Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
The Opening Pitch: President Obama is already driving the national policy agenda.
His pre-election appeal on Monday for a college football playoff has given the issue new zeal.
Combine that with complaints this week from BCS-snubbed Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops, and it's a bona fide issue on the table. (I went on a local radio show last night and spent the bulk of the time talking about the BCS vs. a playoff — and it's early November!)
But if Obama wants the country to come together, creating a CFB playoff probably means ripping the country apart.
Given the Pac-10 and Big Ten's institutional resistance to a playoff (only your own league to blame, USC), there is only one solution:
The SEC and Big 12 should "secede" from the BCS and create their own playoff. Within a season or two, everyone else would be begging to join. (Initial exclusion of the ACC/Big East: Um, wouldn't you?)
If others don't follow, that's their loss, both in prestige and revenue. I defy any pollster to crown an unbeaten team that doesn't participate ahead of the champion of my playoff system.
I feel like T. Boone Pickens lobbying for his energy plan. (Hey, since my plan includes the Big 12, maybe TBP will fund promotion of my idea?)
More than anything, President-elect Obama is about practical, workable solutions to our thorniest problems. The Shanoff Playoff is a radical step, but it works. (Read more about it here.)
Meanwhile, the closest thing yet this season you'll get to a BCS playoff happens tonight, when TCU and Utah face each against other in the biggest game between two non-BCS teams this season: The winner puts itself in a position to earn a BCS bowl bid; the loser is out.
Speaking of the BCS, did you catch Ball State in a rout last night? They're still undefeated, but also still sitting behind Utah, TCU, Boise State and BYU for a spot in the BCS.
I'm all for Cinderella, but it would be a shame if Ball State made a BCS bowl simply for going unbeaten. As we have been talking about all season as it relates to Penn State and USC, WHO you play matters.
MLB Hot Stove: Dodgers want to keep Manny, badly. How badly? Badly enough to make him the second-highest paid player in baseball, somewhere between A-Rod's $27.5M/year and Johan's $22.9M.
That is hardly unreasonable, given: (1) Manny's production in L.A.; (2) the team made the playoffs once he got there; and (3) he is dynamic enough to give the team a personality. (Age? Bah!)
Now, "Manny being Manny" means the Dodgers have to wait for Ramirez to actually accept the offer — and that's no given. But the size of the offer makes it awfully hard to say no.
More Stove Talk: Are the Cubs the leaders for Jake Peavy AND ready to re-sign Ryan Dempster?
That might be enough to eclipse the news that the White Sox have invited Barack Obama to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day. Might. Speaking of the President-elect ...
Olympics: Baseball back in the Games merely because Barack Obama is President? That feels like a stretch of a connection.
NBA Instant History: Tony Parker is unstoppable.. The Spurs needed every one of TP's double-nickel (plus 10 ast and 7 reb) to hold off the T-wolves in 20Ts for their first win of the season.
That said: If it takes 55 from Parker every time the Spurs want to beat a lottery team, it will be a long season for the proud ex-champs.
Runner-up: Amare Stoudemire, with one of the sickest stat lines you'll see all year: 49 pts on 17/21 FG, plus 11 reb, 6 ast, 5 stl, 2 blk.
Garden Drama: They're not saying "Boo!" They're saying "Boo-rown!" Right? Right? Are you at all surprised Larry Brown was booed in his return to MSG? (And Brown lost there, too, which also shouldn't be a surprise.)
Was LeBron James inspired by Obama's victory? He says he was, though if he was really trying to create a tribute, wouldn't 44 points have been more appropriate than 41?
(Carmelo Anthony reportedly wanted to score 44 in Obama's honor, but probably should have been focusing on the Warriors: He ended up falling short on the scoreboard AND the box score.)
More: Battle of Unbeatens. Even without AI, the Pistons were good enough to beat the previously unbeaten Raptors (and stay unbeaten themselves). ... Speaking of unbeatens, the Hawks beat the Hornets (and perhaps last season wasn't an aberration for ATL). ... Also: Lakers and the Jazz roll on.
NFL: The brief DeAngelo Hall Era of the Oakland Raiders, completed yesterday, will go down as one of the worst in franchise history. And that's saying something.
State of the Injured QBs: Tony Romo is practicing. ... Big Ben is questionable for Sunday. ... Kyle Orton WANTS to play. ... And, because he isn't injured, it looks like Daunte Culpepper WILL play a mere five days after being signed by Detroit.
Should the NFL revert back to six divisions? Mike Florio is on to something here, I think.
CBB Countdown: No. 5 Michigan State.
More intriguingly, Florida starting PG Jai Lucas is transferring, not for playing time but for playing out of position. The Gators’ offense runs through versatile Nick Calathes, making traditional point guards more three-point specialists.
The Last Word: Big Daddy Drew vs. Buzz Bissinger? It's a throw-down tonight between "new" media and "old" media flag-carriers.
If you live in New York, be sure to check out the Varsity Letters Reading Series tonight, featuring the sports blogger and the Pulitzer Prize winner (who, despite appearances, are chummy).
Dan Steinberg, the gold standard among newspaper sports bloggers, is the opening act. Should be a big, fun, rowdy event.
