ESPN College Football Final

[penguinpower]

If you get the chance DVR this today and watch Final Verdict toward the end. Reese Davis, Lou Holtz, and Mark May discuss FCS vs FBS match-ups and if it should continue.

[JMUNJ08]

If you get the chance DVR this today and watch Final Verdict toward the end. Reese Davis, Lou Holtz, and Mark May discuss FCS vs FBS match-ups and if it should continue.

I watched how much they hate them. The key is that we all can't be lumped in together. There is a HUGE difference between Savanah State and our top 25 let alone FBS top 25 teams. For their point on the selection committee taking consideration on these games out entirely or looking down on them, why not just use an RPI type system? JMU at 100 sounds like a better OOC FCS game than 244 Savanah State...

[CID1990]

There is more disparity within FBS conferences, top to bottom, than there is between FCS ranked teams and non-ranked FBS.

For example, the difference between Alabama and Kentucky is much greater than the difference between Kentucky and NDSU. Plus, the midmajor FBS teams need those games to ostensibly pad their schedules. I know the big time pundits don't like it when the good FCS teams upset their elitist image of FBS football, but these games will continue to be played.

[TTUEagles]

I don't know why people constantly beat this topic to death year in and year out. My God, "we've" been doing it for at least 3-4 decades now. 99% on this board know it's about 1 thing (primarily): $$$. The FBS school's save a ton of $ and the FCS school makes $ on these games. That's it. Why is this concept so hard for people to understand?
My pet peeve is the cool-guy talk show host who always laughs and says, "1-AA, FCS, Division 4 or whatever they're calling it now..." (heard in Nashville, again, this week)

[DSUrocks07]

Savannah State should have sent a helmet to ESPN this past week, PR lesson 101. Any publicity is good publicity. How many more people have heard of Savannah State now? At least have them identify your brand. They've arguably had the toughest SOS these first two weeks out of ANY D1 program (FCS and FBS). That's notable.

[walliver]

If you want to stop FBS-FCS games because they aren't "fair", then you also need to stop the BCS vs non-BCS games also. The idea that FAU, FIU, MTSU, and Idaho are somehow in the same league as Alabama, LSU, Southern Cal, Oklahoma, and Texas is quite absurd.

[superman7515]

Absolutely correct. If there's anything that Boise State, Utah, Hawaii, TCU, etc have proven over the last decade, it is that non-BCS schools can not compete with BCS school. Louisiana-Monroe has no business being on the field with a team like Arkansas.

[DFW HOYA]

Expect ESPN to start beating the drum to eliminate all I-A vs. lower division games for "strength of schedule" purposes.

More money stays within I-A, presumably better ratings.

[Laker]

Savannah State should have sent a helmet to ESPN this past week, PR lesson 101. Any publicity is good publicity. How many more people have heard of Savannah State now? At least have them identify your brand. They've arguably had the toughest SOS these first two weeks out of ANY D1 program (FCS and FBS). That's notable.

Yah, I saw that generic thing that they put the sticker on. I think that they did the same thing when Montana State beat Colorado a few years ago. You are right, they should send them one- and one to the Scott Van Pelt Show. I saw that he had a La Salle Explorers helmet on the table about a month ago.

[TheBisonator]

Absolutely correct. If there's anything that Boise State, Utah, Hawaii, TCU, etc have proven over the last decade, it is that non-BCS schools can not compete with BCS school. Louisiana-Monroe has no business being on the field with a team like Arkansas.


Wait a minute... ULM BEAT Arkansas. Your statement makes no sense.

[dgtw]

It probably didn't help the FCS cause that Lou Holtz was on their side.

I wonder if these "debates" they have each week are set up, by thatt I mean does some tell Holtz to take one side and Mark May the other.

[DSUrocks07]

My biggest gripe is after the segment they showed 4 scores from FCS-FBS games that were all blowouts. No mention of Sac State, NAU, NDSU, or Illinois State.

Obviously didn't fit their "agenda" :pumpuke:

[penguinpower]

Like^^^^^^ and agree^^^^^

[813Jag]

let's be honest, this whole uproar is because of 84-0. Just another typical E$PN arguement. there was no outcry before the season started.

[CID1990]

I remember once in the 80s Clempson beat Wake Forest something like 80-0.

Not like it hasn't happened before.

