We have 16 contestants this year (the most in our 5-year history). Out of the 16 we have five different #1 picks, 10 of the 16 have at least one wild card team (not showing in the pre-season top 20) and we all rank BYU in the top 20, anywhere from #5 to #16.
A breakdown of the AP pre-season 25:
SEC (6 teams)
Big 12 (5 teams)
Big 10 (4 teams)
Pac 10, Big East, ACC (3 teams each)
Mountain West (1 team)
Conf USA, Mid America, Sun Belt, WAC and Independents had 0 teams in the AP top 25.
An analysis of 10 different top 25 pre-season polls:
-40 different teams are ranked at least once
-Georgia is ranked anywhere from #1 to #9
-USC and OSU rank between #1 and #4
-BYU's highest rank is #12, lowest is #25
-Utah shows up in four polls
-Rutgers, South Carolina, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Cincinatti and Tulsa show up once in one of the ten polls (none of us picked any of these)
31 August 2008
30 August 2008
New This Year...
Just a few new things to note...
1. The weekly results are now a web-based Excel spreadsheet (just click on the link titled "Challenge 2008" and navigate through the tabs for the details).
2. Helmet schedule, quizzes and history are found on the "Helmet Fun Stuff" tab.
3. Due to the regulations that tend to govern this little contest we will not be "betting" any money this year. The winner will have to be happy with claiming the title for a year (well...maybe the rest of us will get together and build him/her a cake or something).
As always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements to the blog and spreadsheet(layout, colors, better / more links, etc.) and, of course, your weekly comments are welcome.
Good luck to everyone!
1. The weekly results are now a web-based Excel spreadsheet (just click on the link titled "Challenge 2008" and navigate through the tabs for the details).
2. Helmet schedule, quizzes and history are found on the "Helmet Fun Stuff" tab.
3. Due to the regulations that tend to govern this little contest we will not be "betting" any money this year. The winner will have to be happy with claiming the title for a year (well...maybe the rest of us will get together and build him/her a cake or something).
As always, I'm open to suggestions for improvements to the blog and spreadsheet(layout, colors, better / more links, etc.) and, of course, your weekly comments are welcome.
Good luck to everyone!
02 August 2008
Meyer Seeking Revenge?
Apparently, Urban Meyer is still reeling about the UGA celebration penalty last October.
When asked about it (again) at the recent SEC medai days Richt said he did indeed tell his team to "celebrate so hard that the referees throw the flag". But he went on to explain: "in my mind, my little pea brain, 11 guys in the game score a touchdown, 11 guys jump up and down and celebrate...In hindsight, I asked the team to do an unsportsmanlike act...I shouldn't have done it. I won't do anything like that again."
From Meyer's book to be released in September:
"That wasn't right. It was a bad deal. It will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer and in the mind of our football team. We'll handle it, and it's going to be a big deal."
(You want some cheese with that whine?) Is that a threat? Didn't he learn in kindergarten that two wrongs don't make a right? Does he think seeking revenge is not unsportsmanlike? What is he "asking" of his players when he makes a comment like that?
C'mon, Meyer (and Richt), don't turn the world's largest cocktail party and one of college footballs annual highlights into an ugly, mean-spirited, revenge-seeking, "I'll get you for that" brawl. Be the example and the school representative you expect your players to be.
See full article here. See replay of penalty here.
When asked about it (again) at the recent SEC medai days Richt said he did indeed tell his team to "celebrate so hard that the referees throw the flag". But he went on to explain: "in my mind, my little pea brain, 11 guys in the game score a touchdown, 11 guys jump up and down and celebrate...In hindsight, I asked the team to do an unsportsmanlike act...I shouldn't have done it. I won't do anything like that again."
From Meyer's book to be released in September:
"That wasn't right. It was a bad deal. It will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer and in the mind of our football team. We'll handle it, and it's going to be a big deal."
(You want some cheese with that whine?) Is that a threat? Didn't he learn in kindergarten that two wrongs don't make a right? Does he think seeking revenge is not unsportsmanlike? What is he "asking" of his players when he makes a comment like that?
C'mon, Meyer (and Richt), don't turn the world's largest cocktail party and one of college footballs annual highlights into an ugly, mean-spirited, revenge-seeking, "I'll get you for that" brawl. Be the example and the school representative you expect your players to be.
