Bowl games don't matter?

[FootballFanatic 4]

http://blog.al.com/ray-melick/2009/01/rare...qual_stand.html

Rarely do teams of equal standing face off in bowl games

Posted by Ray Melick -- Birmingham News January 05, 2009 6:25 AM

Categories: Alabama Football, Auburn Football, bowl games

Mark Almond/Birmingham News

Utah beat a TCU team that was ranked No. 12 at the time; a No. 14-ranked BYU, Michigan, an Oregon State team that beat Southern Cal, and beat Alabama worse than BCS-finalist Florida beat Alabama.

The worst part of Utah totally dismantling and completely embarrassing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl?

Having to hear all the subsequent arguments about what the Utes' 31-17 victory supposedly "proves."

First, there is no getting around the fact that Utah clearly dominated Alabama, and there is no doubt that the Utes could compete in any conference in the country. The Mountain West made the Pac-10 its personal whipping boy this season, going 6-1 against a conference that went 5-0 in bowl games. And no matter what happens Thursday night in the BCS National Championship Game, Utah will remain the only undefeated team in Division I.

And as Tide coach Nick Saban is certainly aware by now, that includes both BCS and non-BCS conferences.

Utah beat a TCU team that was ranked No. 12 at the time; a No. 14-ranked BYU, Michigan, an Oregon State team that beat Southern Cal, and beat Alabama worse than BCS-finalist Florida beat Alabama.

Nobody can take anything away from Utah's very aggressive scheduling and the Mountain West Conference's determined push to be included as a BCS automatic qualifier.

But the Utah victory does not "prove" anything other than on this night, in this game, at this time, the Utes were better than an Alabama team whose heart clearly was trampled by Florida in that "BCS semi-final" game in Atlanta.

Any argument about Utah's win proving anything has to overcome the same huge problem that every postseason bowl game that is not the national championship game has: It was just an exhibition game.

And like all exhibition games, this one was designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to make money for the cities that host them, the teams that play in them, and the television networks that broadcast them.

This isn't meant to knock Utah or the Mountain West. This week, there will be a lot of chest-thumping by a lot of teams and conferences regarding bowl records. The Pac-10 will brag about being 5-0 in postseason play, just as the Big Ten won't want to talk about going 1-5. The Mid-America will simply be happy to have played in five bowl games (going winless thus far, with Ball State remaining in the GMAC), while the SEC sits at 5-2 with the biggest prize - the national championship game - still out there waiting to be claimed.

Those numbers are the only way we have to compare conferences, but they don't prove anything because of the way the teams are matched up.

The Pac-10 sends its No.2 team to the Holiday Bowl to play the third- or fourth-best team from the Big 12. The Cotton Bowl takes the second- or third-best team from the Big 12 to play a team from the SEC that is, at best, the SEC's third-best team and might be fourth or fifth.

The Chick-fil-A bowl is supposed to match up the Atlantic Coast Conference's No.2 team against the SEC, and usually draws the fourth- or fifth-best team from the SEC for that game.

Conference USA is 3-2 in bowl games, but beat three non-BCS conference teams while losing to two BCS conference teams, proving a conference's bowl record depends on who your teams play.

The point is, rarely do we get teams of equal standing playing each other in bowl games. It's not like we have definite SEC No.2 vs. Big Ten No.2, or ACC No.4 against Pac-10 No.4, which would provide a better measure of how conferences stack up against each other.

If you don't believe the BCS championship is legitimate because there is no real playoff, then you can't argue that bowl results between teams put together with even less thought than the BCS formula mean anything, either.

But then, matching teams based on rankings and records would be too close to an actual playoff. And heaven knows, we can't have that.

Wow, really? Wow.

The coping mechanisms at the Koolaid fountain are amazing.

[woody 11]

You mean they don't matter now! after a bama loss . But if Alabama would have won !

That would have been a springboard into next year and a preseason top ten,

Not so much now .(TRANSLATION) So now it doesn't matter, if it doesn't help us! It does not matter!

[CircleDrill 179]

You mean they don't matter now! after a bama loss . But if Alabama would have won !

That would have been a springboard into next year and a preseason top ten,

Not so much now .(TRANSLATION) So now it doesn't matter, if it doesn't help us! It does not matter!

Correct. If bammer would have won, there would have been widespread wailing and gnashing of teeth about why they deserve to be National Champions. But since they lost, bowl games don't matter.

There should have never been any doubt about Ray Melick's bammer allegiance, but if there was, this article undeniably proves it.

[WarTiger 4,018]

Of course the bowl games don't matter. It's a year that uat finally made a bcs bowl again, and got hammered. Naturally, any journalist from the state of alabama is going to say the bowls don't matter after that debacle.

