[NU Sports] LOL

[Jonathan Hodges]

I don't know if this email was serious, but assuming it was I have no idea
how you can claim bias against a computer program.  Ohio State's schedule so
far has been weak to say the least: Marshall, Ohio, and Eastern Michigan are
all just plain bad; Miami (FL) is mediocre, at best, after getting blown
away by FSU; and while Illinois looks respectable they don't have the best
record, while Indiana is proving that they are near the bottom of the
conference thanks to their defense.

Right now, all the computers go off of is what happened on the field, and
because of the BCS rule that the computers cannot use margin of victory in
their formulas, OSU gets punished for their weak schedule so far.  Do note
that their strength of schedule will begin to rise significantly, especially
after playing Wisconsin this week.  Plus, I believe Sagarin uses location
(home/road) in his formula, so as OSU plays more road games they will begin
to get more credit (5 of their first 6 games have been at home).

If you want to argue relative positions, go over to the polls and tell me
how the heck anyone can rank a one-loss Alabama team above a one-loss South
Carolina team that handily beat them just last week.  It's clear that things
are not right, but I'd place a lot more blame on the pollsters than the
computers, especially since it's clear that there is no way the pollsters
saw the majority of games (especially the coaches, which is the worst).

In any case, save your breath until near the end of the season when the
rankings mean a lot more.  The BCS conference teams haven't yet reached the
meat of their schedules, while the "mid-majors" still face their weakest
opponents, meaning that the strengths of schedule will eventually favor
those BCS conference teams, tilting the computer rankings in their favor.
Plus, they'll get a lot more TV time which carries a lot of weight in the
eyes of the pollsters.

Finally, as a realist, I find it beneficial to realize that a playoff system
is probably 20 years away, if it will ever happen.  And, I'm fine with that
- I enjoy college football's unique system and actually embrace it,
especially since NU is a huge benefactor being in a BCS conference.  If you
get so sick over lack of playoffs that you can't stand it, I suggest you
stick to the football that's played on Sundays (that is if you can stay
awake through it).

Jonathan

On Tue, Oct 12, 2010 at 8:31 PM, SjT (Stephen J. Truog)
<sjtruog at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Split squad perhaps? :)
>
> My comic relief came looking at the USA Today at the airport and seeing the
> computer rankings for Sagarin.
>
> Ohio State #15???
>
> I can see Oregon at #1 (even though Ohio State crushed them in Pasadena),
> but ...
>
> Stanford #4?
> Arizona #7??
> Cal #9???
> Oregon State #11????
> Nevada #14??????????
>
> Forget the claims of west-coast bias! This guy has had an axe to grind with
> the Big Ten since get left IU ... why are we still using these computer
> clowns to determine national champ???
>
> We can save the Bucknut tears for now, but the early forecast calls for
> another B-C-MESS this season and while the polls may have Ohio State and
> Oregon controlling their fate (yaa Big Ten and Pac 10!), the computers seem
> to love Boise and TCU ... and with the possibility of all four of those
> running the table along with the OU/UNL winner and either an Auburn/LSU
> unbeaten SEC champ or an Alabama team that has beaten Auburn, LSU, Arkansas,
> Florida, Carolina (rematch in title game) winning the SEC ... well, it could
> be getting messy pretty soon.
>
> Chant it with me, folks: B-C-Mess! B-C-MESS! B-C-MESS!!!!!
>
> Oh yeah, and if you need further proof the computers suck ...
>
> #38 - Notre Dame. One spot ahead of Texas. Ahead of UCLA. Ahead of NU
> (#62). But not ahead of the Ill-ini (#31).
>
> Again, this is who we use to determine the title game instead of what's
> actually on the field??? Why???
>
> GO CATS!!!
> -SjT
>
>
>
> * * * * * * * * *
> STEPHEN J. TRUOG
> sjtruog at yahoo.com
> GO CATS!!! GEAUX SAINTS!!!
> Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
> ==========================
>
>
> --- On Tue, 10/12/10, wildelk2 at aol.com <wildelk2 at aol.com> wrote:
>
> > From: wildelk2 at aol.com <wildelk2 at aol.com>
> > Subject: [NU Sports] LOL
> > To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
> > Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 4:15 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >     After the Purdue game, I needed a laugh.
> > Collegefootballnews.com had Rutgers playing in 2 bowl games
> > this post-season.  Either Greg Sciano will be extremely
> > busy, or the clairvoyant ones at CFN  through this
> > piece together in 10 minutes.  They have us playing NIU
> > in Detroit as the last qualifier of the Big 10.
> >    GO CATS!!
> >   Eric
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Roy S. Lamberton <rstetson at capps-assoc.com>
> > To: 'Jim Leonard' <jleonard518 at yahoo.com>;
> > 'Northwestern Wildcats' <nwu-sports at tssi.com>
> > Sent: Tue, Oct 12, 2010 7:55 am
> > Subject: RE: [NU Sports] Bring on Sparty
> >
> >
> > Start a rumor about a coach changing schools?
> >
> > Who would stoop to such things.
> >
> > rsl
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > Roy S. Lamberton - Senior Associate & Unix Guru.
> > Computer Applications & Support Associates
> > -------------------- Also ----------------------
> > "Commissioner" Delaware American Legion Baseball
> > Director Media Relations - Little League
> >   Senior League Softball World Series
> > Retired Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician [R]
> > Northwestern University - Speech 1974 -
> > Chi Phi: Pi 1974, KD 1968
> > Publisher Emeritus: Purple Reign (Fox Sports)
> > ==========  Go Cats -  Beat 'em All
> > ===========
> >
> > "...Then I get on my knees and pray,
> > WE DON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN!" -- Pete Townsend
> >
> > Don't re-elect nobody, not even yo mama! - Franc White
> >
> > ================================================
> >
> > Also, by the time our game rolls around the message boards
> > will be buzzing with
> > rumors that Mark Dantonio has been penciled in as the next
> > head coach at
> > Georgia. (I will be starting those rumors next week) So,
> > that will be an added
> > distraction.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
>
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