Quick, turn on the 2013 College Football Tournament Selection Show!

And now live from the ESPN studios, it's the BCS College Football Tournament Selection Show presented by Nancy's Pizza, with Rece Davis, Lou Holtz, and Mark May.

RECE: Wow.  All I can say is WOW.  Was that some 48 hours of college football or what?  We started out assuming Northern Illinois would be back for a return trip to the tournament, Oklahoma State would be a high seed, Ohio State in the top two, but twists and turns galore have us at selection Sunday, with plenty of questions.  Coach, what do  you think?

LOU: You're right Rece, WOW.  Ohio State goes from top two seed in the Rose Bowl to wondering about an at-large bid.  Auburn's late season push gets them to the top two seed we assume.  That is why I love college football. 

MARK: I think this is going to be a very strong field.  We assume the tenth seed will be a one loss Central Florida team that lost to South Carolina by three.  This will be a pretty strong group, Florida State will be top seed, but I see lots of teams that could win it all.  And will we see Iron Bowl II at some point?

LOU: Gosh Mark, you sound as giddy as me!

RECE:  So guys, here is what we know; six teams are in.  Florida State, the likely top seed, Auburn, the likely second seed, Michigan State, Stanford, Baylor, and as Mark said, Central Florida.  So first big question, who are the other four?  Coach, who is going to get those last spots in the tournament?

LOU: Well, Alabama for sure.  And certainly Ohio State has to be there, with one loss.  I think this is the year South Carolina finally makes it in, along with Clemson.  Those are my four at-large teams. 

MARK:  Coach, I agree with you on your old school, South Carolina, but I think Missouri will make it four SEC teams in the tournament.   

LOU: Well Mark, four SEC teams is just too many.  Oklahoma, Oregon, Clemson; they all deserve it more than a fourth SEC team.  That is just what I think.  That is that way it ought to be.

RECE:  Coach, I think the at-large to watch is possibly Oklahoma, if any team if going to stop a four team SEC party.  But right now, it looks likely that the Oregon Ducks streak of four straight tournaments, the longest current streak, will end here.  But Stanford will carry the torch with their fourth straight tournament, and looking for a fourth straight Final Four appearance.  So that begs the next question.  Which of these teams will make the top six, and avoid having to play in the First Round?

MARK: I think Baylor and Ohio State are the two teams on the edge.  So Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Michigan State, and Stanford will be in the top six, and Baylor will edge out Ohio State.  The Buckeyes go from top two seed and a Rose Bowl to playing in a First Round game, probably against South Carolina. 

LOU: Oh Mark, Ohio State has one loss to a great Michigan State team.  I think they will make the top six.  Two loss Stanford, well, you have to play in the First Round.  No fourth straight Rose Bowl for you, I am sorry to say.

RECE: Well, time for the guesswork to end.  Weeks of games, big plays of historic proportions, 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 2013-2014 BCS college football tournament, so we go to Brent Musburger in Pasadena. Brent...

BRENT:  You are looking...LIVE at the Rose Bowl, and the site of the championship game, Pasadena, California.  Hi there everybody, ten teams will play to win here, and take home the BCS championship trophy. And now, it is time for the Sabra Classic Hummus and Pretzels Snack 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 2013-2014 BCS College Football Tournament.

In the First Round, in Cleveland, the seventh seed and at-large representative of the Big Ten Conference, the Buckeyes of the Ohio State University, will take on the ninth seed, and at-large team from the Southeastern Conference, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

The other First Round game will be played in Tampa, where the eighth seed, the Tigers of the University of Missouri, an SEC at-large, will play the tenth seeded University of Central Florida Knights, champions of the AAC.

So let's move onto the BCS Bowl quarterfinals. The winner of the Missouri/Central Florida match-up will move on to the Orange Bowl, to play the top seed, the Florida State University Seminoles, champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

The winner of the Orange Bowl, will take on the winner of the Rose Bowl, which will feature the fourth seed, champion of the Big Ten conference, the Spartans of Michigan State University, and champions of the Pac-12 Conference, the fifth seeded Stanford University Cardinal. 

The winner of the Ohio State/South Carolina game will move on to the Sugar Bowl, to play the number two seed, and champion of the Southeastern Conference, the Tigers of Auburn University.

The Sugar Bowl winner will take on the winner of the remaining quarterfinal game, the Fiesta Bowl, which will feature the third seed, at-large from the Southeast Conference, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, who will play the sixth seed, and champion of the Big XII conference, the Bears of Baylor University.

The winners of the BCS quarterfinals will meet in Indianapolis for Football's Final Four, and the winner of the semi-finals will play for the BCS championship, right here, in Pasadena.

BRENT: Thank you Commissioner, it shapes up to be yet another exciting tournament. Two questions.  What was the last that was closest to make the field, and secondly, there is a provision that no team can have more than one game with home state advantage, yet Stanford gets to play in the Rose Bowl and maybe come back for the championship game.  How did that occur?  

COMMISH:  Oregon was the tenth team in our standings, but they were far behind South Carolina for the last at-large slot.  The Big Ten and Michigan State waved the provision that allowed Stanford to play in the Rose Bowl to allow a match-up of the two conferences aligned with the Rose Bowl.

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 face turned red when you asked about Stanford, I could feel it in my face I think.

BRENT:  Oh no, I thought you were merely blushing thinking about that girl dating the Alabama quarterback.  I thought I heard you mention her name.

COMMISH:  Oh no, I hope not, let's watch the tape. 

(back to the studio)

RECE: So, there it is.  Four SEC teams in.  Oklahoma, Oregon, and Clemson did not make the cut.  And Ohio State, looking at a Rose Bowl game, drops to a First Round game.  Now, it will be in Cleveland, but if they win, they have to go to the Sugar Bowl to face Auburn.  Coach, your thoughts? 

