Bill, The issue at hand here, and is the premise of this article, is that you are attempting to justify a 'National Champion' by WHO they are as opposed to WHAT they are. The talking heads can tell me till they are blue in the face that a run thru the SEC is like none other, but we never really know until after the bowl games are concluded and we have an entire season under our belts to evaluate exactly who was who... and by that point, it is too late.. So we are forced into a situation in which we just accept the best 'who' and forget the actual results on field. TOK, I see what you're saying but at the same time, I was under the impression that you can't get 2 non-BCS teams in the BCS.. at least that is what the talking heads were saying on ESPN. If that is the case, that needs to be changed.
Corey, the issue at hand here the way I see it is that while the teams and conferences mentioned in the article have come a long way they do not go though the type of schedule that the SEC, Big 12, Big 10 and PAC 10 go though year in and year out. Not even what the ACC does. I always had a complaint about how easy it was to come out of the ACC and Big East to the Championship game, I don't feel like adding others. Until there is a playoff system I do not want to be watching Utah, Boise State or others in a championship game when there are other stronger teams who don't make it. If you ever manage to get your playoff in I'll probably support it, until then I want to see the best teams, yes from my point of view, in the game instead of a team like Utah who I think would lose to about 5 other teams if they met them in the Championship game. And regardless of your championing Utah beating Alabama, I believe with the Championship game on the line Bama wins.
Bill, You actually reminded me of something in the article that furthers my point. What the SEC/Big12 do is (just giving you the benefit of the doubt) as well as the Pac10 is the 'toughest' way to go.. Total round robin or divisional with championship game. I can even see the debate of the relative strength of those conferences being worth 'something extra'.. but that isn't what the author was saying.. he was saying they were all justified and that includes the Big East. And we could spend the rest of our lives debating this but there's no way you can convince me that the Big East is better than the Mountain West conference. Not this year, not last year, not year in year out. There may be years in which it is better but in the past 10 years I'd put the MWC up against the BE 7 days a week, top to bottom. The author took the chickensh*t approach. He hides behind the SEC super conference types while not addressing the issue that the Big East gets a nod.. Why not have that debate? (MWC/WAC vs Big East) The reason these type of people don't have that debate is that it is one they could well lose... and if you lose that debate, then you have to admit that a change is needed.
I agree about the Big East, they should be removed. I would like a playoff. Until we have a playoff I don't believe that just because a team from one of those conferences that is unbeaten should be moved ahead of once beaten teams who have played harder schedules. I believe Texas and Florida should have met last year and that Oklahoma should have been third. I don't believe Utah should have been in the Championship game. In my mind we need a playoff to accomplish that and I believe it could be accomplished. Until then I think the author of that article is more right than you are. I did embellish that a bit with my comments to you, but hey you do that all the time.
Bill, I always thought that it would benefit college football if Florida could play west of the Mississippi. I know the arguement (heard it way too many times) but I have to admire LSU and Tennessee for going out of their comfort zone of playing at home. Georgia found out at Okie St how difficult it is to play away from the southeast. I know you are tied into the game at FSU and that is the game that needs to be moved to a rotation basis similar to what is done now with Miami. If you need I will talk to Charlie Crist about the problem... 8) Playing in the swamp is a "Major" benefit to the Gators and gives an added advantage. I know from the experience of watching the Canes move out of their tropical backyard and play in the tundra north of the mason dixon line it makes a real difference. Those S. Florida boys freeze their jocks off when it gets below 60 degrees. The article mentioned the money factor as the main cause but I know you rich Gators can afford it more than lowly private schools like Miami. I noticed during the FSU - BYU game the halftime show guru had an interesting graph showing Texas, Ohio St and Florida as the top 3 money making football programs. If I remember correctly UF was stated as making $106 million last year with Texas the highest at $122 million. FSU was ranked #46 on the list at $47 million. If FSU was that low I can only imagine what UM is...I would like to see the entire list. RC
We'll just agree to disagree. You can continue to select champions depending on who they are, and I will continue to hope that one day we can determine them by what they are.
Talking to Crist would be fine by me Ralph. But as long as we play FSU every year we aren't going west. Heck when the time rolls around that there is an extra week in the season where we do schedule another team it's always Miami. So there is pressure for us to play both Miami and FSU, that works against us going elsewhere. There are Miami fans that accuse the Gators of ducking Miami. So what the Gators need to do is what is best for them, and that's to play FSU every year and also those years that allow for an extra week during the season. If others don't like it that's fine, I would change a lot of things other teams and conferences do if I had complete control. So the best thing for all to do is what's best for them.
