Bowl Season Newsletter

::takes a shot:: Well, that's it. The bowl season and with it, the '06-'07 college football season is finished. There's a reason I waited a few days after the National Title game to send this, let alone work on this. The thought of there not being another game for ::counts...yeah, this may take a while:: 7+ months is kind of depressing. At least there are NFL games for a few more weeks. March Madness will be here before too long. Baseball will make it's steroid-ian presence felt not long after. There's the CWS in the summer and the NBA playoffs run through what summer month? Then, NCAA '08 will be out and Madden '08. Okay, so, I guess we have some sports to carry us through these 7+ months. Enough about that and on to the good stuff.

The Bonehead Call of the Bowl Season
I'm sorry Husker fans, but this goes to coach Bill Callahan of the Big Red. I don't know that Mr. Callahan is a gambler, but the way he called this play, it seemed awfully suspicious that he bet on Auburn in the game! Probably not, which makes it that much worse. Nebraska dominated the first half of their game against Auburn. They drove right down the field on their first possession, taking up 7 1/2 minutes on the drive. But, following a long interception return by the Tigers to set up the tying score, Nebraska faced a 4th and short from their own 29-yard line and what'd Mr. Callahan call for? A fake. Yeah, from their own 29, tied, and statistically speaking, dominating. They failed and Auburn took over inside the Nebraska 15-yard line, from which they scored to take a 14-7 lead. They would eventually win the game 17-14. The defense was playing well. Why potentially set your defense up in a near impossible situation for them to prevent Auburn from scoring any points? The only points they had scored prior to that was due to the long interception return. Auburn had around 50 yards total offense in the first half and yet, were tied 14-14. Auburn had about a third as many points as they had yards in that half. To put that into perspective, let's compare it to Hawaii, who usually throwing for 400+ a game and garners 500 or so yards in a contest. For the Warriors to accomplish such a feat, they'd have to score 167 points. I don't say this many times, but that game was lost by the coaches.

The Bonehead Play of the Bowl Season
Even though they eventually won, this has to go to Boise State quarterback Jarod Zabransky and/or the intended receiver. Boise State led Oklahoma 28-10 in the Fiesta Bowl. OU scored 18 consecutive points to tie the game at 28-28 late in the 4th quarter, before Zabransky threw a pass toward the sideline that was picked off and run in for the go-ahead touchdown to put the Sooners ahead for the first time in the game, 35-28. I don't know if the receiver ran the wrong route or if Zabransky just made a bad read, but either way, it was a very bad decision and almost cost them the game.

The Conference Yo of the Bowl Season
Big East and SEC. This is hard for me to pick, because only one major conference, the Big East, went undefeated, but the SEC had more impressive victories all around. Because of that, I'm going to split it to end the year. That's right, the Big Least, the Big Easy, the Big East went 5-0 in the bowl season. The most impressive victory is debatable. Louisville beat an overachieving and pesky ACC Champ Wake Forest club in the Orange Bowl 24-13 and West Virginia had to come from well behind in their 38-35 win over ACC runner-up Georgia Tech. Rutgers got stuck in the Texas bowl to face 7-5 K-State and showed why they were 10-2 coming into the game, stomping on the Wildcats 37-10 and honestly, the score could've been 63-10. South Florida had no problem with Skip Holtz and East Carolina, winning 24-7. Finally, Cincinnati jumped out to a 24-0 lead against Western Michigan, before needing to hold on at the end in their 27-24 victory. Regardless of the matchups, kudos to the Big East for their unbeaten bowl record. The SEC could've very well gone undefeated and that would've been much more impressive than the Big East doing so. The SEC finished 6-3, with their three losses coming by a combined 16 points. Alabama lost on a lost-second field goal to Oklahoma State, 34-31. Tennessee forgot to show up to play Penn State, in their 20-10 loss to JoPa's crew. Arkansas pulled a Nebraska, where they dominated statistically for 60 minutes, but found a way to come up short in the end to Wisconsin, losing that one by the final score of 17-14. Auburn made up for that Arkansas game, as they got beat for 60 minutes in every category, but the scoreboard, upending the Huskers 17-14. South Carolina got the best of Houston in a 44-36 shootout victory. Kentucky upset Clemson 28-20. Georgia came back from a 21-3 halftime deficit against Virginia Tech to win 31-24 over the Hokies. LSU spanked Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, 41-14. Florida did likewise to Ohio State in the title game by the same exact score, 41-14. The SEC beat four 10-win teams, one 9-win club, and one 8-win squad en route to their 6-3 record.

