Vote for the Best FBS National Championship Game of All-Time

USA Today is running a poll to determine which was the best game ever to decide an FBS "National Championship" (arbitrary, since the NCAA doesn't recognize a true champion at that level). Anyway, head on over and vote for Penn State (in the 1983 Sugar Bowl or the 1987 Fiesta Bowl). My choice was obvious, even though I was barely two years old when it occurred. I've read so much about it and seen so many highlights that it's engraved in my memory. Plus, it is definitely one of college football's greatest games. And look! Many others around the nation agree with me...

Click to enlarge.

So go on and vote!

On a related note, read this awesome article about said game. The best thing ESPN.com has ever put out. By far.

Originally published on December 27, 2006.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FROM A TO Z

By Your Athletic Supporter, Jack Strap

As a very interesting COLLEGE FOOTBALL Season comes to a close this week, I'll remind you of as much as I can FROM A TO Z:
A = All-Americans, smartly including Academic All-Americans http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/14013/tebow-headlines-academic-all-america-team
B = Bobby Bowden who went out on a high note with a January 1 Bowl win which is fitting since he's the only coach to ever lead his team to 15 consecutive New Year's Day Bowl games & the only coach ever with 14 consecutive Bowl appearances without a loss
C = Crimson Tide which is what they call Alabama (reference Steely Dan) who will take on Texas for the National Championship
D = Dominating Defense played by 2009 AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL Player of the Year, Nebraska "black shirt" Ndamukong Suh
E = Eighty-Three year old Coach Joe "JoePa" Paterno won his record 24th Bowl game while notching his record 394th win vs. LSU on 1/1/10
F = Florida couldn't defend its National Championship, but did finish strong with a 51-24 win in the Sugar Bowl vs. coachless Cincinnati
G = Georgia Tech didn't look like a Ramblin' Wreck while winning the ACC Title & a trip this week to the Orange Bowl
H = Horned Frogs of TCU who crashed the BCS Party this year with an undefeated season
I = Ingram, Mark who became Alabama's 1st Heisman Trophy winner
J = Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award went to Colt McCoy
K = Kellen Moore from Boise St. led the nation with the highest QB rating
L = Longhorns of Texas can improve upon their current #2 ranking with a win in the National Championship Game
M = Michigan who suffered their 2nd straight losing season under Richie "Rich" Rodriquez
N = Navy beat Notre Dame, Missouri in the Texas Bowl, and Army this year
O = Oregon Ducks ended USC's streak of winning or sharing 7 straight Pac-10 titles before being beaten by Ohio St. in the Rose Bowl
P = Penn State (We Are!!!) who won 11 games for the 2nd straight season & should again be ranked in the Top 10
Q = Quit? Did Urban Meyer Quit due to his health problems or is he on a leave of absense?
R = Rimington Trophy for Outstanding Center went to Maurkice Pouncey from Florida (gotta give the big guys in the trenches some props too)
S = Stanford's Toby Gerhart won the Doak Walker RB Award
T = Tim Tebow is a very good college football player which is good because "there's no crying in baseball"
U = UConn overcame adversity on & off the field and showed they don't just play hoops there
V = Valero Alamo Bowl saw one team with 14 players suspended for a dorm brawl (Michigan St.) while the other (Texas Tech) fired their coach just before the game for allegedly mistreating a player with a concussion
W = Westemeyer, Blaine who won the Gagliardi Trophy as the NCAA Division III's Outstanding Player as an Offensive Tackle, but don't take my word for it--reference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsO5-RkUNmo
X = X's & O's with nobody doing that better this year than Coach of the Year Brian Kelly who led Cincinnati to an undefeated season (yes, Cincinnati) & next will take on an even bigger challenge at Notre Dame
Y = Yes, this is almost over so don't doze off
Z = Z-Z-Z-Z-Z, wake up as COLLEGE FOOTBALL FROM A TO Z is complete or will be after Thursday's BCS Championship Game

Utah Utes: The Real 2008 National Champions?

Many college football fans thought that the 2008 Utah Utes were the best in the land. After all they did beat Michigan at The Big House, Oregon State, #12 TCU, #14 BYU, and #4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Even with Michigan's struggles this season, The Big House is The Big House and it was the first game of the season. That's quite the resume. Yet they still finished 4th in the USA Today/Coaches Poll and 2nd in the AP Poll, behind the BCS National Champion Florida Gators.

Millions of people yearn for a playoff. We ain't got one and we ain't gettin' one soon. But does it really matter who the BCS crowns as the National Champion? Actually, no. The NCAA doesn't recognize the BCS as the sole distributor of National Championships. They recognize any reputable person/corporation that is willing to dole them out. According to the NCAA, Penn State has 7 National Championships: 1994, 1986, 1982, 1981, 1969, 1912, and 1911. The University only recognizes those awarded in 1982 and 1986, the only two awarded to the Nittany Lions by the Associated Press.

Why am I bringing any of this up? Because I found this interesting:

So instead of following our usual approach of whining and complaining and ultimately doing nothing about a perceived injustice, we’ve decided to take action.

On Thursday at 2:00 p.m. local time, site co-owner Larry Mazza will present the CFT 2008 National Championship Trophy to Coach Whittingham and the rest of the team at the Dee Glen Smith Center on the campus of the University of Utah.

No, we ain’t kidding. And it’s a real trophy that cost real money — not some retrofitted bowling trophy from 1975.

