Jason Witlock tells the truth about ESPN in his latest article

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Yeah you can.  Hawaii did it last year.  If he wants to pimp his school because nobody else is, more power to him.  How is Ball State & their QB any different from Hawaii & Colt Brennan?  Washington, the toughest team on Hawaii's schedule last year, was hardly a big dog. 

Please tell me that you aren't trying to compare a Hawaii who played an OOC schedule that included Florida(10-1), Oregon St.(8-3), Washington St.(2-10) and Cincinatti(9-2) to a Ball State that played an OOC schedule inlcuding such luminaries as Northeastern(Div I-AA FCS) 2-10, Navy(6-4), Indiana(3-9) and Western Kentucky(2-8)? Please, this has no comparison whatsoever. 3 of 4 of Hawaii's opponents are ranked. Noneof Ball State's are.

[stchane]

Please tell me that you aren't trying to compare a Hawaii who played an OOC schedule that included Florida(10-1), Oregon St.(8-3), Washington St.(2-10) and Cincinatti(9-2) to a Ball State that played an OOC schedule inlcuding such luminaries as Northeastern(Div I-AA FCS) 2-10, Navy(6-4), Indiana(3-9) and Western Kentucky(2-8)? Please, this has no comparison whatsoever. 3 of 4 of Hawaii's opponents are ranked. Noneof Ball State's are.

Muskogee,

You've got some great insight on a lot of different things and I enjoy most of your posts alot, and I don't know if its thanksgiving or what the hell is goin on, but the reading comp. needs some serious attention here.

HAWAII DID IT LAST YEAR.  I said that in the previous post that you replied to.  LAST YEAR MEANS 2007, not 2008.  Their OCC was Northern Colorodo, UNLV, Charleston Southern (I-AA), & Washington.  Now that is similar to Ball State this year isn't it? 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Muskogee,

You've got some great insight on a lot of different things and I enjoy most of your posts alot, and I don't know if its thanksgiving or what the hell is goin on, but the reading comp. needs some serious attention here.

HAWAII DID IT LAST YEAR.  I said that in the previous post that you replied to.  LAST YEAR MEANS 2007, not 2008.  Their OCC was Northern Colorodo, UNLV, Charleston Southern (I-AA), & Washington.  Now that is similar to Ball State this year isn't it? 

Tell ya what, no matter what is said, I am not getting on the Ball State bandwagon and I am not sure why you seem to be. Ball State may be good this year, obviously they are. But over time, it isn't like they have done this every year. I'll say it again. If they want to be considered with the big dogs, they need to play the big dogs EVERY YEAR and be successful in doing so. I am sick and tired of the underlings whining about how they have been shafted and yet they really haven't played anyone of any repute on a consistent basis. I don't care that they beat a 3-9 Big Ten team......so what? they scheduled a Div I-AA team and beat them and that team is only 2-8 at this point......huge achievement. I don't care if it is Hawaii or someone else out of the Mountain West or the lowly Mid America..........play bigger, more competitive teams and beat them and then they deserve to be there without any qualifications. End of comment.

[stchane]

Tell ya what, no matter what is said, I am not getting on the Ball State bandwagon and I am not sure why you seem to be. Ball State may be good this year, obviously they are. But over time, it isn't like they have done this every year. I'll say it again. If they want to be considered with the big dogs, they need to play the big dogs EVERY YEAR and be successful in doing so. I am sick and tired of the underlings whining about how they have been shafted and yet they really haven't played anyone of any repute on a consistent basis. I don't care that they beat a 3-9 Big Ten team......so what? they scheduled a Div I-AA team and beat them and that team is only 2-8 at this point......huge achievement. I don't care if it is Hawaii or someone else out of the Mountain West or the lowly Mid America..........play bigger, more competitive teams and beat them and then they deserve to be there without any qualifications. End of comment.

I agree with that sentiment as well.  But I'm not arguing at all for Ball State.  I could care less.  But what I do care about is a national media member, for whatever the reason, exposing ESPN for what they are.  Sure he did it in the context of his own school, but that doesn't make him wrong either. 

