Bleacher Report - Articles by Jordan Tippitt

The Fight for the BCS: Why the System Works

Jordan Tippitt — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:57:45 -0400

Everywhere on this website, and anywhere else for that matter, all you read about is how the BCS needs to be taken out and replaced by a playoff.

I disagree, and here is why.

The BCS is said to have started in 1998 between Tennessee and Florida State, but it was truly started in 1992 under the name the Bowl Coalition. Ever since that year it has been constantly expanding and adapting to the ever changing game of college football.

Probably the largest complaint with the BCS is the lack of love for the small teams (Utah, Boise State, BYU, TCU, etc.), but what people don't realize is that the BCS is working to adjust to this influx of very talented small schools.

It's not the BCS's fault that all of a sudden these small schools started getting better. In 1998 Appalachian State would never beat Michigan, Utah would never beat Alabama, and Boise State would never beat Oklahoma.

These upsets didn't truly start until 2004, with Utah leading the way.

Now the BCS is starting to adjust, even setting up guidelines on how to let a conference become a BCS conference.

Without the BCS determining the national champion, we would lose several important aspects of college football.

The first thing gone would be the bowl system.

The bowls do more than just provide the best month of the football year. If you are selected for a bowl, then you receive a payout, and if you win, then you receive a bigger payout.

I assume that most fans do enjoy their very nice stadiums and million-dollar coaches. Without the bowl system, these things cannot be afforded.

With money paid out from a bowl appearance, colleges can not only make their athletic facilities nicer, but also their academic ones.

The last major reason for the BCS is the regular season. There isn't a more exciting regular season in the world.

The NFL plays 16 games and has a playoff, and the regular season means nothing. The Giants and the Titans both lost in the first round last year, and most years the top teams don't even play their starters the last couple of games.

College football is different. Every game is important. Whether it's the first game or last game, every team knows that one loss could take them out of the national championship race. There is nothing more exciting.

Ohio State versus USC would be way less exciting if we all knew that they would play again in the playoffs, and Alabama versus VA Tech would be the same way.

Now, before you once again cry foul at the BCS, just think of the world without it. If nothing else, give it credit where credit is due.

The system works. If you just look with your own eyes instead of through the media's, then you will see that it does work.

Has The Big 12 South Been Overrated?

Jordan Tippitt — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:09:30 -0500

Throughout this football season it seems that every Saturday night there was a big time Big 12 game and most of these games took place in the Big 12 South. This division looked super strong with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Texas Tech.

Now let's fast forward to the present day after the bowl season. All four leaders in that division got two bids that were toss ups but two of the Big 12 South had games they should have won handily (Texas and Texas Tech were the two with the easier games).

The bowl season started for the Big 12 South with Oklahoma State. They played a pretty good team in the Oregon Ducks. In fact, i believe that the ducks will challenge USC for the PAC 10 title next year. The problem is that they are from the weak old PAC 10 and should have been handled by the Oklahoma State Cowboys but it wasn't. If this was the only loss for the Big 12 South then it could still be considered the best but that wasn't the worst of it.

The next game up for the Big 12 was the Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. the Ole Miss Rebels. Any rebel fan would have told you that they could win this game but this was a game that the Big 12 HAD to win to prove it being the best conference. The game could not have started off any better for the Red Raiders being up 14 to 0.

Then everything went downhill for Tech. In the third quarter one of the top offenses in the nation did not get a single point and were run over by one of the 50 running backs that Ole Miss has. They lost by 13 but the game was much more one sided than the score indicated. The last score by Tech was a meaningless one scored at the end of the game after it was already decided. This was a very embarrassing loss for the Big 12.

The third game for the Big 12 was the Texas Longhorns vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have spent the last two January's being manhandled by the SEC and everyone expected Texas to do the same this year but the didn't.

Instead the Texas Longhorns were not allowed a touchdown in the first half and had to score a last second touchdown to win the game. This was against a team whose conference is 1-5 in bowl games this season and the team that beat Ohio State was whipped in the Rose Bowl.

So why did that division look so good? It's obvious, its because they only played each other in those matches. They never played against a good defense and now they are paying the price.