[MplsBison]

My biggest gripe is after the segment they showed 4 scores from FCS-FBS games that were all blowouts. No mention of Sac State, NAU, NDSU, or Illinois State.

Obviously didn't fit their "agenda" :pumpuke:

To my review of it, May was referring specifically to games like the Savannah St game while Holtz was referring to I-AA - I-A games in general.

May has a reasonable argument, perhaps only the top 25 I-AA teams (regardless of scholarships) should be allowed to count as bowl eligible victories for I-A teams?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

FCS vs. FBS matchups are not going away anytime soon because they fit the institutional agenda of everyone involved. FCS schools need the money, and love playing FBS schools. FBS schools love home games, and will pay FCS schools the money because 1) they're cheaper, 2) they likely are wins, and 3) it helps them to get bowl-eligible. Could it affect their plus-one playoff chances? Extremely unlikely.

Blather from media guys trying to create blather. FBS schools are routinely "shamed" when they schedule Savannah State-level FCS schools, but it doesn't deter anyone. Neither do Illinois State/Sacramento State/Eastern Washington/etc. etc. etc. FCS wins. Even when faced with risks of losing schools still do it.

[DSUrocks07]

To my review of it, May was referring specifically to games like the Savannah St game while Holtz was referring to I-AA - I-A games in general.

May has a reasonable argument, perhaps only the top 25 I-AA teams (regardless of scholarships) should be allowed to count as bowl eligible victories for I-A teams?

But then if you schedule an ranked App State in Week 3 and they start out 0-2 and fall out of the rankings, it wouldn't count? That's what makes these so difficult to fix.

[MplsBison]

But then if you schedule an ranked App State in Week 3 and they start out 0-2 and fall out of the rankings, it wouldn't count? That's what makes these so difficult to fix.

Yeah, top 25 is a little too simple. Something more clever could be done. Say, for example, a rolling, average ranking in the AP poll of the last 3 seasons. Only top 30 count. Something like that could be figured out.

Point being, competitive I-AA games should count the same for the big time schools as scheduling a lower I-A school. Wisconsin beating Nothern Iowa should count the same as Iowa beating Northern Illinois. No one would argue against that. But OK St and FL St being Savannah St. shouldn't count. No one would argue against that either.

[Laker]

But then if you schedule an ranked App State in Week 3 and they start out 0-2 and fall out of the rankings, it wouldn't count? That's what makes these so difficult to fix.

Exactly. How can you do that over a season with the ups and downs?

Let it be- trying to fix this is a bigger can of worms. It doesn't look like beating up Savannah State helped Oklahoma State on Saturday. The NCAA has enough rules the way it is- no one, not even them, knows them all.

[MplsBison]

Exactly. How can you do that over a season with the ups and downs?

Let it be- trying to fix this is a bigger can of worms. It doesn't look like beating up Savannah State helped Oklahoma State on Saturday. The NCAA has enough rules the way it is- no one, not even them, knows them all.

I correctly answered the question with a pretty solid proposal. Read it all before posting foolishly.

[Gil Dobie]

I remember once in the 80s Clempson beat Wake Forest something like 80-0.

Not like it hasn't happened before.

1983 Nebraska 84 Minnesota13

[Laker]

1983 Nebraska 84 Minnesota13

I was at that game to the bitter end. I knew that Salem would not be back for the next season and this was early in the year. Of course that Nebraska offense was one of the greatest of all time..........but still, ouch.

[Laker]

I correctly answered the question with a pretty solid proposal. Read it all before posting foolishly.

This isn't Jeopardy and you aren't Alex Trebek. It was your opinion, and that was mine.

[Hammerhead]

Weren't most (all?) of these conference foes when the games took place:

2008: USC 69, WSU 0
2008: Missouri 52, Nebraska 17
2007: Ohio State 58, Northwestern 7
2005: Texas 70, Colorado 3
2004: Boise State 65, Idaho 7
2004: Nebraska 10, Texas Tech 70
2003: Oklahoma 77, Texas A&M 0
2001: Penn State 61, Michigan State 7
2001: West Virginia 80, Rutgers 7

[MplsBison]

This isn't Jeopardy and you aren't Alex Trebek. It was your opinion, and that was mine.

He asked a question, I responded. Then you quoted his post, skipping over mine, and asked the same question.

As I said, read it all before posting.