The First College Football Playoff Rankings of 2015

CFB Playoff Rankings 1. Clemson 2. LSU 3. Ohio St. 4. Alabama 5. Notre Dame 6. Baylor 7. Mich St. 8. TCU 9. Iowa 10. Florida

— The Sports Brief (@TheSportsBrief) November 4, 2015

Bowl Season!

There are now 124 Division 1 (BCS) College Football teams.  And yes that includes UMass.  There are 35 Bowl Games.  And yes that includes the "Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl."  Quick math says that over 56% of teams will play in a Bowl Game.  Quite an achievement for those clubs.

If you are 6-6, you are going to a bowl game, if you are 6-7 like Georgia Tech, but lost in the Conference Championship game, you are still invited.  The Yellow Jackets could very well finish the season 6-8, but they played in a Bowl!

Every year we talk about the ridiculous Bowls that seemingly pop out of no where.  These are all real Bowl Games:

Belk Bowl
GoDaddy.com Bowl 
Pinstripe Bowl 
Potato Bowl 
Beef O'Brady's Bowl 
Little Caesar's Bowl
Military Bowl
Russell Athletic Bowl
Meineke Car Care Bowl
Armed Forces Bowl
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
Heart of Dallas Bowl
Compass Bowl

Even all the good Bowl games have crazy sponsors now that muddle up the name.  I know College Football is all about money (have you seen the conferences lately?), but what an absolute joke and embarrassment these once proud Bowl games have become.

The "good" Bowl games suck this year too for the most part.  With Louisville winning the Big East and Wisconsin winning the Big 10, combined with Northern Illinois somehow getting to play this year's Boise State, Utah, or TCU, the BCS games are crap, outside of Oregon vs. Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl and of course Alabama vs. Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game.

At least the playoff is next season... Wait, not next season?  Ok the following year.  Great.

-Keefe

Bowl Games Worth Watching

The Bowl Schedule has been out for a few days, but it takes at least that long to truly digest the fact that there are 35 different bowl games. 70 of the 120 Division 1-A teams will play in a bowl. Let that sink in. Quick math says that over 58% of the teams in the country make it to a friggin bowl game. I know that's not new this season, but it doesn't make it any less ridiculous. So with a plethora of 6-6 teams (even a 6-7 UCLA team which got in cause it lost in the Conference Championship game) which games are worth watching this year? Here is the list.

New Mexico Bowl- Wyoming (8-4) vs. Temple (8-4)
December 17, Saturday, 2:00pm ESPN

What the hell? Yes I start with Wyo vs. Temple. The reasons are simple. 1. My Dad went to Wyoming and we don't get to see them on TV very often. 2. It's the first Bowl game of the year. 3. Well, that's it.


Las Vegas Bowl- Boise State (11-1) vs. Arizona State (6-6)
December 22, Thursday, 8:00pm ESPN

Boise State had a real shot at the BCS Title Game this season. The loss to TCU bumped them for that, and little did we know at the time, also knocked from any BCS Bowl, or even one after Christmas! Coach Peterson was outspoken about the BCS, does this mean they beat the balls off the coach-less Sun Devils? I say yes. Also the final college game of one of the great QB's of all time Kellen Moore.


Alamo Bowl- Baylor (9-3) vs. Washington (7-5)
December 29, Thursday, 9:00pm ESPN

My Heisman winner Robert Griffin III leads his Bears against Sophomore QB Keith Price and the Huskies. I say Griffin wins the trophy, plays one last college game, and heads into the 1st round. This is the game for you if you've missed Baylor this year.


Rose Bowl- Oregon (11-2) vs. Wisconsin (11-2)
January 2, Monday, 5:00pm ESPN

It's the Pac-12 Champ vs. the Big 10 Champ. Oregon's high flying offense led by head coach (and New Hampshire native) Chip Kelly square off against Heisman finalist RB Montee Ball and Heisman candidate QB Russell Wilson. Ball will be going for the TD record in this one (although he will have played 3 MORE games than Barry Sanders). Teams like this also make you long for a playoff.


Fiesta Bowl- Oklahoma State (11-1) vs. Stanford (11-1)
January 2, Monday, 8:30pm ESPN

Andrew Luck vs. Brandon Weeden. Toss in the best WR in the nation, OK State's Justin Blackmon and I am in. I also believe the Cowboys should be in the title game vs. LSU. If OSU can blow out Stanford they will definitely garner some 1st place votes (if LSU loses).


Cotton Bowl- Arkansas (10-2) vs. Kansas State (10-2)
January 6, Friday, 8:00pm FOX

It may not be the SEC vs. Big 12 match up that I wanted to see, but it's still pretty intriguing. Conference bragging rights will be on the line.


BCS Championship Game- LSU (13-0) vs. Alabama (11-1)
January 9, Monday, 8:30pm ESPN

I was going to boycott the game, but the fact is, at worst its a match up of 2 of the top 3 teams in the country. I don't like it, but I'll watch. My biggest problems.
-We already saw this game.
-It was 9-6.
-Alabama had their chance.
-There are other deserving teams. (See: Oklahoma State)
-If Bama wins a close game (say by 3) then what?
-You can win a National Championship without winning a Conference Championship?

In summary, I am interested in 7/35 of the Bowls. (20%). And that might be high compared to you.

What about something different, like, oh, I don't know, a PLAYOFF!

8- Team Tournament: (Higher seeds host games until Title Game)

1. LSU
8. Kansas State

4. Stanford
5. Oregon

3. Oklahoma State
6. Arkansas

2. Alabama
7. Boise State

Good Lord! I am in on that! (How bad is KSU, ARK, Boise missing out on this and a Top 5 Bowl Game, brutal.)

WE WANT A PLAYOFF!

-Keefe

Keefe's College Football Top 10

The BCS will be released later today, but do you trust it? I don't. Virginia Tech is in the Top 5? Who have they beaten? Seriously. Before next week's Conference Title games and regular season finales, this is how the Top 10 in College Football should look like.

1. LSU (12-0)
2. Alabama (11-1)
3. Oklahoma State (10-1)
4. Oregon (10-2)
5. Stanford (11-1)
6. Boise State (10-1)
7. USC (10-2)
8. Arkansas (10-2)
9. Oklahoma (9-2)
10. Wisconsin (10-2)

It won't look like that, but it should. Also, count me as someone who does NOT want to see an LSU-Bama rematch in the title game, however right now they are the two best teams in the country. I'll be rooting for a Georgia win in the SEC title game over LSU and then absolute chaos.

-Keefe

AND HOW ABOUT THE NBA? More on that to come.