As the 2009 regular season comes to a close, the Shortlist to the San Fernando Valley numbers six teams, all of them undefeated and in Shortlist invite consideration as such:
Florida, Alabama, Texas, TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State.
No teams survived games I called for them to lose last week on the Shortlist to the San Fernando Valley and once again this week, I call for no teams to be excluded, although only Boise State has any real worry on that front this week.
The demarcation line between the traditional powers and the second-class citizens has never stood as in stark a contrast as it does at the present moment in my opinion as the SEC is assured of having one of the Shortlist's coveted two invitations while the outsiders hope for yet another Texas Big 12 Title Game letdown to help them strike a blow for equality amongst the 120 schools.
Unlike last week where I foresaw not one, but two top 10 losses to underdog teams, I don't see it happening this week as I expect multiple undefeated teams to remain at the end of the bowls after New Year's 2010.
Some would decry this kind of treatment to the latter half of the Shortlist as discriminatory and wrong. I couldn't disagree more, because in any objective evaluation of the teams involved, the SEC duo has traveled a more difficult path to their championship game than the others and deserve the preferential treatment shown as a result. Texas has by a slimmer margin navigated a slightly more treacherous course than the others and as well deserves reward for that feat. All the teams left on the Shortlist are assured a slot on the final Shortlist roster except for Boise State, which only needs to eradicate New Mexico State on the blue turf to finish their season undefeated as well, but even if BCS chaos peaks in the final weekend, would TCU and Boise State be worthy of facing the SEC champion with a chance to win the national title on the surface of the Grandaddy of them All in a game over a week after the actual Rose Bowl?
The difference between the best team in the SEC and the rest of the field is almost as pronounced as it's ever been this year I believe from all that I've seen. Both the non-BCS schools have used upsets of Oklahoma this decade to make their reputations recently but the Sooners are not the modern power their specious 2000 championship would suggest them to be upon first blush. To me, this season, more than any in the history of the BCS era of the game is begging for a legitimate split national championship to be awarded, but with the characters involved in the drama at this point, that notion is even more a pipe dream than Joe Paterno passing the all-time coaching victories record back to Bobby Bowden is.
TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State have no history to draw on, no contemporary legends to point to as icons of their football prowess to use to appeal to on the college stage in their battle against the entrenched programs they compete with. They would have even less chance to be successful in a tournament setting I think, but at least the discussion they are included in now gives them a foundation to establish equal footing with the others in the future.
If anything, their trouble lies not in the programs themselves, but in the members of the conferences they associate themselves with. Damned by their temporal locations and alliances, not by their performance. Guilty by association of not being equal in the court of football opinion. An unjust end to outstanding campaigns to this point, but campaigns whose gains this year will, I believe, cause a sea-change in the sport sooner rather than later.
Copyright 2009 by Christopher Whelpton for Canespace.com
To all the men out there [insert obnoxious outdated sexist stereotype here]
j/k, Canez1. LMAO!
Posted by: JSQ | December 02, 2009 at 05:11 PM
Even curling is above soccer here in America
Posted by: Sebastian | December 02, 2009 at 04:44 PM
Now we are TALKIN'!
Posted by: 86Cane | December 02, 2009 at 05:15 PM
Sebastian,
I tried to respond to Manny but it would not let me post. Feel fre to copy/paste this response to him:
Manny,
The Gator Bowl has it right, with one exception...
– ncaa division I bylaw 30.9.2.1
States that you can't bypass a 7 win team to pick a 6 win team. It's cut and dry and while they might have satisfied everything with the ACC contract, they still have to follow the NCAA rules regarding bowl games.
(interesting note, last month they changes this bylaw with an amendmant that allows the 6 win team to be picked, HOWEVER this is not effective until 2010)
thanks! Go Canes! See you in J-Ville!
Posted by: 404Canes404 | December 02, 2009 at 05:16 PM
The first time I can recall seeing that punt formation ever in a college game was Clemson in the OT loss with Brock in 2003.
Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | December 02, 2009 at 05:16 PM
I'm sorry, OT loss in '04 with Brock, they run together during the later Coker years, you understand.
Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | December 02, 2009 at 05:16 PM
Maybe a concerned Hurricane or BC Eagle fan will take it upon themselves to remind the Gator Bowl committee of the bylaw in question?
