2011 Bowl Wrap-Up

A few surprises, some excitement and continued frustration with the BCS...

Utah State: Should've known they'd lose in the end by one point. That was the story of their season.
TCU: Really? A Top 20 ranking and they get stuck with 8-4 La-Tech? For what?
Boise State: Really? A top 10 ranking and they get paired with a 6-6 ASU team? For what? Where's the love? Where's the justice?
Georgia: PLEASE get a special teams coach! You had the win in hand and flubbed it hooking a chip-shot field goal.

Armed Forces Bowl: Wow...BYU pulls off another last-minute exciting win and already have fans excited for next season.

Alamo Bowl: RGIII and Baylor pulled this off in exciting fashion and showed how far Baylor has come and how deserving RGIII is of the Heisman.

Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl: Now that was fun...really fun. Great match-ups, great teams, great games. These showed how bowl games are suppose to be matched up (unlike others as seen in the next two comments).

Orange Bowl: Whoa Nellie! Where was the defense in this game? 103 total points...are you kidding me?


Sugar Bowl: No comment. I boycotted this bowl game. It was the stupidest BCS match-up I have ever seen in all my years and so I refused to watch it. I hope no one else watched it either. And I am not going to buy any...Nokia anything for at least a year...yea...that'll teach 'em.

BCS Championship: ALL BAMA...what else can you say? That was one amazing game. There may be those who think it was terrible but I loved watching the defense stands (on both sides...LSU did force 'Bama to five field goals) just like I enjoyed their previous match-up. Although I was against (and still am) a re-match it was a great game to watch. It was always just one big play from turning around, there was this constant chess match of the coaches going on and the players really have some one-of-a-kind talent and passion and emotion - all the things I love about college football.

So...the SEC wins the BCS for the 6th straight time (note that this was also the first time an SEC team lost in the championship game). Although both teams have 1-loss records (to each other) 'Bama still deserves the trophy given what they pulled off.

Now it's so long until next season...and we are all anxiously awaiting the BCS changes that are bound to be announced in July. How cna they not make changes given the ruckus this season caused? Thanks for reading!!

Week 15: The BCS....aaarrrgh!!!

Here we go again. Like I've said before, in 1998 college football needed something better and the BCS stepped in and tried to fix it. It was better... sometimes. But we are still way off the mark and we are all more than ready for a better fix (Hey...how about a playoff?).


After today's BCS rankings and the bowl selections we see this from Yahoo!'s Pat Forde: "There is not a single scintilla of doubt that a playoff would be the best way to end this – or any – college football season. Sixteen teams, eight, four – whatever. Any of the above would beat the fraudulent BCS system we are stuck with in America...Bowls have to make business decisions, not necessarily football decisions. That’s why Virginia Tech gets rewarded and Boise State gets shafted." Read the entire, well-written article here.


But I really like the opinion of Dan Wetzel (also from Yahoo!) who could see this year's melee coming a few days ago when he wrote: "...the BCS is not a system designed to choose a championship match-up. It is merely a tool to stave off the inevitable playoff bowl directors fear will cut into their millions in tax-free profits, a casino-style distraction to placate the masses....It is a total disaster of a system. No one who cares about the game would ever invent such a thing....BCS executive director Bill Hancock likes to refer to the formula as “one part science, two parts art.” It’s actually just a wholly formed insult to intelligence."



And his take on the formulas: “It’s just nonsense math. And that’s if the nonsense is accurate. The truth is, no one knows. Five of the six computer rankers protect their formulas, claiming proprietary rights to their algorithms. They refuse to share the formula with anyone, including the BCS, which, as such, is incapable of checking on the accuracy of the rankings. Repeat: Absolutely no one has any idea if the weekly BCS standings are true. No one. And they don’t seem to care. Only Wes Colley makes his formula public, which allows outside review. Last season, his rankings twice were found inaccurate because of improper data entry. Some of the scores he used weren't up to date....So those final rankings Sunday might be correct. Or they might not."


And his finale: "The current formula is nothing more than nonsense math and an unsound popular vote that gets polished up by television. Anyone who cares about college football should demand something better. If we can’t get a playoff, can they at least stop insulting our intelligence? Can we at least get some attempt at sanity?"


A G R E E D ! !  Read the whole article here.


EndZone: The Games
UCLA never really had a chance. Houston just wasn't ready...a little too over-confident. Boise and TCU made statements in their games...that fell on the deaf ears of the voters and BCS formulas. Georgia went into their game with only half a tank of gas and receivers with two-left hands. LSU was stuck in 1st gear but came out after the half in 5th gear and stayed there, but can you really give a #1 ranking to a team that went an entire half with 12 total yards of offense and zero 1st downs? And OSU made a great statement but it just wasn't enough (dang it...I really am not excited about that Tiger-Bama re-match). (And...BYU in its meaningless game did well).

