.everyone loses games, few change them.

Now that the 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship is over, I can tell you that there is one thing for me that stood out most from watching that game. Yes, it was exciting that Heisman recipient QB Cam Newton led his Auburn Tigers to a 22-19 victory over the Oregon Ducks - but, that's not it. And you're right, it was even more exciting that the Ducks fought back and were close to a possible OT situation - but, that's not it either.

Call me silly but, the truth is, what I remember most days later (even more than Cam's *say cheese* smile above) is just how cool the Oregon Ducks looked in their fresh custom designed Nike uniforms. Even though they didn't win the game, they definitely lost in style. Shortly after, Nike came up with an advertisement just to brag.

Quite fitting.

How were the Oregon Ducks able to obtain these cool uniforms you ask? Well, the program received a 100 million dollar donation from alum Phil Knight in 2007. If you don't know who Phil Knight is, he happens to be the co-founder and Chairman of Nike. Makes sense now huh? In fact, the team has a possible 384 uniform combinations at their fingertips, thanks to Phil. Lucky *Ducks*. ;)

Peace,

Love,

& Swoosh,

-C

Photo Credit

Nike.com

.bcs 102.

There are definite differences between NCAA football (college) and the NFL (as I mentioned in my bcs 101 post). It may be not be easy to pick up on these details so I took the liberty of brainstorming a list which highlights a few:

• The hash marks are in different places. For college football the hash marks are 60 feet from the sideline and for the pros they are 70 feet 9 inches from the sideline. They look different because the pro hash marks are closer together in the middle of the field than the college hash marks are.
• The NFL limits teams to 53 players.
• In NCAA football, the defense can return a failed conversion attempt for 2 points.
• In NCAA football, the game clock stops after a successful first down conversion; starting again after the officials have set the football. In the NFL this clock stoppage does not take place.
• The NFL uses a "sudden death" overtime system. This means that the first team to score any points during overtime will win upon scoring. In NCAA football, each team is given an opportunity to score, with the game continuing on as long as the score remains tied.
• In the NFL, teams receive 40 seconds in-between plays. In NCAA football the time limit is 25 seconds, beginning when the official rules the ball "ready to play".
• In NCAA football the point after touchdown is attempted from the 3 yard-line. In the NFL it's attempted from the 2 yard-line.
• NFL has a salary cap and college players can't get paid (so they say…).
• College players can force someone out of bounds to void a catch.
• No touch from opposing team needed when you are down in college games.
• The clock stops after a 1st down in college until the refs move the chains, spot the ball and signal for time to begin again.
• In NCAA football replay, officials can review every play vs. the NFL where it is done only in the last 2 minutes.
• In the NFL, each team is given two instant replay challenges; while in NCAA football each coach only gets one.
• 1 foot (in NCAA football) vs. 2 feet (in the NFL) must be inbounds to be ruled a catch. In the NFL, a player who is receiving a pass must do several things before they establish possession of the football. They need to get two feet down inbounds and continue throughout the process to retain a firm, controlled grasp of the football. College players need to do far less to establish possession. All they need to do is to get 1 foot down inbounds and retain a grasp on the football.
• NFL clock restarts after out of bounds for most of the game.
• Pass interference in the NFL is at the spot of the foul or 1 yard line if in the end zone while it is a 15 yard penalty in college.
• NFL allows teams to handle balls prior to game (except kicking balls) college requires new balls each game (no professional emblems on the balls allowed in college).
• There is no 2 minute warning in college.
• Kickoff penalties are different.
• Goal posts on the field are different.
• The NFL has "Playoffs" vs. college football having "Bowl Games". In the NFL, the post-season winner is decided by a standard bracket playoff system, similar to the one in place in most other professional sports leagues. NCAA football utilizes a voting system to assign teams to "bowl games," which are the only post-season matches played each year. This eventually culminates in a national champion being selected.

I am sure there are many more but as you can see, it really is a different set of rules. This is another reason the transition from college football can be a bit difficult to adapt from a rookie perspective.

