Another college football season, and another deserving team gets screwed out of a spot in the Bowl Championship Series. Remember a few years ago when an undefeated Auburn squad got left out of the title-game party, with USC and Oklahoma getting the honors?
This year, the offended include Texas, which has just one loss — on a last-second play at Texas Tech, another in a string of ranked opponents — and beat the Oklahoma team (on a neutral field, no less) that will play Florida for the national championship.
President-elect Barack Obama is pushing for an eight-team playoff, but the best solution is a 16-team tournament, just as the NCAA and NAIA provide for in their other divisions. This is how it works:
The six BCS leagues get automatic bids for their conference champions:
Big East ... Cincinnati
ACC ... Virginia Tech
SEC ... Florida
Big 10 ... Penn State
Big 12 ... Oklahoma
Pac-10 ... USC
Then there are two other bids for the two highest-rated conference champions from the smaller Division I leagues (MAC, Sun Belt, Conference USA, Mountain West, WAC) — those go to Boise State and Utah.
To round out the field, take eight at-large teams, using the BCS rankings — Texas, Alabama, Texas Tech, Ohio State, TCU, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and Georgia.
Then seed the field, 1 through 16, using the BCS system:
1. Oklahoma
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. USC
6. Utah
7. Texas Tech
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
11. TCU
12. Cincinnati
13. Oklahoma State
14. Georgia Tech
15. Georgia
16. Virginia Tech
Then pair them off by seed — 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc. The problem is that this gives us a couple of first-round matchups of conference teams that have already played each other (Florida vs. Georgia, Utah vs. TCU), so we're going to adjust the pairings a bit. So we end up with a bracket that looks like this:
1-16 ... Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech
8-9 ... Penn State vs. Boise State
4-13 ... Alabama vs. Oklahoma State
5-11 ... USC vs. TCU
2-14 ... Florida vs. Georgia Tech
7-10 ... Texas Tech vs. Ohio State
3-15 ... Texas vs. Georgia
6-12 ... Utah vs. Cincinnati
The first-round games would be played this coming weekend, with the quarterfinals on the weekend of Dec. 19-21. We could take a week off between Christmas and New Year's, with the semifinals in the first full week of January and the national championship game sometime after that.
Schools are out of session, so players wouldn't be missing class time, with the possible exception of the two teams that reach the national championship game.
Best of all, the national champion would be decided on the field, which is where it should be decided.
As for the bowl games, incorporate them into the playoff. Pick the best seven bowl games and rotate them in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. Use eight other bowls to host first-round games, and the rest can accommodate the teams that don't make the NCAA tournament. That way, even coaches that don't make it to the tournament can still tell recruits they played in a bowl game.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Semifinal thoughts ...
Calloway County and Bullitt East looks to be one of the most intriguing state semifinal match ups, a game that many see as too close to call.
Bullitt East's defense has been especially good over the last two months, but there is the nagging suspicion that the Chargers haven't faced an offense as diversified as Calloway's, which combines the powerful running of Tyrrell Willis and the efficient passing game keyed by quarterback Casey Brockman and three quality receivers — ever-reliable Chris Dobbins and the big-play capability of Willis and George Garner.
On the other hand, Calloway's run defense has been spotty throughout the season, although it's been better in recent weeks. I have a feeling that the Lakers will be all right if they avoid giving up the big play.
As usual, turnovers will be a key. Calloway has been largely mistake-free in recent weeks, save an ill-advised lateral by Willis that Franklin-Simpson returned for a touchdown and an interception last week that came off a deflection. The Lakers capitalized on three first-half miscues by Allen County last week and got on a roll, one that might not end until they reach the state championship game in Louisville.
The pick here is the Lakers ... something along the lines of 28-20.
• No team faces a tougher scenario than Crittenden County — a heavily-favored opponent and a state championship favorite at the end of a 300-mile road trip.
Simply put, Beechwood is in a class by itself in Class A, with a big and physical line corps that will dominate the line of scrimmage. If the outcome is still in doubt in the second half, the Rockets have accomplished something. I'm not holding my breath.
The pick here ... Beechwood 48, Crittenden 7.
