Bowl Selection Open Thread
by LVS on Dec 5, 2010 3:07 PM CST
in Michigan State Spartans Football
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PrintFor better or for worse, the waiting and speculation ends tonight. The final BCS standings and BCS bowl matchups will be announced at 9pm (EST), and the other bowls will follow with their selections shortly thereafter.
Briefly: MSU's is again ranked 7th in both the AP and Coaches polls this week, one spot behind Ohio State and three spots behind Wisconsin. Three teams ranked behind MSU have already secured BCS bids: Oklahoma (whose two losses are comparably respectable: Mizzou and Texas A&M), Virginia Tech (who lost to Boise State and James Madison, No Seriously James Madison), and Connecticut (whose 4 (yes, 4) losses included a blowout to Michigan, a thorough beating by Temple, an overtime loss to Rutgers, which ended up 4-8, and a 26-0 thumping at the hands of a 6-6 Louisville team). By any reasonable metric, MSU deserves a BCS bid far more than any of those teams do. But this is the BCS, where words like "deserve," "fairness," and "equity" come to die. This is, of course, notwithstanding the substantial arguments why MSU merits a BCS bid over both/either of Wisconsin and Ohio State, but both of those teams probably deserve to go too, so I'm saving my vitriol for less familiar foes.
In any event, intrepid RCMB poster Giant Moose discovered that the Sugar Bowl has already created Ohio State vs. Arkansas merchandise, which presumably will go on sale later this evening. It's possible that MSU vs. Arkansas images exist somewhere on the site and just haven't been discovered yet, but that seems unlikely.
So, this means that MSU is heading to the Capital One Bowl for the second time in three years, and heading to Orlando for the third time in four years. Most bowl projections have MSU matched up against Alabama, which like ugh. Alabama is a young but extraordinarily talented team which will no doubt be ready to kill, kill, kill after blowing their big rivalry game against Auburn. And considering the benefits naturally accrued by an inexperienced team handed an extra month and a half of practice time, MSU will certainly have its hands full. Prepare to hear plenty about Nick Saban and Mark Ingram. Hooray. At least one contrarian (Mark Schlabach) thinks MSU will face LSU, which seems, at least to me, to be a more manageable matchup. Sadly, any chance for a very winnable matchup against South Carolina probably disappeared after their faceplant in the SEC championship game yesterday.
Some disappointment seems inevitable, but hey: State still has the most important trophy of all, as displayed by Greg Jones above. We'll be back later this evening to talk about it all.
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Iowa v. Nebraska...
…potentially in the Insight Bowl seems like one of the more interesting match-ups for Big Ten fans from a “well, let’s get this Farmageddon rivalry thing up and running” standpoint.
by Spartan-Football on Dec 5, 2010 3:25 PM CST reply actions
I'd actually prefer to play LSU
1. They are ranked #10 and thus MSU would be in one of only four bowl games featuring a top ten matchup.
2. We have a better shot at beating LSU than bama imo.
Agree.
In terms of MSU’s matchups: South Carolina > LSU > Alabama.
PP-TPW.
The Only Colors
by LVS on Dec 5, 2010 3:26 PM CST up reply actions
What is the likelihood that...
…a bowl victory over Alabama will be more impressive than a bowl victory over TCU? I haven’t watched more than 10 minutes of the Horned Frogs this season, but gut reaction is that we go into this facing a more challenging opponent than Wisconsin.
by Spartan-Football on Dec 5, 2010 3:30 PM CST reply actions
As much as I am trying to cultivate an "It's just sports" mentality.
Playing Bama in the Citrus, while Ar-Kansas, uCONn, and a Va Tech squad which lost at home (AT HOME) to a 6-5 I-AA school play in the big boy games absolutely sucks. sucks. SUCKS.
This absolutely sucks.