Week 14: Rivalry Week

This week saw some great rivalry games with all the tradition and animosity of years past but it also brought in the era of re-aligned conferences that breaks some traditional rivalries and starts new ones.

OK...I suppose. But I have always enjoyed the tradition of college football so it just wasn't the same this Thanksgiving weekend without the BYU - Utah game. The state of Texas likely said good-bye to the Texas - Texas A&M rivalry. And one of the oldest rivalries that dates back 120 years originally incited by one state terrorizing the other during the Civil War, Missouri and Kansas, also came to an end. Sure...many rivalries are still in place (for now) but we'll miss the ones that are ending. The end of an era...but hopefully the start of new rivalries that can last a few generations.

LSU beat down Arkansas which just strengthened their #1 spot. I was hoping that Arkansas would pull off the win and bring some chaos into the BCS. Even if LSU loses to UGA next week (LSU is a 2-touchdown favorite) they may still get it to the big dance...without winning their conference! Alabama has their spot sealed up unless OSU makes a huge impression on voters next week against OK. That means, yes, that their will be two SEC teams playing for the national championship securing a 6th straight and unprecedented BCS title for the SEC. Though I am an SEC fan even I disagree with doing that. I like a title game that showcases conference champs that have never or rarely meet. I'd much rather see that than a re-match.

Hey 'Bama...remember this? “Any team that does not win it’s conference championship game should not play in the BCS title game.”-Nick Saban 08 Dec 2003

Bad, Bad Karma
LSU's QB Jordan Jefferson did a "un-button your shirt to expose the Superman symbol" end zone celebration after running in for a TD against Arkansas (and did not get flagged BTW). Classless. May it come back to bite you against the Bulldogs next week. UGA may not have the quality wins but they have won 10-straight and are a confident, resurgent team that looked impressive in their win against GaTech.

Utah...what was that? After making a good showing in the PAC-12 you drop a home game to Colorado? Ouch!

ENDZONE: Tradition - Spirit - Honor ?
The BYU slogan this year has been "Tradition Spirit Honor". It shows up everywhere...even on the field (I have not seen another team actually put a slogan on the field). They have three giant banners with these words hanging outside the stadium for all to see. The words, however, are at the bottom of the banners, somewhat hidden by the trees, below the picture of a player. At the top? In letters as big if not bigger than the slogan are teh logos of corporate sponsors. That is what it's come to. Place the money at the top and the tradition at the bottom. Sure, colleges need money and corporate sponsors. But when money and advertising become the prioirty then it takes away from the tradition, spirit and honor that true fans value muchmore than the company that is donating.

Week 13: Yowzza!!

Nobody... and I mean nobody would have predicted a weekend like this. Week 13 was suppose to be the prep week for the in-state rivals for next week. Most of the top teams were playing un-ranked or FCS teams. Four top 10 teams lose...two of them to un-rankled teams and the other two to 14+-point underdogs.

OK State started things off by losing to Iowa State. Then Clemson not only got beat, but got beat down by NC State. Then USC held off the Oregon comeback to win, and Baylor pulled out all the guns on Oklahoma. We now have three SEC-West teams atop the polls. No one could have predicted such chaos...and it could get worse.

What now? What if Arkansas beats LSU and goes to the SEC Championship game...and gets beat by Georgia? If LSU wins both those games and 'Bama holds off Auburn will they really re-match 'Bama and LSU in the title game? If so then "SEC" chants will ring loud and long as they set a record 6-straight BCS titles. And if OK beats OK State in the Big 12 Championship game? Of course, Houston and Boise are sitting back just glad to see these top teams drop while they move up. The next two weeks are gonna be fun! Whew!

EndZone: Bad Call, Bad Ref
Did you see the "intentional grounding" call against USC early in the USC-Oregon game? What was that? Are refs really that textbook? Yes...a blind ref would have called it based on what he heard happened...but I'm pretty sure none of the refs were blind. It was a common QB-Receiver mis-communication where one threw right while the other cut left. The QB was not even pressured and had no reason to intentionally ground the ball. Aarrrgh...when will they learn?

Week 12: You Can't Win 'em All

There was plenty of shake-up in the polls this week and we all knew it had to happen. You can win a lot of games but you can't win 'em all - just ask Boise and Stanford. I still long for the season with a handful of un-defeateds just to see how the BCS would handle it all.

