ESPN's new college football show

This apparently started last week. I wish it would come on at night instead of in the middle of the day...

From USA Today:

College football has produced some of sports TV's most memorable, dramatic moments of recent vintage. Recall Boise State's wild 43-42 overtime victory against Oklahoma during last month's Fiesta Bowl or Vince Young and Texas upsetting Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Southern California in the national title game in 2006.

Looking to capitalize on college football's growing popularity, ESPN plans to launch this summer a weekday series, College Football Live. The 30-minute show will kick off July 23 and run through bowl season in January, says David Berson, ESPN senior vice president of programming.

Modeled after the network's daily NFL Live, the new show will be hosted mostly by Rece Davis and feature breaking news, features and analysis. Davis will be joined by a rotating mix of ESPN's college football talent, including Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit from College GameDay, Lou Holtz, Mark May, Bob Griese, Doug Flutie, Todd Blackledge, Craig James and Ed Cunningham.

The show will come on at 3:30 p.m. ET Monday-Friday on ESPN. When Monday Night Football starts, the Monday edition will shift to 2 p.m. on ESPN2. To make room for the new show, the first half of ESPN's afternoon programming block, including Outside the Lines First Report, 1st and 10 and Best of Mike and Mike, will start 30 minutes earlier.

Why now? Berson says ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC posted record TV ratings for college football programming in 2006. College GameDay posted its highest ratings in 20 years, and ABC successfully launched Saturday Night Football.

"College football fans want more content," Berson says. "This has been a long time coming. It's a natural extension for us. We expect it to become a staple of our programming, like NFL Live and Baseball Tonight."

NOTRE DAME'S MYTHICAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I-A football and is not involved in the selection process.

However, this doesn't stop some Irish idiots from claiming up to 23 national championships. Congratulations on the three outright titles the Irish deserve.

Let us take a closer look at the championships the Irish can claim with some validity:

1988 - LEGITIMATE
Notre Dame has a legitimate claim to #1. They are the only undefeated team and ranked #1 in the AP. That said, one can question the legitimacy of the Irish's victory against the Hurricanes:

With Miami trailing 31-24 and facing a critical fourth-and-7 from deep in Irish territory midway through the fourth quarter, Walsh connected with Miami running back Cleveland Gary streaking across the middle of the field at the Irish 11-yard line. Gary picked up the first down and turned up-field but was tackled at the Notre Dame 1-yard line. The ball came loose at the end of the play and the ball was recovered by Notre Dame linebacker Michael Stonebreaker. But that play has become one of the most innacurately remembered and described plays in college football history. Even major accounts of the greatest games in college football history routinely botch the description. Lou Holtz got it wrong in his autobiography, calling it a fumble. Gary was ruled down at the one yard line. It was not ruled a fumble. But the split crew of referees mistakenly believed it was fourth and goal, not fourth and 7. Incredibly, the ball was given to Notre Dame on downs. Jimmy Johnson can be seen on the tape of the game, coming out onto the field and motioning first down, while saying "first down, it's a first down." The placement of the ball verifies the officials got it wrong, since the ball is placed where it was when Gary's knees went down, not where the ball was when Stonebreaker recovered. Here is a section of an article in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel from October 18, 1988: "In my mind, I believe we probably made a mistake in giving Notre Dame the football," the official told the News. "There was confusion as to whether there was a fumble or not, but there was also a great question about giving Notre Dame the football over on downs. That's why they got the football."

1977 - NO
There are five teams which have a legitimate claim to #1. Notre Dame can make that claim, but so can one loss Alabama, Arkansas, Penn State and Kentucky. Investigating a little further, we see that both Notre Dame and Kentucky lost to 5-6 teams, which should probably eliminate them from consideration. Alabama lost to a 3 loss Nebraska team, Penn State lost to a 1 loss Kentucky team and Arkansas lost to a 1 loss Texas team. If one wishes to use the same criteria of transivity to say that Notre Dame is better than Arkansas because of their games versus Texas, then perhaps we should consider Alabama's and Notre Dame's common opponent, Ole Miss. Alabama won, Notre Dame lost. Does this deserve to be counted as a national championship? No. It should be shared at best.

