Welcome to the 2015-2016 College Football Tournament selection
show, sponsored by Planters Nut-rition Chocolate Nut Protein Mix. Now to the ESPN Studios, with Rece Davis,
Mark May, and Lou Holtz.
RECE: Welcome
everyone to this year’s College Football Tournament selection show, and, well,
the old gang is back together. Look who’s
here, coach Lou Holtz, how are you doing coach?
LOU: Well I am just pleased as punch to be here. It has been a very exciting football season
this year, and should be a great tournament.
RECE: Well, let’s go through what we know, and what we don’t
know, but will determine in the next few minutes. We
know these five conference champions are in: Alabama, Clemson, Michigan State,
Stanford, and Oklahoma. Another
automatic qualifier will be the top conference champion among the other five
conferences, who do you think will get that bid Mark?
Mark: The spot has to go to Houston, champion of the
American Conference, no doubt. Western
Kentucky will be a very, very distant second to them. Remember, four years ago, Houston was looking
at a top six seed in the tourney, but Southern Miss stunned them in the
Conference USA championship game, but Houston will make it in this season,
probably as a ten seed. It is interesting that every season, we think we have found the team that will earn this "Group of Five" bid. First it was Central Florida, we figured with a coach like George O'Leary, they would be the yearly choice. Then we thought after last season, oh, it will be Boise State every year with their successful history. I think we are learning that the "Group of Five" slot may just go to a different school over and over again.
RECE: Coach, another way to be an automatic qualifier is to
be an independent in the top eight in the BCS rankings. Can you think of a team that might qualify
that way, Lou?
LOU: Boy do I! Notre Dame has had a just spectacular season,
and they will earn an automatic spot as an independent. Great job Irish!
RECE: So that is seven projected automatic qualifiers, and
that means three at-large spots are open.
Mark, who do you think gets those?
MARK: Ohio State and Iowa are definitely in. Iowa may have been a question mark before the
Big Ten Championship game, but they played Michigan State down to the wire,
they are definitely in. So that leaves
one spot for a number of two-loss teams.
RECE: And those teams are Texas Christian, Florida State,
Northwestern, and Oklahoma State. Who
will take that last spot?
MARK: Rece, I was
leaning to TCU, but now I think it will be Florida State. Florida State really dominated Florida in their
last game, whereas Texas Christian’s offense was basically non-existent in the
second half again Baylor in their finale.
It took the rules of overtime to give TCU field position to finally
score, in an absolutely putrid second half performance. So I think the Seminoles momentum brings them
into the tourney.
LOU: Well, I disagree.
It has to be the defending champion Texas Christian. Mark, the rain made the weather conditions
just terrible for both teams in that TCU-Baylor game, the rain was just a
downpour. You cannot blame the players
for that. TCU barely, just barely lost
to Oklahoma with their backup quarterback, on the road, no less. Texas Christian has to be there.
RECE: And another unknown is, who will make the top six, and
avoid a first round game? It seems clear that Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, and
Michigan State will be in the top four, but we have Ohio State, Iowa, and
Stanford that want those final two spots of the top six. Who do you think it will be, Mark?
MARK: I think it will
be Ohio State and Stanford, and Iowa playing in the First Round. Stanford as conference champs of the Pac-12
will get the nod over Iowa.
LOU: No Mark, it has to be the two one-loss teams, and that
is Ohio State and Iowa. Iowa played such
a great season, undefeated and then a last minute loss in the conference
championship. No way Iowa plays a First
Round game.
RECE: Guys, it is time to get all of our questions answered,
and go to Brent Musburger in Glendale, Arizona to learn who is in and where
they play. Brent?
Let's go to tournament Commissioner Nelson, who will reveal this year's tournament. Commissioner..."
COMMISIONER:
Thank you Brent. It is my yearly pleasure to announce the teams that
will be playing in the 2015-2016 BCS College Football Tournament.
In the First Round, in Shreveport, Louisiana, the seventh seed, the Hawkeyes of the University if Iowa, a Big Ten at-large, will play the tenth seeded University of Houston Cougars, champions of the American Athletic Conference.
The other First Round game will be played in Chicago, where the eighth seed and automatic qualifying independent, the Irish of Notre Dame University, will take on the ninth seed, and at-large team from the Big XII Conference, the defending champion Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.
In the First Round, in Shreveport, Louisiana, the seventh seed, the Hawkeyes of the University if Iowa, a Big Ten at-large, will play the tenth seeded University of Houston Cougars, champions of the American Athletic Conference.
The other First Round game will be played in Chicago, where the eighth seed and automatic qualifying independent, the Irish of Notre Dame University, will take on the ninth seed, and at-large team from the Big XII Conference, the defending champion Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.
So let's move onto the BCS Bowl quarterfinals. Either Texas Christian, Iowa,
or Houston will move on to the Orange Bowl, to play the top seed,
the Tigers of Clemson University, champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The
winner of the Sugar Bowl, will take on the winner of the Sugar Bowl,
which will feature the fourth seed, champion of the Big XII conference,
the Buckeyes of the Ohio State University, and fifth seeded at-large from the Big Ten Conference, the Buckeyes of Ohio State University.
Either Notre Dame, Iowa, or Houston will move on to the Peach Bowl, to play
the number two seed, and champion of the Southeastern Conference, the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama.
The
Orange Bowl winner will take on the winner of the remaining
quarterfinal game, the Rose Bowl, which will feature the third seed,
champion of the Big Ten Conference, the Michigan State Spartans, who
will play the sixth seed, champion of the Pac-12 Conference, the Cardinal of Stanford University.
