Coaches on the Hot Seat

We're 4 weeks into the season and teams are already playing their coaches onto the hot seat.  Here's the top three:

3. Al Groh, Virginia.  Groh seems to find himself on the hot seat more often than not, but has thus far managed to get his teams to do just enough to save his job.  This year, the Wahoos opened the season with a faceplant against William and Mary, a I-AA team.  They've also got a respectable loss to potential BCS-buster TCU and then a close road loss to Southern Miss.  Looking at their schedule though, Maryland and Duke appear to be the only winnable games left.  The one thing that may save Groh is the extension he signed in 2007, which would keep him around until 2011.  Virginia doesn't have the booster power that Auburn or Tennessee have, and may not want to pony up for a buyout.  Still, if Virginia really only beats Maryland and Duke this year, it is hard to imagine Groh will return in 2010.

2. Dan Hawkins, Colorado.  Sure they have a win, but it was against Wyoming.  The Buffs looked positively horrendous against Toledo in week 2.  The next 3 games are at West Virginia, at #2 Texas, and home against #18 Kansas.  That's not an easy stretch for a team that ranks 84th in total offense and 101st in total defense.  At this point, Hawkins has to be wondering what the hell he was thinking leaving Boise State.  Hawkins is looking at an 8 loss season, which means he may not be around to welcome the Dawgs to Boulder in the fall of 2010.

1. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame.  Before the season ever started, there was a billboard in South Bend wishing Weis the best in his college coaching internship.  Lou Holtz predicted the Irish would play for the national championship, and not to be outdone Beano Cook predicted they would win the BCS championship.  After opening the season with a 35-0 win over mighty Nevada, the pundits were ready to crown Notre Dame.  Since then, the Golden Domers have lost to Michigan, needed a last minute INT to beat Michigan State, and a boneheaded coaching move from Purdue to escape West Lafayette with the W.  Sure they're 3-1, but Notre Dame hasn't made that easy schedule look very easy, and they could just as easily be 1-3.  Washington, a team that despite losing to Stanford has looked good this season, visits South Bend this weekend before the Trojans visit next weekend.  Weis may very well be in must win mode.  He certainly cannot repeat last year's performance against USC if he wants to stick around for next season.

Dis-Honorable Mentions:  Mike Locksley, New Mexico State University, Ralph Friedgen, Maryland

-Dexter

Undefeated...for Now

There are 120 teams in Division 1-A, and 103 of them lost at least once in the month of September. Only 17 teams made it through to October unscathed. But how much longer will these teams stay perfect on the season? It's time to rank them based on when their first loss is most likely to occur: 

10/3

14 (tie). Texas A&M - When your opponents are New Mexico, Utah State, and UAB, you better be unbeaten. This charade ends quickly...as in this Saturday vs. Arkansas. 

14 (tie). LSU - The Bayou Bengals have been blown out in their last three games against Georgia. The Dawgs make it four in a row on Saturday. 

14 (tie). Wisconsin - The Golden Gophers still need a marquee win for their new stadium. They'll get it this Saturday against the Badgers. 

14 (tie). Michigan - This week the Wolverines play at Michigan State, where the Spartans will be trying desperately to save their season. Sparty will pull out a close one to avoid starting 1-4. 

10/10

12 (tie). Houston - The Cougs are rolling after wins over both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. But I think they played with fire like BYU and scheduled one major conference team too many. If Mississippi State works on their goal line offense the next couple of weeks then the Bulldogs will be able to pull off the upset. 

12 (tie). UCLA - The Bruins could easily lose to Stanford on October 3rd,  but if they get past the Cardinal they'll definitely lose to Oregon the following week. This one could get ugly. 

10/15

11. South Florida - The Bulls host the Bearcats in a marquee Thursday Night game that's reminiscent of the epic battles the Big East waged on Thursday nights in 2006.  Cincinnati has too much firepower to lose in Tampa. 

10/17

9 (tie). Iowa - If the Hawkeyes are going to lose before their showdown with Ohio State on November 14th, it'll be home against Michigan on October 10th or at Wisconsin on October 17th. I probably have this one reversed, but the Badgers will end the Hawkeyes' undefeated season if the Wolverines don't. 

9 (tie). Missouri - I don't have any faith in the Tigers, but the underdog almost always wins the Thursday night game so look for them to squeak by Nebraska on October 8th. There's no chance they escape Sillwater with a win however. 

