The BCS Has Ruined My Enjoyment of CFB...

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

Used to be, I would LMAO if :texan: or :stunned: got humiliated by a lesser team.

Now if it happens, I just think, "Oh crap, what will that do to our SOS?"

Ever since the GOWWDNS, I have rooted against USC in every single game. Taken great pleasure when they lose.

Now though, I must hope that they beat Oregon and Arizona State so that we can move up.

This sucks.

Anyone with me?

[Soonerus]

Used to be, I would LMAO if :texan: or :stunned: got humiliated by a lesser team.

Now if it happens, I just think, "Oh crap, what will that do to our SOS?"

Ever since the GOWWDNS, I have rooted against USC in every single game. Taken great pleasure when they lose.

Now though, I must hope that they beat Oregon and Arizona State so that we can move up.

This sucks.

Anyone with me?

I thought it was GOWWDND ???

[bluedogok]

I still like to see others lose, I could care less about anything BCS related until the end of the season. It is what it is, win all your games and you have the best shot, even this year win the rest and there is a shot. There are too many games left for anything to be decided at this point and every ranking will fluctuate wildy as they are played.

[sooneron]

Stop worrying about it. If we win out, there is a chance we can play for it all. It's a long way off and people on this board are WAY to worried about the bcs this early. A lot of it is espn and the other pundits making big deals about the shake ups. I think college fans have gotten into a sort of hysteria of "want it here now". How many heisman conversations go on the first weeks of the season? Answer: too many. Sit back and enjoy. Not may people were predicting that we would be this interested in getting into the title game back in August.
I want to win the big 12 and the following bowl game. THAT would make me happy. If that game is a week after New Years', so be it better.

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

I'm not worried. I'm just saying that my sense of college football schadenfreude has been greatly diminished.

[Sooner02]

It takes away from the enjoyment of your own team's game week to week when you're constantly watching the other scores for upsets and have to resort to other teams losing in order for you team to progress. Or have to worry about your team not playing "sexy" enough even when they do win. I don't think sports should be a popularity contest.

[olevetonahill]

I'm not worried. I'm just saying that my sense of college football schadenfreude has been greatly diminished.
I agree
hence my thread about our season going in the crapper:pop:
I want OU to win . all others to lose ! nuff said :D

[85sooners]

yeah

[pott_2]

I hate the BCpoS. I have found myself.. at times.. wanting a whorn win. WTF I love to see them lose because they take it so well in Austin. Now if they lose it hurts our SOS.

[Leroy Lizard]

Sounds like you guys are really going to hate a playoff system.

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

I hate the BCpoS. I have found myself.. at times.. wanting a whorn win.

I KNOW!!! And doesn't it make you feel.....so ......DIRTY? And it's ONLY because of the BCS!!!

Thanks for (as we say in California) validating my feelings.

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

OK, I see that very few here are openly agreeing with me, but I also see quite a few posts on other threads that completely prove my point.

It's no longer about just how we do. It's how other teams do, too, and who might be upset, and by whom, which just ruins the game, because any fan should be able to enjoy a hated rival's loss without any misgivings that said loss might affect one's own team's standing in the BCS.

Not to mention the old days when a win was a win, and as long as you kept winning you pretty much stayed where you were in the rankings, without too much emphasis given on how much you won by,against whom, or how.

[/rant over, again, swear]

[Crucifax Autumn]

I honestly had the same problem with the old system. I found myself cheering for teams I hate a lot back then as well.

So...here's how I look at it, at least in the case of SUC: I cheer for them against the Duckies and Zonies, and hope they lose the rest.

[Leroy Lizard]

Look at the bright side: Now you win no matter what happens. If UT wins, "Yaaaay, it helps OU!" If UT wins... "Yaaaay, I love to see the Horns cry after a loss!"

[SteelClip49]

Tell you the truth, and if this has already been said then great, but we are fortunate to be where we are now but if we keep winning and Mizzou wins our or just loses to Kansas and Texas wins out then we will be in stellar shape. Anyone who downs Oklahoma because of their schedule should be shot or forced to wear orange for a week. No complaints here.

[1890MilesToNorman]

I need my playoff! Every other friggin sport has a playoff system, CF should too. Absolutely stupid not to.

