Hall of Fame

Here are a few college football items of interest as we head into Easter weekend and look toward Spring Football games in early April.

Ballots for the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame were recently mailed to members of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and the Southeastern Conference was well represented.

Among the SEC notables listed on the ballot are:

• Billy Cannon (LSU): 1959 Heisman Trophy winner best remembered for his Halloween night punt return that season to beat Ole Miss. Cannon’s life also influenced one the finest movies featuring college football … “Everybody’s All-American” with Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange.
• Willie Gault (Tennessee): The former Vol wide receiver, Olympic gold medalist sprinter, and World Champion bobsledder from Griffin, Georgia, starred in the NFL for several years.
• Wilbur Marshall (Florida): Dubbed the “Bull Gator” by former Georgia coach Vince Dooley, Marshall was a star of the infamous Chicago Bears 46 defense in the mid-1980s.
• Jake Scott (Georgia): Scott was a great safety and punt returner for the Dogs in the late 1960s, on his way to becoming a five-time Pro Bowl NFL safety with the Miami Dolphins. Jake was the MVP of Super Bowl VII, the victory that capped the Dolphins perfect 1972 season.
• Scott Woerner (Georgia): Woerner was a standout defensive back on the 1980 Georgia national championship team, perhaps best remembered for saving a victory over Clemson that season with long returns on both a punt and an interception.

Other national names of interest include:

• Troy Aikman (UCLA)
• Tim Brown (Notre Dame)
• Eric Dickerson (SMU)
• Lawrence Taylor (North Carolina)
• Thurman Thomas (Oklahoma State)
• Pat Tillman (Arizona State)
• Curt Warner (Penn State)

The BCS Bowl Schedule for the 2008 Season is set as follows:

Jan. 1: Rose Bowl presented by Citi - Pasadena, Calif., ABC

Jan. 1: FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami, Fla., Fox

Jan. 2: Allstate Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, La., Fox

Jan. 5: Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz., Fox

Jan. 8: FedEx BCS National Championship Game - Miami, Fla., Fox

Check back soon for more updates from The Campus Game!

Around the SEC

Here are a few final notes on the Southeastern Conference 2007 college football season courtesy of the SEC offices. Check back weekly for news and commentary during the off-season.

Notes:

• LSU’s victory over Ohio State gave the SEC its fourth national title in the ten years of the BCS format (Tennessee 1998; LSU 2003; Florida 2006; LSU 2007)
• LSU and Georgia finished 1-2 in the final AP poll … first time ever for the SEC and the first time for any conference since 1971 (Nebraska #1 and Oklahoma #2)
• The SEC finished with a 7-2 bowl record … most bowl victories by any conference in NCAA history
• The SEC is the only conference to currently have five head coaches who have won national championships
  o Steve Spurrier-South Carolina (with Florida in 1996)
  o Phillip Fulmer-Tennessee (1998)
  o Nick Saban-Alabama (with LSU in 2003)
  o Urban Meyer-Florida (2006)
  o Les Miles (2007)
• Darren McFadden of Arkansas will finish his career as the 2nd leading rusher in SEC history behind Herschel Walker of Georgia. McFadden has 4589 yards (38 games) only 670 yards behind Walker’s 5259 (33 games)
• Tim Tebow of Florida became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy
• Tebow is also on track to shatter the conference’s record for touchdown responsibility … after only two seasons, he has accounted for 68 touchdowns (31 rushing 37 passing), well over halfway to the all-time mark of 122 held by former Gator QB Danny Wuerffel
• Earl Bennett of Vanderbilt will finish his career as the all-time SEC leader in receptions with 236, eclipsing the 208 of former Kentucky receiver Craig Yeast (1995-1998)
• Kentucky’s Jacob Tamme was named a National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation
• In the past six years, LSU and Georgia are tied for the best record in the SEC with matching 64-15 marks … here are the full records:
  o Georgia and LSU 64-15
  o Auburn 59-18
  o Florida 54-23
  o Tennessee 52-25
  o Arkansas 45-31
  o Alabama 43-33
  o South Carolina 37-35
  o Kentucky 32-40
  o Ole Miss 31-41
  o Miss State 22-49
  o Vanderbilt 20-50
• In the past eleven seasons, Georgia has the top mark at 107-32 … here are the full records:
  o Georgia 107-32
  o Tennessee 104-36
  o Florida 103-36
  o LSU 98-40
  o Auburn 87-43
  o Arkansas 80-55
  o Alabama 74-61
  o Ole Miss 68-63
  o South Carolina 60-69
  o Miss State 58-72
  o Kentucky 54-75
  o Vanderbilt 35-90

Wishing Carefully

Wishing Carefully

Did your mom ever tell you to be careful what you wish for?

