win this game. Ray Allen still hasn't made a shot since his first three. Kobe is now 3-16, but will get going here very soon.

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Random thought here...this game is very sloppy. I would have never expected that from a game seven in the NBA Finals. Kobe just got a foul call and Pierce is leaving holding his shoulder. Not good for the Celtics. Kobe going to take over NOW!

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Kobe and Gasol back to back baskets. These will be the two guys that will have to put together a streak so the Lakers are able to make a run. D-Fish with a big basket, I expect a big 4th quarter from him as well. He has been a little too quite lately.

Crowd is going CRAZY NOW!

Good T.O. by the Celtics...but here is the Lakers run that they need. This one is OVER!

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After two ugly shots by Allen and Wallace, Pierce drills a three. Pierce, KG, and a little Rondo is how they could possibly pull an upset. But, Kobe has yet to go off yet, so he is saving up for the 4th quarter!

Derek Fisher heading for the locker room...Shannon Brown repeat from Game Six on the way?

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Celtics are starting to force too many shots, they need to let the game come to them. They missed the chance to put the Lakers away multiple times.

Ron Artest is BALLIN' tonight. He has REALLY stepped up tonight and will definitely help take the load off of Kobe come crunch time.

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Well, my prediction is probably out the window, so time to go with a new one. Final Score: Lakers 77 Celtics 70. Kobe will end up with at least 25 points and will be named MVP.

The reason is still simple. The Celtics never took advantage of their chances and the theme continues to be the same, Lakers offensive rebounding advantage of 20-5 and overall is 43-31. Too many second chances for the Celtics to try and stop.

FOURTH QUARTER. GAME SEVEN. HERE WE GO!

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Great play by the Lakers to open the quarter and then an even better defensive effort. Celtics look tired and are not attacking the basket, both bad news. Big Baby with another foul...they really miss Perkisn right now.

Kobe back in...

It's TIME!

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Celtics are way too sloppy on the offensive end and still can't block out. Has anyone else noticed a recurring theme?

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9:00 left before Lakers are crowned champions!

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I don't care if you double Kobe, he is still going to score and the Celtics can't put back to back possessions together.

RON ARTEST is playing out of his mind right now! Tie game with 7:29 left!!!

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Lakers are trying to give this game away, but the Celtics won't let them. HUGE three by D-FISH followed by a miss and foul...Lakers going to take a lead and not look back. Good-bye Celtics!

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It's officially KOBE TIME! This game is over....just have to put the finishing touches on it. Might take the next five minutes off to relax and grab something to eat before the awards ceremony. We'll see...

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Well Kobe didn't have his greatest game, but the Lakers still won. Pau Gasol and Ron Artest were HUGE tonight in helping him out. Lakers are back to back champions and should be the favorites again for next year. Kobe now has five rings, but please, still no MJ comparisons, it's just not right.

The Celtics put up a great fight, but they had no offense most of the games and couldn't keep L.A. off the glass. This loss will definitely sting and will be the end of the Celtics most recent era. Allen lost his jumper, KG and Pierce are both going to be a year older, but they still have Rondo. A couple small moves and they could be back in this game as well.

Ugly game, but all the credit that the Lakers will get, they deserve. Congrats Lakers and let's get ready for the draft next week!

The Future of the NCAA is Here...

Doomsday is approaching quickly. The NCAA landscape is about to change forever. Super Conferences are ready to be formed for universities to make more money ready for the next challenge. While we are on the subject, the term STUDENT-ATHLETE no longer exists. At least when talking about college football players. The NCAA members, Presidents, AD's, commissioners, etc. have made it perfectly clear what their number ONE priority is: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY.

Okay, let's go through scenarios that could happen:

12 Team Conferences:

Pac 12: Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

Big 12: Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Christian, Texas A&M, Texas Tech

Big Ten: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

SEC, Big East, ACC remain unchanged. MWC/WAC Conference might have to do a little reshuffling and form their own super conference. This is doubtful to happen because I no longer see the Big XII staying together...

8-16 Team Conferences (Option 1):

Pac 16: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

Big Ten (12): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

SEC (12): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

ACC (12): Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Big East (8): Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, South Florida, West Virginia

The New MWC? (15): Air Force, Baylor, Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, Utah, UNLV, Wyoming

This would probably give the Moutain West Conference their best chance at landing a guaranteed BCS Bowl bid. They can have a conference championship game and while they wouldn't add any powerhouse teams, they do add teams who have been in power conferences along with BCS Buster Boise State. Other options would be for the Big East to pick up Kansas/Missouri or some combo of that.