[OklahomaTuba]

Sounds like you guys are really going to hate a playoff system.

We have a playoff. Its a two team playoff.

If we had a 4 team playoff, it would be much, much better!

[Earickson]

A playoff system will not be the answer.

Fans will still find many, many reasons to complain about why whatever playoff scheme gets implemented needs to be changed, modified, or scrapped all together.

You'll still have the two main factions of college football fandom. Traditionalists that really prefer the way things were, and the revolutionaries that will endlessly discuss new methods to conduct the business of college football.

Most fans seem to be a combination of both however, and would like to, "have their cake and eat it too."

I am not an OU fan, (ironic that I am registered at www.SoonerFANS.com (http://www.SoonerFANS.com), eh), I used to consider myself a fan, but I realized that I am a fan of football in general. If someone, anyone is playing good football, then I will enjoy watching it. I don't care if it's Texas, Oregon, USC, etc. I do have a favorite team though, and it's OU, so naturally I enjoy it even more when I get to see OU play good football and win games, championships, or bowl games.

I think the USA is full of people who actually want to be stressed out, depressed, and obliterated with anxiety.

Long ago I gave myself some great advice.

Don't worry about things that are out of my control.

I devote myself to being able to control everything in this world that I can, and most of what I can control is within me.

I feel bad when I read all the posts on here from people that are voluntarily putting so much stress and strain on their lives because of how the college football season is going.

It would be one thing if you were on the team, or a coach, but you all are fans. Don't over invest yourselves into something that ultimately will only frustrate you. Enjoy the victory, and lament the losses. After that, leave it all behind you dammit.

Put more of that wasted energy that's being spent on worrying and thinking about all of these intangibles into something truly personal and meaningful.

I understand that some people consider their "fanship" to their team to be a very personal thing, maybe their most personal thing. OU football is in many ways, the first love of so many people in Oklahoma. It came before your wife, your kids, your dog, or your career, but in my opinion, one shouldn't live vicariously through a completely separate entity. Too easy to be let down, and if things go badly with OU football how can YOU fix it?

You can't, and you will never be able to, so just relax and stop trying to peer into the future and worrying about polls, rankings, bowl predictions, etc.

Do you like OU?

Do you like OU football?

If so, watch the games, enjoy the games, cheer for the Sooners, and be a good, faithful, supportive, fan.

BUT!!

After the game is over, get your $hit and leave, get out and go have a life, your life.

[tbl]

We have a playoff. Its a two team playoff.

If we had a 4 team playoff, it would be much, much better!
No we don't... We have an extra bowl game, but it isn't a "plus 1" playoff. If we did, that would solve a lot of the problems. Top 4 teams, 3 games.

[Earickson]

I know that what I just posted really flies in the face of what many posters on here are all about, but I don't mean to offend anyone.

I really do hate seeing so many people obviously upset over how things are going. I'm a nurse and I work nights out here in LA, so I never see a full game of anything due to me being asleep. I log on here to get all my OU news from you people, I consider you all my "esteemed panel of experts." I talk to other OU alums who live out here with me as well. I see and hear and feel the disappointment, anger, and frustration, but when I look at what they are upset about I have to scratch my head and say, "whatsamatta"?

I don't get it, OU is winning, ranked well, season seems to be going great. Sounds like for the most part the team is playing good too. It can't be perfect though. You can't be number 1 all the time in everything, and it wouldn't be fun if you could.

Maybe I really am turning into a Buddhist, or a Taoist, I am very much into being "desireless" and unbothered by things that our outside of my realm of control.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am behind the Sooners, and I am definitely behind Sooner fans. I just want everybody to enjoy this and have fun. It seems to me that no matter what there will always be some level of unhappiness with something, but I don't think it has to be that way.

[Scoregasm]

The polls, the computers, media bias, west coast bias, etc. It's all too much to worry about. What matters is focusing on what's at hand. Win every game, play for the National Championship. It really is that simple (not easy, but simple). Stoops understands it. If you lose focus, you'll lose games and then nothing else matters. For the record..... I hate the BCS!

