Category: Television (Page 35 of 73)

      What would a college football playoff look like this year? (Part 2)

      November 24, 2008 /

      I debuted this feature last week, but now that another week’s worth of games are behind us, it’s wise to take another look.

      First, my assumptions:

      1. There will be an eight-team playoff, with the six BCS-conference champs getting an automatic bid.

      2. If a conference champ is ranked lower than #15 in the rankings, they give up their automatic bid and it becomes an at-large bid. (This rule is to ensure that the regular season keeps its meaning.)

      3. Seeds and at-large bids are distributed based on the current BCS standings. Certainly, these rankings can be tweaked, but they are fine for now. If an at-large team has a better BCS ranking than a conference champion, they will get a higher seed.

      4. There will be three rounds of playoffs. The first round will be held at the home stadium of the higher-seeded team. The semifinals and the final will rotate amongst the four BCS cities (Miami, Pasadena, Tempe and New Orleans).

      Off we go…

      #8 Penn State (11-1) @ #1 Alabama (11-0)

      #5 USC (9-1) @ #4 Florida (10-1)

      #7 Texas Tech (10-1) @ #2 Texas (10-1)

      #6 Utah (12-0) @ #3 Oklahoma (10-1)

      In this case, since likely conference champions #16 Cincinnati (Big East), #17 Oregon State (Pac-10) and #20 Florida State (ACC) are not in the top 15 of the BCS rankings (and are therefore not one of the “elite” teams in the country), they give up their automatic berths.

      Compared to last week, with the institution of the “Top 15 Rule,” Cincinnati would no longer get a berth, but since the Bearcats are at #16 and still have two games to play, they could still finish in the top 15. Right now, Texas Tech would be the first at-large team to lose its spot, and given the drubbing they took this weekend, that makes sense.

      With Cincy no longer qualifying, #6 Utah moved into the playoffs. Undefeated Boise State is currently ranked #9 in both human polls and the BCS rankings. Their computer ranking (.630) just doesn’t measure up to Tech’s (.890).

      Other than Boise State, the teams that are on the outside looking in — #10 Ohio State, #11 Georgia, #12 Oklahoma State, #13 Missouri and #14 TCU — all have losses to teams that made the playoffs, so the regular season still matters, despite what the pro-BCS crowd says.

      So, how does it look?

      College Football, Television

      Couch Potato Alert: 11/24

      November 24, 2008 /

      All times ET…

      NFL

      Mon, 8:30 PM: Packers @ Saints – ESPN
      Thurs, 12:30 PM: Titans @ Lions – CBS
      Thurs, 4:15 PM: Seahawks @ Cowboys – FOX
      Thurs, 8:15 PM: Cardinals @ Eagles – NFL Network

      College Football

      Thurs, 8:00 PM: Texas A&M @ #2 Texas – ESPN

      College Basketball

      Mon, 5:30 PM: Indiana vs. #8 Notre Dame – ESPN2
      Mon, 8:30 PM: #2 UConn vs. #19 Wisconsin

      NBA

      Thurs, 10:30 PM: Hornets (7-5) @ Nuggets (9-5) – TNT

      College Basketball, College Football, Couch Potato Alert, NBA, NFL, Television

      Couch Potato Alert: 11/21

      November 21, 2008 /

      Michigan vs. Ohio State
      It’s Michigan-Ohio State – a classic rivalry that unites strangers and divides friends once a year for three and half hours. The Buckeyes are 9-2 with dreams of a BCS bowl bid in their future, and a victory over the Wolverines will give them a share of their fourth consecutive Big Ten title. How bad is it for Michigan? Well, last week’s home loss to Northwestern officially stamped this season as the worst in school history. Never has a Wolverine team lost eight games in one season and Ohio State would love to lower the bar even further. National coverage begins Saturday at 12 PM on ABC. Click here for the official Michigan-Ohio State smack thread.

      Michigan State vs. Penn State
      A win for Joe Pa on Saturday could clinch Penn State’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1994, their second year competing in the Big Ten. If Michigan State running back Javon Ringer cannot run the football, the Spartans will have no chance of winning this game. It will be a difficult task, as the Nittany Lions are ranked first in the Big Ten and 10th in the country against the run. Michigan State’s last victory in Beaver Stadium was in 1965, the year before Joe Paterno became head coach of the program. Regional coverage begins Saturday at 3:30 PM on ABC.

      Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma
      A win in Norman on Saturday night would leave the Red Raiders two victories away from playing in the BCS national championship game. But an Oklahoma win will leave us with oh so many possibilities for our little bowl series come January. First off, we will have a three-way tie (Texas-Oklahoma-Texas Tech) for the top spot in the Big 12 South, and the conference has an interesting tie-breaker to determine the representative in the Big 12 title game against Missouri. The winner will be decided by which school has the highest ranking in the BCS bowl standing. So, Orwell’s big brother will have a vested interest in the outcome of this weekend’s game. National coverage begins Saturday at 8 PM on ABC. Click here for the official Texas Tech-Oklahoma smack thread.

      New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans
      Two of the hottest teams in AFC will square off this Sunday, as the New York Jets travel to Memphis to face the undefeated Tennessee Titans and the winner could emerged as the conference favorite to reach the Super Bowl. The East-leading Jets are riding a four-game winning streak into the game, while the Titans are looking to become the 13th team in league history to open a season with a 11-0 record. The media spotlight has shine brightest on quarterback Brett Favre, but the team’s turnaround can be contributed to the Jets running attack. New York has averaged over 160 yards per game and scored eight rushing touchdowns in its last five games. The Titans defense could welcome back two starters this week with defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin) and cornerback Nick Harper (ankle) returning to the lineup. Regional coverage begins Sunday at 1 PM on Fox.

      College Football, Couch Potato Alert, NFL, Television

      Dale Earnhardt 10 Greatest Wins DVD Collection Review

      November 20, 2008 /

      It is hard to imagine that we are coming up on the eight-year anniversary of the untimely death of Dale Earnhardt. NASCAR has produced a five-disc DVD collection to celebrate the legacy of “The Intimidator” driving his legendary black # 3 car to victory.

      I want to throw a caution flag in the air, as Earnhardt’s 10 greatest races are not complete television re-broadcasts. Instead, each 45-minute vignette features a condensed version that highlights the key moments of each race. The ultimate NASCAR fan might be disappointed as they won’t be able to watch the entire race once again, but casual fans might enjoy the shorter format.

      Every race in the DVD collection provides a perfect tribute to Earnhardt’s competitive fire and his adrenaline-pumping race to the winner’s circle. My favorite races include Earnhardt’s photo-finish win over rival Bobby Labonte in the 2000 Cracker Barrel 500, capturing the 1998 Daytona 500 flag after racing 20 years on the legendary track without a victory, winning the 1989 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway the night after his father, Ralph, was inducted into the Raceway’s Hall of Fame, and Earnhardt’s final victory that saw him move from 18th place to win the 2000 Winston 500 at the legendary Talladega Superspeedway.

      The bonus features on the DVD collection include the induction of Ralph and Dale Earnhardt into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame some nine years apart from one another. Dale’s ceremony features a brief retrospective from his friend, Brian Williams, about the essence of his hard-driving, world-class championship driving style. And the reaction from the audience proves Earnhardt was the most popular driver of his time.

      General Sports, Television, Video

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