Posted on 11/21/2005 12:45:25 PM PST by indcons
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Southern California and Texas remain the top two teams in the BCS standings and only an upset in one of the final two weeks will prevent the two storied programs from meeting in the Rose Bowl on January 4 for the national championship.
The Trojans (11-0) had a close call this past weekend with a 50-42 victory over a tough Fresno State squad, but they'll have this week off before facing city rival UCLA on December 3.
The Longhorns (10-0), meanwhile, had their final bye this past Saturday and will play each of the next two weeks. First up will be the annual showdown with Texas A&M on Friday and then a trip to the Big 12 title game on December 3.
The final BCS standings will be released on December 4.
As of Monday, Southern California is still atop those standings with a BCS average of .9807, down from last week's .9829. Texas, meanwhile, gained some ground and has an average of .9791, up from last week's .9771.
Should one of those teams falter, Penn State, LSU or Virginia Tech would be ready to take a Rose Bowl spot.
Penn State is third in this week's BCS standings with an average of .8900. The Nittany Lions earned a share of the Big Ten title with Ohio State, but will represent the conference in the BCS thanks to a victory over the Buckeyes earlier this season.
LSU is fourth in the BCS and Virginia Tech is fifth. LSU controls its destiny for a berth in the SEC Championship game, while Virginia Tech can do the same in the ACC thanks to Miami-Florida's stunning loss to Georgia Tech this past Saturday.
Miami dropped from third in last week's BCS standings to ninth this week.
If Virginia Tech beats North Carolina this Saturday, the Hokies would play Florida State for the ACC title. An LSU victory over Arkansas this week would put the Tigers into the SEC title game against Georgia.
The champions from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference make up six of the eight teams in the four BCS games -- the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta Bowls. The other two spots go to at-large teams.
One of those at-large berths will likely be Notre Dame, which needs only to beat Stanford this coming Saturday to lock up a BCS berth. The Irish, who stand eighth this week in the BCS, would then have the requisite nine wins to qualify for one of the BCS bowl games.
The BCS system uses a pair of human polls -- the Harris Interactive and the USA Today -- as well as six computer rankings. Each poll counts one-third toward the overall score, while the average of the computers completes the formula.
"I am sorry but Texas always chokes in the big game. So if they should go to the national championship (courtesy of the sports media love affair) even though they really should not) I expect them to lose."
And with one fell swoop you lost all credibility regarding college football.
I know because its a cup cake schedule. Many SEC teams could do the same thing. When you beat up a bunch of nobody's then that does not mean squat. This is also why the SEC has the most players in the NFL.
Who cares who is 1 or 2, they'll get to settle it on the field.
On the other side of the coin, if Texas loses a Big XII Championship game, they will most certainly lose the Rose Bowl bid. Why would that loss be worse than PSU's loss to Michigan back in mid-October?
"What planet are you from in what area besides maybe secondary and special teams do you think Texas is Better? Receiving corps, Offensive Line, Quarterback, Running back, Defensive line, Coaching?????????"
Ha! Yes to all! You haven't actually seen them play yet, have you??
Here some more on that...
Matt Hayes - The Sporting News
The e-mails came pouring in from the Plains the day after Southern California disposed of Oklahoma and secured the national title. Auburn was robbed. Auburn would've given the Trojans a better game. Auburn this, Auburn that. Auburn, Auburn, Auburn.
At this point, I'll introduce Pat Hill. You know him as Fresno State's brash and bold coach, a guy who has built a program from the scrap heap and will play anyone, any time, any place to gain respect.
So I placed a call to Hill last week and told him Auburn just added a home game against Division I-AA Western Kentucky to complete its 2005 schedule. And before I could ask the question, he gave the answer.
"We called them," Hill interrupted. "We wanted to play them. I guess their schedule was already filled."
No, it wasn't. Fresno officials called before Auburn added Western Kentucky, and Hill is speaking with a politically correct tone because, well, he'd love a shot at Auburn somewhere down the road. Yeah, good luck with that. Auburn has bigger fish to flop.
Like The Citadel. Or Western Kentucky. Or big, bad Ball State.
This is why Auburn wasn't one of two teams playing in the Orange Bowl national title game last season, why the Tigers were stuck in the Sugar Bowl politicking for respect. Respect? Play someone with a pulse outside your conference, then we'll talk.
Wait, I take that back. Aubie played USC in the 2002 and '03 seasons and lost by a combined 47-17. The Tigers also played Georgia Tech in 2003 and lost 17-3. Hence, the reason for last year's brutal nonconference slate of Louisiana-Monroe, The Citadel and Louisiana Tech. And the reason the Tigers weren't playing USC in the Orange Bowl.
Look, Auburn shouldn't have to apologize for its schedule; it plays in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football. But like it or not, teams must prove themselves outside of their conferences to earn style points. It's as much a beauty pageant as it is a demolition derby.
Auburn was put in this predicament after Southern Miss bailed out of a game because of conflicts with the new Conference USA schedule. But here's the hitch: Southern Miss informed Auburn last September. University officials knew for five months -- through a magical unbeaten season, through the controversy of not being able to play for the national title because of a pathetic nonconference schedule -- that they needed a nonconference game for 2005, yet they chose to continue down the same path.
A university spokeswoman says Auburn needs seven home games per season to make budget. Fresno State didn't want a game in return -- "We usually play on the road; we know that," Hill says -- but Auburn steered clear of a team that is 10-8 against BCS teams since 2000.
Fresno State eventually signed up to play at two-time defending national champ USC -- which also will play nonconference games at Hawaii, against Arkansas and at Notre Dame. Notice the lack of cupcake directional schools.
Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Change was staring Auburn in the face not so long ago. And the choice was Western Kentucky.
During the old USC / UCLA games an independent station broadcast the games.....but.....
between every play the cameras were showing shots of beautiful coeds.....
Dem Femminists got hold of them and set them straight...ycch.
It would be nice if there was a playoffs, but then I guess if that was the case USC would not have any National Titles...
I don't know about Billy Sims, but I will say that Reggie Bush has outstanding game speed. He'll make a great back for the Houston Texans after he wins the Heisman trophy this year and goes pro early.
Sheesh. Those radio voices may be in your head.
Florida State and Georgia have a lot too.
Because we were ROBBED, that's why.
TWO SECONDS?
USC's cup cake schedule:
Notre Dame - ranked 6th
UCLA - ranked 11th
Oregon - ranked 8th
Fresno St. - ranked 16th
Arizona State and Cal - both ranked top 20 until they ran into us.
Like I said, these were the same punchlines we listened to last year before Jason White saw his NFL hopes go down the drain.
What are you listening too the Left Coast fantasy college football. Like I said if you can't handle the truth, then I will let you live in your dream world. I know some high school teams that could probably crush most of the PAC 10 and Big 12 schools.
Better check your trophy case again. There's only one crystal football in it. The one for 2003 is in Baton Rouge, and all your revisionism can't change that. And oh BTW, you won't win one this year either. That one will go to Texas. More's the pity, because they're almost as loatheseome as Souther Cal, but better them than the Trojans.
Oh BTW, your ex-coach Orgeron is making a complete fool of himself at Ole Miss. He's an embarassment even by the admittedly low Ole Miss standards.
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