After a short hiatus up in Michigan, I figured I'd give people a little insight into how the BCS works. Die-hard fans, sorry to bore you. There's a plethora of rules/regulations that go into the BCS selection process, but I'll keep it to the important ones.
We'll start at the top.
BCS Championship Game
The National Championship Game (NC) will always have the 1 and 2 teams in the BCS poll. The BCS Poll is affected by a human poll sent in every week by coaches, athletic directors, and media across the country, as well as a computer-generated, numerical poll created by a writer named Jeff Sagarin.
Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl, as many of you know, puts the Big Ten Champion against the Pac 10 Champion. It's old. Really old. They grasp at tradition with an Iron Fist. The Pac 10 has dominated in the last couple years. If a Big Ten team is in the NC, the 2nd place Big Ten team will take the Rose Bowl spot, provided they are in the Top 14 of the final BCS Poll. Many may remember a few years back, Ohio State went to the NC and Illinois took the Rose Bowl spot. Played in Pasadena, CA
Fiesta Bowl
Big 12 champ vs. an "at-large" selection chosen by the head honchos running the bowl. At-large means any team that is not tied-in to a specific bowl, such as the Big Ten or Pac 10 champ. Again, the at-large selection must be from the top 14 in the BCS poll. Played in Tempe, AZ
Orange Bowl
Normally, the Orange Bowl puts the ACC champ against the Big East champ, however, the ACC is the only one required to go. The other slot is an at-large. If the Big East champ is in the top 14, they are guaranteed to be selected for one of the BCS bowls. Played in Miami, FL
Sugar Bowl
Puts the SEC Champ against an at-large team. Played in New Orleans, LA
So, after all that, here is the top 14 of the BCS standings right now:
1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
7. Oregon
8. Ohio State
9. Iowa
10. Georgia Tech
11. Penn State
12. Virginia Tech
13. LSU
14. BYU
There is still one more weekend of College football left. Florida and Alabama will meet in the SEC Championship game. Winner goes to the NC, loser goes to the Sugar Bowl. A huge game is Oregon vs. Oregon St. on Thursday night. A huge rivalry game, AND the winner goes to the Rose Bowl. The BCS Picture:
NC: Florida/Alabama vs. #2 (probably Texas)
Rose: Ohio State vs. Oregon/Oregon St.
Fiesta: At-large vs. At-large
Orange: Georgia Tech/Clemson vs. At-large
Sugar: Alabama/Florida vs. At-large
Here's the At-large pool, the teams remaining, to take the 4 at-large spots:
TCU
Boise State
Cincinnati
Iowa
Penn State
Virginia Tech
LSU
BYU
Cincinnati, the Big East Champ, will take on spot. TCU will get another, Boise State most likely will get another. The remaining spot comes down to Iowa, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and BYU (LSU is not eligible, since only 2 teams from the same conference can be selected in the BCS). If Iowa or Penn State aren't selected, I think a lot of people around the country would be shocked.
So why should MSU fans care? Well, if two Big Ten teams go BCS, every other team is "bumped up" This means:
Capital One: Iowa/Penn State
Outback: Wisconsin
Champs Sports: Northwestern
Alamo: Minnesota/Michigan State
Insight: Michigan State/Minnesota
Little Ceauseuuar's Pizza Bowl: No one, because its in Detroit.
Minnesota has been to the Insight bowl for 3 of the last 4 years. The bowl won't make a ton of money from ticket sales -- many fans don't want to vacation in the same place over and over. The Insight bowl reps will likely try to convince the Alamo bowl to take Minnesota over Michigan State, so it's really a toss up to who goes to those two bowls.
So that's the explanation. If you have comments/questions, I'd love to hear them.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Here's a flowchart for the Big Ten bowl picture after this past weekend. I figured it would be handy to have as football is played on Saturday. OSU and Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota are at noon, PSU/MSU and Wisconsin/Northwestern are at 3:30.
As it looks right now, there will probably only be one Big Ten team in the BCS this year. Although both Iowa and Penn State will be eligible for a BCS at-large selection (barring an upset), there are three at-large spots. The teams up for grabs would include #4 TCU, #6 Boise State, the loser of the #5 Cincinnati vs. #9 Pittsburgh game. It could happen, I just don't see it, though.