10/24 

8. Kansas - The Jayhawks are a gritty team but they'll be facing a ticked off Sooners squad that's coming off a loss to Texas. The undefeated season was nice while it lasted. 

10/31

6 (tie). Florida - The Georgia Bulldogs have an offense (see the South Carolina and Arkansas games) and a defense (see Oklahoma State and Arizona State). They just haven't appeared in the same game yet. That all changes against Florida. The Dawgs have a bye week to prepare for the Gators like they did in 2007 when they won 42-30. Tebow or no Tebow, the Gators dream of an undefeated season dies in Jacksonville on Halloween night, along with their SEC title hopes.

6 (tie). Texas - Forget trick or treating, haunted houses, and scary movies. Make plans to spend Halloween night in front of SportsCenter and GameDay Final to watch the chaos that erupts when #1 and #2 both go down. Oklahoma State and Texas have a history of playing some real barnburners, and this one should be no different..except for the outcome. Cowboy Up! 

11/14

4 (tie). TCU - The Horned Frogs will be in the BCS discussion for much of the season, especially after they rout BYU on October 24th. But look for them to slip up at home against the other team from the Beehive State. 

4 (tie). Auburn - Auburn has struggled against Arkansas for most of this decade, and this year's Razorbacks squad is certainly capable of beating the Tigers on October 10th. But if Auburn is able to survive its trip to Fayetteville, they should remain undefeated all the way to November 14th when they'll face A.J. Green, Orson Charles, Branden Smith, Joe Cox, Aron White, Michael Moore, Rantavious Wooten, Brandon Boykin, Richard Samuel,  Caleb King, a much improved O-line, and a jacked up Sanford Stadium crowd. 

11/27 

3. Alabama - The Crimson Tide will be #1 for most of November once Halloween claims both Texas and Florida. But then on Thanksgiving weekend Gus Malzahn, Auburn's offensive coordinator, will show what a true genius he is. Saban loses the one game that he has to have. 

Fall 2010 

2. Cincinnati - The Bearcats are going undefeated this year. They'll win whatever BCS bowl the system condescends to put them in, whether it's the National Championship Game or not. They might win all their games this year but they're destined to lose their coach. 

Maybe never 

1.   Boise State - The Broncos are one of the youngest teams in the country. They show no signs of losing this year and they'll be even better next year. I doubt the voters will ever allow a Cincinnati vs. Boise State game to happen, so the Broncos will have to settle for a #2 final ranking and dreams of a National Championship in 2010. 

 -Drew

Top 5 Most Surprising Results - Week 4

1. The Top 10 Continues to be a Revolving Door 

Penn State looked bad, and Cal, Miami, and Ole Miss looked even worse. None of them are in the Top 10 anymore after suffering their first losses of the season, mostly in train wreck fashion.  Cal dropped like a rock all the way from #6 to #24, and Ole Miss went from #4 to #21 after looking totally inept at South Carolina on Thursday night. Penn State drops ten spots from #5 to #15 after being bullied by Iowa. Miami took the shortest tumble, falling only eight spots to #17, but they were never competitive against Virginia Tech.

With all of this Week 4 carnage, several one-loss wonders find themselves back in prime position, including #6 Virginia Tech, #7 USC, #8 Oklahoma, and #9 Ohio State.

2. Oregon's Turnaround

Has there ever been a more dramatic turnaround in the month of September? The Ducks kicked off the college football season with an all-time implosion at Boise State but have somehow picked themselves off of the blue turf to resemble the team that many thought they would be. They made #6 Cal look like UC-Davis. Although their offense can't be maligned any more, many are still skeptical of their wardrobe choices. Personally I think the feathers are a hilarious addition, but the throw back uniforms certainly seemed to work for them this past weekend. However nothing can top the Marvin the Martian look from two weeks ago.

3. Florida State is Totally Schizophrenic

Who the hell knows why Game Day chose Florida State at Boston College this Saturday, but Corso and the boys could definitely use all two hours to analyze the Seminoles' first 2-2 start in 20 years. FSU has been all over the map both literally and figuratively. First they commit the cardinal sin of almost losing to a 1-AA team, then they blast #7 BYU in Provo, and this past Saturday they once again look anemic in a home loss to red-headed stepchild South Florida. If that pattern is any indication, look for them to win in Chestnut Hill by 50.

