Friday, December 08, 2006

Quick thoughts from a deadbeat blogger

Hola. I'm still really busy. I am planning to devote a few minutes a day to this site, though, so more updates should be on the way.

A few things:

* The Big Ten managed to set a new record for number of teams being absolutely screwed by the BCS: 2. The one everyone's talking about is Michigan, and yes, let me repeat: they got screwed. Period. And if Florida would've gotten snubbed, I would've devoted this space to letting you know that the Gators got screwed. This system, when it works, works perfectly. When it doesn't, ridiculous things happen. The BCS was created to "let 'em play it out on the field." Well, Michigan and Florida won't be playin' it out on the field, will they? I say this: Ohio State was the only one left standing after the season. Give 'em the trophy. Let 'em go play a one-loss team as an exhibition. Or pair them with undefeated Boise State so we have one and only one one-loss team at season's end.

* Wisconsin, of course, is the other team that got screwed. A one-loss team from a major conference isn't getting a BCS invite because two others are. The system is broken. I'd even say that Auburn got screwed. That Boise State is in at large and the Tigers are not is ridiculous. That Notre Dame is in and the Tigers are not is potentially even more ridiculous. It seems that all the top teams in the country are in the Big Ten and the SEC this year, with the exception of USC. And since every conference needs to get its share of the bowl money, good teams are kept out.

* The matchup with Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl (that's what I'm calling it ... forever) is a great one. If Darren McFadden was playing at his peak level, I don't know whether I'd call it so great or not. But with him hobbling around, I think the teams are evenly matched, and this will be one of the greatest bowl games of the season. It will certainly be better than Central Michigan-Middle Tennessee State. I think a good drinking game would be to take a shot everytime the announcers say "WILDCAT!" And by "good," I mean "one that would likely kill you before the end of the first half."

* Basketball is exactly where I figured it'd be ... one forehead-slapping loss to Missouri State, a close call at home against Winthrop, and a sumo match against Marquette tomorrow. Now, if only I could care about anything beyond final scores, conference standings, and tournament brackets with regard to this mind-numbing sport.

* And as for hockey ... we lost something like a dozen players after the title season. Did the pollsters take that into consideration when they were giving the Badgers their #1 votes?

* Congrats to Joe Thomas, who won the Outland Trophy in February when he announced he was returning to the team and collected it yesterday. And it's good to see that the Maxwell voters haven't left the Harris Poll voters out to dry as the only mindless goons who make important decisions in college football.

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