Iowa St

College Football: The BCS Does It Again

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:55:33 -0500

Unless you've had absolutely no access to any form of media (TV, radio, internet, newspaper, etc.), you know that yesterday's installment of the BCS standings placed Oklahoma ahead of Texas. With those two being tied along with Texas Tech atop the Big 12 South with 7-1 records that was the determining factor in sending the Sooners to take on Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday. But wait: didn't Texas beat Oklahoma 45-35 back on Ocotber 11th? Yes they did, so when you take that into consideration you may wonder what's up with the BCS and the Big 12's tiebreaker system.

On the tiebreaker, it went down to the fifth category, which was BCS ranking. Not like the ACC and SEC, who in this scenario use the standings to eliminate the third team and then go to head-to-head. But in fairness to those who decided this procedure in the Big 12, hindsight is 20/20 and you really don't foresee something like this happening. As for the BCS, both the human and computer elements once again proved themselves to be an absolute joke.

1. Harris Poll voters pull of an interesting switch in their ranking of the Sooners and Longhorns. Thanks to their 61-41 win at then-#12 Oklahoma State, Oklahoma went from nineteen points ahead of Texas to six points behind. Guess those who changed their minds feel that beating a 4-8 Texas A&M team at home by 40 is more impressive. How else can you explain this? If they wanted to emphasize Texas beating Oklahoma, why not keep Texas ahead of Oklahoma? The Longhorns were just forty-four points behind the Sooners immediately following their loss at Texas Tech, jumped back over Oklahoma the next week and stayed there for two more weeks before being jumped by Oklahoma. Of course OU had beaten Texas Tech to move back ahead of Texas, but where's the consistency? How is the BCS supposed to determine the two best teams if components of the system feature voters with, in some cases, hidden agendas?

2. The computers pushed Oklahoma ahead of Texas after this weekend, thanks to the Sooners' strength of schedule. But Alabama third and Utah fifth (ahead of Florida) in computer average? It's pretty obvious that the computers favor two forms of numbers being punched in: margin of victory and how many wins your opponents have. And for myself personally, the computers valuing strength of schedule is a little suspect when I look at Texas Tech's non-conference slate: Eastern Washington, Nevada, SMU and UMass. And yet they're fourth? The Big 12 South is the best grouping of teams in the country period, but even with those tough games there's something terribly wrong with that in my opinion.

But does this latest example of people and computers not knowing what they're doing mean that we're any closer to a playoff? No. Television rights for the BCS continue to fetch top dollar, with ESPN winning the rights beginning in 2011. And if there were a playoff, would the road to a national title be even tougher for schools in a non-BCS conference? Unless you go with a 16-team model in which every league champion earns a bid, it would be near impossible for a Utah or Boise State to throw their hat into the ring. But whatever the change could be in our lifetime, I only ask this: let it be more efficient and make more sense than what we have right now. This is absurd.

More Coaching Changes

- Tennessee named former USC assistant and Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin head coach today. One member of his staff will be father Monte, currently defensive coordinator for the Tamp Bay Buccaneers.

- New Mexico State fired Hal Mumme. Mumme, who went 3-9 in a season filled with injuries, leaves Las Cruces with a 11-38 record in four seasons at the school.

- Clemson officially removed the "interim" tag for head coach Dabo Swinney on Monday. Swinney, who took over for the removed Terry Bowden, went 4-2 in six games this season.

- Wyoming named Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christiansen head coach on Monday. In his final seasons in Columbia, the Tigers offense featured a Heisman finalist in QB Chase Daniel, two outstanding tight ends in Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, and an explosive threat in WR Jeremy Maclin.

- Iowa State head coach Gene Chizik made some changes to his coaching staff on Monday, demoting coordinators Robert McFarland (offense) and Wayne Bolt (defense). Both will remain on the staff, with McFarland coaching the offensive line and Bolt the linebackers. Quarterbacks coach Tony Petersen and secondary coach Shawn Raney weren't so lucky, with both being dismissed. The Cyclones went 2-10 (0-8 Big 12 North) this season.

- Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis and Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville will both have meetings with their atheltics directors within the next week to evaluate their seasons and most likely determine their job status. Both finished off subpar seasons with embarassing showings on Saturday, with the Irish racking up four first downs in a 38-3 loss at USC and Auburn not doing much better in a 36-0 loss at Alabama.