Oregon @ Stanford: Luck just ran out...and I thought it would. I had watched Stanford and I had watched Oregon. I could tell that  Stanford lacked team talent like Oregon had. Andrew Luck is really good but against a much improved Duck defense it would take more than Luck.


TCU @ Boise: The blue men fell just short. It's just sad that it had to happen the same way as last year's one loss. They knew the magic couldn't last forever but they wanted, and deserved, another shot. But it was fun while it lasted and they will remain a force in college football. I was hoping they could pull it off this year...although I didn't really expect them to be able to go un-defeated again.


Auburn @ Georgia: The dawgs got their revenge from last year's ugly battle. They did it as it should be done: on the scoreboard instead of on the field (like Nick Fairly and Chizik did last year). UGA played the most dominant and complete game of football I've seen in a long time. Auburn scored on their first possession and UGA denied them any further celebration. Though I love a good defensive game and typically don't like a huge score spread I think I could have watched another four quarters of this. War Eagle caged.

Idaho @ BYU: Great...now what? BYU rolled over lowly Idaho but the QB that brought BYU back from the brink of what was heading towards a horrendous year (Nelson) broke a rib and collapsed a lung. Heaps did fine but can he handle the rest of the year? A late season QB controversy could be brewing.

Endzone: Joe Pa
I've always liked Joe Paterno. I don't really know why. It probably dates back to the 90s when BYU and PSU played a few games and I was impressed with his sideline presence. And I was always in awe that he had been head coach at the same school since I was a toddler and that he never demanded a high salary like so many other coaches. He just seemed like a really good guy - and I'm sure he is. What happened this past week saddened me as it did many in college football. No one likes to see a legend go out like this. This was not Pete Carroll running before he got caught in his scandal. This was Joe Pa. I'll not judge what Coach Joe did or didn't do. All the press writings are mere speculation IMHO because no one but Joe really knows what happened, what he did and why he did it. Joe Pa - you'll be missed.

Week 11: Near Championship Game

We all have a favorite teams. We all want our favorite team to be #1. But even when we hate other teams we still can't help but watch a great #1 vs #2 match-up. And that is what the college football world did on Saturday night. And any true fan of the game was not disappointed.

You gotta love creative fans.

The LSU-Bama match-up comes along only rarely. Yes, it's a few voters who placed them at the top and with other teams not making the grade we end up down the stretch of the season with a great #1 vs #2 game. Both defenses held up to their billing in this touchdown-less game. The coaching chess match took us to OT where the defenses held up and the Mad Hatter's purple boys all but punched LSU's ticket to the championship game with a final field goal. Great game. Great teams.

What was missing was any trick plays that we have come to associate with LSU. But I think that was the trick. They had various opportunities on 4th and short, punting, field goals and such but the trick was...no trick play. Miles knew the Saban had probably prepared for such and Bama even lined up for such on occasion. I was surprised at Saban's conservative calls in such an important game. IMHO...that was Bama's downfall.

End Zone: Re-Match or Not?
There is already talk of the potential re-match of Saturday's OT game given that the BCS formula could spit out such a result. Let's hope not. They played last year...they just played...they are going to play again next year. Let it go. Maybe the SEC does deserve two teams in the championship game...but if the SEC is so confident then pair them with the likes of Stanford or OSU to prove their point. That is what fans of the game want to see. Heaven forbid that the flawed BCS formula dictate otherwise.

Week 10: And then there were six...

We are down to six undefeated teams and that number will drop by this time next week. Then OSU has a couple of tough match-ups and who knows what else could happen. We almost saw Stanford drop from the top tier but instead got a little credit for coming back in triple OT to beat un-ranked USC. Go figure.

As always there is some non-sense to the polls. Lets not even try to figure it out this week. Although, I gotta say... this late in the season polls should make more sense and even after years of watching the polls I can't figure out why late in the season they can have almost as much hubba-baloo as the pre-season polls.

Given a choice I wish we'd end up with six un-beatens at seasons end just to help push the issue of a playoff system. We could come close...technically we could end up with five un-beatens all claiming a right to the title game. But cries from Boise and Houston won't even be acknowledged leaving only one team out of college football's "championship" game. Whoever that might be (my guess is OSU) they can go bawl in the corner with the 2004 Auburn team... and we'll all bawl with them...'cause, dang it, it just ain't fair.

Yea, baby! The ref giving the high five
to Nelson after a 2-point conversion.

