[QUOTE=Doctor Who]
Not true. If they finish in the Top Eight, they get an automatic berth to the BCS.
[/QUOTE]
Ah, they changed it to top eight, that’s much more reasonable. I still hate Notre Dame though.
[QUOTE=beergeek279]
OK…let’s agree to disagree for the time being and have this discussion again after the Louisville game.
According to http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/statistics.html as a stats site,
Louisville is #9 in rushing defense with 74.9 ypg allowed,
10th with 280.1 yards passing per game,
and 8th in scoring defense with 88 points given up on the season.
Fair enough??
[/QUOTE]
Wait - let me pipe up. Those stats are pretty shaky until Louisville actually plays anyone (the same problem that West VA is having). I mean, look at the teams they’ve played: Kentucky, Temple, Miami, K State, MTSU, Cinn, and Syracuse. Not exactly powerhouses.
MTSU is 4-3, but they haven’t beaten any of the decent teams they’ve played. Kansas State and Cinn are only batting .500 at 4-4. KY is 3-4, Syracuse is 3-5, and Temple is a joke at 0-7.
And please - don’t talk to me about Miami. This is not the Miami of yesteryear. This is a team that hung a whopping 20 points on Duke. DUKE. This is a team that put up a mere 14 against Houston. HOUSTON. This is not an offensive machine.
So, I can accept that playing those teams, Louisville’s defense is 8th overall. What I can’t accept is that that in any way means that Louisville has an amazing defense or is a great team. They have a great offense that apparently ANYONE can be installed into (considering their injury list). But they’re not a great team - and I don’t think that W. VA is really showing their stuff by beating them.
My personal feeling re: the W. VA - Louisville game? 70ish-30ish W. VA. The defenses just don’t enter into it.
Let me just chime in to, while I’m typing — I think that W. VA is a REALLY good team. Slaton and White are amazing. And there are some decent receivers in the mix as well. Their defense is a little suspect, but the offense really takes the pressure off of them. And let’s face it - they run that spread offense to a T.
The real objection to West Virginia is not that they are NOT good - it’s that it’s tough to compare them to teams that are playing a decent slate in-conference. Do I think that West Virginia would be 7-0 playing an SEC East schedule or a PAC-10 Schedule? Maybe, maybe not - but it would be a whole helluva lot tougher getting to 7-0. Do I think that Oregon or Cal or Florida or Auburn or Tennesee or Georgia or Arkansas or Wisconsin or Texas or Nebraska or Georgia Tech or VA Tech or Clemson or hell, Iowa would be 7-0 against West Virginia’s schedule so far? Yes. Absolutely yes.
I don’t think that really takes anything away from how good West Virginia is (4th in the BCS!) — just takes something away from the luster of their 7-0 start.
[QUOTE=HowieReynolds]
Ah, they changed it to top eight, that’s much more reasonable. I still hate Notre Dame though.
[/QUOTE]
Agreed re: the hate.
There is a top 12 rule though - it applies to non-BCS Conferences (CUSA, MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, WAC). If one of these conference champions is ranked in the Top 12 of the final standings then they get an automatic BCS berth. They could also qualify by being in the Top 16 AND being ranked higher than the champion of a BCS-conference. (Only one team per year gets to get ushered in this way).
[QUOTE=HowieReynolds]
Louisville is a good team (and they brought me much joy when they whipped Miami) but they too would be a mid tier SEC team. They’ve achieved those defensive numbers against the likes of Syracuse, Cincinnati, and Middle Tennessee State. They gave up 28 points to Kentucky (although that was the first game of the season.) So WV better score at least 30 if they want to impress me.
[/QUOTE]
Fine, I tried. So, Florida’s stats against their mighty Out of Conference schedule (to boot: Southern Miss, Central Florida, Western Carolina) somehow count, but despite the fact that they beat a U of Miami team, Louisville gets penalized?
[QUOTE=TurdFerguson]
- The majority of Notre Dame students/grads I know are elitist. Heck I even know a few ND dropouts who are like this. I do know a few ND grads who are pretty decent, though.
[/QUOTE]
Well, I’m a grad but I didn’t particularly like the school. Do I get a pass? 
[QUOTE=beergeek279]
Fine, I tried. So, Florida’s stats against their mighty Out of Conference schedule (to boot: Southern Miss, Central Florida, Western Carolina) somehow count, but despite the fact that they beat a U of Miami team, Louisville gets penalized?
[/QUOTE]
We played Tennessee, Auburn, and LSU, all of whom are better than anyone Louisville has played. We also played Alabama, probably about as difficult a game as Miami. Florida has better stats against a much tougher schedule.
[QUOTE=jsgoddess]
Well, I’m a grad but I didn’t particularly like the school. Do I get a pass?
[/QUOTE]
Pass granted, as long as you tell people this every now and then!
[QUOTE=jsgoddess]
Well, I’m a grad but I didn’t particularly like the school. Do I get a pass?
[/QUOTE]
Seeing how that’s all I know about you, pass granted.
[QUOTE=jsc1953]
Let’s say USC beats Cal on Nov 18, and USC beats Notre Dame on Nov 25; and USC winds up #2, and goes to the NC game. This leaves the Rose Bowl without their traditional tie-in (the Pac-10 champion), so they get to pick an at-large team.
Both Cal and NC are 10-2.
Cal fans *know * that the Rose Bowl will screw them out of the Rose Bowl – *our * bowl – and pick ND. Because they’re special.
[/QUOTE]
Oregon State 33 - USC 31. Crisis averted!
[QUOTE=Doctor Who]
Oregon State 33 - USC 31. Crisis averted!
[/QUOTE]
Goddamn, Motherfucking, Cocksucking Two-Point Play!