The Conference Yo No of the Bowl Season
Big XII. Yeah, the Big Ten had a worse record at 2-5, but they at least had two wins over squads like Arkansas and Tennessee, along with some tightly battled games like Minnesota falling to Texas Tech by three in overtime and Iowa coming within a field goal of beating Texas. The Big XII's three wins came against opponents who had a 6-7 record to finish the year. That's right, the opponents combined to go 18-21. The Big XII teams who played these opponents have a 25-14 record, so, they should have beaten their opponents pretty good, right? Wrong. The three wins by the Big XII came by a total of 8 points against teams that finished 18-21. Ouch! Meanwhile, Texas A&M got slaughtered in the Holiday Bowl by Cal, 45-10. K-State got pummeled by Rutgers in the Texas Bowl, 37-10. Missouri found a way to choke at the end against Oregon State, falling 39-38 to the Beavers. Nebraska found a way to lose to Auburn, 17-14. Finally, Oklahoma fell to Boise State in overtime, 43-42. Does this mean necessarily that the Big XII is the worst conference? Well, no, but they definitely had the worst bowl performance of any major conference.

The Top Ten Games of the Bowl Season
Let the countdown begin.

10. Wisconsin 17 Arkansas 14- This was a very bizarre game, as Arkansas ran up and down the field at times with the likes of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but fell short inside the twenty, including a shanked field goal early on that looked like a virtual extra point attempt. The game symbolized what the season has been like for the Badgers, as they just found a way to win in the end.

9. Cincinnati 27 Western Michigan- The final good game of the bowl season. It didn't appear to be this way early on, when Cincy jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Broncos fought back and fought back hard to close the gap to 24-17 at halftime. The fight was not good enough, however, as the Bearcats found a way to close the job in the end.

8. Miami (Florida) 21 Nevada 20- It's amazing to see the great athletes playing for Miami, how much potential they all have, and how much inconsistency they all possess, as well. When Miami scored, they made it look easy, but after they got their lead, they tended to lose focus, which allowed the Wolfpack to stay right in the thick of things. If not for an interception by the 'Canes on Nevada's final possession, Miami may have finished the year with a losing record.

7. Texas 26 Iowa 24- The key question I had in this game was how much motivation would each team carry with them into this game? Did Texas even want to be there? They were one victory away from clinching the Big XII South and marching their way into the Big XII title game with a chance to be involved in the BCS. But, they lost their last two and fell all the way back to the Alamo Bowl. Iowa finished the year sluggish, to say the least and seemed to want the game more than the 'Horns did, but, unfortunately, talent won over heart in this game.

6. Boston College 25 Navy 24- With former head coach Tom O'Brien off and running as the new North Carolina State coach, BC faced the distraction of not having O'Brien on the sideline. Like Texas in the previous game, BC did not seem to be as interested in the outcome as Navy. But, the Eagles caught a break on the Midshipmen's last drive, when an option play was called, BC read it correctly, forced a quick pitch, and fell on the loose ball. That set up the game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock.

5. Oklahoma State 34 Alabama 31- Never did I think I'd witness a 34-31 game, in which Alabama was a participant. My excuse here is that ex-coach Mike Shula got fired, so the team (including the defense) was distracted. This game was back and forth for sixty minutes. Okie State seemed to have the edge throughout, but found ways to let 'Bama creep right back into it and needed a last-second field goal to prevent the game from going into overtime.

4. West Virginia 38 Georgia Tech 35- Yellow Jackets' quarterback Reggie Ball was ruled academically ineligible to play in this game and that wound up being a positive for the Jackets. Ball, after all, had only completed 15 of his previous 50 pass attempts (30.0%). Because of this, the Jackets were able to utilize standout receiver Calvin Johnson and get out to a huge lead early in the game. But, as the Mountaineers often times do, they found ways to score and score in a hurry. Pat White, Steve Slaton, and company came from 35-17 back to pull this one out 38-35, capped off by an interception in the end zone late in the game to seal the deal for the 'Neers.