8-16 Team Conferences (Option 2):

Pac 16: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
Big Ten (14): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin

SEC (14): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

ACC (12): Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Memphis, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Big East (9): Cincinnati, Connecticut, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, South Florida, West Virginia

MWC (12): Air Force, Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Houston, Iowa State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, Utah, UNLV, Wyoming

Going this route would help Notre Dame keep its football independence and still allow them into the Big East for other sports. This scenario also involves Texas A&M moving to the SEC with Florida State, which are two teams that the SEC is very interested in. If Notre Dame chose to join the Big Ten, I could see Rutgers staying in the Big East as well. The Big East would form an even more dynamic basketball resume with the addition of Kansas and Kansas State. The ACC would lose Florida State, but pick up Memphis, which would help the basketball power stay on top.

8-16 Team Conferences (Option 3):

Pac 14: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, California, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

Big Ten (16): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Texas, Texas A&M, Wisconsin

SEC (14): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

ACC (12): Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Memphis, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Big East (10): Cincinnati, Connecticut, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, South Florida, West Virginia

MWC (12): Air Force, Boise State, BYU, Colorado State, Houston, Iowa State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, Utah, UNLV, Wyoming

This is called the Big Ten Super Power Conference hopeful. If they were somehow able to pull this off, they would be extremely pleased. The SEC would also pick up Oklahoma and Florida State. The biggest loser from this idea would be the Pac-10 having to take the second tier Big 12 teams.


16 Team Conferences (DOOMSDAY):

Pac 16: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
Big Ten: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin

SEC: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech

ACC/Big East (17): Boston College, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Clemson, Duke, Kansas, Kansas State, Maryland, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Syracuse, South Florida, Virginia, West Virginia, Wake Forest

This would be the ultimate doomsday scenario. I don't see this one happening, but you never know. The ACC/Big East would form and absolute killer basketball conference with 24 teams. That would be exciting to watch!

Well, those are my options...what do you think???

MLB Realignment. What Would Happen?

With Major League Baseball thinking about realignment, what would happen? Would you really see long-standing teams switch leagues? Would there be a balanced schedule? Would rivalries such as Yankees/Red Sox, Cubs/Cardinals, Dodgers/Giants end? Well, here is my thoughts on something that could possibly work.

First off, if MLB is going to realign teams, I think they have to do so in the manner to make the game more equal. Besides the common complaint of breaking up the AL East so teams have a better chance of winning, I think the most important issue is having a balanced schedule. I know MLB tries to bring the rivalries out during interleague play, but I think it can be changed just a bit. Take the Cubs/Cardinals for example. The Cubs get six games against the White Sox every year, while the Cardinals have six against the Royals. All things being equal, this is going to favor (at least in recent years) the Cardinals because the Royals have not been as competitive as the White Sox.

So, let's assume Major League Baseball does in fact realign the divisions. Here is an idea of a balanced schedule.

Each team would play:

• 18 games against every team in their own division (18x4 = 72 games)
• 6 games against every other team in their own league (6x10 = 60 games)
• 6 games against one division from the opposite league (6x5 = 30 games)

Balanced schedule, easy travel, and 162 games still on board. It's a trifecta!

The only problem would be going back to the original point of separating teams from each other in the divisions. Can you really break up some of these rivalries? I don't think so. However, MLB has basically already thrown history out the door with interleague play, so I don't see how changing the league around every three or six years would be that bad.

Example for six divisions:

1. Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals
2. Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays
3. Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland A's, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners
4. Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays
5. Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals
6. Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers

The easiest part of realignment would be the West/South Region. You have ten teams that you need to split up into two sets of five.

Arizona, Colorado, Houston, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Texas

Honestly, in baseball, I don't think travel is that big of deal, especially considering that Seattle's shortest distance to play anybody on the road is over 800 miles. So, that leaves you 20 teams in the Midwest/Eastern region which you can easily make into four separate divisions. Realignment might not happen, but it is something fun to think about and the possibilities are endless. The people you have to worry about are the baseball naturalists who don't want to see anything change.

I think realignment would bring out a balanced schedule, a competitive balance, and a chance for more revenue. Major League Baseball should think about it. Heck, I've even showed them how to make the schedule easier to figure out -- especially with the possibility of no more two or four game series!