[fadada1]

No we don't... We have an extra bowl game, but it isn't a "plus 1" playoff. If we did, that would solve a lot of the problems. Top 4 teams, 3 games.
i agree. it IS NOT a "plus 1". 4 teams would be great. 8 teams would be even better. the only problem with 8 is they'd make it a MUST for conference champions to be in the playoff. which is COMPLETE BULL****!!!!

do it right - top 8 team in the rankings at the end of the year - regardless of conference affiliation. if 4 schools from the big12 (sec, pac 10, etc..) get in, so be it.

will there be problems with the #8/9 team??? sure. but it's better than the #2/3. chances are, if you're ranked #9 at the end of the season, you've lost 2 games somewhere and don't deserve a shot.

[Blues1]

Used to be, I would LMAO if :texan: or :stunned: got humiliated by a lesser team.

Now if it happens, I just think, "Oh crap, what will that do to our SOS?"

Ever since the GOWWDNS, I have rooted against USC in every single game. Taken great pleasure when they lose.

Now though, I must hope that they beat Oregon and Arizona State so that we can move up.

This sucks.

Anyone with me?

I wrote a post almost exactly this about 3 years ago --- BCS and real footbaLL Fans Make A STRANGE MIX ..... Have Fun & Keep Rockin' --- :pop:

[MamaMia]

Used to be, I would LMAO if :texan: or :stunned: got humiliated by a lesser team.

Now if it happens, I just think, "Oh crap, what will that do to our SOS?"

Ever since the GOWWDNS, I have rooted against USC in every single game. Taken great pleasure when they lose.

Now though, I must hope that they beat Oregon and Arizona State so that we can move up.

This sucks.

Anyone with me?
Many of us are with you. The crowd at Owen Field cheers when a pro-OU score is being displayed on the monitor.

Oregon and Arizona State have to play each other next week, so one will knock the other out. Every week I pull up other teams schedules and rankings so I'll be able to somewhat calculate our position when the other game scores are flashed.

With the way they've tweaked and re-tweaked the BCS, it really makes more sense to have a playoff system instead of pre conference funnsie games to me.

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

I officially don't care anymore right now. I just care whether my home burns down.

:(

Sooner Sweetie, if you see this, hope y'all are okay in Lakeside.

PS, I'm evacuated, at my mother-in-laws' in Tierrasanta.

[Jewstin]

the only problem with 8 is they'd make it a MUST for conference champions to be in the playoff. which is COMPLETE BULL****!!!!

Yeah, unfortunately, the best teams in the country are not always the conference champions... andddd, you can't really do that at this point with the Big 11, Pac-10, and Big East not having conference championship games at the end of the season.

Either that or we need to get rid of the CCG. Not sure which is better. I like 'em, anyways.

[bluedogok]

I officially don't care anymore right now. I just care whether my home burns down.

:(

Sooner Sweetie, if you see this, hope y'all are okay in Lakeside.

PS, I'm evacuated, at my mother-in-laws' in Tierrasanta.
Good luck, hope it bypasses your neighborhood.

[mdklatt]

Maybe I really am turning into a Buddhist, or a Taoist, I am very much into being "desireless" and unbothered by things that our outside of my realm of control.


This is why Bob Stoops is a genius. What does he always say our primary goal is for the season? To win the Big 12. Anything more is out of our control, so there's no point in worrying about it until the first Sunday in December.

High expectations are the debil. I remember how ecstatic we were when we had a last-minute comeback to beat Iowa State back during the Blake years, and that win was for nothing but pride. Now we're one step closer to another conference championship and another national title run, and you'd think somebody shot our dog. I almost enjoyed the games more during the 90's, because every first down was something to celebrate. Now we're down in the dumps unless we're up by 30 at halftime.

[FirstandGoal]

I officially don't care anymore right now. I just care whether my home burns down.

:(

Sooner Sweetie, if you see this, hope y'all are okay in Lakeside.

PS, I'm evacuated, at my mother-in-laws' in Tierrasanta.
Prayers sent you way SDSG. Hope your house is okay.

For what its worth, I completely feel your pain and this has been bothering me as well. It doesnt help a lot of times that we have a bajillion new threads started each week along the lines of "... if 'x' wins and 'y' loses, and we can beat 'z' by 50 points, then what are the odds of us being in the Sugar?"


Stresses me out.

[Soonerus]

Best of luck and prayers your way...my dear friends in Rancho Santa Fe have been evacuated since 8:00 a.m. and no hotels available because of all of the evacuees....tough situation...

