Deadspin
Dan Shanoff writes a weekly college football column for Deadspin. Email him to let him know what you think.
What makes college football so compelling is that despite the worst actual championship system in sports, its regular season is the most meaningful — it is a de facto playoff from Week 1 onward. A single loss and a team is all but eliminated.
Just look at Louisville: Any chance the Cardinals had of surging to an unbeaten season and a spot in the national-title game were lost at Kentucky. Week 3: Season over. Thanks for playing.
That said, even after just three weeks, fans have seen enough to recognize the handful of teams that are legit title contenders. In fact, for you playoff buffs, there's a "quarterfinals" scenario:
• LSU-Florida winner (Oct. 6)
• Oklahoma-Texas winner (Oct. 6)
• West Virginia-Rutgers winner (Oct. 27)
• USC-Cal winner (Nov. 10)
(No offense to the survivor of Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin, but between the Buckeyes' showing in the national championship last season and Michigan's conference-wide taint stain, the Big Ten doesn't have the juice to crack that crowd this season. Plus: Everyone figures they'll knock each other off anyway.)
Now, that doesn't take into consideration one of those contenders surviving their "big" game, yet losing unexpectedly (like USC against UCLA or WVU against South Florida last season) or another unlikely contender emerging unbeaten.
Hell, we'll gladly take either scenario, because — as discussed in the season-opener — four unbeaten teams at the end of the season is BCS Armageddon... which might not be a bad thing if you ultimately want the postseason to be as meaningful as the regular season.
More From This Weekend: Andre Woodson wins the battle; Brian Brohm is still the top QB of next year's NFL Draft... Having witnessed in person: Yes, Tim Tebow IS that exciting... Darren McFadden is the best player in college football, but where was he when Arkansas needed him the most?... Colt Brennan's pinball stats are kind of monotonous... The game you should have found a way to watch: Tulsa 55, BYU 47 (no OT), featuring 1,027 yards of combined passing offense.
This Week's Bandwagon: Shitting on Notre Dame. I know Will covered this earlier, but I must reiterate:
We are living in a spectacular (even unprecedented) moment for those of us who enjoy Notre Dame schadenfreude. The nation's most prominent college football team is, remarkably inarguably, the nation's worst college football team.
(Cripes: Even DUKE has a win. Sorry: Even Duke has scored an offensive touchdown.)
And, yes, it is going to get worse: So. Much. Worse. Analysts look at Notre Dame's next five games (Mich St, at Purdue, at UCLA, BC, USC) and charitably offer that Notre Dame might win one. Might. But they're totally hedging.
"0-8" is exactly the type of perfection we've come to expect from Notre Dame, and the Irish should strive for that perfection: From "Wake Up the Echoes" to just "Wake Up the Oh-fer." (Or just "Wake Up the Eck.")
Charlie Weis has done something spectacular: He has made Bob Davie look like Knute Rockne. It is not unreasonable to suggest that if Tyrone Willingham had started his third year at Notre Dame like this, he would have been fired by Saturday night.
Weis has said, naively and ridiculously, that he's "starting training camp" — in Week 4 of the regular season. (But don't try to call it "rebuilding" or Weis will eat you... then staple you out of his stomach... then sue you....)
How about "starting" to regret the decision to give Weis that 10-year contract extension in 2005, merely seven games into his Notre Dame career? Because the most recent three games say more about his future.
Ranking Rant: Let me get this straight: Arkansas goes on the road and ekes out a loss at unranked Alabama, which both sets of pollsters were so impressed by that they vaulted the Tide from "Unranked" to the Top 20, replacing Arkansas and exiling the Hogs to the land of "Also Receiving Votes."
Meanwhile, Louisville loses on the road at unranked Kentucky, but not only do the Cardinals get to retain their place in the Top 25, but they are ranked AHEAD of Kentucky in both AP and Coaches' polls.