2010 MLB Preview

It's already past opening, but who cares. Predictions are predictions. You're not going to change your mind on what happens depending on one game. Albert Pujols & Garrett Jones aren't hitting 328 home runs...well, maybe Albert will...but still, you get the picture. Let's get on with it.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

EAST winner: New York Yankees. They got younger, they added another dominant starting pitcher, and they still have Jeter, A-Rod, Mo, Teixiera, etc. Any questions? Boston and the Rays will compete; the Orioles are still a couple years away and the Blue Jays are in rebuilding mode.

CENTRAL winner: Chicago White Sox. This should be a three team race with the Twins and Tigers right behind. I like the White Sox pitching more than both teams and I think they can squeeze just enough offense out of their players. Losing Joe Nathan will hurt the Twins and I don't think the Tigers are stable enough to win the division. The Royals and Indians are what they are.

WEST winner: Los Angeles Angels. Even though they lost John Lackey and Vlad, I still think they come out ahead of this division. Many people really like what the Mariners did this off-season, but is last year an abberation with getting 10 more wins than expected according to the Pythag method? The Rangers might not stay healthy and the A's don't have enough offense.

WILD CARD: Boston Red Sox. I really want to pick the Rays, but Boston really improved their team this off-season. They have a great defense, big bats, and the arms to stay in the race and give the Yankees a real threat.

MVP: Alex Rodriguez, 3B, New York Yankees. A full season with no controversy. I see 45 home runs, 120 RBI's and a .320 batting average.

Longshot MVP: Kendry Morales, 1B, Los Angeles Angels. Someone predicted him to have a breakout year last season (http://arosportsblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/ive-awakentime-to-post-mlb-preview.html)...who was that again? Hmmm...Anyways, I think he takes another step up this year.

Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners. Improved defense around him. Still in a pitcher's park. Only needs 3 runs to win a game. Yeah, that's my guy.

Longshot Cy Young: Brett Anderson, Oakland A's. Another guy I predicted a breakout for last year...get ready for this year!


Five players that will breakout:

Travis Snider, OF, Toronto Blue Jays....always been one year behind Adam Lind
Wade Davis, SP, Tampa Bay Rays....future star in waiting; maybe more upside than Price
Franklin Gutierrez, OF, Seattle Mariners....flashed the glove last year; offense catches up this year
Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers....excellent glove & speed, will be a top leadoff hitter
Gordon Beckham, 2B, Chicago White Sox...there is a reason they brought up early last season


NATIONAL LEAGUE:

EAST WINNER: Philadelphia Phillies. The best team in the National League and they added a Cy Young pitcher in Roy Halladay and upgrade at third base of Placido Polanco. The Braves should be right on there heels and the Mets and Marlins will put up a decent fight as well. Washington gets to watch Stephen Strasburgh pitch all summer which will at least excite their fan base.

CENTRAL WINNER: St. Louis Cardinals. The only questions are the back end of the rotation and the bullpen. Everything else will be fine. The Brewers don't have enough pitching, the Cubs don't have enough hitting or a bullpen that can protect leads. The Reds are starting to turn things around and the Pirates might surprise a few teams with their young talent. The team that time is running out for is the Astros, who look older every year.

WEST WINNER: Colorado Rockies. They finally have enough pitching to win consistently year after year. This team was very hot last summer and fall and has the talent to put together a nice run for a possible World Series berth. The Dodgers have the hitting but no pitching, the Giants have the pitching, but not enough hitting and the Padres just have Adrian Gonzalez.

WILD CARD: Atlanta Braves. This is the last year for Bobby Cox and the Braves will do everything in their power to get him in the playoffs and attempt one more run at a Series.

MVP: Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals. Do I really need to explain?

Longshot MVP: Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies. He is on the verge of having a MONSTER year along with Gold Glove defense.

Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants. Why not make it three in a row? And just so I can go against everyone's pick of Halladay.

Longshot Cy Young: Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies. He gets to go up against number two pitchers for a full season instead of aces. The only problem is Halladay might end up with twenty-five wins.


