Bowl Week Part Deux

We soldier on through the next 16 bowls on the calendar, all of these happening December 31 and thereafter. The big boys and some guppies mixed in for good measure. Since only 5 games have happened since I last posted, I have nothing witty or profound or insightful to say here, so onward we go to the picks:

1. Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force

I commented on the title of this bowl last week, but I was thinking a bit more about the fact that a helicopter manufacturer is sponsoring a bowl game. Aren't sponsorships meant for advertising, and advertising to induce more consumers to purchase your product? Capitalism 101, right? Then why did the good people of Bell Helicopter decide that a bowl sponsorship would be a good way to spend their advertising budget? Are there that many richy rich people looking for a good deal on a helicopter watching a lower-tier C-USA vs. Mtn. West bowl game? It makes no sense. If I were in their shoes, I'd go for Money or Forbes magazine spreads, or a well-placed billboard somewhere in Bel Air. Or at least an ad in the SkyMall. And this little rant has saved me from saying anything knowledgeable about a game that pits 2 teams of which I know little to nothing about. I'm going with Air Force on the strength of their conference and the fact that they run an offense that almost no one else does. Tough to defend things you're not used to seeing!

Air Force 33, Houston 31

2. Brut Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh

This is one of the more interesting mid-level bowl games. Pitt has had itself a pretty good season behind one of the best backs in the country - Shady McCoy. And Oregon State has a nifty little back itself - the delightfully-named Jaquizz Rodgers. The Beavers fell hard from their post atop the Pac Ten by getting steamrolled by their archrival in the Civil War, and while some may espouse that McCoy and the Pitt offense will pick up where the Ducks left off, I contend that won't be the case. The Beavers will be out to show that their performance against Oregon was an aberration - their run defense, and overall defense for that matter, isn't nearly that bad. This is a team that won 6 straight before that loss to Oregon, beating some quality opponents (including USC) in that stretch. Their highest points allowed in those wins? Twenty-five to Arizona State. Not bad. For Pitt, despite having an elite RB, their offense has sputtered at times. They don't seem to me to be a team that's going to run all over someone for 4 quarters. In a good game, the Beavers close out a very good season with a W.

Oregon State 28, Pittsburgh 24

3. Gaylord Hotes Music City Bowl: Boston College vs. Vanderbilt

Congrats to Vandy for making their first bowl in a quarter century. Quite an accomplishment for a nerd school in a league full of jock outposts. Their reward is staying at home to play a team who lost their conference's championship game. Tough reward. Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski has become one of the nations most underrated coaches with his performance this season, taking the Eagles to another ACC title game in what was reported to be a rebuilding year. Last year wasn't all Matt Ryan after all - this man can coach. And he'll coach the Eagles right past Vanderbilt, who looked pretty good early in the season but fell back down to earth when the cold reality of SEC play hit.

Boston College 30, Vanderbilt 10

4. Insight Bowl: Kansas vs. Minnesota

I considered making this my "most confident" pick in ESPN's College Bowl Mania game - Minnesota stopped playing competitive football about 2 months ago.

Kansas 31, Minnesota 14

5. Chick-fil-A Bowl: LSU vs. Georgia Tech

My my, how the mighty have fallen. LSU took several steps back after last year's national title, and while some will place the blame on the lack of consistency and talent at the QB position, more of it ought to fall on the once intimidating LSU defense. SEC offenses ran roughshod over them this year, especially during the latter half of the season, and even lowly Troy of the vastly inferior Sun Belt gashed the Tigers to the tune of 380 yards and 31 points. But the most telling stat of all is this: 10/18. The last time LSU beat anyone of note was October 18, when they beat South Carolina 24-17. That was their sixth game of the season. Their remaining 2 wins, mixed in amidst 4 conference defeats, were against Troy and Tulane. I expect Georgia Tech to continue the downward spiral as Paul Johnson brings his unorthodox, old-school offense across town to the Georgia Dome (GT's campus is about 4 miles away). The Yellow Jackets might have been the surprise of a surprising and unpredictable ACC, and they should get a bowl win to cap off a great first year of the Johnson administration.

Georgia Tech 42, LSU 24

6. Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. South Carolina

Iowa remains an under-the-radar team despite their solid play throughout the season. Their win against Penn State isn't as big an upset as it's been made out to be. The Hawkeyes were just a few points away from a really good season - their 4 losses came at a total of 12 points. Shonn Greene is the real deal, and Kirk Ferentz seems to have returned to form as a classic Big Ten coach - emphasize intangibles, run the ball well and stop the run, play hard and minimize mistakes. That's what the Hawkeyes do. They meet a Gamecock squad who still doesn't have a QB that's stepped up and owned the position, but they play good defense and get wins in spite of a lack of glitz and firepower on offense. Expect a hard-fought battle with the edge going to Iowa - their a much better team than their 8-4 record shows.

Iowa 20, South Carolina 13

7. Capital One Bowl: Georgia vs. Michigan State

This was the hardest game for me to pick. Which Georgia team will show up? The one who garnered a preseason #1 ranking behind one of the best QB and RB tandems in the country, or the one who all but gave up on their season after getting demolished by Florida? They'd better be ready for an overachieving Michigan State team with a stud running back in their stable as well. The thing that scares me about taking Michigan State is that both of their run-ins with top shelf competition (Ohio State and Penn State) ended very badly, losing by a combined total of 69 points. Georgia has the talent level of both those teams, at least on offense, and I think they'll show that Michigan State is a good team that doesn't have the horses to stay with the really good teams. That is, if Georgia decides to show up.

Georgia 35, Michigan State 28

8. Konica Minolta Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Nebraska

If Nebraska can muster up some good defense, I think they win fairly easily. Clemson's righted the ship a bit since the Tommy Bowden firing, but I think they're still a team that's been bitterly disappointed after atmospheric expectations and is looking to next year already.