EndZone: Special Teams
I watched two games this weekend...both had really dismal, piss-poor play from Special Teams that were deciding factors. Game 1: BYU lost to TCU 38 -28. Of the five touchdowns TCU had three came on the heels of ST flubs by BYU (the other two were handed to them thansk to blown defensive coverage). Game 2: Georgia beat Florida 24 - 20. Although Georgia pulled out the win it was in no thanks whatsoever to their ST's.  Florida had a kickoff return for a touchdown and another that nearly was (but was flagged back). Georgia missed two gimme field goals and the every punt was high-schoolish. Both the kicker and punter were pre-season All-Americans after stellar seasons in 2010 - how did that happen? And to boot...Georgia does not have a Special Teams coach. What? Really? That might be worth the investment.

Week 9: The Selection Process has Started

There were 10 no-loss teams a week ago but the slow but steady selection process got underway this past Saturday. The voters get wiser (I don't know why they take so long), the injuries and weekly wear and tear begin to separate the men from the boys, and every opponent wants to bring down an un-defeated.

So now we have eight no loss teams, 12 1-loss teams and five 2-loss teams. There are still four no-loss teams that play each other so more chipping away is a given. November will have some great college football games - probably some of the best we'll see all year. Note of interest: the eight un-beatens not only won their games - they won them by a total of score of 410 to 174 (an average of 51 to 22). They all looked very dominant and worthy of their ranking.

End Zone: It does work...sometimes!

It's always great to see a Hail Mary work...and the best one in a while was the Michigan State last second throw in their take down of un-beaten Wisconsin. I'm sure it was even sweeter that it came against an un-beaten and conference opponent.

Week 8: Solidification?

The first BCS poll is out, the top teams are still winning, but the national championship picture is not really as clear as in years past this time of the season - too many undefeated teams that might stay that way. You can already here the rumblings of which undefeated team(s) gets left out of the big dance.

Usually by the BCS polls there are a few teams that look solid enough that we all begin narrowing down our picks for the champion. But this year there are still 10 undefeated teams, nine of which are in the top 11 with Houston not getting much credit for the teams they have played. However, some of those teams play each other which will leave a few 1-loss teams also vying for a shot at the championship game and claiming better schedules than the possibly-not-to-lose Boise and Houston and Clemson and Wisconsin. Oh, boy! Here we go again...strap in and hang on.

My post this week is late since a few buddies and I went to the BYU - Oregon State game in Corvallis. What a great time, beautiful scenery, fun fans on both sides, and a BYU win to make it all worth while. But - OS is obviously young but up and coming and will likely be a PAC-12 contender the next few years.

NOTE: Yes...I skipped form Week 6 to Week 8 in order to keep it straight with the numbering system used by the polls. I call pre-season "Week 0", they call it "Week 1" so i just skipped Week 7 to avoid any confusion.

Week 6: Let's Talk Over-Rated

Texas got throttled by Oklahoma. Florida was worked silly by LSU. Auburn got routed by Arkansas. Florida State lost (again). Were these really surprises to anyone? Not to me.

I claim no expertness - but I saw weeks ago that Texas and Florida were really not that good. They had only played second-rate teams yet they were getting the votes over teams with lesser records but notably tougher opponents. A decades long argument in college football, I know. Nonetheless, have the voters not learned anything from that argument? Have they not been listening? Maybe they just go by the mantra of "innocent until proven guilty" (or, "rank 'em high until they lose really bad").

Who is not over-rated IMHO? 'Bama, LSU, Oklahoma, Boise State, Wisconsin, Stanford, GaTech and maybe Clemson. These teams are not only winning but they are winning with dominance against worthy opponents. They look good on both sides of the ball, they don't let up when the score is "comfortable" and the play calling and coaching is an obvious notch above the rest. Who started out the season over-rated? Florida State as well as TCU and TA&M. I fell for all three of those, too. FSU is in a downward spiral, TCU is a real surprise as they have been so dominant the last few years and TA&M was looking good and still might pull out an above average season. So who was under-rated at season start? Clemson and GaTech as well as Baylor and maybe Illinois (no real contest yet except for the win against ASU).

EndZone: What is going on in the replay booth?
OK...my post a couple of weeks ago about the missed PAT called good was by far the worst replay call I have ever seen. But I have seen a couple others since that are dang close. Again...I'm no expert and I don't know what goes on up there, but when the one or two camera angles I get spells it out in black-and-white, and the announcers are already making the call, and then it goes the other way there has got to be something going on that the rest of us are not privy to (ie: the 1st quarter fumble by Tennessee and the obvious UGA recovery). Maybe they are focusing on the replays of the cheerleaders.