Probably so, and it was good advice.

College football fans clamoring for a playoff might be wise to remember the wisdom of mothers.

A playoff push is gaining some attention just now for a couple of reasons.

The just completed bowl season (it is complete isn’t it?) was a poor dessert after what was a fabulous meal of a regular season. The championship game was yet another mismatch, and the rest of the so-called “major” (BCS) bowls did not yield compelling pairings.

Following that disappointing Division I (FBS) post-season, playoff proponents gained a powerful ally in University of Georgia president Michael Adams who proposed an eight-team playoff using existing bowls for a three-week tournament. (Interesting that he didn’t come on board for such a plan when Auburn went undefeated a few years ago).

So, while there seems to be some momentum for a playoff (in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution survey published this morning, sixteen of thirty college presidents expressed willingness to at least consider the idea), a few considerations should be kept in mind.

Excitement

Would a playoff be more exciting than what we have now? History shows that for a handful of schools (and only a handful of schools) it might.

Division III has a playoff. In the past dozen years, Mt. Union of Ohio has played in the title game ten times and the Purple Raiders have won eight championships. Folks in Alliance, Ohio, probably love a playoff … the rest of D-3 … maybe not so much.

Division II has a playoff. Two teams (Grand Valley State and Valdosta State) have won the last six titles – four for GVS and two for VSU. A third team, Northwest Missouri State, has been in the title game five times over the past decade. Boosters in western Michigan, southern Georgia, and northern Missouri probably like a playoff … others in D-2 … perhaps no.

Division IAA (FCS) has a playoff. Appalachian State has won the past three titles, but rumor has it that people outside Boone, North Carolina, still enjoy the spectacle.

Would college football fans enjoy seeing a program or two emerge dominant over all others (even more than happens now)? SEC and USC supporters might end up happy, but probably few others.

Travel

Under Adams’ proposal, eight teams would play in four of the current major bowls around New Year’s Day, the winners would advance to a pair of semi-final games the following week, followed by a championship game the third weekend in January.

Let’s say Tennessee advances to the tournament.

First round is played at the Orange Bowl. The Big Orange wins and plays the next week in Glendale, Arizona. There, the Vols prevail once more and are rewarded with a shorter trip for the championship game in New Orleans.

Some fans on Rocky Top might have deep enough pockets to travel to what would essentially be three bowl games (right as Christmas bills are coming due), but most might need to hold off on the shopping trips to Pigeon Forge and save up for those three playoff dates.

A Simpler Solution?

Is there a simpler solution for determining a national champion in big-time college football?

No.

Football is not a tournament sport.

A subjective evaluation will always be part of crowning a champ because some group (whether media, coaches, or others) would need to identify teams to include in any tournament or playoff.

A “plus-one” (extra game between the top two teams after the bowls) might work some years, but in others a clearly superior team would have nothing to prove. Who would LSU play this season … Georgia or USC? Oh, how about West Virginia.

Four or eight team formats have problems with team selection, travel, and season length, and a hunch is that there would still be discussion or controversy about the winner most seasons.

Personally, I wish we would go back to a free market approach and simply let bowls invite whatever teams they want.

Better pairings … more exciting games … a champion determined by a poll.

Wait … better be careful what I wish for.

Big Fun on the Bayou Again!

LSU won the BCS championship tonight with a 38-24 victory over Ohio State. Congratulations to the Bengal Tigers.

The Campus Game Professor's Picks finished at 24-8 in bowl selections this year, and continued a perfect 5-0 string of correctly picking the BCS champion in the Game Day Weekly print edition (dating to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl with Ohio State over Miami).

Check back regularly this off-season for news and commentary on America's favorite sport - college football - The Campus Game.

See you at kickoff!

Big Fun on the Bayou

Big Fun on the Bayou
BCS Championship Game
New Orleans Jan. 7, 2008
8:00 ET Fox
Ohio State vs. LSU

Where ya at Les Miles?

Contrary to what many believed for much of the season, the LSU coach is rolling on the river in New Orleans rather than heading home to become the main Michigan Man. Miles had plenty of reasons to stay in Cajun country, chief among them the national championship his Bengal Tigers (11-2) can claim by beating Ohio State (11-1) in the title game.

Where ya at Jim Tressel?

A year ago, the Ohio State coach brought his ballyhooed band of Buckeyes to the national title game and got bushwhacked and bullied 41-17 by the Florida Gators. Could another SEC champion do the same in this BCS championship?

