[NU Sports] Tide rolls, yawn!

[Jonathan Hodges]

The Ivy League is already a part of the Football Championship Subdivision
(e.g. I-AA) and is, according to the NCAA, eligible for those playoffs but
as you noted has its own rule that they do not participate in those
playoffs (instead sticking to a strict 10 game schedule).  Also, they do
not offer athletic scholarships of any kind (similar to Patriot League
teams who do not allow football scholarships but recently have allowed
scholarships in other sports).  Also, the SWAC teams typically do not
participate in the FCS playoffs as their conference schedule conflicts with
the playoff games.

Although the AP has allowed FCS teams to be eligible for their Top 25 poll,
I don't believe the Coaches Poll allows one to vote for FCS teams (since
that subdivision has their own coaches poll); also, I don't think the
Harris Poll allows one to vote for FCS teams and I'm not sure if all of the
computers rank all Div I teams (I know at least some, like Sagarin, do).
Therefore, I don't think it's possible for an FCS team to have a BCS
ranking and therefore would not be eligible for any kind of playoff
(assuming they use something like the current rankings).

The plus-one model COULD be viable if there are lots of provisions to
protect the Rose Bowl's Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup (like it can never host a
semifinal and it can only lose an affiliated conference champ if they are
in the top 4) and Delany finally succumbs to the tide of current opinion.
We'll find out over the next couple of months, I suppose.

Jonathan

--
Jonathan Hodges
Contributor, HailToPurple
Web: http://www.hailtopurple.com/jhodges/
Twitter: @hailtopurple
Email: j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu



On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 1:34 PM, <hakirsch at aol.com> wrote:

> While some of you may call me crazy for asking, but to those out there
> advocating a football playoff what would suggest if an Ivy League school
> was rated in the top 4 (or 8) at the end of the season since I believe they
> self are self banned from playing in the post season ?
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: hakirsch at aol.com
> Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:21:09
> To: Mike Nolan<nolan at tssi.com>
> Reply-To: hakirsch at aol.com
> Cc: SjT \(Stephen J. Truog\)<sjtruog at yahoo.com>; Michael Vance<
> michael.vance at att.net>; nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com<
> nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com>; nwu-sports at tssi.com<nwu-sports at tssi.com>
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Tide rolls, yawn!
>
> I have always enjoyed these discussions on who is # 1 which occur without
> a playoff system. Not that the NCAA tournament guarantees us the best with
> its system, but it does generate the best team under the given rules (ie
> who prepares their squad the best for an end of the season 3 week run). The
> only difference in football is there are few rules to go by. Only that the
> regular season counts a lot, with later being generally more valued than
> earlier and that the BCS championship game winner will be declared #1 by at
> least one poll.
>
> Thus the lack of a playoff system not only keeps the chat boards probably
> busier than with one, but can result in more than one team legitimately
> claiming a first spot (although in my mind--not this year).  My only
> disappointment this year (besides NU's bowl loss!) is that we didn't have 3
> undefeated teams going into the bowls again and arguing about who got robbed
>
> Harry
>
>
> ------Original Message------
> From: Mike Nolan
> To: Harry
> Cc: SjT \(Stephen J. Truog\)
> Cc: Michael Vance
> Cc: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com
> Cc: nwu-sports at tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Tide rolls, yawn!
> Sent: Jan 10, 2012 8:05 AM
>
> > SJT is more knowledgeable and certainly much more passionate about
> college =
> > football than I will ever be .  But anyone waking up this morning and
> think=
> > ing that the BCS system is flawed based on the evidence of the 2011
> season =
> > will never be happy with the outcome.  Does anyone not think that the
> S.E.C=
> > . was not the best conference ?  Does anyone not believe that based on
> the =
> > regular and post season (Bowls plus Championship game)  that the 2 top
> team=
> > s weren't Bama and LSU ,whichever order you desire ?   =
>
> All we really know is that in 8 quarters plus overtime, LSU was able to
> put up only 3 field goals against Alabama.  How another top 10 team
> like Okie State, Stanford, Oregon or even bowl-flop Wisconsin would
> have done is an unanswered question.  How high powered offenses like
> Boise State and West Virginia would have done is also an unanswered
> question.  West Virgina scored almost as many points against LSU as
> 'Bama did, in half the time.
>
> Yeah, they're probably the two best defenses in the country
> (ie, the best that money can buy), I'm not nearly as convinced
> they were (or are) the best two overall teams.
>
> Those thrilling games by 'Bama against Kent State, North Texas,
> Georgia Southern (that's not a proper name for a school, that's
> a railroad!) should earn a derisive comment from Gordon Gee, but
> I guess he's off getting another tattoo.
>
> Do I think a playoff is a better answer?  Not really, but I think
> we'll get one within the next 6-8 years, and it won't quell
> the complaints, just change who's complaining and what about.
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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