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Ringo: Settle No. 1 with a playoff format
Texas coach Mack Brown said Monday he doesn't believe his team should have leapfrogged Alabama in the polls after its thrilling victory over rival Oklahoma last week.
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The Longhorns went from No. 5 in the polls to No. 1, despite the fact that Alabama was idle and ranked No. 2 last week.
"Alabama should have stayed No. 1 because they didn't play this weekend and, to me, didn't do anything to lose it," Brown said. "If they were No. 1 going into the weekend, we should not have jumped from No. 5 to No. 1."
Texas received 39 first-place votes in the Associated Press poll. Alabama received 26. The Longhorns received 44 of the 61 possible first-place votes in the coaches' poll. Alabama received 14.
Alabama's vote totals grew from the week before, despite not playing, but much of the country was able to see Texas handle Oklahoma, last week's top-ranked team, and the power of seeing something first-hand can sway people.
This is the first time Texas has been ranked No. 1 since finishing the 2005 season as national champions. With as much success as the Longhorns have enjoyed over the years, it's difficult to believe the last time they were ranked No. 1 during the regular season was way back on Oct. 8, 1984.
I agree with Brown about the absurdity of the way the polls work sometimes. I also agree with him on the need to take opinion and biases out of the equation by settling it on the field with a playoff, whether that's two, four or eight teams or whatever number you care to throw out there.
Coaches and players work hard all year to get to No. 1, but not necessarily in the middle of October. You never want to shy away from the respect that comes with top-billing, but I'm doubting anyone at Texas or Alabama is feeling totally confident about their ability to remain at the top.
The college game has been crazy since the start of the 2007 season and the polls have reflected it. In the 22 polls since the beginning of last season, the No. 1 team has changed 10 times, including four times already this season.
We're only at the midway point.
The No. 2 spot has been even more volatile with 13 changes in 22 weeks. There is still plenty of time left for things to get even more interesting this year, but history isn't on the side of No. 1 being upset again this week.
No. 11 Missouri travels to Austin, Texas, to play the Longhorns (4:30 p.m., FSN). Missouri is perfectly capable of leaving Texas with a win, but the Tigers have never beaten the nation's No. 1 team. They are 0-10 in those games.
Ready for the postseason
Halfway through the regular season, the Big 12 already has three bowl-eligible teams in Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, all of whom have started the season 6-0.
Two more teams could become bowl eligible this week. Kansas and Oklahoma face each other and the winner will reach six victories. If Missouri upsets Texas, it would become bowl eligible.
The Big 12 has partnerships with nine different bowl games, but has only eight guaranteed bowls each year. The league does not send representatives to both the Gator Bowl and the Sun Bowl in any one season.
The conference could have nine bowl teams if the league champion is selected for the national title game. At this point, all 12 teams remain alive for a bowl berth at the end of the season, but Iowa State and Texas A&M must win at least four of their final six games to get to the six-win minimum.
Numbers game
30 -- The number of points Oklahoma State's defense held Missouri below its season average last week in a 28-23 victory. In its previous 21 games prior to playing the Cowboys, Missouri had been held below 30 points only once. That came in the Big 12 championship game loss to Oklahoma last season when the Sooners held the Tigers to 17.
Short yardage
The Big 12 players of the week were Texas QB Colt McCoy, OSU linebacker Andre Sexton and Texas kick returner Jordan Shipley. ...
Oklahoma State is 6-0 despite registering only six sacks so far this season. How has that happened? ...
Missouri tight end Chase Coffman needs three receptions against Texas to become the school's all-time receptions leader and pass former teammate Martin Rucker. ...
CU sophomore Josh Smith is one of four players in the league averaging more than 150 yards a game in all-purpose yardage. The others are Missouri's Jeremy Maclin and Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant. ...
Texas A&M punter Justin Brantly might be on his way to the Ray Guy Award and a career in the NFL with a 47.6 yard average.
