AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 02
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Regular season did job of playoff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BCS / Bowls
What we’re seeing today is the fact that the regular season is the playoff everyone is asking for.
LSU came out hot and stumbled late in the season, but came out of the “loser” bracket to defeat UT in the SEC title game, which should jump them above UGA. UGA fans may wail and gnash their teeth but the reality for them is that their losses to the Gamecocks and Volunteers sealed their fate when it came down to the national title race. If they win either of those games they are playing the SEC title game for an undisputed shot at the big prize.
Virginia Tech lost early to LSU and late to Boston College. They also came out of the “loser” bracket in the ACC to beat a Boston College team that was ranked as high as #2 during the season. That early loss to LSU will cost them a shot at the national title.
Oklahoma lost to Colorado and Texas Tech but managed to beat #1 ranked Missouri in their conference championship game, vaulting them ahead af pretty much everyone except Ohio State here at the end of the year.
Speaking of Missouri…they’re 11-2 now…with both losses to Oklahoma. National title hopes are dashed there in spite of the fact that they beat everyone else on their schedule…including 11-1 Kansas.
And what about Kansas…sitting there with ONE loss and the #2 scoring offense and #5 scoring defense in the nation. They couldn’t beat Missouri for the right to play Oklahoma…so they are out of the hunt.
And then there is Hawaii…the only undefeated team remaining…but they won’t even get a chance at the big prize. One could argue that they were never really playing in the championship brackets with everyone else.
How would my Top 10 shake out?
1) Ohio State 2 ) LSU 3 ) Oklahoma 4) Missouri 5) Kansas 6) UGA 7) VT 8) Southern Cal 9) Arizona State 10) Hawaii
The Top 5:
OSU had one 28-21 loss to a 9-3 Illinois team. LSU had triple OT losses to 8-4 Arkansas and 7-5 Kentucky before winning the SEC. Oklahoma redeemed losses to Colorado and Texas Tech with a pair of wins over #1 Missouri. Missouri stomped everyone they played…except Oklahoma…and were #1 in the final week of the season. Kansas has one loss to Missouri…who was #1 last week of the season.
On the outside and looking into the Top 5:
UGA? Couldn’t get in the endzone against 6-6 South Carolina and a 21 point loss to SEC #2 Tennessee. VT? LSU spanked you by 41 points…just be happy you made it into the party. Southern Cal? A 4-8 Stanford team punched you in the mouth. Arizona State? Losses to 10-2 Southern Cal and a Oregon team that made a run this season. Hawaii? Being undefeated has to count for something!
GT Hoops
What is there to write about? I had more fun raking leaves than I did watching that “game” against Vandy.
We hear about Paul Hewitt’s emphasis on individual instruction about 54 times a game. Maybe he needs to spend more time on team concepts and a half court offense?
The Coaching Search
The coaching search is only slightly more intriguing than the hoops season at this point. At this point I’m hoping there is a name out there that will pop up from off the radar and surprise us all. I’m really not that enthused by any of the names we’ve seen floated out. Muschamp and Hatcher don’t have any head coach experience at the BCS level. Paul Johnson has gained a majority of his success at Georgia Southern and Navy. Rick Neuseisel? No thanks…not after we just got off probation. Jimbo Fisher? Didn’t do much at FSU this year. Tenuta? Maybe, not sure…don’t know how long it would be before he made some poor newspaper reporter run laps after a question he didn’t like. The man makes George O’Leary look like a teddy bear by comparison.
Only one thing is definite…Radakovich better move quickly…the same natives that provoked him into the coaching change are getting restless again. And once the inmates know they run the asylum its a slippery slope to walk on….
