Well, it seems I spoke too soon when I said that USC controls its own destiny. Rich Tellshow has now jumped on board with Jerry Palm in saying that the Syracuse-Notre Dame game (Saturday, 1:00 PM Eastern, on ABC) could very well decide who finishes #2 in the BCS, assuming the Trojans and Tigers both win their own finales. And he finally explains why that game is more important than Hawaii-Boise State:
The battle between USC and LSU might be decided by the computer polls. LSU is ahead in Massey, Anderson and Sagarin. It is very likely that LSU will overtake USC in Billingsley by beating Georgia. I think it is also likely that LSU will be 2nd in the NYTimes… Wolfe’s ranking will be a close call but I think LSU has a good shot at that one too. That leaves Colley’s Matrix. Luckily, I have that one duplicated. USC will be #2 in Colley with wins by the favorites. LSU will be #2 in Colley if Syracuse upsets ND, even if Hawaii upsets Boise State. So there you have it, the Syracuse-ND game could determine the BCS with its effect on sos and Colley’s Matrix. Of course there are many such games during the season, this is just the last one.
Well, let’s see now. One place in one computer poll is worth 0.17 BCS points. And in the strength-of-schedule column, the Syracuse-ND is worth between 0.20 and 0.28 points (depending on the outcome of other games). So the battle between the Irish and the Orangemen (Green vs. Orange! Ha!) is worth a total of between 0.37 and 0.45 points… unbelievable!
I think this calls for a song:
Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory.
Chris, no band satires, please… not this week. This week, we must be united in saying… GO IRISH!!!
(Here’s another somewhat relevant song. Heh.)
UPDATE: ESPN.com’s Brad Edwards is hosting another BCS chat at 6:00 PM Eastern tonight. I’m submitting a question now.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Here’s another BCS analysis, by CBS Sportsline’s Dennis Dodd, affirming that ND-Syracuse is the game. Jerry Palm is once again the principal source. (Haven’t these people ever heard of Rich Tellshow? Jeez.) Palm says: “If Syracuse wins, USC needs a lot of help.” He suggests the Trojans may even need a “miracle.”
Palm adds, “If Notre Dame wins, LSU will have to lead in six computers” –meaning all six aside from the Colley Matrix — “and get a quality win bonus. If Syracuse wins, LSU may not need the quality win bonus at all.”
Yeah, and if the Colley Matrix denies USC a Sugar Bowl bid, Trojan fans may demand that the Matrix be Reloaded, and if they are refused, they may start a Revolution. (ka-ching)
Regarding the title-game implications of ND-Syracuse, Dodd notes, “A similar situation played out two years ago when TCU beat Southern Miss allowing Nebraska to hold onto the No. 2 BCS spot by .05 of a point and play for the national championship.”
|
Categories: College Football
|
December 1st, 2003 at 9:55:11 am
I dunno, Brendan…I’m a Protestant, a High Tory, and an Anglophilic descendant of Ulster emigrees. (hi Joe :) But alas, I can root against the land of Schumer and Rodham with no qualms…Go Irish!
December 1st, 2003 at 10:03:34 am
Actually, I’m sure neither of those carried upstate anyway. Eh, whatever. Hopefully Notre Dame will have better luck than Athenians under Nikias and Alcibiades. (Dane, Farenga would be proud, eh? :) Down with Syracuse…
December 1st, 2003 at 11:14:57 am
I for one wouldn’t be terribly upset to see the Irish captured and worked to death in the quarry. But is Ty Willingham Nicias - his triumph behind him and in over his head - or Alcibiades? Will he be run out of Indiana for mocking the mysteries, only to betray the Irish later?
December 1st, 2003 at 11:18:22 am
All I can say, with regard to Syracuse football and the Big East conference and classical references, is, “Et tu, Miami?”
December 1st, 2003 at 1:30:30 pm
BRENDAN we are talking about Greece here not Rome. Come on get your obscure esoteric classical references correct. And besides, Caesar did not even say ‘Et tu, Brute.’ He said ‘and you to my son?’ in Greek. (Note to typographical nit pickers (I think I’m the only one that visits this blog regularly…) It would take way too long to look up the character codes to properly render that in ancient Greek).
Chris, I’m quite amused by the cunning use of classical references. Let’s just hope we don’t end up with a Pyrrhic victory on Saturday.… Hey, Bush should add that to his stump speech ‘And now my fellow Americans we are deftly moving towards a great Pyrrhic Victory in Iraq.’ What do you think?
December 1st, 2003 at 3:50:39 pm
…at least it’s not rooting to ucla. That I will NOT do… But can’t we at least make it Fight On Irish? At least we can maintain some of our identity….
December 1st, 2003 at 4:17:57 pm
HEE HEE Yes, he should deftnitly put that in…then he could add that Hillary RC, playacting in Kabul, is just an old Thespian from New York anyway…rumors, schumers…Yes, that Chris is a cunning linguist all right. (Hi back at you, Chris, ya Britsmitten Orange Prod. :)
You guys are erudite. But if nobody Asks, I won’t Tell. Geeks baring rifts, yes yes. Hm? I have NO idea.
B: “(Here’s another somewhat relevant song. Heh.)”
Yes it is but Look out kid, there’s somethin’ ya did: careful you don’t turn into the ould man prematurely. :) Every Rock in Ireland izzit? waw haw haw…
That Fenian record player was never heard no more,
They prodded it with piggin’ sticks & threw it on the floor,
But still the grandest sight me boys that you have ever seen -
The sparks come flashin’ out of it were Orange, White & Green.
- from “The Fenian Record Player”; tune “The Yellow Rose of Texas.” ‘Bye Chris. :)
December 1st, 2003 at 4:36:32 pm
Keri, you gotta do what you gotta do. Last year, a lot of USC fans did root for UCLA against Washington State in the last game of the season, because a Wazzu loss would have put us in the Rose Bowl. Some even went to Pasadena and cheered the Bruins on! Alas, it was not to be, but we got the Orange Bowl instead, so really we had the best of both worlds: a Bruin loss and a Trojan BCS bowl. (”Rose Bowl East” vs. Iowa, no less!)
As for “Fight On Irish”… hehe… works for me. How about this:
Fight on for Notre Dame
Their men fight on
for Trojan fame
Our hated rival dear
We look to you!
To help us win the BCS
So, beat the Orange, yes!
Fight on!
December 1st, 2003 at 5:03:31 pm
LOL, Hmm, I think that is really all I’ve got for the moment. However, as it stands right now (before I post this) there are 2237 posts and 2233 comments. Meaning that comments are finally within striking distance of the number of posts.
December 1st, 2003 at 5:12:35 pm
Additional side note, This week’s BCS results have been released and USC is (surprise surprise) in second with LSU only 1.53 points behind.
December 1st, 2003 at 5:41:42 pm
Usc is the best..but i think LSU got the edge on this one..
USC + OK lose = Michigan vs OK