Whittingham accepted the offer, and we cleared it all through the NCAA.

Wow. Now Mike Florio, of Pro Football Talk fame, is kind of a lightning rod blogger for primarily the NFL. You like him or hate him, but his information is abundant and quickly posted. This second venture of him and his merry band of men, College Football Talk, has only recently taken off. Before the site was kind of a like a smelly step son to PFT. Now that Keith Arnold and John Taylor (plus Florio from time to time) post often the site has risen in popularity.

I like that they are continuing to press the issue of National Championships in the Football Bowl Subdivision. If people just sit there and obey the big boys of the BCS, we'll never see a playoff. Perhaps some prodding from fans and reputable sites can help the push for a playoff. I hope there are pictures and even video of this awards ceremony. And hopefully ESPN or some national media outlet will give it some face time, too.

2008 NCAA FBS Simulated Tournament: National Championship

It all comes down to this. Ohio State vs Penn State, a rematch of the Big Ten showdown in October (which Penn State won in Columbus, 13-6). How did things go down in Miami? Find out below.

10 Ohio State vs 8 Penn State
Round 4, Game 1 Results

Final Score
38-24, Ohio State

Game Statistics
Passing
Daryll Clark, Penn State - 18 of 33, 230 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State - 20 of 32, 261 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing
Evan Royster, Penn State - 25 rushes, 64 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 25 rushes, 124 yards, 0 TDs, 2 fumbles

Receiving
Deon Butler, Penn State - 7 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD, 1 drop
Brian Robiskie, Ohio State - 4 catches, 82 yards, 0 TDs, 2 drops

Kicking
Kevin Kelly, Penn State - 1 for 2
Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State - 3 for 3

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP COMMENTARY

So there it is. Congratulations Ohio State, the 2008 Sports Fountainhead simulated NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! The game was really up and down, back and forth. Ohio State sprinted to a 17-7 halftime lead. Much like in real life during the Rose Bowl, Penn State fought back and never gave up. In the simulated game Penn State actually took the lead at one point, 24-17, before the Buckeyes woke up and scored 21 unanswered points and sealed the win.

These two Big Ten teams were clearly some of the best college football had to offer this year. However, as we saw in real life, they weren't THE best. Penn State and Ohio State are top ten teams (barely). In the simulation they were tops.

I hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I did. I'd love to be able to put some highlights from the games together... but I have no idea how to do that. Enjoy the real national championship game tomorrow night. And be thankful that the 2009 college football season is less than 8 months away...

2008 Simulated National Championship Match Up

PENN STATE

OHIO STATE

2008 SIMULATED NATIONAL TITLE GAME

January 6th, 2009

presented by Sports Fountainhead

2008 NCAA FBS Simulated Tournament: National Semifinals

Now that you have had about 8 hours to soak in the Final Four matchups, I'm here with those results!

12 Cincinnati vs 8 Penn State
Round 3, Game 1 Results

Final Score
48-13, Penn State

Game Statistics
Passing
Tony Pike, Cincinnati - 13 of 24, 284 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Daryll Clark, Penn State - 23 of 36, 295 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing
Jacob Ramsey, Cincinnati - 13 rushes, 37 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
Evan Royster, Penn State - 24 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TDs, 1 fumble

Receiving
Ben Guidugli, Cincinnati - 2 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD, 1 drop
Derrick Williams, Penn State - 7 catches, 112 yards, 0 TDs, 1 drop

Kicking
Jake Rogers, Cincinnati - 0 for 0
Kevin Kelly, Penn State - 2 for 3

10 Ohio State vs 3 Texas
Round 3, Game 2 Results

Final Score
41-23, Ohio State

Game Statistics
Passing
Colt McCoy, Texas - 19 of 50, 349 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State - 19 of 41, 286 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs

Rushing
Vondrell McGee, Texas - 11 rushes, 54 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 31 rushes, 79 yards, 2 TDs, 1 fumble

Receiving
Peter Ullman, Texas - 4 catches, 107 yards, 1 TD, 1 drop
Brian Robiskie, Ohio State - 6 catches, 110 yards, 2 TDs, 2 drops

Kicking
Hunter Lawrence, Texas - 0 for 3
Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State - 2 for 4

FINAL FOUR COMMENTARY

Yep, both Big 10 teams in the Title Game. Suck on that, national media! Though this isn't reality, I can't say this would never happen. The game of football is about match ups; some teams just match up better (it also helps when EA over rates your players JamesLaurinaitis).

Penn State vs Ohio State for the 2008 FBS Simulated National Championship.

Penn State actually trailed Cincinnati, who looked primed for another upset, 13-10 after the 1st quarter. Then the Nittany Lions woke up and hammered the Bearcats. Penn State and Ohio State match up well in the video game. Both have strong defenses (if they exist in EAs world) and, based on these stats, really strong offenses. Ohio State is vastly overrated in this game so I think they'll beat Penn State. I predict a final score of 44-31, Buckeyes. Not what I want, obviously, but I don't have much face in the simulation coming out rosy for Penn State in south Florida.

We'll find out a few days before the REAL national title game...

2008 NCAA FBS Simulated Tournament: Round 2

From the Elite Eight to the Final Four, here are the results for round 2 of the 2008 Simulated College Football Playoff. Again, only two games finished as expected. UPSETS!!!