Five players that will breakout:

Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves....yeah, I know, you already know about him...but he is THAT good....290/25/100 is my guess
Colby Rasmus, OF, St. Louis Cardinals....another player who will see a lot of fastballs with Pujols & Holliday already on base
Jason Hammel, SP, Colorado Rockies....A pitcher, in Coors Field, am I crazy?
Ian Stewart, 3B, Colorado Rockies....The power is there, but can he hit lefties?
Mike Pelfrey, SP, New York Mets....Someone in that rotation has to step up and I think Pelfrey will be the guy to do it


PLAYOFFS & WORLD SERIES:

AL Wild-Card Round: Yankees over White Sox, Red Sox over Angels

NL Wild-Card Round: Phillies over Cardinals, Rockies over Braves

AL Divisional Series: Yankees over Red Sox

NL Divisional Series: Phillies over Rockies

World Series: Phillies over Yankees (6 games and two Roy Halladay victories)

One last prediction:

NATIONAL LEAGUE wins the All-Star Game!!

NCAA TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS!

The greatest day of the year is back! Here is my guess for seeds and what my bracket would look like!

#1: Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke

#2: West Virginia, Ohio State, Kansas State, Georgetown

#3: Baylor, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin

#4: New Mexico, Purdue, Temple, Tennessee

#5: Michigan State, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M

#6: Butler, BYU, Richmond, Xavier

#7: Gonzaga, Texas, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame

#8: UNI, Clemson, Marquette, California

#9: Florida State, St. Mary's, UNLV, San Diego St.

#10: Louisville, Missouri, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech

#11: Old Dominion, Washington, UTEP, Florida

#12: Siena, Cornell, Utah State, Minnesota

#13: Murray State, New Mexico State, Wofford, Oakland

#14: Houston, Ohio, UC-Santa Barbara, Sam Houston State

#15: Vermont, Montana, North Texas, Morgan State

#16: Robert Morris, East Tennessee State, Lehigh, Winthrop, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Time for a Change

Okay, I get it. The SEC is a good football conference. They have the National B(s)C Champions for another year...but once again, not without controversy! Alabama did win this game easily. Yes, there was a back-up freshman playing for Texas, but that's another story. However, was Texas the best possible team for Alabama to play for the championship?

On the official BCS website, it states: "The BCS was created by the conferences and schools before the 1998 season to assure a matchup between the top two teams..."

Okay, so has that happened? Well first off, it is a lie. The BCS was created by the Big Six conferences and Notre Dame. The Mountain West, WAC, MAC, C-USA, and Sun Belt are not invited to the BCS unless specific qualifications happen and even then they still can't get a fair shake at a title game. On to the second part which is to 'assure a matchup between the top two teams'...


1998: Tennessee vs. Florida State

--Tennessee was undefeated and deserved to be in the National Championship game.
--Florida State:
1 loss: North Carolina State (finished 7-4 regular season)
Key wins: Texas A&M (11-2, Big 12 champ), Florida (9-2, L vs. Tenn/FSU)

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: Tulane UCLA (10-1), Ohio State (10-1), Wisconsin (10-1), Tulane (11-0). Tulane didn't have any signature wins, so they are out. UCLA is rightfully out because of common opponent (Miami) as Florida State being their only loss. Obviously, the Big Ten should have a championship game to determine the winner, but since they don't...Ohio State lost to Michgan State who didn't make a bowl game, so they are eliminated. But what about Wisconsin? Their only loss came at Michigan (whose three losses were against Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Ohio State). However, they played a weak non-conference schedule and probably didn't deserve a bid.


--4 Team Playoff Look: Tennessee vs. Wisconsin, Florida State vs. UCLA

--8 Team Playoff Look: Tennessee vs. Syracuse, Florida State vs. Tulane, UCLA vs. Texas A&M, Wisconsin vs. Ohio State

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Tennessee, #2 Florida State, #3 Kansas State, #4 Ohio State--Games: #5 UCLA vs. #12 Syracuse , #6 Texas A&M vs. #11 Nebraska, #7 Arizona vs. #10 Tulane , #8 Florida vs. #9 Wisconsin

--FINAL SAY: The BCS gets this one right...especially after a Tennessee win. BCS 1 Playoff System 0


1999: Florida State vs. Virginia Tech

--Florida State was undefeated and deserved to be in the National Championship game.
--Virginia Tech: was also undefeated and maybe deserved to be in the National Championship game.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: Marshall finished the regular season undefeated and beat two teams that Virginia Tech did (@ Clemson 13-10, vs. Temple 34-0) but probably can't make much of an argument for a NC game. However, what about Nebraska? Nebraska finished the regular season 11-1 with their lone loss coming @Texas. However, they played on a neutral field for the conference championship and Nebraska dominated the game winning 22-6. Other key wins for Nebraska: #7 Kansas State (41-17), #14 Texas A&M (37-0)