3. Oregon State 39 Missouri 38- Gotta love Gary Pinkel, don't you? Missouri started the year off great, but floundered down the stretch, to finish 8-4. The games in which they lost, they were simply just careless and for lack of a better word, stupid, with the football. They just found ways to lose. Pinkel-coached teams seem to know how to do that. That's their forte'. It happened again in this game. Just past the midway point of the 4th quarter, Pinkel and his Tigers led the Beavers 38-24. OSU scored once to pull within 38-31 with about five minutes left to go. OSU hadn't stopped Mizzou's offense all day. The Tigers racked up over 500 yards on the day, but found a way to not convert on a 3rd down near midfield, which game the Beavers one last chance. Oregon State got a great punt return to set them up in good field position with less than a minute to go. No pressure was exuded on the quarterback the entire drive and Oregon State scored a touchdown with less than half a minute left in the game to pull within a point, at 38-37. For whatever reason, coach Riley decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win. They did have the Tiger defense on their heels and with how his defense had played all game, perhaps this was seen as the best opportunity to win. On an iso play up the middle, the Beavers converted to lead and win the game 39-38.

2. Texas Tech 44 Minnesota 41 OT- If this were any other year, this would be crowned "Best Game of the Bowl Season," but not this year. Let's fast forward to the third quarter, shall we? Minnesota led 38-7 with 7:47 left in the 3rd quarter. No, I kid thee not. Texas Tech scored 28 straight points to pull within three, at 38-35, before kicking the game-tying field goal on the last play of regulation to tie things up at 38-38. That's right, Texas Tech scored 31 consecutive points in the last quarter and a half to tie the game! In overtime, Minnesota got the ball first and had to settle for a field goal, but they did lead temporarily, 41-38. Tech didn't let up. They scored the game-winning touchdown in the first overtime to come out with a 44-41 win. It was the largest comeback in bowl history! What in the world could possibly outdo this game?

1. (drum roll) Boise State 43 Oklahoma 42 OT- That's right, the Fiesta Bowl. This was the perfect game to cap off a solid New Year's Day. Nobody I knew gave Boise much of a chance in this game, although, I am proud to say that I picked them ::takes a bow...no applause, thank you::. OU came into the game at 11-2, but 12-1 in most people's minds, because of that botched call in the Oregon game. Either way, they came in as the Big XII Champs and a 7.5 point favorite. Boise was 12-0, but from the WAC, so they had little to no chance, right? Not so fast! Boise darted out of the gates to a 14-0 lead in the first five minutes. It appeared that Oklahoma was just getting out of bed. After OU woke up a bit, Boise stormed right back to lead 28-10 in the second half. It was pure domination! But, luck was not on Boise's side following an Oklahoma punt. The returnman let the ball go and it appeared as if it'd be downed inside the 10-yard line, until it rolled right into the leg of a BSU blocker and was recovered by the Sooners. This started a monster comeback, as Oklahoma scored 18 straight points to tie the game 28-28 late in the 4th quarter. There was still a little over a minute left and with BSU's potent offense, they would to anything but play it conservatively, right? Well, yeah, that's right, but it backfired on the Broncos this time. Either quarterback Jarod Zabransky made a poor read or the receiver broke the wrong way, but either way, OU ended up with the football on an interception return for a touchdown. That capped off 25 unanswered points by Bob Stoops' club to jolt them out to a 35-28 lead, their first lead in the game. Boise still had a chance though and marched down to about midfield, when they faced a 4th and 18 situation with not much time left on the clock. Hail Mary? Trick play, such as a flea flicker? Reverse pass? Nope, none of those. Zabransky threw the ball 15 yards down field around the left hash mark. The receiver moved toward the middle of the field a yard or so to draw the defenders toward him, before he flipped the ball to speedman Baab on a hook'n'ladder play and he went the distance! With the PAT, the game was tied 35-35 and headed to overtime. BSU's defense was obviously fatigued, as could be seen following OU's first play in overtime, as Adrian Peterson went about untouched, twenty-five yards into the end zone, to catapult his team to a 42-35 lead. Boise drove to inside the five, where they faced a fourth down situation. Coach Peterson pulled out all his tricks on this drive. Wide Receiver Perretta had the football and threw it to the tight end in the end zone for a touchdown. So, what's Peterson do now? Go for the tie and a double overtime session or go for the jugular? He went for the two-point conversion. Zabransky took the snap, faked a throw to his right, hid the ball behind his back, where tailback Ian Johnson took it and with the help of some excellent block by the line, galloped into the end zone for the game winning score! 43-42! Boise ran the table, going 13-0, with an unbelievable Fiesta Bowl win. I was going nuts watching that game. I'm getting excited again just writing about it. Unreal. I'm sorry Wolverine/Buckeye fans, but your game pales in comparison to the Fiesta Bowl.