Interesting he failed to mention the music city bowl where the SEC # 7/8 school in Vanderbilt matched up with the ACC #2 that lost their conference championship game, in Boston College, where the SEC won.

One thing is very interesting when you start to look at all this, is how little regard the bowl committees see for the ACC and the PAC 10. I mean, Our conference runner up went to the sugar bowl (another bcs game), while the PAC 10 runner up went to the holiday bowl, and the ACC runner up went to the Music City bowl. This alone should open the eyes of college football fans everywhere, that when its time to pick the major players in the top bowls in the country, that the ACC and the PAC 10 simply don't matter. The PAC 10 would have never gone undefeated in the bowls had they played in a higher level bowl. Hell, even the ACC runner up lost to a #7 or #8 SEC team. WOW....

[AUBoggs 0]

Bowl games? We don't need no stinking bowl games!

Besides, we're a year or 2 ahead of schedule

[TidePride50 3]

Correct. If bammer would have won, there would have been widespread wailing and gnashing of teeth about why they deserve to be National Champions. But since they lost, bowl games don't matter.

I seriously doubt that, not from me anyway.

[Ashandarei 0]

Correct. If bammer would have won, there would have been widespread wailing and gnashing of teeth about why they deserve to be National Champions. But since they lost, bowl games don't matter.

I seriously doubt that, not from me anyway.

I agree. Why would we have a claim to a title that is going to be won tonight by a team that beat us in the SEC title game.

And since when is Ray Melick a 'Bama fan?

[FootballFanatic 4]

The day he got hired to write for The Birmingham News?

[Ashandarei 0]

The day he got hired to write for The Birmingham News?

Please forgive my skepticism... Can you prove this?

[Roll Tide Rev 63]

Who needs a bowl when you hammer your arch rival 36-0!

What Bama accomplished this year cannot be tainted by the loss to the National Champ Gators and the Undefeated Utes. Yea it stunk for us as Bama fans and made you happy as AU fans, it's hard not to still be proud of what was accomplished, plus did I mention we thrashed you guys 36-0?

[Tigermike 3,744]

Who needs a bowl when you hammer your arch rival 36-0!

What Bama accomplished this year cannot be tainted by the loss to the National Champ Gators and the Undefeated Utes. Yea it stunk for us as Bama fans and made you happy as AU fans, it's hard not to still be proud of what was accomplished, plus did I mention we thrashed you guys 36-0?

Yeah you did mention it but you forgot to mention when Jimmy Johns was scheduled for trial.

[Legionfield 0]

Who needs a bowl when you hammer your arch rival 36-0!

What Bama accomplished this year cannot be tainted by the loss to the National Champ Gators and the Undefeated Utes. Yea it stunk for us as Bama fans and made you happy as AU fans, it's hard not to still be proud of what was accomplished, plus did I mention we thrashed you guys 36-0?

Yeah you did mention it but you forgot to mention when Jimmy Johns was scheduled for trial.

Around the same time Charles Barkley is.......

[Legionfield 0]

http://blog.al.com/ray-melick/2009/01/rare...qual_stand.html

Rarely do teams of equal standing face off in bowl games

Posted by Ray Melick -- Birmingham News January 05, 2009 6:25 AM

Categories: Alabama Football, Auburn Football, bowl games

Mark Almond/Birmingham News

Utah beat a TCU team that was ranked No. 12 at the time; a No. 14-ranked BYU, Michigan, an Oregon State team that beat Southern Cal, and beat Alabama worse than BCS-finalist Florida beat Alabama.

The worst part of Utah totally dismantling and completely embarrassing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl?

Having to hear all the subsequent arguments about what the Utes' 31-17 victory supposedly "proves."

First, there is no getting around the fact that Utah clearly dominated Alabama, and there is no doubt that the Utes could compete in any conference in the country. The Mountain West made the Pac-10 its personal whipping boy this season, going 6-1 against a conference that went 5-0 in bowl games. And no matter what happens Thursday night in the BCS National Championship Game, Utah will remain the only undefeated team in Division I.

And as Tide coach Nick Saban is certainly aware by now, that includes both BCS and non-BCS conferences.

Utah beat a TCU team that was ranked No. 12 at the time; a No. 14-ranked BYU, Michigan, an Oregon State team that beat Southern Cal, and beat Alabama worse than BCS-finalist Florida beat Alabama.

Nobody can take anything away from Utah's very aggressive scheduling and the Mountain West Conference's determined push to be included as a BCS automatic qualifier.