The number at the end of each "branch" is coordinated with this list for MSU's bowl destination:
1. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minn - LCPB
2. NU - Alamo, Minn - Insight, Michigan - LCPB
3. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minn - LCPB
4. NU - Alamo, Minn - Insight, MSU - LCPB
5. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Michigan - LCPB
6. NU - Alamo, MSU - Insight, Michigan - LCPB
7. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
8. NU - Alamo, MSU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
9. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
10. Minnesota - Alamo, NU/MSU - Toss up
11. MSU - Alamo, Minnesota - Insight, NU - LCPB
12. Minnesota - Alamo, NU - Insight, MSU - LCPB
13. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minn - LCPB
14. MSU/NU/Minn/Michigan - Toss up
15. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
16. MSU/NU/Minn - Toss up
I assumed that if MSU has the same Big Ten record as northwestern, it is likely MSU will get selected before them -- the Spartans beat the Wildcats earlier in the season, and have a fanbase that will travel to the bowl better. It's all about what group will make the most money for the bowls, especially in the current economy. This is even more so for the Insight bowl, who get ridiculously low TV ratings (they're on the NFL Network, wtf?)
A lot of the OR's come from who gets selected first - MSU or Minnesota. Minnesota beat MSU, but I'm not sure how well their fans would travel, since Minnesota went to the Insight bowl last year.
Here's the long and short of it: If Michigan fails to upset OSU (which looks like a HUGE possibility), MSU will be in a Big Ten bowl this year, even after a Penn State loss. As a rule of thumb, if MSU beats Penn State next weekend, they will be heading to the Alamo bowl. If they lose, their fate lies with Minnesota.
It should be noted that Northwestern plays Wisconsin and Minnesota plays Iowa. Both are favored to lose their games. Also, in the event the Big Ten gets 2 teams in the BCS, the Spartans will not be bumped up: the Champs Bowl would not be dumb enough to send MSU to Orlando for the third straight year - not many people would take another trip down there so profits would be low.
As it looks right now, there will probably only be one Big Ten team in the BCS this year. Although both Iowa and Penn State will be eligible for a BCS at-large selection (barring an upset), there are three at-large spots. The teams up for grabs would include #4 TCU, #6 Boise State, the loser of the #5 Cincinnati vs. #9 Pittsburgh game. It could happen, I just don't see it, though.
The number at the end of each "branch" is coordinated with this list for MSU's bowl destination:
1. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minn - LCPB
2. NU - Alamo, Minn - Insight, Michigan - LCPB
3. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minn - LCPB
4. NU - Alamo, Minn - Insight, MSU - LCPB
5. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Michigan - LCPB
6. NU - Alamo, MSU - Insight, Michigan - LCPB
7. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
8. NU - Alamo, MSU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
9. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
10. Minnesota - Alamo, NU/MSU - Toss up
11. MSU - Alamo, Minnesota - Insight, NU - LCPB
12. Minnesota - Alamo, NU - Insight, MSU - LCPB
13. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minn - LCPB
14. MSU/NU/Minn/Michigan - Toss up
15. MSU - Alamo, NU - Insight, Minnesota - LCPB
16. MSU/NU/Minn - Toss up
I assumed that if MSU has the same Big Ten record as northwestern, it is likely MSU will get selected before them -- the Spartans beat the Wildcats earlier in the season, and have a fanbase that will travel to the bowl better. It's all about what group will make the most money for the bowls, especially in the current economy. This is even more so for the Insight bowl, who get ridiculously low TV ratings (they're on the NFL Network, wtf?)
A lot of the OR's come from who gets selected first - MSU or Minnesota. Minnesota beat MSU, but I'm not sure how well their fans would travel, since Minnesota went to the Insight bowl last year.
Here's the long and short of it: If Michigan fails to upset OSU (which looks like a HUGE possibility), MSU will be in a Big Ten bowl this year, even after a Penn State loss. As a rule of thumb, if MSU beats Penn State next weekend, they will be heading to the Alamo bowl. If they lose, their fate lies with Minnesota.
It should be noted that Northwestern plays Wisconsin and Minnesota plays Iowa. Both are favored to lose their games. Also, in the event the Big Ten gets 2 teams in the BCS, the Spartans will not be bumped up: the Champs Bowl would not be dumb enough to send MSU to Orlando for the third straight year - not many people would take another trip down there so profits would be low.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Bills, Bills, Bills
The coming of winter will usually cause utility bills in college apartments and houses to drastically increase (that is, if it's not a fixed rate included in your lease). I figured I'd share some tips on how to cut down on electricity, gas, and water usage as the months get a little colder.