Big 12 Coach Ranking: Self-Esteem

Kevin McNeill — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:08:14 -0500

Continuing this week's Coach Ranking series: The Big 12

#1) Bill Self, Kansas

Being the head basketball coach at Kansas can be a little intimidating. One must not only excel in the midst of almost implausible fan expectations and media saturation year in and year out, but must coach in the constant shadow of the likes of Hall of Famers Phog Allen, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and some guy named Dr. James Naismith. For Bill Self, however, those were the least of his worries.

Arriving in Lawrence after taking Tulsa and Illinois to the Elite Eight, Self had to fill the shoes of a beloved coach in Williams, who stunned fans with his departure to North Carolina soon after losing the national title game to Syracuse. He also had to work overtime to convince Williams’ recruits not to follow him.

While Self’s first season saw the Jayhawks come within a hair of returning to the Final Four in an overtime loss to Georgia Tech, he had to overcome constant distractions, not the least of which included reports of Williams contacting his former players during the season. Adding insult to injury, the following year Williams went on to win the national championship against Self’s former team, while KU lost in the first round in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1978. The Jawhawks again bowed out in the first round the next season – the first year in which Self was mostly playing his own recruits - leading the simmering “fire Self!” KU message board posts to rise to a dull roar.

Well, they’re pretty quiet now. Bill Self stands right alongside those great coaches in Kansas lore, sporting a national championship (just the third in KU’s history) and a ridiculous .816 winning percentage since arriving on campus. He is widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation, so much so that his Jawhawk team is currently ranked in the Top 25 despite losing five players to the NBA, and eight overall from last year.

He also turns all of 47 in December, which means he will be on the sideline and winning games for a long time to come.

# 2) Scott Drew, Baylor

It may be considered a stretch to label such a young coach as the second best coach in the conference, but the program he has built up from the smoldering rubble of the Dave Bliss fiasco is nothing less than astonishing.

To recap, after it was revealed Bliss committed some minor infractions, such as framing a murder victim to cover his illegal payments, the Bears were forced to play a half season in 2005-06, lost scholarships, and had paid recruiting visits reduced from twelve to nine for the 2006-07 season. Oh, and the program was placed on probation until June 22, 2010.

Despite all this, Drew has assembled top notch recruiting classes year in and year out, and last season carried Baylor to 21 wins and a NCAA Tournament berth, only their second appearance since 1950 (the other being 1988).

Seriously, how many coaches in America could have led a team to the Big Dance five years after the NCAA leveled the most severe penalties on a basketball program since the Southwestern Louisiana point shaving scandal? With a school with little to zero winning basketball tradition (unlike say Kentucky, who was able to rebound not long after the Eddie Sutton affair)? How many could talk a blue-chip recruit like LaceDarius Dunn, and others, into coming to Waco, despite the fact the school won’t be off probation until he’s a senior?

Going out on a limb, I’d say very few, which is why Baylor very wisely signed Drew to a 10 year contract extension after last season.

#3) Rick Barnes, Texas

In a conference that sports no less than nine coaches with two seasons or less under their belts with their respective teams, Barnes stands out for his consistency.

He is a three-time Big 12 coach of the year. In his ten years at the helm, the Longhorns have not missed a NCAA Tournament, with two Elite Eight appearances in the last three years, five Sweet Sixteen runs in the past seven, and a Final Four in 2003. Barnes also has three regular season titles to his credit, although he has not yet won the Big 12 Tournament.

#4) Jeff Capel, Oklahoma

Jeff Capel, as with some other relatively new coaches in the Big 12, have to be rated more for their potential than their achievements, due to their youth and experience. Still, after just two seasons, it is starting to look like the former Dukie could well be one of the best hires in school history.

After taking over for Kelvin Sampson, and subsequently losing blue chip-recruits Scottie Reynolds and Damion James to other programs, Capel has done an outstanding job of bringing in top notch talent to Norman, led by future stars Blake Griffin and now Willie Warren. He also engineered a remarkable turnaround last season, winning 23 games and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after finishing 7^th in the conference a year earlier.

Capel should stick around long enough to build the Sooners into a perennial conference contender…so long as Coach K doesn’t retire anytime soon.

#5) Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M

The Aggies got off to a great start in Turgeon’s first season, finishing with a 25–11 record and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 25 wins matched a Big 12 record for the most wins by a first-year coach.

While they lost DeAndre Jordan to an ill-advised decision to enter the NBA Draft, the Aggies still look like they could build on that success this year. Turgeon, like so many new coaches in the Big 12, is an outstanding recruiter and is building the foundation for long term success, starting with incoming freshman David Loubeau and what is so far an outstanding 2009 class.