Here are four factors likely to determine the (mythical) national champion.

1. Coaching: Last season Tressel and OSU were outclassed by Urban Meyer and the Gators. Don’t expect that to happen again. The Big Ten has been widely disparaged, leading many to doubt whether State should be in the big game. That underdog role will play well with Tressel. Miles catches flak for occasionally wacky decisions he pulls out from under his hat, but he has had bowl success at LSU. The Tigers crushed Miami in the Peach Bowl two years ago and Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl last January.

2. The Job Factor: Son of a gun, Miles is staying at LSU, but Tiger fans could not truly have big fun until Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez from West Virginia. Another coaching hire is now the cause for concern. LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pellini has accepted the Nebraska position, but will coach in the title game. If Pellini is distracted in preparation or game day calls, the Tigers will suffer (and the track record for coaches splitting duties is not good).

3. Layoff: LSU gains the most from the down time. By the end of the season, the gruesome SEC gantlet had taken a toll on the bayou Bengals; they should be healed and ready by January 7. Ohio State had no comparable injury concerns, but the 51 day layoff since the regular season finale mirrors the down time from a year ago and we know how that turned out for the Buckeyes.

4. Home Cooking: We are not talking about that great Louisiana cuisine. Instead, consider this “neutral” site to be a little less neutral than others. Buckeye boosters travel as well as any school, but count on the Superdome to be filled at least 60-40 in favor of the purple and gold, with about a 90-10 noise advantage if the Tigers leap to a fast start.

Summary:

This game should not be a blowout. Buckeye pride in atoning for the Florida debacle will play a role, and the Big Ten champs are faster and more athletic on defense than they were a year ago.

Still, LSU will be healthy, energized playing for another title in front of their rowdy fans, and – most importantly - has better players.

Players win games.

LSU players will win a championship.

Professor's Pick: LSU

BCS Bowls

Ok ... here we are at the home stretch of the bowl season with the post-New Year's offerings. Professor's Picks stand at a solid 21-6 up to this point with five games left.

Enjoy the final bowls of the season ... The Campus Game BCS title game prediction will be posted over the weekend. (If you want to visit a bowl website, simply click on the name of the bowl)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
January 2nd, 8:00 ET Fox
Oklahoma (11-2) vs. West Virginia (10-2)
The Fiesta is my personal favorite of the BCS bowls this year. Two explosive offenses meet, although West Virginia might be reeling a bit from the loss of native son head coach Rich Rodriquez to Michigan a couple of weeks ago. Oklahoma fans felt the Big 12 champs deserved a national title shot as much as any other team, but instead the Sooner Schooner rolls back to the desert for another Fiesta Bowl. Last year Bob Stoops and the boys watched Boise upset them with a variety of gadget plays. Expect them to play better this go round and to pull out the win. Prof's Pick: Oklahoma

Fed Ex Orange Bowl
January 3rd 8:00 ET Fox
Kansas (11-1) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2)
Kansas is a nice story, but the best team the Jayhawks beat all season was Oklahoma State. Fortunately for KU, Virginia Tech is only an average offensive team. Expect the Tech defense to slow down Jayhawk QB Todd Reesing and Co. enough for the Hokies to pull out an ugly victory. Prof's Pick: Virginia Tech

International Bowl
January 5 12:00 Noon ET ESPN
Rutgers (7-5) vs. Ball State (7-5)
Ok ... could someone please explain to me why this bowl is being played ... in Toronto ... and after New Years? Do those Canadians realize that goals will be scored without a net or puck? Or that the field will only be 100 yards long? Well, it's still a bowl, so I'll watch Rutgers and Ray Rice run over Brady Hoke's Cardinals. Prof's Pick: Rutgers

GMAC Bowl
January 6 8:00 ET ESPN
Tulsa (9-4) vs. Bowling Green (8-4)
The GMAC bowl has hosted some big talent in its first eight years including LaDanian Tomlinson, Byron Leftwich, and Ben Roethlisberger. This year Tulsa QB Paul Smith (4753 yds and 42 TDs) will try to add his name to that list by throwing the ball all over Mobile. Tyler Sheehan of BG is no slouch either with over 3000 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. Scoreboards will be lighting up. Prof's Pick: Tulsa

Bowl Bonanza Part Two

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the second set of bowl picks from The Campus Game. These picks cover New Year's Eve and New Year's Day games.

We are off to an outstanding start with a 12-2 professor's picks record heading into the Alabama-Colorado matchup tonight. If you'd like to view our picks for the games up to December 30th simply scroll down or click here.