Something like this has happened to us before though: Jump in the way back machine:
1967. MSU and Indiana tie for the Big Ten basketball chanpionship. In the only meeting of the season between Indiana and MSU (in Bloomington – no less), MSU won. MSU was ranked at various points during the season. Indiana was, at no point, ranked.
When it came time to select the Big Ten representative for the tournament, the NCAA selected Indiana University. Indiana received a bye and then lost to Va Tech. In hoops.
Following this season our head coach, John Bennington was found dead of a heart attack, in the Jenison fieldhouse locker room.
Well, Coach D already had his heart attack of the season so I think we’re probably out of the woods on that point.
by Spartan-Football on Dec 5, 2010 4:15 PM CST up reply actions
Don't concede the loss already
Tough draw – yes, however, Cousins will be healthy. Maybe, these guys have one more Wisconsin game in them.
Michigan vs. Mississippi State in Gator Bowl
[Insert joke about UM maybe beating an "MSU" in something here.]
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Dec 5, 2010 5:56 PM CST reply actions
And didn't they beat the (SoCar Upstate) Spartans in basketball recently?
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Going away!
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Dec 5, 2010 7:11 PM CST up reply actions
I'm fine with them beating MSU or the Spartans
as long as it’s not both at the same time.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Well, everything except the top 3 in the Big Ten has apparently come out
Outback: PSU-Florida (should be a relatively easy win for the Big Ten)
Gator: Michigan-Other MSU (who knows)
Insight: rumored to be Iowa-Missouri (that could be ugly)
Texas: Illinois-Baylor (I know better than to pretend I have the slightest clue what’s going to happen with the Zooker)
Dallas Football Classic: Northwestern-TxTech (without Persa, I don’t think NW ends their bowl win drought this year)
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Could they drag this out any longer?
All we know so far is that Oklahoma leapfrogged us in the BCS standings.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Rose officially Wisconsin-TCU
No surprises there.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
And it's official
May I be the first to congratulate Ohio State on making a BCS game without a single win over a ranked team and say WOO PIG SOOIE.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
Ohio State is 0-9 vs SEC and Arkansas is traditionally horrible in bowl games
should be interesting to see who breaks the snide
Fumbles. It was always Fumbles
Also
Final coaches ballots were publicly released. The only two coaches that ranked MSU higher than UW and OSU were Dantonio and Saban.
Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude
I'm excited to play Michigan State....
Bama has never played MSU on the gridiron, so this should be an interesting match-up. Other than the Sugar Bowl against Utah (grumbles), all of our other bowl games since 2005 have been against Big 12 teams so I am also thankful for a change of pace.
Fumbles. It was always Fumbles
Shut up Lou Holtz
I hate you, how do they keep you breathing?
It could be worse.
It could be Craig James. Oh wait, he’s there too. So I say we nuke the studio from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
by SpartanDan on Dec 5, 2010 8:08 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
badger fan here
the spartans deserve a bcs bowl. u have a valid argument becuz u beat uw. the badgers had a tough schedule. it sucks that WHEN you lose has a bigger impact than WHO you beat. i will be rooting wholeheartedly for you guys!! its a joke the UCONN gets a bid losing 4 games and being unranked. good luck against bama
Thanks.
Weird thing is, I’m more ticked off about Ohio State jumping us than I am about Wisconsin. Partly because I hate Ohio State more than I hate you, partly because at least you actually beat somebody this year. There’s something to be said for winning the games you’re supposed to, but you’d think if you’re looking for a team to play somebody in the top 10 you’d pick someone who’s actually proven they can win that sort of game.
Bradley-Terry rankings for college football and basketball: because there aren't enough computer rankings already.
First time poster.
Obviously, everyone is upset about our BCS bid or lack-there-of, but I think Alabama is the perfect opportunity to prove how good this team is. Yes, it lacks the prestige of a BCS game, but at this point I’d rather try and prove that we’re a top 5 team, and taking down a tough opponent like Alabama will show that, especially since they’re better than their record indicates. I think that’s just as satisfying as a BCS appearance.
