CFB Week 14: Championship week & conference realignment

Another week, another shift in the college football conference realignment landscape. Plus championships!

November 29, 2012; 7:37 AM • by Ross Catrow

Another week, another shift in the college football conference realignment landscape. Last week saw Maryland leaving the ACC for the Big Ten, this week sees Louisville leave the Big East to take Maryland’s spot. Louisville was definitely my first pick to fill the Terp’s vacancy: they’ve got an excellent basketball program and a top-25ish football program. Check this out:

Over the last six years, Louisville is the nation’s only school that has reached both the men’s and women’s basketball Final Four, a BCS bowl game, the College World Series and the Men’s Soccer College Cup.

Not only do the Cardinals bring athletic balance to the ACC, but they’ll also bring the largest athletic budget. This is pretty nuts considering ACC schools receive a fivefold larger payout from their conference than Big East schools.

The only downside to this move is it just got even harder for the Hokies to reach the NCAA (basketball) tournament. There are currently five ACC (or soon-to-be ACC) schools ranked in the top 25.

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Tech narrowly beat UVA to claim the Commonwealth Cup and keep Beamer’s bowl streak alive. The game was ugly on both sides and neither team had much to be proud of. What’ll be remembered from this game won’t be the freezing temperatures, or the gusting wind, or even Coach London’s questionable fake field goal call in the 4th quarter. What fans of both teams will talk about for years is London’s terrible clock management at the end of the game. Rather than keep some time on the clock and attempt to take some shots down the field (something the Hokies have been susceptible to all season long), Coach London opted to double ice the kicker? Sure.

Well Cody Journell, who’s been automatic from under 42 yards this year, hit the 29-yarder for the win.

An honest, no-snark question for Hoo fans: is Mike London a better coach than Al Groh?

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Here’s a couple notables from this past weekend that you may have missed:

Kent State beat Ohio, 28-6. I know, I know who cares? YOU DO, THAT’S WHO. Enough teams in front of Kent State lost last week that the Golden Flashes are now ranked #17 in the BCS. Since the Big East champion will be ranked below Kent State, all the Flashes need to do is finish in the top 16 and they’ll get an automatic BCS bid. Things that need to happen: Texas must lose to Kansas State (likely) and UCLA must lose to Stanford (also likely).

Ha! This is the best news: Ohio State beat Michigan, 26-21! OSU is now undefeated and unable to participate in the postseason!

Man, the ACC continues to lose out-of-conference games left and right. Florida State and Clemson both lost winnable games to their SEC rivals, Florida (37-26) and South Carolina (27-17). Our conference’s ability to consistently lose against other conferences was already embarrassing, and it just keeps getting worse.

Well, that’s that. With Notre Dame’s victory over USC, 22-13, they’ve clinched a spot in the national championship game. Their opponent will be the victor of the Alabama-Georgia game.

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Games worth watching

Friday, 7:00 PM, ESPN2; #21 Northern Illinois vs. #17 Kent State — The Golden Flashes need to win this one to upset the BCS apple cart. If they manage to sneak in to a BCS bowl game, the team most likely left out will be Oklahoma.

Friday, 8:00 PM, FOX; #16 UCLA at #8 Stanford — No Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game? Crazy. After Stanford wins this one, watch coach David Shaw’s postgame interview. He’s the best at showing exactly zero emotion. He’s like Mike London’s total opposite.

4:00 PM, CBS; #2 Alabama vs. #3 Georgia — I would love to see Mark Richt win this one and keep Nick Saban out of a second national championship game.

8:00 PM, ABC; #18 Texas at #6 Kansas State — After his millionth loss to Oklahoma, Texas coach Mac Brown was on the coaching hot seat for a quick second. Last week they lost to TCU. Is this a must win for Brown?

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Etc.

• Game of the week — The SEC Championship Game, Alabama vs. Georgia, national title hopes on the line! COME ON MARK RICHT! You can do it!
• Gus Johnson watch — The Pac-12 Championship Game: Stanford at UCLA!
• Stupid picks from the heart — Georgia! UGA UGA!

November 29, 2012 7:37 AM 0