Conference Championship Day

'11 Football ACC & Other College Football Future Opponents NCS Football52

Today is conference championship day. There are a good slate of games to watch. Of course, to hear most media pundits, today’s games don’t matter because the BCS title game is going to be LSU-Alabama (personally I think that is a little premature…I will explain later). Last night, it got started with Oregon getting past a scrappy UCLA team play for fired head coach Rick Neuheisel 49-31 in Eugene for the first ever Pac-12 title. Here are the rest of the important games, from a title perspective as well as a Wolfpack perspective.

Conference USA title game: Houston vs. Southern Mississippi
Houston goes for a 13-0 record against a heavy underdog Golden Eagle team that is feeling disrepcted. It will be interesting to see how Houston plays with all the pressure on them. A loss will create BCS chaos for the perceived Houston spot.

Cincinnati vs. Connecticut
A Cincinnati win would all but guarantee a West Virginia trip to the BCS, due to the tiebreaker rules in the Big East between Louisville, Cincinnati, and West Virginia. It also would mean more than likely a Belk Bowl of Louisville vs. NC State.

SEC Championship: LSU vs. Georgia
A lot of media pundits are saying that if LSU loses, they still will be in the top 2 and should be in the BCS title game. I don’t disagree with this sentiment as LSU has been the best team week in, week out this year. They have played 3 games against top 4 teams in the BCS and won all 3. Georgia has been a great story, starting 0-2 and winning 10 in a row to definitely save Mark Richt’s job. However, they haven’t played anyone like LSU in the last 10 games. This game, even being in Georgia, will be a LSU victory.

Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
Bedlam takes place tonight in Stillwater as the 3rd ranked Cowboys try to state their case for the BCS title game. Now the Sooners have a 8 game winning streak over the Cowboys but come into the game without their best RB and their best WR (Broyles is one of the two best WR in the country). If the Cowboys win, you can stake the claim that they have a better resume than Alabama…and it isn’t even close.

ACC Championship: Virginia Tech vs. Clemson
A rematch of an early October matchup in Blacksburg in which the Tigers played their most complete game of probably the last 5 years in dominating Virginia Tech 23-3. Since that game, the trends of the two teams have switched completely. The Hokies have been improving, especially Logan Thomas, and are a solid touchdown favorite over Clemson, who has lost badly in 3 of their last 4 games. No impartial person would think Clemson would be favored, but it will be interesting to see which Clemson team comes out. It also depends on how their offensive line plays, which has been a downfall of the Tigers in the past month.

Big 10 Championship: Wisconsin vs. Michigan State
A rematch of what could be the best college football game this year takes place in Indianapolis. Michigan State won the first game 37-31 when they caught a Hail Mary on the last play of the game that had to be reviewed and overturned. The Spartans played a penalty-free football game and had a 2 touchdown lead with about 8 minutes to before the Fighting Russell Wilsons came back to tie the game. Wilson and Montee Ball headline a great offensive machine. The Spartans played about as well as they could in the first meeting, which was also a home game, and still needed a miracle to win. I don’t see that one happening again.

So what happens now with the title game? Assuming Oklahoma State wins, are you looking at a LSU-Alabama rematch or a LSU-Oklahoma State title game? Question to think about. If Oklahoma State was named Oklahoma or Texas, would everyone think Alabama would be a shoo-in to get to the title game. My personal feeling is that although I think Alabama has the most talent in the country, they lost to LSU at home. LSU deserves a spot, even with a loss today. If Oklahoma State wins, and especially if they win convincingly, I think a lot of voters will put Oklahoma State closer in the polls so that with the computer help, the BCS title game is LSU-Oklahoma State. On the other hand, Alabama is one of my three least favorite teams in college football (along with UNC and Florida), so maybe I am biased.

About ruffles31

1996 NC State graduate who is still waiting on his first ACC conference championship in any of the four main revenue sports (football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and baseball) since enrolling. All I want is a ACC Champions t-shirt.

'11 Football ACC & Other College Football Future Opponents NCS Football

52 Responses to Conference Championship Day

  1. Wulfpack 12/03/2011 at 4:02 PM #

    The title game is locked with Bama and LSU. If you look at the two team’s resumes closely compared to the rest, nobody is even close. Okie State lost at Iowa State. Bama lost to #1 LSU by a field goal in OT. There’s a BIG difference there. I think LSU and Bama are heads and shoulders above everyone else and they should each get a shot – and all indications are that they will.

    Can’t wait to see RW avenge his loss to Sparty!

  2. Asclepios 12/03/2011 at 4:17 PM #

    We are so getting Louisville in Belk Bowl now.

  3. pack76 12/03/2011 at 4:41 PM #

    Alabama shouldn’t be playing in the N.C. Game!!!! They didn’t even win their division and are not playing in their Conference Championship game how in the world can anyone justify them playing in the National Championship Game!!!!

