Behind The Scoreboard - Claude Vinson


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Behind The Scoreboard
By Claude Vinson

Irish-Tide?

Well, as it was mentioned last week, the NCS picture would be cleared up. Well, it did, sort of. Perhaps the largest cloud was removed when the Fightin’ Irish polished off the Trojans way out West. A few weeks ago Notre Dame was given an outside chance of making it to the “all the marbles” game on January 7, 2013.

Even yours truly, as much as I had envisioned the perfect BCS matchup to be between the Crimson Tide and Notre Dame, I just didn’t firmly believe the Irish would have the stamina left to get past the last hurdle. No, not the USC Trojans who had derailed their train a few times before, but the BCS computers. As we all know they did both. And now they have to decide if they would rather meet Alabama (#2) or Georgia (#3). The SEC leaders clash in that title game on Saturday next. The Irish probably won’t get their “druthers” because the Tide will beat the Bulldogs.

Remember just a few lines ago I said that the BCS matter was settled, sort of? Since all the votes have been cast by those eligible to vote, the computers will take over and settle the final glitches. For instance, Kent State was ranked #23 last week by the machines, which may force them to do an about-face. The Golden Flashes are number 17 this week and will play for their conference championship, something they have never done before. They have never won 10 games in a season before and are 11-1. The real kink is, should the Flashes get past Northern Illinois and a couple of teams above then flake out, they could throw the computers into giving them an automatic bid to the consternation of Oklahoma. The Sooners’ record is 9-2. This is not the only surprise which could surface this last week. But I feel that I have confused you enough already.

This past weekend is usually looked upon as the time in the season that teams earn bragging rights by whipping perennial rivals in contests such as the Egg Bowl, Iron Bowl, etc. I’ll admit that there was no doubt about the outcome of the Iron Bowl, but I didn’t give the alma mater much of a chance in the Egg Bowl. Although the Bullies had gone into a three-game skid and bounced back against the Razorbacks, they had claimed the three previous eggs. Thanks, Rebels, for proving me wrong and making yourselves bowl eligible.

Close to season’s end and the coaches’ carousel gets an early start. Four coaches have already fallen off – Joker Phillips, Derrick Dooley, John L. Smith and Gene Chizik. While it is true that the coaches are without jobs (temporarily), they won’t have to stand in soup lines. For instance, Auburn will have to shell out $11 million to buy out Chizik and his entourage. Tennessee will add Dooley to the list of two former coaches already being paid. Smith of Arkansas was on an interim agreement which will expire in February if the Razorbacks have hired a new coach (Chizik, perhaps). Don’t be surprised if the old carousel isn’t finished spinning.

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