LOU: Yes, far too big a drop for Ohio State, in my opinion.  Plus, South Carolina, finally makes the tournament after many years, and they have to go to Cleveland in December.  That will be cruel and unusual punishment for the Gamecocks and their fans.   

MARK: I think it will be a great tournament.  I only see Missouri as a team from the First Round that could possibly challenge the top two seeds, so I think Florida State and Auburn have a nice path to Indianapolis.  Alabama will be a big favorite over Baylor, but Baylor will come to play, remembering how third seed Florida underperformed last season, and the long standing third seed curse when they play a sixth seed.  And I think Stanford has a pretty good shot at their fourth straight Final Four, although the folks in Indianapolis will be rooting for a little Michigan State caravan to drive down from East Lansing.  However, if Indy gets Auburn-Alabama Iron Bowl II, it will be one hot ticket no matter how cold Indiana is.

RECE:  Let’s look at this graphic. Here are each of the ten teams in number of appearances over the eight years of the ten team era.  Ohio State and Alabama now are tied as leaders nationally during that period with five appearances in the eight year span, and Stanford has current longest string at four.  Baylor and Central Florida are first timers overall, and it has been a while for Michigan State and South Carolina:

Ohio State          5              2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013

Alabama             5              2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013

Stanford             4              2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Auburn               2              2010, 2013

Missouri             2              2007, 2013

Florida State      2              2012, 2013

Michigan State  1               2013

Baylor                1               2013

South Carolina   1              2013

Central Florida   1              2013

RECE: "So let's review the tournament..."

First Round:

Cleveland: #7 Ohio State (at-large) versus #9 South Carolina (at-large)
 
Tampa: #8 Missouri (at-large) versus #10 Central Florida (AAC Champ)

 

Bowl Quarterfinals:

Orange: #1 Florida State (ACC) versus Missouri/Central Florida winner

Rose: #4 Michigan State (Big Ten Champ) versus #5 Stanford (Pac-12 Champ)

Sugar: #2 Auburn (SEC Champ) versus Ohio State/South Carolina winner

Fiesta: #3 Alabama (at-large) versus #6 Baylor (Big XII Champ)

Semi-Finals (Football's Final Four) in Indianapolis

National Championship in Pasadena

RECE: It should be a great great tournament. For the Hall of Famer, Lou Holtz, and Mark May, good night from the ESPN studios

And then there were sixteen...At-large drama warning in effect!

Now, we wait!  Six teams in, two likely at-larges,

(notes from Friday and Saturday)
Northern Illinois' loss to Bowling Green opens up another at-large spot.  I may have been too quick to consider Oregon a long shot.  Now the four at-larges seem to be down to Alabama, SEC loser, South Carolina, Baylor, plus Oregon, a losing Ohio State, (or FSU, sorry, had to add them for completeness) in the mix. 

Oklahoma's comeback denies Ok State the automatic bid.  Both are now longshots for at-large slots. What a day here in the luxurious paneled dark wood conference room in tourney headquarters!

Baylor is not only playing for the Big XII automatic bid, but they would be on the bubble for being a top six seed.  Otherwise, they may end up playing Central Florida in the 7/10 game and then facing #2 if they win.

NIU loss opening an at-large, Baylor may go from at-large pool to automatic.  Oregon and other at-large hopefuls are seeing some opportunity to make the tourney.

Twenty teams started the weekend alive for my tourney, but now..

IN:

• Central Florida (AAC Champ; presumed 10th seed)
• Baylor (Big XII Champ)
• Auburn (SEC Champ)
• Florida State (ACC Champ)
• Stanford (Pac-12 champ)
• Michigan State (Big Ten champ)

PRETTY MUCH IN:

• Alabama (at-large)
• Ohio State (at-large)

THEY HAVE A SOLID SHOT AT LARGE:

• Missouri
• Oklahoma State (demoted to at-large longshot)
• South Carolina
• Arizona State (lost to Stanford)
• Northern Illinois (lost to Bowling Green)
• Texas (lost to Baylor)
• Duke (lost to Florida State)
• Cincinnati (lost to Louisville)

LONG SHOTS:

• Oregon (NIU loss gives upgrade from Long Shots)
• Clemson
• LSU
• Oklahoma

-----------------------------
From the white board at tourney headquarters:

1. Florida State
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Stanford
5. Michigan State
6. ?
7. Baylor
8. ?
9. ?
10. Central Florida

At-Large options

1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. South Carolina
4. Missouri
5. Oregon
6. Clemson
7. LSU
8. Oklahoma
9. Oklahoma State

Tide revenge? After my tourney takes away two Bama titles, can they win from at-large spot?

In the four seasons I have blogged my tournament, two turned out just like real life, and two provided different champions.  And both of the latter were at the expense of Alabama losing in my simulated semi-finals.  So instead of three national championships over the past four seasons, the Tide only have one in my tournament.  But if they ever get one back, it could be this season as Alabama looks to be a three or four seed, or higher if things get really crazy this Saturday. 

One thing that will really help Bama is that the computer ratings that I use that are convertible to point spreads, Sagarin and Dunkel really like Alabama.  Alabama is ranked second in both, albeit a distant second to Florida State, but far above #11 Auburn.  Unless Auburn does really well versus Mizzou and their Bowl game, and Bama flops, Alabama would be a big favorite over Auburn if they rematched in either Indianapolis (Semi-Finals) or Pasadena (Championship). 

So we have twenty teams left for the ten slots in my tourney that will be revealed Sunday night.

