Penn State Reportedly Contaminated, Bowl Bound, Co-Pig Division Champions
by Kevin Powers on Nov 27, 2011 12:35 PM EST
in Football
Email
Print
Preseason to Today. Penn State ends up very close to where they started.
| Preaseaon AP Poll: 10. Nebraska 11. Wisconsin 16. Notre Dame 17. Michigan State 18. Ohio State NR. Penn State (27th) NR. Iowa (37th) NR. Michigan (43rd) |
B1G End Of Season AP Poll: 10. Michigan State 15. Wisconsin 17. Michigan 20. Nebraska 23. Penn State NR. Ohio State NR. Iowa NR. Notre Dame |
Final Big Ten Standings.
PIG
Wisconsin 6-2
Penn State 6-2
Purdue 4-4
Ohio State 3-5
Illinois 2-6
Indiana 0-8
CORN
Michigan State 7-1
Michigan 6-2
Nebraska 5-3
Iowa 4-4
Northwestern 3-5
Minnesota 2-6
It was a hell of a run, and Penn State is officially your Pig Co-Champion.
Saying goodbye to Sagarin. The highest ranked Big Ten team in Sagarin's ELOCHESS Ranking (the one used in the BCS) is Michigan State at 21. Penn State finishes 25th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten in his "actual" ranking, one spot a head of where most objective observers pegged this team thank to Ohio State's poor showing.
Much was made of the divisions, officially developed with parity as the #1 priority, with the loudest shouting about whose was better. Historically the Big Ten office did sound math. In 2011 Sagarin says:
Michigan State's Legends division looks better this year in every way except Wisconsin, who sits atop all of the conference's current power rankings.
The Road To Indy. This section proved a welcome change for a season that failed the national picture test early against Alabama. If Penn State was able to pull the win off last night -- something that was never going to happen for a variety of tackling (and of course conspiratorial) reasons -- the game works. Two teams win their divisions outright, with the same record, and play for the first time on a neutral field for the whole gift basket.
The opposite just took place. Michigan State is teed up to get the royal hose job here. They have the best conference record and would have earned the Rose Bowl bid under the old rules. They also beat the #2 team head to head, and did so without the luxury of a plug-n-play free agent, fifth year quarterback.
Instead, if they lose a game they've already won, not only do they fall out of the Rose Bowl, but they almost certainly fall behind Michigan -- another team they beat, this one handily -- in the bowl selections, watching their rival take their BCS spot. But thems the rules, and the ones we all signed up for.
Bowls. If you were able to gut it out last night you saw the Big Ten tie-ins in the fourth quarter. They look like this:
#1 BCS
#2 The Capital One Bowl
#3 The Outback Bowl
#4 The Insight Bowl
#5 The Gator Bowl
#6 The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
#7 The TicketCity Bowl
#8 The Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl
Under normal circumstances, Penn State wouldn't expect to fall below their over standing of fifth, and often they'd get a bump over teams with the same record. We are not under normal circumstances. There is a rule that you can't be jumped by a team with a two game differential from yours, but that only applies to the Capital One and Outback bowl.
My general sense is that the toxicity has largely worn off as it relates to the blameless parties, but that assumption requires faith in the population at large, which I'll leave up to you the reader to engage in.
The Insight is a matchup against the #4/5 Big XII team on December 30th, projections range from Oklahoma to Texas A&M to Baylor, who is fighting for their own BCS spot. The Gator Bowl kicks off January 2nd against the SEC #6/7. Florida is the unanimous selection in projections, and it's hard to imagine that bowl's committee (1) wanting a rematching, and (2) picking Penn State over home-grown Florida to prevent it.
My sense is that the Gator wants nothing to do with the above mentioned rematch, and the Insight would probably prefer to get Nebraska for a bad-blood game with the Big XII. That could happen if they talk one of the bigger bowls into selecting either Penn State or Ohio State before their up.