• State semifinal picks:
Class 6A ... Louisville St. Xavier over Louisville Trinity, Louisville Male over Simon Kenton
Class 5A ... John Hardin over Christian County, Fort Thomas Highlands over Whitley County
Class 4A ... Calloway County over Bullitt East, Boyle County over Bell County
Class 3A ... Louisville Central over Union County, Belfry over Breathitt County
Class 2A ... Fort Campbell over Monroe County, Newport Catholic over Corbin
Class A ... Beechwood over Crittenden County, Lexington Christian over Hazard
Best set of semis ... Class 4A ... it's hard to imagine both these games not going down to the fourth quarter
Worst set of semis ... Class A ... both could be blowouts
Bullitt East's defense has been especially good over the last two months, but there is the nagging suspicion that the Chargers haven't faced an offense as diversified as Calloway's, which combines the powerful running of Tyrrell Willis and the efficient passing game keyed by quarterback Casey Brockman and three quality receivers — ever-reliable Chris Dobbins and the big-play capability of Willis and George Garner.
On the other hand, Calloway's run defense has been spotty throughout the season, although it's been better in recent weeks. I have a feeling that the Lakers will be all right if they avoid giving up the big play.
As usual, turnovers will be a key. Calloway has been largely mistake-free in recent weeks, save an ill-advised lateral by Willis that Franklin-Simpson returned for a touchdown and an interception last week that came off a deflection. The Lakers capitalized on three first-half miscues by Allen County last week and got on a roll, one that might not end until they reach the state championship game in Louisville.
The pick here is the Lakers ... something along the lines of 28-20.
• No team faces a tougher scenario than Crittenden County — a heavily-favored opponent and a state championship favorite at the end of a 300-mile road trip.
Simply put, Beechwood is in a class by itself in Class A, with a big and physical line corps that will dominate the line of scrimmage. If the outcome is still in doubt in the second half, the Rockets have accomplished something. I'm not holding my breath.
The pick here ... Beechwood 48, Crittenden 7.
• State semifinal picks:
Class 6A ... Louisville St. Xavier over Louisville Trinity, Louisville Male over Simon Kenton
Class 5A ... John Hardin over Christian County, Fort Thomas Highlands over Whitley County
Class 4A ... Calloway County over Bullitt East, Boyle County over Bell County
Class 3A ... Louisville Central over Union County, Belfry over Breathitt County
Class 2A ... Fort Campbell over Monroe County, Newport Catholic over Corbin
Class A ... Beechwood over Crittenden County, Lexington Christian over Hazard
Best set of semis ... Class 4A ... it's hard to imagine both these games not going down to the fourth quarter
Worst set of semis ... Class A ... both could be blowouts
Greene to the Cardinals ...
He's two years removed from a season in which his bat produced 27 homers, 97 RBI and a whopping 74 extra-base hits. And he's a quality defensive shortstop.
Khalil Greene isn't Derek Jeter or Ozzie Smith, but he does give the St. Louis Cardinals a nice upgrade at the most demanding position — and at a decent cost.
Greene, 29, was acquired by the Cardinals on Thursday in what looks like a low-risk trade with the Padres landing Mark Worrell, a reliever who spent most of last season at Triple-A Memphis, and a player to be determined later.
It's a classic example of a team buying low. Greene had a miserable 2008, hitting .213 and 10 homers in 105 games and missing a big chunk of the season after breaking his left hand while punching a storage chest. The Padres tried to recoup about $1.5 million in salary, causing some hard feelings on both sides.
Greene replaces Cesar Izturis, whose glove is fine but whose bat is a black hole in the batting order, and there is a decent change that a change in scenery may revive his bat. Greene lacks plate discipline, but he can still be an offensive contributor in the lower part of the batting order. He has posted decent numbers away from Petco Park, the best pitchers' park in baseball.
Next on the Cardinals' agenda? Upgrading second base ...
Khalil Greene isn't Derek Jeter or Ozzie Smith, but he does give the St. Louis Cardinals a nice upgrade at the most demanding position — and at a decent cost.
Greene, 29, was acquired by the Cardinals on Thursday in what looks like a low-risk trade with the Padres landing Mark Worrell, a reliever who spent most of last season at Triple-A Memphis, and a player to be determined later.