8 Penn State vs 1 Oklahoma
Round 2, Game 1 Results

Final Score
35-31, Penn State

Game Statistics
Passing
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma - 28 of 43, 315 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Daryll Clark, Penn State - 28 of 42, 445 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INTs

Rushing
Jermie Calhoun, Oklahoma - 9 rushes, 83 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles
Stephfon Green, Penn State - 19 rushes, 77 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma - 7 cactches, 87 yards, 0 TDs, 4 drops
Derrick Williams, Penn State - 8 catches, 174 yards, 1 TD, 3 drops

Kicking
Tress Way, Oklahoma - 1 for 2
Kevin Kelly, Penn State - 0 for 0

*more information on this match following the rest of the results*

12 Cincinnati vs 4 Alabama
Round 2, Game 2 Results

Final Score
38-21, Cincinnati

Game Statistics
Passing
John Parker Wilson, Alabama - 20 of 35, 295 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Tony Pike, Cincinnati - 24 of 39, 296 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing
Glen Coffee, Alabama - 22 rushes, 58 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles
John Goebel, Cincinnati - 14 rushes, 81 yards, 1 TD, 3 fumbles

Receiving
Julio Jones, Alabama - 5 catches, 87 yards, 2 TDs, 2 drops
Marcus Barnett, Cincinnati - 6 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD, 1 drop

Kicking
Leigh Tiffin, Alabama - 0 for 0
Jake Rogers, Cincinnati - 0 for 1

11 TCU vs 3 Texas
Round 2, Game 3 Results

Final Score
47-27, Texas

Game Statistics
Passing
Andy Dalton, TCU - 11 of 26, 350 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs
Colt McCoy, Texas - 33 of 47, 382 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing
Joseph Turner, TCU - 17 rushes, 67 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
Vondrell McGee, Texas - 26 rushes, 93 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles

Receiving
Walter Bryant, TCU - 3 catches, 187 yards, 2 TDs, 0 drops
Quan Cosby, Texas - 6 catches, 104 yards, 0 TDs, 0 drops

Kicking
Ross Evans, TCU - 0 for 0
Hunter Lawrence, Texas - 4 for 7

15 Georgia vs 10 Ohio State
Round 2, Game 4 Results

Final Score
31-24, Ohio State

Game Statistics
Passing
Matthew Stafford, Georgia - 28 of 47, 422 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State - 12 of 28, 136 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs

Rushing
Caleb King, Georgia - 24 rushes, 58 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 17 rushes, 61 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia - 6 catches, 133 yards, 1 TD, 2 drops
Brian Robiskie, Ohio State - 2 catches, 32 yards, 0 TDs, 0 drops

Kicking
Blair Walsh, Georgia - 1 for 2
Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State - 1 for 2

ROUND 2 COMMENTARY

Wow. The Penn State-Oklahoma game was so exciting I wish I could upload it to YouTube. If that game had happened in real life, during a do-or-die playoff it would have gone down in history. Penn State knocks off #1 seed Oklahoma. Here's how it happened:

• 1st quarter - TD Oklahoma, Bradford run, 7-0 Oklahoma
• 1st quarter - FG Oklahoma, Way kick, 10-0 Oklahoma
• 1st quarter - TD Penn State, Clark to Williams, 10-7 Oklahoma
• 2nd quarter - TD Penn State, Green run, 14-10 Penn State
• 2nd quarter - TD Oklahoma, Bradford to Tennell, 17-14 Oklahoma
• 3rd quarter - TD Penn State, Clark to Shuler*, 21-17 Penn State
• 3rd quarter - TD Oklahoma, Calhoun run, 24-21 Oklahoma
• 4th quarter - TD Oklahoma, Bradford to Clapp, 31-21 Oklahoma
• 4th quarter - TD Penn State, Clark to Edwards, 31-28 Oklahoma
• 4th quarter - TD Penn State, Clark to Shuler**, 35-31 Penn State
• FINAL SCORE: Penn State 35, Oklahoma 31

*The pass to Shuler to put Penn State back on top at the beginning of the 3rd was for 75 yards!
**Shuler's 2nd TD reception from Clark came with 2:45 left in the game.

That game was absolutely crazy. Clark struggled early but really settled down in the 2nd half. This was, by far, the best game of the simulation after 12 games.

The Georgia-Ohio State match was a good one too. Georgia, minus Knowshon Moreno due to injury suffered versus Florida, played hard and relied on Matthew Stafford. It just wasn't enough. The Bulldogs cut the lead to 7 with under a minute to play but the onside kick attempt failed.

How about Cincinnati? They are on quite the roll. They knocked off #5 USC and now #4 Alabama. Up next? #8 Penn State. Gulp.

We get an actual BCS Bowl Match Up in the other half of the Simulated Final Four, as Ohio State plays Texas. The Ohio State offense has been clicking in the first two rounds, but so has Texas'. It will most likely be shootout. As much as I would like to see an all Big 10 title game, most of the nation wouldn't. I guess the best outlook would be Penn State vs Texas for the title, something that could have happened this year.

The results of the Final Four will be up late tonight. I am making you wait until after the New Year for the Championship Game reults however. The updated bracket is below...

2008 NCAA FBS Simulated Tournament: Round 1, Part 2

The statistics and scores are on their way (should be up by 7:30 PM ET). If you'd like to see who won and the matchups for round 2, click the image. There were plenty of upsets in round 1, part 2!

