Do We Need Divisions?
Some loyal readers and I
were chatting off-line and bemoaned the fact that Michigan and Minnesota will
not meet up in the next two upcoming seasons.
I believe the last time Michigan played Nebraska was 2014? And I really can’t remember when Iowa or
Purdue were in the Big House…Yet somehow I get to see (and pay for) a Rutgers Game every other season...Leading to this thought. Do we need divisions in the Power 5
Conferences?
I’ve been kicking this
idea around for a while and now that the Big iiX is going to a Conference
Championship with only 10 teams, it should be considered and at least
understood on a seasonal basis what we “would” have had vs. what we ended up
with from a final results perspective.
Confused? I can help…
The Big iiX in my mind has,
brilliantly or not (I simply can’t put Big iiX football and the word “brilliantly”
together in the same sentence) come up with a “defacto” play-off game into the
CFP. Why, you ask? Allow the MMQ to explain.
Most of the time, the SEC,
B1G, PAC 12 and ACC are putting the best team with a team from
another division that may have 2 or more losses and if the divisions were
melded together, they wouldn’t be the 2nd best team. Often times, the two best teams of any one
conference are often in the same division.
And while this hasn’t been an issue with respect to the lesser
team upsetting the top ranked team, it’s going to happen sooner or later.
But the Big iiX runs no risk of
that. They will always pit
the #1 and #2 team in the conference championship. It’s going to give whoever wins a REALLY
BIG VICTORY over another highly ranked team nationally. Right before the CFP is announced and seeded.
See where I’m going
here? Say an undefeated Oklahoma beats 1-loss Okie State. Undefeated Michigan beats 1-loss Wiscy in the B1G Championship. Pac 12 Champ
USC defeats undefeated Washington. Clemson beats (insert multi loss ACC division
winner here) to win the ACC. And Bama
pummels whichever multi loss team comes out of the East.
You’ve got the Big iiX, the B1G
and Pac 12 with VERY RESPECTABLE WINS at the end of the
season. And that’s going to be hard to
ignore. Do you go with the teams with
the best wins in the Conference Championships?
Question: How would it have changed things over the
years that the CFP has been in existence?
B1G
2016
Perfect Example: A year when it really matters. PSU and the suckeyes each stood at 8-1 in
conference. Wiscy was 7-2. The Best Two teams were PSU and the suckeyes
and should have played a re-match in Indianapolis. And I have a feeling that PSU might have
beaten the Suckeyes again, which would have matched them up with Clemson in the
CFP, assuming Clemson was in.
SEC
I can’t list all the
seasons where the two best teams DIDN’T MEET for the Title as there’s been
several. Usually it would be 2
SEC West teams with the Best SEC Records.
ACC
At least two seasons since the
CFP began has two better teams (Clemson – FSU) from the same division NOT
MEETING in the Conference Championship.
PAC 12
One season had Stanford
stuck on the sideline as the 2nd best team in the conference.
So, if the Big iiX gets
the advantage of not having divisions, the other conferences should scrap them,
also. When the two best teams play one
more game for the title, it’s going to be hard to argue that a “Conference
Championship” doesn’t matter that much (as was the case last year AGAINST
Penn State). It’ll be a VERY BIG
DEAL.
The question, as always, will
be: Which Conference Champion gets left
out?
THE FMQ
So, winning a little is better
than losing…A Win is A Win.
I can’t get over how my “two
best picks”, or the ones I did most of the math and research on failed so
miserably except to say, “Hey, Man…College Football”. Michigan by all rights should have destroyed
Cinci (and if not for all of the mistakes and errors on the offense, probably
would have) and Stanford, by all rights, should have kept their game with the Trojans a
lot closer than they did.
Anyway, sometimes it’s
better to flip a coin and move on with life.
Not too many “Big Games” on the schedule this week, but we have some
biggies none the less.
On to this week’s picks:
Illinois @ USF (-17.5):
This seems like a lot of points to cover for a USF Team that
hasn’t really beaten anyone and for an improving Illinois team that seems to be
playing teams close. On top of that, I’m
starting to think we should fade Florida teams this week due to
Irma... I know the Bulls were
the Group of 5 darling that was going to go undefeated, but I’ll take Lovie and
the points in this one.