And I have come to appreciate that the Gators and Canes do play each other still even though it's on a limited basis. At least the tradition is carried on and that is a good thing...
Bill, I will recognize that they are much the same when the Gators agree to schedule a non-conference game, leave the state, travel across the country and play another major power in their own stadium.....as FSU has done, as Miami has done, as Tennessee has done, as Bama has done, as ND has done, as Penn State has done, as we have done, as SC has done, as Texas has done, as Nebraska has done, as every other major football power in the country has done.....with very, very few exceptions. Then and only then can any such thing be recognized imho. I understand you have to rationalize your policy....but they are not very much the same.....but that's just my opinion.
Let me put this as kind as I can T, that statement is absurd. The Gators schedule is every bit as tough as Ohio State year in and year out and tougher most years. I frankly don't give a damn whether you admit squat about the Gators and our schedule, all our have done is show a bias to leaving the state because that's the way your team does it, and frankly your opinion of the Gator schedule will have no effect on our ranking, schedule strength or anything else. I think that is pretty well backed up with the recent SEC contract with CBS, the National rankings etc. So live in your own little world of how perfect you schedule. Enjoy your game today.
No Bill, the point is it is NOT just us......it is NOT our own little world. It is EVERY major power, it is the big world of major college football.....it is the Gators policy that separates it from the rest of the major football powers. I understand you have your reasons and you are comfortable with that and that is great, but it is what it is.....
Let's set the record straight, I said you not plural, but you. If you are somehow surrounded by folks with the same narrow view that's fine, my comment however was to you and your opinion. And yes it is what it is what it is, the Gators have all the respect they need in the football world and they don't the approval of someone who has such myopic vision that their version is the only version. Like I said enjoy your game today, I will enjoy ours, win or lose.
Enlighten me.......just what myopic vision do I have related to this topic that is mine and mine only? The irony of your position in light of the abundance of observations is bizarre......me thinks you doth protest too much.
Excuse me T but I never said the opinion was yours only and having people share your view doesn't make it any less myopic. I used to be someone who didn't like Notre Dame their were a number of things about them that I thought was arrogant and didn't fit my view of the world. I came to understand the Notre Dame tradition more from the Notre Dame fans here and to respect them much more for what they are. I also go to some Gator boards where their fans are a lot like you, everything from the Gator or SEC point of view. Gator view being first, if it doesn't fit that view then the other team sucks at whatever the topic is. I imagine you have some Ohio State boards much the same. So you know other fans with the same view, big whoop. I know quite a few Gator fans that think Ohio State and the Big 10 are irrelevant and behind the times. That's much like your opinion of the Gators schedule, myopic. So back to your statement above, abundance of observations, gee really, fans of other schools not liking what the Gators do is now an abundance of observations? Now there's a scientific observation. Prosteth to much? Well if that's your view fine as with your myopic view of the Gators you are entitled to your opinion. I think one reason I protesteth to much is that I always had you figured not only as a guy who expressed himself better than most but was also open minded to the other guys point of view and the issues they faced. You kind of blew that one for me and I may have reacted to strongly, but you know what that's my opinion.
The observations would have nothing to do with fans of other schools.....and nothing to do with anybody not liking something......the observations would be the scheduling policies of every major college football power. That of the Gators clearly is an outlier and stands virtually on its own.....explain to me how is that observation a myopic view? If it's raining and somebody makes that observation is that also a myopic view? If there is an elephant in the room, and somebody makes that observation, is that a myopic view..... You guys have obviously gotten comfortable with it and see no reason to compell the administration to change....that's great. But it is what it is.... Now if you want to take shots at me for my myopic view that 2+2=4, have at it...... :wink:
T, it's your view of other schools scheduling, put in your words. I gave you mine earlier as to the how ours and yours are much the same. You rejected them as it's not the way you see it in your view. To me that's myopic have it anyway you want it, I'm obviously not going to change your mind and you are going to pick the facts you like and my point of view doesn't fit your view. And by the way 2 + 2 does not always equal 4, that can also be according to your view. Another correct view might be that 2 + 2 = 11