The Big 12 South has one more chance to prove that it is even a great division. It is Thursday night against the Florida Gators. The question of this game is "are the Sooners really who we thought they were?" If those teams they beat were beaten by middle teams from other conferences then their wins no longer look that great.

My prediction for the National Championship is Florida over Oklahoma but I do believe that Oklahoma has a chance. I believe that together Florida and Ole Miss will prove that the SEC is still the best conference in the county.

The Top Five Most Ridiculous Claims by SEC Fans in 2008

Jordan Tippitt — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:55:20 -0400

Many fans in college football have huge heads about their teams and don't care what talent they actually have on paper. This leads fans to say some of the most outlandish things. Here are my top five most ridiculous claims for this upcoming season.

No. 5: Alabama Crimson Tide Fans - Claiming that Nick Saban is God

OK, so I have never actually heard this one literally said, but have you heard an Alabama fan talk about the guy? They speak of him like he can walk on water. I even heard Alabama fans justifying him last year when he said that the loss to ULM was as bad "as hurricane Katrina." How can anyone justify a coach saying that?

Now don't get me wrong, I respect Nick Saban as a coach. He had the number one recruiting class this year and you can't argue with that, but Alabama fans need to realize that he still isn't the divine power.

No. 4: LSU Fans - Claiming they will go to a BCS bowl

About a week ago I saw an article on this subject and I just shrugged it off as one crazy fan being stupid. But then I heard more and more LSU fans talking about it with the up most confidence. LSU lost 25 seniors and have no quarterback. I don't think that they will be terrible but the fans need to realize that there most likely won't be a BCS bowl waiting at the end of this year's tunnel.

No. 3: Ole Miss Fans - Claiming they will win the SEC Championship

I am personally an Ole Miss fan and have recently heard a lot of chatter that mixed the words "Ole Miss" and "Atlanta" and that is a completely ridiculous idea. Now it isn't impossible and I would like nothing more than to see it happen, but come on guys. Use your common sense and talk about something plausible. Ole Miss has a lot of opportunities this year but Atlanta just isn't one of them.

No. 2: LSU Fans - Claiming Les Miles is the best coach in America

Leave it to LSU to make this list twice (and yes, I honestly believe Nick Saban is closer to being God then Les Miles is to being the best coach in America). I don't even know if Les Miles is even great yet. How can you when this is his first year with his own players?

This claim has no backing proof and I have not run into a single LSU fan who doesn't believe it (though I am sure there are plenty out there, I am not going to pretend that I know all of you).

No. 1: Georgia Fans - Claiming they will go undefeated

At South Carolina, at LSU, at Arizona State, at Auburn and that are only the away games. Not to mention the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party." How can you imagine going undefeated with that schedule?

I am not here to argue the point of Georgia winning the SEC or even the National Championship because both of those claims are possible. The problem is the fans that start blabbering about not losing any of those games. Sorry dawg fans but that is the dumbest claim in the entire SEC.

How Could Ole Miss Win the SEC?

Jordan Tippitt — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:38:12 -0400

I was reading the paper the other day about the SEC media days, and I noticed that one of the members of the media picked Ole Miss to win—not only the West, but the entire SEC.

This made me laugh, but then I started thinking, "What would it take for that to actually happen?" So I came up with a scenario of what it would take for Ole Miss to accomplish that.

Disclaimer: I am not predicting Ole Miss will win the SEC. I just was intrigued by somebody else doing it and came up with this fictional scenario.

Aug. 30, 2008: Ole Miss vs. Memphis

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is packed with red as Houston Nutt, for the first time, touches the head of Chuck Mullins to the sounds of 60,000 people screaming Hotty Toddy at the top of their lungs. Ole Miss wins the toss and chooses to receive the ball.

Jevan Snead takes his first step onto Hollingsworth Field as the starting quarterback for the Rebels and takes the snap. The first drive of the season for the Rebels is a successful one, as Snead goes 4-4 for 36 yards and Cordera Easton runs three times for 25 yards and a touchdown. The extra point is good and Ole Miss kicks off the ball.