There are the six conference championship winners:

• ACC: Florida State-Duke winner
• Big Ten: Ohio State-Michigan State winner
• SEC: Auburn-Missouri winner
• Pac-12: Stanford-Arizona State winner
• Big XII: Oklahoma State if they win; otherwise, winner of Baylor-Texas
• AAC: Central Florida if they win or ranked above Cincinnati; if UCF loses, Cincy wins and is above UCF in rankings

Plus, we assume Northern Illinois will be automatic qualifier if they win their conference champion game

So there will be three or four at-large berths:

• Alabama
• a losing Florida State
• a losing Ohio State
• SEC losing team
• South Carolina
• Baylor if they don't win Big XII
• Oregon
• Clemson
• a losing Oklahoma State
• LSU
• Oklahoma

Now really, even with four at-larges, most likely it will be down to:

• Alabama (sure thing)
• SEC loser
• South Carolina
• Baylor
• and maybe a losing Ohio State

and Oregon, Clemson, LSU, and Oklahoma with very little chance of getting in.  There is a possibility that there will be three at-large berths and all going to SEC teams: Alabama, South Carolina, and the SEC losing team, although one-loss Baylor's Ken Starr might sue.

What is the tourney committee rooting for?  Well, they would not mind Missouri versus Northern Illinois in Chicago, if they have to have Northern again with a regional advantage (NIU lost to Louisville last season in Chicago in the 8/9 game). 

Since my projections two weeks ago, Clemson, Oregon, and Fresno State are out, and Baylor is on the bubble. So as of today, I will project:

First Round:

In Jacksonville, Tampa, or Gainesville:

#7 SEC loser or South Carolina (at-large) versus #10 Central Florida (AAC) 

 

In Chicago:

#8 Baylor or SEC loser (at-large) versus #9 Northern Illinois (automatic non-AQ) 

 

Quarterfinals:

Orange Bowl:

#1 Florida State (ACC) versus 8/9 winner

Fiesta Bowl:

#4 Alabama (at-large) versus #5 Oklahoma State (Big XII)

Rose Bowl:

#2 Ohio State (Big Ten) versus 7/10 winner

 

Sugar Bowl:

#3 Auburn (SEC) versus #6 Stanford (Pac-12) 

 

Semi-Finals in Indianapolis, Championship in Pasadena

Stanford stunned and falls from projections, but could re-surface as dangerous opponent to top seeds

For a while, it looked like Auburn would be the team to fall out of the projections, but their "look what I found" miracle TD keeps the Tigers in the projections.  So that kooky play keeps Auburn burning up the standings, now up to #6.  But, their Bama game will determine whether their upward mobility continues.

It was the end of Saturday's upset of Stanford that shook up the projections.  Missouri sneaks back in, but do not count out the Cardinal!  They are the first team looking in, and if they end up in the First Round, a #1 or #2 would not want to meet them with Stanford trying to make a fourth straight Final Four.

And it seemed like Oregon was going to cruise into the tourney as an at-large, while Stanford would continue to do all of the heavy conference tourney heavy lifting.  Now, Oregon is back to the conference title game probably, and the increased risk of picking up loss #2.

Now, Clemson is in the position of trying to win out and avoid a conference championship, yet still make the tourney, maybe the top 6.


So, here are the projections!

First Round:

In Jacksonville:

#7 Clemson (at-large) versus #10 Central Florida (AAC) 

 

In Las Vegas:

#8 Missouri (at-large) versus #9 Fresno State (automatic non-AQ) 

 

Quarterfinals:

Sugar Bowl:

#1 Alabama (SEC) versus Fresno State or Clemson/UCF winner

Fiesta Bowl:

#4 Baylor (Big XII) versus #5 Oregon (Pac-12)

Orange Bowl:

#2 Florida State (ACC) versus UCF or Missouri/Fresno State winner

 

Rose Bowl:

#3 Ohio State (Big Ten) versus #6 Auburn (at-large) 

 

Semi-Finals in Indianapolis, Championship in Pasadena

 

Finally some clarity, and a Bo Jackson like jump by Auburn into the projected brackets

With Stanford's win over Oregon, and Baylor's "how do you like me now" win over Oklahoma, we have now come to the point that the top of the tournament has solidified.  Sometimes this does not happen until the end of the regular season (like when Alabama and Florida were number 1 and 2 going into the SEC Championship), but the current top six teams are not projected to play one other until the post-season.  So if the top six win out, they will still be the top six seeds in the tourney.

So as of now...

1) Alabama looks to be in position for another easy Sugar Bowl win, so Tide fans probably are starting to buy up Final Four Indy tickets.  Three of the last four seasons, Alabama teams seeded in the top 2 have easily handled Ohio State, West Virginia, and, yes, last season's Florida State team.

2) Florida State solidified a top 2 seed, which is quite valuable, particularly in their home state Orange Bowl. 

3)  Oregon and Clemson are kind of in the nice position that Florida was last year.  A single loss but no need to play a conference championship game.  Like Florida, who handled FSU in their last game in 2012, Clemson and Oregon's at-large "elimination game" may well be against their respective in-state rivals.  But I bet Oregon is pretty much in line for an at-large, although Clemson's South Carolina match-up seems more hazardous.

4) Where did Auburn come from?  They jumped past Clemson and Missouri, to knock the latter Tigers out of the projections.  But Auburn still has 'Bama to deal with.

5) Fresno State is still in line to have geographic advantage in a First Round game, but with the National Championship game in Pasadena, that may help find a location for a First Round game.  See, there is a guideline that teams should not have home state advantage for more than one game.  So are the Bulldogs likely to make it to Pasadena.  Duh, no, but the guideline allows the game to be sent to Las Vegas, and the small venue won't look embarrassingly empty, plus might be a nice draw to bring fans in even from a distance.

So, here are the projections!