Posted by: orange 'n green in the vein | December 02, 2009 at 05:18 PM
Louis Nix decommits to Notre Dame.
Not to worry.
I've heard that he takes plays off, doesn't put in the necessary extra time, is about 20 pounds overweight, and the depth chart concerned him at UM.
Admit it, we ALL saw this coming after his 3 visits to the Golden Dome. He thinks he can walk on campus next fall and start there.
Don't be too concerned we lost this guy. UM coaches hadn't even contacted him in about a month. What does that tell you? Maybe they were hoping he would decommit so they wouldn't look bad taking his spot away?
HMMMM....
Posted by: miamimike01 | December 02, 2009 at 05:20 PM
If The Gator Bowl wanted to see ratings go through the roof they should twist it around a little more and let one pissed off Miami Hurricane team play FSU.
They could use Miami was in the Big East when they played the best FSU teams so by right should rep the Big East in Bowden's last loss as a head coach.
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 05:20 PM
ALL men are dogs.
Except those that are pigs.
Excluding the men on Canespace of course.
Can't wait to see the next tourney that Tiger plays in. The women in the crowd might be dressed like...well U know.
The announcers are going to be falling all over themselves to "explain" what happened to their fallen and formerly perfect hero.
It will be a circus. I feel badfor him, but these things always get exposed eventually, especially when you are that famous and being followed around 24/7 like he is.
Posted by: 86Cane | December 02, 2009 at 05:23 PM
I can't believe soup let MSNBC scoop him on Tiger's club costing him billions
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 05:24 PM
If The Gator Bowl wanted to see ratings go through the roof they should twist it around a little more and let one pissed off Miami Hurricane team play FSU.
They could use Miami was in the Big East when they played the best FSU teams so by right should rep the Big East in Bowden's last loss as a head coach.
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 05:20 PM
Solar is genius!
Posted by: JSQ | December 02, 2009 at 05:24 PM
ALL men are dogs.
Except those that are pigs.
Excluding the men on Canespace of course.
Posted by: 86Cane | December 02, 2009 at 05:23 PM
Of course. ;-)
Posted by: JSQ | December 02, 2009 at 05:25 PM
Solar is genius!
thanks JSQ
Those words are seldom used in the same sentence
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 05:29 PM
If Nix is gone..does that mean Glenn is gone? I think losing Dent is more of a concern, but then again he wouldnt of been happy at DB
Posted by: UMike | December 02, 2009 at 05:32 PM
It's true, Solar. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea. I think it would be a big hit for ratings and selling tickets. They would make a fortune! If you are going to bend the rules, Gator Bowl, might as well go big or go home!
Now if y'all will excuse me, I have to go to a Junior League cookbook swap event and then go home and make calzones for someone. That's how you keep a man, I hear! haha ;-)
Posted by: JSQ | December 02, 2009 at 05:34 PM
I can't believe soup let MSNBC scoop him on Tiger's club costing him billions
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 05:24 PM
Nobody scooped me! I new about it, but was sworn to secrecy by El Tigre and I just couldn't post it. I'm good at keeping secrets...
Posted by: 86Cane | December 02, 2009 at 05:41 PM
Big game for the basketball team tonight. Big test.
Posted by: SuperCooper | December 02, 2009 at 05:48 PM
umike, losing no one is a concern, the last 3 recruiting classes somebody went the other route, it's going ot happen, NEXT!
cav, after watching that rugby highlight clip you put up, i can't recall ever seeing a rugby match, but watching that rugby match, it is CRYSTAL clear now where they got the option from. I saw the 1st 15 to 25 secs of it and said damyum, is that where oklahoma and nebraska got their players from and now g-tech.
As far as the soccer thing goes, all i know is, they lost me when i was trying to watch a game and the commentator kept saying "they're dominating this game" i knew than that i knew nothing about soccer, cause the score was 1 to 0 when the announcer kept saying that, and i'm saying, WTF is he talking about, it's 1 to zero.
Anyway, alot of us like sports because of the collisions, in football bi hits, in basketball, breaking the rim dunks/collisions. In soccer and rugby, the contact is just not their for me.
rugby also reminds me that game we all played back in the day "one man stand"
Posted by: Calvin | December 02, 2009 at 05:51 PM
Tiger didn't have a chance... and ladies, you know what I'm talking about. Women can be the biggest deceivers of them all and there isn't a man alive, that has a pulse, that can withstand a beautiful woman's assault, if that's what she wants... Women, and God knows I love ya, can be a man's worst nightmare, if thats what they want to be or the same women can be the Sweetest piece of cherry pie that you have ever had...