Dan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Nice blog. I like the playoff idea btw Big 12 & SEC! Someone has to do something to skae up this corrupt,antiquated system. (Still hard to believe The Big Ten doesn’t have one!) As for Ball State, if we had a playoff system they would get their shot at The NC, which is only right and fair if they go undefeated, becuase they would have to play legitimate teams to do so. This musical chairs setup serves no one but the BCS board members. Hey I didn’t vote for Obama, but at least he’s for a playoff system. He’s not so bad after all!
by Em Bomb on Nov 6, 2008 9:27 AM EST reply actions
The only way for the major conferences to cash in with payouts that will be unbelievable is to get out of the BCS mess, form its own "super league" and hold a playoff that will make March Madness look like Tuesday night NBA games in January.
by coreno on Nov 6, 2008 10:12 AM EST reply actions
Well, if there are undefeated teams left, then Florida shouldn’t make it in because..well..you should have won all your games. If USC shouldn’t get into the title game, than neither should Florida. Besides, the SEC is way down this year. Two really good teams: Bama and UF. Some average teams: LSU, Georgia, and a bunch of mediocre teams.
by Mr. Boynton on Nov 6, 2008 10:51 AM EST reply actions
Please(SEC/Big 12) seced from the BCS!
I would like to go back to a Big Ten-Pac 10 Rose Bowl and forget all this other garbage.
by ironcat on Nov 6, 2008 11:27 AM EST reply actions
I don’t see how having the SEC/Big 12 "seceding" is a good thing.
There’s a chance that a 1-loss non-BCS team will make a BCS game for the first time. That would be very interesting to me.
by lgmountaineers on Nov 6, 2008 11:38 AM EST reply actions
I won’t argue for or against Ball State as I just don’t know enough about them to have a valid opinion of whether they are deserving of a BCS shot. However, I do think I am a pretty good judge of talent and how well a team is playing and I feel pretty safe in saying that they are a pretty darned good team. I was very impressed watching them last night, David Letterman should be dancing in the streets right now!!! Do they have enough talent to match up against the BCS big boys?? My guess is no, however Utah and Boise State went into their bowl games hearing just that, they can’t play with the big boys they’ll get blown out of the water. Should they get into a game over a one loss or undafeated BCS team, probably not. However if they are undefeated and all that is left is two loss BCS teams, let em go. Finishing without a loss is near impossible to do no matter who you are or what confrence your in, reward them for it. We’ll see, they’ve got one more big game coming up for a shot at the MAC championship game, if they win it convincingly they deserve a better look over than what they’re getting now.
by BradEz1 on Nov 6, 2008 11:42 AM EST reply actions
I watched Ball State play Navy and I’ve not watched the Middies get slapped around like that for at least five years. The Cards should definitely be in the conversation. I don’t agree with Obama’s policies, except for this. The BIG 12 and SEC have virtually all of the power of college football. Both modern and ancient college football powers, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Nebraska are in these two conferences. What will the powers of Division I do without them? Therefore, secession seems like a much better prospect than it did for the soutehrn states many years ago.
by the Bradfather on Nov 6, 2008 12:00 PM EST reply actions
Great idea. I can see how several conferences would be offended. The SEC and Big 12 are holding all the power right now in college football. C’mon, let’s pull the trigger.
Go Gamecocks!
by gamecockfan on Nov 6, 2008 1:06 PM EST reply actions
Shanoff have you lost your mind?
How has the Big 12 Conference Champion done in their last 5 BCS games? Do you have a clue?
2007 – Oklahoma destroyed by WVU 48 – 28
2006 – Oklahoma beaten by Boise State 43 – 42
2005 – Texas 41 – 38 victory over USC
2004 – Oklahoma destroyed by US 55 – 19
2003 – Oklahoma beaten by LSU 21 – 14
Go ahead and secede. All it will do is provide the SEC with an easy bowl victory in most years.
The Big 12 conference champion has lost 4 of their last 5 BCS bowl games.
I sincerely hope the Big 12 champ this year gets matched up against USC or an SEC champion – so we will find out how good they really are against stiff competition.
The Big 10, despite the hype, is once again not up to the challenge. PSU is a very good team, but not a great one.
by Jim_SB on Nov 6, 2008 1:10 PM EST reply actions
Big 12 proved last year against WVU they were way over-rated! It might just happen again this year!
by Big Daddy BT on Nov 6, 2008 1:15 PM EST reply actions
As a Texas fan it’s nice to be reminded of all those Oklahoma losses. However, the Big 12 is a very strong conference this year. Michael Crabtree is the best player in college football, and – in a perfect world – would win the Heisman, if the award hadn’t become monopolized by QBs & RBs.
Would USC and Alabama and Florida fair well in the Big 12? Of course!!! But, top to bottom, the Big 12 is better than the Pac 10, the Big 10, and slightly better than the SEC. THIS year.
by J Bone A on Nov 6, 2008 1:34 PM EST reply actions
CORRECTION regarding 2003.
Oklahoma got pummeled by Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game – so OU was NOT the conference champion.
That was the year USC was #1 in the Coaches and AP polls (when they were the human poll component of the BCS) and was not allowed to play for the BCS crystal. Hence the split NC.
Kansas State, the Big 12 Champ, went on to lose to Ohio State 35 – 28.
by Jim_SB on Nov 6, 2008 1:42 PM EST reply actions
Another idea: The Rose Bowl, the storied storied Rose Bowl, is too precious to disrupt with any playoff system. SO, let the Big 10 and Pac 10 secede from the BCS (and a playoff system). They can play their little Pasadena game, and the rest of the nation can compete for the national championship.
by oklahomazeppelin on Nov 6, 2008 1:49 PM EST reply actions
Another idea: The Rose Bowl, the storied storied Rose Bowl, is too precious to disrupt with any playoff system. SO, let the Big 10 and Pac 10 secede from the BCS (and a playoff system). They can play their little Pasadena game, and the rest of the nation can compete for the national championship.
by oklahomazeppelin on Nov 6, 2008 1:49 PM EST reply actions
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