Week 5: Upsets

TCU falls; so does Baylor and South Carolina. South Florida and VaTech made poor showings for ranked teams. Texas A&M was "welcomed" to the SEC...after blowing another big lead. Florida not only showed some weakness but lost the starting QB. Clemson and GaTech are making the ACC look very good. And LSU and Alabama and Oklahoma look really, really tough to beat.

BYU found the problem with the offense (Heaps) as well as the answer (Nelson). Nothing against Heaps - he has a great skill set and moments of greatness. It just appears that he has been unable to settle down and do what he is really capable of doing. Kudos to the coaching staff for stepping up (albeit a little late IMHO) and letting Nelson hold the reins.

The football gods seem to be playing a very cruel game with Utah State. With the exception of a few ticks on the clock and the ball bouncing the other team's way (Auburn's on-side kick, BYU's last second deflected pass) they would be 4 - 0. I doubt any other team in the nation has more butterflies in the 4th quarter than the Aggies.



ENDZONE: No comments this week...

Week 4: Some Real Excitement

Toledo can't catch a break. OK State and Clemson and AZ State pulled off upsets of Top 25 teams. And the first of major movement in the polls.

Really? A bad call from the replay booth? Isn't that the point of the replay booth...to make things right? I've had minor issues with replay over the years but how they missed this one will remain a mystery. Either the ball went through the uprights or it didn't; it's really not that hard to determine. Click here and see if you can make a better call than the replay official.

OK State took it to TA&M...that'll teach you to rest on your half-time laurels. Clemson looked dominant over a highly rated (but now questionable) Florida State. And AZ State pulls off the upset over USC. All three of those conference games slapped the face of the pre-season predictions. I just love the unpredictability of it all.

Just for Fun: Click here to see a couple of big-time flubs from Saturday that fortunately did not end up costing the team the game.


EndZone: BYU Wins (sort of)
BYU pulled off a win but with minimal offense production. (In last weeks 54-10 loss to Utah Jake Heaps had 300+ passing yards. In this weeks 24-17 win he only had 130 passing yards). The defense and special teams won this game. Excellent punting, big defensive stops when it mattered most and a couple of big special teams plays provided the win. The play calling, although better and finally showing signs of change (ie: no huddle offense in the 1st quarter), still lacked the passion that the defense and special teams showed.

Week 3: A Telling Weekend

Questions were answered this weekend: Oklahoma looks the part of #1; LSU and Boise continue dominating their opponents; maybe Notre Dame is going to be good this year; Ohio State is not; Vandy over Ole Miss by 23 - wow; then Clemson over Auburn and Utah hanging 54 on a touted BYU defense. Yea - the picture is much clearer now.

This don't look like no
"trail to fame and glory" to me!

Utah at BYU: The first non-conference Holy War in 89 years, and the worst Utah over BYU beat down in 89 years, left Utah the victor and BYU looking for answers. No offense, BYU, but you have no offense. And when you did have offense it was a turnover fest. There were a few glimpses of greatness but no urgency, no dominance, no rhythm. The play calling when down by 30 was the same as when down by four - conservative. And BYU was still huddling in the 4th while down by 30. Finally, when they were down by 37 they began running the hurry up offense. Why then? Why not sooner - like lots sooner?

CC at UGA: Georgia finally gets a much needed win. Yes - the win was over an FCS school but I think UGA deserved a break after three straight losses dating back to their bowl game and the last two games against tough (top 10) opponents. Maybe now they can wrap their heads around the rest of the season and move ahead.

ENDZONE: Mega-Conferences
It looks like the future of college football is huge conferences. The Big East lost two of its teams to the ACC and the Big 12 continues to dissolve. That's OK with me...I think mega-conferences are the first step to a playoff system. It won't produce a great system but it will be an improvement and a step in the right direction. Bring it on.

Week 2: Close...but no cigar.

I watched two games this week: UGA vs SCAR and BYU vs Texas. The games had identical outcomes (went down to the last minute, close score, both my favorites lost). Yet the reasons for the loss that I can tell were notbaly different.

Cup art on a bridge close to BYU campus the morning after their 17-16 loss to Texas.
The cup art the previous morning said "Hook 'em".

BYU played this game much like they played last year's games: good start, pull ahead in the score, back off, then lose. The UGA game, however, had numerous lead changes and was lost on one good SCAR defensive play that forced a turnover and sealed the game for the 'Ol Ball Coach (again). But UGA looked much better than last weeks unprepared outing against Boise State - it was obvious they made changes. BYU looked much like they did in the 4th quarter of last week but they could not keep it up for four quarters. It was obvious to me that Texas made adjustments during the game and in particular at halftime yet BYU just thought they could keep playing the way they were...only to find out (like so many times last year) that you have to keep them guessing for four quarters. D'oh!