Look: I too bought into the Saban hype, debuting the Tide at No. 20 in my BlogPoll rankings, but at least I kept Arkansas clinging on at No. 25. Meanwhile, I debut Kentucky at No. 15; we can disagree about where in the Top 25 to put the Wildcats, but — at a minimum — how can anyone rank them BEHIND Louisville?
More Ranking Ranting: After winning at Auburn two weeks ago, South Florida went unranked by both the media and coaches; however, after beating mighty "Idle" this week, USF finally (and rightfully) entered the rankings... Heading the other direction, UCLA earned its punishment, going from No. 11 to unranked, but it begs the question why they were ranked that high to begin with that they could take such a shellacking from Utah.
My BlogPoll ballot Top 10:
1. LSU
Perilloux: CFB's best backup QB?
2. USC
OK, that was very convincing.
3. Florida
Harvin is the payoff-free Bush.
4. Oklahoma
Bradford: Makes fans forget Bomar.
5. Rutgers
Keep mocking, everyone....
6. West Virginia
Is Devine even better than Slaton?
7. Cal
Could be only team to stop USC.
8. Wisconsin
Hill = Dayne 2.0
9. Boston College
Just look at those quality wins.
10. Penn State
Best of Big Ten in a down year.
With UW, top dog of a down-year Big Ten.
Rising: Kentucky (15), Cincinnati (23)
My complete BlogPoll Top 25 ballot this week.
Looking Ahead to Next Week:
Oklahoma at Tulsa: My "Upset Specials" this season have kinda sucked; I might as well keep it up. This is precisely the kind of trap game that will trip up a Sooners team already being talked about as a "gimme" unbeaten. Set the over-under at 100.
Pick: Tulsa.
Penn State at Michigan: If Michigan fans thought the Wolverines righted the season with a win over the worst team in college football, they are sadly mistaken. Here's a guarantee for Mike Hart: Penn State wins.
South Carolina at LSU: For the Ol' Ball Coach to win at Georgia is one thing; for him to shock the world at LSU is another entirely. The Tigers' favorable SEC schedule is showcased.
Pick: LSU
Georgia at Alabama: The new national buzz for Nick Saban will either ramp up with a second straight nationally televised win over another Top 25 SEC rival... or implode along with the Tide's dreams of a BCS bowl.
Pick: Bama
Michigan State at Notre Dame: 0-4. Heh.
Pick: MSU
The Bandwagoneer on the Road:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On a swamp-ass Saturday at The Swamp for Florida-Tennessee, I had a chance to meet up with two college football celebrities: Orson Swindle (of the must-read college football blog Every Day Should Be Saturday) and Clay Travis (of the must-read college football book "Dixieland Delight").
I'd like to nominate Orson as mayor of Tailgateville, and Clay — a die-hard Tennessee fan — took WAY too much abuse while I was walking with him (and he noted it was mild compared to what he usually hears). I'm all for mocking opposing fans, but at least TRY to be clever about it. Like design a T-shirt re-naming Cletus Spuckler's 26 kids after former Vols. (Hell, you could just use the Colquitts.)
Meanwhile, my game seats were about 40 feet from Chris Leak, who was standing on the Florida sidelines because it's not like he has an NFL job to keep him busy. Not only was Leak not wearing blue — unlike 90,000 other fans in the stadium, per Urban Meyer's pre-game request — but Leak was wearing jorts (jeans shorts) confirming all of those embittered theories about Gators fans' fashion sense.
I did, however, get a close-up look at CBS' SEC sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson, who performs in the shadow of uber-sideliner Erin Andrews. Wolfson is spectacularly underrated, and — allow the blasphemy — the bigger hottie. Simply put, Erin and Tracy are the Betty and Veronica of TV sideline reporters. (Mr. Weatherbee: Lou Holtz, obviously.)
As always, send any comments, criticisms or questions to danshanoff-at-gmail-dot-com.
Comments
From what I understand, it's ok for African-Americans to wear jorts.
The Cincinnati Bearcats are this year's Rutgers, except they can't lose to the Cincinnati Bearcats.