Biggest Disappointment
Is this even debatable? Florida routed then unbeaten, #1, and 7.5 point favorite Ohio State in the National Title game 41-14. The Buckeyes garnered just 82 yards for the game! No, I'm not making that up. Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith was just 4-14 (28.6%) on the day. Jim Tressel made a bonehead call, going for it on a 4th and 1 from his own 30, directly after his team failed to convert on 3rd and 1. Blame the layoff. Blame Tedd Ginn, Jr.'s injury. Blame whatever or whomever. Florida dominated that game, plain and simple. Do I think they are truly 27 points better than the Buckeyes? I don't think so, but they were on Monday night, that's for certain. I will give the game this, even though it was a blowout, I was intrigued for sixty minutes, for the pure simple fact that I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Let the debates swirl! The only unbeaten is Boise State. Louisville, along with Ohio State and Florida are one-loss teams. Playoffs, anyone?

Kudos
MWC and WAC. Two of the smaller conferences fared pretty well in the bowl games. Both conferences went 3-1 in the bowl season. In the Mountain West, TCU pounded Northern Illinois 37-7. BYU followed that up with a 38-8 shellacking of Oregon. Utah defeated Tulsa 25-13. The Mountain West's only loss was New Mexico's 20-12 loss to the WAC's own San Jose State. The MWC's opponents are 31-21 (.596), while the MWC teams are 36-16 (.692). They outscored their opponents in these games 112-48 (average: 28.0-12.0 = +16.0). I already mentioned one of the WAC's victories. In addition to that, Hawaii took care of Arizona State, 41-24. Boise State beat Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime. The WAC's only loss was a one-point loss by Nevada at the hands of Miami (Florida), 21-20. The WAC teams are a combined 41-12 (.774). Their opponents were a combined 31-22 (.585). They outscored their opponents 124-99 (average: 31.0-24.8: +6.2). Pretty impressive performances by these two mid-majors.

No Kudos
BCS. If not for the classic Fiesta Bowl matchup between Boise State and Oklahoma, there would not have been one really good BCS game. Wake was pesky in their loss to Louisville, but it was pretty definite in the third quarter that Wake just didn't have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Cardinals. Sadly, that was the second best game in the BCS season. The other three went for a combined score of 114-46 (average: 38.0-15.3 = +/- 22.7). Heck, if we include all five BCS games, there was a combined score of 181-101 (average: 36.2-20.2 = +/- 16.0). That's...That's not good. What were they thinking in pairing up LSU, at home basically, against Notre Dame? This was an Irish club that got hammered in their only two games this year when they faced a team with both a solid offense and a solid defense. They then get sent to face 10-2 LSU in New Orleans, Louisiana? Not smart.

Player of the Bowl Season
Colt Brennan-QB-Hawaii. There are numerous players I could award here, but how can I go against a guy who completed 33 of 42 passes (78.6%) for 559 yards (13.3 yds p/att.), and 5 touchdowns to break the single season record with 59 touchdown tosses?

Surprise of the Bowl Season
Penn State. If one were to compare Penn State and their opponent, Tennessee, on talent, the 'Vols would have won hands down. PSU came into the game with only one win over a team with a winning record, that being 8-6 Purdue. But, games aren't just won based on talent. Penn State came ready to play and the 'Vols didn't. To put things into perspective, I know of a bowl pool that went on, and out of 45 people involved, nobody picked the Nittany Lions to win this game.


Nebraska Game (from a non-biased person's viewpoint)
Nebraska's opening drive in this game was, without a doubt in my mind, their best offensive drive of the season. It was concise all the way down the field in their 7 1/2 minute long drive. It's a dream come true for any coach. Not only do you go up 7-0, but your offense gains confidence in knowing they can drive it down the much-heralded defense's throat, you had control of the ball for half of the first quarter before the opposing offense even touches it, and the opposing defense is not in a position they'd like to be in, down 7:30 to 0:00 in the T.O.P. battle. But, that was the bright spot of the day for Nebraska.

In solid field position again, Zac Taylor threw a rocket into the hands of his receiver, but the defender timed it perfectly, to knock the ball loose from the receiver's grasp and up into the air for anyone to grab onto. Unfortunately for the Huskers, Auburn was in the right place at the right time and took it back to the six-yard line, which set up an easy first score for the Tigers, to tie things up at 7-7.