--4 Team Playoff Look: Florida State vs. Marshall, Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska

--8 Team Playoff Look: Florida State vs. Stanford, Virginia Tech vs. Marshall, Nebraska vs. Wisconsin , Alabama vs. Tennessee

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Florida State, #2Virginia Tech, #3 Nebraska, #4 Alabama--Games: #5 Tennessee vs. #12 Stanford, #6 Kansas State vs. #11 Marshall, #7 Wisconsin vs. #10 Florida, #8 Michigan vs. #9 Michigan State


--FINAL SAY: The BCS gets partial credit for this one. Florida State overmatched Virginia Tech and Nebraska probably could have put up a better fight. BCS 1.5 Playoff System 0.5


2000: Oklahoma vs. Florida State

--Oklahoma was undefeated and deserved to be in the National Championship game.
--Florida State lost one game...and it was to Miami who lost one game, who lost to Washington who lost one game.... DID NOT deserve to be there.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: This was the first time that the BCS REALLY screwed things up. Florida State, Miami, Washington, Virginia Tech, and Oregon State all ended the regular season with one loss. FSU lost @Miami. Miami lost @Washington, Washington lost @ Oregon (who finished with 2 losses), Virginia Tech lost @ Miami and Oregon State lost @ Washington. Confused yet? Against the other teams with one loss, FSU, VTech & OSU went 0-1, Miami went 2-1, and Washington went 2-0. Washington had the best record against the top 6 teams and didn't get a sniff of the title game.

--4 Team Playoff Look: Couldn't have even made a 4 team work in this year...

--8 Team Playoff Look: Oklahoma vs. Michigan, Miami vs. Florida, Florida State vs. Oregon State, Washington vs. Virginia Tech

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Oklahoma, #2 Miami, #3 Florida State #4 Washington--Games: #5 Virginia Tech vs. #12 Michigan, #6 Oregon State vs. #11 Notre Dame, #7 Florida vs. #10 Oregon, #8 Nebraska vs. #9 Kansas State

--FINAL SAY: Not Even Close. Playoff wins by a landslide. National Championship game was Oklahoma 13, Florida State 2. Boring. BCS 1.5 Playoff System 1.5


2001: Miami vs. Nebraska

--Miami was undefeated and deserved to be in the National Championship game.
--Nebraska lost one game...and didn't even win their conference...but still got in. WHAT A JOKE!!!

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: Colorado absolutely CRUSHED Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game, 62-36. However, they still finished the year with two losses. Nebraska had only the loss to Colorado. Oregon finished with only a home loss to Stanford and Big 10 champion Illinois lost a game to Michigan.

--4 Team Playoff Look: A tough call, but probably Miami vs. Illinois, Colorado vs. Oregon

--8 Team Playoff Look: Miami vs. LSU, Nebraska vs. Maryland, Colorado vs Illinois, Oregon vs. Florida

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Miami, #2 Nebraska, #3 Colorado #4 Oregon --Games: #5 Florida vs. #12 LSU, #6 Tennesee vs. #11 Washington State, #7 Texas vs. #10 Maryland, #8 Illinois vs. #9 Stanford

--FINAL SAY: Once again, a playoff system would have worked better than the Nebraska/Miami game. Miami cruised 37-14. To be fair, nobody would have beat the 'Canes that year. BCS 1.5 Playoff System 2.5


2002: Miami vs. Ohio State

--Miami was undefeated and deserved to be in the National Championship game.
--Ohio State was undefeated and deserved to be in the National Championship game.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: HOORAY!!! One that works!!!

--4 Team Playoff would have looked like: Miami vs. USC, Ohio State vs. Georgia

--8 Team Playoff would have looked like: Miami vs. Florida State, Ohio State vs. Oklahoma, Georgia vs. Washington State, USC vs. Iowa

--12 Team Playoff would have looked like: Byes: #1 Miami, #2 Ohio State #3 Georgia #4 USC --Games: #5 Iowa vs. #12 Florida State, #6 Washington State vs. #11 Michigan, #7 Oklahoma vs. #10 Texas, #8 Kansas State vs. #9 Notre Dame

--FINAL SAY: What can I say? BCS worked (only thanks to two undefeated teams). BCS 2.5 Playoff System 2.5


2003: Oklahoma vs. LSU

--Oklahoma lost one game and didn't even win their conference...
--LSU lost one game.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: Guess who else lost one game and was ranked #1 in both polls? USC. They lost to a California team who finished 8-6. Oklahoma beat Texas earlier in the year but you CAN'T play in the championship if you don't win your conference, especially when you get destroyed 35-7!!! Lastly, LSU lost to Florida who went a weak 8-5. Another year where the playoff would have made things so much simpler!