14 Georgia Tech vs 3 Texas
Round 1, Game 5 Results

Final Score
51-21, Texas

Game Statistics
Passing
Calvin Booker, Georgia Tech - 8 of 8, 189 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Colt McCoy, Texas - 22 of 35, 383 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing
Jamaal Evans, Georgia Tech - 14 rushes, 65 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles
Vondrell McGee, Texas - 16 rushes, 71 yards, 3 TDs, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Greg Smith, Georgia Tech - 3 catches, 122 yards, 1 TD, 0 drops
Jordan Shipley, Texas - 8 catches, 153 yards, 0 TDs, 0 drops

Kicking
Iain Vance, Georgia Tech - 0 for 1
Hunter Lawrence, Texas - 3 for 5

11 TCU vs 6 Utah
Round 1, Game 6 Results

Final Score
47-14, TCU

Game Statistics
Passing
Brian Johnson, Utah - 12 of 29, 197 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
Andy Dalton, TCU - 23 of 36, 279 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing
Brian Johnson, Utah - 13 rushes, 56 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles
Aaron Brown, TCU - 25 rushes, 126 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles

Receiving
Aiona Key, Utah - 5 catches, 124 yards, 2 TDs, 1 drop
Walter Bryant, TCU - 5 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD, 1 drop

Kicking
Louie Sakoda, Utah - 0 for 0
Ross Evans, TCU - 4 for 4

10 Ohio State vs 7 Texas Tech
Round 1, Game 7 Results

Final Score
56-19, Ohio State

Game Statistics
Passing
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech - 27 of 42, 335 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State - 17 of 23, 341 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech - 5 rushes, 14 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 13 rushes, 82 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

Receiving
Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech - 7 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD, 3 drops
Brian Robiskie, Ohio State - 7 catches, 167 yards, 3 TDs, 1 drop

Kicking
Donnie Carona, Texas Tech - 1 for 1
Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State - 4 for 8

15 Georgia vs 2 Florida
Round 1, Game 8 Results

Final Score
42-37, Georgia

Game Statistics
Passing
Tim Tebow, Florida - 26 of 45, 401 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT
Matthew Stafford, Georgia - 24 of 32, 279 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing
Emmanuel Moody, Florida - 9 rushes, 41 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles
Caleb King, Georgia - 17 rushes, 89 yards, 1 TD, 2 fumbles

Receiving
Percy Harvin, Florida - 9 catches, 141 yards, 0 TDs, 2 drops
Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia - 8 catches, 118 yards, 2 TDs, 0 drops

Kicking
Caleb Sturgis, Florida - 1 for 2
Blair Walsh, Georgia - 2 for 3

ROUND 1, PART 2 COMMENTARY

Wow, what a conclusion to round one! The field of 8 is set and it features 4 favored teams and 4 underdogs from the first round. But before we move on to the Elite Eight, let's recap round one, part two. Offense was the name of the game in these matchups. Each victorious team scored 42 points or more, including a 56 point outburst by Ohio State. Terrelle Pryor was by far the MVP of round one, in any game. He played out of his mind. Beanie Wells barely had to do anything. The best game was easily Georgia/Florida. It was the only close game so it's an easy choice. What really made it interesting though was the lead changes. Each team, at some point, had at least a 14 point lead. The game came down to the wire but the Bulldogs defense was able to stuff Tim Tebow inside the red zone to save the game.

You may notice a few people absent from the stat. leaders. Georgia Tech's QB, Josh Nesbitt, left the game early with an injury. This was also the case with Georgia's Knowshon Moreno, will miss the second round game versus Ohio State. Moreno would be available for the national semifinal should the Bulldogs make it.

Updated bracket below. The Elite Eight will become the Final Four tomorrow evening!

2008 NCAA FBS Simulated Tournament: Round 1, Part 1

The first half of the first round of the 2008 SPORTS FOUNTAINHEAD SIMULATED COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF has been completed! Results and statistics, as well as the updated bracket, are below.

16 Virginia Tech vs 1 Oklahoma
Round 1, Game 1 Results

Final Score
26-0, Oklahoma

Game Statistics

Passing
Sean Glennon, Virginia Tech - 8 of 17, 135 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma - 14 of 25, 167 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs

Rushing
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech - 17 rushes, 46 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma - 37 rushes, 178 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Zach Luckett, Virginia Tech - 5 catches, 82 yards, 0 TDs, 3 drops
Adron Tennell, Oklahoma - 7 catches, 126 yards, 1 TD, 3 drops

Kicking
Dustin Keys, Virginia Tech - 0 for 2
Tress Way, Oklahoma - 4 for 6

9 Boise State vs 8 Penn State
Round 1, Game 2 Results

Final Score
43-22, Penn State

Game Statistics

Passing
Bush Hamdan, Boise State - 18 of 25, 232 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Daryll Clark, Penn State - 26 of 36, 311 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs

Rushing
D.J. Harper, Boise State - 21 rushes, 60 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles
Evan Royster, Penn State - 36 rushes, 159 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Vinny Perretta, Boise State - 6 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD, 0 drops
Deon Butler, Penn State - 10 catches, 113 yards, 3 TDs, 1 drop

Kicking
Kyle Brotzman, Boise State - 2 for 3
Kevin Kelly, Penn State - 0 for 0

12 Cincinnati vs 5 USC
Round 1, Game 3 Results

Final Score
48-27, Cincinnati

Game Statistics

Passing
Tony Pike, Cincinnati - 26 of 34, 300 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs
Mark Sanchez, USC - 17 of 33, 251 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Rushing
Jacob Ramsey, Cincinnati - 20 rushes, 69 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble
Joe McKnight, USC - 14 rushes, 75 yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble

Receiving
Marcus Barnett, Cincinnati - 7 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD, 1 drop
Patrick Turner, USC - 3 catches, 66 yards, 0 TDs, 1 drop

Kicking
Jake Rogers, Cincinnati - 2 for 2
David Buehler, USC - 0 for 3

13 Oklahoma State vs 4 Alabama
Round 1, Game 4 Results

Final Score
48-21, Alabama

Game Statistics

Passing
Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State - 14 of 32, 216 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs
John Parker Wilson, Alabama - 26 of 44, 539 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT

Rushing
Keith Toston, Oklahoma State - 23 rushes, 115 yards, 2 TDs, 0 fumbles
Glen Coffee, Alabama - 27 rushes, 108 yards, 0 TDs, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Jeremy Boradway, Oklahoma State - 3 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD, 3 drops
Mike McCoy, Alabama - 7 catches, 232 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Kicking
Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State -o for 1
Leigh Tiffin, Alabama - 2 for 3

UPDATED BRACKET

Click to enlarge.

So we have an upset! Big East Champion Cincinnati defeats the "OMG! BEST TEAM EVAH!" USC. Preview of things to come in real life?

On deck for tomorrow is the results from Round 1, Part 2.

The Field is Set for 2008

Alright everybody here it is, the SECOND ANNUAL SPORTS FOUNTAINHEAD SIMULATED COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF! I will be simulating the games courtesy of EA Sports NCAA Football 2009 on the Xbox 360 gaming system. All my rosters are UNEDITED, save for player names (from Game Rosters).

There have been a few changes to the tournament this year. First off, instead of using the Sports Fountainhead blogger college football rankings we will use the BCS standings. The top 16 teams make this tournament. The only exception would be that all BCS conference teams make the field. So for instance this season Virginia Tech, the ACC Champions, finished ranked 19th in the BCS standings. They get bumped into the final spot of the field. Only at-large (i.e. non-conference winners) teams may be bumped out of the playoff. Unfortunately that means BYU is out this year. Sorry mormons. Also, the bowl games have been shuffled with the 3rd Place Consolation Game being dropped. Once the field is cut to 8, those 4 matchups will be played at the BCS Bowls as the Rose, Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar Bowls. The Nationa Semifinal Games will be played at 2 of the 4 BCS Bowl locations (but not considered the actual bowl game). The National Semifinal Games shall be played at the 2 bowls that are not hosting the National Title Game and did not host the National Title Game the year before. So this year the Louisiana Superdome will only host the Sugar Bowl. All the other bowls get 2 games. Also, there are no play-in games this year. because we are using the BCS rankings they aren't necessary.

With that taken care of, here are a few reminders... I am not playing as one of the teams. I set up the game and then use the 'Super Sim' ability to go to the end. I will be compiling statistics for every game and reporting on the outcomes. I hope to have the first part of round one completed tonight for posting tomorrow. This whole thing should be finished within a week. Below is the playoff bracket.

Click on image to enlarge playoff bracket.

BCS Remains Complete Joke

How can a team that loses by 44 stay ahead of a team that won by 31 (and who's only loss is by 1 on a last-second FG)? Only in the BCS. The Big Ten slap-fest continued in the latest iteration of the BCS standings, which were released tonight. The 2008 Big Ten Champions stayed in 8th place overall. All but one of their victories was by 14 or more points. They trashed an Oregon State team that beat USC. They went to Columbus and beat Ohio State. There was one hiccup; one misstep. A 1-point loss to a resurgent Iowa team. But Big 12 teams forget how to play defense yet they are perceived as better? What a joke!

I'm not saying Penn State should be #1. They may or may not be Top 5 right now. But they aren't 8. No lower than 6, I say. In front of an OVERRATED Texas Tech team and Utah. Utah squeaked by Michigan (hardly a tough game this season), narrowly escaped Air Force, beat Oregon State by 3, and struggled mightily againts New Mexico. Their wins over TCU and BYU are nice. But can you really tell me they are better than Penn State? They deserved to be in the Top 25. I'd say between 12-18.

The real culprit is those damn computers they use. Penn State is ranked 7th (Anderson & Hester), 10th (Billingsley), 7th (Colley Matrix), 9th (Massey), 8th (Sagarin), and 11th (Wolfe). What a joke. 11th? Wolfe's updated rankings haven't been published yet but last week we were still behind Georgia and Oklahoma State.

The sad truth about computer rankings is you can manipulate the statistics and numbers until you get what you want. I'm not saying these gentlemen have done that. I'm saying that I could make a computer ranking system that would look much different than this using the same underlying inputs.

I have tried making my own in the past. Perhaps I'll revisit that to demonstrate what I mean. Through week 8 of this season Penn State was ranked #1 in my computer model - and by a large margin. That would obviously be different now. I wonder where they would be?

BCS still is crap, we need a playoff. On any given Saturday, any team can win. Let them figure this out on the field, not through computers.