See full article here. See replay of penalty here.
26 July 2008
2007 Wrap-Up
2007 OVERVIEW The 2007 season had everything we love about NCAAF: poll controversies, amazing plays, unprecedented unpredictability and even weird commentary (click here). And, a couple of firsts: a sophomore Heisman and a national champion that posted two-losses.
It was a year when the typically tough defenses of the SEC posted final scores of 50-48 and 52-50. A year when the polls could never find a consistent #1, with 7 different teams in the #2 spot and 12 times a top 5 lost to an un-ranked. We saw the likes of South Florida and South Carolina heading to the top, only to be humbled by un-ranked teams like many others.
POWER HOUSES? Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Notre Dame and USC, the power houses of yesteryear with 48 national championships between them, showed that weaknesses abound on any team...each losing to unranked teams, ND multiple times.
PLAYOFF? Do we really want a playoff system? It would remove all the controversy that we have come to love about the sport. We may be entering an era where the rankings mean less and less and we finally move to more of a playoff system. We saw this year that on any given Saturday, any given team can lose regardless of its history (Michigan), its stars (USC), or its ranking (insert any team here). In other words, proof that passion and a desire to win, can and does win games.
2007 showed the BCS original intent of making the rich richer and forever controlling the college football landscape simply became a challenge to the lesser conferences who, being in a competitive sport, simply looked at it as another game...and they are slowly winning. The BCS has done a great job inciting more competition. Like any other business, once you begin resting on your laurels your competitors sneak up on you. And that is exactly what we witnessed: 10 losses by the top 5 to unranked teams.
READY FOR MORE? From UGA's excessive celebration penalty to blatantly missed calls to the extended finger from the Wyoming coach to Michigan losing to an FCS team then being ranked and going to a bowl that pays a gazillion dollars...bring on 2008...I'm ready!
(For a slightly more professional review of the 2007 season, click here.)
It was a year when the typically tough defenses of the SEC posted final scores of 50-48 and 52-50. A year when the polls could never find a consistent #1, with 7 different teams in the #2 spot and 12 times a top 5 lost to an un-ranked. We saw the likes of South Florida and South Carolina heading to the top, only to be humbled by un-ranked teams like many others.
POWER HOUSES? Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Notre Dame and USC, the power houses of yesteryear with 48 national championships between them, showed that weaknesses abound on any team...each losing to unranked teams, ND multiple times.
PLAYOFF? Do we really want a playoff system? It would remove all the controversy that we have come to love about the sport. We may be entering an era where the rankings mean less and less and we finally move to more of a playoff system. We saw this year that on any given Saturday, any given team can lose regardless of its history (Michigan), its stars (USC), or its ranking (insert any team here). In other words, proof that passion and a desire to win, can and does win games.
2007 showed the BCS original intent of making the rich richer and forever controlling the college football landscape simply became a challenge to the lesser conferences who, being in a competitive sport, simply looked at it as another game...and they are slowly winning. The BCS has done a great job inciting more competition. Like any other business, once you begin resting on your laurels your competitors sneak up on you. And that is exactly what we witnessed: 10 losses by the top 5 to unranked teams.
READY FOR MORE? From UGA's excessive celebration penalty to blatantly missed calls to the extended finger from the Wyoming coach to Michigan losing to an FCS team then being ranked and going to a bowl that pays a gazillion dollars...bring on 2008...I'm ready!
(For a slightly more professional review of the 2007 season, click here.)
07 January 2008
2007 Season End
Like it or not, agree or not, LSU, the first 2-loss team to vie for the BCS championship, is now SECond to none...and they avoided the curse that plagued many a #2 team all season.Though not as much a surprise as the football season and many of the bowls, Jen handily won our contest, beating out second place by over three points. Congratulations, Jen, and thanks to everyone for participating...it was a lot fun and made the season even more exciting to talk about.
As far as the bowls: Florida's loss was a surprise, Oklahoma just can't win in Arizona, Hawaii was all but thrown out of the party (and now BYU has the longest winning streak), and OSU...well, I'm guessing they don't want to be in next year's championship game.
If you are already wondering about the 2008 season, you're not the only one. For a sneak preview click here if you like USC or here if you like UGA.
My 2007 season wrap-up (and complaints) will be posted soon.
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