  4. Wulfpack 12/03/2011 at 5:03 PM #

    Because they are clearly the best #2. No one else is even close.

  5. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 5:15 PM #

    One can certainly say that LSU is not much of a first quarter team. But just ask Arkansas what happens when they wake up in the 2nd.

    I want to see LSU/Bama again, for sure. Easily the two best teams. Both are much better than Okie State. I think the Sooners win tonight and make the discussion moot anyway.

  6. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 5:19 PM #

    If UGA pulls this one off, then the SEC gets three teams in the BCS (which is pretty cool – can only happen when the non-champs are 1-2).

  7. ruffles31 12/03/2011 at 5:54 PM #

    I am not saying OK State, assuming they win tonight, is a better team than Alabama is. What I am saying is that from a complete resume, Oklahoma State would has a MUCH BETTER resume, and it is not even comparable. The Tide have beaten only 3 teams with winning records while the Cowboys would have 6 wins over top 25 teams.

    I am an SEC apologist but it is a very top heavy conference. The top 4 teams are very very good. But South Carolina and Auburn aren’t that great. It just is the bottom half of the SEC is awful. Ole Miss, Kentucky, Tennesee, Vanderbilt, etc. are all mediocre teams.

    Wulfpack, if you look at the numbers, you can’t say Bama is #2. I am not disagreeing with your thought that they are better than Oklahoma State. But then again, they lost AT HOME at LSU. Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State (obviously a worse loss) but you have to remember that they found out that morning that the women’s basketball coach and one of his assistants were killed in a plane crash. That isn’t an excuse but no doubt that was a part of the reason they weren’t ready to play.

  8. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 6:10 PM #

    We will see what happens tonight. If they really lay the wood to OU – maybe I will reconsider. But otherwise, it’s hard to see a “statement win” better than Alabama’s destroying of Arkansas. Absent that, I have to stick with the “eye test.”

  9. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 6:14 PM #

    Honestly, I don’t think K State, Texas and Baylor are much (or any) better than the second tier of SEC squads.

  10. Wufpacker 12/03/2011 at 6:28 PM #

    2 qtrs down for UGa. Can they hang for another 2?

  11. Wufpacker 12/03/2011 at 6:30 PM #

    Maybe I spoke too soon…That’s a dumb as hell mistake for the special teams to make. Might not cost ’em here with halftime looming, but they still gotta keep their heads in the game.

  12. RabidWolf 12/03/2011 at 6:47 PM #

    NO FIRST DOWNS?? NONE?

  13. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 7:06 PM #

    I was hoping LSU would win without making a first down. That woulda been seven kinds of awesome.

  14. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 7:14 PM #

    Wow, that’s the best punt return I’ve ever seen.

  15. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 7:34 PM #

    I really enjoy watching LSU play. Wish I could watch them 4 more times in a 16-team playoff. 🙂

  16. Wulfpack 12/03/2011 at 9:04 PM #

    So now we get THE REMATCH! Can’t wait…

  17. LRM 12/03/2011 at 9:09 PM #

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but Alabama is going to play for the national title against the team that beat them, and without winning either the division or the conference, and with only two wins over teams that finished the regular season in the AP Top 25 (Arkansas, Penn State).

    I’m not saying they aren’t the legitimate #2, but something is inherently wrong with a system that rewards teams that aren’t even in control of their own destiny (like Alabama since they lost to LSU).

  18. ruffles31 12/03/2011 at 9:38 PM #

    LSU is just freaking awesome. Very impressive 2nd half.

  19. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 9:46 PM #

    The Big Ten-ish game is off to an exciting start. Gus Johnson (as usual) heartily agrees.

    In basketball news, Wake lost to Richmond, GT lost to Tulane. Feel that conference SOS slipping further…

  20. GAWolf 12/03/2011 at 9:54 PM #

    SputhernMss thumped Hpuston. Had to laugh thinking of the LSU guy who called into national sports talk radio last week saying they would play Houston and Boise State on the same day and thump them both.

  21. WTNY 12/03/2011 at 9:54 PM #

    Not surprisingly, the ACC refs make yet another horrible call.

    VT obviously touched that punted ball.

  22. GAWolf 12/03/2011 at 9:55 PM #

    Holy cow. The play by Mchigan state v. Wisconsin just now was one of the best I’ve ever seen.

  23. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 9:57 PM #

    Agreed. Gus Johnson almost had a stroke calling it.

  24. BJD95 12/03/2011 at 10:03 PM #

    I am of the opinion that Landry Jones sucks. Tonight is not challenging that notion.

  25. Wufpacker 12/03/2011 at 11:10 PM #

    VT seems content to be Clemson’s bitch.

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