It's a classic example of a team buying low. Greene had a miserable 2008, hitting .213 and 10 homers in 105 games and missing a big chunk of the season after breaking his left hand while punching a storage chest. The Padres tried to recoup about $1.5 million in salary, causing some hard feelings on both sides.
Greene replaces Cesar Izturis, whose glove is fine but whose bat is a black hole in the batting order, and there is a decent change that a change in scenery may revive his bat. Greene lacks plate discipline, but he can still be an offensive contributor in the lower part of the batting order. He has posted decent numbers away from Petco Park, the best pitchers' park in baseball.
Next on the Cardinals' agenda? Upgrading second base ...
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The BCS is just BS ...
The Big 12's decision to select Oklahoma over Texas and Texas Tech to play in the Big 12 championship game is simply one more argument for national college football playoff.
Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and, like the Sooners, has just one loss this season. But unless Missouri upsets Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns have no chance to compete for a national championship.
Next week, after the various conference championship games, we'll take a look at what a 16-team NCAA tournament field would look like.
Texas beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and, like the Sooners, has just one loss this season. But unless Missouri upsets Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, the Longhorns have no chance to compete for a national championship.
Next week, after the various conference championship games, we'll take a look at what a 16-team NCAA tournament field would look like.
BluegrassPreps.com preseason hoops rankings ...
BOYS
1. Scott County
2. Covington Holmes
3. Jeffersontown
4. Elliott County
5. Louisville Ballard
6. Louisville Manual
7. Lexington Dunbar
8. Corbin
9. Clark County
10. Hazard
11. Christian County
12. Lexington Catholic
13. Warren Central
14. Shelby Valley
15. Louisville Fairdale
16. North Hardin
17. Mason County
18. Owensboro
19. Lexington Bryan Station
20. Louisville Male
Bluegrasspreps.com Girls Basketball Poll
1. Louisville Iroquois
2. Louisville Manual
3. Louisville Butler
4. Elizabethtown
5. Franklin-Simpson
6. Lexington Dunbar
7. North Hardin
8. Montgomery County
9. Southwestern
10. Henderson County
11. Lexington Christian
12. Ohio County
13. Lexington Catholic
14. Johnson Central
15. Fort Thomas Highlands
16. Breathitt County
17. Louisville Mercy
18. Rockcastle County
19. Marshall County
20. Nelson County
1. Scott County
2. Covington Holmes
3. Jeffersontown
4. Elliott County
5. Louisville Ballard
6. Louisville Manual
7. Lexington Dunbar
8. Corbin
9. Clark County
10. Hazard
11. Christian County
12. Lexington Catholic
13. Warren Central
14. Shelby Valley
15. Louisville Fairdale
16. North Hardin
17. Mason County
18. Owensboro
19. Lexington Bryan Station
20. Louisville Male
Bluegrasspreps.com Girls Basketball Poll
1. Louisville Iroquois
2. Louisville Manual
3. Louisville Butler
4. Elizabethtown
5. Franklin-Simpson
6. Lexington Dunbar
7. North Hardin
8. Montgomery County
9. Southwestern
10. Henderson County
11. Lexington Christian
12. Ohio County
13. Lexington Catholic
14. Johnson Central
15. Fort Thomas Highlands
16. Breathitt County
17. Louisville Mercy
18. Rockcastle County
19. Marshall County
20. Nelson County
Monday, December 1, 2008
Playoff tidbits ... semifinals
Crittenden County's football program won a state championship in 1985. For several years, as part of the old Class A District 2 in the old four-class system, the Rockets regularly endured long road trips to district rivals Metcalfe County and Caverna.
Friday's jaunt to Beechwood in the Class A semifinals tops them all.
According to Mapquest, 311 miles of road separates Crittenden and Beechwood, which is located in Fort Mitchell in suburban Cincinnati. It represents the longest road trip in Crittenden's 50-plus years of football.
Part of the blame goes to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's new six-class system, which has diluted the field so much that Class A's District 1 is far western Kentucky and District 2 is in the Louisville area.
