Analysis of College Football's Regular Season

The current top four teams in College Football (Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, Ohio State) were considered the favorites by many people in early August.  However, after the announcement that Ohio State's Braxton Miller would miss the 2014 season, Ohio State was no longer one of the favorites to make the Playoffs.

Four months and two starting quarterbacks later, Ohio State ended up finding itself in the Playoffs anyways, albeit with the three previously mentioned teams. I foresaw Oklahoma following last year's bowl win over Alabama with another great season, but 3/4 of their one possession games got away from them, and Baylor overpowered them.

College Football 2014 Team Previews (bilingual post)

(Overall records)

(Marcas totales)

Rankings

• AAC

1. Houston 10-2 (Preview/Vista previa)
2. UCF 9-3
3. Cincinnati 9-3
4. East Carolina 8-4
5. USF 7-5
6. Memphis 6-6
7. Connecticut 5-7
8. SMU
9. Tulane
10. Tulsa
11. Temple

•  ACC

1. Florida State 13-0
2. North Car 10-3
3. Virginia Tech 9-3
4. Clemson 9-3
5. Duke 9-3
6. Louisville 8-4
7. Georgia Tech 7-5
8. Pittsburgh 7-5
9. Miami 5-7
10. Virginia 5-7
11. NC State 5-7
12. Syracuse 4-8
13. Boston College 4-8
14. Wake Forest 1-11

•  Big Ten

1. Michigan State 11-2
2. Iowa 10-3
3. Ohio State 9-3
4. Northwestern 9-3
5. Michigan 8-4
6. Wisconsin 8-4
7. Nebraska 8-4
8. Maryland 7-5
9. Rutgers 7-5
10. Penn St 6-6

• Big 12

1. Oklahoma 11-1
2. Baylor 10-2
3. Texas 8-4
4. TCU 8-4
5. Kansas State 8-4
6. Texas Tech 7-5
7. Oklahoma St 7-5
8. Iowa St
9. West Virginia
10. Kansas

• Conference USA

1. Marshall 11-2
2.  UT San Antonio 9-4
3. North Texas 8-4
4. Midd Tenn St 7-5
5. Louisiana Tech 6-6
6. Southern Miss 5-7

• Independents

1. BYU 10-2
2. Navy 9-3
3. Notre Dame 8-4
4. Army 6-6

•  MAC

1. Toledo 10-3
2. Northern Ill 9-3
3. Bowling Green 9-4
4. Central Mich 7-5

• Mountain West

1. Boise State 10-3
2. Fresno State 10-3
3. Utah State 9-4
4. Nevada 8-4
5. Colorado State 7-5
6. San Diego State 7-5

• PAC 12

1. Oregon 11-2
2. UCLA 10-3
3. Stanford 9-3
4. Washington 9-3
5. USC 9-3
6. Oregon State 8-4
7. Arizona 8-4
8. Utah 6-6
9. Washington St 6-6
10. Arizona St 5-7
11. California 2-10
12. Colorado 2-10

• SEC

1. Alabama 11-2
2. Auburn10-2
3. Georgia 10-2
4. South Carolina 10-3
5. LSU 9-3
6. Ole Miss 9-3
7. TX A&M 8-4
8. Florida 7-5
9. Mississippi State 7-5
10. Missouri 7-5
11. Tennessee 6-6
12. Vanderbilt 5-7
13. Arkansas 4-8
14. Kentucky 3-9

Vista previa de BYU Football 2014

English Version

 Análisis del calendario BYU 

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Lo Entiendo: El fútbol americano de la Universidad de Brigham Young (BYU Football) usualmente se entusiasma demasiado. Pero el potencial de este equipo es tremendo de verdad. ¿Por qué? Una palabra que mejor describe BYU Football 2014 es traslados (disponibles ahora).

2014 BYU Football Preview: This Team IS Different

Español

BYU Schedule Preview

I get it: Brigham Young University Football usually over-hypes itself; but the potential for this team truly is tremendous. Why? One word that best describes BYU Football 2014 is transfers (eligible now).

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Recent additions make this team different, and with the stellar duo in QB Taysom Hill and running-back Jamaal Williams, BYU fans have a reason to be excited for the upcoming season. People say the schedule is much easier, but it is actually full of trap games. Regardless, this team is set to have a better record than 8-5 from last year. 

The BCS is Out, a Playoff is in: Major Changes in College Football Approach

Florida State football's win over Auburn in this year's BCS Championship Game ended several streaks. The team is the first outside of the Southeastern Conference in eight years to win the BCS Championship. The second streak that ended is the BCS itself, or the Bowl Championship Series.

This system was put into place in the late 1990's, where the top two College Football teams at the end of the regular season were matched up for the BCS Championship Game, and eight qualifying teams would play in the other major Bowl Games (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange). The system usually created disaster at the end of the regular season, when well deserving teams were left out of the BCS.