Memphis has the ball for their first play of the season, and the stadium is so loud that no one can even hear themselves think. Memphis snaps the ball, but the quarterback is sacked by none other than Jerrell Powe, making his NCAA debut. As the two teams go into the locker room for halftime, Ole Miss has pushed themselves out to a 21-7 lead.

Memphis comes back out from the locker room and scores quickly, but that is the end of their comeback run, as the Rebels win the game, 44-14.

Sep. 6: Ole Miss vs. Wake Forest

The Rebels travel to Wake Forest to win their first road game in years but face a tough opponent in No. 23 Wake Forest. The first half is a defensive one, and the Rebels find themselves down 14-7 at the half. The Rebels do, however, come back out of the locker room with renewed energy to win the game convincingly 28-17.

Sep. 13: Ole Miss vs. Samford

(I don't really believe there is any reason to really talk about this game at all, because even Ed Orgeron could have won this game.)

Rebels win 51-3.

Sep. 20: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt

I know that the average margin of victory of this game has been less than six points over the last eight years, but I don't see any challenge coming from Vanderbilt (not against this SEC championship team of Ole Miss).

Ole Miss wins 24-7 and earn themselves the No. 25 spot in the polls.

Sep. 27: Ole Miss vs. Florida

Ole Miss hits the hard part of their schedule with a visit to the Swamp. Ole Miss makes a game out of it but still loses to Florida, 24-30. Jevan Snead just wasn't quite prepared for the harsh environment, as he hasn't ever experienced anything like it before. This loss drops Ole Miss right back out of the top 25.

Oct. 4: Ole Miss vs. South Carolina

A sold-out game in Oxford as fans watch breathlessly, hoping Houston Nutt is really ready to take them into the race for the SEC. Nutt delivers as the Rebels knock the Gamecocks off in a fourth-quarter thriller, 17-14. Beating the No. 16 Gamecocks brings Ole Miss right back into the top 25.

Oct. 18: Ole Miss vs. Alabama

Ole Miss heads into Bryant-Denny stadium seeking revenge for being cheated out of their upset the year before. They make short work of the overrated Crimson Tide, 40-13. This jumps the Rebels up to 18th in the polls.

Oct. 25: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas

Houston Nutt returns home to 70,000 boos. Arkansas (who doesn't have a good record) plays with a ton of emotion, but it just isn't enough as the Rebels win again, 17-13.

Nov. 1: Ole Miss vs. Auburn

Ole Miss returns to the safety of Vaught-Hemingway after two straight road games to fight for the West, as undefeated Auburn faces one-loss Ole Miss. The game is very defensive, but the home field advantage pays off for the Rebels. Ole Miss wins 13-7.

Nov. 15: Ole Miss vs. ULM

This another one of those game even Ed Orgeron could win (but apparently Nick Saban couldn't. Hmmm...have you ever thought he might be overrated?). Ole Miss wins 49-0.

Nov. 22: Ole Miss vs. LSU

This is the final true regular season test for the Rebels as they head to Death Valley, but the Rebels are able to take advantage of the Tigers' rebuilding year (you know, the first year Les Miles actually has to play with his recruits) and win the rivalry 14-3.

Nov. 28: Ole Miss vs. MSU

No, that was not a typo earlier. LSU was the last test for Ole Miss, as the Egg Bowl turns out to be just like the old days of Ole Miss dominance and the Rebels win 20-3. (No stupid 4th-and-1 tries this year. Sorry to disappoint you Dog fans.)

TBA: SEC Championship Game—Ole Miss vs. Florida

The No. 4 Rebels take on the one-loss No. 1 Florida Gators. Without the home field advantage that Tim Tebow tends to rely on to win his football games, the Rebels are able to win in a classic shootout, 44-40.

And thus ends the SEC Champion season for the Rebels. Houston Nutt, of course, won the Coach of the Year award, and just for kicks we'll say that Jevan Snead won the Heisman.

We might as well finish the season the season on a good note. The Ole Miss Rebels played the Buckeyes in the national championship game, and...well, you know what happens when the Buckeyes play SEC teams in a bowl.