First Round:

In Gainesville:

#7 Auburn (at-large) versus #10 Central Florida (AAC) 

 

In Las Vegas:

#8 Clemson (at-large) versus #9 Fresno State (automatic non-AQ) 

 

Quarterfinals:

Sugar Bowl:

#1 Alabama (SEC) versus Clemson/Fresno State

Fiesta Bowl:

#4 Stanford (Pac-12) versus #5 Baylor (Big XII)

Orange Bowl:

#2 Florida State (ACC) versus Auburn/Central Florida winner

 

Rose Bowl:

#3 Ohio State (Big Ten) versus #6 Oregon (at-large) 

 

Semi-Finals in Indianapolis, Championship in Pasadena

No drop-outs, but some scrambling in the next tourney projections

Here is my second projected tourney for 2013-2014:

 

First Round:

In Tampa:

#7 Miami (FL)(at-large) versus #10 Central Florida (American Athletic)  Playing FSU will move the Canes up or send them down and out

 

In Atlanta:

#8 Clemson (at-large) versus #9 Missouri (at-large) Tiger-Battle! Mizzou loses but doesn't drop out?    All of the previous week's SEC losses still left the door open for the at-large.  But, this still could be a slot for either Fresno State or Northern Illinois

 

Quarterfinals:

Sugar Bowl:

#1 Alabama (SEC) versus Clemson, Miami, or Central Florida.  Assumes Alabama will play Missouri in regular season, otherwise Tide plays 8/9 winner.  

 

Rose Bowl:

#4 Ohio State (Big Ten) versus #5 Stanford (at-large)  Big Ten-Pac-12 tradition!  But four straight Roses for Cardinal

 

Fiesta Bowl:

#2 Oregon (ACC) versus Missouri, Miami, or Central Florida... Fiesta would be rooting for Mizzou to deliver a ton of fans

 

Orange Bowl:

#3 Florida State (Pac-12) versus #6 Baylor (Big XII)... FSU  drops a slot and Baylor moves up a bit, with big impact.  FSU would be happy to be #3 Orange, but still will fight to be thrilled with a #2.  The drop from #2 to #3 shows how important the regular season still is, with the difference of potential opponents of those two slots.  And Baylor's rise gets them out of a first round game, so a major improvement. 

 

Semi-Finals in Indianapolis, Championship in Pasadena

 

Very ACCeptable first projections for the college football tourney

The first BCS standings are out and that means to me, (a) I can put together my, "if the tournament was held today, what would it look like" projections, and (b) I have to find a way to create standings next season when there is no BCS!

 

So the shocker has to be the ACC, with the big “so far” attached.  Can an ACC team make the top four?  Can there be an at-large team from the ACC?  Or two?!

 

And it is early yet, so Fresno State or Northern Illinois may eventually break into this party!

 

Here are my first projected standings for 2013-2014:

 

First Round:

In Tampa:

#7 Miami (FL)(at-large) versus #10 Central Florida (conference formerly known as Big East)  Interesting Florida battle, and the winner could end up in the Orange Bowl

 

In Arlington TX:

#8 Baylor (Big XII) versus #9 Clemson (at-large) Clemson remembers travelling to play Wisconsin in Green Bay.  This looks like an opportunity for Clemson to have a tough road trip against a tourney newbie.  By the end of the year, this could be the spot for Fresno or NIU

 

Quarterfinals:

Sugar Bowl:

#1 Alabama (SEC) versus Miami, Clemson, or Baylor  Not certain who Alabama would play because of two ACC/FSU opponents in the First Round, so basically Alabama gets the lowest ranked of the ACC teams or Baylor if both ACC schools go down.  Should Bama fans be buying up tickets for Indy’s Semi-Finals? Seems like the Final Four is likely for the Tide

 

Rose Bowl:

#4 Ohio State (Big Ten) versus #6 Stanford (at-large)  OSU gets Stanford to avoid an Oregon-Stanford rematch  Stanford would be looking at a fourth straight Rose Bowl win and fourth consecutive trip to Final Four, though Indy would love OSU to make it, especially with Notre Dame and Louisville not looking likely to contend for a Semi-Finals slot

 

Orange Bowl:

#2 Florida State (ACC) versus Central Florida, Baylor, or Miami FSU actually claims the ACC Orange Bowl slot?  ACC teams have seemed stuck in the First Round!  But can the team that was easily handled by Alabama last season in the Sugar Bowl be improved enough to contend for a title this year?

 

Fiesta Bowl:

#3 Oregon (Pac-12) versus #5 Missouri (SEC) Fiesta won’t mind so much the return of Oregon (a Fiesta fixture lately), because Missouri will “Show me” how to sell tickets.  Indianapolis might be silently rooting for Mizzou fans to hit town for the Semi-Finals too.  Frankly, the Alabama/Oregon/Stanford Final Four “occupation” might be getting a little old for some fans in general, and add in Florida State and Indianapolis may not have a local flavor for its Final Four

 

Semi-Finals in Indianapolis, Championship in Pasadena

No hoax! Notre Dame wins National Championship; defeats Stanford 28-24

When Notre Dame struggled past Louisville to open the tournament, whereas Alabama, Oregon, and Stanford cruised, generally the Irish were counted out of the National Championship chase. However, with Stanford courteously removing SEC schools Florida and Alabama, ND ended up eliminating the Pac-12's Oregon and Cardinal to win the another National Championship in their glorious gridiron history.

Notre Dame took the early lead and held it for the duration. With just under 10 minutes left in the opening quarter, ND QB Everett Golson hit TJ Jones on a 5 yard TD pass for the Irish 7-0 lead.

At about the same point of the second quarter, Irish RB Theo Riddick ran it in from six yards out, and ND held a two TD lead. Stanford was determined to keep it close. The Cardinal responded with a 1 yard Anthony Wilkerson TD run, to cut the lead to 14-7.