Where on campus do they sell these?

ENDZONE: Run the coach out of town?
Georgia fans are ready for some wins - something they got very used to during Richt's first nine years. But numerous injuries and great players leaving early for the NFL and a young team and new coaches seem to have created teh perfect storm that has resulted in an average team. But they'll get better. The talent is obviously there and in the process of being molded into something great. But SEC fans aren't known for their patience and that impatience could cost Richt his job - which in my opinion would be a great loss. Hang in there Dawg fans...it can't get much worse (we hope).

Week 1: No Dull Moments

Baylor over TCU? Utah State a play away from knocking out the reigning champs? LSU shutting down the Ducks? Favored Boise State not just winning but totally dominating the Dawgs? Were these surprises to anyone else?

These two should not sit together.

Opening weekend did not disappoint. It had all the fervor of what we like about college football...upsets, drama, come-from-behind wins, 4th quarter rallies and even a 4th quarter re-rally. I think only true fans understand how cool it all really was. Not like my wife who said, after I commented Saturday night that it was an exciting start to the season, "It's just like any other. Some win, some lose; half the people go home happy and the other half go home sad." She just doesn't understand.


Some say Week 1 answers a lot of questions. Maybe - but I say it often raises more questions. Such as: Are the likes of TCU, Auburn and UGA not very good this year or have other teams simply caught up in terms of talent and depth? Is LSU that good or were the Ducks having an off night? Were the Gamecocks looking ahead or just not prepared for East Carolina? What about all the pre-season hype for Notre Dame? Does the media just want that storied program back in the polls so bad that they put them there each year...only to get shocked  back to reality after a few games? I say no team really settles in completely until after three games. Only then have the big questions have been answered.


ENDZONE: Kudos to Boise State
My wife asked me how Boise got to be so good. I told her I thought it was two things: (1) smart recruiting and (2) game preparation. Boise has figured out how to find the great players who have the right mix of talent and obsession for winning that other schools have ignored or placed farther down their list. Boise has picked up these kids and very intentionally and systematically placed and coached them such that their talents compliment each other. They have been building this for some time and the depth chart showed it (they weren't the ones getting tuckered out Saturday night). And, Boise obviously prepares well for each opponent. As I watched the UGA defense struggle against the Boise passing attack I could only think that the UGA defensive coordinator must not have watched much film or he was dumb enough to believe that without their top two receivers form last year, and a hold on this years top receiver, that they should only prepare to stop the run (which they did a fair job of doing). Boise, on the other hand, was well prepared for UGAs run, pass, defense and anything else Richt threw at 'em...and it showed.

An Off-Season Like No Other

Usually the first post of the season is about coaching changes, BCS changes and my predictions for the season. But not this year. This has been an off-season of scandals that I must vent about.

College football seems to be planning its own demise...one embarrassing, measly, lying scandal at a time. Lies, drugs, bar fights, and of course - money (lots of it). No school seems safe. Every alumni and fan is on edge hoping thier school is not next...knowing deep down inside they wouldn't be one bit surprised if it was. Auburn is still being investigated, Oregon is under scrutiny, OSU confessed to mis-deeds and now Miami. Even Boise State is under investigation for allowing recruits to sleep on the couches of existing players (who made that idiotic rule?). Every school is no doubt watching their boosters, shadowing players, and is on pins and needles every time a player walks into the public eye. And who is overseeing all of these fiascoes? The death-by-committee-meeting, can't-make-a-decision, don't-want-to-lose-any-money NCAA. So, it's all bound to be worked out "soon".

First, there was the Fiesta Bowl scandal. And apparently that involved more money than all other recent scandals combined. We didn't trust BCS folks before and this doesn't help their cause any. (Not that their cause has any chance whatsoever, anyway).

Then there was Toomer's Trees. There has always been fan violence and the occasional serious injury. But what happened at Toomer's Corner is a disgrace and there is no place in college footbal for any such fan. Go ahead - smack talk on blogs, paint your colors on your rivals' logo, make a t-shirt with a clever slogan, date your rival's cheerleader, etc. But killing your rivals landmark? That's insane, stupid and just plain wrong. Lock him up.

Then Ohio State (Tattoo U) hands college football a big black-eye. The oft-admired, soft-spoken Tressel took the Ohio State "Black-Eyes" and their storied program to a new college football low. Thanks, Tressel, for putting your mark on college football and providing plenty of fodder for those who dis-like college sports.