But the Utah victory does not "prove" anything other than on this night, in this game, at this time, the Utes were better than an Alabama team whose heart clearly was trampled by Florida in that "BCS semi-final" game in Atlanta.

Any argument about Utah's win proving anything has to overcome the same huge problem that every postseason bowl game that is not the national championship game has: It was just an exhibition game.

And like all exhibition games, this one was designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to make money for the cities that host them, the teams that play in them, and the television networks that broadcast them.

This isn't meant to knock Utah or the Mountain West. This week, there will be a lot of chest-thumping by a lot of teams and conferences regarding bowl records. The Pac-10 will brag about being 5-0 in postseason play, just as the Big Ten won't want to talk about going 1-5. The Mid-America will simply be happy to have played in five bowl games (going winless thus far, with Ball State remaining in the GMAC), while the SEC sits at 5-2 with the biggest prize - the national championship game - still out there waiting to be claimed.

Those numbers are the only way we have to compare conferences, but they don't prove anything because of the way the teams are matched up.

The Pac-10 sends its No.2 team to the Holiday Bowl to play the third- or fourth-best team from the Big 12. The Cotton Bowl takes the second- or third-best team from the Big 12 to play a team from the SEC that is, at best, the SEC's third-best team and might be fourth or fifth.

The Chick-fil-A bowl is supposed to match up the Atlantic Coast Conference's No.2 team against the SEC, and usually draws the fourth- or fifth-best team from the SEC for that game.

Conference USA is 3-2 in bowl games, but beat three non-BCS conference teams while losing to two BCS conference teams, proving a conference's bowl record depends on who your teams play.

The point is, rarely do we get teams of equal standing playing each other in bowl games. It's not like we have definite SEC No.2 vs. Big Ten No.2, or ACC No.4 against Pac-10 No.4, which would provide a better measure of how conferences stack up against each other.

If you don't believe the BCS championship is legitimate because there is no real playoff, then you can't argue that bowl results between teams put together with even less thought than the BCS formula mean anything, either.

But then, matching teams based on rankings and records would be too close to an actual playoff. And heaven knows, we can't have that.

Wow, really? Wow.

The coping mechanisms at the Koolaid fountain are amazing.

Actually, after going 12-0 in the regular season and having a chance to play for the MNC if we beat UF, playing Utah in the Sugar Bowl was a yawner....... I said that when the matchups were announced and I say it today. Had we played Texas or Ohio State, I would have been excited. The BCS sucks. They messed up when they let the non-BCS schools in the BCS. These bowl matchups lend themselves to this happening. Alabama, hungover from losing to UF, vs. Utah, who thinks they are playing in the NC game. It is obvious which team was more motivated. If you look at the bowl games, usually if the better team is motivated, they win. See the Rose and Fiesta Bowl. Just like Boise St. beating Oklahoma a couple of years ago didn't mean anything, this doesn't either. Congrats to Utah, the People's National Champion....

[Tigermike 3,744]

Who needs a bowl when you hammer your arch rival 36-0!

What Bama accomplished this year cannot be tainted by the loss to the National Champ Gators and the Undefeated Utes. Yea it stunk for us as Bama fans and made you happy as AU fans, it's hard not to still be proud of what was accomplished, plus did I mention we thrashed you guys 36-0?

Yeah you did mention it but you forgot to mention when Jimmy Johns was scheduled for trial.

Around the same time Charles Barkley is.......

Charles Barkley has been out of school for 20 years. And if you are trying to compare his DUI with selling drugs in the parking lot of the athletic complex in Tuscaloosa, it doesn't compare. So I can't say nice try. It was a lame attempt.

[Legionfield 0]

Who needs a bowl when you hammer your arch rival 36-0!

What Bama accomplished this year cannot be tainted by the loss to the National Champ Gators and the Undefeated Utes. Yea it stunk for us as Bama fans and made you happy as AU fans, it's hard not to still be proud of what was accomplished, plus did I mention we thrashed you guys 36-0?

Yeah you did mention it but you forgot to mention when Jimmy Johns was scheduled for trial.

Around the same time Charles Barkley is.......

Charles Barkley has been out of school for 20 years. And if you are trying to compare his DUI with selling drugs in the parking lot of the athletic complex in Tuscaloosa, it doesn't compare. So I can't say nice try. It was a lame attempt.

As was yours.........

