Way, way, way too early to be thinking that this game ends how it started...
It's still early, and things could change, but we're not even halfway through the first quarter and the Fighting Carrolls are pasting the Fighting Zookers.
The Rose Bowl could have selected Georgia to face USC, which would have easily made for the second-highest-rated game of the bowl season. Instead they went with an Illinois team that had one impressive win on its resume. Are the old men in red blazers just so football-unaware that they had no idea this would probably happen, or do they just not care? It's a silly choice I know, because there's probably a lot of both.
What say you, lifelong Big Televen and Pac 10 fans and followers?
Way, way, way too early to be thinking that this game ends how it started...
Now 21 nothing and that is with USC trying their hardest to let Illinois in the game by botching punts and throwing silly receiver falls down interceptions.
--Jason "USC gonna win this one biiig" Evans
I wish we could have seen a USC - Georgia Rose Bowl as well.
Actually, I wish USC would have made the BCS championship game. I think they are one of the best two teams in the country. The problem is, I have no idea who the other one is.
Singler is IRON
I STILL GOT IT! -- Ryan Kelly, March 2, 2013
I still think its the right choice, but I grew up in B10 country where we always watched the Rose Bowl even if Ohio State wasn't playing in it. I guess I'm a sucker for the traditional matchup.
Illinois' defense has actually been decent, although now they're tired. The offense just keeps turning the ball over and putting the defense in bad situations. Just a few minutes ago it 21-10 with Illinois driving before they fumbled it into the endzone. If they score there its 21-17 and a much better game. Now its 35-10. What is it with B10 teams and goaline fumbles today?
I actually think that the BCS is happy with the pick of Illinois. Had it been Georgia against USC you would've had the potential for a split national title if LSU won a close game and either the Dawgs or Trojans were impressive. The powers that be in the BCS want to avoid that.
If Georgia stomps HI by 30+, the stupidity of these pairing will be even more evident. College football is too good of a sport to suffer under the arbitrary and unfair bowl system.
I agree, but it's still better than the old system. Under the Bowl Alliance, we would've had the following matchups:
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. USC
Sugar: LSU vs. Virginia Tech
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Georgia (sort of a guess here)
Orange: West Virginia vs. Missouri
I had to guess a little in the Fiesta and Orange Bowls but I think that's a decent stab.
Last edited by rockymtn devil; 01-01-2008 at 09:08 PM. Reason: Forgot about Missouri so I replaced them with the Clemson/BC/Florida option I had originally posted.
Agreed, but to use a basketball example, how many games have you seen where we have gone in to the second half with a large lead(15-18 pts) and the opposition cuts it to a working margin(6-8 pts)with 8 to 9 minutes to go(or earlier)? If we put the lead back up to 15 pts, then the games is over. Otherwise, grab your seat, because it could be a wild ride. Obviously football is not basketball, but if Ill would have scored a TD to bring the margin to 21-17, then it would be a whole new ball game. They fumbled on the 5 yd line, so not an inconceivable thought. That turnover and the next couple of turnovers emotionally defeated Illinois.
I'm an old Rose Bowl die-hard. It's a Big Ten - Pac 10 game, period. When it is changed under the BCS format, it's a travesty.
(And frankly, I'd like to see the conferences send their champions to play in it, the BCS sucks)
24-3 Georgia early in the second quarter. Screw atavistic bowl pairings. Give me competitive games between evenly matched teams.
I really, really, really hate the Rose Bowl. The old crusties who control that anachronism are cultish and weird (h.t., Throaty), and today they really hurt the two conferences they have fetishized. If USC had been allowed to play Georgia, they would have had a shot at creating some serious discussion for the AP. Further, the better match-up would have saved the Big Televen the embarassment of sending its third best team to be sacrificed on national tv.
Lastly, said crusties do this because they know that addicts like me will continue to watch, no matter how much we moan about process. I hate myself for caring about this stuff.
Good night college football, and good night, Georgia (it's not yet half-time); please be merciful to Hawaii in the second half.
The individual matchups are better, but the system isn't. Under the old system, consider this scenario:
USC beats Ohio State
LSU beats Virginia Tech
Oklahoma beats Georgia
West Virginia beats Missouri
Here you would have 6 two loss teams (and maybe a 7th floating around in Kansas, who actually could be a 1-loss team), four of which won major bowl games against highly touted teams. Who wins the national title? USC, LSU, OU, and WVU (and maybe Kansas if they are 12-1) all have solid claims and tragic flaws.
At least in the current system we get a 1-2 game. It may not be the game you wanted, but it's the game that the voters and computers, taking the entire season into account, gave us. That's better than the cluster the old system would've created.
And, I'll point out that there were plenty of bowl blowouts under the old system where Illinois and Hawaii would not have gotten in. Just a sampling of not close major bowl games in the 15 years or so prior to the BCS.
1984 Rose Bowl: UCLA 45 Illinois 9
1987 Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 42 Arkansas 8
1986 Sugar Bowl: Tennessee 35 Miami 7
1991 Fiesta Bowl: Louisville 34 Alabama 7
1992 Rose Bowl: Washington 34 Michigan 14
1992 Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 42 Tennessee 17
1996 Fiesta Bowl: Nebraska 62 Florida 24 (in a national title game)
1994 Sugar Bowl: Florida 41 West Virginia 7
1997 Sugar Bowl: Florida 52 Florida State 20 (in a national title game)
So, the old system didn't always provide good games (just like the BCS doesn't always give us bad ones) and it wasn't very efficient in choosing a champion.
Somewhere, somehow, ugadevil is out there wearing black, woofing it, drinking, dancing to Soulja Boy, praising Mark Richt, and wondering what would have happened if UGA and USC played. Now THAT would have been a game.
After tonight, think Colt Brennan has a future in the NFL?
Cheers,
Lavabe