So an interesting theory I have been hearing bounced around on sports talk is the 4 superconferences break away from the NCAA theory.

A few things of note

- The NCAA has reams of rules that are very restrictive
- Football and basketball have no farm system or minor leagues like Hockey and baseball do, the NCAA is in essence the NFL and NBA minor leagues.
- The NCAA, despite all it says to the contrary, is in fact a monopoly
- We are seeing a shift of teams between conferences like I have never seen in my lifetime, and nothing like it has been seen since the 30s 40s and 50s
- The Big 10, ACC, and Pac 10(12), have all added teams in the last year, and the SEC is poised to increase their size as well, all 4 conferences seem to be interested in expanding even further as well
- the Big 12 and Big East are about to disappear entirely as BCS conferences

4 conferences with 16 teams each would have the clout to break off from the NCAA and run their own college sports league, there's no doubt about that. But is that where things are going? I am not sure myself, but I would love anything that topples the choke hold the BCS has over logically deciding a definitive national champion.

So how can we know for sure?

My theory? Watch what Notre Dame does. If the ND football program joins a conference (and the Big 10 has been courting them to do just that for decades) then I would say it is a dead cert that the 4 superconference theory is sound.

Yep. Notre Dame has been acting like a wallflower for a long time, but economics may make them change their minds. Pitt and Syracuse are off to the ACC. And my belief is that the BCS is coming to an end. Result? I dunno if the NCAA could ever run its own league, since there are so many intercollegiate regulations. But one thing's for certain: the various colleges have been reaping a financial bonanza for a very long time on the shoulders of school kids, who themselves get a cheap--not free-ride and a stipend, which they only got to placate the "pay college athletes" crowd. That kind of money machine never goes unnoticed for long.

Beebe resigns as Big12 commish:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...ncerealignment

Big East woos the service academies:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...gnment-bigeast

PAC12 stands pat:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...ignment-pac-12

Why are they bothering to try to keep the Big 12? The rich tradition? We all saw how much that meant when Nebraska bolted to the Big 10(12((14(((16((((18(((((20))))))))))))))). The revenue? The only money making schools left there are Texas Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, might as well call you all the Big 3 now.

That conference is as good as gone, possibly before this season is even over.

There's more to this than you realize. For as long as TV has existed there has been a contract for Notre Dame to be on a station exclusively. (I believe the current contract is with NBC) But the networks have to all be thinking the same thing, that in the last 10 years the luster has fallen off of this particular coin. Notre Dame is looking at a riches to rags story and one that only a BCS championship could cure. Since I am more likely to win a BCS championship in the near future than Notre Dame, I expect they will be desperate for a slice of that Big 10 money when their current contract expires.

Notre Dame may make a move sooner than we think

OSU sure leaned heavily on the run this week

Useless Observations--9/24/11

--Clemson is for real. Sure, they played the Terriers in the outer-conference, but they won. And Wofford ain't a bad team, either. Remember: the Southern Conference has Appalachian State...Michigan is still smarting.
--Speaking of the Wolvs, give 'em credit: Brady Hoke is a good replacement for RichRod, LloydCarr, etc. Plus, gander at their schedule: no Wisconsin, the Brokeyes at home, and a shiny new stadium upgrade. My prediction? More pricy hot dogs, and 8-3.
--LSU has converted me: Number 1 they should be. Jones to Broyles, three ranked teams TWO ON THE ROAD, and Les Miles.
--Sorry I missed the Aggies/Cowboys. Love TAM, but they blew it. Turnoverpenalties'll kill 'ya. But then OK State has won this feud four straight, and they're hell on the road.
--The Trojans got doubled up by unranked AZ State. Look for them in the Overranked Bowl against Ohio State.

--Florida State. Ah, well. Two straight losses took it outta them. Fisher better prepare for Duke...who knows what'll happen.
--Did Les Miles have pity for the Gators? After all, they started a freshman QB, and the Tigers only scored 41...
--I wish, oh, I wish we didn't have to wait until the end of the season for the Sooners/'Boys...>:
--The 'Aggies are harder to figure out than Polish algebra. :confused
--Boise State won again. Got a smoke?

So my question right this second (and I acknowledge it is early) is who are these guys wearing the Scarlet and Grey, and what have they done with the Buckeyes?

Also, if you had told me at halftime the score would be 20-6, I would have replied, 'Oh, you really think the buckeyes will score 6 on Nebraska?'

Oops, Braxton Miller is hurt, let the 15 yard overthrows begin!

Turns out the answer was they were hiding in the locker room until halftime :(

Maybe Bollman was right in starting Miller. He got hurt, and after that the game fell apart for the Nuts. Either way, Bauserman isn't the answer. It appears football is not his sport.

With a name like Bauserman, I suspect his sport is more in the boccie ball or curling realm

Also, no maybe about it, he was right to put in Miller, Miller at least was making plays happen

I've actually been making a Bauserman for Heisman video. I can't give away what I've been putting on it (though I'm pretty sure you can fill that in pretty easily) but you're going to laugh your ass off.

Speaking of conference mergers...
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...enceusa-merger

Mountain West and Conference USA...hmmm....

Again

Milpool is not going to like this assessment, but I think Wisky might have just gotten hosed.

The only reason I think this is the camera was just a bit too shaky to make a definitive call on if he broke the plane, and the original ruling on the field was ball down at the 1. Honestly it should have been an 'insufficient visual evidence to reverse' call, but now it is a Doug Flutie moment

No, honestly, I completely agree. I don't feel good about our win in this case, and to me it didn't look like the ball crossed the plane at all. That coupled with the fact that we got zero penalties (how often does that happen?) on our own turf during a homecoming game against #6 in the nation...dude, from an outside point of view it comes across as completely biased reffing. I don't like it.

But then again, Wisconsin completely hosed us out of a Rose Bowl last year, so maybe it's karma (although, I guess technically that was OSU's fault more than Wisky in more ways than one. I hate Wisky more so they can get the brunt of my complaining)

You seem more sure the ball didn't cross than I am. I said to MailCall as we were watching it "I can't really tell, looks like it may have crossed the plane, but the shaky camera is making it thard to tell. I am betting this doesn't get overturned."

I think also I remember MailCall saying the same thing about the penalties to me yesterday. But that was just tight playing on MSU's part. MSU brought their best game to the table last night though and Wisky did not.

Crossed the plane? Looks like it probably did. Problem is that it was a reversal of a field call, so...was it convincing evidence? Dunno. The whole penalty issue is a good argument and bears looking into. The bottom line here is this: the Badgers allowed over 30 points and made some glaring special teams mistakes. The best outcome here is: maybe the Big10 is a better conference than the media thinks.

I mean, yeah, I'm sure it did actually cross. Just the way I saw it at the time with the shaky replays and all it looked like most of Nichol's back was over the line and then right as he was trying to bring the football over he was resisted at the end there.

It's no UM vs. MSU 2008 bullshit pylon call, but I still feel uneasy about the results

So Minnesota beating Iowa? Holy shit.

That's your holy shit of the week? I take it you missed the 8 PM game last night then didn't you?

Somehow, I assume through a series of souls being sold to the devil, planets coming into alignment, light from Venus refracting off of some swamp gas, and mutant hookers, the broken Buckeyes defeated the Badgers, and as much can be said controlled the second half.

Kill has a seven-year coaching deal, but he wants to make as early an impact as possible in the Gophers' new digs. 0-3 ain't what he had in mind. But this is a decent win against a fair Iowa team in a much maligned conference. I can't make the press appreciate the BigWhatever10 more, but Minny has a lot of good young talent, and Gray has another year to lead the team.