[OK2LA]

A playoff system will not be the answer.

Fans will still find many, many reasons to complain about why whatever playoff scheme gets implemented needs to be changed, modified, or scrapped all together.

You'll still have the two main factions of college football fandom. Traditionalists that really prefer the way things were, and the revolutionaries that will endlessly discuss new methods to conduct the business of college football.

Most fans seem to be a combination of both however, and would like to, "have their cake and eat it too."

I am not an OU fan, (ironic that I am registered at www.SoonerFANS.com (http://www.SoonerFANS.com), eh), I used to consider myself a fan, but I realized that I am a fan of football in general. If someone, anyone is playing good football, then I will enjoy watching it. I don't care if it's Texas, Oregon, USC, etc. I do have a favorite team though, and it's OU, so naturally I enjoy it even more when I get to see OU play good football and win games, championships, or bowl games.

I think the USA is full of people who actually want to be stressed out, depressed, and obliterated with anxiety.

Long ago I gave myself some great advice.

Don't worry about things that are out of my control.

I devote myself to being able to control everything in this world that I can, and most of what I can control is within me.

I feel bad when I read all the posts on here from people that are voluntarily putting so much stress and strain on their lives because of how the college football season is going.

It would be one thing if you were on the team, or a coach, but you all are fans. Don't over invest yourselves into something that ultimately will only frustrate you. Enjoy the victory, and lament the losses. After that, leave it all behind you dammit.

Put more of that wasted energy that's being spent on worrying and thinking about all of these intangibles into something truly personal and meaningful.

I understand that some people consider their "fanship" to their team to be a very personal thing, maybe their most personal thing. OU football is in many ways, the first love of so many people in Oklahoma. It came before your wife, your kids, your dog, or your career, but in my opinion, one shouldn't live vicariously through a completely separate entity. Too easy to be let down, and if things go badly with OU football how can YOU fix it?

You can't, and you will never be able to, so just relax and stop trying to peer into the future and worrying about polls, rankings, bowl predictions, etc.

Do you like OU?

Do you like OU football?

If so, watch the games, enjoy the games, cheer for the Sooners, and be a good, faithful, supportive, fan.

BUT!!

After the game is over, get your $hit and leave, get out and go have a life, your life.


Well said.

Difficult for me to live by - but Well Said.

[jdsooner]

I am tired of the BCS also, because talk about it takes away from the sport. The "talking heads" on television seem obsessed with it. A playoff makes sense, but it seems that money dictates everything.

[Leroy Lizard]

Let me get this straight: You don't like the BCS because that is all the talking heads want to talk about, but you want a playoff?

Geeez!

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

Thanks for the prayers all...the fires are apparently 0% contained this morning :( ..so keep them coming.

Russ, yes I heard on TV that there are no hotel rooms to be had between here and Orange County.

[Stoops=God]

I have to disagree with the people that say they "hate" having to root for other teams to lose. C'mon...that's what makes it fun! Quit your whining and have fun with it.

[mdklatt]

I have to disagree with the people that say they "hate" having to root for other teams to lose. C'mon...that's what makes it fun! Quit your whining and have fun with it.

I agree. The BCS makes games interesting that I otherwise wouldn't have cared about.

[OklahomaTuba]

do it right - top 8 team in the rankings at the end of the year - regardless of conference affiliation. if 4 schools from the big12 (sec, pac 10, etc..) get in, so be it.


The only REAL right way to do this thing is make the conference championships the berth to the playoff.

Have 7 conference champ berths, and 1 "Wildcard" berth.

Not only would that screw ND, it would make all the conferences do the CCG thing (no more co-champs).

The current system is total BS, cause some schools & conferences get "special" treatment.

Bowls are more about making money then the game of football. More about selling ads on TV then filling the half empty stadiums they are played in. How people can defend them is beyond me.

[jdsooner]

If there was a playoff, we would hear the question, "And who is your top 5?" all the time. I think a playoff system would allow teams to earn their way in, rather than have computer rating systems. The current system stinks! How can the computers rate Missouri above OU, when OU beat Missouri head to head?

[OklahomaTuba]

Exactly.

The fact a computer has more say about who the MNC is than a current football player should be disturbing to everyone.