4. TCU and Houston Continue to Beat Big-Boy Teams 

Boise State appears to have the non-BCS BCS spot locked up, but TCU and Houston are worthy successors should Boise stumble. TCU has now beaten 2 ACC schools ( if Virginia still counts) and Houston has beaten two Big 12 schools ( including then-#5 Oklahoma State). Houston goes to Starkville in two weeks to play the Mississippi State team that almost shocked LSU this weekend. If Houston goes undefeated with three big-boy scalps on their resume, would the Cougars get a BCS invite in addition to Boise State?

5. LSU and Ole Miss are Possibly the Worst #4 Teams of All Time

We all knew that #4 ranking next to Ole Miss' name looked kind of funny, and Thursday night sure proved it. LSU is the next fraudulent team to wear the # 4 ranking. They've done nothing to impress four weeks into the season and are an inevitable blowout loss to Georgia away from dropping down into the twenties where they belong.

-Drew

Picture of the Week

From Detroit 4 Lyfe:

3 Teams on Upset Alert- Week 4

1.  Michigan (vs. Indiana)

Indiana is coming into this game 3-0, and has already won a road game.  More importantly, Michigan is starting to feel good about itself, and with a game next week against in-state rival Michigan State, this could be the classic trap game.  The offense is running well, but the defense has been suspect all season long.  Indiana hasn't won in Ann Arbor in 42 years.  While it probably won't happen this week either, don't be shocked if the Hoosiers pull the upset.

2.  Cal (at Oregon)

Autzen stadium is never an easy place to play, and Pac-10 road games are looking more and more difficult to win (just ask USC).  While Cal has a Heisman candidate at running back, Oregon of course lost their best player to "the punch."  If Cal struggles in the second half like they did against Minnesota, we could be looking at a second top ten team losing this week.

3.  Washington (at Stanford)

This is the classic let down game.  There is no way the coaches at Washington, no matter how good they are, can convince the Huskies to be as geeked emotionally as they were last week for the Trojans.  It's human nature.  Meanwhile, Stanford, in their two wins have put up 39 points, and 42 points.  The Washington defense will have to show up like it did last week, or the Huskies could end September with a disappointing loss.

-Dexter

Top 5 Most Surprising Results- Week 3

1. Tennessee is actually competitive against Florida

I admit, I was one of the many people that wondered if Tennessee was even going to be able to get a first down against the Gators. But the Vols held Florida in check so well that Urban felt compelled to cough up a few excuses, blaming everything from the flu to Lane Kiffin's conservative play calling.

Lane responded with a zinger of his own: "“I guess we’ll wait, and after [the next game], if we’re not excited about a performance, we’ll tell you everybody was sick."

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, you have got to let these two call each other names all year long! Don't tell them to stop...it's comedy gold.

2. USC excuses itself from the national championship race by losing to U-Dub

For the 4th year in a row, USC lost in shocking fashion to a Pac-10 team that it has absoutely no business losing to. This time the embarrassment was inflicted by Washington, one year removed from an 0-12 record and its worst season in school history. Whereas USC coach Pete Carroll is now reduced to blaming his own players for the loss, Washington is reveling in the midst of a remarkable turnaround. Under the guidance of new coach Steve Sarkisian, the Huskies end the nation's longest losing streak one week and then punk #3 USC the next. Only three games into his tenure, has Sarkisian already shown that he's the second hottest coach in college football?

3. Speaking of the hottest coach in the game, Brian Kelly continues to amaze at Cincinnati

In 2007, his first year at Cincinnati, Brian Kelly led the Bearcats to their first 10-win season since 1949. In 2008, he coached his team to 11 wins and the Big East Championship. And so far in 2009? The Bearcats have won 3 games, each one in eyebrow-raising fashion, to post arguably the best resume of any team so far this year.

They went to Rutgers, a team that many pegged to make some noise in the Big East, and won 45-17. They scored 70 points against their cupcake in Week 2. And then this past week, they went on the road and beat Oregon State, something that USC hasn't been able to do in its past two attempts .

Don't look now, but Cincinnati may have already played its way into the National Championship game. With all the chaos surrounding the preseason favorites, their path is becoming clearer and clearer each and every week.