Soon thereafter, Nebraska failed to convert on a third down and instead of playing it safe with a punt, Bill Callahan decided to fake the punt. This fake wasn't at midfield or in Auburn territory. No, the ball was snapped from the 29-yard line. The fake failed and Auburn took over inside the Nebraska 15-yard line. This set up another score to put the Tigers ahead 14-7. The Huskers tied things up at 14-14 before the half on a spectacular run by the limited Brandon Jackson.

The Husker defense had to of been quite befuddled at halftime. They allowed all, but approximately 50 yards at the half and were involved in a 14-14 tie.

Auburn's defense picked it up in the second half. Their offense was more efficient (although, that's not saying much). They eventually kicked a field goal and that's all they would need in their 17-14 win.

With the loss, Nebraska finishes the season at 9-5. While some Husker supporters may be disappointed with that record, I think it's another step in the right direction, no matter how slight, and gives hope for next season.

The offense showed progress this year, especially in the run game. The defense, on the other hand, did not impress me for the most part. It could be more of the same next year. Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Keller should be a nice fit into Callahan's system, to go along with the talented corps of receivers and tailbacks. But, the questions will remain on defense, especially with ends Carriker and Moore graduating. We'll see how quickly it takes for Keller to gel with the rest of the offense, how Callahan utilizes the running backs, how much faith Callahan shows in his kickers, and how consistent the defense plays.

I did like how Callahan and company utilized tailback Marlon Lucky in this game. I feel they should do more of that next year. Get the guy in space and he's dangerous. While I feel that Brandon Jackson is more pure of a running back, Lucky's speed can definitely be utilized, whether in the backfield or in the passing game.

This upcoming season will be a big one for Bill Callahan. The expectations are now there to make a run for the Big XII title and potential run for a BCS game. It will not be easy, though. To go along with their in-conference duels, Nebraska has to face Nevada, Wake Forest, and USC, teams who all made bowl games in the '06-'07 season. Also, while Nebraska has shown some improvements and are looking for a breakthrough season under Callahan this upcoming year, many other Big XII schools are looking at similar fate. The Big XII was not dominant, in any sense of the word, this year and will have many talented and improved clubs this upcoming season, all looking for an opportunity to play in the Big XII title game.

Solich Update
Frankie's Ohio Bobcats finished their year with two bad losses, to Central Michigan in the MAC title game and then to Southern Mississippi 28-7 in the GMAC Bowl to finish the season at 9-5. Even though the Bobcats finished the year rather poorly, it should be noted that this team was just 4-7 a year ago. So, even with the bowl result being the way it is, Frankie helped improve the Bobcats by 3.5 games this season. Congrats. Now, don't go drinking and finding yourself passed out on the wrong side of the road like last year Frankie!

Gill Update
Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls finished the year 2-10, so, the only bowling he and his team did was at the alley!

Rant of the Week: Excuses
I'm getting kind of tired of the "analysts" and "experts" making excuses for Ohio State's dismal performance in the title game against Florida. Did the 51-day lay off play a factor? Sure it did. But, Boise State was off for over 40 days and last time I checked, they played allright against Oklahoma. It's not like Florida played the week before. LSU played allright against Notre Dame. Penn State and Wisconsin had 44-day layoffs and they both came to play on New Year's. If Ohio State played sluggish in the first quarter or so, I'd take that as a legitimate excuse, but they played sluggish for sixty minutes. Ohio State held the ball for 20 minutes compared to 40 for Florida. Smith was 4-14 passing. The team managed only 82 total yards of offense in the game. Jim Tressel made some desperate, panicky decisions. Ohio State ran the ball successfully on their lone touchdown drive, but couldn't manage anything in the run game in their other possessions. Smith was pressured and harassed in the backfield all game long by Gator defenders. Did the layoff play a role in the Buckeyes' 27-point loss? Sure, it did. But, only for a quarter or so. Ohio State has no excuse for getting pummeled 41-14 in a four quarter game.

Some are also claiming that Tedd Ginn, Jr.'s injury played a huge role in the game. A huge role? Give me a break. The guy is good. The guy is fast. But, the guy does not make up for 27 points in a National Championship game. Like I just mentioned. Troy Smith got pressured, hurried, and hit in the backfield all game. I don't think it would've mattered that Ohio State had Jerry Rice and Tim Brown at receiver in this game, they still wouldn't have managed many yards threw the air.