Decide the game on the field, not in a computer, or a boardroom.

[Scott D]

All this current angst against the BCS is amusing.

Basically it's "oh noes the BCS may not fall in favor of OU so it's now the evilness!"

Forget the fact that we've benefitted from the BCS in the past.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

I almost turned the TV off during the announcement of the new BCS Standings.

[Leroy Lizard]

Using the conference winners to berth the playoffs is a terrible idea. The last thing I want to see is an 11-1 SEC team getting passed over so that some 8-3 Mountain West team gets to compete for the national title. Why reward teams for playing in weak conferences? Boise State will compete for the national title every year, not because of what they did, but rather what their fellow conference teams didn't do.

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

Hi all,
I don't want to start an off-topic thread, or go to the South Oval since I don't usually hang out there, but I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the good thoughts and prayers. Our area was given the go-ahead to go home today, so I am in my home, sweet, sweet, (be it ever so MESSY) home and so thankful for it.

Has Sooner Sweetie been around? I'm worried for her in Lakeside.

Russ, any news from your Rancho Santa Fe friends?

With much affection to all my Sooner pals,
SDSG

[Crucifax Autumn]

Very good news! Glad to hear it.

[Stoop Dawg]

All this current angst against the BCS is amusing.

Basically it's "oh noes the BCS may not fall in favor of OU so it's now the evilness!"

Forget the fact that we've benefitted from the BCS in the past.

I take it that the previous angst I've held against the BCS over the last few years is not amusing?

Is my opinion that "oh noes the BCS didn't allow Boise St a chance to cap an amazing year with a shot at the NC" amusing? Or not so much?

I need to know if I'm amusing you or not. My self-worth depends on it.

TIA.



(oh yeah, ;) )

[Stoop Dawg]

I officially don't care anymore right now. I just care whether my home burns down.

Nothing like a little real life to put things in perspective. Glad things worked out for you.

[MelloYello]

Exactly.

The fact a computer has more say about who the MNC is than a current football player should be disturbing to everyone.

Decide the game on the field, not in a computer, or a boardroom.

I don't know. The computers are able to take into account a team's entire body of work and the strength of competition they've face all season long, not just in their most recent game. The problem with human voters is they live in the present and too easily forget about a team's prior success/failures, or too easily favor a team because of their name and/or conference and not necessarily because of what they've done on the football field all season long.

The system is screwy, but I think the computers are necessary.

[Crucifax Autumn]

The fact a computer has more say about who the MNC is than a current football player should be disturbing to everyone.

Decide the game on the field, not in a computer, or a boardroom.

That on the field part tells me that computers and pollsters should be reduced to only deciding a field of 8, 12, or 16 for a playoff.

[Leroy Lizard]

Give me Hewlett-Packard over Randy Galloway any day.

I just don't see any problem with computers for selecting teams. All of the factors that matter can be incorporated into the algorithm, and rather easily.

[jwlynn64]

Only conference champs in a playoff. This is the only way to remove the human polls from spoiling the sport.

This is also the only way to ensure that a weak conference doesn't get overly represented.

If that 11-1 team from the SEC wanted to be in the playoff, they should have went undefeated in their conference.

If the goal of the playoff is to crown the best team, then any team that doesn't win it's conference should already be eliminated. You really can't be the best team in the land if you didn't win your conference.

Sorry that it was a little rambling but just trying to get it all out before my boss comes and stares over my shoulder. ;)

[Stoop Dawg]

I just don't see any problem with computers for selecting teams. All of the factors that matter can be incorporated into the algorithm, and rather easily.

Really? Then why are there several different computer rankings that all give different results? Perhaps you should share your "easy algorithm" with the BCS. They're always looking to "tweak" their system to stave off the inevitible.


Only conference champs in a playoff. This is the only way to remove the human polls from spoiling the sport.

This is also the only way to ensure that a weak conference doesn't get overly represented.

If that 11-1 team from the SEC wanted to be in the playoff, they should have went undefeated in their conference.

If the goal of the playoff is to crown the best team, then any team that doesn't win it's conference should already be eliminated. You really can't be the best team in the land if you didn't win your conference.