Nebraska 34, Clemson 31

9. Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC

In case you were wondering and have somehow yet to figure it out - yes, I've been going in chronological order with these things, and that's why my beloved Nittany Lions don't christen the #1 spot in the rundown. As a Penn State fan, I like the fact that USC has become an overwhelming favorite. The Nittany Lions really have nothing to lose and can come out of the tunnel as the looser team. Everyone expects another Big Ten team to fall flat in a BCS game. But history has proven that you don't bet against Joe Paterno in bowl games. His career bowl record is 23-10-1. When he and his veteran coaching staff have weeks to prepare, they usually find some things to exploit and their players are usually very ready to play. The question is - are there places to exploit against the USC defense? Not by the looks of things, but no defense is impenetrable. Penn State won't score in bunches, but I think they'll find some holes. The matchup of USC's offense against Penn State's defense may actually be more intriguing, and where the game will ultimately be won and lost. The Nittany Lions have a good defense too, and they'll be motivated to show that they indeed do belong on the same field as the vaunted Trojans. USC's offense doesn't impress me - Mark Sanchez has been inconsistent, and their receivers, while talented, are still very green. Don't be surprised if Sanchez gets a bit rattled by the pressure Penn State will present him with. Penn State's weak spot on defense is their secondary and they'll try to get to Sanchez quickly and often to keep the pressure off the secondary. If USC can block the front four and blitzing linebackers, they'll likely win. If not, expect a few turnovers and a long afternoon for Mark Sanchez. Don't forget that this is the best defense he's faced all year too. The pick is, of course, a homer one, but it's not a pipe dream - there are plenty of reasons why the Nittany Lions can win.

Penn State 17, USC 14

10. FedEx Orange Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech

The Orange Bowl must be kicking themselves for guaranteeing the ACC champion a spot in their game. It routinely is the runt of the litter of BCS bowls, and this year is no exception. That's not a knock on Cincy or Virginia Tech, who are both deserving and good football teams, but no one's salivating over this one. This game is the best hope in awhile for an ACC BCS victory, but I'm guessing it won't happen. The history of ACC losses in the BCS is long and rich, and there aren't enough reasons to think it won't continue. Cincinnati can play some good defense, and Virginia Tech's offense isn't going to set the world on fire. Same goes for the other side of the ball - Virginia Tech isn't bad, but they're not your typical Beamerball unit. In a close game, Cincinnati completes the best season in their football history.

Cincinnati 23, Virginia Tech 20

11. AT&T Cotton Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi

This is quickly becoming the in vogue upset pick, which usually means it won't happen. Texas Tech is still smarting from the Oklahoma loss and their subsequent plummet down the BCS standings. They deservedly fell far and hard after that loss, but not to the point where nobody mentioned them on the national scene anymore. The Red Raiders are still a one loss Big 12 South team, quite an accomplishment in the greatest division in college football history. Mississippi has had a nice season, but they can't keep up with the Red Raiders.

Texas Tech 41, Mississippi 27

12. Autozone Liberty Bowl: Kentucky vs. East Carolina

The Liberty Bowl is like the little engine that could, chugging along as one of the oldest bowls in existence while residing in a relatively obscure Southern city, gobbling up a mediocre SEC team each year to pair with the best of Conference-USA. Other, younger bowls have passed it by, but still it persists. How fitting that it's sponsored by Autozone, a store that sells parts for an aging and broken industry that soldiers on in a dim economy. Oh, and I pick East Carolina.

East Carolina 21, Kentucky 13

13. Allstate Sugar Bowl: Utah vs. Alabama

Alabama will win, but this game will be closer than many think. Utah isn't a glamorous or flashy team, but they didn't get to 12-0 on smoke and mirrors. They won every game they played in a difficult and underrated conference, and they'll come to play against the Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide are actually a very similar team to the Utes, only they're just a bit better in every facet.

Alabama 28, Utah 19

14. International Bowl: Buffalo vs. Connecticut

How fitting that the two teams selected to play in a bowl game in Canada are from two snow belt universities. I suppose they're the only teams who'd possibly want to go to Toronto in the dead of winter to play football. Connecticut gets the pick because they'll have the best player on the field in Donald Brown, although sentiment goes with Buffalo and Turner Gill - it would be deserving for him to get a bowl win after his work at building that program. He'll eventually get the Bulls that bowl win, just not yet.

Connecticut 38, Buffalo 27

15. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Texas

All signs point to a Longhorn romp: they're steaming mad at being left out of the title game, they're simply a better team than Ohio State, and they have a vastly more experienced QB. But don't write off the Buckeyes because of what's happened the last 2 years. I think Texas will get the win, but Ohio State will be hungry to avenge the big stage blowouts of the past 2 years with a good showing here. They'll keep it close with some new wrinkles and gadget plays for Terrelle Pryor, and their defense is good enough to slow down Texas just a bit.

Texas 34, Ohio State 24

16. GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs. Ball State

This should be a fun matchup of explosive offenses in what is annually one of the more exciting bowl games. Tulsa has been too inconsistent and porous on defense for me to take them here. Ball State's loss to Buffalo was disheartening for a team dreaming of an undefeated season, but I think they'll bounce back. Nate Davis has a showcase night and torches the Tulsa defense.

Ball State 51, Tulsa 35

Up next: a week off! I'll not be posting next week, but I'll be fresh off the bye week for a healthy BCS Championship Game analysis and selection on January 5!

Bowl Week #1: Bowl Trends

The corporate marketing blitz called Bowl Week arrives Saturday, this year extended into a tidy 20 days in length. I love the crazy names that emerge when corporate sponsors attach their name to an already existing traditional bowl name, or a contrived new bowl. The all-time classic is the Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl, which sadly died several years ago. This year we have quite a few quirky ones, but 3 in particular that would make the cut in an "all-time greatest bowl names" show, soon to be a special on VH-1. We have the San Diego County Credit Union Pointsettia Bowl, which proves that the good people who belong to the San Diego County Credit Union have plenty of extra cash on hand to sponsor bowl games and buy truckloads of pointsettias. There is also the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. First, I thought Bell made bike helmets (with one of the best slogans of all time: "Courage for your Head"), and second, it's good to know that defense contractors are compensated well enough by the government that they can toss wads of cash at mediocre college football programs. I nit-pick, Bell Helicopter also makes corporate and personal choppers - lets hope the extra revenue comes from that side of the company. And third is the magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl. I'm a sucker for random capitalized letters in the middle of a word.