If your rooting for a January 2nd bowl, Michigan pulling this off would help:
First, Georgia must lose to LSU. If Georgia wins the SEC title and takes the third BCS bid for the SEC, there is no scenario where Michigan would get a BCS bid. Michigan can count on jumping Georgia and the Big Ten title game loser to squeeze into the top 14, but it has one more team to worry about: Baylor. If the Bears beat Texas next week, they might jump the Wolverines, keeping them out of the top 14.
While it's looking likely for the Wolverines, it may end up being irrelevant from Penn State's perspective. David Jones mentioned this week that he's hearing whispers of "gutlessness" in the bowl ranks -- which, color me shocked -- and that Ohio State and Iowa will both jump Penn State.
I could see the bowls being more afraid that Penn State fans just aren't up for traveling right now, and it's certainly not below them to use Sandusky as an excuse to sink the Nittany Lions in the selection processes without having to directly fisk the fans.
Oh yeah, the coaching search. We'll be focusing on that for the foreseeable immediate future here at BSD, but we now have a very clean emotional slate to start with for the search, and very little reason to not start that search immediately.
48 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I will say this if the BCS pulls
that enormous pile of shit I suspect I better see people SCREAMING for playoffs, at least then its fair when we get kicked out.
Publicity is like poison; it doesn't hurt unless you swallow it.
Joe Paterno
This is NOT THE BCS
They only control the Orange, Rose, Fiesta, and Sugar Bowls. Everyone else is completely on their own.
They also have no say in the specific at-large team each bowl picks.
This is all just corporate America, not the BCS.
by Bleed Blue 'n White on Nov 27, 2011 9:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
don't care
Would like play offs no matter who controls it
Publicity is like poison; it doesn't hurt unless you swallow it.
Joe Paterno
There is 0 justification whatsoever
for Iowa and Ohio State teams that are 7-5 and 6-6 to jump Penn State. There simply is no justification.
Author at Acme Packing Company, a Green Bay Packers blog, and Editor at BT Powerhouse, a Big Ten Basketball blog
#FireCraigJames
Follow @GSchofield50
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Nov 27, 2011 1:10 PM EST reply actions
Bowl sponsors aren't looking for the better team
They want a well traveled team that doesn’t have controversy attached to it for 3 hours.
It sucks, which is why we need playoffs. The fact that people are talking about university brands has me hurling vomit.
by Mr. Rosewater on Nov 27, 2011 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
I've been screaming
For Playoffs for eons it wouldn’t even be hard we start the season in the very beginning of august maybe even late end of July (If your in the SEC or Big 12 SUCK IT THE HELL UP we have to in the cold.) Continue from there as we always have except for one major change All conferences have to have a championship game (Yep.) Would be their own mini play offs from there we take all the champions and start playing them against each other (I said by their record a friend of mine said north v south depends I guess.) Though we haven’t exactly worked out what to do with independents (Such as ND)
Publicity is like poison; it doesn't hurt unless you swallow it.
Joe Paterno
How would not making a playoff help Penn State get into a better Bowl Game.
And honestly, at this point, who cares?
...may we compete with fierce intensity, with the gifts that we have been given...
If you have been paying much attention this month, you will have probably have noticed that justification has been in rather short supply.
"Woop woop." - Waylon Jennings
by ReadingRambler on Nov 27, 2011 11:25 PM EST up reply actions
If Georgia wins,
and LSU and Alabama play in the title game, I will have an absolute fit. Two teams that couldn’t win their own conference, in which one already proved to be the superior team, play in a rematch? Pure garbage.
And thank you for highlighting the injustice of the CCG. I am opposed to any system where a game can invalidate a season’s worth of work. One team proved they were better than the rest of the conference. Now that team could fall out of the top 3 b10 bowls.
Leaders Co-Champions
Wait
Isn’t htere a 2 team per conference limit for BCS bowls? Or did they get rid of that rule?