#6) Travis Ford, Oklahoma State

Ford arrives at Oklahoma State as one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country, having turned down an offer from Providence, and taking himself out of consideration at LSU before accepting the job in Stillwater. He led UMass to 49 combined wins in the past two seasons, and before that memorably led Eastern Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament where they gave his alma mater, Kentucky, all they could handle in the first round.

Ford is aggressive on the recruiting trail, likes to constantly push his players, and likes to score – a lot. With the three point line moving back, Oklahoma State fans may not see the Cowboys throw up as many threes as UMass did last year (they attempted over 900), but they will definitely see a far more up-tempo style than they are used to.

#7) Jeff Bzdelik, Colorado

Coach Bzdelik came to Boulder having just overseen the most successful season in the history of the Air Force Academy, with a 26-9 record and a NIT semifinal run. He led the Falcons to only their second NCAA Tournament appearance in over 40 years in his first season.

Not to belabor the point, but if you can coach and recruit at a US military academy – where sky-high SAT scores and academic requirements for admission all but disqualify 85% of applicants – you can coach and recruit anywhere. Colorado is very young and in the process of rebuilding, but they should begin to show signs of growth under Bzdelik in his second season.

#8) Doc Sadler, Nebraska

The Nebraska Cornhusker basketball team opened their first practice on October 17^th… in full view of about “30-40 Husker fans,” according to the school. By contrast, the Nebraska Spring football game drew a record crowd of more than 80,000 back in April.

Such is the life of college basketball at a football school. Still, having recorded a 20 win season last year, and an NIT berth, in just his second season, Doc Sadler looks like he has the program headed in the right direction. Losing Aleks Maric will hurt, but the Huskers could sneak up on some teams this year.

#9) Mike Anderson, Missouri

Mike Anderson showed glimpses of his potential after taking over for Quin Synder, going a respectable 18-12 in his first season. But the following year, just as Mizzou fans were starting to move on from the Ricky Clemons fiasco, off-court issues tripped up their season once again.

Right at the start of conference play, five players were involved in a bar fight that led to their suspension, and, eventually, the dismissal of leading scorer Stefhon Hannah – forcing the team to finish the year short-handed. Even before the season started, leading rebounder Kalen Grimes was dismissed from the team for smashing someone’s face with the butt of a shotgun, Darryl Butterfield – who was later one of the players involved in the bar fight - was arrested for punching an ex-girlfriend, transfer DeMarre Carroll was shot in the ankle, and Mike Anderson, Jr. – the coach’s son, had a DUI.

The Tigers have a lot of potential this season, especially with the arrival of transfer Zaire Taylor. But Coach Anderson will be judged not only by his ability to get his team back to the Big Dance after a five year hiatus, but also whether his strict new team rules can finally get this program under control.

#10) Greg McDermott, Iowa State

When Greg McDermott first began coaching, at Division II Wayne State, he compiled a losing record over his first two years at the helm. He then guided them to four straight 20 win seasons. At Northern Iowa, he endured a losing record in each of his first two seasons, then rattled off three straight 20 win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances before heading to Ames.

Iowa State has gone 29-34 under Coach McDermott in his first two seasons. Cyclones fans are anxiously awaiting his third.

#11) Frank Martin, Kansas State

It’s no secret that Coach Martin at least in part owes his job to his close relationship with Michael Beasley, specifically his ability to keep Beasley on campus after the shocking departure of Bob Huggins to West Virginia. Now that Beasley is gone, Martin has a lot to prove.

#12) Pat Knight, Texas Tech

Texas Tech fans are still stewing over the surprise mid-season resignation of Bob Knight, and the quick transfer of coaching duties to his son, whose only head coaching experience was a very brief stint in the USBL and IBA, with teams that folded soon after he arrived.

After taking over, the Red Raiders lost 7 of their last 11 games. Inconsistency was the main concern, evidenced by a great win at home against Texas followed up by a 58 point drubbing by Kansas.

Big 12 Player Grades: 2008-09

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:17:59 -0500

Big XII Player Grades

I've graded each Big 12 starter based on projected stats and overall talent. Along with a bench grade, each team has a potential score of 60.0. Teams are ranked according to the sum of the player grades, but these do not necessarily match my (or the sites) predicted standings. The projected stats are from CHN's Fantasy Stats Preview. . Each team's top graded player is highlighted in red.