Who is hot
Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Jerrod Johnson set school records for total offense (487 yards) and passing yards (419) in a loss to Kansas State last week. Johnson has completed 53 of 84 passes for 637 yards and four touchdowns in two starts since taking over for injured senior Stephen McGee.
Who is not
Texas Tech freshman place-kicker Donnie Carona missed an extra point in overtime last week against Nebraska that could have cost the Red Raiders a win and their lofty national ranking if not for an interception to seal the win. Carona also has struggled with field goals, making just three of seven attempts so far.
Funny pages
For a good laugh or just to waste some more time at work visit this address this week to watch Florida coach Urban Meyer run over LSU coach Les Miles: www.everydayshouldbesaturday
.com/2008/10/13/further-freek
ery-urban-does-not-check-his-
mirror.
Posted by IowaBuffFan on October 14, 2008 at 2:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know I disagree with the majority of CFB fans, but I firmly believe a playoff would diminish the regular season. CFB is the ONLY sport where EVERY GAME matters! You'd have the same controversy if you had a playoff - it'd just be farther down the ladder (heck, in college basketball you have controversy on which 'bubble' teams get in!).
Keep the current system.
Posted by vkberlinn on October 14, 2008 at 5:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
IB,
I agree 100%. Keep it just like it is.
We don't need no stinking playoff. I like all the bowls even those which are meaningless unless you are playing in it.
A play off or "January Madness" and probably more of Dick Vital.
Posted by GoBuffs07 on October 14, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who cares. The buffs suck right now. That's all I care about
Posted by nepabuff on October 14, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
CU is Ranked 62d this week in rivals.
KSU is ranked 79th.
This means CU wins? Or rivals is a joke?
We'll see.
Posted by Shaggy on October 14, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How many teams get into bowls now? About half? Extends the season for those teams, which helps player and team development with the extra practice. But in the end its all about the money. Univeristy presidents and most ADs and coaches are opposed to a playoff system for a variety of reasons. Ain't gonna change soon.
Posted by nepabuff on October 14, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The could go to a 10 game regular season, with the top ranked 8 teams in a tournament style playoff.
Wouldn't be perfect, but would at least let 8 good teams fight it out every year.
Posted by buffalo_flyer on October 14, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
if they go to a playoff, it should be tied into a confernce championship, no at-large teams
heck , they ought to do that for BCS bowls, I'm freegin sick of the SEC sending a team that couldn't win its division to the national stage
Posted by BuffTime on October 14, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
nepa, yeah right you think anyone is going to agree to give up 2 games of revenue (one at home) so that a few teams can have a playoff? Good luck with that one.
bf, I agree, they need to tie the conference champions to the BCS games. If a conference does not have enough teams then they can play their top team against another conferences top team. Then let the BCS bowls pick from those winners.
Posted by nepabuff on October 14, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't see why not.
It's a fair system. Win some games and the team is in.
Posted by BuffTime on October 14, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Because running a program and Athletic department is expensive... games (especially home games) ring in revenue. Giving up 1/6 of revenue is a non-starter for 99% of schools.
Posted by goalline on October 14, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think college football should imitate variable conferences(like soccer in Europe).
Basically, split the teams into several conferences of nine teams each. The top tier would have two conferences (18 teams). These teams would all play every team in their conference and the conference winners would face each other for the national championship. The next 18 teams would form the second tier (2 conferences) etc. The winners (top three placers) in each conference would get a bowl game. Also, at the end of the season the bottom three teams in a conference (6 / tier) are demoted. The top three in a conference are promoted to the next tier. The middle three stay the same. Over time, the programs would all be sorted out among their peers and all schools would have a shot at a winning season and bowl game. Some bowls would probably be selective toward the higher tiers.
Teams would still schedule 4 non-conference games to keep rivalries and early tune-ups going. Also we could keep the large number of bowl games but still have a clear national champion without a playoff.