The only thing Hawaii had last year that Ball State doesn't this year is passer who set the NCAA TD record.  While that may sound like some great accomplishment (and it really is), it occurred due to a....well whats the right word?  For lack of a better word "gimmick" offense.  I say that because when it really mattered in the biggest game of all, it fluttered.  The pass, pass, pass offense with no balance is exposed once it gets punched in the mouth (Like Texas Tech last week). 

So but for the TD record, you have essentially the same situation this year for Ball State.  The thing really hurting them is Utah & Boise, a factor that wasn't present last year.  But that doesn't mean that an argument, whether you agree with it or not (which I don't for the same reasoning you outlined above), cannot be made for Ball State to be in a BCS game & Nate whatever-the-hell-his-name-is to be considered for the Heisman. 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Never said anything pro or con for the BCS nor did I mention Coach Petrino(the infallible?). I'm not sure why you show such sarcasm and disdain in regard to BP. Could you clarify that, please?

If the smaller schools want to be considered for the major bowls and not feel as if they aren't getting a fair shake, all they have to do is schedule larger, reputable Div I schools from major conferences for their out of conference games, beat them when they play them and then sweep through their smaller conference schedule. That's it. That is all they have to do and all that does is give them a better SOS so that they are considered right along with everyone else who has to play those bigger schools in their regular conference games.

[red_beard_82]

he made one good point, Crabtree is the best player in the country
after that he is a bitter fan

[stchane]

Never said anything pro or con for the BCS nor did I mention Coach Petrino(the infallible?). I'm not sure why you show such sarcasm and disdain in regard to BP. Could you clarify that, please?

If the smaller schools want to be considered for the major bowls and not feel as if they aren't getting a fair shake, all they have to do is schedule larger, reputable Div I schools from major conferences for their out of conference games, beat them when they play them and then sweep through their smaller conference schedule. That's it. That is all they have to do and all that does is give them a better SOS so that they are considered right along with everyone else who has to play those bigger schools in their regular conference games.

I didn't say anything about Petrino?? 

That is what the smaller schools should do if they really wanted to make an argument for themselves year in-&-year out.  But in reality it just doesn't shake out that way.  Hell Kansas had an awful schedule last year, one the easiest in the country, and made it to a BCS bowl.  Why the hell not Ball State if Kansas can do it?  The only tough game they played in 2007 was Missouri in the last game of the season, & they lost, but ended up in the Orange Bowl

It sucks that you can play a weak schedule & end up in a BCS bowl.  Its a flaw in the system.  I think the BCS does about the best job possible of getting #1 and #2 together, but after that its just a cluster-fu_k. 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I didn't say anything about Petrino?? 

That is what the smaller schools should do if they really wanted to make an argument for themselves year in-&-year out.  But in reality it just doesn't shake out that way.  Hell Kansas had an awful schedule last year, one the easiest in the country, and made it to a BCS bowl.  Why the hell not Ball State if Kansas can do it?  The only tough game they played in 2007 was Missouri in the last game of the season, & they lost, but ended up in the Orange Bowl

It sucks that you can play a weak schedule & end up in a BCS bowl.  Its a flaw in the system.  I think the BCS does about the best job possible of getting #1 and #2 together, but after that its just a cluster-fu_k. 

I wasn't responding to you.....I was responding to Mr. DriveTimePorks and it looks like a Mod deleted his post.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I didn't say anything about Petrino?? 

That is what the smaller schools should do if they really wanted to make an argument for themselves year in-&-year out.  But in reality it just doesn't shake out that way.  Hell Kansas had an awful schedule last year, one the easiest in the country, and made it to a BCS bowl.  Why the hell not Ball State if Kansas can do it?  The only tough game they played in 2007 was Missouri in the last game of the season, & they lost, but ended up in the Orange Bowl

It sucks that you can play a weak schedule & end up in a BCS bowl.  Its a flaw in the system.  I think the BCS does about the best job possible of getting #1 and #2 together, but after that its just a cluster-fu_k. 