Electricity and Gas
I'll put these two together as several appliances could run on either. First thing to do is to check what major parts of your place use electricity vs. gas. Housing companies aren't usually the smartest people, so make sure you check your stove, water heater, and furnace to figure out if they run on electricity.
The biggest way you can save money is by reducing your heating costs. Don't expect to keep your place at 72 degrees during the winter, keep your thermostat in the 60's and wear slippers and a sweater around the house. However, under no circumstances leave your furnace completely off and let temperatures get to cold in your house - I guarantee if you get sick and miss class and perform poorly on exams, you're not going to be happy with the 10 dollars you saved that month on heating. If it's cloudy or nighttime, make sure the blinds to your windows stay closed. You may even want to put a thick blanket over windows that don't offer a view you would appreciate at any time.
Electricity can be saved from a variety of sources. The most prevalent wastage of electricity I've seen is from computers. Computers use an incredible amount of power over time if they are left on all day. Keep your computer off (not in "suspend" or "hibernate") whenever you're not at home, or even if you won't be using it for an hour or more. Additionally, change your computer settings so your monitor is slightly dimmer (this will also make your laptop battery life increase). Personally, I like to keep any electronics in my apartment on a surge protector. Almost all electronics continue to use power while they are off, but still plugged in. Whenever I leave my apartment, I make sure the surge protector connected to my TV, cable box, Computer, printer, and anything else electronic is turned off. UNPLUG YOUR CELL PHONE CHARGER DURING THE DAY. I can't stress that enough.
Finally, if you are gone for hours at a time, make sure your thermostat is adjusted lower than normal. If it's at 67, put it down to 62 when you're gone. When you come home, put it back up. There is no sense in keeping your house/apartment warm if no one is in it. Again, do not completely turn it off, as pipes can freeze if left cold for too long.
Water
Water usage is a simple thing. Taking shorter showers can have a large effect. Get in, shampoo, conditioner, soap, get out. When shaving, close off the sink drain, fill the sink with water, and use that water to wash off your razor, instead of continuously running the faucet. Ladies, you can do the same thing using a bucket while sitting on the edge of the tub - its certainly cheaper than the water wasted shaving in the shower. Also, opt to do dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher.
Well, there you have it. A lot of these things many of you may already know, but I figured I would try to organize them all here. I can't really speak towards cable/internet bills, as that is specific to each individual case. I can say that Comcast should be avoided at all costs. Since living on my own, I haven't gone 2 months without them trying to screw me out of money. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, feel free to comment!
Electricity and Gas
I'll put these two together as several appliances could run on either. First thing to do is to check what major parts of your place use electricity vs. gas. Housing companies aren't usually the smartest people, so make sure you check your stove, water heater, and furnace to figure out if they run on electricity.
The biggest way you can save money is by reducing your heating costs. Don't expect to keep your place at 72 degrees during the winter, keep your thermostat in the 60's and wear slippers and a sweater around the house. However, under no circumstances leave your furnace completely off and let temperatures get to cold in your house - I guarantee if you get sick and miss class and perform poorly on exams, you're not going to be happy with the 10 dollars you saved that month on heating. If it's cloudy or nighttime, make sure the blinds to your windows stay closed. You may even want to put a thick blanket over windows that don't offer a view you would appreciate at any time.
Electricity can be saved from a variety of sources. The most prevalent wastage of electricity I've seen is from computers. Computers use an incredible amount of power over time if they are left on all day. Keep your computer off (not in "suspend" or "hibernate") whenever you're not at home, or even if you won't be using it for an hour or more. Additionally, change your computer settings so your monitor is slightly dimmer (this will also make your laptop battery life increase). Personally, I like to keep any electronics in my apartment on a surge protector. Almost all electronics continue to use power while they are off, but still plugged in. Whenever I leave my apartment, I make sure the surge protector connected to my TV, cable box, Computer, printer, and anything else electronic is turned off. UNPLUG YOUR CELL PHONE CHARGER DURING THE DAY. I can't stress that enough.