At first glance, I notice 2 trends in this bowl season: dud matchups and virtual home games. With 68 teams playing postseason football, some of the matchups come out somewhat less than glitzy. Contests between Northern Illinois and Louisiana Tech, or Southern Miss and Troy, certainly aren't going to make anyone skip the ol' office Christmas party. In fact, there are really only a few games worth tuning into even if your team isn't playing: Florida-Oklahoma in the national championship game, Penn State-USC in the granddaddy, and TCU-Boise State in the previously discussed SDCCU Pointsettia Bowl. A few others hold enough interest to flip over from "Miracle on 34th Street" every now and then, but a majority are just plain duds. That's what you get when bowls are left taking 6-6 Sun Belt and MAC teams to fill their spot. There are also about a dozen teams traveling by bus rather than by air to their postseason destination. Georgia Tech stays in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Lousiana Tech gets to drive on down to Shreveport. Vanderbilt goes crosstown for the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, which just missed the cut of awesome bowl names. And so on. This is probably a sign of the current state of the economy - bowl execs wisely know that fans of 4 or 5 loss teams aren't going to travel cross-country for these games, but they might drive 100 miles. We'll see if that actually fills the stadiums. This trend is also an important consideration in making predictions on the games.

Before I get to the picks, let me invite you to compete against me in ESPN's "College Bowl Mania" game - go to espn.com, search "College Bowl Mania", create an entry, make sure it's in the "confidence" category, then search for the group "The Freshman Fifteen", password "fifteen". It may take 57 steps, but it'll be worth it. And it might show just how paltry my readership is!

On to the lesser bowls - I'll pick the first 17 of the bowl season, then prognosticate on the rest next Monday.

1. Eaglebank Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Navy

Navy is one of the teams staying close to home, taking just a short voyage up the Potomac to Washington, and they play a team they've already beaten this season. So the smart pick is the Middies, right? Wrong - Wake will be seeking to avenge their early season loss, and they've got extra time to prepare for Navy's unconventional option offense.

Wake Forest 27, Navy 21

2. New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State vs. Fresno State

Two western schools in a game no one will watch. Colorado State's deserving of some credit for picking themselves off the mat of a few lean years to qualify for a bowl, but Fresno's the better team.

Fresno State 31, Colorado State 17

3. magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl: Memphis vs. South Florida

Or as I like to call it, "The Jack". I love that capital J. This one should probably read "Memphis at South Florida", and it should play out that way. Lots of Bull fans will show up, and Matt Groethe will ride the home crowd to lead his team to an easy win.

South Florida 37, Memphis 16

4. Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Arizona

Our first bowl game with a top 25 team. BYU beat 2 Pac-Ten teams this year, but neither were of the caliber of Arizona. Arizona's defense will pressure Max Hall and the BYU passing attack, who have been susceptible to blitzing, pressure defenses. But I think BYU gets the job done, as Arizona is a team that hasn't played well away from home, winning only 2 away games this season and losing to New Mexico, a Mountain West also-ran. The MWC dominance over the Pac-Ten continues.

BYU 30, Arizona 23

5. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Troy

Troy's a better team than people realize, sticking with Ohio State and almost taking down LSU, and they've played their best games at the end of the season. They meet a Southern Miss team that's way off their usual standard.

Troy 38, Southern Miss 21

6. San Diego County Credit Union Pointsettia Bowl: Boise State vs. TCU

This game should be fun. TCU's 2 losses this year came to Oklahoma and Utah, two BCS bowl teams, and they'd like to prove they're worth mentioning in the argument of which teams got snubbed by the BCS. Boise State is foremost on that list. Kellen Moore is a fantastic QB, and should pilot Boise State to several more storybook seasons, but he's not faced a defense like the one the Horned Frogs will bring him next Tuesday. The WAC was way down this year and Boise State hasn't really been challenged since their early season win at Oregon. They will be against TCU. The Horned Frogs pull away on the strength of turnovers and short fields in the second half.

TCU 34, Boise State 20

7. Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Hawaii vs. Notre Dame

Another bowl game that acts as a home game for one of its entrants. Notre Dame hasn't beaten a team with an above .500 record in quite some time, so there's no sense thinking they will here. Hawaii, while not nearly as talented as the Fighting Irish, will be pumped to have such a storied program come to them, distracted by the whole Hawaii experience. They'll be ready to play. The "Fire Charlie Weis" era of Notre Dame football enters its next chapter.

Hawaii 27, Notre Dame 23

8. Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan

The trend of glorified home games continue, as the Chippewas make the short trek to Detroit to face a sorely disappointing Florida Atlantic squad. The Owls finished 6-6 after murmurs of an undefeated season and "best Sun Belt team ever".

Central Michigan 45, Florida Atlantic 31

9. Meinike Car Care Bowl: West Virginia vs. North Carolina

Saturday, December 27 brings 3 of the subtly interesting bowl games, all including ACC teams! You know how I feel about ACC teams. But unpredictability breeds interest, and this trio of games are worth keeping an eye on. The first is West Virginia vs. North Carolina in Charlotte. Charlotte is in North Carolina. Meaning it's almost a home game for the Tar Heels. That's enough criteria for me make the selection. (Remember, don't overthink games involving the ACC!)

North Carolina 21, West Virginia 16

10. Champs Sports Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Florida State

Wisconsin righted itself nicely after a disastrous 4 game losing streak in the middle of the season. It seems that after the funk of seeing their Big Ten title and BCS dreams crushed they've resurrected themselves as a team that is, well, for lack of a better word, decent. Nothing will grab your attention or scare you, but they do the little things right. I think they'll upset a young Florida State team that may just show up rather unfocused.

Wisconsin 28, Florida State 20

11. Emerald Bowl: Miami (FL) vs. California

Miami has to travel across the country to play in the type of bowl their program has no desire to be in. So they already have one strike against them. Cal's campus is about 7 miles from this game's location. Strike two. I can't come up with a good third strike, but I'm sure it's out there. Maybe one of the Golden Bears underrated running backs will provide it.

California 23, Miami (FL) 20

12. Independence Bowl: Northern Illinois vs. Louisiana Tech

The worst matchup in bowl history? Maybe. It's certainly on the short list. Louisiana Tech joins the list of those playing in virtual home games, so I'm going with them and completely forgetting that this game is even on the schedule.

Louisiana Tech 27, Northern Illinois 17

13. Papajohns.com Bowl: N.C. State vs. Rutgers

The way Rutgers has closed its season, it deserves to be playing in a better bowl than one named after a pizza place's website. They should continue their torrid offensive place against an improving, but still outclassed, Wolfpack team.