So if Georgia wins, they get an automatic BCS bowl game, that would leave only 1 other SEC team eligible for a BCS game.
Kind of threw me too...
But the way I understand it, if UGA wins, they win their CCG and go to the Sugar. Presumably then LSU either stays at no. 1 (not penalized for the loss) or Alabama moves to number 1 and LSU becomes no. 2. In that scenario, the BCS no. 1 vs. no. 2 kicks in and Alabama and LSU play in the MNCG. That’s how the SEC would get 3 teams in the BCS.
Could also be
that the actual limit is “one at-large bid”. In that case, the SEC still has one after two automatics in the championship game.
As Fowler explained it, the rule for conferences in the
BCS Championship game is that you can only have one team in addition to the Championship game. So if you have both participants in that game, your conference champion also has to go.
Leaders Co-Champions
by PSUinBOSSton on Nov 27, 2011 3:37 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously??!!
So the conference champion (if that is Georgia) could get knocked out of a BCS bid because the voters have huge boners over LSU and Alabama? I hate the SEC too, but that sucks big time for Georgia.
That which we are, WE ARE...PENN STATE.
Forever.
by Nittany_Ryan on Nov 27, 2011 5:14 PM EST up reply actions
Nono.
One team in addition to the BCS Champ game. So the conference champion gets their automatic bid no matter what. If the polls have Bama/LSU 1&2, 3 SEC teams go.
Leaders Co-Champions
by PSUinBOSSton on Nov 27, 2011 6:01 PM EST up reply actions
Ah, I understand
read “your conference champion ha s to go” as has to go to a non-BCS bowl
That which we are, WE ARE...PENN STATE.
Forever.
by Nittany_Ryan on Nov 27, 2011 9:01 PM EST up reply actions
Ohio State fans won't travel well this year...
they’re just not interested in that team and are ready for next year.
I'm also not convinced that Penn State wouldn't travel
Maybe I’m out of touch, but I know that personally, football has been an even more welcome than usual as a distraction from all of this. I know that sounds strange since the scandal comes up every time Penn State is on TV, but when I get happy/enraged over a win/loss, it takes my mind off of everything else.
That which we are, WE ARE...PENN STATE.
Forever.
by Nittany_Ryan on Nov 27, 2011 5:16 PM EST up reply actions
Penn State
Always travels well, will always travel well, and thats well known I mean pity sake after we beat Ohio State they asked the Rose Bowl if they would take us and they said ABSOLUTELY we will always take Penn State (if the Rose bowl would have taken us, whats your damn excuse people)
Publicity is like poison; it doesn't hurt unless you swallow it.
Joe Paterno
Rose bowl is contractually obligated to take the Big 10 champ
so there was nothing else for them to say other than they would accept us since there was no choice.
The problem with the other bowls is that they have a choice so then they must answer questions , which will be raised, as to why they would accept PSU and the controversy.
I just hope PSU does actually go to a bowl game, any bowl game , this year in part to stick it in the faces of the folks who think they should forgo one.
"Raise the black flag and ride hard, boys! Our cause is just and our enemies many! "
by Corvus Baltimorius on Nov 27, 2011 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
tO$U-Florida Gator Bowl
may have trouble selling out-and it’s not aTV draw this year.
Frankly I am hoping for the Insight or Meineke. I would prefer not having a conflict with the Winter Classic at CBP.
"Let the chips fall where they may."
Champions!
Keep that in mind.
2011
PSU is co-champion of Legends Division.
Not bad. Not bad.
I Know Nothing! They were just Horsing Around!
by joefromboalsburg on Nov 27, 2011 8:18 PM EST reply actions
When is Jim Boeheim media fire frenzy going to start...
oh, wait, never because he is not Joe Paterno
It's not.
