Florida vaults to No. 2 in BCS, will play Ohio State for national title

LA Times ^ | 12/3/06 | Chris Dufresne, Times Staff Writer

[BurbankKarl]

There isn't going to be a rematch.

No. 1 Ohio State will play No. 2 Florida, not Michigan, for the Bowl Championship Series national title on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.

According to a BCS source, Florida moved from fourth to second today ahead of No. 3 Michigan in the final BCS standings.

An official announcement will come this evening in a televised unveiling on Fox.

The news means that USC will play Michigan, not Louisiana State, in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

LSU had pre-sold more than 42,000 tickets in advance of making its first-ever Rose Bowl appearance, but UCLA's upset win over previously No. 2 USC on Saturday, coupled with Florida's win over Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference championship game, changed the final pairings.

The BCS bowl lineup is now expected to be:

Rose: USC vs. Michigan.

Sugar: Notre Dame vs. LSU.

Orange: Louisville vs. Wake Forest.

Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Boise State.

Florida's jump over No. 3 Michigan, which was idle Saturday and has not played since a three-point loss to No. 1 Ohio State on Nov. 18, likely will cause more uproar in BCS circles.

[CFC__VRWC]

Yes, I have the same opinion about college basketball. At least baseball has the decency to provide its own training system for players who are not ready for the big show.

What can I say, a lot of us love the college game, and a lot of us sure as hell need a break from griping about Hillary and Nancy and Jon Carry.

[Mr. Mojo]

But Michigan lost ground the last two weeks and did not even play.

One of the perils of having a schedule that ends in mid-Nov (in addition to waiting a full six weeks to play in a major Bowl game, which often throws a team way off their game).

Hey, my Bruins did everything they could help you guys, but it appears the Gators were the beneficiaries.

[dfwgator]

Ohio State will end up beating Florida like a drum if Leak is forced to run.

Precisely why we need to mix it up with Tebow to keep OSU's defense off-guard.

[catholicfreeper]

I think it would be too. Plus lots of Story lines. I think Michigan might also be like LSU and the Suger. That is been there done that. I would think Michigan would find a Louisville game more appealing than USC or Notre Dame in some ways.

[JCEccles]

Urban Meyer has been more successful against top quality opponents in his first two years at Miami than Jim Tressel was in his first two years at Ohio State.

Meyer is politicking for the championship game to show his players that he'll fight as hard for them off the field as they fight on the field for him.

That's smart coaching. It shows top down loyalty. It will help in recruting.

[catholicfreeper]

I tell you one thing. This storyline developing how Urban made inappropriate comments is annoying. For weeks Florida has been told so sorry. I heard him last night and he said nothing wrong

[aft_lizard]

Yep, check it out: 2001:  5-7-0

Coach:

Darrell Dickey

Sun Belt Conference Co-Champions

W/L	Date	PF	Opponent	PA	Location	Notes
L	09-01-2001	5	Texas Christian	19	Denton, TX
L	09-08-2001	10	Oklahoma	37	Norman, OK
L	09-22-2001	14	Texas Tech	42	Denton, TX
L	09-29-2001	10	South Florida	28	Tampa, FL
L	10-06-2001	17	Louisiana-Monroe	19	Monroe, LA
W	10-13-2001	24	Middle Tennessee St.	21	Denton, TX
W	10-20-2001	45	Arkansas St.	0	Denton, TX
W	11-03-2001	22	New Mexico St.	20	Las Cruces, NM
W	11-10-2001	42	Louisiana-Lafayette	17	Denton, TX
W	11-17-2001	50	Idaho	27	Moscow, ID
L	12-01-2001	16	Troy St. (AL)	18	Troy, AL
L	12-18-2001	20	Colorado St.	45	New Orleans Bowl

275

Season Totals

293

[ladyjane]

Having dealt with Florida graduates as an instructor at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School, I would tend to believe the lower rate. The only thing dumber than a 2nd Lieutenant from a Florida school was one from a school in Texas.

You sound like John Kerry. OTOH you're probably an enlisted guy who hates all officers with a southern accent.

I am sorry we have people in our military with such attitudes.

[CFC__VRWC]

It's not a BCS game, but I'm looking forward to Wisconsin-Arkansas in the Cap One. That ought to be a terrific ball game.

[dfwgator]

FSU-UCLA, hmmmmm who do I want in that one? Our hated rival, or the team that helped us to get to the championship game?

[JCEccles]

Urban Meyer has been more successful against top quality opponents in his first two years at Florida than Jim Tressel was in his first two years at Ohio State.

Meyer is politicking for the championship game to show his players that he'll fight as hard for them off the field as they fight on the field for him.

That's smart coaching. It shows top down loyalty. It will help in recruting.

(Sorry, Gator fans)

[CFC__VRWC]

Just damn. How many teams start out 0-5, and wind up in a bowl anyway? If ever there was any idea that there are too many bowl games, this is the argument.

[catholicfreeper]

I think Arkansas is very excited about that Game. That game will save Nutt from a ever increasing hostile fan base. They were sure he was wanting to go Cotton

[CFC__VRWC]

For that matter, do we want our hated rival, or the school we beat for our first NCAA basketball championship? The hell with it - Go Bruins!

[aft_lizard]

Actually that argument would be invalid because this was an automatic bid they got because they were the champions of the sunbelt(actually co-champions but they had the tiebreaker)

[catholicfreeper]

From Scout.com its Ohio State V Florida.

Since that is owned by News Corp that owns Fox that is broadcasting the game I think that is pretty reliable

[CFC__VRWC]

That game will save Nutt from a ever increasing hostile fan base.

The fans in Arkansas are down on Nutt? Maybe he didn't beat the Gators, but outside of the USC blowout, he did a great job with a bunch of kids that no one had ever heard of before. And he probably guaranteed Arkansas a couple of great recruiting classes at the least. Razorback fans ought to be giddy.

[catholicfreeper]

Yeah you shoulkd see their message boards lol. THere has been a love hate relationship with fans and him for years it seems. It is not all that rational but their has always been a pretty vocal anti Nutt Contigient.

Right now they are down on him because he didnt play their QB favorite except for one play. THere is some drama I think behind that

[betsyross1776]

Who is going to change your diaper when you guys dirty your paints when Tressel and the boys come after you? Maybe you can run on the field and change them for you sissies who have to cry your way to the top. Oh one more thing when we beat Ohio state , wew gave you a chance for the rematch between you and Fl State. So who is the phony. NOt my team try like yours!But then again rematches only happen when you clowns with hanging chads use them.

[dfwgator]

The great news for Florida is that with the demise of FSU and Miami, UF gets first crack at the best high school players in the state. The "State of Miami" is gone.