Face it guys, we're screwed... one way or the other!...
Women rule!...lol
Ohhh Honey, you coming to bed soon?
Posted by: Cat 5 Cane | December 02, 2009 at 05:54 PM
This is also from Manny
I gave it another triple check to make sure it didnt have 3 or 7 n`s in Manny
If you want to read more about it, the Jacksonville Times-Union has been following the Gator Bowl selection process closely. http://jacksonville.com/interact/blog/garry_smits/2009-12-02/gator_bowl_is_on_solid_legal_footing_for_fsu_invite
Posted by: Manny Navarro | December 02, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Posted by: Sebastian | December 02, 2009 at 05:56 PM
The question I keep wondering is after this season when Bobby Bowden is coaching at Notre Dame... And he only wins 6 games, are we going to be screwed out of another bowl game by that dagumit bastard!
Posted by: 404Canes404 | December 02, 2009 at 05:57 PM
soup, why in the hell would you feel sorry for tiger, he was havig alot of fun, and at some point we all know the fun has got to come to and end. Especially when you messign with a broad that has nothing to lose, she turning over all the text message records to us weekly, silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.
I mean, he's one of the most popular guys in the country, real women know that it's bound to happen cause the women are coming, it's the disrespectful part like embarrassing the family because this young lady putting all the bizness out their like that, that's what pisses off the real women more so than someone sleeping around.
They don't call him tiger for nothing, golf is the one sport where the game is already coded, tiger calling barkley or jordan saying, "i played only 5 holes today, how many did yall play".
Posted by: Calvin | December 02, 2009 at 05:58 PM
soup, why in the hell would you feel sorry for tiger, he was havig alot of fun, and at some point we all know the fun has got to come to and end. Especially when you messign with a broad that has nothing to lose, she turning over all the text message records to us weekly, silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.
I mean, he's one of the most popular guys in the country, real women know that it's bound to happen cause the women are coming, it's the disrespectful part like embarrassing the family because this young lady putting all the bizness out their like that, that's what pisses off the real women more so than someone sleeping around.
They don't call him tiger for nothing, golf is the one sport where the game is already coded, tiger calling barkley or jordan saying, "i played only 5 holes today, how many did yall play".
Posted by: Calvin | December 02, 2009 at 06:03 PM
Games I enjoyed as a kid that grown men wouldn't play now.
I played this stuff everyday till I got a motorcycle and cut the time out of the emergency room in half.
1 Murder ball using a wet tennis ball
( forerunner of pzzyass dodge ball)
2 crack the whip baja style
sit on an upside down car hood thats chained to the back of a pu truck.
Truck makes ever increasing high speed circles while the seat of your shorts catches fire from the hood skimming across the terrain.
You slide off the hood at around 50 mph into a tree or with luck your friends legs.
3 rock and roll boomerang
This one is scarier than anything Stephen King could dream up.
You and your friend stand on the peak of your house's roof
Throw a 45 rpm record as hard as you can like a throwing star.
The disk is invisible as it turns edgewise and screams 180 degrees right back into you.
You either try and time when to hold your hand out or you duck and take it in the small of your back
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 06:13 PM
Sorry Tiger but what can we say, when you use the wrong head to think about consequences...
Oh yeah, I remember, you'll get away with it..... riiggghhhhhttttt!
Later
Posted by: Cat 5 Cane | December 02, 2009 at 06:21 PM
UMike, Glenn is solid, but may have to go the prep school route. He needs a higher test scores
Posted by: miamimike01 | December 02, 2009 at 06:36 PM
Why is it that people want to make responses to comments that have a long standing conversation then only comment on a portion..
First of all I watch lots of teams Dayton. I actually played college football too.
I know UM didn't invent that garbage a$$ formation.
I don't like the fact that UM started using it permanently this year. It is just like the spread offense, some gimmicky sh*t coaches make up when they feel like they have some sort of deficiency to make up for.
Something we at the U are proud of NOT DOING! We prepare people for the NFL. Tell me how Pannunnzio is preparing his special teams players to make a team with that garbage???
