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MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 8

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:05:16 -0600

Colt McCoy has Texas in the top spot. Will they face
an in-state opponent in the championship game?
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

A few weeks ago, the lament began.

Never had a season this blah been in front of the nation. The rabid fan base that follows college football everywhere was in for a massive letdown.

Not even the playoff that everyone seems in chorus for could save this one.

And now the season appears to be in an even worse state than before, given the latest MRI numbers.

This is no offense to Texas, who have done what has been expected of them coming into the year.

And this is no offense to TCU who has the first legitimate chance to do something no other non-automatic qualifier has done and make an appearance in the National Championship game. (Didn't everyone think it would have been an overrated Notre Dame? )

But this year's crop of teams is terrible. Does anyone honestly believe that Ohio State might be the 6th best team in the country? Or that Oklahoma deserves a spot in the top 10?

Yet, those are the numbers that shake out of this thing.

This season could have the nation looking at the worst top 10 teams ever. Last year was bad. This year looks like the pee-wee leagues that provide halftime entertainment.

It is no surprise that this season is the year of the BCS busters. TCU and Boise State are both legitimate candidates for BCS bowls.

And beyond the one of the pair that will likely earn an automatic spot in the BCS, the other will possibly be left on the outside.

Now that would be a joke. If the standings hold, TCU would earn the automatic spot and Boise State would be left in the snow -- probably literally given the bowl choices the WAC has.

Does anyone believe that Boise isn't more deserving than a second team from the Big Ten, or the Pac-10?

Yet, the bowls will go for the big name rather than give another underdog a shot at the big boys, all but guaranteeing a lackluster affair that will draw more snores than viewers, especially given the drawn-out schedule. Despite the projections out there, college bowl officials just are creative enough to step out of their comfort zone and pick a wildcard.

There are more shocks in the MRI this week -- just try to find USC in the top 25 this week -- but that is best left for the reader to savor themselves.

Check out all the surprises in week eight of the football MRI.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 7

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:02:28 -0600

For your archival pleasure, the MRI rankings from week seven of the season.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 6

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:23:29 -0600

For your archival pleasure, the MRI rankings from week six of the season.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 5

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:32:51 -0600

I can't remember a football season this disappointing. It isn't that the games are exciting. But the lack of depth at the top of the rankings is just sad.

I am reveling in the race for the top spot as much as anyone. However, we only have three teams to root for.

Everyone else is officially an also-ran right now, and that is not making for an exciting season.

Even the leaders leave something to be desired. They don't put teams away. They don't distinguish themselves. They are just the best of a mediocre pack.

Take this week's top 25 in the MRI. I can't remember the last time that we had a ranked team with a losing record.

But there one is this week -- Tennessee at No. 22. The whole country is so blah that teams can't knock out a less than .500 squad.

And back at the top, we have our three blind mice, who can't see that putting a little distance on the rest of the group might be a good thing sooner rather than later.

It is as if they are waiting for the upset to happen, so they don't have to carry the mantle of the best team in the country. And the way they all are playing, that upset is coming.

Poised to take their spots are the George Masons of football: TCU and Boise State, who are putting opponents away, but boast schedules that leave something to be desired.

Otherwise, the debate we would be having is not 'Who is No. 1?' but rather 'What happened to the perennial powerhouses?'

At this point, I am hoping that one of the outsiders can crack that top group.

Better yet, I hope they both do.

Check out all the rankings in week 5 of the MRI.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 4

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:22:06 -0600

Alabama's defense celebrates
backing into the No. 1 spot.
(AP Photo/Dave Martin)

What happens when the No. 1 and 2 teams both win, but neither looks great doing it?

Chaos!

No, not chaos, but close enough. Alabama and Florida both lost ground this week in the MRI. Neither particularly deserved to gain any points after their lackluster wins against South Carolina and Arkansas.

But neither did they deserve to lose those top two spots given that Texas had its hands full taking out Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout.

They could still switch places though, and that is exactly what happened. And while these two have a little spat to decide who is really No. 1, the rest of the country is mired in mediocrity.

No one seems to want to step up and move toward the front of the pack. Whether it is because of poor scheduling, or just parity in the league, every team from Boise State down to No. 25 Pittsburgh is within 20 points of each other.

Teams are changing places in the rankings like they were shuffling inside a crowded elevator. Only right now, that elevator doesn't get any higher than the fifth floor from the top and no one seems to want to stay on that floor for any length of time.