--4 Team Playoff Look: USC vs. Michigan, LSU vs. Oklahoma

--8 Team Playoff Look: USC vs. Kansas State, LSU vs. Miami, Oklahoma vs. Florida State, Michigan vs. Ohio State

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 USC, #2 LSU, #3 Oklahoma #4 Michigan --Games: #5 Ohio State vs. #12 Georgia, #6 Texas vs. #11 Miami (OH), #7 Florida State vs. #10 Kansas State #8 Tennessee vs. #9 Miami (FL)

--FINAL SAY: Playoff wins again. Three one loss teams and probably the best one didn't get into the championship game. BCS 2.5 Playoff System 3.5


2004: Oklahoma vs. USC

--Oklahoma was undefeated.
--USC was undefeated.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: Well, Auburn was also undefeated so was this other team out of the Mountain West called Utah. Four undefeated teams, but only two get to play for the title. Oklahoma's best win came against Texas and outside of that, nothing else was great (except for the defense shutting out weak Big 12 offenses). USC ran through everyone including a season opening win against ACC champion, Virginia Tech. Auburn had a weak non-conference schedule but ran through the SEC, while Utah took out teams from the ACC, Big 12, Pac 10 and a drubbing of Big East champion Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

--4 Team Playoff Look: USC vs. Utah, Oklahoma vs. Auburn

--8 Team Playoff Look: USC vs. Pittsburgh, Oklahoma vs. Michigan, Auburn vs. Virginia Tech, Utah vs. Texas

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 USC, #2 Oklahoma, #3 Auburn #4 Utah --Games: #5 Texas vs. #12 Pittsburgh, #6 Georgia vs. #11 Michigan #7 Virginia Tech vs. #10 LSU #8 Boise State vs. #9 Louisville

--FINAL SAY: Ummm...playoffs? Three teams finish the season undefeated. We have two national champions. BCS 2.5 Playoff System 4.5


2005: USC vs. Texas

--USC was undefeated and ready for a repeat
--Texas was undefeated and coming off of a 70-3 blowout conference championship game.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: A Year after four teams finish the season undefeated, USC and Texas were it. The battle for it all came down to one game.

--4 Team Playoff would have looked like: I honestly don't know...USC vs ? , Texas vs. Penn State ?

--8 Team Playoff would have looked like: USC vs. Florida State, Texas vs. West Virginia, Penn State vs. Georgia, Ohio State vs. Oregon

--12 Team Playoff would have looked like: Byes: #1 USC, #2 Texas #3 Penn State #4 Ohio State --Games: #5 Oregon vs. #12 Florida State, #6 Notre Dame vs. #11 West Virginia, #7 Georgia vs. #10 Virginia Tech, #8 Miami (FL) vs. #9 Auburn

--FINAL SAY: BCS wins once again...thanks to two undefeated teams...more on this coming soon. BCS 3.5 Playoff System 4.5


2006: Ohio State vs. Florida

--Ohio State was undefeated and deserved to be in the game.
--Florida had one loss and well....turned out they should have been there after the result...however

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: There was another team who was undefeated. They even won a BCS game over big and powerful Oklahoma. Hello world, here is Boise! Turns out Florida deserved to be in the National Championship game after the fact they beat Ohio State. But, with a playoff system, we would have known for sure. Michigan went to the 'Shoe' and lost by three, felt slighted and laid an egg against USC. Things might have been different in a playoff system.