We will wrap up our bowl picks on Wednesday with predictions for post-New Year's Day Bowls, including the BCS title game.

If you want to visit a bowl website, simply click on the game. Enjoy!

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
Dec. 31 at 12:30 (ESPN)
Air Force (9-3) vs. Cal (6-6)
The Falcons of Air Force go bowling for the first time in five years. Troy Calhoun was Mountain West coach of the year in his first season as head man at the Academy. His offense is lead by little Chad Hall, a 5'8 hybrid back who gained over 1400 yards rushing and caught 46 passes for 488 more. The Cal Golden Bears were at one point considered a national title contender (and reached a #2 ranking) but collapsed, losing six of their last seven. The Bears are more talented, but the Falcons will be more excited about the bowl game. A hunch says Cal. Prof's Pick: Cal

Brut Sun Bowl
Dec. 31 at 2:oo (CBS)
South Florida (9-3) vs. Oregon (8-4)
These teams both reached a #2 ranking during the season before falling. Oregon fell harder and farther, primarily because outstanding QB Dennis Dixon was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury in a loss to Arizona. South Florida packs a nice one-two offensive punch with QB Matt Grothe and RB Mike Ford, and the Bulls defense is rated 19th nationally. Ducks haven't done much since losing Dixon, so I ride the Bulls. Prof's Pick: South Florida

Roady's Humanitarian Bowl
Dec. 31 at 2:00 (ESPN2)
Georgia Tech (7-5) vs. Fresno State (8-4)
The Blue Field Bowl provides us rematch of the compelling 2002 Silicon Valley Classic (ok, it was discontinued two seasons later but we needed a lead). Actually, players rave about the treatment they get in Boise (after they thaw out) what with snow-mobiling and other cold weather activities not usually associated with bowl games. Georgia Tech (7-5) will have interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta at the helm because head man Chan Gailey was fired at the end of the regular season. Paul Johnson of Navy will take over the program after the bowl game. Expect Tenuta to blitz even more than normal (which is a lot) against the Bulldogs (8-4). Both teams run the ball well; Tech’s TB Tashard Choice (1310 yds) led the ACC in rushing and is one of the nation’s best. Each team has won the Humanitarian Bowl in a previous appearance. Prof's Pick: Georgia Tech

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
Dec. 31 at 4:00 (ESPN)
Kentucky (7-5) vs. Florida State (7-5)
Bobby Bowden will fit in Nashville like a fiddle and steel guitar. The head Seminole takes FSU to a 26th consecutive bowl, but he will be without a staggering 35 Seminoles due to suspensions. Those numbers might not bode well against high-scoring Kentucky. Their main threat is senior QB Andre Woodson who passed for 3351 yards and 36 touchdowns as the Cats scored almost 37 points per game. That’s a lot of firepower going against a suspect FSU secondary. Let’s give a final word to Daddy Bowden … “We’ve got to get better there (the secondary) … if we don’t they’ll score a million.” Not a million, but enough. Prof's Pick: Kentucky

Insight Bowl
Dec. 31 at 5:30 (NFL)
Indiana (7-5) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6)
The Hoosiers are a nice story as they go to a bowl just six months after the death of head coach Terry Hoeppner due to complications from a brain tumor. Hoeppner provided the foundation for IU's first bowl appearance in fourteen years and you know emotions will be high in Tempe. The Cowboys of OSU score a lot but give up almost as many points, so expect a big game from Indiana QB Kellen Lewis. Could be a shootout, and I always go with a Cowboy in a shootout. Prof's Pick: OSU

Chick-fil-A Bowl
Dec. 31 at 7:30 (ESPN)
Auburn (9-3) vs. Clemson (8-4)
This is always a dream matchup for the folks in Atlanta. Two great programs with enthusiastic fans about the same distance from the city. The bowl game is almost always exciting, so this is one I'm really looking forward to. Clemson QB Cullen Harper had an All-America type season (27 TDs vs. 6 Int), and has super running backs James Davis and CJ Spiller. Auburn relies on a rugged defense, but the offense might be in a bit of flux as new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin comes in from Troy. Nice game. Prof's Pick: Clemson

Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Tennessee (9-4) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
In addition to a New Year’s trip to sunny Tampa, a 10 win season will be the reward for the winner of the Outback Bowl. Tennessee comes into the game after losing a tough SEC championship game to LSU. The Volunteers controlled the title tilt most of the way, but two uncharacteristic Erik Ainge interceptions turned the game around. Ainge passed for 3157 yards and 29 TDs, and was only sacked 3 times in 476 passing attempts. Wisconsin brings a more balanced offensive attack to the game as the Badgers average over 200 yards passing and rushing. A major concern is that TB P.J. Hill is likely out for the bowl game. That injury is enough to give the Big Orange an advantage. Prof's Pick: Tennessee

