Getting Closer
October 29, 2002
ALRIGHT, I'm baack, back in the saddle again. Sorry for the couple week holiday, I just got to busy with work and life in general, thanks for the STP concert ted. This season just keeps on chugging, as I said in the beginning could be one of the greatest of all time. We could have as many as five unbeaten teams at the end of the year in my calculations. Those teams are Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Geogia, Virgina Tech, and Bowling Green. If that happens I will be amazed, but I have already been amazed this season, so why not again. You ask what have you been amazed by this season Jaeger. Well, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame has stolen a great coach from the PAC 10 and now are off and flying high. Now, I thought that Willingham would win a few more games than Notre Dame last year, since he was the only coach that figured out how to beat Oregon last year. However, a start is not what I thought would happen.
But what would happen if those five teams did win out? Could the BCS pan out the two best teams, I don't think so. Not unless you believe the clouds will start raining skittles when you see a rainbow. Not unless you believe Baylor will win a National Championship in the next 100 years. Not unless you think the moon is made out of cheese or that the Hunchback of Notre Dame is whipering sercrets to coach Willingham before the game and at halftime and that is why the Fighting Irish have been winning. So how do you know which two teams belong then Mark? you are asking. For that I have only one anwser, and that is the anwser that coaches, players, and now even sports reporters and analysts are saying we should have, a PLAYOFF.
I have to give congrats to the Nebraska Cornhuskers who beat Texas A&M in a hostile environment and looked as good as Virgina Tech did. However, Ted, I still think they have a lot of work to do to save their dynasty next year. If they lose three or more games the dynasty will officailly be over, however, I believe it died when Nebraska lost to Iowa Stata and Oklahoma State in the same season.
Oregon has lost one more game than I thought they would this season. I said at the beginning of the season that they would lose to Washington State, USC, and Oregon State in the Civil War. However, the surprise was a rising of the Sun, or Sun Devils that is. Arizona State has come out of no where to have a share of the lead in the Pac ten with Washington State, which sets up a showdown nobody expected this weekend. As I have said in the past, the Pac ten is the only conferene where the talent is spread out equally and one team can win the conference one year and be the in the cellar the next. Like the NFL the PAC 10 shows why it is the hardest conference to compete in year in and year out. However, that does not mean the PAC 10 has the best conference in the county every year only sometimes. In fact, by far the best conference lately has been the SEC, just look at last year. I found a very good site that calculates the conferences like the BCS it is http://www.angelfire.com/sports/conferenceratings/pastratings.html. Here are the totals of the best conferences since 1988: SEC=7, PAC 10=4, BIG 10=2, BIG 12=1, BIG East=1, ACC=1, BIG 8(now known as the BIG 12)=1.
Mark my words, Miami would have lost to Oregon had they played each other in the Rose Bowl and Miami is not that good of a team this year, they stuggled to beat West Virgina who is not a great team. Ohio State has one good player to carry the load and now he is injured, without him they lose to Washington State. And finally, I am worried about the game this weekend with Colorado, I love Oklahoma and don't want them to lose, however, as I go to the game this weekend I realize the last game I saw in Owen Stadium was when the Sooners lost to Oklahoma State, the only game I have every been to that Oklahoma lost in my three years of going to games in Norman, however, my fears may be washed away after the first quarter if the Sooners play like they did against Iowa State.
I'm out.
Gugs
Mark Jaeger