As Sports Illustrated so vocally points out, it’s different: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/11/27/syracuse.fires.fine/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a2
After all, every single person who has ever entered the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania knew about Sandusky and sent him little boys for Christmas. Nobody at Syracuse could have known anything, so there’s no need for the media to even investigate.
Penn State’s head coach reported second-hand suspicions to his superior, per law and policy. Syracuse’s head coach lashed out at the alleged victims, accusing them of extortion.
See? It’s totally different.
by Tezcatlipoca on Nov 28, 2011 9:25 AM EST up reply actions
That SI columnist is incorrect
I e-mailed that columnist about a mistake in his column. He writes that the 1998 incident was only handled by the campus police. This is incorrect, as the 1998 incident involved the Second Mile and was investigated by the Centre County District Attorney’s office.
Never let facts get in the way of the narrative.
Exactly!
According to Switzer, everyone inside PSU had to know. So, why wouldn’t EVERYONE inside Syracuse know. Hell, Boeheim was out openly supporting and defending Fine.
This is utter BS!!!!!!
I also saw a headline (didn’t have time to read the article) that ESPN had info on the Syracuse deal going back several years. Why didn’t they expose it to get the guy nailed before he could do anything more? Where is their moral obligation?…. F’n rats.
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin
I'd click on the link...
but it starts with espn
by psualum9931 on Nov 27, 2011 9:30 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Chances are they will go
they should jump over the B1G CCG loser and Georgia will probably lose, allowing them to move up more. That will get them inside 14.
Beat the Hell out of Wisky!!
PSU's poor home attendance will be easy excuse
for bowls to say that PSU won’t travel well
Poor
Compared to past seasons. Not poor compared to the 6-6 schools in the B1G that are not in Ohio-and certainly comparable to a 7-5 Iowa and a 6-6 tO$U. You really think Buckeye fans are gonna flock to the Gator Bowl after 6 staright BCS bowl games appearances? No it’s time in Columbus to save money for next year’s bowl trip-and you can’t blame them.
"Let the chips fall where they may."
yes, but it's an easy excuse
You can’t fill your own stadium, why would people travel to watch you? Your reasoning is equally applicable to Penn State. I’m not saying it is true, but it is an easy excuse for bowls to convince themselves of why not to take us.
They will just make up an excuse
Given the continued lousy economy I expect a LOT of empty seats at a LOT of bowls. Even some BCS ones-Orange, Fiesta and Sugar (absent an UGA upset of LSU Saturday) come to mind.
"Let the chips fall where they may."
BCS will be fine
I think a lot of people will spend to watch their team at a BCS bowl. The economic contraction effects won’t be any worse this year than what we have already witnessed in college football.
by psualum9931 on Nov 27, 2011 10:02 PM EST up reply actions
Any bowl that jumps us for O$U or Iowa or anyone else should be told:
1. When we get things fixed in HV and winning football with honor is the story once again, that we will not attend their game in the future with our legions of devoted/spending fans; and
2. That we will remember the bowl sponsors as well.
Buy low on or stay loyal to PSU (however you choose to look at it), and we will remember you fondly. Fuck these kids who fought like hell through circumstances entirely beyond their control? Well, you’d better be prepared to write off my business forever.
by kijana's acl on Nov 27, 2011 10:37 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
I love this
but the BoT has proven the limpness of its dick. This will not happen.
"Every player we have, someone-maybe a parent, a grandparent, someone-poured their soul into that young man. They are handing that young man off to us. They are giving us their treasure, and it's our job to make sure we give them back that young man intact and ready to face the world."
-J.V.Pa.
You are very good your points
If we get jumped by teams we beat, I fully intend to write letters to the bowl committees that skipped us that I intend not to buy their products. This will make an impression if enough people do this.
by psualum9931 on Nov 27, 2011 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
Not allowed to do that
Seems like an immature attitude to me, but regardless, the Big 10 doesn’t allow schools to act lie that.