Looking for Gambling Advice? Steer Clear of E

Congratulations to E for picking the fewest FBS Bowl Games correctly. E finished with 18 of 32 (56.25%) correct, finishing dead last in the 2007-2008 Sports Fountainhead Bowl Predictions contest. If you do find gambling fun, make sure to contact JRAFF. Many of you probably haven't read any of his stuff. None of it has been posted here yet. He made a few posts on the old site back in June and July but has been MIA ever since we moved to Blogger. Well I tracked him down for his Bowl picks. Bad idea for the rest of the writers. Justin went 22 of 32 (68.75%) without the help of HGH. Yes, of course we test the writers! In all seriousness, the results are pretty level. All bloggers selected between 18 and 22 of the Bowl games correctly. I was hoping we would be closer to 25 or 26. I guess we are not as smart as we thought. Results and silly awards below.

Results

CHAMPION: JRAFF (Justin Raffauf) - 22 of 32
RUNNER UP: TAS (Tom Sabbatelli) - 20 of 32 (tie)
RUNNER UP: J MAYS (Joseph Mays) - 20 of 32 (tie)
4th Place: STEELY MCDONATI (Jonathan Donati) - 19 of 32
5th Place: E (Eric Wertz) - 18 of 32


Awards

I TOLD YOU SO: JRAFF is the only blogger to predict Michigan would beat Florida and Oregon would defeat USF; Steely McDonati correctly predicted Utah over Navy; and TAS went out on a limb and took Sylvester Croom's Mississippi State team to stop UCF.
NEVER BET AGAINST THE TEAM THE BOWL WAS CREATED FOR: TAS selects Nevada to beat New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl.
WE TOLD YOU SO: The bloggers all selected Cincinnati, Penn State, Kentucky, Missouri, USC, Rutgers, and Tulsa to win. And they did.
THE CURSE OF THE HAWAII BOWL: None of the bloggers predicted the ECU Pirates would beat Ye Broncos of the Blue Turf.
DAMN MOUNTAINEERS: Ditto for West Virginia.
CONFERENCE ALLEGIANCES SCREW YOUR PICKS: J Mays and E take Ohio State over LSU.

Hypocrisy Not Helping the Push for a College Football Playoff

For several years now college football fans have been begging, pleading, and yearning for a playoff at the Division 1-A (or FBS) level. This has been continually been opposed and shot down by Conference big-wigs and some University presidents. They state numerous reasons - like undermining the regular season, the impact on the players during the end of the semester (for many schools), the length of the season, and diminishing the all-mighty Bowl Games - that still leave fans clamoring for closure at the conclusion of each season. The 2007-2008 season has but a gigantic exclamation point on this statement.

Who knows when, or if, a playoff will ever come. The BCS has a contract for the next two iterations (2008-2009 and 2009-2010) of the College Football Crapshoot that is the FBS. Will we finally get a much needed playoff for 2010-2011? Time will tell. Another University president has caved - much like Florida president James Machen did last year - and is embracing the idea of a NCAA FBS playoff. I'll give you three guesses as to what school the president is from.

Georgia.

Yes. The same Georgia that just finished 2nd in the AP Poll. The same Georgia that was leapfrogged by LSU to play for the National Championship. Funny how that works, isn't it? Where was President Michael Adams last year - or any year - advocating a playoff? Oh right. The Bulldogs were only 9-4 last year and played in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. So they didn't matter (much like Penn State for the last 13 years). But now when UGA is passed over for the National Championship we must voice our opinions for a playoff. Hypocrites. Much like UF President Machen.

Machen has been making noise about a playoff since December, when he feared the Gators might be shut out of the national championship game using the current Bowl Championship Series system.

That's from this ESPN article. Funny how this was released a few weeks later.

So let me get this straight. It is OK to bitch and moan if you get screwed, or even have the potential to get screwed, but when everything works out your way the thing doesn't need fixing? WHAT!?!? If you can see it needs fixing, FIX IT. Even if you won, like Florida, work towards making it better. The hypocrisy demonstrated by these Presidents and Commissioners is not helping to create a playoff. I understand that everyone gets pissed when they get the shaft but if it's wrong it must be fixed, even if you aren't involved. Stop being hypocrites and step up. Back your initial feelings. A PLAYOFF IS NEEDED. University Presidents Machen and Adams have spoken up. More Presidents and some Conference Commissioners must voice their opinions as well. And if they do, I hope they are sincere. Doing it when your team or conference wasn't screwed is best. And stand by it. It is in the sports best interest.

The Return of E

I'd be the first person to tell you I thought I would be writing like 3 blogs a day over break. Didn't happen. Partially because I've been on multiple antibiotics and partially because there haven't been too many inspiring sporting activities of late (to me, at least). Since I've been gone for a while, I'll just throw out a potpourri of my take on various happenings in the sports world of late...

College Bowl Season: Yawwwwn...After an incredibly entertaining regular season, this bowl season has been dreadfully boring (at least relatively speaking). You know there's a problem when three of the most exciting bowl games this year happened before Christmas. There were some entertaining games lately such as UM v. UF, BC v. MSU, Cal v. AF, and Auburn v. Clemson but I feel like those games have been drowned out by the blowouts, mainly in the BCS. Hawaii looked absolutely dreadful. I feel like Coastal Carolina could look better than they did when they play PSU next season. OU got embarassed and Illinois proved they really had no business being in the Rose Bowl. Arkansas didn't give a damn about the Cotton Bowl and it showed. Indiana got leveled and USF by far looked like the worst of the cursed BCS #2s of this season. As I write this, Kansas is playing a tight one with VT. Deep down, I'm probably rooting for VT...mainly because if Kansas wins, it will diminish Mizzou's accomplishments this season and silence those calling for them to be in the BCS when they definitely deserved it more.