4. Florida State obliterates #7 BYU to save us all from their BCS-title hopes

Who the hell does BYU think they are? They think they can come around once every 25 years and act like they belong at the big boys table? I don't think it works that way. Non-BCS teams have to earn their way into the discussion, just as Boise State has done by posting the best winning percentage of any team this decade. If any non-BCS team deserves a shot, it's the one that has proved itself year in and year out on the blue turf. And hey, BYU - don't think Boise St. is too impressed with your 14-13 win over Oklahoma. After all, they have a win over the Sooners of their own...you may have heard of it?

5. Georgia's offense is scary good but their defense is scary bad

The past two weeks have been pretty remarkable for the Dawgs. It's so rare to put up 93 points in consecutive weeks against SEC teams not named Vanderbilt and Kentucky. It's also uncommon for Georgia to be ranking dead last in the SEC in nearly every single defensive category. Will the Arena Football League/WAC/Big 12 shoot-outs continue this week for the Dawgs? As long as Joe Cox is our quarterback and Willie Martinez is our defensive coordinator, I say yes.

-Drew

Urban Meyer Once Again Reveals His Douchiness

If you talked to anyone who knew anything about college football before last Saturday, and asked them what they thought was going to happen in the Florida-Tennessee game, you no doubt would have gotten a response along the lines of "Florida will crush Tennessee; it won't be close, and Urban Meyer will take every chance he can to embarrass Lane Kiffin."

This would have been a pretty reasonable response given Urban's history of demanding his respect, be it the timeouts called against Georgia, the late field goal against Miami, or the extra touchdowns his teams would score when he coached at Utah. There were rumors that the Florida band was going to play Rocky Top, and it would haven surprised no one to see Florida try to hang 100 on the Vols.

Of course, the game turned out to be surprisingly close. Meyer, never one to be satisfied with a win, had this to say about Kiffin and the Vols:

"When I saw them start handing the ball off, I didn't feel like they were going after the win."

and

"It was unbelievable. They were taking their time snapping the ball when they could go win the game. There was no two-minute drill."

I don't get why Curch Meyer thinks that he has to do anymore than go out and win the game. Maybe his father never told little Urban that he loved him. Maybe he was picked on a lot as a kid, and calling timeouts with 39 point leads is his way of showing his elementary school classmates that he's not the pussy they thought he was. Whatever his motivation, accusing a team of not trying to win a game is not the mark of a great coach; it's the mark of a douche.

-Dexter

Overreactions-Week 2

In what will be a semi-regular post at Dawg Dudes, we'll review some of the previous week's results and look at some of the overreactions based on those results.

First, the delusional overreaction. This is the one where after a single win, or a few good plays, the fans and pundits start to talk about how great the team has suddenly become.

This week, it has to be Michigan. The 38-34 win over Notre Dame has to be Rich Rod's signature win in his short tenure. However, we should be careful to anoint Michigan as as being "back." Sure the offense looked great, but the defense is extremely suspect. They gave up over 330 yards through the air, and if it wasn't for Charlie Weis' inability to manage the clock, Michigan would have a lot more questions this week. While it was a nice win for Michigan, they beat a Notre Dame team that not many thought was great, save for Lou Holtz and Beano Cook. If they continue to be great on offense, and can improve on defense before their showdown with Penn State, then we can start talk about Michigan being back. Until then, let's not overreact.

Now, for the Colin Cowherd myopic fan overreaction. This is the one where a poor performance, or a loss causes fans and pundits to overreact and pronounce the team dead.

This week, it goes to Ohio State. Sorry. THE Ohio State University. So pretentious. Anyway, OSU lost to a pretty good USC team. Plus, they weren't embarrassed like last year. It's progress, right? Fans in Columbus are wanting Sweater Vest to give up his play calling duties because he's "too conservative." Buckeye fans do realize that Tressel's play calling has given them 5 conference titles, and a BCS title. This isn't something Tressel started doing this year. Look, sometimes you lose some close games. During the 2002 season, tOSU won more than its fair share of close games thanks to the play calling that is now "too conservative." OSU played a great team, and they lost. Tressel doesn't need to change his style, and OSU's season isn't over. When they lose to Penn State, then the season will be over, but until then, let's not overreact.

-Dexter

Top 5 Most Surprising Results Week 2

1. 3 SEC teams now in the AP top 5 - In what may be an unprecedented feat, three teams from one conference are all ranked in the top 5 of the AP poll. No, Tennessee is not one of them.