Schools are not allowed to turn down invitations, period. This issue came up when OSU, under Cooper, tried to imitate Notre Dame from a year or two before and players to “voted” to not to accept a minor bowl bid.
Delaney jumped all over them and they went to that bowl.
If fans want to try to organize boycotts to certain bowls, they are, of course, free to do so.
Personally, I say take the hits and join the likes of Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota and Illinois for one year. They get jumped all the time.
It’s just one year and only concerns minor bowls. It doesn’t really amount to a hill of beans.
I don't think it is immature at all, it's about money
Remind them of the risk of alienating PSU fans who will remember vs. pleasing a few million mouth breathers who will soon move on to the next scandal of the month. If the bowls are going to make decisions solely on the basis of money, remind them what is at stake.
As for Delaney throwing a fit, I would laugh and say the same to him, “where were you when times were tough, Jim?”
by kijana's acl on Nov 28, 2011 8:28 AM EST up reply actions
Bingo
Dear Gator and Insight Bowl committees: If it is apparent that you pass over Penn State for any reasons other than the usual criteria of on-field performance, matchup, traveling fanbase etc., you can pretty well kiss off inviting PSU in the future because we won’t make the trip to fill your seats, and we won’t be patronizing your title sponsors in the interim either.
it matters to the players
Today is the day I died inside 11/9/11
by letsgopsu on Nov 28, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Despite Whisky being probably.....
their “worst” performance of the year, this team deserves to go to a “decent” bowl this year. Despite the national media (mainly, tWWL) calling us, “poison” and/or “toxic” as a team and calling for us not to get a bid at all, may I say for the 100th time, that this tragedy is not a FB(not this team anyways) or Program problem. As above, the BoT will continue to put the blame on Joe(who is personally devastated as his whole Family is) and through various committees will seek to clean house so as to make “this thing of ours” go away sooner or later. It’s not going away soon as we all know. By the time PSU gets it good name back, alot of us may no be around to see how it plays out. As far as the Bowls go, if PSU is snubbed, I could give a crap who goes where or if there are rematches. PSU handled this poorly from the start, reacting in a knee-jerk way. The bottom line is that we all know that there were factions that wanted Joe out or retired, but I sure can’t find anyone that knew that Joe would end up getting “retired” in thisa type of scenario. In something that runs parallel to us, the Syracuse mess is hardly drawing the attention that we are(the cover-up from tWWL Syracuse alumni). BUT, back to the main point….PSU deserves to go to a deserved bowl game. If not, let the conspiracy theories begin.
"The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God."
by DerryPharmer on Nov 27, 2011 11:05 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I saw a guy buying Penn State gear at Kohls the other night.
There. I just proved that Penn State isn’t poison.
Wait, hold on, let me call the hospital.
Hello. Say, do you have any patients wearing Penn State gear? Forty-three! You have forty-three patients wearing Penn State gear? Wait, forty-one? Did those two walk out? What do you mean? They’re still there but you’re not counting them anymore? Hello? Why did you stop talking? My God, Herbstreit was right!
"Woop woop." - Waylon Jennings
by ReadingRambler on Nov 27, 2011 11:27 PM EST reply actions
HERBSTREIT
DID HE SLEEP WITH ANTHORTMAN’S WIFE
by psualum9931 on Nov 27, 2011 11:28 PM EST up reply actions
Considering what was expected and all that happened...
9-3 is a damn fine season for Penn State.
Regardless of whomever is coaching next year (Bradley!), the schedule is favorable for another strong season. The out-of-conference schedule is easier with no Alabama-quality program, though Virginia is on an upward road and Navy can never be ruled out if the option gets going. In B1G play, Iowa and Nebraska are on the road, which won’t be easy. However, Wisconsin and Ohio State are at home. There’s also a bye week before the trip to Iowa and another bye week (aka Indiana) before hosting Wisconsin.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Black Shoe Diaries
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
SHOP THE BLACK SHOE DIARIES STORE