Rutgers 42, N.C. State 21

14. Valero Alamo Bowl: Missouri vs. Northwestern

I have this as my "most confident" pick in the aforementioned College Bowl Mania contest. Northwestern's had a great season, but they're no match for Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, and the Missouri offense. 

Missouri 41, Northwestern 24

15. Roady's Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland vs. Nevada

If I were a Maryland fan, I'd have given up on this team months ago. They've been the hardest, and most aggravating team to predict this season. And that's saying a lot, considering the caliber of the teams they share a conference with. They have had the relative consistency of playing much better at home than away, with the notable exception of a win at Clemson before they were dead. So I'm taking Nevada - if Maryland didn't travel well to Virginia, they aren't traveling well to Boise.

Nevada 26, Maryland 23

16. Texas Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Rice

Rice caps off a feelgood season with a crosstown trip to Reliant Stadium to face Western Michigan. This game might look pretty blase if you were just to read the team names, but these are 2 under-the-radar 9-3 teams looking to finish one of the best years in their respective school's history. Every bowl season has one of those wild, unpredictable, offensive explosion games, and I think this one is it this time around. Watch it if you happen to be one of the 14 people who get NFL Network. Rice wins on the lethal passing combo of Chase Clement to Jarett Dillard.

Rice 55, Western Michigan 49

17. Pacific Life Holiday Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Oregon

Or that wild, crazy, high-scoring festival could happen in San Diego when the Cowboys and Ducks take the field together. Oregon's scored 120 points in its last 2 games, and Oklahoma State kept up with the scintillating offenses of the Big 12 South. I think Oklahoma State wins behind a stronger defense and a bit more firepower. This one is worth a few looks too.

Oklahoma State 48, Oregon 35

Next week: the bowl predictions continue as we venture into the BCS.

A Look at Playoff Possibilities

The door is closed on another regular season, and as is customary, complaints about the unfairness of the BCS and college football's method of determining a champion run rampant from all across the country. Well, mostly Texas. Tis the season to espouse on the need for a playoff and to daydream about what it would look like this season. So, in that vein, it's time to take a good, hard look at what possibilities exist regarding a playoff and what really is the best scenario. 

But first, as a sidenote, weren't the Alabama-Florida games and Oklahoma-Texas games true semifinal games? Florida beat Alabama on a neutral field, as did Texas over Oklahoma. If we're talking playoffs, that's the setting we'd shoot for - match the top 4 (or 8, or more) teams and play the games on neutral fields. Before last week, Alabama and Florida was a #1 vs. #4 game, and Oklahoma and Texas sat at #2 and #3. So logically we'd have Florida and Texas play in January, having advanced in the semifinal round. But the BCS tends to make a mess of these things, and unlike every other sporting league in the world, the loser of a semifinal gets to advance above the winner into the championship game. And that's why we're talking about this stuff.

There are a myriad of factors to be considered when the issue of a playoff comes up. I'll take a look at each one before detailing the possibilities.

Factor #1: Bowls

Like it or not, any playoff scenario would have to include the bowls as part of the equation. They've been a part of college football since the early 1900's, and have become an American tradition at the same level as turkey on Thanksgiving and fireworks on July 4. And losing the bowls would do significant damage to the game as we know it. There's a pageantry and uniqueness the bowls bring to college football that would be sorely missed if they were gone. Teams are rewarded for a good (or mediocre, in the modern era) season, coaches get to work with their teams for another month or more, and we see matchups we may never see otherwise. Conference supremacy and bragging rights are on the line. And it's a chance for fans to see their team play one more game in a sport that only has a dozen contests each year. No other sport has a tradition quite like it, and losing the bowls would eliminate a large part of the fabric of college football.

There's also the money factor. Bowl games generate large chunks of money for the cities that host them, and schools and conferences get a sizeable cut of cash by their teams getting invited to play in a bowl game. The bowl officials and their sponsors have cash to give, and as long as that's the case, conference commissioners, school presidents, and athletic directors aren't going to simply give that up. Money talks, and the bowls speak loudly.

Bowls and bowl game officials are more powerful and have more influence on the game than most of us care to realize, and a big reason why a playoff hasn't happened yet is the clout they have. Anything that would damage their attendance, their tradition, or their popularity is stonewalled. The bowls are the reason we have this thing called the BCS in the first place - it was the bowl games' way of self-preserving while meeting the growing demand to determine a true national champion. They, and their wads of cash, have the conference commissioners wrapped around their fingers, and the commissioners keep voting to keep the BCS in place, I think, because the bowl officials have so much influence over them. It's not the excuse the commissioners give (more on that soon), but it's hard to deny that it's the real reason.

Factor #2: Conferences

This factor is tied directly to the bowls - conferences get richly rewarded by sending their teams to bowl games, both in money and exposure. And the BCS has been very good to the major conferences, so much so that any playoff possibility that has a shot of making it would have to include all 6 BCS conferences as part of the equation. The conferences want their piece of the pie.

Conference championship games are a consideration too. They add a thirteenth game to the calendar for three of the six BCS conferences, and any scenario that adds more games to the schedule would have to contend with these already added-on games. The easy solution in transitioning to a playoff would be to eliminate conference championship games, making the playing field even in regards to the total number of games played by everyone. The conferences would argue that this prevents them from crowning a true champion, but it's rare that the championship games match teams that would actually be tied for first place. There has yet to be a conference championship game that's matched two undefeated teams in conference play, and more often they match teams with differing conference records. You could certainly make the argument that these championship games are unnecessary, that in most cases one team sits atop the whole conference with the best record. The divisional structure employed by 12-team conferences could easily be eliminated without much change. And in rare cases of a tie, that's why tiebreakers exist. No one's really going to cry about being a conference co-champion anyway.

So while competition is the reason conference bigwigs will give for why these championship games exist, the real reason is because of how lucrative they are. Ticket sales and advertising revenue pad the conference's coffers, and it would be a hard sell to convince the conferences to get rid of such a cash-producing venture.

Factor #3: The Academic Calendar

I should label this as an excuse rather than a factor, because it's the one thing you hear time and time again from non-playoff advocates (mostly school presidents and conference commissioners) as the reason they oppose a playoff system. The claim goes that adding games and making the players play 15 or 16 games would interfere with academics, especially in December when most schools have finals.

