And now live from the ESPN studios, it's the BCS College
Football Tournament Selection Show presented by Java Monster Mean Bean, with
Rece Davis, Lou Holtz, and Mark May.
RECE: Well folks, here it is. At the beginning of this season, people
thought it would be a Mount Rushmore of college football royalty returning to
the college football tournament: USC, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Florida
State. Only Florida State cooperated
with those prognostications, but we ended up with some royalty of pretty high
esteem: the presumed number one seed,
Notre Dame. Coach, what do you think of
the Irish this season?
LOU: Notre Dame had a phenomenal season; undefeated, and we
assume they will be number one seed in the tourney. Boy, I remember Notre Dame fans looking at
the tournament schedule and seeing Indianapolis hosting the Semi-Finals next
season, and thinking, is there any way Notre Dame will be ready to play with
elite teams and get a chance to play down south in Indianapolis. I think most thought that was a nice dream,
but very unlikely. Well, here we are, a
year early, with Notre Dame not only in the tournament, but top seed. It is an amazing job by Coach Kelly.MARK: Coach, it is because Notre Dame’s AD came to his senses and hired a coach with a proven successful college head coaching track record, unlike the head coaches like Gerry Faust, Bob Davie, and Charlie Weis. Brian Kelly brought two Cincinnati teams to this tournament, including an undefeated team three seasons ago. So, he has done this before, a good hire for a program like Notre Dame. However, Coach Kelly’s teams went 0-2 in the tournament, losing a First Round game to Penn State and the Orange Bowl to Boise State, so he has something to prove too.
LOU: But Mark, the talent Coach Kelly had at Cincinnati pales
in comparison to this Notre Dame team.
The only obstacle I see if the brackets give them three SEC teams in a
row. Man alive, that would be tough for
any team, even an SEC team to do that.
RECE: That’s right,
that was the draw Stanford and Andrew Luck had last season; the Cardinal had to
win over Arkansas, then they lost to LSU so they could not face Alabama in the
championship game.
So guys, this is what we know. Ten teams will make it and these teams are
in: Alabama, Kansas State, Stanford, Wisconsin, and, we are pretty certain,
Louisville. Then certainly Notre Dame
will be there, as will Florida. We
thought it would be safe to include Oregon, in their fourth consecutive
tournament, but they may be a bubble team now, with the MAC champ Northern
Illinois in the mix, and Georgia performing so well yesterday, that Georgia may
find themselves above Oregon in the seedings.
So that leaves two spots, maybe for two at-large’s, which
could be Oregon, Georgia, and/or LSU, or one of those slots could go to a
non-automatic conference champion, Northern Illinois or Boise State. Coach, who is going to get those last spots in
the tournament?
LOU: I think Northern Illinois is going to make it in. It is going to be close, but the MAC had a
great season, and they even beat my alma mater Kent State, so they have to be
good. Northern Illinois not only could
be in the tournament, but also eighth seed, maybe playing near home against
Louisville in the First Round. For the
other slot, also very close, but I give a nudge to Oregon over Georgia. Oh boy, it is going to be close.
MARK: Coach, I think
it is going to be Georgia and Oregon getting the last spots, and no MAC
champ. After their gritty performance
yesterday, the Bulldogs have to be there.
And I think they will be in the top six seeds, sending Stanford to the
First Round. It will be tough for the
Cardinal to make it to their third straight Final Four from the seventh
seed.
And coach, if Northern Illinois makes in it in rather than
Georgia who came within five yards of being a top two seed, and Oregon, who
came within a goal post of being the top seed, then outrage will prevail. No way should those teams be out of the
tournament with Northern Illinois replacing either of them. It would be a
travesty and this tournament will take some heat.
