Max wrote:

just sayin'

First time I've ever seen a coach yell at the officials before a game started. And then he kept berating them throughout the game. Did Zook just have a bad day, or is he a prick like that all the time?
Supposedly, the Illini were all fired up because they felt disrepected because they weren't ranked and ASU was. Don't open your season with Arkansas State and South Dakota State at home and you won't have that problem.

"I thought they played really well and didnt notice Zook harping at the officals."

He started shouting at the linesman on his side of the field before the opening kickoff was even teed up.
The difference was obviously Illinois' pass rush. That's an experienced ASU o-line and Illinois shredded them. Mizzou didn't come close to putting that kind of pressure on Osweiler.
Illinois' offense is completely non-descript. Shithaaus or whatever his name is runs around and makes plays, and that's about it. 
As far as historical perspective is concerned, I thought Illinois was pretty good when Juice was there. At least I recall them being ranked in the top 10 at one point and playing in the Rose Bowl in the last few years.
There's certainly no reason to play a FCS school at home in the second week of the season. I can see playing one cream puff at the beginning of the year, but three in the first four weeks? Please. The Big 10 has got to absolve itself of the notion that it's still 1975 and stop scheduling these shitty games. It's a little game they play. The big school gets an easy win at home, and the little school gets its entire athletic budget paid for an entire year, at the expense of its pride.

Oh and I have no clue what kind of person Zook is.  Some Illini fans have a cult like following of Weber and Zook but I dont.  I was down playing Weber's greatness from day one.  Zook has been the Illini coach since 2005 and has alway beat the "next year" war drum.  I have been unimpressed.  Right now he is getting by on a speedy defense and QB.  The Big Ten will eat Shithouse's lunch and then the Illini will be stuck with nothing.

artie_fufkin wrote:

I know this is a cliched argument, but you take the 11 conference champions, put them in a playoff and determine a national champion. It's silly that CFB is the only college sport that doesn't have a tournament.
If the second-best SEC team is three touchdowns better than the best WAC team, so what? That ought to be borne out during the tournament. Based on experience from the NCAA basketball tournament, there's always going to be a handful of teams that think they ought to be in there. You win your conference, you're in. Pretty simple.

I assume this reply is to the Illini making it to the Rose Bowl and only being the 2nd best team in the Big Ten.  I agree that was horse shit.  It wasnt even a good matchup.  It was just the best the NCAA could do under the unwritten rules that a big ten team has to play in the Rose Bowl.

I really don't know where college football is going to end up, but there's all the talk of the super-conferences. Pac-10 ... er Pac-12 ... er Pac-X looking to go grab Texas/Oklahoma schools still, and the ACC looking to poach some of the Big East. I don't know how the dust is going to settle on this, but it is my sincere hope that they can come up with an 8 team tournament to compete for the national title. I'd settle for 4, but then you're going to have the "I went undefeated and didn't get a shot because all the entrants were 1 loss super conference winners" crap.

"Pac-10 ... er Pac-12 ... er Pac-X"

Go with the best 24 teams west of the Mississippi and call it "The Case."

artie_fufkin wrote:

I know this is a cliched argument, but you take the 11 conference champions, put them in a playoff and determine a national champion. It's silly that CFB is the only college sport that doesn't have a tournament.
If the second-best SEC team is three touchdowns better than the best WAC team, so what? That ought to be borne out during the tournament. Based on experience from the NCAA basketball tournament, there's always going to be a handful of teams that think they ought to be in there. You win your conference, you're in. Pretty simple.

It's all about money, Artie.  A true, single elimination playoff system with, say, 16 teams, would take five weeks and 2 teams would play in 5 games.  If they could distribute the money for bowl games equitably among the also rans, and not concentrate it in the hands of the two teams that play all five weeks, then there might be a chance. But even then, iI doubt it . . . as much as I would love to see it.

Last edited by Max (9/20/2011 4:49 am)

Actually, most of the major conferences divide bowl game proceeds equal among their conference members (after expenses related to the game).  I know the Big 10 (plus 2) and the Pac-XX divide proceeds equally.  I'm not sure about the SEC, but I remember when their were rumors last year of Missouri headed to the Big 10, one of the cited reasons was that the Big XII (less 2) was one of the few major conferences that didn't divide all revenue (bowl games, TV revenue, etc...) equally.

One of the major issues with the potential move of Texas to the Pac-XX is what happens with the Longhorn Network.  Texas got to keep all of that money in the Big XII, but the Pac-XX isn't having any of that.

Thanks for the clarification of the division of spoils, but that just makes it an oligarchy of teams in wealthy leagues.  I have to agree with Artie that NFL got it right.  Texas, without an NCAA Division 1 in which to play their games, earns no money at all through their propriety television network.  Like for the Yankees TV revenues without an MLB in which to play their games.  Go back to Liz Warren, nobody in this country got rich on their own.

Last edited by Max (9/29/2011 4:23 pm)

Okay, I agree that anyone can win the super bowl and all teams are on a fair playing field.  However lets not act like MLB system is broken.  More money doesnt mean you go to the playoffs.  (USA Today's figures.)

Yankees -1st highest payroll, 202 million
Phillies - 2nd highest payroll, 172 million
tigers - 10th highest payroll, 105 million
Cardinals - 11th highest payroll, 105 million
Rangers - 13th highest payroll, 92 million
Brewers - 17th highest payroll, 85 million
D-Back - 25th highest payroll, 53 million
Ray- 29th highest payroll, 41 million

2 top teams are represented, 4 mid range teams and 2 low end teams.  Seems pretty fair to me.