The problem with that argument is the glaring heap of evidence that proves this logic is a load of crap. First, they do it in every other division of college football, even in December, without any concern for academics. And the lower divisions are where the actual student-athletes live, the ones who have a future in business, not football. Second, it would only affect at most 16 or so teams, and the teams are so well-stocked with tutors and people trusted to make sure the players do their work on the road that the two aren't mutually exclusive. Third, no one's forcing a playoff to happen in December anyway, so if interfering with finals is a concern, just start the thing up in January, when a new semester is beginning! Fourth, the NCAA recently approved a twelfth game to the regular season calendar. If they were that concerned about football getting in the way of studies, they wouldn't have allowed the 12th game to happen.

Again, this argument is just a smokescreen masking the real factor: money and keeping status quo with the bowls.

Factor #4: Polls

This is less a factor standing in the way of playoffs and more a glaring problem with college football. The current poll system - which combines computer formulas, media, coaches (or rather Sports Information Directors), and the Harris Poll's cauldron of former players, writers, and who knows who else - is a mess full of regional bias, maddening computer illogic, and the need for "style points" that only serve to turn sportsmanship on its ear. I detailed much of my opinions on polls, specifically computer polls, in my Week 11 post, so I won't duplicate it here. I will, however, point out that the week after Oklahoma dismembered Texas Tech, one of the computer polls used in the BCS formula persisted in ranking the Red Raiders ahead of the Sooners. And you wonder why Texas goes to Glendale while the team they beat on a neutral field gets to play for the championship.

I'll talk possibilities in a second, but regardless of what happens with the BCS and any possible playoff, an across-the-board change must be made to the polls. My solution is to hire a number of people (maybe between 200 and 300) and pay them a modest sum to be poll voters. Make it these people's job to watch college football all day Saturday, become experts on the teams, and make unbiased, educated votes as to who should be ranked where. Doesn't matter if they're sportswriters, former players, or Joe Fan sitting at home. Just take coaches out of the equation - bias is unavoidable there. To combat bias, make sure the voters are a representative sample from all across the country, and make their voting public every week, not just the last one. Create a website where you can see exactly what each person voted. And if clear inconsistencies or bias becomes evident, put that person's voting status up to a vote of his peers. They can vote him off the committee. Creating a system like this would cure some of the ills plaguing the BCS and would only help any future playoff scenario to be fair.

Factor #5: Significance of the Regular Season

If you've been reading this blog all season you already know my thoughts on this. Major college football has the most significant regular season of any sport, hands down. Every game truly does matter. It's must see TV each week, something that can't be said for any other major sport. One loss cripples or severely hinders championship hopes, and the season builds to a frenzy by November, with each matchup of undefeated or highly ranked one loss teams taking on mythical levels of hype. The upsets are bigger, the games more dramatic, and the season-long buildup of excitement so intense because only 2 teams will end the season with a shot at the title. It's fantastic. And I'd hate to see a playoff become established that would ruin that excitement and drama. This is what many playoff zealots neglect to consider - that the game they're so passionate about would suddenly become so much like every other sport. Sadly, most playoff scenarios would do just that. But not mine. So as we transition to the possibilities, please - anyone in a position of influence who happens to stumble upon this little blog - do your part to preserve the uniqueness and relevance and magnitude of the college football regular season by creating a playoff system that maintains its significance. In the words of computer learning needs magnate John Scherer, please - try my product. 

Possibility #1: The Four-Team, "Plus-One" Format

I'll start with my proposal and work through other possibilities later. In my opinion, the "plus-one" scenario is the one that best balances all the factors involved.

To review, the "plus-one" means that 2 of the BCS bowls would become semifinals, with the winners to meet in the BCS National Championship game a week later. It would be the season as is with the bowls, the BCS, and all, "plus-one" game. Hence the term. Clever, huh?

The establishment of a fifth BCS game, the aptly titled "BCS National Championship Game" paves the way for this. The BCS championship game is scheduled on January 8, exactly one week after the traditional bowl extravaganza of New Years Day. I think the powers that be had the plus-one possibility in mind when they made this game happen. We're still waiting for the whole plus-one part to come in, but we'll be patient. We've waited about 100 years already anyway.

I propose dramatically altering the BCS formula with the creation of the new polling system already detailed earlier, and allowing those voters to determine the top 4 teams. Call the new poll the "BCS Poll" if you want. Then play the 2 semifinal games on New Years Day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, followed a week later by the national championship game. Keep the rest of the bowls as is, including the other BCS bowls, which could be played during the week between the semifinals and final, as they already are. They'd be great appetizers leading up to the main course on January 8. What a week of anticipation and celebration of college football that week would be, after a scintillating regular season full of anticipation, drama, and intrigue!

The benefits of this scenario is that it's the only one that maintains the significance of the regular season. Four teams being included means that one loss can still kill you, as would be the case for USC and Penn State this year. So the games wouldn't lose their drama. A counter-argument might be that this would give an unfair advantage to one loss teams (or non-BCS conference teams, or two loss teams in some cases) who are highly ranked in the beginning of the season or who lose earlier than later. So part of my proposal is to eliminate the silly and uneducated preseason polls. Start the voting after each team has played 4 games, a full third of the season. If Athlon Sports and The Sporting News still want to put out preseason polls, let them go for it. They're fun to examine and argue about, but they have no business having a direct impact on the final outcome of the season. This is perhaps the greatest flaw among the many the polls have - that a team's preseason rank, a matter of public opinion and prediction before anyone's even set foot on a field, can help or hinder a team from playing for the national championship. It's ludicrous. Starting the polls after 4 games, along with the "professional pollster", checks-and-balances system of polling, would for the most part eliminate any unfair advantage.

This scenario would also give each conference a fair shake and a continued inclusion in the BCS, and do nothing to the tradition and integrity of the bowls. The conferences would still get their cut, teams would have the ability to earn an extra game and a nice postseason trip, and the academic calendar is undisturbed! You don't even need to scrap conference championship games (although I think they should).