Posted by nolanjp on October 14, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
WHO CARES ABOUT THIS FORMAT CUZ COLORADO WILL NEVER BE A CONTENER AS LONG AS HAWK JR IS QB AND HAWK SR IS COACH
Posted by buffalo_flyer on October 14, 2008 at 10:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
sheesh, you saw what happened when CU tried to move a home game to Invesco. The Boulder merchants, while not contributing one cent to the program, screamed like stuck pigs. Bohn took care of the season ticket holders but he missed his chance to hold the merchants feet to the fire.
Posted by BuffTime on October 14, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's a nice thought, except for one thing; The leagues in Europe you are referring to have the advantage of bringing in new players or "selling" off top players they've developed in order to ring in the money needed for future runs.
In college it takes a couple of years to develop players and you only have the pipeline of talent you are able to recruit from high school. So a lower tier team could be clicking on all cylinders and be a legitimate top team full of seniors and e "promoted" to the upper tier the next year only to have a down year.
I think CFB is great with the set conferences that have built in rivalries that keep the fans coming year in and year out. There is no need for a basketball style playoff if each conference has a single game playoff with the BCS games tied to the winners of those games. Then all you need is the plus 1 game between the top 2 of those teams.
The only reason people don't like the current system is that it is unfairly biased towards a handful of teams/conferences and doesn't require anyone to have won their own conference to be in it (I'm talking about you Nebraska).
Posted by MDBuff on October 14, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I like the idea of a "plus one", but it was voted down last year and it looks like the current BCS format will be in effect for several more years. At least the Big Ten-Pac 10 winners aren't tied up in the Rose Bowl anymore.
Posted by phxbuff on October 14, 2008 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Guys, how many times have we heard debates over college football playoffs. ESPN Radio, Best Damn Sports Show, magazine articles, etc. People will make arguments ever year but Ringo needs to write about something else.
I would love a playoff just as much as the next guy but the bottom line is its never going to happen.
Posted by phibuffa on October 14, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've always thought that the only way it would ever happen is if someone (T.Bonne Pickens?) offered two conferences that have a championship game (say the Big 12 and the SEC) outlandish money to get together and play a one game "Player's National Championship Game" the week after the conference championships. There would be an uproar, threatened fines, etc until they showed the NCAA officals the fine print that allocates $10 million or so to the NCAA/Bowl officials, etc for the "exhibition" game or whatever...and then it would magically happen. It's all about the money and paying the right people. NCAA = Dirty Street Hooker.
Posted by phibuffa on October 14, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I meant T. Boone Pickens, of course. I don't even know a T. Bonne Pickens.
Posted by buffalo_flyer on October 14, 2008 at 12:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ncaa = stupid dirty street hooker
Posted by phibuffa on October 14, 2008 at 2:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good point, Buffalo_flyer. I suppose we could also add "incompetent", "inconsistent", "vengeful" and "petty", with a good ol' "cracked out" for some flavor.
Posted by BuffSteve on October 14, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yawn. Haven't we all become weary of this subject? A playoff is not going to happen for a long time; if ever. So, why not just enjoy college football for the great sport it is?
Posted by phxbuff on October 14, 2008 at 3:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As I stated earlier, a playoff system is never going to happen...next article please??
Posted by BuffMan6236 on October 14, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dittos BuffSteve. Fact is, if 'Bama and Texas run the table, there is no need for a playoff. They will both deserve to be in championship game.
Please dear God, no more Big 10 teams!
ncaa= stupid, dirty (hypocritical because of what they did
Posted by vegasbufffan on October 14, 2008 at 7:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
noljip:
What is a contener retard?
You are so consumed with ignorance and hate you sound like an idiot..
Posted by nolanjp on October 14, 2008 at 10:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
vegasbuffan-you quoted "You are so consumed with ignorance and hate you sound like an idiot.."
sounds like your grammar isn't perfect either.
Get a life. Go Buffs.
Posted by ckhutch on October 15, 2008 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
rivalries be damned, the whole season should be a giant playoff where who you play the next week would be determined by your record. That way you would always have the best teams playing each other all season culminating in a huge championship game. It also gives everyone equal chance and would shut up all the sorry conferences.
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