Miami...now that's another story. No backing out of that one or hiding away. When the booster confesses just take your sanctions and hope you can get back on your winning ways before the soon-to-be mega conferences refuse to even look at you. Yahoo! Sports said it well in their initial coverage of the Miami scandal (read it here).

And speaking of conferences: All this conference realignment is about money. Hopefully, some of that money will one day be partially in the hands of players in some form or fashion (better scholarships, training, post-college assistance, etc.). Even goody-goody BYU going independent is about money: no more sharing the bowl money, a big-time TV deal with ESPN, and world-wide broadcasting on BYUtv to bring in more money.

So what should the NCAA do?

They should bring integrity back to college sports - whatever the cost. It won't be easy and won't be popular but it is the right thing to do. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Cut and Cap: Coaches salaries are out of control in an industry where the "stars" are paid next to nothing (room, board, tuition). Cut and cap their salaries and give the excess back to the players (better scholarships, better facilities, finishing their degree. etc.).

2. Be the Boss: Make the rules (rules that matter), increase the fines, dish out the punishment, and if they don't like it then they can go elsewhere. It's not fair for the schools who stick to the rules to play against those who don't. Set the standard and fine the violators...like there is no tomorrow. Until the punishment outweighs the benefit of cheating then rules will continue to be broken.

3. Act Fast: Periodic, drawn-out investigations do nothing. Bowl games have been won (or lost) and entire seasons have passed while your investigations have been underway, allowing the guilty players and coaches to move on the NFL, leaving their successors to suffer the punishments. The price of breaking the rules must be high and payment must be quick.

ENDZONE

But, it's late August, school is in session and that means it is time for the greatest sport to begin. Ignore the media (haven't we all had enough?) and set aside the problems of the past eight months and let's focus on what we really like about the sport: the traditions, the amazing athletes, the big plays. No other sport compares to college football - let's not allow the media to ruin the season before it even starts. Play on...

2010 Season Stories (courtesy Rivals.com)

I really liked this summary of the stories from the 2010 season that didn't pertain to wins, losses or rankings. Just the behind the scene stuff that makes the college football scene so interesting. Click here to see the full article.

Wrapping Up the 2010-11 Season

Another great season of college football wraps up and it's time for me to go into blog hibernation until the spring games or, more likely, summer pre-season poll discussions. But here is a quick run down of some of the seasons high and low-lights.

We saw it all in this season of changes, scandals, continued BCS whining, etc. etc. From the late summer conference shifts to...

...BYU going independent

...VaTech high-tech unis on labor day (but lost)

...AJ Green 4-game suspension for selling jersey

...VaTech losing again in Week #2 to James-Madison

...Top 25 newbies Nevada and Mississippi State and UCF

...the grass-eating Mad Hatter

...Boise or TCU

...the little sisters of the poor

...the Nevada win over Boise

...the pay-for-play Newton scandal

...Meyer retirement (Part II)

...un-ranked UConn going to a BCS bowl

...VaTech going to a BCS bowl after loss to FCS

...the Tattoo U (Ohio State) non-suspension for bowl game

...two C-USA teams in the Top 25

...the championship game match-up

...the unprecedented five consecutive championships by the SEC

...and back-to-back champions who also had the Heisman winners

...and back-to-back champions from the same state

...and the championship game being the most watched cable show in history. Whew!

PS: Hey...did anyone really miss USC in the post-season? (Well, I missed seeing the cheerleaders).

EndZone: The College Football Scam

You've heard be whine before about the face of college football moving away from tradition and closer to money, money, money for the BCS, schools, coaches, etc. The Cam Newton saga showed the player side of that this past season. Cam has been amazing on and off the field and it is sad that he has had to deal with so much the last few months that has taken away from his amazing athletic ability. Rules are there for a reason...for protection. But I'll be the first to say the the NCAA has quite the scam when it comes to college football: high-priced tickets, willing sponsors, huge audience and your stars don't get paid...much. Dan Wetzel's article said it well.

"What are all these rules? Who made them? Who agreed to them? Who is the NCAA? And if the NCAA doesn’t care to enforce its own rules, then what are they really worth?

Exactly why should Cam Newton, who is worth millions to a university, whose jersey is being sold all over the school website, who fills stadiums and boosts television ratings, be asked to play football for just room, board and tuition – an amount far below his market value?

Why? Because the NCAA says he should.

They say it, in part, because it protects college athletics’ tax-free status and tradition of non-compensation for its meal-ticket athletes. It funds their salaries, their private jets, their six-figure bonuses.

Big-time college sports are too often like pro wrestling. There are times everyone has to pretend that things are what they aren’t.