Also, as a fan of both MSU and UConn basketball, I might have to revoke the latter over the Huskies’ going to the Fiesta Bowl.
Terrence J. is feeling a bit fishy...
I would be full on Clark Griswald no Christmas bonus mode right now.
You guys seem so calm if I was an MSU fan I would be completely losing my $hit right now. You should definitely be going to the Rose over a UW team THAT YOU BEAT not to mention ranked over OSU who hasn’t beaten anyone this year!!
"That woman was sexy...Out of your league? Son. Let women figure out why they won't screw you, don't do it for them."...SMDS
by J.R. Angle has a posse on Dec 5, 2010 9:42 PM CST reply actions
Problem is that we let ourselves get dismantled by a 7-5 Iowa team.
Whereas Wisconsin lost to us (10-1) and Ohio State lost to Wisconsin (10-1). Ultimately, our loss looks worse than either of their losses, especially since Iowa was really our biggest road test. If the game was close, and we lost in the final minutes, I think we would be ahead of Ohio State. But the shellacking we took pretty much sealed our fate. It sucks, but what are you going to do? Yes, you can get into other statistics and strength of schedule, but our season was ultimately was the Iowa game and we stumbled big time. We have no one to blame but ourselves for not securing the Big Ten outright, especially since this same Iowa team went on to lose to Minnesota.
Terrence J. is feeling a bit fishy...
by Trout Jefferson on Dec 6, 2010 2:39 AM CST up reply actions
Welcome to the black hole that was the 2010 Hawkeye season.
That stupid Iowa team, not only were they not satisfied with f*cking up their own season they had to go and f*ck up another teams season…..what a bunch of dicks.
"That woman was sexy...Out of your league? Son. Let women figure out why they won't screw you, don't do it for them."...SMDS
by J.R. Angle has a posse on Dec 6, 2010 8:35 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah, most of my rage was directed towards Iowa more than any other team.
Terrence J. is feeling a bit fishy...
by Trout Jefferson on Dec 6, 2010 10:14 AM CST up reply actions
I assure you, we are enraged
However, since this moment has been building for months, we’re already on the fifth of the Kübler-Ross 5 Stages of Grief:
1) Denial: Set in towards the end of the 1st quarter of Iowa game ("No, this isn’t really happening"), and lasted for about 24 horrible hours.
2) Anger: This started immediately upon the Halloween release of the new AP, USA Today/Coaches Polls & BCS standings ("We dropped to WHAT?!?! Behind Wisconsin, who we just beat?? WTF are these people & computers smoking?!?!"), and lasted through the Minnesota game.
3) Bargaining: The third piece kicked in sometime after Minnesota game, as we started to realize that it was looking less & less likely that either OSU or Wisc would lose this year, and it also kicked in that we no longer were in control of our own destiny: ("Well, they do have to play U-M & that video game offense, maybe, just maybe, a miracle can happen. It’s OK to pull for U-M in these games bc them winning would mean more to us than to them, and as an added bonus, may help keep RR & his no-recruiting in Michigan or the Midwest behind around for a few more seasons"). Depending on how hard the die-hard fan is, bargaining continued from anytime after Wisc’s 20th or so consecutive rush against U-M, to the actual BCS selection show.
4) Depression: Depending on the end of the 3rd stage, Depression set in at different times for different Spartans fans. Basically, it is summed up as this: "Well, we’re destined to go to the Capital One game, no matter what kind of magic Hollis & Dantonio pull. We just had the best season in MSU sports history, and we will commemorate it by going to the most land-locked city on the FL peninsula, where the average high in January is 70.8." As mentioned in the Wikipedia article on the Kübler-Ross model, "It is not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed."
5) Acceptance: And this is where we are now.
by MSUDersh on Dec 6, 2010 2:41 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
Rec'ed
Fight for The Only Colors: Green and White!
by KJ@theonlycolors on Dec 6, 2010 3:23 PM CST up reply actions
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