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I have always had a healthy respect for those who are experts in technology, particularly folks who have a great understanding of computer software...

College Football Bowl Predictions: David Kim Tells Us Who Will Play

by BabyTate (Senior Writer)

25

1933 reads

Preview/Prediction

October 03, 2008


I have always had a healthy respect for those who are experts in technology, particularly folks who have a great understanding of computer software.

Some of the most interesting articles I have written or read concern data arrived through numbers crunching.

A neighbor of mine has a son who believes that he has solved the mystery of predicting football games. He apparently is making a living by navigating winners and losers each week by reading data analysis and other such secret information.

When making game predictions, many rely upon how they feel about the game based upon knowledge and information, including past performance. David Kim has advised me that "statistical referencing" is the only important issue in predicting games. What?

He informs me that transferring information through his program makes knowledge of who has "been successful in the past," "tradition," and "pulling for your team" meaningless. 

David wishes to share his system with Bleacher Report. We'll avoid any specific regular season games and cut right to having him project the bowl participants. Be warned, he states there is better than a 50 percent chance this will come to pass.

 

Chick-fil-A Sandwich Bowl: Tennessee versus Ga. Tech

Liberty Bowl: Mississippi versus Tulsa

Holiday Bowl: Texas Tech versus Arizona State

Sun Bowl: Nebraska versus Notre Dame

Outback Steak House Bowl: Florida versus Wisconsin

Capitol One Credit Card Bowl: Alabama versus Penn State

Cotton Bowl: Auburn versus Oklahoma

Gator Bowl: Va Tech versus West Va

Sugar Bowl: Georgia versus Pitt

Orange Bowl: LSU versus Maryland   

Fiesta Bowl: Texas versus Utah

Rose Bowl: California versus Ohio State

BCS Title Game: Southern California versus Missouri

 

Well, isn't that interesting? No BCS Title Game for #1 Oklahoma and #2 Alabama, instead they "each lose their conference title games, opening the door for the second-place teams in those divisions (Texas and LSU) to qualify for the BCS at-large openings elsewhere."

Apparently, the key to all of these matters rests with the final record of Michigan State. Who the Spartans defeat, who they lose to, will determine the placement of six of the above teams due to the effect they have on each of the other teams' final record. You mean wild card?

We can have a lively discussion about this computerized information, but, for goodness sake, half the fun of football is presenting your ideas with emotion and conviction. I appreciate David sharing this with us; however, I feel games will always be settled on the field, where intensity, coaching maneuvers, and pressure can affect the outcome.

Let the arguments begin.

Author Poll

Do you agree with these projected Bowl match-ups?

  • YES
  • NO
  • Can't Decide Now
vote to see results
Author Poll Results

Do you agree with these projected Bowl match-ups?

  • YES

    9.3%

  • NO

    78.7%

  • Can't Decide Now

    12.0%
  • Total votes: 75
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25 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Mitch at sportschatplace.com 9 months ago

    That BCS line up is so bad even we would have a tough time watching those games. I think what his program is probably missing is the public perception and ESPN spin meter which both matter more than winning and losing games or who you play. While I agree that a lot of those things don't matter in wins and losses they are the only things that matter in rankings.
    Maybe he can figure out the odds of not having enough bowl elgible teams to fill all of the bowl slots and what is the probablitlity of they only included wins vs. D-1 opponents, I smell a follow-up.

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      I knew you would get after him. I asked him if he pulls for any team and he said "yes, Lehigh, that's where I went to school".

      He insisted Michigan State's importance in determining where everyone goes in the Bowls can not be overlooked. Why? When did they start determining everything?

      Thanks Mitch.

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  2. J. Michael Morris 9 months ago

    One of the considered criteria is "history of past success" which, in reality, means absolutely nothing when considering future success.

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  3. daniel cox 9 months ago

    bt, wow.

    thanks for sharing a different perspective.

    in light of your former article about computers, this one is an appropriate follow-up.

    i hope you revist this at the end of the season.

    we may have a new prognosticator on our hands...

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      Thanks for the comment daniel.

      I couldn't help but think of the computer poll article when talking with David Kim. He has an absolute dismissal of everything that happened before the prior week. "Irrelevant advertising for the masses to participate in product consumption", he proclaims.

      Why Michigan State is the key to what happens in life is beyond me.

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  4. Anonymous 9 months ago

    i would love to see bama and PSU in a bowl game, i think bama has PSU on their schedule for 2011

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  5. Scott Pusich 9 months ago

    So does he predict Missouri to beat Oklahoma in the Big XII championship game? Will they be undefeated? Why was Texas mentioned? I'm a bit confused... if Missouri gets the title game spot, then neither Oklahoma nor Texas need to pout, they'd be happy if they got to a BCS bowl.