Does one team in the NFL use that garbage ass formation?
NOOOOOO b/c if it was any good they would use it their too. The bottom line is if you want to comment on things that I say go back and read everything releative to the conversation.
Never once did I say we invented it, I said he brought it to our special teams this year and it hasn't worked. Yet, he has stuck with it.
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 06:40 PM
Solar great twist on the whole Gator Bowl scenario..
LOL very very clever...
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 06:46 PM
The crazy thing is how many women let their rich sport stars just cheat...
They are so afraid of losing the lifestyle they just don't care.
Well care might be the wrong word, they are willing turn the head a few times for the GOOD of the relationship.
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 06:47 PM
Tell me how Pannunnzio is preparing his special teams players to make a team with that garbage???
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 06:40 PM
Our guys dont make teams because they cover punts well.
Posted by: pb(CSROH10) | December 02, 2009 at 06:48 PM
Dude.. Just about every rookie plays special teams there first fews years.
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 06:50 PM
And I would agree with you if I thought the formation was actually beneficial but we don't do it well so I don't see the point.
Bosher takes too much time for that formation to be good for us.
The whole point is for you to get your faster guys down the field to cover quickly. Bosher is a great punter, but he did just fine with the old formation.
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 06:51 PM
If Vilma, Edge, Gore, Johnson or Winslow sucked on special teams I'm pretty sure they still would have been drafted.
Posted by: pb(CSROH10) | December 02, 2009 at 06:54 PM
When you look at the Tigers and Jordans and Kobes, it makes you very proud of people like Paul Newman that never had a scandalous word uttered about him in 50 yrs of marriage.
Too many nights, and not enough knights
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 07:02 PM
a couple more minutes until we see how the boys fare against those twin towers that play for Minnesota.
we need to represent for the ACC cause we've been struggling against the Big Ten this season.
Posted by: Daytoncane | December 02, 2009 at 07:09 PM
Too many nights, and not enough knights
peace
Posted by: solarcane | December 02, 2009 at 07:02 PM
Solar I agree. If you're a rich young athelete go the Derrick Jeter route
Posted by: moneycane | December 02, 2009 at 07:14 PM
Look for Nicole on TV tonight she is at the basketball game!
GO CANES
Posted by: canechic | December 02, 2009 at 07:15 PM
the corrupt BCS will screw us over again....what a joke this whole thing is!
Posted by: canechic | December 02, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Go Canes B-Ball! This is where it all starts , March Madness here we come!
Posted by: 404Canes404 | December 02, 2009 at 07:19 PM
Is it on now?
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 07:21 PM
Canechic is it on TV in the central florida brighthouse market?
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 07:22 PM
ESPN U
Posted by: canechic | December 02, 2009 at 07:24 PM
Should The Champs Bowl select the U,wouldn't Penn State be more of a match-up than NorthWwestern?
Posted by: myndraize | December 02, 2009 at 07:25 PM
The only thing worse than soccer is watching people blog about soccer.
Let's go 'canes, beat the Gophers!
Posted by: Sarasota 'cane | December 02, 2009 at 07:32 PM
I think that Penn State will likely be gone before that since Ohio state and Iowa could possibly get BSC bowls..
It is a big iff scenario.
Most people would be fine with a UM vs Penn State matchup in Orlando.
I think it is unlikely to happen b/c Penn State would be selected by a higher picking Big 10 bowl.
Posted by: CaneSawMassacre | December 02, 2009 at 07:35 PM
Somebody hacked my Typepad account at The Sentinel. They are able to use my name and Avatar. Has anyone else had this issue?
Go 'canes!
Posted by: Sarasota 'cane | December 02, 2009 at 07:38 PM
Got to love good rebounding!
Posted by: canechic | December 02, 2009 at 07:41 PM
Rebound that basketball get it get it get it!
GO CANES! (poms raised)
Posted by: canechic | December 02, 2009 at 07:42 PM
Thanks CC - I can actually watch the game
Posted by: CGNC | December 02, 2009 at 07:45 PM
GO CANES! (poms raised)
Posted by: canechic | December 02, 2009 at 07:42 PM
That's too easy, I'm not sayin' anything about that.
I mean, oh yeah: GO CANES!!!
Posted by: 86Cane | December 02, 2009 at 07:48 PM