Take the Illini and the 17.5 for $30
Tennessee @ Florida (-4.5): Again, a head scratcher. I guess the bookies are thinking that
Tennessee doesn’t have much of a defense (close to 600 yards given up to GT)
and Florida is somehow better than UT on offense? I dunno.
I really can’t take the points and Tennessee, even though I just said
fade Florida…But I have to bet on the on this game, cause SEC East mediocrity and Michigan
Fans are now Gator Fans!…
Take Florida and lay the 4.5 for $25
Wiscy @ BYU (+13 ):
Wiscy has to lay TWO scores on the Road!! While some would jump all over BYU here, Coach
Sitake for BYU does not have BYU playing at normal BYU standards. LSU DESTROYED BYU at home and with
Wiscy bringing the usual sides of beef dressed as lineman to
Utah on Saturday, well, I think it’s going to be another long day for the
Cougars who have been dominated by rushing teams…
Take Wiscy and lay the 13 for $50
MTSU @ Minnesota (-9): Hmmmm…the
odds makers STILL Don’t like the Gophers.
I really feel like I nailed it last week with Fleck going out to
a weak Oregon State Beavers team and the Gophers hit those Beavers HARD… MTSU is an upset darling, but I don’t think
that fact has escaped the brain trust in Minneapolis. Let’s keep Rowing the Boat…
Take the Gophers and lay the 9 for $40
Purdue @ Mizzou (-7.5):
I did a double take to make sure I read the spread right. Mizzou is in a shambles right now and Purdue –
wait for it – Purdue is actually IMPROVING Week to Week. Brohm is a LOT BETTER HIRE than I previously
thought and he has the Boilers Boilering Up!!!
I like an outright upset here! The
Moneyline is paying $255: $100 for the upset.
Take Purdue and the 7.5 for $40
Take Purdue MONEYLINE for $30
Army @ the suckeyes (-30.5): Meanwhile…Back in the Horseshoe….
Take Army and the 30.5 for $25
LSU @ MSU (+7): This is a flipper-flopper after I initially
believed that LSU was a couple of scores favorite in this game and I’d have to
be thinking about a late game cover by MSU.
But Vegas seems to think that MSU Coach Mullen can keep this one close. I’m still not convinced and I will warily
pick the favorite to cover…
Take the Tigers and lay the 7 for $25
Clemson @ Louisville (+3): This game is being talked about on the radio
stations almost - ALMOST – like the OU – suckeyes
game last week. “Clemson’s
“D” is just too much, Jackson is good, but will be neutralized, blah, blah
blah.” I’m not making the same
mistake twice by listening to that garbage.
The name of this game should be “5th through 8th
Quarters” as I think it’s picking up right where it left off last season. And JACKSON WANTS REVENGE. Last season’s Heisman winner getting points at
home. That’s some disrespect right there. Can Petrino work his team up over that with
enough gusto for Jackson to take it to Clemson?
A Clemson loss would throw an already disturbed CFP into early CHAOS. Louisville, the Heisman winner, and getting
points at home is hard to ignore.
Take Louisville and the 3 for $30
Texas @ USC (-15):
This spread isn’t fair. I think
USC is head and shoulders better than Texas right now after watching the
dismantling of Stanford (who’s way better than Texas). I know, here I go with that transitive theory
again. Yes – I know Texas scored
56 points against some compass point school last week. That ISN’T USC’s defense. And I really think USC is going to have a
field day with the Shorthorns and this appears to be easy money.
Take the Rubbers and lay the 15 for $50
Air Force @ Michigan (-23.5 O/U:
53.5): GRRRRR. Sometimes I hate my team. But only when I’m betting on them. And I really shouldn’t bet them as it becomes
counterproductive when I’m trying to just root them on. As noted in the PSS, Air Force is an enigma as they
have little guys that run the Triple Option and run it very effectively. Read:
Smart kids at the academy doing great things on the Football Field. I HATE that Michigan schedules this team and
teams like this (FU Brandictator). I can
see the Michigan Team that showed up in Week #1 against Florida come out and
easily hang 50 on Air Force because Michigan is a lot bigger and faster. I can also see the Michigan team that showed
up against Cinci squeaking by in a 35-21 type game …So, coin flip, heads
Week # 1 Team, Tails Week # 2 team.
Heads it is.
Take Michigan and lay the 24.5 for $25
Take the OVER 53.5 for $75
PARLAY!
3 Bet/Team Parlay: 6-1
Wiscy– Gophers - Purdue:
$30
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