ND was on their game this night, and Cierre Wood ran it in from 7 yards out for the 21-7 lead. But Stanford quieted the Irish followers on the ensuing kickoff, as Kelsey Young return for 94 yard TD trimmed the lead to 21-14, which was the score as teams retreated for halftime.

The game remained tight in the third, with no scoring. Early in the fourth, Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson's 24 yard FG cut the ND lead to 21-17. With five minutes to play, Everett Golson ran in a touchdown from 15 yards out to provide a 28-17 cushion. Stanford tightened the game on a 19 yard Kevin Hogan to Jamal-Rashad Patterson TD pass, and the lead was 28-24. But Stanford never threatened, as Notre Dame recovered an onside kick, and Theo Riddick runs killed the clock. Notre Dame wins the National Championship!

Final 2012-2013 tournament results:

FIRST ROUND:

In Atlanta:
7 Florida State 21
10 Wisconsin 14

In Chicago:
8 Northern Illinois 10
9 Louisville 25

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Fiesta:
1 Notre Dame 17
9 Louisville 10

Orange:
4 Oregon 35
5 Kansas State 17

Sugar:
2 Alabama 42
7 Florida State 17

Rose:
3 Florida 23
6 Stanford 34

Semi-Finals in Arlington, Texas: (January 12th)

1 Notre Dame 49
4 Oregon 27

2 Alabama 7
6 Stanford 20

BCS Championship in Miami: (January 26th)

1 Notre Dame 28
6 Stanford 24

Inquisition not necessary: Manti Te'o mistakes are part of life, just magnified by lens of celebrity

There was a time that it seemed like great high school basketball centers came in groups of three.  One year in the late 70’s, the trio was Ralph Sampson, Sam Bowie, and St. Louis’ Steve Stipanovich.  Stipanovich eventually became the number two pick in the 1983 NBA Draft behind Sampson after attending the University of Missouri.

In December of 1980, about a month after Stipanovich turned twenty, he made the news for something besides hoops.  Stipanovich was shot in the shoulder and he told police that a masked intruder, wearing cowboy boots and a flannel shirt, broke into his apartment on Sunrise Drive in Columbia, Missouri, and shot him while screaming obscenities about basketball players.

The next day Stipanovich recanted the story and admitted that he shot himself by accident.

Stipanovich was the subsequent victim of visiting arena taunts, my recollection is that some student sections waved toy guns.  Imagine dealing with the security scrutiny for a bunch of students bearing toy arms in 2013 arena pre-game lines.  Stipo did something dumb, lied about, but doesn’t appear to have become a national pariah.  In fact, Stipanovich and his wife Terri are involved with the Mercy Ministries program in the St. Louis area, providing temporary home for young women recovering from abuse.  Doesn't sound like someone John Walsh is hunting down.

So, my feeling about Manti Te'o is that, no matter what the real story is, he did stupid things and made real mistakes, just like most people in their college years.  If you yourself never did anything stupid during those years, I bet you know people who did.  My only feeling about what I read in scribes’ columns, that "Manti Te'o has to do more, has to come clean, blah, blah."  The thing is, no, he doesn’t, and secondly, any resources spent on journalistic “getting to the bottom of it” will be such a waste of time.  When investigative reporting is more of an endangered species than the Tasmanian Wolf, that this story will be well researched just ain’t right.  Maybe finding out why Ray Lewis ditched his white suit, so we can determine if he is America’s most beloved murderer, and whether any time he rides in a limo, he hears The Tell-Tale Heart from under the floorboards.  That would be a better 30 for 30.

Manti Te'o is going through what a lot of people go through during college.  They make mistakes, either big or small, they tell tales to reduce embarrassment, and then feel the joy of their peers’ unending ridicule.  And whether you are a kid featured on CNNSI or the generic, faceless dorm floor geek of the week, most will learn some life lessons, including that sometimes self-effacement is the greater tool in adulthood. 

As far as draft stock and his bottom line, if Manti Te'o is a good linebacker, he will get work.  If not, he won’t.  Ray Lewis is beloved.  If he stunk on the field, he would not be.
 

As he has transformed from hero to jerk, I think of Michael Jordan’s dreams of going back to a time he could ride bikes to the mall and just hang out.  Unlike American Idolists or Honey Boo Boo’s, young athletes are just playing to make the team, and if they keep making it, they become celebrities.  How many people are telling this season’s high school hoops phenom Jabari Parker, “Maybe you should consider giving up basketball.  Your life will be spent signing autographs and never being able to spend carefree hours at the mall.”  Let’s ask him in 20 years if someone should have. 

Semi-Finals Saturday Super Shockers! Notre Dame controls Oregon 49-27; Bama loses QB and game to Stanford, 20-7

Heading to Cowboys Stadium, fans attending the Semi-Finals certainly expected two entertaining games, but also wins that would provide an Alabama-Oregon final.  In college football, the best laid schemes....

GAME 1: #1 Notre Dame 49, #4 Oregon 27

So typical for Notre Dame's season: after a listless effort that eventually lead to a 17-10 win over Louisville, a seemingly different Notre Dame team showed up that rolled up an early lead over Oregon.

Maybe conjuring up some Joe Montana Cotton Bowl Magic of 1979, Notre Dame was in control from the start.  The Irish jumped to a 21-0 lead by early in the second quarter on Theo Riddick's 4-yard run and Everett Golson's TD passes of 8 yards and 55 yards.

The Notre Dame defense dominated early, as Oregon punted four times and lost the ball on downs before getting a break when an Irish fumble after a reception gave the Ducks the ball on the ND 21. Two plays later, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota's 22-yard touchdown pass cut the lead to 21-7.