This isn't the longest road trip in state playoff history. It's doubtful there have never been two longer trips than ones that involved Mayfield and Heath in 1991, a season in which the KHSAA (in another example of its infinite wisdom) used a blind draw to determine the semifinal match ups.
Heath went to Beechwood, a 323-mile trek, that year, falling 32-6 to a program that was beginning its run of seven state titles in the 1990s. Mayfield hosted Lawrence County in a Class 2A semifinal, winning 21-18 over a team that had broken its 411-mile drive to Mayfield in half, staying in Elizabethtown the previous night.
Mercifully, the blind draw format was dropped during the subsequent off-season.
• What are the Rockets facing Friday night? The clear front runner for the Class A state title, for starters.
Beechwood was ranked first in the Associated Press poll until the end of the regular season, when the Tigers were beaten 31-20 by Newport Catholic, which moved into the top spot in Class 2A that week — then-No. 1 Fort Campbell had lost to Franklin-Simpson.
The voters (not this one) ended up putting unbeaten Raceland in the top spot, the same Raceland club that was beaten at home by Lexington Christian in the quarterfinals. Still, most objective observers consider Beechwood to be at least a touchdown or two better than any other team in Class A.
Beechwood showed an indication of that on Friday night, winning 42-14 at Frankfort and drubbing a team that had beaten Danville in the regular-season finale.
The Tigers have at least a couple of Division I prospects in lineman Dominic Mainello — a 6-foot-5, 265-pound offensive tackle and noseguard that has committed to Central Michigan — and running back Neico Teipel (6-2, 215), who has been battling a foot injury. Beechwood dominates Class A teams at the line of scrimmage, with several big and talented linemen.
Beechwood has won nine state titles since 1991, and at least one longtime observer of the program thinks this team isn't one of the best teams in that run, but falls right in the middle.
• Calloway County visits a Bullitt East club that has shown clear improvement from the start of the season until now. The Chargers (8-5) were slow starters and were sitting at 1-3 after a 50-14 blowout loss to Henderson County in mid-September.
There were some extenuating circumstances that week — the Louisville schools were out of session and canceled all athletic events, forcing schools that were playing Louisville teams to scramble for replacement games. Bullitt East, which was originally slated to face defending Class 3A state champion Louisville Central, set up a game at mid-week with Henderson, which had lost a game with Louisville Manual.
Part of the slow start may have resulted from a coaching change — Chris Settles left for Lincoln County and was replaced by Doug Preston, who had enjoyed some success at Louisville Western.
Bullitt East has won six of its last seven games, the only loss a 24-23 double-overtime decision against Manual, a consensus top-10 team in Class 6A. The Chargers have been impressive in the post-season, hammering district rivals Marion County and North Bullitt by a combined score of 61-14 after beating both teams by three points apiece during the regular season.
The Chargers are a run-oriented club that shows a lot of different looks offensively, everything from the wishbone to the spread.
• Both the Crittenden County-Beechwood games will be played in the Eastern Time Zone and will have a 7:30 p.m. local time start, 6:30 p.m. in western Kentucky.
Friday's jaunt to Beechwood in the Class A semifinals tops them all.
According to Mapquest, 311 miles of road separates Crittenden and Beechwood, which is located in Fort Mitchell in suburban Cincinnati. It represents the longest road trip in Crittenden's 50-plus years of football.
Part of the blame goes to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's new six-class system, which has diluted the field so much that Class A's District 1 is far western Kentucky and District 2 is in the Louisville area.
This isn't the longest road trip in state playoff history. It's doubtful there have never been two longer trips than ones that involved Mayfield and Heath in 1991, a season in which the KHSAA (in another example of its infinite wisdom) used a blind draw to determine the semifinal match ups.
Heath went to Beechwood, a 323-mile trek, that year, falling 32-6 to a program that was beginning its run of seven state titles in the 1990s. Mayfield hosted Lawrence County in a Class 2A semifinal, winning 21-18 over a team that had broken its 411-mile drive to Mayfield in half, staying in Elizabethtown the previous night.
Mercifully, the blind draw format was dropped during the subsequent off-season.
• What are the Rockets facing Friday night? The clear front runner for the Class A state title, for starters.