One aspect that is NOT DIFFERENT between a NCAA football game and an NFL game is the excitement! A college football game can be just as exciting (if not more so at times) than an NFL game. Check out one of the most memorable plays from this seasons match up between Texas Tech vs. Texas. A not-so-small rivalry game that ended in such a BIG way! Have you ever heard of Michael Crabtree? If not, you can say you know exactly who he is after watching this clip. Enjoy~



Peace,
Love &
the BCS,
-C

P.S. If you'd like to view the above video in high def, you can do so at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaN_ce47MOY. Click on "watch in high quality" right below the volume control on the youtube screen.

.bcs 101.

If you’d have asked me a year ago how I felt about college football, I would have told you that I honestly didn’t care for it. I had no interested in it AT ALL. Lucky for me, that all changed this year.

When college football kicked off this season, it dawned on me. How could I declare that I’m a huge sports fan without giving college football a chance? How could I dream about becoming an ESPN sideline reporter if I didn’t educate myself on every sport? That was when I decided to give college football a chance. I began to pay more attention to what the sportscasters had to say about the upcoming collegiate season. I studied the ins and outs and familiarized myself with the system. Since then, I’ve learned a few things about the college football world. One nice perk is that most (if not all) NFL rookies start there and showcase their talents in the prestigious BCS. Not to mention; following the transition of a rookie between college football and the NFL as it culminates on NFL Draft day is pretty fun to watch! College football is truly greater than I ever knew. How could I not realize this before?

As I began to keep tabs on college football, I found that I was not at all in tune with the way it worked. It is very different from the NFL in some respects and I think that in order to appreciate it for what it is, you’ve got to understand the basics. So, I decided to share with you my version of the "BCS basics" for any of you blog friends out there who may want to impress someone, learn something new, or be amused by my mini lesson! Ok, here we go. :)

First off, there are a few definitions that you might want to be clear on.

BCS may refer to several different definitions as it relates to American College Football but primarily means “Bowl Champion Series”. This is a system that selects match-ups for college football bowl games.

The term BCS can also be used in the following ways:

“BCS National Championship Game” which is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series AND “BCS Conference” which is the six major NCAA Division I-A football conferences whose champions receive an automatic bid into the Bowl Championship Series.

NCAA is the “National Collegiate Athletic Association” (often pronounced "N-C-Double-A"). It is a voluntary association of about 1,200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the US.

Now that those terms are out of the way, here’s how things come together.

The college football season begins each year on Labor Day weekend (one week before the NFL season begins). The regular season for college football continues through early December and consists of twelve regular-season games per team. During the final weekend of the regular season, there are several conference championship games and rivalry games, including the popular Army-Navy Game.

The postseason for college football consists of a series of bowl games that showcase the top 64 college teams. Each bowl game is generally a match of two teams with similar standing from different conferences. Division I Bowl Subdivision (still widely known by its former designation of Division I-A) football is the only NCAA sport which does not decide its champion with a playoff.

BCS rankings are released weekly (every Sunday during the season). Since 1998, the BCS National Championship Game has been determined by the Bowl Champion Series (aka: BCS). The BCS National Championship Game is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series. This game is played after the completion of the BCS Bowls. The site of the Championship Game rotates every year between the four BCS Bowls: the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. The first BCS Championship game was held on January 8, 2007 at the new University of Phoenix Stadium, the new home of the Fiesta Bowl.

Bowl dates for this season are:

• Jan. 1, 2009 - FedEx Bowl
• Jan. 1, 2009 - Rose Bowl
• Jan. 2, 2009 - Allstate Sugar Bowl
• Jan. 5, 2009 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
• Jan. 8, 2009 - National Championship Game (Miami)

The system for calculating the bowl games is very controversial. Some critics argue that the system unfairly favors teams from large conferences. Critics of the current BCS Championship complain that the national champion is decided by polls and computers, not by competition on the field. The BCS method chooses only the top two ranked teams, according to a combination of the BCS computer rankings and two human polls, to compete for the national championship. This has often led to disagreements and questions as to whether the team who won the BCS National Championship Game is actually the best team. In 2003, for example, USC was not included in the BCS Championship Game, but beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and ended up No. 1 in the Associated Press final poll.

Interesting side note: In all other NCAA sporting events, the national champions are determined by a playoff system (while college football is not).

So, I’ll pause here. Be a sponge and soak this all in. I know it's a lot. Try watching a game or two (televised every Saturday during the season). You may be pleasantly surprised. Me personally, I enjoy the USC Trojans and Texas Tech Red Raiders!