11/21/24
December 10, 2002
College Football Weekly Roundup
As the Oregonian's Ryan White put it: "What did we learn Saturday? That Miami's Willis McGahee is good?" Ah yes, the BCS has set up a true national title game. Now quit that bitching about having two Rose Bowls (is that really such a bad thing?). (more inside)
Yes it does matter. The Big 10 for the second straight year has been screwed out of playing in Pasadena in the Rose Bowl. Yes, Ohio State would've been playing in the Rose Bowl if they hadn'tn been selected for the Fiesta Bowl but it just doesn't feel right when it's not Pac 10 v. Big 10 in the Rose Bowl.
posted by gyc at 12:35 PM on December 10, 2002
Ok, so you'd rather Ohio State play in the Rose Bowl and not settle the national championship question? I mean, this is what the BCS is supposed to do, and the bowls agreed to it. Maybe the Rose Bowl will want to opt out, but considering that it will get to be the national title game at some point, I seriously doubt it.
posted by thescoop at 02:37 PM on December 10, 2002
On one hand, I'm not that bothered about the Rose Bowl getting screwed over. On the other hand, the Orange Bowl wanted Notre Dame, but couldn't get the Irish without suffering a major P.R. black-eye. So if the Orange couldn't be happy, the Rose wasn't going to be, either, which seems a bit hateful.
posted by jackhererra at 10:26 PM on December 10, 2002
Actually, the Orange couldn't get ND without setting up a rematch, and I'm pretty sure they didn't want one. Remember, there was only one real at-large this year (USC was guaranteed a spot), so if ND went, Iowa couldn't. The result? If the Orange took ND, that leaves USC, FSU, and OU. The Rose gets the second pick. Note that the Rose's choice is exactly the same in this scenario as in the actual (Orange takes Iowa) scenario. So the Rose takes OU. The Sugar goes next, but the Orange can (as they did this year) use their one "preferred pick" over the course of the four years to leapfrog the Sugar. But at this point, it's pretty much irrelevent. USC/ND and FSU/ND are rematches. Neither is as good of a game as USC/Iowa. The Orange wanted ND, yes, but they didn't take them for pragmatic, not revenge reasons. If they could have gotten ND/OU, I bet they would have done it. But they couldn't.
posted by JawaKing at 11:23 PM on December 10, 2002
Looking at the full bowl schedule, fans have to be excited about many of the "lesser" games as well. Ok, maybe not Arkansas vs. Minnesota in the Music City Bowl, but the Gator Bowl matchup of Notre Dame and N.C. State should be a good one, and Kansas State-Arizona State should be a good Holiday Bowl contest. Like passing? Catch the GMAC Bowl pitting Louisville and Marshall, or Florida's first-ever game against Michigan, which may be Rex Grossman's last-ever game as a Gator.
The post-season coaching carousel has begun in earnest, with UCLA's Bob Toledo getting the axe (and no, we won't be needing your help in the Las Vegas Bowl, thanks). Perhaps he'll end up at one of the other coaching vacancies: Utah, East Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama and Michigan State, where it looks like the Redskins' Marvin Lewis will pass on the opportunity to put that program back together. Kentucky? That would be Guy Morriss' former employer - he went off to Baylor, becoming the second SEC coach in a week to slink off to a Big 12 Texas team. Mike Riley, assistant head coach of the New Orleans Saints, has been mentioned for various openings, as has Pitt's Walt Harris.