|
Post by AustinHoya03 on Nov 4, 2009 21:36:39 GMT -5
Week 10 Picks for Games That Matter:
Boise State over La. Tech (Friday) K-State over Kansas for the Governor's Cup (intentionally refusing to recognize the worst name ever for an all-sports competition) Notre Dame over Navy Air Force over Army in a Commander In Chief Trophy game Oregon squeaks by Stanford Penn State over Ohio State North Carolina over Duke in Carlyle Cup play for the Victory Bell Alabama over LSU Nebraska over Oklahoma
|
|
Boz
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
123 Fireballs!
Posts: 10,355
|
Post by Boz on Nov 4, 2009 21:41:13 GMT -5
Notre Dame-Navy is a game that matters?
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Nov 5, 2009 12:22:47 GMT -5
Notre Dame-Navy is a game that matters? It's on NBC. It must matter.
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Nov 5, 2009 12:24:52 GMT -5
Week 10 Picks for Games That Matter: K-State over Kansas for the Governor's Cup (intentionally refusing to recognize the worst name ever for an all-sports competition) The peace pact trophy?
|
|
hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
|
Post by hifigator on Nov 5, 2009 17:49:02 GMT -5
|
|
One
Century (over 100 posts)
Posts: 192
|
Post by One on Nov 6, 2009 0:06:48 GMT -5
Notre Dame-Navy is a game that matters? Right, because that's the only meaningless game on this week's list.
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Nov 6, 2009 12:50:59 GMT -5
|
|
hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
|
Post by hifigator on Nov 6, 2009 14:18:20 GMT -5
kc, I'm glad someone else brought this up instead of me. I think this is a total croc, but trying to be as objective as I can, the only thing that makes sense is that Meyer is really being made an example. I honestly thought that Meyer was very diplomatic and chose his words very strategically, but I guess the commissioner felt that any, even remote criticism, must be dealt with sternly. I don't have Meyer's exact words, but it was something to the effect of this:
In my opinion, they should have thrown a flag. We are trying to protect the quarterback. But it was right in front of the referee. We have sent in a request to the SEC to look into the play.
Then when askes what response the SEC had to their request, Meyer said that he didn't think he could comment on that.
Do I think he was trying to toe the line? Absolutely. But I think he did.
Really, I have 2 opinions on the issue. Right off the bat, I don't like this censoresque idea that you "can't" or "shouldn't" criticize the officials to begin with. I hate the way that refs have a free pass so to speak. A player makes a mistake -- fumble, interception, dropped pass, missed kick etc... -- and he is everyone's goat. A coach makes a mistake -- questionable strategy, bad time management, conservative play calling etc... -- and he is lambasted by any and all. But if a referee screws up a call ... well, that was just an honest mistake. EDIT that. I just hat that ideology to begin with.
Additionally, in this particular case, I thought that Meyer carefully chose appropriate words. In saying that in his opinion a flag should have been thrown, but that it was right in front of the ref, he implicitly said that it was a judgment call and that the ref had a different opinion. Then he asked the conference to investigate the play in question. Obviously nothing will change the past. Therefore, it's my opinion that the intent was to have the conference look at the play and then, for future reference, decide whether such plays should be flagged. In any case, I think that Mike Slive is a pretentious pinhead who thinks way too much of himself.
Whatever. There's a reason why nobody really hates Vandy. When you're on top, you get to deal with the haters. If goes with the territory. But I wouldn't trade places with Vandy.
|
|
|
Post by AustinHoya03 on Nov 6, 2009 17:08:28 GMT -5
Meaningless with regard to what? The BCS standings? I suppose that if that's the standard we're going by, Northwestern @ Iowa would be a more important game.
The football teams representing Notre Dame and the U.S. Naval Academy have competed on the gridiron every year since 1927. Together they represent two of the remaining three independent schools in Division I-A football. Both programs figure prominently in any history of the sport ever written. Both schools have ardent alumni supporters. In my opinion, these things matter in college football. Of course, the BCS standings, conference standings, and the AP poll matter as well, and I take games that will undoubtedly affect those into account as well. Games like Vandy @ Florida and Northwestern @ Iowa only matter if the unexpected happens. The 82nd consecutive meeting of the teams with gold helmets is important to the tradition of the sport, regardless of the outcome.
Speaking of independent schools playing DI-A football, I was wondering the other day: which program suffered most from the demise of independents? I think there's a pretty good argument to be made that program was Syracuse University. The Orangemen, having previously lost a rivalry with Colgate to the Division I split, lost their rivalry with Penn State when they joined the Big East (it renewed in 2008). Rivalries with previously independent Pitt and West Virginia cooled after 1991 as well. There have been some recent discussions WRT who Syracuse's main rival is in basketball (I still think it's us, hands down). Can 'Cuse fans even have this discussion WRT football? Without any important annual games on the schedule to make fans' blood boil and television networks pay attention, the Orange football program has more or less been relegated to "just another Big East school" status.