The tougher the conference, the more lee-way you are given in scheduling OOC patsies. May not be right, but it is how it is. A Florida can get away with scheduling a Citadel because of the normal difficulty of their in conference schedule. A team from a lesser conference has to schedule a much more difficult OOC schedule to compensate for their weak in conference schedule. Again, is it right? In some ways, I see the logic.

[31to6]

How have they ruined everything they touch?  I would say college fb is pretty good.  College bb coverage is great, it is just the style of play that is becoming unwatchable ( like what happened to the NBA ).  MLB is something most people either like or they dont. 

So, I ask again, how has ESPN ruined everything?

I hate their coverage. They constantly break in and out of games with unrelated darn. If I am watching a college football I want to watch college football. I couln't give two posters for baseball, nascar or some other dumb darn. But ESPN thinks it is good coverage to split the screen and spoil the atmosphere of a good game to show some irrelevant crap.

Their shameless self-promotion is sickening as well.

The only good thing about ESPN is that they cover a lot of games. I'd much rather see that amount of coverage split among 2-3 networks.

I'm glad the SEC is in ESPN's inner circle with the new contract for the sake of the program but we desperately need more competition because right now ESPN monopolizes the sports conversation.

[Lando Calrissian]

I HATE watching stuff on Fox.

[stchane]

The tougher the conference, the more lee-way you are given in scheduling OOC patsies. May not be right, but it is how it is. A Florida can get away with scheduling a Citadel because of the normal difficulty of their in conference schedule. A team from a lesser conference has to schedule a much more difficult OOC schedule to compensate for their weak in conference schedule. Again, is it right? In some ways, I see the logic.

Its not the logic I don't understand.  But the Big 12 North & the SEC East are drastically different divisions.  Kansas didn't have to play Texas or OU, or even Texas Tech.  They played Baylor & aTm.  Its just the way the schedule shook out for them, but still like you say, play the big boys if you wanna be considered with the Big boys. 

Regardless of the self-admitted homerism, I hope that more columnist will write this story so it starts gaining momentum and eventually has to be recognized by all, and then hopefully fixed or at least remedied in some way. 

[pigsooiec5]

He wouldn't have been so long-winded if it had anything to do with anything other than his alma mater, Ball State University.

It's a covert effort to get an undeserving team into a BCS game. 

He's obviously passionate about it, but somewhat too obvious.

Are you serious?  In the article, he states:

"I'm not someone who believes Ball State belongs in a BCS bowl game. Any team — not just a mid-major — needs a top-25 victory on its resume before you even begin the BCS argument. We don't have it. Right now, we've earned the right to be ranked — in my opinion — anywhere from No. 18 to 23. If we finish 14-0, I'll be satisfied with a ranking between No. 10 and 15."

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Its not the logic I don't understand.  But the Big 12 North & the SEC East are drastically different divisions.  Kansas didn't have to play Texas or OU, or even Texas Tech.  They played Baylor & aTm.  Its just the way the schedule shook out for them, but still like you say, play the big boys if you wanna be considered with the Big boys. 

Regardless of the self-admitted homerism, I hope that more columnist will write this story so it starts gaining momentum and eventually has to be recognized by all, and then hopefully fixed or at least remedied in some way. 

No, but they(Kansas) did play 5 bowl teams out of 13 games that year(2007) with their only loss being to Missouri who cleaned our clock in the Cotton Bowl. So it isn't like they didn't deserve to be where they were. How many eventual Bowl teams did Ball State play last year and this year? I bet the combined total of the two years didn't equal their one.

[MacHog19]

Overall, I think Jason is a good journalist and I agree with much of what he writes.  He has some valid points with regard to ESPN; however, I think he is a bit overboard in saying that Ball State's QB is superior to Bradford, McCoy and Harrell.  While it is not Davis' fault, you cannot realistically compare his statistics to the Big XII QB's because the level of competition is so different. 

[stchane]

No, but they(Kansas) did play 5 bowl teams out of 13 games that year(2007) with their only loss being to Missouri who cleaned our clock in the Cotton Bowl. So it isn't like they didn't deserve to be where they were. How many eventual Bowl teams did Ball State play last year and this year? I bet the combined total of the two years didn't equal their one.

Fair enough.