I know most analysts gave the Gators little to no chance of winning. I know that some even claimed that they didn't deserve to play in the game. But, get over yourselves, guys. You were as wrong as SI usually is in predicting national champions. Florida dominated for sixty minutes and they deserve major kudos for their performance.

Inside the Numbers: Bowl Season Conference Comparison
Some analysts like to claim that the only way we can compare and contrast the conferences is through the bowl games. It's a factor, sure, but a season cannot be judged based on one game. A conference cannot be judged solely on one week of games.

Here's how the major conferences fared this year in the bowl games: 1) Big East: 5-0 (1.000), 2) SEC: 6-3 (.667), 3) ACC 4-4 (.500), 3) Pac-10: 3-3 (.500), 5) Big XII: 3-5 (.375), 6) Big Ten: 2-5 (.286). Based on this information, are we going to claim that the Big East is the best conference in the country and that the ACC is just as good as the Pac-10 and better than the Big XII and Big Ten? I don't think so.

What many don't acknowledge are the matchups that the conferences face in the bowl season, the teams they beat, the teams they lost to, and the margin of victory or defeat in these games.

Let's look at this, shall we? The Big East teams went 5-0. Louisville defeated ACC Champion Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl by a 24-13 score. West Virginia came back to defeat ACC runner-up Georgia Tech 38-35. Rutgers routed Big XII opponent Kansas State 37-10. South Florida beat up on East Carolina 24-7. Finally, Cincinnati won the debut International Bowl against Western Michigan, holding on 27-24. The Big East teams are now a combined 51-14 (.785). The Big East's opponents are a combined 42-25 (.629). The Big East outscored their opponents 150-89 (average: 30.0-17.8 = +12.2).

The SEC went 6-3. Florida beat up on Big Ten Champ Ohio State 41-14 in the title game. LSU did likewise to Notre Dame, 41-14. Auburn found a way to beat Big XII runner-up Nebraska 17-14. South Carolina came back to defeat Houston 44-36. Georgia came back from a 21-3 halftime deficit to defeat Virginia Tech 31-24. Kentucky surprised many with their 28-20 upset win over Clemson. Alabama fought valiantly, but lost in the end to Oklahoma State 34-31. Arkansas faltered in the red zone in their 17-14 loss to Wisconsin. Finally, Tennessee got outplayed and outcoached against Penn State in their 20-10 loss to the Nittany Lions. The SEC teams are a combined 85-34 (.714). Their opponents were a combined 87-32 (.725). The SEC teams outscored their opponents 257-193 (average: 28.6-21.4 = +7.2).

The ACC went 4-4 this bowl season. Miami (Florida) found a way to outlast Nevada, winning 21-20. Florida State exploded in the 4th quarter to defeat UCLA 44-27. Maryland defeated Purdue 24-7. Boston College found a way to defeat Navy with a last second field goal by a 25-24 score. Clemson got upset by Kentucky 28-20. Georgia Tech blew a big lead in their 38-35 loss to West Virginia. Virginia Tech blew a big first half lead in their 31-24 loss to Georgia. Finally, Wake Forest fought Louisville tough for about three quarters, before losing 24-13. The ACC teams are now a combined 71-35 (.670). Their opponents have gone a combined 72-33 (.686). The ACC teams outscored their opponents 206-199 (average: 25.8-24.9 = +0.9).

The Pac-10 finished 3-3. USC beat up on Michigan 32-18. Oregon State defeated Missouri with a gutsy two-point conversion to win 39-38. California dominated Texas A&M 45-10. Arizona State fell to Hawaii 41-24. Oregon got crushed by BYU 38-8. Finally, UCLA got surprised by Bobby Bowden and the 'Noles 44-27. The Pac-10 teams are a combined 52-27 (.658). Their opponents have gone a combined 57-22 (.722). The Pac-10 teams were outscored 175-189 (average: 29.2-31.5 = -2.3).

The Big XII went a paltry 3-5. Their victories included the following: Texas beating Iowa 26-24, Oklahoma State outlasting Alabama 34-31, and Texas Tech mounting the greatest comeback in bowl history in their 44-41 overtime victory over Minnesota. Nebraska found a way to lose to Auburn 17-14. Oklahoma fell to the undefeated Boise State Broncos in overtime 43-42. Texas A&M got annihilated by California 45-10. Kansas State got creamed by Rutgers 37-10. Finally, Missouri blew a late lead against Oregon State 39-38. The Big XII teams are a combined 69-37 (.651). Their opponents are a combined 73-33 (.689). The Big XII teams were outscored 218-277 (average: 27.3-34.6 = -7.3).