TEXAS
G AJ Abrams - 18, 3, 3	8.0
G Justin Mason - 9, 4, 3	6.0
F Damion James - 16, 10, 2	8.5
F Gary Johnson - 10, 6, 1	5.5
F Connor Atchley - 13, 7, 1	7.0
Bench	6.5
	41.5
BAYLOR
G Tweety Carter - 9, 2, 4	6.0
G Henry Dugat - 11, 4, 2	6.0
G Curtis Jerrells - 15, 5, 4	8.0
G LaceDarius Dunn - 15, 4, 2	7.0
F Kevin Rogers - 14, 9, 1	7.5
Bench	6.0
	40.5
OKLAHOMA
G Willie Warren - 16, 4, 4	8.0
G Austin Johnson - 10, 3, 3	5.5
G Tony Crocker - 10, 3, 3	6.0
F Taylor Griffin - 10, 6, 1	5.5
F Blake Griffin - 17, 10, 2	9.0
Bench	6.0
	40.0
KANSAS
G Sherron Collins - 13, 3, 5	7.5
G Travis Releford - 9, 2, 2	5.5
G Mario Little - 12, 3, 3	6.5
F Markieff Morris - 9, 5, 1	5.5
F Cole Aldrich - 11, 8, 1	6.5
Bench	6.5
	38.0
OKLAHOMA STATE
G Byron Eaton - 14, 3, 5	7.0
G Terrel Harris - 11, 4, 1	6.0
G James Anderson - 16, 4, 1	7.0
G Obi Muonelo - 9, 4, 1	6.0
C Ibrahima Thomas - 9, 7, 1	6.0
Bench	4.5
	36.5
TEXAS A&M
G Donald Sloan - 12, 4, 3	6.5
G Derrick Roland - 8, 3, 2	5.5
G Josh Carter - 14, 4, 2	7.5
F Bryan Davis - 12, 6, 1	7.0
F Chinemelu Elonu - 6, 6, 1	5.0
Bench	5.0
	36.5
MISSOURI
G Miguel Paul - 9, 3, 4	5.5
G JT Tiller - 10, 3, 2	5.0
G Matt Lawrence - 8, 4, 1	5.5
F DeMarre Carroll - 14, 7, 1	7.0
F Leo Lyons - 17, 7, 2	7.5
Bench	5.0
	35.5
KANSAS STATE
G Jacob Pullen - 15, 2, 4	7.0
G Denis Clemente - 12, 3, 3	6.0
F Dominque Sutton - 7, 5, 1	5.0
F Jamar Samuels - 7, 5, 1	5.0
F Ron Anderson - 8, 7, 1	5.5
Bench	6.0
	34.5
TEXAS TECH
G John Roberson - 14, 4, 3	6.5
G Alan Voskuil - 13, 4, 2	6.5
G Mike Singletary - 12, 5, 2	6.0
F Trevor Cook - 8, 4, 1	5.5
C Esmir Rizvic - 6, 4, 1	5.0
Bench	4.5
	34.0
NEBRASKA
G Cookie Miller - 7, 3, 5	5.5
G Ade Dagundrup - 12, 4, 2	6.0
G Ryan Anderson - 10, 5, 2	5.5
F Alex Chapman - 8, 5, 1	5.0
F Alonzo Edwards - 7, 6, 1	5.0
Bench	6.0
	33.0
IOWA STATE
G Diante Garrett - 9, 3, 4	5.0
G Lucca Staiger - 12, 3, 2	5.5
F Craig Brackins - 14, 6, 1	7.0
F Jamie Vanderbeken - 9, 4, 1	5.0
F Alex Thompson - 5, 5, 1	4.5
Bench	5.5
	32.5
COLORADO
G Cory Higgins - 11, 4, 3	5.5
G Nate Tomlinson - 8, 3, 4	4.5
F Jermyl Jackson-Wilson - 8, 4, 1	5.0
F Austin Dufault - 11, 5, 1	6.0
F Casey Crawford - 7, 4, 1	4.0
Bench	5.0
	30.0

8.0+ Players

9.0 Blake Griffin

8.5 Damion James

8.0 AJ Abrams

8.0 Curtis Jerrells

8.0 Willie Warren

Note: The Longhorns sum of 41.5 is slightly lower than other BCS conference leaders (UNC is #1 at 47.5). Colorado has one of the lowest totals with a 30.0 total.

Player Grades Archive (other leagues)

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