Finally, I am soooo sick of NY sports radio whining about how irrelevant bowl games are outside of the NC. I credit a lot of that mainly to ignorance of the sport. College and high school football has never been big in the Tri-State area (where I'm from) and a lot of people just don't understand. A lot of people are finally getting somewhat acclimated to the college game now, but only because of Rutgers. This morning, the guys on the radio (WFAN 660am) were comparing the bowl games to preseason NFL games, a claim that is ludicrous. Bowl games mean a lot more than nothing. They do have somewhat of an exhibition element as some teams try new things, but nobody goes out there looking to lose. For one, high school recruits watch these games. They last thing teams want to do is go out and get embarrassed, turning away those 3, 4, 5-Star prospects (though Notre Dame still seems to be doing well...but that's besides the point). Winning these games also brings some credit to the respective conference as well as helping to bring money into the conference/university. In turn, that helps out revenue which allows more recruiting and better practice facilities. While I will admit, the stakes aren't enormous, they're more than nothing as many people seem to think.

Penn State: After the Alamo Bowl, I'm cautiously optimistic for next season. The source of my excitement for next season mainly comes from our O and D lines who performed exceptionally well down the stretch and are losing nobody for next year. Maurice Evans has a shot at 15+ sacks while the O line will make anybody we put at RB next year a 1,000-yard rusher. I'm a little cautious about our hopes because of the QB position. I've liked what Clark has shown me but is he the answer? His mobility is a huge plus but can he throw? He hasn't been out there in many big time throwing situations so that remains to be seen. I'm also concerned about our secondary. King, who sucks anyway, is still probably better than whoever else we'd throw in there. Also, if Scirotto gets convicted once his trial rolls around, that leaves another big void at safety as he'd undoubtedly be kicked off the team. At least next year we'll get an early test when Oregon State comes to town. I'm really excited for that game as Oregon State looks to be one of my sleepers for 2008.

Patriots: On the surface, what they accomplished was truly amazing and I reluctantly tip my cap to that....and that's about it. I still hate the Pats more than any team in the NFL and think Belichick is a total sleeze. I also don't think he should have won coach of the year. They were expected to win. Romeo or Gibbs deserved it more for pulling teams together that weren't expected to do much. That being said, I'm rooting for the Colts, my adopted-tied-for-second-favorite-team (a title they share with the Steelers) to roll over the Pats en route to another title.

Roger Clemens: Already sick of the drama. Deep down I kinda think he knowingly took something but we'll see (hopefully).

NJ Devils: Looking solid of late though the surging Penguins are right on their tail in the Atlantic. If the whole team can stay healthy for a playoff run, I definitely think they have a shot for the East and possibly the Cup. Also, stay tuned for a post about my trip to the Devils sweet new arena, the Prudential Center (I've been waiting so I can upload a couple pics from the journey).

NY Jets: They just had to be the Chiefs to slip to the #6 overall pick...

New Orleans Hornets: Still looking exceptionally well in their exceptionally tough division/conference. They currently sit at 21-11, tied with the Mavs and 1.5 games behind the Spurs. The Hornets could really turn some heads down the stretch and during the playoffs.

NHL Winter Classic: The first time I was genuinely entertained by a game not involving the Devils. Devils v. Rangers at Giants Stadium perhaps?

PSU Basketball: First road win of the season at Northwestern yesterday! Congrats! How about you try looking that more often so you actually have a remote chance of landing Terrelle Pryor (who will unfortunately end up at UM unless their horrible basketball team drives him away that much).

FOX Sports: Screw the BCS for selling their souls to FOX. They are atrocious at showing replays and have announcers that don't seem to get the college game as much as others at ESPN Sports have. They also have announcers who just suck. I almost wish Lou Holtz was calling the National Title Game.

2007-2008 Sports Fountainhead Bowl Predictions

See the Bowl matchups in the previous post.

Predictions
Joey	Eric	Justin	Tom	Jonathan
Navy	Navy	Navy	Navy	Utah
FAU	FAU	Memphis	Memphis	FAU
Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Cincinnati	Cincinnati
New Mexico	New Mexico	New Mexico	Nevada	New Mexico
BYU	BYU	UCLA	BYU	BYU
Boise State	Boise State	Boise State	Boise State	Boise State
Purdue	Purdue	Purdue	Purdue	CMU
Texas	Texas	Arizona State	Arizona State	Arizona State
Boston College	Michigan State	Michigan State	Boston College	Boston College
TCU	Houston	TCU	TCU	TCU
Maryland	Oregon State	Oregon State	Oregon State	Oregon State
Wake Forest	Wake Forest	UConn	Wake Forest	UConn
UCF	UCF	UCF	Mississippi State	UCF
Penn State	Penn State	Penn State	Penn State	Penn State
Alabama	Colorado	Alabama	Alabama	Colorado
California	Air Force	California	Air Force	Air Force
Georgia Tech	Fresno State	Fresno State	Fresno State	Fresno State
South Florida	South Florida	Oregon	South Florida	South Florida
Kentucky	Kentucky	Kentucky	Kentucky	Kentucky
Indiana	Indiana	Ok. State	Ok. State	Ok. State
Clemson	Clemson	Auburn	Auburn	Clemson
Wisconsin	Tennessee	Wisconsin	Wisconsin	Tennessee
Missouri	Missouri	Missouri	Missouri	Missouri
Texas Tech	Texas Tech	Texas Tech	Texas Tech	Virginia
Florida	Florida	Michigan	Florida	Florida
USC	USC	USC	USC	USC
Georgia	Georgia	Georgia	Hawaii	Georgia
Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
Kansas	Virginia Tech	Kansas	Virginia Tech	Virginia Tech
Rutgers	Rutgers	Rutgers	Rutgers	Rutgers
Tulsa	Tulsa	Tulsa	Tulsa	Tulsa
Ohio State	Ohio State	LSU	LSU	LSU