1973 - NO
There are five undefeated teams this year: Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Unfortunately, Michigan and Ohio State tied each other and Oklahoma also had a tie ruining their perfect season, which leaves Notre Dame and Penn State. Notre Dame beat 4 teams with winning records: USC (9-2-1), Pitt (6-5-1), Air Force (6-4) and Alabama (11-1). Penn State faced 7 teams with winning records: Stanford (7-4), Air Force (6-4), West Virginia (6-5), Maryland (8-4), NC State (9-3), Pitt (6-5-1) and LSU (9-3). Does Notre Dame deserve to count 1973 as undisputed national champion? No. It should be shared at best.

1966 - NO
Notre Dame and Michigan State had identical records, 10-0-1, with both team's tie occurring against each other in a 10-10 game known as one of the greatest games played in college football. On the surface, that should suggest a split title, since neither team could beat the other. Michigan State faced three teams with winning records; Notre Dame faced four - both teams had sketchy schedules. What about Alabama? Bama had a perfect season, 11-0-0, and faced six teams with winning records.

1953 - LEGITIMATE
Notre Dame had the best record, tying one game, and were ranked #2 in the final AP poll prior to bowl games - which featured #1 Maryland losing to Oklahoma.

1949 - NO
Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Army all finished with perfect records. Notre Dame beat 5 teams with winning records, Army beat 3 teams with winning records, and Oklahoma beat 5 teams with winning records. It's close, but Oklahoma probably played a tougher schedule, making them in all likelihood the best team that year.

1947 - NO
Notre Dame, Michigan, SMU and Penn State all were undefeated, but SMU and Penn State had ties blemishing their records. Notre Dame beat 3 winning teams, while Michigan beat 6 winning teams. Again, at best a split title, with the edge going to the Wolverines.

1946 - NO
Notre Dame and Army were ranked 1-2 in the AP poll prior to bowl games. Notre Dame had a 8-0-1 record, while Army had a 9-0-1 record. Like the 1966 season, Army and Notre Dame tied each other, with the score being 0-0. Like 1966, Notre Dame got the advantage in the polls over a team they tied, even though that team had no losses. And like 1966, there was another team that was perfect and ignored: Georgia.

1943 - NO
How could anyway claim this title? Notre Dame, Iowa Navy Pre-Flight, Michigan, Navy, Duke, Del Monte Pre-Flight and March Field were all 1 loss teams in the AP top ten. Purdue was the only undefeated team in the AP. Notre Dame lost to a two loss Great Lakes Navy team. Purdue beat that team, but played a pathetic schedule.

PRE-POLL ERA:

1930 - NO
In 1930, you have two undefeated teams, Alabama and Notre Dame that both play killer schedules. This should be considered a split title.

1929 - NO
Notre Dame had a perfect record in 1929, but then again, so did Purdue and several others. This should be considered a split title.

1924 - YES
Notre Dame was the only undefeated major college team.

Notre Dame to Add Another National Championship

In light of the previous post, I thought I'd pass along this breaking news. Read more about it here: http://bluegraysky.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#7211284703962762177. Here's the quote from the Notre Dame AD:

Although we have great hopes for the future of our football program, Notre Dame has greater hopes for a facet of that program that is far more important to our university: our past," Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said in a press conference Monday. "With that in mind, we will be making improvements, additions, and revisions that, like our history itself, have been 118 years in the making. Hence I unveil to you the true 1953 National Champions, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish."

As for myself, I would have chosen either 1989 or 1993 (both are alittle more recent). But, hey, I'm fine with ANY national title we can get right now (But watch out for Charlie & Co. in '09).

Why Notre Dame Sux

1. Notre Dame hasn't won a bowl game in their last 8 attempts. And they've only been to 27 bowl games.

2. Notre Dame's fan base consists predominantly of fans who couldn't get into Notre Dame and have no idea where South Bend is on a map.