Notre Dame quickly added two more touchdowns to put it out of reach at 35-7. Riddick burst up the middle for his second touchdown of the game, a 26-yarder, and, after Baylor punted yet again, Cierre Wood broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run with 1:58 left before halftime.  An Oregon field goal made the halftime score 35-10, and Notre Dame fans' eyes were looking toward a Miami championship game match-up against the winner of the second game of the session.

 

GAME 2: #6 Stanford 20, #2 Alabama 7

 

Some games, first drives matter, some games, they don't.  In their third consecutive Final Four, the previous two losses to Auburn and LSU came after impressive first drives by the Cardinal.  In those two games, their foes went on to dominate the Cardinal. 

 

In this game, Alabama star QB AJ McCarron was injured after an awkward fall during the Tide's first drive, and could not return. 

 

Both teams seemed to struggle through the first half.  Stanford's six first half possession's included three punts, an interception, and a fumble, but their other possession started the scoring with ten minutes left in the second quarter.  Stepfan Taylor scored on a three yard pass from Kevin Hogan, and after a missed PAT, Stanford took a 6-0 lead.

 

With sophomore Blake Sims at quarterback, the first six possessions for the Tide included three punts, a missed field goal, a turnover on downs, and an interception.  But before the half, Sims hit Eddie Lacy with a 9-yard TD pass, and Alabama had the 7-6 lead at the break.

 

However, Stanford broke out quickly from the gate, scoring early in the third for a 13-7 lead on Hogan's 1-yard run.  While Alabama remained scoreless in the half, Hogan's 17 yard TD pass to frosh RB Kelsey Young made the score 20-7 early in the fourth.

 

The final two possessions by Alabama resulted in interceptions deep in Stanford territory, and after such a dominating Sugar Bowl victory over Florida State solidified the Tide being tourney favorite, Stanford hung on to a 20-7 shocker. 

 

Notre Dame and Stanford will see each other for a second time in Miami for the National Championship.

 

 

Updated tournament results:

FIRST ROUND:

In Atlanta:
7 Florida State 21
10 Wisconsin 14

In Chicago:
8 Northern Illinois 10
9 Louisville 25

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Fiesta:
1 Notre Dame 17
9 Louisville 10

Orange:
4 Oregon 35
5 Kansas State 17

Sugar:
2 Alabama 42
7 Florida State 17

Rose:
3 Florida 23
6 Stanford 34

Semi-Finals in Arlington, Texas: (January 12th)

1 Notre Dame 49
4 Oregon 27

2 Alabama 7
6 Stanford 20

BCS Championship in Miami: (January 26th)

1 Notre Dame
6 Stanford

Fiesta Bowl: Notre Dame gets a scare from the Cardinals; Irish survive Louisville 17-10

Throngs of ND apparel clad fans hit the desert, to see the start of their march to a national championship.  Certainly the Irish would be psyched, and not suffer a performance reminiscent of struggles against Pitt and other teams of that ilk.

Well, the good thing that Brian Kelly brought to the Notre Dame head coaching position was bringing teams to the college football tournament twice.  The bad news was those Cincinnati teams were 0-2 once they were in the tournament.  And for a lot of the Fiesta Bowl, it seemed Kelly going 0-3 was a real possibility.

Though kept out of the scoring column, Louisville and QB Teddy Bridgewater looked to be the better team throughout the first quarter.  The first half was scoreless until the final minute, but Louisville's John Wallace hit a field goal, and the Cardinals were ahead 3-0 at halftime.

The Irish showed their fighting instincts by taking the ball at the start of the second half and moving downfield.  However, Irish optimism was put on hold as their QB Everett Golson threw an interception near the Louisville goal line to stop the momentum.

Louisville did not take advantage, and the Irish scored with four minutes left in the third on a Golson 2 yard run, and Irish eyes, well, were relieved. 

In the fourth quarter, the Irish scored again on Theo Riddick 6 yard TD reception from Golson to provide ND a 14-3 lead.  However, Louisville made Notre Dame fans collectively squirm as Bridgewater hit DeVante Parker with a TD pass, and the score narrowed to 17-14. 

Needing some breathing room, Notre Dame's Kyle Brindza field goal provided a 17-10 lead, and Louisville threats never came within range, and the Irish held on.

This game was supposed to be the easy tune-up for a Semi-Finals match, but things will only get tougher as Notre Dame faces high flying Oregon at Cowboys Stadium, as the Irish were the only Final Four team not to win by more than a touchdown.


Updated tournament results:

FIRST ROUND:

In Atlanta:
7 Florida State 21
10 Wisconsin 14

In Chicago:
8 Northern Illinois 10
9 Louisville 25

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Fiesta:
1 Notre Dame 17
9 Louisville 10

Orange:
4 Oregon 35
5 Kansas State 17

Sugar:
2 Alabama 42
7 Florida State 17

Rose:
3 Florida 23
6 Stanford 34

Semi-Finals in Arlington, Texas: (January 12th)

Notre Dame versus Oregon

Alabama versus Stanford

BCS Championship in Miami:  (January 26th)

Sugar Bowl: Alabama continues Nawlins dominance, send Florida State packing, 42-17

Three of the past four Sugar Bowls, Alabama has shown little Southern hospitality by defeating Ohio State, West Virginia, and now Florida State by a sum total of 75 points.  Maybe the shellacking the Crimson Tide took at the hands of USC in the 2009 Rose Bowl taught Alabama to not leave any room for error during the weeks leading up to New Year's Day games.

Alabama's first drive was a steamroller of 82 yards, capped with an Eddie Lacy run for 20 yards for a touchdown for the early 7-0 lead.  Before Florida State could blink, Bama had the ball back, on their way to touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to Michael Williams from 3 yards out, and it was 14-0 Alabama. 