Sorry that it was a little rambling but just trying to get it all out before my boss comes and stares over my shoulder. ;)

I agree with you, but for different reasons. It's impossible to determine the "best" team in the country. That's purely subjective. IMO, the goal is simply to remove opinion and voodoo from the equation. Plenty of OU fans think that OU was better then KU in bball in '88. We beat them twice in the regular season. However, there is no denying that they won the NC that year.

The rules for winning a NC in basketball are clear. Win your conference and you are automatically in the tournament. Win the tournament and you are the national champion. What could be simpler than that?

Unfortunately, there are too many conferences to do that in football, and I don't see conference re-alignment as realistic just for the purposes of determining a NC in football. Therefore, personally, I would be fine with leaving the BCS in place and taking the top 8 teams at the end of the year. It's still not "perfect", but it's a lot closer. I think we'll see a 4 team playoff (or "plus 1" game) in the next few years.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Really? Then why are there several different computer rankings that all give different results? Perhaps you should share your "easy algorithm" with the BCS. They're always looking to "tweak" their system to stave off the inevitible.

Because the computer program is only as good as the biased human that programmed it. What we need to do is find some complete football idiot from Japan who knows everything about statistics, programming, etc. Then we should have him completely learn EVERYTHING about football without actually having any connection to any team, conference, or play style.

Then we let him program the stupid thing.

[kevpks]

I love the BCS. I enjoy caring about how Utah State is doing against Manitoba Tech, or if TCU is winning since they played Texas and might give the whorns a tenth of a percentage point boost which will bump us up the extra hundreth of a point we'll need. This is what the guys who invented the game had in mind :rolleyes:

[Crucifax Autumn]

Manitoba Tech Rocks!

[MissouriSooner]

Guess it's just me; I've been around since our conference was the Big Eight [actually Big One - OU - and the seven little sisters], but I will never be able to root for Texas or OSU, no matter what BCS points we might gain from them winning. We need to beat Texas for recruiting purposes [remember our butt-kicking of Texas was what persuaded AD to come to OU], and we need to beat OSU to keep them from getting uppity.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Oh...I love beating them...along with everyone else in the conference, but I DO like to see the conference do well overall. Luckily when the old enemies lose, I can take pleasure in that too...it's a win-win for me.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Only conference champs in a playoff. This is the only way to remove the human polls from spoiling the sport.

This is also the only way to ensure that a weak conference doesn't get overly represented.

If that 11-1 team from the SEC wanted to be in the playoff, they should have went undefeated in their conference.

If the goal of the playoff is to crown the best team, then any team that doesn't win it's conference should already be eliminated. You really can't be the best team in the land if you didn't win your conference.

Sorry that it was a little rambling but just trying to get it all out before my boss comes and stares over my shoulder. ;)

So should the same rules apply in basketball. I wish Kansas was eliminated from the '88 NCAA tourny for not winning their conference.

[Crucifax Autumn]

That policy woulda saved us a loss!

[Leroy Lizard]

Only conference champs in a playoff. This is the only way to remove the human polls from spoiling the sport.

Certainly allowing only conference champions to play in the playoff would eliminate the human factor, but that doesn't make it any better. Besides, computers would also eliminate human polls from spoiling the sport.



If that 11-1 team from the SEC wanted to be in the playoff, they should have went undefeated in their conference.

A three loss team has already demonstrated that it clearly has no business playing for a national title, far moreso than an 11-1 team. This is insane to think that an 8-3 team is more deserving of a chance than an 11-1 team. That defies all logic.


If the goal of the playoff is to crown the best team, then any team that doesn't win it's conference should already be eliminated. You really can't be the best team in the land if you didn't win your conference.

Why do you say that? I don't see any logical basis for that statement.

By the way, can you really be the best team in the land if you have lost three nonconference games? If not, why allow such a team the opportunity to play for a national title if they have demonstrated, on three occassions, that they are not the best team?

By the way, plenty of teams in other sports have won national championship playoffs that did not win their conference. According to your logic, how can that possibly happen if the conference has already decided that they are not even the best of their teams?

[Leroy Lizard]

Really? Then why are there several different computer rankings that all give different results?

Because the weighting factors can change from algorithm to algorithm, and not all algorithms are the same. Building a house is straightforward, but that doesn't mean all houses are going to look identical.