Another thing I'd include in this proposal is to ban teams from playing games against non-Division 1-A (FBS for you who are up with the times) teams. This would prevent teams from feasting on cupcakes and force more heavyweight non-conference showdowns, which would add to the pollsters ability to evaluate teams. When Oklahoma beats Chattanooga 57-2 it allows you to learn nothing about their team. Narrow the scheduling options and you're likely to see them play someone like Ohio State or Georgia. Now you can see how good they are. And everyone wants to see more big-time early season games. It can only make the game better. Just watch all the big-time programs line up to schedule the suddenly smaller list of automatic wins if this happens. MAC schools and Notre Dame will have to bar the doors shut!

Possibility #2: Eight Team Playoff with the BCS Top 8

This scenario would simply take the top 8 in the final BCS standings and match them up, 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, and so on. It's the simplest version of any 8 team playoff scenario, which seems to be the one advocated by nearly everyone who wants to see playoffs happen. Game locations and dates could happen in any number of ways. You could stage the first round a week or two after the conference championship games at the home sites of higher seeds, then play the last 2 rounds on or around New Years Day and the week following. Or wait until after Christmas to start and play a 3-week tournament, using neutral sites, probably existing bowl game locations. The BCS bowl games would have to be involved, so an all-neutral site tournament would likely be most acceptable.

But there are major drawbacks to this 8-team format. First, the conferences wouldn't buy in because their champion wouldn't be guaranteed a spot. If this were the scenario this season, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati would be left out despite winning their conferences. So it would be rejected roundly by the conference commissioners. It also would be nixed by the whole "academic calendar" argument, no matter how bogus it might be. And most importantly, it would suck the drama out of a slew of regular season games. For a major conference team, one loss would no longer put championship hopes on life support, so games like this year's Penn State-Iowa and USC-Oregon State would lose nearly all their drama. Late season clashes between highly ranked teams would become like late season NFL contests, when teams already in the playoffs rest their starters and the games essentially become meaningless. They'd be for seeding purposes only. Alabama-Florida, Texas-Texas Tech, and Texas Tech-Oklahoma would all have been zapped of the edge-of-your-seat, this-could-kill-our-season drama that made those games so intriguing and memorable. Part of the excitement of college football is the buildup to each big game, and so much of that would be lost if a playoff contained 8 teams or more. Imagine how lifeless Alabama-Florida last Saturday would have been in Tim Tebow and John Parker Wilson spent most of the game on the sidelines and the rest of the players just went through the motions, basically holding a practice for the upcoming playoffs. No one wants college football to lose that big-game drama that fills each Saturday. So that's why I reject this scenario as incomplete.

Possibility #3: Eight Team Playoff including BCS Conference Champions and 2 At-Large Teams

This would essentially be the same as the prior scenario, only including each BCS conference champion instead of strictly the top 8. This is actually the most talked-about and most-supported scenario, but I think it's deeply flawed, more so than the other 8-team format. It has the same flaws, plus one huge additional pimple: there would be teams who make the playoffs who have no business being there. This year, for example, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati would get automatic bids at the expense of Texas Tech and Utah, who everyone in their right mind would agree are more deserving. Texas and Alabama would fill the 2 at-large spots, leaving the rest out to dry. And we'd have the same controversy as we do now - teams who don't deserve to play for a national championship end up playing for it over teams who do. Only in this case there would be more controversial teams than just the one that the typical BCS standings produce (this year being Oklahoma). It would also overemphasize conference play and many big non-conference matchups would become like preseason games, or cease to happen at all.

Possibility #4: A Six Team Playoff

This would seek to be a happy medium between the four and eight team scenarios, with the top 2 teams getting the bonus of a bye week. But the question becomes, do you take the top 6 in the BCS standings or the six major conference winners? The conferences wouldn't go for it if their teams could be left out, and smaller conferences would cry foul if it were only open to major conference teams. And if it did take only conference champions, or even the top 5 champions and an at-large team, it would overinflate conference play to an even greater degree.

Possibility #5: A Large (12, 16, or 24 Team) Tournament

Invariably college football is compared to college basketball, and the NCAA tournament is given as an example of "how it should be done". And I won't argue with the simple greatness of the NCAA Basketball Tournament - it's probably the most exciting sporting event we have. But comparing it to football is an apples-to-oranges thing. The 65 teams who qualify (and I still think that play-in game is bogus, cut it back to 64!) comprise just a shade under 20 percent of all Division I teams. A similar number in 1-A college football would be 24 teams who'd qualify. I actually think this would be better than an 8 team tournament, because it would ensure that everyone who has an argument to be in it would be. But it would do even more damage to the regular season as 3 or 4 loss teams would be able to make it. So the regular season would be completely sapped of life. How many people care about college basketball before late February? The same thing would happen to football before mid-November. TV ratings would plummet and the game would lose money.

Even if you'd draw the line at 12 or 16 teams you'd still have the same result. But you might as well go that far if you're talking about an 8 team playoff, which would have a worst-of-both-worlds result: a diminished regular season and an end result mired in controversy over who gets in and who doesn't. At least with the all-inclusive tournament you'd avoid the controversy.

Other factors blocking this scenario are the bowls - they'd become very much like college basketball's NIT - and the number of games the players are required to play. So what works for college basketball wouldn't for college football. Football's different in that the regular season does have so many fewer games and naturally does take on much more importance. And that's the way it should be - don't mess with it if it's working. And it clearly is.

Possibility #6: A "To Be Determined" Format

This is probably the most radical idea, one I came up with a few weeks go. What if the "professional pollster" idea took root, and a select few of these pollsters were appointed as a sort of selection committee? This committee would meet the last weekend of the season, deliberate and weigh merits of each team, and decide exactly who in that season deserved to play for the national title, no matter how many or few teams. Then the logistics would be taken care of, a tournament set up, and it would play out in the following weeks. One year it could be 2 clear-cut qualifiers: undefeated major conference teams who stood head and shoulders above the rest, like when Texas played USC after the 2005 season. Another year it could be a slew of one loss major conference teams and a few undefeated small conference schools, like this year. A selection committee this season may come up with 9 qualified teams: Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, USC, Penn State, Texas Tech, Utah, and Boise State. They'd be seeded and bracketed and off we'd go.

This isn't likely to happen because it could become a logistical nightmare and could aid the sportsmanship killing "style points" phenomenon, and there would be even less certainty surrounding the season. And the selection committee could become an Illuminati-like force, dictating by sheer will what would happen. But at least it would meet the need of fairly including all relevant teams. And it is interesting to think about.