The
winners of the BCS quarterfinals will meet in San Antonio for Football's
Final Four, and the winner of the semi-finals will play for the BCS
championship, right here, in Glendale, Arizona.
BRENT:
Thank you Commissioner, it shapes up to be yet another exciting
tournament. Two questions. What was the bubble team that was closest to
make the field, and secondly, how close was it between Stanford and Iowa for that last spot in the top six?
COMMISH: Florida State was the last team out of the tournament, but was not particularly close to Texas Christian in the standings for the last
at-large slot. As far as the top six goes, in fact Iowa finished sixth in a razor thin margin over Stanford. It was so close, Stanford was sixth during the entire weekend until the last of six computer rankings came into play. So it was very close. If we allowed both Ohio State and Iowa in the top six, then we would have had to have one of them play Michigan State. We felt in unfair to the Spartans to have won their conference and then have to play one of those teams again so soon, that it would have diminished their accomplishment. And as conference champion, Stanford also merited inclusion in the top six. We went back and forth, but I feel that we would have made this decision 99% of the time.
BRENT: Thank you Commissioner, and now back to Rece at the studio.
(microphones pick up unsuspecting continuing conversation)
BRENT: Good job Commissioner. You did fine.
COMMISH: I feel like I am getting better at this TV part every year, whew!
BRENT: Yes, you did fine. And thank you for allowing me to continue hosting
this presentation, but why did you have to have Lou Holtz back on also. It is going to start looking like a charity event for demoted ESPN employees. Are you going to bring in Bill Simmons too?
COMMISH: No Brent, though I really like Bill's writing, I think he comes across a bit grating as a broadcaster. He should stick to the scribe role.
BRENT: Thank you Commissioner. And next year consider replacing Coach Holtz, I think it would be for the best.
(back to the studio)COMMISH: No Brent, though I really like Bill's writing, I think he comes across a bit grating as a broadcaster. He should stick to the scribe role.
BRENT: Thank you Commissioner. And next year consider replacing Coach Holtz, I think it would be for the best.
RECE: So Mark, what do
you think?
MARK: I think it is a very well balanced bracket, and should
be a great tournament. We thought
Oklahoma-Ohio State might be a bowl match-up, and that game has to be the
marquee game of New Year’s Eve and Day.
But I think all the games will be competitive, except Alabama in the
Peach Bowl. I don’t think any of those
teams can oust Alabama. They can punch
their tickets for the San Antonio Semi-Finals right now in Tuscaloosa.
LOU: Well, I am just shocked that the tournament committee placed
Iowa, the team that earned a top six seed, into the First Round. The system determined that Iowa was in the
top six, yet the committee placed them seventh, just because they wanted a
Michigan State-Stanford Rose Bowl I bet.
I feel so sorry for the Iowa team, the coaches, and the fans.
MARK: Coach, I thought what the Commissioner said made a lot
of sense. It was razor close between Stanford and Iowa,
and I agree with him about Michigan State.
If Iowa and Ohio State make the top six, the Spartans have to play one
of them in the Bowl game, and that is not fair to them, having to play a team
it just beat again. They did the right
thing.
RECE: So let’s make some predictions. Mark, give me some teams
that you think could go all the way.
MARK: Rece, I think the conversation begins and ends with
Alabama. I think this is their year, and
Nick Saban will take home the trophy.
Possible dark horses for me have to be on the other side of the bracket
from Alabama. So I think Ohio State has
the tools to win it all, watch out for Urban Meyer. And if we were to predict a decade ago, which
Pac-12 would be in four straight Rose Bowl, and win three straight, and now be
in their fifth of the last six Rose Bowls, who would have guessed
Stanford? They were in three straight
Final Fours and a National Championship runner-up, you always have to take
Stanford seriously, even if they play Alabama.
RECE: And their only loss in that span of four straight Rose
Bowls was to Michigan State. Well, the
Cardinal get a rematch.
LOU: You know, no one
is talking Clemson. By golly, they are
undefeated, number one seed. I see
Clemson as a top seed, with a chip on their shoulder, with no repect.
And that is a dangerous combination. As a dark horse, I like Notre
Dame. They barely, barely lost to Clemson and
Stanford, both games on the road. But
now Notre Dame has no more road games!
They get to play TCU in Chicago.
So, I think the Irish can really shake things up.
MARK: That Notre Dame-TCU game should be very interesting,
it can go so many ways. Also, don’t
forget the tenth seed Houston. Every
year we tend to dismiss them, but two years ago, Central Florida in that slot
came within one point of Mizzou, and last year tenth seed Boise State made it
to Football’s Final Four. So, watch out
for Houston.
RECE: Another thing about Houston, they are the only team of
the ten that has not recently been in the tournament. This is a year with a lot of schools with
recent tournament experience. Alabama is in their fifth consecutive tournament, leading the way for longest current streak. I think
that is why it seems quite unpredictable, with a lot of potential
champions.
So let's look at the brackets one more time:
FIRST ROUND:
In Shreveport, LA:
7 Iowa
10 Houston
In Chicago:
8 Notre Dame
9 Texas Christian
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 Clemson
TCU/Iowa/Houston
Sugar:
4 Oklahoma
5 Ohio State
Peach:
2 AlabamaNotre Dame/Iowa/Houston
Rose:
3 Michigan State
6 Stanford
SEMI-FINALS in San Antonio
?
?
?
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BCS CHAMPIONSHIP in Glendale, Arizona
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