Perhaps you should share your "easy algorithm" with the BCS. They're always looking to "tweak" their system to stave off the inevitible.

Actually, I am not sure they would understand it. It involved connecting all teams together using virtual rubber bands in multi-dimensional space (111 dimensions, IRRC). As teams won, they moved away from the "center" of the space, dragging neighboring teams that they had played with them, which simulated strength-of-schedule. Margin of victory was logarithmically scaled, providing teams with bonus points for beating teams convincingly, but diminishing the reward for blowouts.

I never got around to writing it, though. That was ten years ago. Not worth my time.

[Leroy Lizard]

Because the computer program is only as good as the biased human that programmed it.

How can you bias a computer algorithm when you have no idea how the teams are going to fare throughout the year?

[Leroy Lizard]

So should the same rules apply in basketball. I wish Kansas was eliminated from the '88 NCAA tourny for not winning their conference.

It is not possible that Kansas could have won the championship that year. They obviously would have lost during the playoffs because they had already demonstrated earlier that they weren't even the best team in their conference.

Or so the logic (if you can call it that) goes.

[Stoop Dawg]

Actually, I am not sure they would understand it. It involved connecting all teams together using virtual rubber bands in multi-dimensional space (111 dimensions, IRRC). As teams won, they moved away from the "center" of the space, dragging neighboring teams that they had played with them, which simulated strength-of-schedule. Margin of victory was logarithmically scaled, providing teams with bonus points for beating teams convincingly, but diminishing the reward for blowouts.

I never got around to writing it, though. That was ten years ago. Not worth my time.


Riiiiiiight.

So, this "easy" algorithm is now too complex for anyone to understand. But, it's perfect (because you say so) and would spit out the "correct" national champion every single time.

Also, even though there are bazillions of dollars tied up in selection of a CFB "National Champion" it's not worth your time to even pursue the actual implementation of this MNC panacea?

What can I say to that? You're completely off your rocker.

[Stoop Dawg]

Certainly allowing only conference champions to play in the playoff would eliminate the human factor, but that doesn't make it any better. Besides, computers would also eliminate human polls from spoiling the sport.

Sure it does. And while computer rankings remove the human element, they over-complicate the process. For maximum enjoyment by the largest number of fans, the process must be simplified. You win, or you lose. Period.


By the way, can you really be the best team in the land if you have lost three nonconference games? If not, why allow such a team the opportunity to play for a national title if they have demonstrated, on three occassions, that they are not the best team?

By the way, plenty of teams in other sports have won national championship playoffs that did not win their conference. According to your logic, how can that possibly happen if the conference has already decided that they are not even the best of their teams?

As I said before, it's not about finding the "best" team in the country. That's an impossible feat. It's about "winning" the season.

Let's put your computer rankings idea in a microcosm. I think we can all agree that on any given Saturday the "best" team on the field doesn't always win. Clearly, that's unacceptable. So, instead of actually playing individual games, we'll let a computer algorithm analyse the players, stats, and other factors and come up with a winner. That way, the "best" team always wins.

No fun?

The whole idea of a competition is to test yourself against other teams. No, the "best" team doesn't always win. That's what makes it freakin interesting!!!!

Games represent 1v1 competitions. Tournaments represent a field of competition. Polls and rankings represent NO competition.

I vote for games and tournaments.

[The Maestro]

I will keep saying this. Bottom line--don't blow a 17 point second half lead to a 4-4 team and none of this matters. We would be number one with complete control. OU made the computers come into play.

[Stoop Dawg]

I will keep saying this. Bottom line--don't blow a 17 point second half lead to a 4-4 team and none of this matters.

I suppose that's true - if you're only concerned with one team (OU) and one year (this year).

Actually, even if you're only concerned with OU this year, it still *may* matter. If we end up with NO undefeated teams at the end of the year, who is #1? What if there is only 1 undefeated team? Who plays them? Should we just flip a coin because no one deserves it? What if there are 3 undfeated teams? Who gets left out?

The only way "none of this matters" is if there are exactly two undefeated teams at the end of the year. Otherwise, it matters.

[Leroy Lizard]

Riiiiiiight.

So, this "easy" algorithm is now too complex for anyone to understand.