Possibility #7: Leave It As It Is

(Just change the polls, of course)

The current format is why we're in this mess to begin with, so no one wants this possibility to come true. Except the people who are actually in charge.

Week 15: Championship Week

Championship week arrives in the aftermath of the annual BCS explosion - Oklahoma leapfrogging Texas, a team they lost to by 10 points on a completely neutral field (they split the tickets 50/50 in the Red River Rivalry, and the fans of each team sit on opposite sides of the field, the definition of neutral). When will they learn that the system is irreparably broken? Tweaking hasn't fixed it, even in 10 years of post-calamity band-aids - it needs an overhaul. I'll get into that next week - my comprehensive examination of the possible playoff scenarios (we'll get there eventually), and my proposal for the best solution (hint - it's not what everyone wants and assumes it to be). Stay tuned.

For now, we'll turn again to the field, not computer ratings and jabbering media, for the field is where games (but not championships apparently) are won and lost. It might be easy to write in Oklahoma and the Alabama-Florida winner for the BCS Championship Game, but don't be hasty. History tells us that weird things happen on the last day of the season, and there have been much more shocking upsets than Missouri beating Oklahoma would be, and more perplexing things have happened in the BCS from the penultimate standings to the final one.

In fact, let's take a look at that history. I've taken a look at the results of final weekend games involving a team in legitimate national championship contention to see just how many eleventh hour upsets have occurred. I've drawn the line at the point when conference championships were first played in 1992 (is it really that long ago?!). Here are the results:

1992: #2 Alabama def. #12 Florida 28-21 (SEC Championship)

1993: none applicable

1994: #3 Alabama lost to #6 Florida 24-23 (SEC Championship)

1995: #2 Florida def. #24 Arkansas 34-3 (SEC Championship)

1996: #3 Nebraska lost to unranked Texas 37-27 (Big 12 Championship); #4 Florida def. #11 Alabama 45-30 (SEC Championship)

1997: #2 Nebraska def. #14 Texas A&M 54-14 (Big 12 Championship); #3 Tennessee def. #11 Auburn 30-29 (SEC Championship)

1998: #1 Tennessee def. #23 Mississippi State 24-14 (SEC Championship); #2 Kansas State lost to #10 Texas A&M 36-33 (Big 12 Championship); #3 UCLA lost to unranked Miami (FL) 49-45

1999: #3 Nebraska def. #12 Texas 22-6 (Big 12 Championship)

2000: #1 Oklahoma def. #8 Kansas State 27-24 (Big 12 Championship)

2001: #1 Miami (FL) def. #14 Virginia Tech 26-24; #2 Tennessee lost to #21 LSU 31-20 (SEC Championship); #3 Texas lost to #9 Colorado 39-37 (Big 12 Championship)

2002: #1 Miami (FL) def. #18 Virginia Tech 56-45; #4 Georgia def. #22 Arkansas 30-3 (SEC Championship)

2003: #1 Oklahoma lost to #13 Kansas State 35-7 (Big 12 Championship); #2 USC def. unranked Oregon State 52-28; #3 LSU def. #5 Georgia 34-13 (SEC Championship)

2004: #1 USC def. unranked UCLA 29-24; #2 Oklahoma def. unranked Colorado 42-3 (Big 12 Championship); #3 Auburn def. #15 Tennessee 38-28 (SEC Championship)

2005: #1 USC def. #16 UCLA 66-19; #2 Texas def. unranked Colorado 70-3 (Big 12 Championship); #4 LSU lost to #7 Georgia 34-14 (SEC Championship)

2006: #2 USC lost to unranked UCLA 13-9; #4 Florida def. #9 Arkansas 38-28 (SEC Championship)

2007: #1 Missouri lost to #9 Oklahoma 38-17 (Big 12 Championship); #2 West Virginia lost to unranked Pittsburgh 13-9; #6 Virginia Tech def. #11 Boston College 30-16 (ACC Championship)*; #7 LSU def. #14 Tennessee 21-14 (SEC Championship)*

* these games included from 2007 because #7 LSU leapt to #2 and into the BCS Championship game (because I included #7 LSU I had to include #6 Virginia Tech)

For those scoring at home, the record of national title contenders in these final weekend games is a rather pedestrian 21-11, for a winning percentage of .656. The biggest upset of the bunch is probably bowlless Pitt cutting down West Virginia last year in Morgantown, but there have been 3 other unranked teams who've thrown a wrench into the national title process during this stretch. So Missouri (ranked #20) taking out Oklahoma isn't at all unfeasible.

I also learned from this research that this weekend's Alabama-Florida matchup is the biggest conference championship game ever, according to the rankings. Never before has a conference title game matched top 5 teams. And with that, let's get to the picks, shall we?

1. SEC Championship: Alabama vs. Florida

Being the biggest conference championship game ever, this game deserves top billing. In the past month, once this matchup became inevitable, I've felt that Florida was a clear favorite. But now I'm not so sure. The Crimson Tide have been the most steady team this season, and while they don't impress anyone with their margins of victory, they silently just take care of business. And unlike the other BCS championship contenders, they do it with a bruising defense. This is unquestionably their biggest challenge yet - stopping Tim Tebow and the red hot Gators. A classic unstoppable force vs. immovable object. I do think there are points to be had against Alabama's defense, and that Florida is a team that can find them. A big factor will be whether or not Percy Harvin plays. My guess is that he'll see limited time, and they'll use him largely as a decoy - they know that if the Tide are thinking about where Harvin is, they'll be a split second slower in reacting to the other skill players the Gators employ. A bigger issue though for Alabama is how their offense will fare against Florida's strong D. The Tide have some gamebreakers, but their offense is the weakest of the 4 units that will take the field Saturday afternoon. And that, ultimately, will be the deciding factor in this game.