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic
Jan. 1 at 11:30 a.m. (Fox)
Arkansas (8-4) vs. Missouri (11-2)
The venerable Cotton Bowl will host two teams with something missing. Missouri is missing a trip to a BCS game, passed over in the Orange Bowl for a Kansas team the Tigers whipped soundly in late November. Mizzou lost to only one team this season, Oklahoma, but the Sooners beat the Tigers twice. QB Chase Daniel passed for 4170 yards and 33 touchdowns, came in third in Heisman balloting, and led his offense to 40 points per game. One player who finished ahead of him was Razorback great Darren McFadden. D-Mac was Heisman runner-up for a second consecutive year, rushed for 1725 yards and 15 touchdowns, and also provided a passing threat when lining up at QB in the Wild Hog formation. Arkansas will be missing Houston Nutt, who stepped down (under pressure) to take the Ole Miss job. DC Reggie Herring will coach the bowl game before new head Hog Bobby Petrino takes over (unless he takes yet another job between now and then). Crank up the scoreboards at the old Cotton Bowl. Prof's Pick: Missouri

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl
Jan. 1 at Noon (CBS)
Virginia (9-3) vs. Texas Tech (8-4)
This is probably the least appealing of the New Year's Day bowls, but hey - any bowl is a good bowl. The Cavaliers won a bunch of close games this season, but it is unlikely they faced a passing attack like the TT Red Raiders bring to Florida. Tech QB Graham Harrell threw for 5298 yards and 45 TDs. He will be facing one of the nation's best defensive end in UVA's Chris Long. Expect the six shooters to be firing away for the Red Raiders. Prof's Pick: Texas Tech

Capital One Bowl
Jan. 1 at 1:00 (ABC)
Florida (9-3) vs. Michigan (8-4)
Something old and something new. Sounds like a wedding ditty, but this phrase applies to the new Heisman Trophy winner, Florida QB Tim Tebow, and the old Michigan man Lloyd Carr, coaching his last game for Big Blue. Tebow became the first sophomore to win college football’s most prestigious award by posting mind-boggling touchdown numbers (29 passing and 22 rushing) while accounting for nearly 4000 yards of total offense. The Wolverines will be trying to send Carr out on a winning note as he steps down after 12 years as head man, and as always seniors RB Michael Hart and QB Chad Henne will be providing leadership. Expect youth to trump experience in this contest as the Gators try to nail down a 2008 preseason #1 ranking by wearing out the Wolverines. Prof's Pick: Florida

Rose Bowl
Jan. 1 at 4:30 (ABC)
USC (10-2) vs. Illinois (9-3)
The Granddaddy may be a snoozer this year because USC could outclass Illinois. The Illini offense provides the best chance for a Big Ten victory as QB Juice Williams, RB Rashard Mendenhall, and WR Aurrelious Benn spear-head a potent spread option attack. Many people still believe the Trojans are the best team in the nation, but close losses to Oregon and Stanford, along with a host of injuries hurt them. The Trojans are well now. Prof's Pick: USC

Allstate Sugar Bowl
Jan. 1 at 8:30 (Fox)
Georgia (10-2) vs. Hawaii (12-0)
This Sugar Bowl should be mighty sweet this season because each team will have something to prove. Georgia was ranked #4 in the BCS poll going into the last game of the season. When numbers one and two lost, many Georgia fans figured their beloved Bulldogs would get the championship game bid. Instead the Dawgs actually dropped in the final poll (even though they were idle) as conference champions jumped them. The Georgia defense played well late in the season, but the real story was the emergence of freshman running back sensation Knowshon Moreno (1273 yards). Working in tandem with senior Thomas Brown (706 yards despite missing a couple of games) behind a line that started three freshman, Moreno and QB Matthew Stafford hit stride at mid-season and never looked back. The Sugar Bowl gives Georgia a chance to prove a point nationally (and to set themselves up for a high preseason ranking in 2008). The best way to do so would be to wallop the Warriors of Hawaii. June Jones’ islanders also come with a chip on the shoulder as many felt they did not belong in a BCS game. QB Colt Brennan has put up incredible numbers (4174 yards, 38 TDs). The only two other non-BCS conference teams to make a BCS bowl (Utah and Boise State) both won their games. Expect Georgia to end that streak and make a statement. Prof's Pick: Georgia