The Seminoles were game to try and hang around, and Dustin Hopkins 25 yard field goal made it 14-3, and that is how the first half ended. 

Like some kind of mythical scoring machine, Alabama continued driving, which early in the second quarter produced a T.J. Yeldon 1 yard TD run.  Florida State's Lonnie Pryor ran it in from 37 yards out, trying to match the  SEC champ, cutting the lead to 21-10.   That would not be bad way to enter the locker room, but the Crimson Tide does not roll over that easily, and in the last minute of the half, Eddie Lacy's 11 yard pass reception for a TD from McCarron allowed the Tide to roll to the break with a 28-10 lead.

That seemed to take the wind from the sails of the Seminoles, as they did not score in the third, whereas midway through the frame, Amari Cooper caught a 34 yard TD pass from McCarron, and the lead grew to 35-10. 

In the early minutes of the fourth, Cooper scored again on a 19 yard throw from McCarron, for the 42-10 cushion.  It was time to start thinking Semi-Finals, as Alabama was cruising.  Florida State added a late TD, but 42-17 would be the final.

Alabama moves on to try to repeat as national champion.  Next locale: Cowboys Stadium.  Next opponent: Pac-12 champion Stanford, in their third straight Final Four.

Orange Bowl: Oregon makes statement, returns to Final Four with 35-17 win over Kansas State

When Stanford looks around Cowboys Stadium when they arrive for the Semi-Finals, although a possible re-match is still several weeks off, they will see at least one set of familiar faces, as Oregon returns to the Final Four, with a comfortable 35-17 win over Big XII champion Kansas State.  Stanford and Oregon will represent the Pac-12 in the Final Four, just as they comprised half of the field two seasons ago.  In their fourth consecutive tournament, the Ducks avoided some of the "thuds" that have seemed inevitable in recent seasons by turning up the heat early in the Orange Bowl.  Oregon did nothing to dispel the notion that they are a team to watch in this tournament, next playing the winner of the Notre Dame/Louisville Fiesta Bowl.  Who knows, miles and miles from Pac-12 country, Miami may host a championship game rematch of this season's overtime game between Oregon and Stanford.

Kansas State, who lost out on the last at-large slot last season to Boise State, took a punch to their collective guts immediately when De'Anthony Thomas returned the opening touchdown 94 yards for a touchdown.  The Wildcats seemed sucker punched as Oregon pulled out a trick play for a Dion Jordan run for the two-point conversion, and like that, Oregon 8, K-State 0.

Kansas State tried to match the Ducks aggressiveness, by going for it on fourth down in Oregon territory, however, the Wildcats turned the ball over on downs.

With 3:46 left in the first quarter, Oregon's Thomas scored again, this time on a  23 yard pass from Marcus Mariota for a 15-0 lead.

Kansas State showed competitive life in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 15-10 after two scores: Collin Klein's 6 yard run and Anthony Cantele's 25 yard field goal, and it seemed like this might be a close one after all.

However, the Ducks ended the half on a role, scoring with 14 seconds left on Kenjon Barner's 24 yard pass recption from Marcus Mariota, and the halftime score was 22-10.

Oregon slammed the door on any thoughts of a K-State win by scoring the only points on the third quarter: Alejandro Maldonado 33yard field goal and Mariota's 2 yard run.  The Ducks lead 32-10, and were thinking Cowboys Stadium.  The final score was Oregon 35-17, and the Ducks can fly east, to see if they can finish the job this time and win it all.


Updated tournament results:

FIRST ROUND:

In Atlanta:
7 Florida State 21
10 Wisconsin 14

In Chicago:
8 Northern Illinois 10     
9 Louisville 25

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Fiesta: 
1 Notre Dame
9 Louisville

Orange:
4 Oregon 35
5 Kansas State 17

Sugar:
2 Alabama
7 Florida State

Rose:
3 Florida 23
6 Stanford 34

Semi-Finals in Arlington, Texas:

Fiesta winner versus Oregon

Sugar winner versus Stanford

BCS Championship in Miami

Rose Bowl: No Luck required; Stanford takes third straight Rose Bowl, for triplecate Final Four; downs Florida 34-23

The questions going into the game, would SEC power dominate in a Florida win, or would two previous Rose Bowl victories propel Stanford to a third straight Final Four?  Early on, it looked like a well prepared Stanford team was on their way to Cowboys Stadium.

On the first play from scrimmage Florida QB Jeff Driskel's pass intercepted by Stanford and returned 38 yards for the touchdown, and suddenly the Cardinal fans were in pandemonium. 

Then, Stanford brought out the razzle dazzle on their first offensive possession, when wide receiver Drew Terrell's 34 yard pass was caught impressively by Jamal-Rashad Patterson.  This led to
Kelsey Young 16 yard touchdown run, and Stanford had a 14-0 lead.  

Florida finally scored early in the second quarter, on a Caleb Sturgis 33 yard field goal, to close the lead to 14-3. 

Stanford continued their offensive prowess, with a 79 yard drive, culminating in Stepfan Taylor's 3 yard touchdown run, and Stanford was in control 21-10.

Stanford's offense began to lose a bit of steam, and Florida put together a 75 yard drive to end the half, scoring on a Matt Jones 1 yard run, kinda swinging gate, gadgety play, and Florida had life, cutting the lead to 21-10 at half.

Both teams offensively sputtered in the third quarter, but Stanford took a 24-10 lead early in the fourth on a Jordan Williamson 47 yard field goal, and the Stanford crowd began to smell victory.  Another Williamson field goal, of 20 yards, added for a 27-10 Cardinal lead.