They have to agree that this billion-dollar industry is just an extracurricular activity of an institute of higher learning. They have to claim the game is pure in the face of wealthy boosters, eager sports agents and all-encompassing academic tutors. They have to nod approval at multimillion-dollar coach and athletic director contracts.

They have to contend that administrators are concerned with the best interests of the players – the same players they deny professional representation, do not provide lifetime health care for after serious injury and claim ownership of their likeness even decades after leaving campus.

To assist in the illusion, the NCAA creates rules, even if, at times, they don’t appear to believe in them. It determined Cecil violated its bylaw 12.3.3. It then determined that it merited essentially no penalty.

Bowl Commentary (03-10 Jan 2011)

Comments on the final bowls of the season. The Orange showcased some amazing talent, the Sugar was down to the wire and the championship game shined best of all.

Orange Bowl

Really? VaTech lost to James-Madison? They looked quite the team...in the first half. But Stanford made the adjustments at half-time and VaTech didn't. Luck was amazing, accurate and poised.

Sugar Bowl

Really? Arkansas let this slip away in the end when they had it all but handed to them. Though I'm not a fan of the Big 10 I was impressed with their talented receivers and even the fully and free tattooed Pryor.

Cotton Bowl

Though I have spouted all season that LSU has been lucky I still like to watch them play. I like their aggressive and surprising play calling...and it paid of once again. Did you notice that they never showed Texas A&M cheerleaders but they did show LSU cheerleaders? That's because Texas A&M does not have cheerleaders...and never has! See article here.

Fight Hunger

Nevada did not dominate as I expected but they made a good showing and pulled off the win. And I don't think they are a flash-in-the-pan. There will be more to be seen from that program int eh next few years.

BCS Championship

Wow...if any game lived up to its billing this one did. Much like the USC-Texas championship in 2006 - but a whole lot better. Both defenses were very well prepared; Newton and James did not perform as expected. Oregon had some great play calls (fake PAT, fake punt, deep pass from their own endzone, etc.) which showed why UA ran down the clock before kicking the winning FG. The UA goal line stops of the high-powered Oregon offense were near un-believable.

Bowl Commentary (thru 01 Jan 2011)

A few comments on the bulk of the 28-day, 35-game bowl season. A few surprises, some boring bowls, and, some of the best I've seen. Currently the Sun Belt has the best conference bowl record (2-0, 100%) followed by the MWC at 4-1. The current bottom dweller is the "Bog-10" at 2-5...with all five losses coming on New Year's Day. Sometimes the Big-10 isn't so big after all.

New Mexico Bowl

BYU looked refined and already geared up for next season. Looks like the independence thing just might work.

MAACO Bowl

As I expected...Boise dominated and exposed (again) a very over-rated Utah team. Give the Utes credit for a very good defense the first quarter but Boise made the adjustments and Utah didn't.

Poinsettia

San Diego looks like a team on the move upward. Talented and fast receivers and a powerful running back made up for any lack of defense.

Independence

Gotta give the credit to AF against what I thought was a much better option team. But AF showed that if you pass when they don't think you will you can win.

Holiday Bowl

Probably the biggest surprise thus far. A standing ovation to Locker for going out on top. I've said it before and it's worth repeating: Sark has something good cooking up there in the wet north-west.

Liberty Bowl

Where was the UGA offense of their last six games? After the first series the players and coaches were about as aggressive and flat as a grade school girl. Although they graduated to a training bra size in the last minute it was too little too late. The MAC champions are for real and I expect to see more of them next year in both the polls and bowls.

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Ouch! Key players on both sides out in the first half made for an interesting game...and was likely the reason for the UScar loss.

Outback Bowl

Meyer goes out with a win, a well deserved win. Though I don't always agree with his off-the-field comments and whines I have never questioned his commitment to his teams nor his ability to coach. And, I admire and respect his decision to focus on family and health. Godspeed, Whiner Meyer.

Gator and Capital One Bowl

Finally the SEC lives up to its bowl expectations (after the UGA and SCar losses). No surprise since I have felt the Big 10 has been over-rated. 'Bama and Miss State outscore the Big 10 by 80 points, 101 to 21.

Rose Bowl

Wisconsin was better than I had expected...much better. They had an amazing run game against a great TCU defense. But TCU outlasted the heralded Badger QB and O-line...just barely

. Kudos to TCU for making a statement for all the little guys.

Fiesta Bowl

I boycotted the OU and UConn match-up since I did not agree with UConn playing this big money bowl over multiple 1-loss teams that truly earned and deserved the money. No comment.