Dear Mr. Hoyer,
Please fire a spiral directly into Weiss' gunt.
Thank you,
Spartan Faithful
Darren McFadden was out with a concussion when we needed him the most.
What a douche bag.
No picture of Tracy Wolfson so we may compare? For shame, Shanoff, for shame.
ooh, I love a good Archie analogy. Dan = Jughead?
Does that make Stacey Dales the Midge of the group?
By saying Erin Andrews is not as hot as The Wolfwoman, you have now lost your Florida rooting privileges. Please leave our bandwagon. Thanks!
The Big Ten doesn't have the juice this year?
Didn't Penn St. and Wisconsin handle Tennessee and Arkansas in the bowl games?
As a Redskins fan, I can entirely sympathize with those whose championship hopes are dashed by week 3.
"Archie is not trying to fuck Lou Holtz! He's just helping him with his homework!"
Shanoff should have went with something a little more hip and current instead of Betty and Veronica from Archie, like Linda Evans and Joan Collins from Dynasty. To each their own, I guess.
I was intrigued by Tracy Wolfson's picture, but upon further review, she is a Michigan grad. Pass.
Nothing about ND's schedule being ridiculous? Plant them in the Big Ten and they're good for a win against Illinois (sorry Will), Indiana or Northwestern, even in a down year. I guess it's what you get for not being in a conference, but still. It warrants mentioning.
re: Where was Darren McFadden when he was needed the most?
He had a concussion Dan. And a hamstring problem.
I'll take the loss and have a non-seriously injured McFadden instead.
@TheHogBlogger: amen.
@BigRicks:
Not a chance of ND beating the Zookinater.
Having two teams from the Big East in the top 6 is absolutely ridiculous. It's like putting the winners of "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" on to a list of most intelligent people in the world ... because they beat some 5th graders.
Michigan's taint has a stain? And it's conference wide?
Never go ass to mouth.
@jwaves: No chance at all.
@pr0ff3ss0r_j3rkwh3at: And still, no "Hack" tag.
OK... so how does all this affect Notre Dame and its title aspirations?
@3championshipsandwich: Exactly. E. coli should never be a sexually-transmitted infection.
Keep telling yourself the college football regular season is a de facto playoff system. If you say it enough times, maybe it will be true.
Ah, what a glorious site it has been seeing Jabba the Weis going 0-3, in fact I am predicting that they may start 0-9 (yes that includes a loss to Navy). As a Notre shame hater, it has so far been one of the best seasons of college football to me.
My mother-in-law said to me this weekend that irish catholics should rout for notre dame. To which I replied, if I'm God and I'm picking a place to set up shop, I'm picking somewhere a heck of a lot nicer than South Bend, IN.
Re: The Ranking Rant:
You did the same thing you are bitching about with the UGA/SC game last week.
If the regular season is a de facto playoff system that means that Boise State was your National Champion last year, right Dan?
Perilloux: CFB's best backup QB?
And if you disagree, he's more than willing to put put some money on it.
Tracy Wolfson should be Bess Marvin, girl detective, to Erin Andrews' Nancy Drew.
That makes Lou Holtz the Hardy Boys' dad.
In the time it took me to read this, Stafon Johnson ran through the Blackshirts for two more touchdowns.
Cincinatti or USF win the Big East.
Black people can wear jorts, especially if they are dickies.
so because OSU sucks and Jim Tressel is a fraud, PSU gets a bad rap this season? that's some shady authoring there, Mr. Shanoff.
PSU has its usual top-flight defense and a (finally) competent offense to compliment. the B10 may be down this year, but don't let that dilute PSU's potential.
Head Ball Coach Spurrier is gonna pull out the kitchen sink this weekend. Fix your playoff to be the winner of the USC/Florida game in Columbia.
PS. Lou Holtz smells. Penis.
More NFL Cheating?! Hardly. The tiresome Brian Billick claims the Jets illegally simulated snap counts that triggered offensive penalties on the Ravens.First of all, the Ravens won, so Billick should really STFU.
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