Finally, if you are gone for hours at a time, make sure your thermostat is adjusted lower than normal. If it's at 67, put it down to 62 when you're gone. When you come home, put it back up. There is no sense in keeping your house/apartment warm if no one is in it. Again, do not completely turn it off, as pipes can freeze if left cold for too long.
Water
Water usage is a simple thing. Taking shorter showers can have a large effect. Get in, shampoo, conditioner, soap, get out. When shaving, close off the sink drain, fill the sink with water, and use that water to wash off your razor, instead of continuously running the faucet. Ladies, you can do the same thing using a bucket while sitting on the edge of the tub - its certainly cheaper than the water wasted shaving in the shower. Also, opt to do dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher.
Well, there you have it. A lot of these things many of you may already know, but I figured I would try to organize them all here. I can't really speak towards cable/internet bills, as that is specific to each individual case. I can say that Comcast should be avoided at all costs. Since living on my own, I haven't gone 2 months without them trying to screw me out of money. If you have any other thoughts or suggestions, feel free to comment!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
MSU vs. Western Michigan University, November 7th
While the picture at the top of the Big Ten conference got a bit more cloudy today, this game proved to be a very one-sided contest, as expected. MSU delivered the most lopsided victory against an FBS opponent in 2 years, as they beat WMU 49-14. Another high point for MSU was the liveliness and attendance at Spartan Stadium -- the fan base at MSU has had a reputation in the past of not showing up well after heartbreaking losses and during seasons where expectations were not met. Credit goes to Dantonio and his first few teams for starting a trend of consistency.
MSU now sits at 5-5 overall, and 4-3 in the Big Ten. One more win will ensure the Spartans head to a bowl this year. Many are thinking that, like 2007, 7-5 is necessary to guarantee a bowl spot. However, this year there are a herd of 6-6 teams, and a big gap in wins above that. Minnesota, MSU, and Northwestern look like they may finish 6-6, with OSU, Iowa, PSU, and Wisconsin taking the first 4 bowl spots. MSU has the biggest potential for a bowl to cash in, so they will likely get picked before other 6-6 teams.
MSU got a lot of confidence back on defense, a unit that clearly struggled in previous weeks. At the half, I believe WMU had 33 yards of total offense. The secondary still looks like a weak point for this team and I don't believe anyone in the country should rely on this unit to win games. They did show up against Iowa and did a great job, until the last drive of the game. A new running threat emerged in Ashton Leggett, who ran for 110 yards on 10 carries, with FOUR touchdowns. Larry Caper, the usual starter was out with a concussion. Leggett has barely seen the field since the Montana State game and he came out firing. I'm sure he has earned some playing time with Caper in the last two games.
My one huge problem with this team is the decision to keep switching out Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. A lot of people believe Nichol goes in every game because the staff made some promise to play him if he transferred back to MSU. No idea if that is true or not, but look at the number comparison:
Cousins: 61% Completion Percentage, 7.82 Yards per Attempt, 140 QB Rating, 2.4 TD/Int ratio
Nichol: 51% Completion Percentage, 8.55 Yards per Attempt, 137 QB Rating, 1.6 TD/Int ratio
While the argument is there that Nichol hasn't had a chance to get into rhythm, I present to you, the Illinois game, where he started and played a vast majority of the game before bruising his elbow:
52% Completion percentage, 179 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int, QB Rating of 104
Kirk Cousins has yet to have a QB Rating that low in his starts, and has only thrown below 52% twice, on the road @ Wisconsin and against Iowa, two very good teams with pretty strong defenses. I understand that the stats say they are close, but Cousins clearly has separation. Switching QB's does have an effect on their rhythm and the offense will suffer because of it. I just don't understand.
As stated before, the Big Ten went a little wild. Iowa, the clear cut favorite to win the Big Ten at the beginning of the day, as well as a legit BCS Title contender, was upset by Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium. Starting QB Ricky Stanzi went down with an injury in the 2nd quarter and returned out of uniform on crutches later in the game. Iowa's offense never got going after that as NU took the game 14-10. Ohio State also beat Penn State in a later game, leaving PSU with two losses, and Iowa and OSU with one loss. Coincidentally, OSU and Iowa play each other next week in Columbus. The winner has a fast track to the Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth, as the two teams play Michigan and Minnesota, respectively. Michigan dropped to 5-5, 1-5 in the Big Ten after losing to Purdue, with @ Wisconsin and OSU their final two games. They will be favored to lose significantly in both matches. Illinois is showing signs of life, finally: they beat Michigan last week and now handed Minnesota a loss, without Juice Williams for some of the contest.
