VanC
Well-known member
22 games down and 13 to go. I gotta admit, except for my Illini in the Texas Bowl I haven't paid much attention up to this point, although I did see most of the Fla St-SC game last night. Wanted to watch Notre Dame yesterday but something else came up. But now it's Jan. 1st and I'm getting fired up. So just for kicks I've made a list of how the conferences are doing so far and how many games they have left.
Big 10 2-0 with 6 remaining
Big 12 1-4 with 3 remaining
ACC 4-3 with 2 remaining
SEC 0-3 with 7 remaining
Big East 3-1 with 2 remaining
Pac 10 1-1 with 2 remaining
Independents 2-1 and done
C-USA 2-4 and done
Sun Belt 2-0 with 1 remaining
MAC 1-2 with 1 remaining
MWC 3-1 with 1 remaining
WAC 1-2 with 1 remaining
Lots of football to be played yet with the top teams yet to play. Most of the games left involve SEC and/or Big Ten teams with 4 of them head to head matchups. It'll be intersting to see how this shakes out. I'll update it tomorrow.
Now for some nostalgia: I remember the first game I paid close attention to as a kid was watching Illinois beat Washington 17-7 in the 1964 Rose Bowl. Pretty good team with Jim Grabowski at FB and Dick Butkus at LB. Also remember watching Michigan State and Notre Dame play to a 10-10 tie in 1966 in what was then known as the "game of the century". Both teams ended up 10-0-1 with Notre Dame ranked #1 and MSU ranked #2.
Now here's the kicker: oddly enough, neither team played in a bowl game. Back then the Big Ten rule was that a team could not represent the conference two years in a row in the Rose Bowl. Since MSU had been there the year before, the Big Ten sent 2nd place Purdue who ended up beating USC 14-13. Also, Big Ten teams were not allowed to go to any bowl game except the Rose Bowl, so MSU stayed home. Notre Dame stayed home, too, because they didn't accept invitations to any bowl games until 1969.
Alabama ended up 12-0 that year after beating Nebraska 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl but ended up #3 in the rankings. Sure would have been nice to see MSU or ND go up against Alabama that year. The system for determining a national champion today is far from perfect, but I'd say it's better than it was back then. Still like to see an 8-12 team playoff, though.
Big 10 2-0 with 6 remaining
Big 12 1-4 with 3 remaining
ACC 4-3 with 2 remaining
SEC 0-3 with 7 remaining
Big East 3-1 with 2 remaining
Pac 10 1-1 with 2 remaining
Independents 2-1 and done
C-USA 2-4 and done
Sun Belt 2-0 with 1 remaining
MAC 1-2 with 1 remaining
MWC 3-1 with 1 remaining
WAC 1-2 with 1 remaining
Lots of football to be played yet with the top teams yet to play. Most of the games left involve SEC and/or Big Ten teams with 4 of them head to head matchups. It'll be intersting to see how this shakes out. I'll update it tomorrow.
Now for some nostalgia: I remember the first game I paid close attention to as a kid was watching Illinois beat Washington 17-7 in the 1964 Rose Bowl. Pretty good team with Jim Grabowski at FB and Dick Butkus at LB. Also remember watching Michigan State and Notre Dame play to a 10-10 tie in 1966 in what was then known as the "game of the century". Both teams ended up 10-0-1 with Notre Dame ranked #1 and MSU ranked #2.
Now here's the kicker: oddly enough, neither team played in a bowl game. Back then the Big Ten rule was that a team could not represent the conference two years in a row in the Rose Bowl. Since MSU had been there the year before, the Big Ten sent 2nd place Purdue who ended up beating USC 14-13. Also, Big Ten teams were not allowed to go to any bowl game except the Rose Bowl, so MSU stayed home. Notre Dame stayed home, too, because they didn't accept invitations to any bowl games until 1969.
Alabama ended up 12-0 that year after beating Nebraska 34-7 in the Sugar Bowl but ended up #3 in the rankings. Sure would have been nice to see MSU or ND go up against Alabama that year. The system for determining a national champion today is far from perfect, but I'd say it's better than it was back then. Still like to see an 8-12 team playoff, though.