LOU: Well Mark, I like it how the old NCAA basketball
tournament used to be, when you had to win you conference to qualify. Northern Illinois won their conference, and
the MAC had a great season, and Oregon and Georgia, great teams, but they had
their chance to win their conference and they did not. Plus, the tournament will make some changes,
in two years no automatic for the Big East, your alma mater Pitt’s
conference. If Louisville was out, then
there would be no problem, so that will be fixed.
MARK: Coach, the MAC’s track record doesn’t look that great
in hindsight. Northern Illinois lost to
Iowa by a point, but then again the Hawkeyes were a disappointment. Wins against Kansas and Rutgers are nice, but
those teams did not live up to expectations.
RECE: Guys, let’s go
to Indianapolis to a couple college football experts for their
perspectives. First SEC expert Watkins
Stevens, what are your thoughts about who will win the tournament this year?WATKINS: SEC SEC SEC!
RECE: So you think no
chance for Notre Dame?
WATKINS: I am
concerned about them. Bama struggled
with the quarterback from Texas A & M, that ND quarterback is slippery.
RECE: And our other expert Nye Allen, who seems to not be a
fan of the Irish and may be a bit tired of Alabama. So Nye, what would you think of a Notre
Dame-Alabama championship game?
NYE: HATE it! Won't
watch a minute of it.
RECE: But Mike & Mike’s Mike Golic's two sons are on the
Irish, he went to senior day and everything, it is very family-friendly, very
touching.
NYE: That stupid leprechaun ruins any family feeling! He is evil!
RECE: Watkins, any last comments?
WATKINS: SEC SEC SEC!
RECE: Weeks of games, lots of big plays, and it all boils
down to the next few minutes, when we find out which ten teams will make this year’s
college football tournament. And now, it
is time to learn the which ten teams made the 2012-2013 BCS college football
tournament, so we go to Brent Musburger in Miami. Brent...
BRENT: You are
looking...LIVE at the home of the Orange Bowl, and the site of the championship
game, Miami, Florida. Hi there
everybody, ten teams will play to win here, and take home the BCS
championship trophy. And now, it is time for the Planters Nut-rition bracket
presentation. Let's go to tournament Commissioner Nelson, who will reveal this
year's tournament. Commissioner..."
COMMISIONER: Thank you Brent. It is my pleasure to announce
the teams that will be playing in the 2012-2013 BCS College Football
Tournament.
In the First Round, in Atlanta, the seventh seed and
champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Seminoles of Florida State
University, will take on the tenth seed, and champion of the Big Ten
conference, the University of Wisconsin Badgers.
The other First Round game will be played in Chicago, where the
eighth seed, the Huskies of the Northern Illinois University, champion of the
Mid American Conference, will play the ninth seeded University of Louisville
Cardinals, champions of the Big East.
So let's move onto the BCS Bowl quarterfinals. The winner of
the Northern Illinois/Louisville match-up will move on to the Fiesta Bowl, to
play the top seed, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, independent automatic qualifiers.
The winner of the Fiesta Bowl, will take on the winner of
the Orange Bowl, which will feature the fourth seed, in the tournament for the
fourth consecutive season, an at-large team from the Pacific Ten conference,
the Ducks of the University of Oregon, and champions of the Big XII, the fifth
seeded Kansas State University WIldcats
The winner of the Florida State/Wisconsin game will move on
to the Sugar Bowl, to play the number two seed, and champion of the
Southeastern Conference, the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama
The Sugar Bowl winner will take on the winner of the
remaining quarterfinal game, the Rose Bowl, which will feature the third seed,
at-large from the Southeast Conference, the University of Florida Gators, who
will play the sixth seed, and champion of the Pac-12 conference, the Cardinal
of Stanford University.
The winners of the BCS quarterfinals will meet in Arlington,
Texas for Football's Final Four, and the winner of the semi-finals will play
for the BCS championship, right here, in Miami.
BRENT: Thank you Commissioner, it shapes up to be yet
another exciting tournament. How close was it for Northern Illinois to make it
into the tournament, and who would have filled that final at-large spot?