It doesn't look like there will be two Big Ten teams in the BCS this year, as any non-champion will have at least 2 losses in a middle-of-the pack conference. This is probably a good thing for the Big Ten, as teams will not be "bumped up" to face harder competition. We'll see what happens!
MSU now sits at 5-5 overall, and 4-3 in the Big Ten. One more win will ensure the Spartans head to a bowl this year. Many are thinking that, like 2007, 7-5 is necessary to guarantee a bowl spot. However, this year there are a herd of 6-6 teams, and a big gap in wins above that. Minnesota, MSU, and Northwestern look like they may finish 6-6, with OSU, Iowa, PSU, and Wisconsin taking the first 4 bowl spots. MSU has the biggest potential for a bowl to cash in, so they will likely get picked before other 6-6 teams.
MSU got a lot of confidence back on defense, a unit that clearly struggled in previous weeks. At the half, I believe WMU had 33 yards of total offense. The secondary still looks like a weak point for this team and I don't believe anyone in the country should rely on this unit to win games. They did show up against Iowa and did a great job, until the last drive of the game. A new running threat emerged in Ashton Leggett, who ran for 110 yards on 10 carries, with FOUR touchdowns. Larry Caper, the usual starter was out with a concussion. Leggett has barely seen the field since the Montana State game and he came out firing. I'm sure he has earned some playing time with Caper in the last two games.
My one huge problem with this team is the decision to keep switching out Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol. A lot of people believe Nichol goes in every game because the staff made some promise to play him if he transferred back to MSU. No idea if that is true or not, but look at the number comparison:
Cousins: 61% Completion Percentage, 7.82 Yards per Attempt, 140 QB Rating, 2.4 TD/Int ratio
Nichol: 51% Completion Percentage, 8.55 Yards per Attempt, 137 QB Rating, 1.6 TD/Int ratio
While the argument is there that Nichol hasn't had a chance to get into rhythm, I present to you, the Illinois game, where he started and played a vast majority of the game before bruising his elbow:
52% Completion percentage, 179 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int, QB Rating of 104
Kirk Cousins has yet to have a QB Rating that low in his starts, and has only thrown below 52% twice, on the road @ Wisconsin and against Iowa, two very good teams with pretty strong defenses. I understand that the stats say they are close, but Cousins clearly has separation. Switching QB's does have an effect on their rhythm and the offense will suffer because of it. I just don't understand.
As stated before, the Big Ten went a little wild. Iowa, the clear cut favorite to win the Big Ten at the beginning of the day, as well as a legit BCS Title contender, was upset by Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium. Starting QB Ricky Stanzi went down with an injury in the 2nd quarter and returned out of uniform on crutches later in the game. Iowa's offense never got going after that as NU took the game 14-10. Ohio State also beat Penn State in a later game, leaving PSU with two losses, and Iowa and OSU with one loss. Coincidentally, OSU and Iowa play each other next week in Columbus. The winner has a fast track to the Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth, as the two teams play Michigan and Minnesota, respectively. Michigan dropped to 5-5, 1-5 in the Big Ten after losing to Purdue, with @ Wisconsin and OSU their final two games. They will be favored to lose significantly in both matches. Illinois is showing signs of life, finally: they beat Michigan last week and now handed Minnesota a loss, without Juice Williams for some of the contest.
It doesn't look like there will be two Big Ten teams in the BCS this year, as any non-champion will have at least 2 losses in a middle-of-the pack conference. This is probably a good thing for the Big Ten, as teams will not be "bumped up" to face harder competition. We'll see what happens!
New Blog!!!
I felt like starting a blog in my downtime. Why not? This is the Green Screen, meant to provide some insight to save money, mainly directed towards those in college. I've had the privledge of attending school in both a suburban and a city atmosphere, so I feel like I've gotten a decent amount of exposure to different types of college life.
I also plan on posting some thoughts on MSU Spartan football and basketball as the games progress. Those will probably be up Thursday and Sunday during football season, probably every Sunday during basketball season. Let me know if you have some constructive criticism!
I also plan on posting some thoughts on MSU Spartan football and basketball as the games progress. Those will probably be up Thursday and Sunday during football season, probably every Sunday during basketball season. Let me know if you have some constructive criticism!
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