    Better than 50 percent. Haha... that's a big range of possibility left unaccounted for. Is it 50.1, or 59.3... (I'm assuming if it were over 60 percent he would've said so).

    Hmmm, he picks Utah over BYU... and Cal in the Rose Bowl... *grin*

    We'll have to check back on this, of course... just as with your projected coaching changes, it will be interesting to see how it turns out!

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      Texas finishes 2nd in Big12 South. Oklahoma is 1st. Mizzou 1st in the North.

      Mizzou beats Oklahoma. OU sinks out of BCS as Texas deals for BCS during Big 12 title week like Kansas did to Mizzou last year.

      Mao, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.........

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  6. Scott Pusich 9 months ago

    P.S. I voted "Mao on the French Revolution" in your author poll... ;-)

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    • Scott Pusich 9 months ago

      Thanks for the info, BT...

      Actually I was voting "Can't Decide Now"... and apparently I incorrectly attributed the quote to Mao... a little investigation on ye olde search engine seems to indicate Premier Zhao En-Lai:

      (from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/06/25/DI2008062500794.html)

      Sanford Levinson: My general reply to all such questions is to quote Zhao en-Lai's famous answer to being asked about the consequences of the French Revolution: "It's too early to tell."

      My bad!

      You have a good point with the other saying, though... it seems to apply quite well to conference championship games! Last year Oklahoma was Kansas' friend, and this year, if David's projections pan out, Missouri will be Texas' friend...

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      The first time I ever heard of that Chinese leader I though the reporter said "Chew and Lie". Lot of water under the bridge since then.

      I'm just passing along the coaching change information I've heard and this article is based upon the work of young David.

      Thanks for the input Scott, you always have interesting comments.

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  7. Chase Dunagan 9 months ago

    Dude! So no one is going to take Texas vs OU?

    No one thinks that our Defense is better and that our offense is just as good? Considering that we are better in both categories scoring wise....

    And don't say that OU has played teams and Texas hasn't. Washington is a joke, Baylor? cmon Griffin can't do it all... and we've killed CU and Arkansas, along with last year's sunbelt champs....

    Not one game has been close, yet people think that OU will beat Texas... they all say it might be close, but no one has the balls to give Texas the W....

    SAD.

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      Chase I'm not sure you read the article or maybe you just didn't understand it. It's about a fellow who's parents live down the street from me and he has created a program to predict games based on statistical data only. He provided a projection of who he has in the Bowls. He believes Texas will go to the Fiesta Bowl and Oklahoma to the Cotton Bowl.

      I totally disagree with this method. I rely upon many items including experience and history.

      You should take this under consideration: Oklahoma is the #1 team in the country. naturally the mass public will see them as better than Texas or anyone, at this time.

      If the Longhorns defeat Oklahoma then the perception of people will change, regarding who is the best.

      You hang in there, everything will work out for your Longhorns!

      Thanks for the input.

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  8. Chase Dunagan 9 months ago

    BTW, this isn't aimed at you, just everyone's perception that Texas is not better than OU.

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  9. D G 9 months ago

    I like your neighbor's predictions.

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  10. evan m 9 months ago

    excellent...
    I would love to play Utah in a BCS bowl game

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  11. Chase Dunagan 9 months ago

    yeah i'll be honest, i just skipped to who you had in bowls, i didn't read anything else. that's my bad. :)

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      Good. But don't let Zander know you're skipping the meat of our articles, he may close us down and replace us with a message board!

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  12. Isaac Luber 9 months ago

    BOOOO!!! No way! If Penn State's not in the Championship, if at least not the Rose Bowl, then these predictions are BS!!! PSU all the way!

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    • BabyTate 9 months ago

      I agree, he told me Penn St doesn't gain enough yardage on each running play against teams not ranked in the Top 50 of rushing defense. What??

      I'm with you Issac. If he doesn't hit half of these I'm putting him back to cutting my grass like he did as a kid!

      Appreciate the comment.

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    • Isaac Luber 9 months ago

      Yeah, we are amazing at rushing. Royster averages over 8 yards per carry and Green averages over 7...or is it just under 7? I'll have to find that out.

      Also, he cut your grass as a kid?

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  13. Timothy Croley 9 months ago

    Well, if the past two college football seasons have proven anything to us, it is that anything can happen. I for one hope this listing of bowl games does not. I see about four of those games worth watching. Ah, the world of computers!

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