Beechwood was ranked first in the Associated Press poll until the end of the regular season, when the Tigers were beaten 31-20 by Newport Catholic, which moved into the top spot in Class 2A that week — then-No. 1 Fort Campbell had lost to Franklin-Simpson.
The voters (not this one) ended up putting unbeaten Raceland in the top spot, the same Raceland club that was beaten at home by Lexington Christian in the quarterfinals. Still, most objective observers consider Beechwood to be at least a touchdown or two better than any other team in Class A.
Beechwood showed an indication of that on Friday night, winning 42-14 at Frankfort and drubbing a team that had beaten Danville in the regular-season finale.
The Tigers have at least a couple of Division I prospects in lineman Dominic Mainello — a 6-foot-5, 265-pound offensive tackle and noseguard that has committed to Central Michigan — and running back Neico Teipel (6-2, 215), who has been battling a foot injury. Beechwood dominates Class A teams at the line of scrimmage, with several big and talented linemen.
Beechwood has won nine state titles since 1991, and at least one longtime observer of the program thinks this team isn't one of the best teams in that run, but falls right in the middle.
• Calloway County visits a Bullitt East club that has shown clear improvement from the start of the season until now. The Chargers (8-5) were slow starters and were sitting at 1-3 after a 50-14 blowout loss to Henderson County in mid-September.
There were some extenuating circumstances that week — the Louisville schools were out of session and canceled all athletic events, forcing schools that were playing Louisville teams to scramble for replacement games. Bullitt East, which was originally slated to face defending Class 3A state champion Louisville Central, set up a game at mid-week with Henderson, which had lost a game with Louisville Manual.
Part of the slow start may have resulted from a coaching change — Chris Settles left for Lincoln County and was replaced by Doug Preston, who had enjoyed some success at Louisville Western.
Bullitt East has won six of its last seven games, the only loss a 24-23 double-overtime decision against Manual, a consensus top-10 team in Class 6A. The Chargers have been impressive in the post-season, hammering district rivals Marion County and North Bullitt by a combined score of 61-14 after beating both teams by three points apiece during the regular season.
The Chargers are a run-oriented club that shows a lot of different looks offensively, everything from the wishbone to the spread.
• Both the Crittenden County-Beechwood games will be played in the Eastern Time Zone and will have a 7:30 p.m. local time start, 6:30 p.m. in western Kentucky.
OVC on the rise?
VMI ... the three letters that bring a groan from every Kentucky basketball fan. The Keydets went into Rupp Arena a little over two weeks ago and blistered the Wildcats from 3-point range in a 111-105 win that left the UK faithful stunned.
The Keydets crashed hard on Saturday, falling 95-67 at Jacksonville State, which has been the Ohio Valley Conference's surprise team this season.
Actually, the OVC — at least some parts of it — was a pleasant surprise in November. Murray State hammered Western Kentucky 89-61, only to watch the Hilltoppers respond with wins over Southern Illinois and Louisville, and beat Indiana State on the road.
Austin Peay has already won at Belmont (three straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a one-point loss to Duke last year) and Georgia Southern, which owns a road win over Houston. Eastern Kentucky, which hosts the Racers on Thursday night, won a tournament at Fairliegh Dickinson over the weekend, beating a decent Akron team by 12 in the final.
The Sagarin Ratings have the OVC currently ranked 20th among the 32 Division I leagues, the best it's been in a couple of years.
The Keydets crashed hard on Saturday, falling 95-67 at Jacksonville State, which has been the Ohio Valley Conference's surprise team this season.
Actually, the OVC — at least some parts of it — was a pleasant surprise in November. Murray State hammered Western Kentucky 89-61, only to watch the Hilltoppers respond with wins over Southern Illinois and Louisville, and beat Indiana State on the road.
Austin Peay has already won at Belmont (three straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a one-point loss to Duke last year) and Georgia Southern, which owns a road win over Houston. Eastern Kentucky, which hosts the Racers on Thursday night, won a tournament at Fairliegh Dickinson over the weekend, beating a decent Akron team by 12 in the final.
The Sagarin Ratings have the OVC currently ranked 20th among the 32 Division I leagues, the best it's been in a couple of years.
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