Going to Cali

We're halfway on our voyage to Los Angeles in the vast Detroit Wayne County Airport. Actually, sitting in a sports bar watching ESPN on one channel and ESPNews on the other. Good times. By the way, there was a Jeff Samardzija feature on SportsCenter this morning focusing on, what else, his two sport prowess.

The Detroit airport is an odd place. First, most of the signs are in English and Japanese. Second, when you go from Concourse B/C to Concourse A you can pass through this tunnel with bizarre music and flashing lights that could cause seizures. It all reminded me of the beginning and ending scenes of the Albert Brooks-Meryl Streep vehicle "Defending Your Life," which is essentially about death, something you don't want to be thinking about in an airport.

So during our layover, we've decided to answer some of your questions regarding the BCS:

It seems that the media/coaches will never accept ND as legitimate...How do you explain Arkansas passing ND in this weeks polls???  Michigan looses they stay where they are...ND does what was exepcted and they loose ground

-Dean Whitelaw

Dean,

Remember first that the Associated Press poll essentially means nothing for the BCS. That said, I don't think it is a case of the media and coaches not accepting Notre Dame as legitimate. I think it is this: Notre Dame got blown out at home by Michigan so there is no reason for the Irish to be ahead of the Wolverines. You get blown out at home, you don't deserve to be ahead of the team doing the blowing out. If the Irish beat USC, they'll likely jump to No. 3 in both polls. But don't think they'll jump Michigan. As for Arkansas, the Razorbacks might be playing better football than anyone else except for Ohio State right now. Have you watched Arkansas play? Watch them and get back to me. Remember, too, that when USC blew them out early in the year Darren McFadden was less than 100 percent, too. Why Michigan stays? It lost by three to the top team in the nation. ... but if USC wins this week expect the Trojans to jump them.

If UM gets a rematch and wins a squeker, how is it fair to award UM the title?

-Ray Tittman

Ray,

We're not sure. It's going to be an interesting predicament for the AP voters, who aren't obligated to go along with the BCS decision. It could lead to a split national championship, which would probably ignite playoff talk again. That's why, for all the BCS people saying "Hey, look at me, the system works," I'd be worried. If that happens, then what?

Do you really think ND gets the Sugar with a loss at USC?

-Moose Krause

Moose,

Thanks for channeling us from the grave. It's appreciated and glad to know that A) there is an afterlife of some sort and B) we have readers there. Sweet. The beancounters and bosses will be pleased. The answer to your question is yes, I do, unless the Irish get blown out by 30 or so points. If that happens, it is less likely. But remember this: the BCS is about money and no one draws money like Notre Dame fans, some of whom would no doubt wear Notre Dame suits with Notre Dame ties and Notre Dame socks and shoes seven days a week if bosses would allow. And as for your other comment about the late LaMarr Woodley touchdown, I don't buy it. Many of the national media types were in attendance in South Bend that day and saw the same thing we did -- a dominant performance by Michigan with Notre Dame never in it. So I don't know how much difference that touchdown makes.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Comments

[Matt J.]

So, by your logic, North Carolina should take down it's basketball national championship banner from a couple of years ago because they lost to Clemson in the ACC tournament. Clemson didn't even make the tournament that year, so it void and nullfies everything UNC did afterward.

[Kilted Domer]

I've been in that tunnel at DTW... I think it was designed after someone watched Logan's Run back in the 70s.

On a more pertinent note, I have to agree that Michigan should stay above ND as long as they have equal records, simply because of the head-to-head issue. We Irish fans complained about the results of the 1993 voting based on the same logic for years (heck, I still do), so we have to acknowledge when that same logic works against us.

[Michael Rothstein]

Matt J. --
Here's the problem with your statement. NCAA basketball has a playoff called March Madness, the NCAA Tournament, which is, in my opinion, the best three weeks of the year. If college football had that, then I wouldn't be making this argument. But they don't, so your comparison doesn't work.

[rothstein is a hack writer]

you're out of your mind. arkansas is playing the best ball of anyone? did you see their dominating performance against mississippi state last week? they didn't put the game away until 5 minutes left in the fourth. and it took a trick play to do it. if notre dame played that game - they would have dropped 10 places - not get bumped up over team that won 41-9. there is an anti-nd bias. own up to it. how else do explain nd being jumped by 7 teams this year- after wining.