[Tigermike 3,744]

Actually, after going 12-0 in the regular season and having a chance to play for the MNC if we beat UF, playing Utah in the Sugar Bowl was a yawner....... I said that when the matchups were announced and I say it today. Had we played Texas or Ohio State, I would have been excited. The BCS sucks. They messed up when they let the non-BCS schools in the BCS. These bowl matchups lend themselves to this happening. Alabama, hungover from losing to UF, vs. Utah, who thinks they are playing in the NC game. It is obvious which team was more motivated. If you look at the bowl games, usually if the better team is motivated, they win. (Thanks, that was proven in the Sugar Bowl. The best team was motivated and did win!) See the Rose and Fiesta Bowl. Just like Boise St. beating Oklahoma a couple of years ago didn't mean anything, this doesn't either. Congrats to Utah, the People's National Champion....

[AU Cav 0]

See what I mean? It's cold enough for the fireplace, and more roaches have come inside.

[AUloggerhead 2,529]

Actually, after going 12-0 in the regular season and having a chance to play for the MNC if we beat UF, playing Utah in the Sugar Bowl was a yawner....... I said that when the matchups were announced and I say it today. Had we played Texas or Ohio State, I would have been excited. The BCS sucks. They messed up when they let the non-BCS schools in the BCS. These bowl matchups lend themselves to this happening. Alabama, hungover from losing to UF, vs. Utah, who thinks they are playing in the NC game. It is obvious which team was more motivated. If you look at the bowl games, usually if the better team is motivated, they win. See the Rose and Fiesta Bowl. Just like Boise St. beating Oklahoma a couple of years ago didn't mean anything, this doesn't either. Congrats to Utah, the People's National Champion....

Why is it so hard for you bammies to admit the simple fact that Utah was the better team? Do you really think making ridicuous excuses (e.g. "It's the BCS's fault -- they let in the non-BCS schools" "The matchup with Utah was a yawner" "uat was hungover from losing to UF" "This doesn't mean anything") for the Mt Cody-esque belly flop uat made on national TV makes you feel better? Really? I mean ... I already knew your fan base was delusional but DAYYUM! You realize, of course, that this is a new delusional standard you're setting. Right?

This uat season reminds me of when my niece was in high school and was she telling me about her school's successful football season. She made a comment that I thought was hilarious: "We went undefeated -- except for one game!" So, to all the bammies out there I want to congratulate you guys on your "undefeated season." Just keep ignoring those pesky losses to UF & Utah. Nobody will mind you.

[Legionfield 0]

Actually, after going 12-0 in the regular season and having a chance to play for the MNC if we beat UF, playing Utah in the Sugar Bowl was a yawner....... I said that when the matchups were announced and I say it today. Had we played Texas or Ohio State, I would have been excited. The BCS sucks. They messed up when they let the non-BCS schools in the BCS. These bowl matchups lend themselves to this happening. Alabama, hungover from losing to UF, vs. Utah, who thinks they are playing in the NC game. It is obvious which team was more motivated. If you look at the bowl games, usually if the better team is motivated, they win. See the Rose and Fiesta Bowl. Just like Boise St. beating Oklahoma a couple of years ago didn't mean anything, this doesn't either. Congrats to Utah, the People's National Champion....

Why is it so hard for you bammies to admit the simple fact that Utah was the better team? Do you really think making ridicuous excuses (e.g. "It's the BCS's fault -- they let in the non-BCS schools" "The matchup with Utah was a yawner" "uat was hungover from losing to UF" "This doesn't mean anything") for the Mt Cody-esque belly flop uat made on national TV makes you feel better? Really? I mean ... I already knew your fan base was delusional but DAYYUM! You realize, of course, that this is a new delusional standard you're setting. Right?

This uat season reminds me of when my niece was in high school and was she telling me about her school's successful football season. She made a comment that I thought was hilarious: "We went undefeated -- except for one game!" So, to all the bammies out there I want to congratulate you guys on your "undefeated season." Just keep ignoring those pesky losses to UF & Utah. Nobody will mind you.

We play Utah 10 times, we win 7 or 8 of them. That is my point............take it any way you choose. Oh, and by the way, Michigan beat UF last year in the Bowl game. Does that mean that Michigan was the better team???? I think not............

[TigerHeat 9]

Actually, after going 12-0 in the regular season and having a chance to play for the MNC if we beat UF, playing Utah in the Sugar Bowl was a yawner....... I said that when the matchups were announced and I say it today. Had we played Texas or Ohio State, I would have been excited. The BCS sucks. They messed up when they let the non-BCS schools in the BCS. These bowl matchups lend themselves to this happening. Alabama, hungover from losing to UF, vs. Utah, who thinks they are playing in the NC game. It is obvious which team was more motivated. If you look at the bowl games, usually if the better team is motivated, they win. See the Rose and Fiesta Bowl. Just like Boise St. beating Oklahoma a couple of years ago didn't mean anything, this doesn't either. Congrats to Utah, the People's National Champion....