COMMISH: Northern
Illinois finished 15th in the standings, and Georgia finished seventh, so
Oregon had a healthy lead for the second at-large spot. The Bulldogs are a great team, but I am happy
that the top six teams, plus four fine conference champions will play in this
year’s tournament.
BRENT: Thank you
Commissioner, and now back to the studio.
(microphones pick up unsuspecting continuing conversation)
BRENT: Good job Commissioner. You did fine.
COMMISH: I think my
voice sounded goofy, I think I may have low T.
RECE: Wow, a MAC shocker, Northern Illinois is in, Georgia
is out. Coach, your thoughts?
LOU: Congratulations to the Huskies! These are always tough choices, but I think
this will be a great tournament.
MARK: But understand Lou’s happiness and where it is derived
from. Not only is Northern Illinois a
winner, but the Irish play the winner of NIU and Louisville; so Notre Dame is a
big winner in this too. Even Alabama may
get an edge, playing Florida State or Wisconsin rather than Stanford. On another note, Stanford earned a top six
seed rather than a First Round game to participate in their third consecutive
Rose Bowl, a much easier path to make their third straight Final Four.
RECE: Let’s look at
this graphic. These are the leaders in appearances over the seven years of the
ten team era. Four teams move up to tie
for the lead with four appearances over the last seven seasons, Florida,
Alabama, Wisconsin, and Oregon:
Ohio State 4 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
Oklahoma 4 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
Florida 4 2006, 2008, 2009, 2012
Alabama 4 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
Wisconsin 4 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012
Oregon 4 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
USC 3 2006, 2007, 2008
Virginia Tech 3 2007, 2008, 2010
Boise State 3 2006, 2009, 2011
LSU 3 2006, 2007, 2011
Stanford 3 2010, 2011, 2012
Cincinnati 2 2008, 2009
TCU 2 2009, 2010
Texas 2 2008, 2009
Arkansas 2 2010, 2011
West Virginia 2 2007, 2011
Louisville 2 2006, 2012
Auburn 1 2010
Connecticut 1 2010
Georgia 1 2007
Georgia Tech 1 2009
Hawaii 1 2007
Iowa 1 2009
Kansas 1 2007
Michigan 1 2006
Missouri 1 2007
Penn State 1 2008
Texas Tech 1 2008
Utah 1 2008
Wake Forest 1 2006
Oklahoma State 1 2011
Clemson 1 2011
Notre Dame 1 2012
Kansas State 1 2012
Florida State 1 2012
Northern Illinois 1 2012
RECE: And if you think it is the same teams every year, four
new teams join for the first time in the seven years of the ten team era: Notre Dame, Kansas State, Florida State, and
of course Northern Illinois.
And one consequence of going to ten teams was the advent of
the First Round games, which cities love to host, and has really taken the
tournament across the country. This year, two new locations, Atlanta, because
Florida State has to go out of state with the title game in South Florida, and
Chicago.
First Round Game Sites During the Ten Team Era:
Charlotte 3
Pittsburgh 3
Boise 1
San Diego 1
Seattle 1
Cincinnati 1
Dallas 1
Green Bay 1
Atlanta 1
Chicago 1Rece, "So let's review the tournament..."
First Round:
Atlanta: #7 Florida State (ACC Champ) versus #10 Wisconsin
(Big Ten Champ)Chicago: #8 Northern Illinois (MAC Champ) versus #9 Louisville (Big East Champ)
Orange: #4 Oregon (at large) versus #5 Kansas State (Big XII Champ)
Sugar: #2 Alabama (SEC Champ) versus Florida State/Wisconsin winner
Rose: #3 Florida (at-large) versus #6 Stanford (Pac-12
Champ)
Semi-Finals (Football's Final Four) in Arlington, Texas
National Championship in Miami
RECE: It should be a great great tournament. For the Hall of Famer, Lou Holtz, and Mark May, good night from the ESPN studios
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