2. Georgia's offense blows up - The game that everyone expected to be either 3-2 or at the most 10-9 turned into an offensive explosion. The Dawgs end up scoring 41 points against a stout South Carolina defense and prove that maybe their offense may not be a liability this season after all. In one remarkable week, the same Georgia team that many doubted could score a single touchdown against the Cocks is now expected to win another shootout, this time against Arkansas.

3. A top 5 team goes down for the 2nd week in a row - One week after #3 Oklahoma loses to BYU, #5 Oklahoma State gets pantsed at home by Houston. Is there any possible way for a top 5 team to lose again this week? USC plays at Washington, and both Cal and Oregon State can testify that USC has a history of struggling in their Pac 10 road openers. Texas hosts Texas Tech in a rematch of one of the best games of 2008 - could Mike Leach strike twice in a row? If USC and Texas both survive, then we may have to wait another week before any major shakedowns. Fellow top-5ers Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss are virtual locks to win this Saturday.

4. The bottom falls out at Colorado - Their season started poorly with a home loss to Colorado State, but then the Buffs played at Toledo on a Friday night for some unknown reason and got blown out 54-38. Colorado was down 30-3 midway through the third quarter, and only a couple of "excuse me" touchdowns in the final 2:56 made the score as close as it was.

5. Charlie "Mr. Tactical Advantage" Weis fails to manage a game properly once again - Actually this one isn't too much of a surprise at all, but it is fascinating that people like Lou Holtz and Beano Cook haven't learned anything after watching the Irish stumble through the worst two year stretch in the program's history. How many more clock misadventures or horrible play calls or abysmal losses must there be before they stop picking Notre Dame to have wildly successful seasons?

-Drew

Top 5 Most Surprising Results - Week 1

Although it will be hard for anything to top the Appalachian State-fueled drama and craziness of Opening Weekend 2007, the first week of the 2009 college football season definitely had some memorable moments. A mega-upset, a total implosion, and some surprising blowouts all served to let us know that this season could feature more wacky turns and unexpected outcomes than what we had in 2008, a season that was as boring and by-the-books as they come. Here's hoping that the excitement and momentum generated this weekend will continue to build over the next few months into an all-out orgy of BCS chaos and debate.


1. BYU 14, Oklahoma 13

The Sam Bradford injury definitely helped make this upset possible, but BYU was playing Oklahoma toe to toe even before the 2008 Heisman winner got hurt. This upset is a total game changer for the 2009 season. It virtually ensures that OU won't back-door their way into the National Championship game for the third time in 7 years (or, if you're an Auburn fan, for the 4th time in 7 years). It gives hope to any number of teams that would have likely been barred from playing for the national title had the Sooners cruised through their schedule with the ease that was expected.

Along with Florida, Texas, and USC, Oklahoma was one of the 4 teams that seemed to start the year in a different stratosphere than everyone else, but it only took OU one week to find themselves back amongst the common folk. The same team that in 2008 scored the most points in NCAA history has now lost two games in a row (including the loss in the title game this past January) and has failed to score more than a couple of TDs in each one.  Bradford is projected to be back in as few as 2 to 4 weeks, but the fall-out from this loss is certain to last much longer than that.

2. Oregon's Implosion



I haven't seen anything like Oregon's deer-in-the-headlights performance since 2007, when Notre Dame started off 0-5 and looked magnificently bad in each loss. It's fascinating to watch a team coming off a successful season or two and with high expectations for the new year get suddenly and emphatically exposed. Oregon scored at least 31 points in 11 of 13 games last year, and with their QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB LeGarrette Blount returning,  there were murmurs that the Ducks could be the ones to finally end USCs seven-year Pac-10 reign.  However, in supposed-offensive guru Chip Kelly's first game as head coach, the Ducks failed to get one freaking first down until mid-way through the 3rd quarter and they ended up with fewer total yards than any Oregon team has gained in nearly 15 years. The Ducks looked totally out-classed, in spite of the fancy new feathers on their uniforms.

If Oregon hopes to rebound, they'll have to do it without Blount,  who was suspended for the season after losing his mind in a much more violent fashion than what you'll see whenever Lou Holtz brings the crazy.  Not only is he done for the year, but since he's a senior, his college football career is effectively over. To make matters worse...the dude rushed for minus 5 yards in the Boise State game after rushing for 1002 yards in 2008, his only year as a Duck. That means that he's no longer a 1000 yard rusher! His performance Thursday night brings his total career yardage at Oregon down to 997. It's rare that one mistake can screw up your past, present, and future, but, with his post-game antics, Blount managed to pull off the trifecta.