That's right. A lot of technology is easy to create but tough to explain to the average person. (Try explaining how a hologram works to the average person.) Also, I said the necessary factors that go into deciding the most worthy champion would be easy to incorporate.

By the way, I never said that that MY algorithm would be easy to understand. I was talking about algorithms in general. My algorithm is probably more sophisticated and difficult to understand than most others. THat is a knock against it, not for it (another reason I decided not to bother developing it further).


But, it's perfect (because you say so) and would spit out the "correct" national champion every single time.

First, I never said it was perfect. Second, it would produce a correct national champion every time simply by definition of "correct national champion." How would you possibly prove that it didn't?

What one can do is to go over past seasons and pick the national champions and see how closely it correlates to past human choices. Since humans are not the best method of choosing a champion (the reason for computers in the first place), then you are not looking for 100% alignment. But if the algorithm picks a national champion that finished at #12 in the country, that would discredit the algorithm to a certain extent. (But who knows? Maybe the #12 team in the country that year was really the most deserving?)


Also, even though there are bazillions of dollars tied up in selection of a CFB "National Champion" it's not worth your time to even pursue the actual implementation of this MNC panacea?

That is absolutely, 100% correct. It is not worth my time. I simply have better things to do.

Now, if you could guarantee that all those billions would go into my pocket, I might change my mind. But as it stands, I gain to make no money on a tremendous time and investment. Why bother?

[Leroy Lizard]

As I said before, it's not about finding the "best" team in the country. That's an impossible feat. It's about "winning" the season.

Then why reward teams playoff berths based solely on their success in-conference and dismiss nearly half of the season?

Suppose a team has three non-conference losses and one in-conference, but still wins its (weak) conference title. This team is 8-4. Another team has only one loss, in-conference, but loses the conference title in the CCG.

Are you really saying that the 8-4 team is more deserving of a chance to play for the national title than the 11-1 team?

If you can answer that question, I can figure out what you mean by "deserving of a national champion." But so far, you haven't answered it.


So, instead of actually playing individual games, we'll let a computer algorithm analyse the players, stats, and other factors and come up with a winner.

Cannot be done, since such an analysis would have to rely on subjective factors. Furthermore, a team is not simply the sum of the players.

[Leroy Lizard]

Polls and rankings represent NO competition.

I vote for games and tournaments.

There is no need for a tournament, just play the games. Why get worked up over rankings in the first place? Just play the games you are scheduled, go to a bowl that invites you, have fun, and not worry about silly rankings. So your team finished #5 in the country instead of #3. So what?

After al, if Dale Earnhardt Jr wins the Talladega 500 and Bobby Labonte wins the Daytona 500, they don't pit the two against each other to determine the "true" winner. They leave it that. Both drivers have scored major accomplishments that they can be proud of. Why can't we do the same in college football?

[Crucifax Autumn]

After al, if Dale Earnhardt Jr wins the Talladega 500 and Bobby Labonte wins the Daytona 500, they don't pit the two against each other to determine the "true" winner. They leave it that. Both drivers have scored major accomplishments that they can be proud of. Why can't we do the same in college football?

Funny, last I heard there was a points leader board in NASCAR and 5 million Mullets watched that total to see who wins the season...or something like that...I only know what my father-in-law rambles about and I pay as little attention to him as I can.

[Leroy Lizard]

Right, they have a ranking system. They don't have a playoff. At no time are the winners of the individual races asked to compete against each other in a finale to settle the issue. Instead, drivers collect points throughout the season from which a title is awarded at the end. It is quite possible to be the champion without winning a single race. So what does champion really mean in sports? Whatever we want it to. So there is no need to settle "it" on the field, because "it" has never been defined.

[oupride]

National Champions In 1984, BYU's football team was declared NCAA Division I-A national champions. At the end of the season, the team had the number one ranking in the AP, UPI, and other polls, making them the consensus' choice. The undefeated Cougars (12-0-0) beat the Michigan Wolverines (6-6-0) 24-17 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego on December 21, marking the only time a national champion played in (and won) a bowl game before New Year's Day. It was also the only time since the inception of the AP poll that a team was awarded the national title without beating an opponent ranked in the top 25 at the season's end. This fact added to the controversy of BYU being awarded the national championship as opposed to teams who had defeated ranked opponents.
The more things change....