Florida 27, Alabama 17

2. Big 12 Championship: Oklahoma vs. Missouri

Oklahoma's offensive numbers are staggering. At least 35 points in every game. Sixty or more points in 4 - their last 4. Fifty or more in 8 (and they scored 45 and 49 in 2 others). A scoring average of 53.3. It is unjust that they passed Texas in the BCS standings, but you can't argue with numbers like that. They have one of the most potent offenses of all time, and look almost unbeatable, especially against a team like Missouri, whose defense isn't scaring anyone. But, as noted, watch out. Don't put them in the championship game yet. This scenario reminds me a bit of the 2003 season, when a seemingly unstoppable Oklahoma team who was putting up gaudy offensive numbers faced a relatively average Kansas State team. A national championship game was a foregone conclusion. Too bad Kansas State didn't get that memo, and they pasted the Sooners 35-7. Ironically Oklahoma still ended up in the BCS title game, losing 21-14 to LSU. But even with those similarities, I can't pick against the Sooners. Missouri's defense isn't as strong as that Kansas State squad, and this Oklahoma offense is better than the 2003 version. Bob Stoops gets a monkey off his back with a win in a championship game.

Oklahoma 56, Missouri 35

3. ACC Championship: Boston College vs. Virginia Tech

After all the lunacy that the ACC brought us this year, we end up with a rematch of last year's championship game. This will be the fourth time in 2 seasons that the Eagles and Hokies match up. Boston College has won both regular season tilts, with Virginia Tech taking the ACC championship last year. As always, this is a toss up, and I'm going with Boston College simply because they have a better record away from home (4-1 vs. 2-4 for the Hokies).

Boston College 23, Virginia Tech 17

4. C-USA Championship: East Carolina vs. Tulsa

East Carolina was the darling of the nation after 2 weeks this season (I even made an argument for them to be ranked #1!), and Tulsa made some noise by mid-season, racking up boatloads of points before losing to lowly Arkansas and getting throttled by Houston 70-30. It's hard to pick a team that once gave up 70 points to win their conference, but such is Conference USA. And East Carolina's offense isn't going to threaten the speed limit anytime soon.

Tulsa 42, East Carolina 30

5. MAC Championship: Ball State vs. Buffalo

Turner Gill has done a tremendous job at Buffalo, and I'm surprised he's not on the short list of every program in the nation who's looking for a coach. But the Bulls aren't in the same class as Ball State. The Cardinals storybook season continues.

Ball State 38, Buffalo 21

6. USC at UCLA

If you looked at a box score with the following numbers, what would you guess the final score to be? Total yards: Team A - 306, Team B - 122. First downs: Team A - 18, Team B - 10. Third down percentage: Team A - 6-17, Team B - 2-13. You'd guess something along the lines of "Team A 24, Team B 3", wouldn't you? Nope! The final score of UCLA's game last week was Arizona State (Team B) 34, UCLA (Team A) 9. What? That's what happens when you allow the opposing defense to return 3 interceptions and 1 fumble for touchdowns. Even the Sun Devils field goal drives were set up by a long punt return and a poor punt by UCLA. Arizona State employed a "Display Case Offense" - simply possessing the football, nothing more - and won by 25. And now the Bruins face the best defense in the nation. How many defensive touchdowns will USC have this week? UCLA's best strategy may be to punt the ball on first down and hope for the best on defense.

USC 41, UCLA 3

7. Navy vs. Army

The game everyone should tune in to, even for just a few minutes. These men will lay everything on the line in this game, only to have to lay even more on the line in combat in perhaps only a few months time. Navy's been dominant in the series of late, but you never know what might happen when Army and Navy collide.

Navy 31, Army 24

8. Pittsburgh at Connecticut

The Big East race is decided, but the conference likes extending their season to this final weekend. So we have 3 conference games on the slate. All are quality matchups. In this one, 2 of the best running backs in college football take the field - LeSean McCoy of Pitt and Donald Brown of UConn. McCoy is more explosive, Brown is more steady. I think both young men break 100 yards, but Pitt wins the war and completes a career-saving season for Dave Wannstedt.

Pittsburgh 27, Connecticut 21

9. South Florida at West Virginia

South Florida is a team that looks dead in the water, just hanging on until the season is finally over.

West Virginia 30, South Florida 20

10. Louisville at Rutgers

For Rutgers, it's the tale of 2 seasons: a 1-5 start followed by 5 straight wins and bowl eligibility. Their offense suddenly awoke in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, and they haven't looked back since. They won't here either, keeping Louisville out of a bowl again.

Rutgers 34, Louisville 24

11. Cincinnati at Hawaii

The Bearcats get a second bowl trip of sorts, traveling to Hawaii before they trek down to Miami for a likely Orange Bowl berth. They might just win both. Head Coach Brian Kelly might be on a superpower program sideline near you by this time next year.

Cincinnati 35, Hawaii 17

12. Arizona State at Arizona

As noted above, Arizona State's offense acted as a mere placeholder against a below average UCLA team last week. On the road against a better defense, they're not likely to fare a whole lot better. The Wildcats win this rivalry game and keep their enemy from the postseason.

Incidentally, some info about this old rivalry: Name - Territorial Cup. Series - Arizona leads 44-36-1.

Arizona 20, Arizona State 16

13. Washington at California

Washington puts a cap on the worst season of football in their history.

California 37, Washington 17

14. Arkansas State at Troy

Most teams are done with their regular seasons, so I'm left with 3 Sun Belt games to fill the last 2 spots of the 15. This is the best matchup of the 3 - basically a conference championship game. Three of Troy's 4 losses have come against major conference powers - Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and LSU. They hung with Ohio State and nearly beat LSU, coughing up a huge lead in the second half. Arkansas State, meanwhile, has a major conference scalp in Texas A&M. I know nothing about the Sun Belt, but it seems that these are 2 quality teams, and both will likely play in December bowls.

Troy 31, Arkansas State 28

15. Middle Tennessee State at Louisiana-Lafayette

Completely a guess, but I'm taking Middle Tennessee State. They did beat Maryland.

Middle Tennessee State 33, Louisiana-Lafayette 27

Bonus pick! The only other game on the calendar is between Sun Belt bottom feeder Florida International and Division 1-A's newest team, Western Kentucky. Florida International is most famous for their ugly brawl against Miami (FL) ("they should finish it in the parking lot after the game!"), and Western Kentucky is most famous for their red blob of a mascot that appears regularly on ESPN's "This is SportsCenter" commercials. What is that thing anyway? A hill? A Sesame Street reject? A bad representation of one of the Pac-Man ghosts?

Florida International 23, Western Kentucky 10