I honestly don't think Blount would have been suspended for the entire season if he had just punched the Boise player and his own teammate. but when he tried to go after fans, Oregon had no choice but to suspend him for the year. By the way, I love how Boise State coach Chris Peterson didn't even glance over at Blount even though the punch landed inches from his face.  He was totally unfazed. What a champ!

3. Train wreck teams somehow stay on the tracks

Would anyone have been surprised if Notre Dame and Michigan lost their openers? Would anyone have totally shocked if a Lane Kiffen-coached Tennessee team or a Gene Chizik-coached Auburn team bumbled and stumbled their way to closer-than-expected wins?  The real surprise lies in the fact that these four teams actually looked like they know how to play football. Granted, their competition this weekend wasn't the best, but especially in Tennessee's case I would think the fact that Kiffin was able to find his way to the stadium and the team knew how to line up correctly would make the first game a raging success... let alone them scoring 60 something points. Their game against Florida might actually be interesting for a series or two now...

4. Missouri somehow makes Gary Pinkel look good

I thought for sure once Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, et al. left town that Missouri would go back to being a middling team with a hot-seat coach. But the Tigers made sure that Zook sat his ass down in the hot seat instead.  Check out his "accomplishments" at Illinois: 3 losing seasons in 4 years, including a two-win season in 2005 (0-8 in the Big 10) and another two-win season in 2006 (1-7 in the Big 10). And this is the team that the Rose Bowl bastards thought they should match up against USC instead of Georgia in 2007??

5. Virginia loses to William & Mary by 12 points

Nothing short of an appearance in the ACC title game will save Al Groh's job now. Has a coach ever been fired after the first week of the season?

-Drew

3 Bold Predictions for the College Football Season

3.  Florida State will win the ACC.

This is really more of a no-confidence vote for Clemson and Wake than it is an endorsement of FSU.  The Seminoles have 3 tough conference road games:  UNC, Clemson, and Wake, not to mention at BYU and at Florida.  FSU can actually lose those 3 road games and still win the conference.  In 2005, they lost 3 conference games, yet still won the conference title.  Virginia Tech did the same last year.  Why not FSU this year?

2.  Alabama will only win 9 games.

Did you know that Nick Saban has never had consecutive 10 win seasons?  Although this was supposed to be "the year" that Saban put it all together in Tuscaloosa, the Tide are playing with an inexperienced quarterback and an unproven offensive line.


1.  Ohio State will play Texas in the BCS title game.

How can I pick against Jean Shorts Jesus?  Because I hate Florida.  Plus I think OSU will go undefeated and Texas will have better wins than THE MOST OVERWHELMING FAVORITE IN THE HISTORY OF COMPETITIVE SPORTS, thus eeking out a spot in the BCS title game ahead of Florida.  The fighting Sweater Vests have a tough game against USC, but they get the Trojans at home, and early in the season when Matt Barkley will still be getting his feet wet.  Also, as much as my hate for the Buckeyes doesn't want me to admit it, Terrelle Pryor is the real deal.  He's going to have a huge season and may even make some noise in the Heisman race.

-Dexter

Florida, Texas, Oklahoma Playing Double Elimination

Not only is Florida the Chosen One, led by Jean Shorts Jesus, but they, along with Texas and Oklahoma are playing double elimination this season.  The rest?  They're one and done.

If everyone (and by everyone, we of course are excluding teams from the riff-raff conferences) loses once, the BCS championship game will be Florida versus the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game.  Of course, even if Florida, the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game, and three other go undefeated, Florida will still play the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game in the BCS championship game.

It wouldn't matter if the SEC and the Big 12 turn out to be the two weakest BCS conferences because Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma have been annointed as the best teams, even before a single game has been played.  It doesn't matter that Florida and Texas have two of the weakest schedules in the country.  Where Alabama has scheduled Virginia Tech, Texas will play Louisiana-Monroe, and where USC has scheduled Ohio State, Florida will play Troy.  So while USC, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Alabama and the rest of the field cannot afford to lose a single game, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma can.

-Dexter