Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.16 $; site ISM780B.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!ISM780B!jimb From: jimb@ISM780B.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sport.football Subject: Bowl Results/Conference Strengths/# Message-ID: <30400012@ISM780B.UUCP> Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 12:45:00 EST Article-I.D.: ISM780B.30400012 Posted: Thu Jan 2 12:45:00 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 4-Jan-86 05:32:40 EST Lines: 113 Nf-ID: #N:ISM780B:30400012:000:4990 Nf-From: ISM780B!jimb Jan 2 12:45:00 1986 Last night, as I was gently rocked in my seat on the rooter bus, fighting to keep the radio near the window to keep up with score of the Sugar Bowl, but otherwise dulled with fatigue and slightly raw vocal cords as I savored mental replays of UCLA's victory in the Rose Bowl, a smug smile slowly crept across my face. My wife looked up from my shoulder and said, "You're thinking about what you're going to post on the net tomorrow, aren't you?" Happiness is being married to an intelligent woman. On the basis of bowl results, I don't think adherents of any conference can claim a clear-cut superiority. Bowl records by conference: Conference W L T Result of #1 team in conference Big 8 1 3 Beat Penn St., 25-10 Big Ten 3 3 Lost to UCLA, 28-45 Pac 10 2 2 1 Beat Iowa, 45-28 SEC 2 2 1 Beat Miami 35- 7 SWC 3 1 Beat Auburn 36-16 Personal opinion is that the SWC record demonstrates that their #1/3 teams are better than the SEC #2/3 teams(Texas A&M 36, Auburn 16; Baylor 21, LSU 7) and the Big Eight's records/rankings are reflective of patsy schedules that become illuminated in the crunch). To get some digs in, some conference records are the result of debatable bowl invitations. USC (a Pac 10 loss) was in the Aloha bowl on the basis of name recognition (errrgh! and a fluke win over UCLA); Minnesota (Big Ten win) was invited largely on the presumed presence of Lou Holtz. . Part of the problem is that there are simply too many bowl games. Looking at the quality of this year's game, here is my assessment of some of the games: Great (in no particular order) Good: Rose: UCLA 45, Iowa 28 Peach Bowl: Army 31, Illinois 29 Sugar: Tennessee 35, Miami 7 Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M 36, Auburn 16 Fiesta: Michigan 27, Nebraska 23 Holiday: Arkansas 18, Arizona State 17 Who Cares? Boring Freedom: Washngton 20, Colorado 17 Orange: Oklahoma 25, Penn St. 10 Cherry: Maryland 35, Syaracuse 14 Citrus: Ohio St. 10, BYU 7 Independence: Minnesota 20, Clemson 13 All American: Georgia Tech 17, Michigan State 14 (Both Orange and Citrus were lemons!) Aside from the Rose Bowl (to be reviewed in separate article), the team that impressed me the most was Tennessee. They certainly caught my attention in their 26-16 tie with UCLA and they looked great on several games I caught throughout the rest of the season. I think they displayed great intestinal fortitude by keeping on after the loss of superb quarterback Tony Robinson and they topped it off by taking Miami apart. I loved it. The SEC has, in general, gone up in my estimation. I was impressed with Alabama's win over Georgia at the end of the year. (Taking apart USC was nice, but they're a weaker team than Georgia. But thanks anyway.) I would think more highly of the SEC if it weren't for their candy-ass scheduling: low number of conference games required, anti-competitive schedule. As for the Sooners, feh! They beat an over-rated Penn St. team. And did it in a borrrrrrrring manner that wasn't impressive. Take your national championship and enjoy. I do wish that strength of schedule was factored into writers/coaches voting. Get idiotic teams like Miami, Penn St., and BYU down where they belong -- around 8th to 15th, and Oklahoma down to 5th. My vote for #1 goes to Tennessee, Michigan #2 (damn!), and UCLA #3. The damn is because UCLA beat USC everyplace but on the scoreboard. If they had won, UCLA might have been #1 or #2; they should have, but they didn't and they aren't. (UCLA did great though. Only four home games and still 9-2-1.) Sooner flamers, hold on. UCLA opens vs. Oklahoma at Norman, OK, next Sept. 13. Even though they'll be different teams due to turnover, should be a good game. I'll go with underappreciated UCLA, though. Other important UCLA non-conference games scheduled in upcoming years: 1987 at Nebraska 1988 Nebraska 1989 Tennessee, Michigan 1990 Oklahoma, at Michigan And now, having given my view of the 1985/Jan 1986 College Football season, for which I cheerfully accept comments, arguments, flames, etc., I have a brief personal message before concluding this posting. Regarding: UCLA 45, Iowa 28 Army 31, Illinois 29 IN YOUR FACE, Ekblaw! {victory dance} **** End of Personal Message **** So much for the college season. Go Bears! (and then, only a month until the start of baseball spring training!!!!) -- from the contented and indulgent musings of Jim Brunet, {ihnp4, decvax}!ima!jimb (most reliable) ucbvax!ucla-cs!ism780!jimb ihnp4!vortex!ism780!jimb or jimb at ima/*cca-unix.arpa ^ this asterisk is necessary!