Post by MizzouTiger on Nov 19, 2007 12:39:50 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/177/story/367248.html
CONFERENCE CALL: College football weekend roundup
By BLAIR KERKHOFF
Two weeks remain in the regular seasons of most conferences, and championship races are clearing up. Here’s a look at the stakes by league.
Big 12
•North: One game, Kansas vs. Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, decides the division representative to the Big 12 title game on Dec. 1 at San Antonio. If Kansas wins, the Jayhawks take the division outright. If Missouri wins, the Tigers wear the championship T-shirts and caps.
•South: Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech made things interesting. If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, and Texas loses to Texas A&M, the Cowboys, Sooners and Longhorns would be 5-3 in league play and also identical on five tiers of tie breakers. So the South representative in San Antonio would wind up being the highest-ranking BCS team. Of course, Oklahoma can avoid all this chaos by beating Oklahoma State and winning the South. If Oklahoma loses and Texas wins, the Longhorns are champs.
Big Ten
Ohio State won the conference with the earliest ending, and the Buckeyes will do no worse than the Rose Bowl. But they’re not out of the running for the BCS national championship game. Second-place Illinois will get consideration as a BCS at-large team.
Southeastern
•East: It’s down to Georgia and Tennessee. The Bulldogs lead the division at 6-2, but their loss to the Vols this season means Tennessee, 5-2, will go to the SEC title game if it wins Saturday at Kentucky.
•West: LSU is the division winner and will try to remain No. 1 in the country when Arkansas visits Friday. The Tigers didn’t play Tennessee or Georgia during the regular season.
Atlantic Coast•Atlantic: Boston College did it the hard way, rallying at Clemson behind quarterback Matt Ryan, who put himself back in the Heisman conversation. The Eagles play host to Miami on Saturday but own tie-breaker advantages over Clemson and Wake Forest.
•Coastal: The Eagles will meet either Virginia or Virginia Tech on Dec. 1 in Jacksonville, Fla., The Cavaliers and Hokies square off on Saturday in Charlottesville, Va., in “the biggest game we’ve ever played against Virginia, no doubt,” said Tech coach Frank Beamer after his team thumped Miami 44-14 on Saturday.
Big East
Connecticut at West Virginia on Saturday is for the conference crown. The Huskies’ rise this season is nothing short of remarkable. They were 4-8 last season with one conference triumph. West Virginia is eyeing the BCS standings and the Big 12. If the Kansas-Missouri winner on Saturday loses in the Big 12 title game, the Mountaineers could play for the national championship if they win out.
Pacific-10
Arizona State is in the driver’s seat. The Sun Devils are in first place, one game ahead of Oregon and Southern California. They finish with home games against the Trojans on Thanksgiving and Arizona on Dec. 1. If they win them, the Sun Devils would be the champion. But the Ducks hold the tie-breaker edge over the Sun Devils and Southern Cal.
Others
•Mountain West: Brigham Young will clinch the conference title with a victory over Utah on Saturday. A Utes victory will keep alive their conference hopes.
•WAC: The eyes of the BCS will be on Honolulu starting Friday night and into early Saturday morning when Hawaii entertains Boise State for the league championship. It’s the Rainbow Warriors’ chance to step up in a big game and the Broncos’ opportunity to keep alive a two-year conference winning streak.
•Conference USA: Tulsa will take the West by winning at Rice on Friday. If the Owls win, Houston will be the champ. Central Florida will get the East by beating UTEP on Saturday.
•Mid-American: This championship is set. Miami, Ohio, will face Central Michigan on Dec. 1 in Detroit.
•Sun Belt: Troy is powering toward the championship, but the league schedule gets tougher with a finishing kick against third-place Middle Tennessee State and second-place Florida Atlantic.
CONFERENCE CALL: College football weekend roundup
By BLAIR KERKHOFF
Two weeks remain in the regular seasons of most conferences, and championship races are clearing up. Here’s a look at the stakes by league.
Big 12
•North: One game, Kansas vs. Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, decides the division representative to the Big 12 title game on Dec. 1 at San Antonio. If Kansas wins, the Jayhawks take the division outright. If Missouri wins, the Tigers wear the championship T-shirts and caps.
•South: Oklahoma’s loss to Texas Tech made things interesting. If Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma, and Texas loses to Texas A&M, the Cowboys, Sooners and Longhorns would be 5-3 in league play and also identical on five tiers of tie breakers. So the South representative in San Antonio would wind up being the highest-ranking BCS team. Of course, Oklahoma can avoid all this chaos by beating Oklahoma State and winning the South. If Oklahoma loses and Texas wins, the Longhorns are champs.
Big Ten
Ohio State won the conference with the earliest ending, and the Buckeyes will do no worse than the Rose Bowl. But they’re not out of the running for the BCS national championship game. Second-place Illinois will get consideration as a BCS at-large team.
Southeastern
•East: It’s down to Georgia and Tennessee. The Bulldogs lead the division at 6-2, but their loss to the Vols this season means Tennessee, 5-2, will go to the SEC title game if it wins Saturday at Kentucky.
•West: LSU is the division winner and will try to remain No. 1 in the country when Arkansas visits Friday. The Tigers didn’t play Tennessee or Georgia during the regular season.
Atlantic Coast•Atlantic: Boston College did it the hard way, rallying at Clemson behind quarterback Matt Ryan, who put himself back in the Heisman conversation. The Eagles play host to Miami on Saturday but own tie-breaker advantages over Clemson and Wake Forest.
•Coastal: The Eagles will meet either Virginia or Virginia Tech on Dec. 1 in Jacksonville, Fla., The Cavaliers and Hokies square off on Saturday in Charlottesville, Va., in “the biggest game we’ve ever played against Virginia, no doubt,” said Tech coach Frank Beamer after his team thumped Miami 44-14 on Saturday.
Big East
Connecticut at West Virginia on Saturday is for the conference crown. The Huskies’ rise this season is nothing short of remarkable. They were 4-8 last season with one conference triumph. West Virginia is eyeing the BCS standings and the Big 12. If the Kansas-Missouri winner on Saturday loses in the Big 12 title game, the Mountaineers could play for the national championship if they win out.
Pacific-10
Arizona State is in the driver’s seat. The Sun Devils are in first place, one game ahead of Oregon and Southern California. They finish with home games against the Trojans on Thanksgiving and Arizona on Dec. 1. If they win them, the Sun Devils would be the champion. But the Ducks hold the tie-breaker edge over the Sun Devils and Southern Cal.
Others
•Mountain West: Brigham Young will clinch the conference title with a victory over Utah on Saturday. A Utes victory will keep alive their conference hopes.
•WAC: The eyes of the BCS will be on Honolulu starting Friday night and into early Saturday morning when Hawaii entertains Boise State for the league championship. It’s the Rainbow Warriors’ chance to step up in a big game and the Broncos’ opportunity to keep alive a two-year conference winning streak.
•Conference USA: Tulsa will take the West by winning at Rice on Friday. If the Owls win, Houston will be the champ. Central Florida will get the East by beating UTEP on Saturday.
•Mid-American: This championship is set. Miami, Ohio, will face Central Michigan on Dec. 1 in Detroit.
•Sun Belt: Troy is powering toward the championship, but the league schedule gets tougher with a finishing kick against third-place Middle Tennessee State and second-place Florida Atlantic.