3. Notre Dame has a losing bowl record. And they've only been to 27 bowl games.

4. Notre Dame's Heisman winners are the product of popularity contests, not the product of the best performance by football players.

5. Similarly, Notre Dame's "national championships" are the result of popularity, and not the result of being the best team. You can be popular without being good. For example, consider the popularity of McDonald's and soccer.

6. Notre Dame's record in the past 50 years isn't in the top 10.

7. Notre Dame fans cite their record of excellence, despite most of their success occurring when the Charleston was popular.

8. The fight song is just terrible. Fortunately, we only have to hear it before the game.

9. Notre Dame has had major NCAA violations and went on probation for two years.

10. Notre Dame has had several incidents of racism.

11. Notre Dame represents itself as THE Catholic institution of higher learning, which is arrogant and untrue. There are many fine Catholic universities, such as Boston College and Georgetown.

12. Notre Dame represents itself as THE Catholic football factory. Perhaps someone should inform the Domers that recently, Boston College has the better record. And Boston College has faced a tougher schedule.

13. Firing Ty Willingham after 3 years, yet letting Faust stay on for 5 years. If you say this is a case of Notre Dame learning from their mistakes, then realize that Willingham had a better first year than Weis.

14. Hiring George O'Leary.

15. Joe Theismann.

16. Changing the pronounciation of one's surname from THEEZ-man to rhyme with Heisman. What a sellout!

17. Afraid to join a conference like the Big Ten. Could it be because Notre Dame has a losing record against the Big Ten since 1994?

18. Holier than thou attitude.

19. Fourth and short Jesus.

20. Exclusive TV contract with NBC, yet ever-forgetful of what Christ said: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24).

21. Notre Dame is always overrated by pollsters in pre-season polls, as evidenced by this study.

22. Notre Dame is always overrated in final polls, as evidenced by their bowl record. And they've only been to 27 bowl games.

23. The favoritism shown towards Notre Dame by media idiots like Beano Cook and Tom Lemming.

24. The Notre Dame hype machine.

25. That this is the only top 25 list Notre Dame deserves to be on.

Vegas odds to win the SEC title

Florida 2-1
LSU 2-1
Arkansas 5-1
Georgia 5-1
Tennessee 7-1
Auburn 7-1
South Carolina 10-1
Alabama 10-1
Kentucky 18-1
Ole Miss 50-1
Miss State 100-1
Vanderbilt 150-1

McFadden is SI.com cover story

The Boss Hog

All-SEC team announced

The media's version of the All-SEC team is out, and Arkansas once again dominates Auburn with both Darren McFadden and Felix Jones making the first team. Arkansas has five players on the All-SEC first team to Auburn's one.

All total, it's Arkansas 5, Auburn 3.

And a reminder from the coaches' version of the All-SEC team that came out last week, it was Arkansas 12, Auburn 8.

Full list of media team here

Welcome to Poolsville
the new blog for the college football pool

In past years, there's been a lot of trash talk by e-mail among the participants in the pool. Some people love it, some people don't. With the pool continuing to grow in number of entrants, I set up this web site to offer a place where all the trash talking and more can take place. That means unlimited haikus by the Beekeeper, unlimited talk from both sides about Auburn, and unlimited pro and anti Notre Dame commentary. Plus, I'll also post the weekly games here, and I plan to post the top 10 games earlier in the week for those people who want a head start. Anyone in the pool can become a contributor (I'll send you an invitation directing you on how to do it), or you can just post in the comments sections without having to register. Invitations to the pool go out August 16, and I anticipate that we will possibly break 100 people this year.

LR 1, nWa 0:Little Rock's Evanescence debuts at No. 1 on Billboard hot 100 album chart

A Little Rock band is the hottest thing going in the country according to this week's album charts. Evanescence's album debuted at No. 1 after selling 447,342 copies in its first week to push out the Killers from the top spot.

In other news, Fayetteville's Cate Brothers are breaking up.