The Big Ten, record wise, was worst of all, going 2-5. Wisconsin somehow beat Arkansas 17-14 and Penn State did likewise to Tennessee, 20-10. Ohio State lost and lost big to Florida in the title game, 41-14. Michigan got hammered in the second half against USC in their 32-18 loss. Minnesota watched on as Texas Tech mounted the biggest comeback in bowl history, in their 44-41 overtime loss to the Red Raiders. Iowa played Texas tough, but came up on the short end, losing 26-24. Purdue fell to Maryland 24-7. The Big Ten teams are a combined 64-28 (.696). Their opponents went a combined 70-23 (.753). The Big Ten teams were outscored 141-191 (average: 20.1-27.3 = -7.2).

If I go by my weekly power rankings' formula, I should come to a solid conclusion on which conference had the most impressive bowl season, from top to bottom.

Big East: 5-0 (1.000) = 100.0, 51-14 (.785) = 78.5, 42-25 (.629) = 62.9, and +12.2
100.0 + 78.5 + 62.9 + 12.2 = 253.6

SEC: 6-3 (.667) = 66.7, 85-34 (.714) = 71.4, 87-32 (.725) = 72.5, and +7.2
66.7 + 71.4 + 72.5 + 7.2 = 217.8

ACC: 4-4 (.500) = 50.0, 71-35 (.670) = 67.0, 72-33 (.686) = 68.6, and +0.9
50.0 + 67.0 + 68.6 + 0.9 = 186.5

Pac-10: 3-3 (.500) = 50.0, 52-27 (.658) = 65.8, 57-22 (.722) = 72.2, and -2.3
50.0 + 65.8 + 72.2 - 2.3 = 185.7

Big XII: 3-5 (.375), 69-37 (.651) = 65.1, 73-33 (.689) = 68.9, and -7.3
37.5 + 65.1 + 68.9 - 7.3 = 164.2

Big Ten: 2-5 (.286), 64-28 (.696) = 69.6, 70-23 (.753) = 75.3, -7.2
28.6 + 69.6 + 75.3 - 7.2 = 166.3

1. Big East: 253.6
2. SEC: 217.8
3. ACC: 186.5
4. Pac-10: 185.7
5. Big Ten: 166.3
6. Big XII: 164.2

This is one game for each team in a 13-15 game season for these clubs. How can we accurately compare the Big East to the SEC based on the bowl games? Florida demolished Ohio State, just as LSU did to Notre Dame, but Arkansas and Tennessee fell to the likes of Wisconsin and Penn State. Rutgers got pitted against a then 7-5 K-State club, South Florida got paired up with a Conference USA team, and Cincinnati faced off against a MAC opponent. I think it's pretty safe to say that overall, the Big East and SEC had the most impressive showings in the bowl season, but how can we justifiably say with the utmost confidence that one is better than the other based on their 14 bowl games? I think it's also fairly safe to say that the Big XII had the poorest showing. The only three games they won, all came against opponents who finished 6-7 and the games were won by a total of 8 points. But, again, can we say with all honesty and certainty that the Big XII is the worst of the major conferences based on their 8 bowl games? Again, the answer to that is no. Some analysts treat these bowls like the SAT or ACT in high school. Shouldn't the bulk of the credit be given to the teams (conferences, in this case) who are consistently good throughout the course of the season? While bowl games may be the time to shine for some and may be the time when certain players, coaches, and teams truly make a name for themselves, the bowl game would not have been possible if not for the 11-14 prior games that were played during the course of the season. Just as we couldn't judge one-loss teams like Florida and Michigan based on one game before the bowl season, we can't fairly conclude such things based on one game during the bowl season.