[Michael Rothstein]

Hack guy --
Not really sure what to say to you here. First off -- Notre Dame wouldn't have dropped 10 places. It didn't when it won a close game against UCLA. If any -- and memory might be off, Notre Dame may have dropped one spot. Weis has said all along that teams play tough games and sometimes win close games. I'm not an AP poll voter, not a coaches' poll voter and not a Harris poll voter so I can't tell you why the Razorbacks jumped Notre Dame. Please remember, though, that Notre Dame played a bad Army team so a 41-9 score should be expected if your team is good.
From looking at some individual writer's polls, yes, there may be some bias or differing of opinion. Personally, I'd have Notre Dame at No. 5 -- behind Ohio State, Michigan, USC and Florida. If Notre Dame wins this weekend, I think your gripe is moot because they will move to No. 3.
I can't explain why ND was jumped because, as I said, I don't have a vote. But did you watch Arkansas against Tennessee the week before Mississippi State? They sure looked dominant then. We'll also see what happens this weekend against LSU. Maybe Arkansas will come out flat and prove me wrong, but we'll see.

[Schultz]

Michael I agree with you about your main point. You can't legitimize ND jumping Michigan in the polls. But the one argument I don't understand is why Arkansas 50-14 loss to USC is excused while ND's 47-21 loss to Michigan isn't. The Hogs get excuses like McFadden wasn't 100%, does that really matter when youre beat by 36 at home? You think McFadden was worth a 36-point difference?
And the problem I have with Arkansas jumping ND this week is they beat Miss State by 14 and ND beat Army 41-9. How does a 14 point victory over a woeful Miss State team make Arkansas jump a spot? I wouldn't have a problem with it had Arkansas jumped ND after their big win over a good Tennesee team (like you said) but how does a non-convincing victory over a terrible team warrant them jumping ND? I equate it to one-loss Wisconsin staying behind two-loss LSU in the polls even though the Tigers needed overtime to beat Ole Miss, AT HOME. how is that possible?
I enjoy your work. Go Irish Beat SC.

[Timugen]

RE: your evaluation of Arkansas.

They looked "dominant" against a TRUELY overrated team in Tennessee. So what? Tennesse came within 1 POINT of losing to Air Force (you know, one of those horrible service academies that ND gets knocked for playing.)

Mississippi State? Are you serious? You point out that Army is bad, but completely ignore the fact that Mississippi St is a total joke as well. Are they "better" than Army? Sure. Is getting your head blown clean off better than being stabbed to death? Yes.

Bottom line: BOTH SUCK, but you give Arkansas a pardon for a marginal performance against a crap team while ND's dominating performance against a slightly crappier team just doesn't cut the mustard; and your justification is their performance the week before against a TN team that CLEARLY is not the team everyone thought they were a month or so ago.

And don't even think about some BS argument that Arkansas should just be ranked higher in general because ND got clubbed at home by UM. As you're well aware, the Hogs got one (a bigger one, I may add) compliments of USC. And before you start clamoring about them not having McFadden for that game I'd like to point out that they lost by 5 TDs. No SINGLE player, unless they not only have the game of their life but the best game of any player in the history of college football, is going to make up for a 5 TD differential.

Don't get me wrong; I do think Arkansas is a good team. Trying to justify their jump over ND in the polls, however, is an exercise in futility for one who maintains even the slightest level of intellectual honesty.

[Timugen]

Schultz,

Sorry; I didn't mean to basically echo your post. I just now read it after posting mine. Great minds think alike, I guess.

Michael,

If you actually read the above two posts I would be really interested in any response you may have. Don't worry, I'm not looking to start a flame war here - just interested in your thoughts.

[Michael Rothstein]

Timugen --
As I'm sitting here watching Arkansas-LSU, I'm not seeing all that much that is impressing me today. And please read my other comments. I said if I had a poll vote I'd place Notre Dame over Arkansas. The Razorbacks are a good team. They, for a while, were playing some of the best college football in the country but they haven't looked all that sharp against a good LSU team.
The most interesting thing is this -- if LSU beats Arkansas and the Razorbacks beat Florida in the SEC title game, it should cause a bunch of chaos.
Should be fun.

My response to your argument about the five touchdown difference is this: Just like people said the Notre Dame-Michigan game would have been closer if the Irish had stayed in the game and didn't turn the ball over a bunch in the first half, you could make the argument that an Arkansas team with a healthy McFadden may have held the ball more and kept the game closer.
That said -- both Notre Dame and Arkansas would have still lost on those days.
And I didn't justify it. I just tried to explain why it could happen. If LSU wins today and Notre Dame wins tomorrow, I wouldn't worry about it, though. Even if the Irish lose close tomorrow, they could then possibly jump Arkansas in some minds.
It's going to be a good weekend.
-Mike Rothstein

[Timugen]

Mike,

Thank you for the response, and I have absolutely no way of proving it but I saw this one coming in the game we're both watching right now. I wasn't really too concerned about Arkansas jumping ND precisely because of this game; I was just questioning some of your logic.

But once again, thanks for responding, and keep up the good work on here.

Oh, I almost forgot...BEAT SC!!!!