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Now, the one streak that is sure to continue is the constant change in College Sports. The post season is being changed, the NCAA is having legal issues that could lead to major changes (such as players getting paid) and teams have been shuffling conferences restlessly.

The New Postseason

The big news of 2014 is the new Post Season format. The College Football Playoff begins this season with the top four teams, selected by a committee instead of computers and voters. Will there be questions and disputes? Sure, but a tournament of four is two times better than a narrow two. A playoff would have solved problems in many, but not all, of the BCS years.

Some people think this system will make it even tougher for teams like Boise State to make the National Championship. We've yet to see, but I don't see a playoff of four teams leaving an undefeated Boise State team out three times (such as the BCS did in 2006, 2008, 2009)

Finally, the BCS had six conferences that were automatically qualified for a BCS game. Starting now there are five that qualify for a "Major Bowl." A sixth qualifier is chosen out of the best team out of all other conferences. There are more "Major Bowls" this year, where four of the six rotate as playoff games every year. These bowls are Rose, Fiesta, Orange, Sugar, Cotton and Peach Bowls. The Playoff Bowl Games this year are the Sugar and Rose Bowls. The National Championship Game will be at Cowboy's Stadium in Texas2.

 Conference Changes
 

The recent conference shifts first occurred in 2011, and included Nebraska's move to the Big Ten, Colorado and Utah's move to the PAC 12 and BYU's move to Independence. Conferences are almost unrecognizable now. The WAC and Big East are gone (Big East is now the American Athletic Conference) and the Big XII doesn't even have 12 teams.

This year, more teams are jumping ship, including Rutgers and Maryland (Big Ten), Louisville (ACC), etc.


Sources:
1: http://www.adweek.com/files/cfp-teaser-hed-2014.jpg
2: http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/

Se va la BCS, llega torneo: El fútbol americano colegial cambia

La victoria de Florida State sobre Auburn en el Partido del Campeonato de BCS este año terminó varias rachas. Florida State es el primer fuera de la Conferencia Sudeste ganar el Campeonato BCS (Serie del Campeonato de Bowls/Tazones) en ocho años. La segunda racha que feneció abarca la BCS misma. 

Este sistema BCS se inició al fin de los años 90, cuando los dos mejores equipos de fútbol americano se aparejaron en el Partido del Campeonato de BCS, y ochos equipos clasificados jugaron en los demás grandes partidos de Bowl (Rosa, Azúcar, Fiesta, Naranja). El sistema usualmente creó un desastre al fin de la temporada regular, cuando equipos merecedores fueron dejados afuera de los Partidos de la BCS.

Ahora, la una racha que continuará seguramente es el cambio constante en deportes universitarios. La post/temporada (fin de la temporada regular) se cambia, la NCAA (Asociación Nacional de Atléticos Colegiales) pasa por dificultades legales que pueden resultar en cambios grandes (tales como pagos para jugadores) y equipos se han mezclado entre las conferencias inquietamente.

 La nueva post-temporada

Las novedades grandes de 2014 incluyen el sistema nuevo del fin de temporada. El College Football Playoff comienza esta temporada con los cuatro mejores equipos, seleccionados por un comité en vez de ordenadores y votantes. ¿Habrán preguntas y lides? Sí, pero torneo de cuatro equipos es dos veces mejor que angosto dos. Un torneo hubiera resuelto problemas en muchos, pero no todos, de los años con la BCS.

Algunas personas opinan que este sistema les pondrá más dificultades a equipos tales como Boise State para conseguir el Campeonato Nacional. Hemos de ver, pero no veo un torneo de cuatro equipos excluir tres veces a un Boise State invicto (como hizo la BCS en 2006, 2008, 2009).

Finalmente, la BCS se compuso de seis conferencias con acceso automático a partidos de BCS. Ahora, hay cinco conferencias que califican automáticamente para una Bowl grande. Sexto clasificador se escoge del mejor equipo de las demás conferencias. Hay más Bowls grandes este año, con cuatro de las seis que se intercambiarán sitios del torneo cada año. Estas Bowls incluyen: Rosa, Fiesta, Naranja, Azúcar, Algodón y Durazno. Este año los partidos del torneo consisten de Azúcar y Rosa. El Partido del Campeonato Nacional se ubicará en el Estadio de los Cowboys en Tejas1.

Cambios de Conferencias

Los primeros cambios recientes de las conferencias ocurrieron en 2011, incluso: Nebraska se trasladó a la Big Ten, Colorado y Utah a la PAC 12 y BYU a la Independencia. Las conferencias casi no son reconocibles ahora. Se desvanecieron la WAC y Big East (ahora la Conferencia Americana de Atléticos/AAC) y la Big XII no tiene 12 equipos...

Este año más equipos se parten, incluso Rutgers y Maryland (Big X), Louisville (ACC), etc...

 Fuente
1: http://www.collegefootballplayoff.com/