Florida answered on Andre Debose's 100 yard kickoff return, and the Gator fans began to think another comeback could be possible, now trailing 27-17.  But Stanford responded with a drive and TD to regain control 34-17.  Florida drove to score with two minutes left on Kent Taylor's 5 yard pass reception from Jeff Driskel, but it was too little, too late, and Stanford won 34-23.

Stanford returns to their third straight Final Four, upon completion of their Rose Bowl three-peat.  Their SEC odyssey may continue at Cowboys Stadium.  In Stanford's five previous tournament games over the last three seasons, four have been against five different SEC teams, and the trend might continue, as they take on the Sugar Bowl winner of Alabama or Florida State.


Updated tournament results:

FIRST ROUND:

In Atlanta:
7 Florida State 21
10 Wisconsin 14

In Chicago:
8 Northern Illinois 10     
9 Louisville 25

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Fiesta:
1 Notre Dame
9 Louisville

Orange:
4 Oregon
5 Kansas State

Sugar:
2 Alabama
7 Florida State

Rose:
3 Florida 23
6 Stanford 34

Semi-Finals in Arlington, Texas:

Fiesta winner versus Orange winner

Sugar winner versus Stanford

BCS Championship in Miami

First Round Chicago: Louisville eyes the Irish, stomps Northern Illinois 25-10

Chicago hosted its first First Round tournament game on drizzly day in the upper 40's, but Louisville played like all was sunny and warm on their side of the field, as they bested a game but overmatched Northern Illinois team, to advance to the Fiesta Bowl against top seed Notre Dame.

Huskies QB Jordan Lynch struggled early against a prepared Louisville defense.  But it was not only the Cardinals defense that was in a groove, but Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater heated up the cool-ish day with a sparkling passing attack.  Louisville took their first drive in for the touchdown, on J eremy Wright 1-yard run, for the 7-0 margin. 

Bridgewater continued to dominate, and a circus TD catch by DeVante Parker on a 15 yard throw, and and after John Wallace's extra point was blocked, Louisville had a 13-0 lead.

NIU and Lynch struggled offensively, as his regular season magic seemed to be left behind in DeKalb.  So the Huskies pulled out a trick play.  Desroy Maxwell took a short snap on a fake punt on fourth-and-3 and ran 35 yards to set up a field goal for the Huskies' first score.  Mathew Sims 25 yard field goal cut the lead to 13-3 before the end of the first quarter.
  
Louisville continued to pass well in the second quarter, but the Huskies defense tended to bend but not break, and the Cardinals did not take advantage of scoring opportunities by missing field goals of 40+.  The Cardinals added to their lead with a 27 yard field goal, the score was Louisville over NIU 16-3 at the half.

Louisville continued to control the game at the start of the third, but this time capitalized, as Teddy Bridgewater threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Damian Copeland for the 22-3 lead. 

In the third quarter, Northern Illinois finally found the lighning in the bottle, if only for a single drive, as Jordan Lynch completed a pass to Akeem Daniels for 55 yards to the Louisville 37.  Lynch finished the drive with a touchdown pass to Martel Moore for 11 yards, and NIU fans had a chance to cheer, cutting the lead to 22-10.

That was the score going into the final quarter, but Louiville continued to dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage, adding a Wallace completing the 30 yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the 25-10 lead, and Northern never challenged. 

Louisville leaves Chicago with a trip to the desert, facing Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. 

First Round Atlanta: Seminoles tomahawk chop the Badgers; Florida State wins 21-14

Florida State knew coming in that the Big Ten had dominated the ACC in recent years' First Round games, but, despite a gutty effort by Wisconsin, the Seminoles reversed the trend. 

With a Sugar Bowl opportunity versus on Alabama on the line, both Florida State and Wisconsin seemed a bit out of sorts as the game began.  After a questionable fourth and goal call by the Badgers, who had Montee Ball on the sidelines, and a missed FSU field goal attempt, the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie. 

Things picked up in the second quarter.  Wisconsin's defense was stunned by a big play, a 60-yard TD run by FSU's Lonnie Pryor, giving the Seminoles a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.  However, Wisconsin responded with a scoring drive, with their RB Ball running it in from the 11-yard line to tie the score.  Later in the half, Badgers QB Curt Phillips continued a solid stretch of play by completing a 4 yard TD pass to Jordan Fredrick, to give Wisconsin its first lead of 14-7.  But the Seminoles anwered with Rashad Greene getting one toe down in the end zone on a 6 yard pass from FSU QB EJ Manuel to close out the first half scoring, and the teams were tied at 14 going into the locker room.

Florida State seemed to continue their momentum by utilizing their quickness early in the third quarter, but stuggles on third down kept the Seminoles from taking advantage on the scoreboard.  As the quarter rolled on, it became more of a physical game and Wisconsin seemed to gain control of the line of scrimmage. 

Early in the fourth quarter, behind the running of Pryor and Manuel, Florida State put together a drive capped by an EJ Manuel touchdown rush for 9 yards, and FSU lead 21-14.   Despite a solid performance overall by the Badgers QB, a late interception thrown by Phillips took away Wisconsin's final chance.  Florida State ran out the clock, and, for the first time since Virginia Tech defeated Texas Tech in the First Round in 2008-2009, an ACC team will be in the Bowl Quarterfinals.

Updated tournament results:

FIRST ROUND:

In Atlanta:
7 Florida State 21
10 Wisconsin 14

In Chicago:
8 Northern Illinois      
9 Louisville

BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):

Fiesta:
1 Notre Dame
8 Northern Illinois/Louisville

Orange:
4 Oregon      
5 Kansas State

Sugar:
2 Alabama        
7 Florida State

Rose:
3 Florida
6 Stanford

Semi-Finals in Arlington, Texas:

Fiesta winner versus Orange winner

Sugar winner versus Rose winner

BCS Championship in Miami