Also, for the record, K-State and Kansas compete in the all-sports competition known as the Sunflower Showdown.
|
|
hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
|
Post by hifigator on Nov 6, 2009 17:15:26 GMT -5
I don't care how you sugar coat it. Notre Dame is NOT relevant. Navy, however, is.
|
|
kchoya
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Enter your message here...
Posts: 9,934
|
Post by kchoya on Nov 7, 2009 18:30:28 GMT -5
Notre Dame-Navy is a game that matters? Well, it matters because now the BCS doesn't have to pay any attention to Notre Dame anymore.
|
|
vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 3,875
|
Post by vcjack on Nov 7, 2009 22:16:54 GMT -5
The United States of America dodged a bullet today when the good Nerds of Evanston Illinois spared us the possibility of flukey Iowa playing for a national title.
Also of note from the Midwest, Michigan's odds of being bowl eligible are sinking fast
|
|
GIGAFAN99
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Posts: 4,487
|
Post by GIGAFAN99 on Nov 7, 2009 23:35:49 GMT -5
Here's a wacky BCS thought. Multiple teams could finish undefeated, but not play for the national title because of their "weak schedules."
Texas could play for the title and not beat a single team that finishes in the top 25. After Oklahoma's loss tonight and OK State getting rebuffed on Bryant, it's actually almost likely.
|
|
|
Post by AustinHoya03 on Nov 8, 2009 0:06:18 GMT -5
Here's a wacky BCS thought. Multiple teams could finish undefeated, but not play for the national title because of their "weak schedules." Texas could play for the title and not beat a single team that finishes in the top 25. After Oklahoma's loss tonight and OK State getting rebuffed on Bryant, it's actually almost likely. The 'Horns schedule is way, way weak. Even if Arkansas had not backed out of a scheduled game this season, the schedule would still be terrible. But the 'Horns are far from the only weak-schedule offender at the top of the BCS standings. Florida has played only one ranked team this season, period. That's in terms of the current AP/Coaches/BCS rankings, but also in terms of teams' rankings during the week they played the Gators. As far as the so-called "weak schedule" teams are concerned, let's see if they finish undefeated before making the argument a WAC team should be playing for the MNC.
|
|
FLHoya
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
Proud Member of Generation Burton
Posts: 4,544
|
Post by FLHoya on Nov 8, 2009 0:34:44 GMT -5
The United States of America dodged a bullet today when the good Nerds of Evanston Illinois spared us the possibility of flukey Iowa playing for a national title. Also of note from the Midwest, Michigan's odds of being bowl eligible are sinking fast Good news: Notre Dame played themselves out of a BCS bowl. Bad news: Ohio State played themselves back in.
|
|
RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 8,835
|
Post by RDF on Nov 8, 2009 0:59:56 GMT -5
Weakest year in recent memory for "top teams". Who is a great team? Nobody. Crappy schedules, one sided teams, and a lot of bad football--but still a great sport to watch---just a DOWN YEAR big time.
|
|
hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
|
Post by hifigator on Nov 9, 2009 16:38:48 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by AustinHoya03 on Nov 11, 2009 23:57:10 GMT -5
Week 11 Picks for Games That Matter:
Cincinnati over West Virginia Northwestern over Illinois for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Land of Lincoln Trophy (lame) Georgia Tech over Duke Clemson over N.C. State in the Textile Bowl Western Michigan over Eastern Michigan to decide the Michigan MAC Trophy runner-up UAB over Memphis in the Battle for the Bones Boise State over Idaho Stanford over SC (I'm on the bandwagon) Ohio State over Iowa (no Stanzi=no chance) Florida over S. Carolina Nevada over Fresno State Auburn over UGA in the Oldest Rivalry in the Deep South Texas Christian over Utah Pitt crushes Notre Dame
|
|
|
Post by AustinHoya03 on Nov 12, 2009 0:14:57 GMT -5
|
|
hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
Posts: 6,387
|
Post by hifigator on Nov 12, 2009 13:02:13 GMT -5
Week 11 Picks for Games That Matter: Cincinnati over West Virginia Northwestern over Illinois for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Land of Lincoln Trophy (lame) Georgia Tech over Duke Clemson over N.C. State in the Textile Bowl Western Michigan over Eastern Michigan to decide the Michigan MAC Trophy runner-up UAB over Memphis in the Battle for the Bones Boise State over Idaho Stanford over SC (I'm on the bandwagon) Ohio State over Iowa (no Stanzi=no chance) Florida over S. Carolina Nevada over Fresno State Auburn over UGA in the Oldest Rivalry in the Deep South Texas Christian over Utah Pitt crushes Notre Dame I am pretty much in agreement. If I had to pick a game to go the "other way," it would probably be to pick that USC wins at home over Stanford. But otherwise, I like your picks. Go to Vegas and win us some money! Send me my share. If you should lose, then I will try to make it up to you with better picks next week. On Edit: the Fightin' Zookers keep jerking me around by winning. It wouldn't surprise me if that trend continues. But all those friggin "Big" 10 games look the same.
|
|