2007-2008 Bowl Schedule

Date	Bowl	Teams
12/20/2007	Poinsettia	Utah vs Navy
12/21/2007	New Orleans	Memphis vs Florida Atlantic
12/22/2007	Papajohns.com	Southern Miss vs Cincinnati
12/22/2007	New Mexico	Nevada vs New Mexico
12/22/2007	Las Vegas	UCLA vs BYU
12/23/2007	Hawaii	Boise State vs East Carolina
12/26/2007	Motor City	Purdue vs Central Michigan
12/27/2007	Holiday	Arizona State vs Texas
12/28/2007	Champs Sports	Boston College vs Michigan State
12/28/2007	Texas	TCU vs Houston
12/28/2007	Emerald	Maryland vs Oregon State
12/29/2007	Meineke Car Care	UConn vs Wake Forest
12/29/2007	Liberty	UCF vs Mississippi State
12/29/2007	Alamo	Penn State vs Texas A&M
12/30/2007	Independence	Alabama vs Colorado
12/31/2007	Armed Forces	California vs Air Force
12/31/2007	Humanitarian	Georgia Tech vs Fresno State
12/31/2007	Sun	South Florida vs Oregon
12/31/2007	Music City	Kentucky vs Florida State
12/31/2007	Insight	Indiana vs Oklahoma State
12/31/2007	Chick-fil-A	Clemson vs Auburn
1/1/2008	Outback	Wisconsin vs Tennessee
1/1/2008	Cotton	Missouri vs Arkansas
1/1/2008	Gator	Texas Tech vs Virginia
1/1/2008	Capital One	Michigan vs Florida
1/1/2008	Rose	Illinois vs USC
1/1/2008	Sugar	Hawaii vs Georgia
1/2/2008	Fiesta	Oklahoma vs West Virginia
1/3/2008	Orange	Virginia Tech vs Kansas
1/5/2008	International	Rutgers vs Ball State
1/6/2008	GMAC	Bowling Green vs Tulsa
1/7/2008	BCS Championship Game	LSU vs Ohio State

NCAA Division 1-A Simulated Tournament: National Championship & Consolation Game

This is the last set of results for the Inaugural Sports Fountainhead Simulated Division 1-A (FBS) Tournament. I hope everyone has enjoyed it. Sadly, the games were not as good as previous rounds. To look at the other results go here, here, here, and here. The final results are below...

Consolation Game

5 Georgia vs 2 LSU
Round 4, Game 1 Results
Sugar Bowl

Final Score
44-24, LSU

Game Statistics

Passing
Matthew Stafford, Georgia - 21 of 35, 312 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs
Matt Flynn, LSU - 19 of 19, 294 yards, 2TDs, 2 INTs

Rushing
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 31 rushes, 117 yards, 0 TDs, 1 fumble
Alley Broussard, LSU - 37 rushes, 127 yards, 2 TDs, 1 fumble

Receiving
A.J. Bryant, Georgia - 5 catches, 96 yards, 0 TDs, 0 drops
Demetrius Byrd, LSU - 7 catches, 114 yards, 1 TD, 0 drops

Defensive
Marcus Howard, Georgia - 9 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 INTs
Luke Sanders, LSU - 14 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 INTs

Kicking

Brandon Coutu, Georgia - 3 FGs made, 3 FGs attempted
Colt David, LSU - 3 FGs made, 3 FGs attempted

National Championship
9 Florida vs 3 Oklahoma
Round 4, Game 2 Results
Rose Bowl

Final Score
54-31, Florida

Game Statistics

Passing
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma - 15 of 33, 282 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
Tim Tebow, Florida - 20 of 40, 274 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing
Allen Patrick, Oklahoma - 15 rushes, 125 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles
Kestahn Moore, Florida - 26 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD, 0 fumbles

Receiving
Adron Tennell, Oklahoma - 5 catches, 74 yards, 1 TD, 2 drops
Louis Murphy, Florida - 5 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD, 0 drops

Defensive
DeMarcus Granger, Oklahoma - 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 0 INTs
Derrick Harvey, Florida - 7 tackles, 1 sack, 0 INTs

Kicking

Garrett Hartley, Oklahoma - 1 FG made, 1 FG attempted
Joey Ijjas, Florida - 1 FG made, 3 FGs attempted

Final Bracket
Click on bracket for larger image.

Round 4 Awards
Most Valuable Player - Tim Tebow, Florida
Least Valuable Player - Matthew Stafford, Georgia
Offensive Player - Tim Tebow, Florida
Defensive Player - Luke Sanders, LSU

Tournament Awards
Most Valuable Player - Tim Tebow, Florida
Offensive Player - Tim Tebow, Florida
Defensive Player - Luke Sanders, LSU
Best Game - USC vs LSU, Round 2 (38-31 LSU in OT)