tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6793424786678923623.post1741532847346597056..comments2024-01-24T13:11:53.844-05:00Comments on The National Championship Issue: Curse of the Cupcake GamesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6793424786678923623.post-84469712258383373912011-12-14T09:28:32.727-05:002011-12-14T09:28:32.727-05:00Just wanted to thank you, not just because the nic...Just wanted to thank you, not just because the nice post, but pretty much more because my mother is nearly recovering from his surgery and he has almost nothing to do but staying on bed all day, his best source of entertainment has been this blog and I feel this is something good for him and his recovery.xl pharmacyhttp://www.multiplesclerosiscoalition.org/xlpharmacy.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6793424786678923623.post-76381898959802824582009-11-04T14:55:30.049-05:002009-11-04T14:55:30.049-05:00I like it, Phil - good breakdown. Part of the issu...I like it, Phil - good breakdown. Part of the issue is that the NCAA isn't willing to make I-AA games not count towards bowl eligibility. They're only allowed to count every few years now, but a total ban would be much more effective, competition-wise. <br /><br />But as you note, this wouldn't really stop the elite teams from scheduling them. And SoS is critical for them, as you mention, but it's based on presumptions more than anything. Like this year, Florida's non-conference schedule is uber-weak: Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International, and Florida State. But they can get away with it because of the perception that the SEC is so strong. How did they get that reputation? By playing and beating cupcakes. It's a vicious cycle, and there's no incentive for them to schedule tougher teams. <br /><br />Though you'd never get the schools to give up control over their own schedules, if it were up to me I'd have the NCAA or a committee or a group of coaches make up teams' non-conference schedules so that the tough teams play the tough teams, middle teams play the middle teams, and the weak teams play the weak teams. That way you're assured of competitive games and more elimination of the top teams from title contention throughout the season. Force Florida to play Texas in September, schedule Penn State to take on LSU in Death Valley, etc. That would cause the least amount of disruption to the season & bowls but still give us a ton more to go on when ranking teams.Ed Guntherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17618165280932470376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6793424786678923623.post-52476556374190060242009-11-04T12:03:43.029-05:002009-11-04T12:03:43.029-05:00Ed
Great post. I have some ideas to build on some...Ed<br /><br />Great post. I have some ideas to build on some of your thoughts here for what I see to be three tiers within Division 1-A.<br /><br />Let's start at the bottom. My idea here is to let sleeping dogs lie. Notwithstanding the idea I'll propose below, for these guys those cupcake games can turn out to be tough workouts or major embarrassments.<br /><br />On now to the middle tier. These guys need some help weaning themselves off cupcakes from the NCAA. Let them declare games outside 1-A to be void for bowl-eligibility purposes. In other words, these wins don't count. <br /><br />This really matters in this middle tier, where a subtraction from the win column can make the difference between going bowling or Christmas at home with the folks.<br /><br />Finally, to college football's elite, those whose fans expect a tilt at a BCS bowl more seasons than not. They too will be affected by rule proposed above, but the real penny that needs to drop for these programs is that we now live in the era of the one-loss national champion. For teams cottoning on to this, strength of schedule becomes critical, and the only place to bolster it is in non-conference play.<br /><br />That's my take on it, anyway.Phil the Britnoreply@blogger.com