My Top 119 Poll
1. Louisville (12-1): 170.4
2. Boise State (13-0): 168.8
3. Ohio State (12-1): 168.0
4. Florida (13-1): 167.8
5. LSU (11-2): 162.3
6. USC (11-2): 158.8
7. Michigan (11-2): 157.3
8. West Virginia (11-2): 153.9
9. BYU (11-2): 153.6
10. Wisconsin (12-1): 151.4
11. Rutgers (11-2): 150.4
12. Auburn (11-2): 150.2
13. Texas (10-3): 145.7
14. Oklahoma (11-3): 145.5
15. Hawaii (11-3): 145.0
16. TCU (11-2): 141.7
16. Virginia Tech (10-3): 141.7
18. California (10-3): 140.4
19. Boston College (10-3): 138.4
20. Notre Dame (10-3): 138.3
21. Tennessee (9-4): 136.8
22. Arkansas (10-4): 135.9
23. Penn State (9-4): 131.4
24. Wake Forest (11-3): 131.2
25. Clemson (8-5): 130.4
26. Oregon State (10-4): 130.1
27. Nebraska (9-5): 129.9
28. Texas A&M (9-4): 126.8
29. Georgia (9-4): 126.7
30. Houston (10-4): 126.5
31. South Carolina (8-5): 126.1
32. Central Michigan (10-4): 126.0
33. Georgia Tech (9-5): 122.8
34. South Florida (9-4): 121.8
35. Missouri (8-5): 121.7
36. Cincinnati (8-5): 119.6
36. Southern Mississippi (9-5): 119.6
38. Maryland (9-4): 119.5
39. Texas Tech (8-5): 118.6
40. Florida State (7-6): 117.6
41. Nevada (8-5): 117.2
41. Tulsa (8-5): 117.2
43. Oklahoma State (7-6): 116.9
44. Kentucky (8-5): 116.0
45. Utah (8-5): 115.7
46. UCLA (7-6): 114.1
47. Navy (9-4): 114.0
48. San Jose State (9-4): 111.6
49. Oregon (7-6): 109.7
50. Pittsburgh (6-6): 109.6
51. Ohio (9-5): 107.8
52. Western Michigan (8-5): 107.5
53. Miami (Florida) (7-6): 107.1
54. Washington State (6-6): 106.1
55. Arizona State (7-6): 105.0
56. East Carolina (7-6): 104.3
57. Minnesota (6-7): 103.9
57. Purdue (8-6): 103.9
59. Kansas State (7-6): 102.8
60. Arizona (6-6): 102.5
61. Middle Tennessee State (7-6): 102.4
62. Alabama (6-7): 102.3
63. Troy (8-5): 101.8
64. Northern Illinois (7-6): 101.2
65. Iowa (6-7): 100.3
66. Wyoming (6-6): 97.8
67. Kansas (6-6): 97.7
68. Rice (7-6): 97.5
69. SMU (6-6): 95.7
70. Washington (5-7): 95.4
71. New Mexico (6-7): 89.7
72. Virginia (5-7): 88.2
73. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-6): 87.8
74. Air Force (4-8): 85.7
75. Ball State (5-7): 85.3
76. Connecticut (4-8): 85.1
77. Akron (5-7): 84.5
78. Syracuse (4-8): 84.0
79. Kent State (6-6): 83.5
80. Arkansas State (6-6): 83.0
81. Indiana (5-7): 82.2
81. Marshall (5-7): 82.2
83. Vanderbilt (4-8): 81.9
84. UTEP (5-7): 81.8
85. Michigan State (4-8): 81.7
86. Fresno State (4-8): 80.6
87. Mississippi (4-8): 78.9
88. Toledo (5-7): 78.5
89. Baylor (4-8): 75.9
90. Louisiana-Monroe (4-8): 75.4
91. New Mexico State (4-8): 74.5
92. Florida Atlantic (5-7): 73.6
93. North Carolina State (3-9): 73.2
94. Tulane (4-8): 72.9
95. Mississippi State (3-9): 72.2
96. Central Florida (4-8): 72.0
96. Northwestern (4-8): 72.0
98. Colorado State (4-8): 71.0
99. UAB (3-9): 69.0
100. Iowa State (4-8): 68.8
101. Bowling Green (4-8): 67.8
102. North Carolina (3-9): 65.4
103. Army (3-9): 65.1
104. San Diego State (3-9): 63.1
105. Illinois (2-10): 62.7
106. Idaho (4-8): 62.6
107. Colorado (2-10): 60.2
108. North Texas (3-9): 58.1
109. Miami (Ohio) (2-10): 56.3
110. Memphis (2-10): 55.2
111. UNLV (2-10): 54.1
112. Buffalo (2-10): 53.6
113. Stanford (1-11): 50.5
114. Louisiana Tech (3-10): 49.4
115. Eastern Michigan (1-11): 46.4
116. Utah State (1-11): 39.7
117. Temple (1-11): 33.5
118. Florida International (0-12): 32.8
119. Duke (0-12): 32.7