Why is it so hard for you bammies to admit the simple fact that Utah was the better team? Do you really think making ridicuous excuses (e.g. "It's the BCS's fault -- they let in the non-BCS schools" "The matchup with Utah was a yawner" "uat was hungover from losing to UF" "This doesn't mean anything") for the Mt Cody-esque belly flop uat made on national TV makes you feel better? Really? I mean ... I already knew your fan base was delusional but DAYYUM! You realize, of course, that this is a new delusional standard you're setting. Right?

This uat season reminds me of when my niece was in high school and was she telling me about her school's successful football season. She made a comment that I thought was hilarious: "We went undefeated -- except for one game!" So, to all the bammies out there I want to congratulate you guys on your "undefeated season." Just keep ignoring those pesky losses to UF & Utah. Nobody will mind you.

We play Utah 10 times, we win 7 or 8 of them. That is my point............take it any way you choose. Oh, and by the way, Michigan beat UF last year in the Bowl game. Does that mean that Michigan was the better team???? I think not............

Yeah, but if you play them only once they beat the dogcrap out of you on national TV in your own backyard.

[OldNewby 27]

Bowl season confirms that SEC still has 'it'

January 13, 2009 10:28 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Results speak volumes. And when you've got it, you've got it.

For the third consecutive year, and the fourth time in the last six years, the SEC has it.

The "it" would be the BCS national championship trophy.

Above everything else that happened during the 2008 bowl season, it was confirmed once again that when it comes to playing for and winning college football's top prize, nobody is better than the SEC.

Florida's 24-14 victory over Oklahoma on Jan. 8 in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game was historic on a couple of different fronts. Most notably, it marked the first time a conference had produced three straight consensus national champions since 1940-'42. Minnesota won in 1940 and 1941, while Ohio State won in 1942 -- giving the Big Ten three straight.

The Gators will be favored to repeat next season, so there's a chance it could be four in a row for the SEC.

While the SEC proved to be extremely strong at the top this season, Alabama's weak showing in a 31-17 Allstate Sugar Bowl loss to Utah was undoubtedly a body blow to the conference's pride. After all, the Crimson Tide spent all of November as the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

Making up for that loss, though, was Ole Miss' 47-34 blistering of No. 7-ranked Texas Tech in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. The Rebels ended the season on a six-game winning streak and also hold the distinction of being the only team to beat Florida.

South Carolina's halfhearted effort against Iowa in the Outback Bowl was embarrassing, but the SEC still finished 6-2 in bowl games.

Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt all won their games as underdogs, and the Wildcats and Commodores each rallied in the fourth quarter to do so. Georgia's defense had an awakening of sorts in the Capital One Bowl and held Michigan State's Javon Ringer to 47 yards on 20 carries in a 24-12 win.

There's no getting around the fact that brutal seasons by Auburn and Tennessee dragged the league down some in 2008. But when it counted, in the postseason, the SEC flexed its collective muscle in vintage fashion.

link: http://myespn.go.com/blogs/sec/0-4-83/Bowl...l-has--it-.html

[AUloggerhead 2,529]

We play Utah 10 times, we win 7 or 8 of them. That is my point............take it any way you choose.

I take that as further proof of your ridiculous delusion: the only proven thing right now is that the record stands at 1-0, Utah.

Oh, and by the way, Michigan beat UF last year in the Bowl game. Does that mean that Michigan was the better team???? I think not............

Well, yeah. My standard for "the better team" is shown on the scoreboard: the team with the most points when the game clock shows 0:00. You know, cfb ain't like figure skating where style points matter. Geez ... the things I have to explain to the bammies ...

[Roll Tide Rev 63]

Utah had the better team on the field. Period.

That still doesn't change the fact that we beat the crap of you guys 36-NADA!

[Tigermike 3,744]

Utah had the better team on the field. Period.

That still doesn't change the fact that we beat the crap of you guys 36-NADA!

You should be happy that Bama finally beat the worse AU team of the last 20 years. Does it help with the reality of having your ass's handed to you on national TV by Utah?

[Roll Tide Rev 63]

Utah had the better team on the field. Period.

That still doesn't change the fact that we beat the crap of you guys 36-NADA!

You should be happy that Bama finally beat the worse AU team of the last 20 years. Does it help with the reality of having your ass's handed to you on national TV by Utah?

Actually it does...Thanks.

Now let me ask you one.

Does it help you knowing that we got beat down in the Sugar Bowl after having the season AU had without a bowl and having your butt handed to you by us....on National TV?