2011 bowl games open thread

[smokymountainrain]

I wish people would give it a rest about Bama not winning their division. Divisions are the biggest joke in college football. Which was the POS PAC team that won it's division? Was it UCLA who finished the season 6-7? or did they finish 6-8 with their bowl loss? It was clear this year that Alabama was the class of college football in 2011. They dominated LSU in the first meeting and only lost because the kicker was garbage. They had a defense for the ages and a pretty good offense (36 ppg) as well.

But you listen to all the "they didn't even win their own division" talk, you would think UCLA is better than them.

And I hate Alabama and Nick Saban.

[All-American]

I wish people would give it a rest about Bama not winning their division. Divisions are the biggest joke in college football. Which was the POS PAC team that won it's division? Was it UCLA who finished the season 6-7? or did they finish 6-8 with their bowl loss? It was clear this year that Alabama was the class of college football in 2011. They dominated LSU in the first meeting and only lost because the kicker was garbage. They had a defense for the ages and a pretty good offense (36 ppg) as well.

But you listen to all the "they didn't even win their own division" talk, you would think UCLA is better than them.

And I hate Alabama and Nick Saban.

UCLA didn't actually win their division.

[TripletDaddy]

I wish people would give it a rest about Bama not winning their division. Divisions are the biggest joke in college football. Which was the POS PAC team that won it's division? Was it UCLA who finished the season 6-7? or did they finish 6-8 with their bowl loss? It was clear this year that Alabama was the class of college football in 2011. They dominated LSU in the first meeting and only lost because the kicker was garbage. They had a defense for the ages and a pretty good offense (36 ppg) as well.

But you listen to all the "they didn't even win their own division" talk, you would think UCLA is better than them.

And I hate Alabama and Nick Saban.

No, one wouldn't think UCLA is better. Or maybe you are just saying that you would think that.

[Surfah]

I wish people would give it a rest about Bama not winning their division. Divisions are the biggest joke in college football. Which was the POS PAC team that won it's division? Was it UCLA who finished the season 6-7? or did they finish 6-8 with their bowl loss? It was clear this year that Alabama was the class of college football in 2011. They dominated LSU in the first meeting and only lost because the kicker was garbage. They had a defense for the ages and a pretty good offense (36 ppg) as well.

But you listen to all the "they didn't even win their own division" talk, you would think UCLA is better than them.

And I hate Alabama and Nick Saban.

Facts are facts. They finished third in their conference.

[il Padrino Ute]

I wish people would give it a rest about Bama not winning their division. Divisions are the biggest joke in college football. Which was the POS PAC team that won it's division? Was it UCLA who finished the season 6-7? or did they finish 6-8 with their bowl loss? It was clear this year that Alabama was the class of college football in 2011. They dominated LSU in the first meeting and only lost because the kicker was garbage. They had a defense for the ages and a pretty good offense (36 ppg) as well.

But you listen to all the "they didn't even win their own division" talk, you would think UCLA is better than them.

And I hate Alabama and Nick Saban.

The BCS is hell bent on claiming that the two best teams are selected to play for its title. How is it possible that a team that wasn't good enough to win its division - let alone its conference title - be good enough to play for the BCS championship?

I will give it a rest when the BCS admits that it has no interest in finding a champion, but is only about selecting the two teams that will generate the most money to play in its fake little title game.

[il Padrino Ute]

Facts are facts. They finished third in their conference.

Amen, brother! I'll give them credit for finishing 3rd, though finishing 4th really isn't out of the realm of possibility.

[BoylenOver]

The BCS is hell bent on claiming that the two best teams are selected to play for its title. How is it possible that a team that wasn't good enough to win its division - let alone its conference title - be good enough to play for the BCS championship?

I will give it a rest when the BCS admits that it has no interest in finding a champion, but is only about selecting the two teams that will generate the most money to play in its fake little title game.

So you're saying there's zero chance the two best teams in college football could come from the same conference? That Clemson is more deserving of a shot at the national title than Alabama (or Stanford, for that matter)?

[BoylenOver]

Looks like the AP Poll will finish Alabama-LSU-Okie St.

[fusnik]

What a shitty way to end a shitty season.

This might have been the worst CFB season I've experienced as an adult.

[il Padrino Ute]

So you're saying there's zero chance the two best teams in college football could come from the same conference? That Clemson is more deserving of a shot at the national title than Alabama (or Stanford, for that matter)?

No, I'm saying that the BCS is a bunch of horseshit and that a playoff is the way to determine who should play for a championship. As I stated earlier, I would have no problem with Bama being an at-large selection for a playoff.

Folks here love logic. Please explain the logic behind a team that wasn't good enough to win its division being good enough to play for a fake national title.

If the BCS ran the NFL, it would have decided that New England and Atlanta play in the Super Bowl after the last week of the season, considering they were ranked 1 and 2 respectively in the power rankings - which are pretty much similar to the BCS rankings, no? Had that been the case, would folks accept it as easily as the way college football does it?

[BoylenOver]

A plus-one model would've been perfect this year. LSU-Stanford (or Oregon, depending on your perspective) plays the winner of Bama-Okie St.

But comparing Okie St's resume with Alabama's is a much stronger argument than this hollow "they didn't even win their own division or conference" complaint.

[All-American]

Beat me to it.

You think he was on some kind of meds? I was embarrassed for him. Yeesh.

"he may even replace Bear Bryant! Oh, no, nobody could replace the bear. The good times we had with him! That deep, gravelly voice. The way he would hold me at night. . . . Oh, bear. Oh, oh, bear . . . mmm, yes . . . ."

[Indy Coug]

The BCS continues to put out a quality product. God Bless America.

[il Padrino Ute]

A plus-one model would've been perfect this year. LSU-Stanford (or Oregon, depending on your perspective) plays the winner of Bama-Okie St.

But comparing Okie St's resume with Alabama's is a much stronger argument than this hollow "they didn't even win their own division or conference" complaint.

I argued in this post that Oklahoma State was more deserving than Alabama.

And why is it a hollow argument pointing out the fact that Alabama wasn't good enough to win its division?

I don't like the idea of a +1, because it still doesn't solve the problem that the BCS model excludes far too many teams from getting a shot at winning a true championship. All conference champions + 5 at-large bids. Seed those teams based on a power ranking.

And for the argument about what to do with the bowl games, the teams that don't get into the playoffs can play in the bowl games. This makes more sense (to me) and gives us a true champion.

[Maximus]

I argued in this post that Oklahoma State was more deserving than Alabama.

And why is it a hollow argument pointing out the fact that Alabama wasn't good enough to win its division?

I don't like the idea of a +1, because it still doesn't solve the problem that the BCS model excludes far too many teams from getting a shot at winning a true championship. All conference champions + 5 at-large bids. Seed those teams based on a power ranking.

And for the argument about what to do with the bowl games, the teams that don't get into the playoffs can play in the bowl games. This makes more sense (to me) and gives us a true champion.

I agree I can't believe some people seem against an idea of playoff for college football when every other sport that matters has figured out it is the best way.