--4 Team Playoff Look: Ohio State vs. Boise State, Florida vs. Michigan

--8 Team Playoff Look: Ohio State vs. Wake Forest, Florida vs. Oklahoma, Michigan vs. Louisville, Boise State vs. USC

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Ohio State, #2 Florida, #3 Michigan #4 Boise State --Games: #5 LSUvs. #12 Wake Forest, #6 USC vs. #11 Notre Dame #7 Louisville vs. #10 Oklahoma #8 Wisconsin vs. #9 Auburn

--FINAL SAY: A Cinderella could have emerged if you would have played the two teams that were undefeated. Boise State is the only team to finish without a loss, yet is not considered a national champ. BCS 3.5 Playoff System 5.5



2007: Ohio State vs. LSU

--Ohio State had one loss.
--LSU came into the game with two losses.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: The game nobody wanted to play in. Or that everybody did. Not a single team stood out in this year, all the more reason for a playoff. The lone undefeated team? Hawaii with a 12-0 record. So, let's see. Ohio State tripped up the second to last week against Illinois. LSU beat ACC conference champ V-Tech at home, but didn't get to face the best team from the SEC (Georgia), Oklahoma won the Big 12 but didn't face Kansas who had one loss. USC lost the last week against UCLA...as I said, nobody wanted to play in it!

--4 Team Playoff Look: Ohio State vs. Hawaii, LSU vs. Virginia Tech

--8 Team Playoff Look: Ohio State vs. Hawaii, LSU vs. West Virginia, Virginia Tech vs. USC, Oklahoma vs. Georgia

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Ohio State, #2 LSU, #3 Virginia Tech #4 Oklahoma --Games: #5 Georgia vs. #12 Florida, #6 Missouri vs. #11 Arizona State #7 USC vs. #10 Hawaii #8 Kansas vs. #9 West Virginia

--FINAL SAY: The year a playoff would have absolutely made sense. BCS 3.5 Playoff System 6.5


2008: Florida vs. Oklahoma

--Florida had one loss coming at the hands of Ole Miss.
--Oklahoma wasn't even the best team in the Big 12 as evidenced by a loss on a neutral field against Texas.

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: There were two teams that finished undefeated--Utah & Boise--and once again, they get shut of a title chance! Seven other teams finish with one loss! Texas beat Oklahoma who beat Texas Tech who beat Texas. Alabama's first loss came in the SEC Championship game against Florida. USC lost in Corvallis on a Thursday night, while Penn State fell at Kinnick during a night game. All could have been solved in a slug-it-out playoff!!!

--4 Team Playoff Look: 4 teams would have not justified the play from this year!

--8 Team Playoff Look: 8 TEAMS WOULD HAVE NOT EVEN JUSTIFIED A PLAYOFF SYSTEM! 7 One loss teams and 2 undefeated!!!

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Oklahoma, #2 Florida, #3 Texas #4 Alabama --Games: #5 USC vs. #12 Virginia Tech, #6 Utah vs. #11 Cincinnati #7 Texas Tech vs. #10 Ohio State #8 Penn State vs. #9 Boise State

--FINAL SAY: Another year to the playoffs.... BCS 3.5 Playoff System 7.5


2009: Alabama vs. Texas

--Alabama actually deserved this game based on their schedule. But...
--Texas got through an easy Big 12 schedule...and...

--Other Teams with consideration for Championship: There were still THREE other teams that were undefeated! Boise State, TCU, and Cincinnati had no real chance of ever making a National Championship game under this stupid BCS formula. This could have been a great playoff year!

--4 Team Playoff Look: 4 teams would have not justified the play from this year!

--8 Team Playoff Look: Alabama vs. Georgia Tech, Texas vs. Ohio State, Cincinnati vs. Oregon , TCU vs. Boise State

--12 Team Playoof Look: Byes: #1 Alabama #2 Texas, #3 Cincinnati #4 TCU --Games: #5 Florida vs. #12 LSU, #6 Boise State vs. #11 Virginia Tech #7 Oregonvs. #10 Iowa #8 Ohio Statevs. #9 Georgia Tech

--FINAL SAY: And there you have it.... BCS 3.5 Playoff System 8.5


FINAL THOUGHTS:

In all reality, the BCS has worked ONE YEAR. YES, ONLY ONE YEAR! The very first year, when Florida State was obviously the second best team behind Tennessee. The other two years that the BCS worked fully were in 2002 and 2005 -- only thanks to ONLY two teams going undefeated! You can make the argument for 1999 as well, but I still think Nebraska was a better team that year than Virginia Tech.

It's time for a change. Time for a playoff system. This system is so simple. It works...ask the NFL, the MLB, the NHL, ask the rest of the NCAA (you know, Division II, III, JUCO) -- all of them have PLAYOFFS. Maybe one day they will figure it out...but who knows. We can crown Alabama or Florida or whover as BCS Champions...but until there is a playoff there is NO TRUE 'NATIONAL CHAMPION'.