Two weeks ago, Oregon State tried to surprise Cal with an onside kick. A Cal guy fielded it cleanly and returned it 30 yards, followed soon after by a TD. (OSU won anyway).
Just goes to show you that even good teams do stupid things sometimes.
Now that James Madison has 6 wins, there are calls for the NCAA to reconsider its decision to not grant it a bowl eligibility waiver, including one from Virginia’s Attorney General.
Since JMU is in the second year of its FCS-to-FBS transition, it cannot become bowl eligible unless there are not at least 82 other 6-or-more-win teams (including a possibly 6-7 Hawaii and New Mexico State, but not a 6-6 Army (as it plays two FCS teams) or a 6-win Jacksonville State (as it is also in transition, as is Sam Houston, although I doubt it will get to 6). It asked the NCAA for a waiver to become bowl eligible with 6 wins before the season started, as it played a “full FBS schedule” last year, but the NCAA turned it down.
Since the teams that are eligible for bowls should be known by 11/26 (the only real possible exceptions are Army and Navy), and most of the bowl bids won’t be announced until 12/3, the NCAA could be waiting to see if JMU needs a waiver before deciding whether or not to give it one.
Note that reports of this possibly costing JMU a Fiesta Bowl berth may be wrong; the Sun Belt Conference commissioner has already said that JMU is ineligible for the conference championship, and only the highest ranked conference champion of a non-Power 5 conference is guaranteed a CFP bowl spot.
Update: the NCAA responded to the Virginia AG’s request: waiver denied.
Could someone explain the advantages a new to Division 1A school has over those already there that justifies them being excluded from eligibility?
I think the very technical answer is, “We already got ours.”
I hate being right. Good thing it doesn’t happen too often.
George Mason is now AP #25. It’ll be real hard to hold a ranked team out of a bowl because of some dumbass rule.
The first CFP rankings are next Tuesday; assuming JMU wins, I wonder if the committee will send a message to the NCAA by ranking them. Note that even if JMU ends up higher than, say, a Mountain West champion Air Force, and there aren’t 82 other 6-win teams so JMU is bowl eligible after all, the CFP would still have to give its non-Power 5 spot to Air Force, as it has to be a conference champion. (If you want JMU to be eligible for the Sun Belt championship, you’ll have to go to the conference; the NCAA has no say in that matter.)
Oh, Cal!
OkLOLhoma
USC v Cal
I’ve seen it all now, I think. And if not all, I’ve seen enough to know I’ve seen too much.
That was the first win by Kansas over Oklahoma since 1997. The first home win by Kansas over a top-10 team since 1984. Before today, Kansas was 0-107-2 all-time against top-10 opponents when trailing entering the 4th quarter.
Enjoy the SEC, Sooners.
We had it. In our grasp. And let it slip away….one turnover too many.
For the record: I agree with the decision to go for 2 and the win, instead of OT.
I agree. Overtime is The Suck.
When does Colorado introduce the merch with the “Sub-Prime” logo? Really bad coaching at the end of the half. Gave the Beavs an easy 7. He blames himself in one breath, then calls out his O-line in the next.
Someone please explain to me why Florida State with its weak-ass strength of schedule is ranked #4 and has 2 first place votes in the AP Top 25?
Hey, but they beat Duke! LOL
Probably the same reason why Michigan is ranked #2 with 9 first place votes in spite of a weak-ass strength of schedule. Undefeated team in a P5 conference.
FSU could conceivably win their last 3 games (Miami, North Alabama, & Florida) and then beat Louisville in the conference championship game, which would almost ensure them a spot in the CFP.
Yeah, I guess beating Pitt by 17 was more impressive than Washington’s 10 point win over USC. But the 2 first place votes? That is just redonculous.
The Pac-12 Championship should be a rematch between UW and Oregon, and the winner would absolutely be entitled to a CFP berth. Anything else would be a travesty.