Time to check out all the rankings in week four of the MRI.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 3

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:16:09 -0600

Tim Tebow managed to get away
from LSU. But can he keep the rest
of the country at bay in the MRI?
(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

LSU tried its best. But maybe Tim Tebow really is superman?

After all, the kryptonite that was his own lineman's knee didn't seem to slow him enough to drop the Gators, either on the field or in the MRI.

Alabama did close the gap again between themselves and their SEC foes but given the way the two teams are playing, it looks like it will take until the SEC championship before this one gets sorted out.

And it appears that one of the SEC competitors for the title has fallen aside, leaving the path even more wide open. Auburn took a tumble against Arkansas, taking at least a little of the pressure off the Iron Bowl game at the end of November.

While Texas waits for one of the two teams to slip up, Boise State is battling a less-than-stellar schedule and hoping that it will be enough. The Broncos face a tough test against Tulsa, but will it be enough to improve their MRI standing?

Check out the gap that they need to overcome in this week's MRI.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 2

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:58:11 -0600

Lots of questions remain for No. 1 Florida
(AP Photo/The Gainesville Sun, Aaron E. Daye)

Florida sat at home and watched their lead in the MRI dwindle.

Now they have to worry about it totally going away. With Tim Tebow still in doubt for Saturday, the Gators have the spectres of Alabama and Texas looming.

Alabama had little trouble with Kentucky last week and now Mississippi is on the calendar, a game that if the Tide can win should bolster their MRI points by quite a bit.

Texas prepares to take on Colorado, who is looking like the doormat of the Big 12 this season. Following that, the Longhorns will have three-straight ranked teams on the slate, which could mean a big move in terms of SOS for Texas.

That normally translates into big points in the MRI formula.

Further back are Boise State and Auburn, still undefeated, and still hungry to make some noise.

Auburn will have its chance to show off against Alabama later in the year, if they survive. But Boise State will be an interesting case this season if they can go 12-0. They may have a Utah-like beef against the BCS if they are left out, especially if Oregon continues to play well, and maybe knocks off a USC later in the season.

But there is still a lot of football to be played. Until then, you can see all the rankings in week 2 of the MRI.

MRI Football 2009 - Rankings Week 1

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:07:21 -0600

Could Florida be in trouble at No. 1 now
that Tebow is down?
(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

After four weeks of supposed upsets, the computer has crunched the numbers and the MRI has returned.

Now we will get to see where the true upsets are occurring in college football.

One place that they have not been occurring is Gainesville, Fla. The carry-over from Tim Tebow's heartfelt speech has lasted at least through the first four weeks this year.

But we finally found the Kryptonite to the Gators' Superman. Who knew it was his own lineman's knee?

Now with Tebow sidelined, will Florida be able to hold onto the top spot that they have owned since the eighth week of last season?

It might be difficult because SEC conference mate Alabama has been solid over the first quarter of the season. Where was the upset that so many were calling for this past week?

Not at Alabama.

Instead the trip-up occurred out at Penn State, where for the second year in a row, Iowa ruined the Nittany Lion BCS championship dreams.

Prior to the loss, it looked as if Penn State would be near the top of the MRI rankings again. Instead, they are No. 25.

Check out all the rankings in week one of the MRI.

Northwestern Examiner: Northwestern could benefit from Big Ten expansion

Wed, 06 May 2009 19:14:08 -0600

There was a time when I though the game had passed Joe Paterno by. I was wrong.

Say what you will about the often gruff coach – he’s old, he can’t relate to kids, the game has passed him by – but he is usually correct. And by the way, like me, you would be wrong on all three counts.

Never one to hold his tongue, Paterno said last week that he would like to see the Big Ten expand to 12 teams, enabling the also-ran conference to create a championship game and play later into the season. The wizened one said he thought that the extra team and game would allow the Big Ten to stay in the minds of the media (read voters) later and possibly get the conference more shots at the National Title.

It is a tough sell, not only because commissioner Jim Delaney has already turned it down, but because the last leagues to try and make waves through expansion haven’t yet shown that it works.

Yet, when Paterno talks, we should listen. After all he was the first to conceive of an East Coast football conference – it became the Big East, but ironically without Penn State.

Plus, with Penn State the relative newcomer to the Big Ten, Paterno can almost speak from an outsider’s point of view. It is not like the Nittany Lions have a strong tie to the Rose Bowl like the rest of the league seems to have.

No, Penn State and JoePa are just the right messengers to push change onto the league that seems perpetually stuck in the 1950s (Now talk about irony!).

Read the rest of this story at Examiner.com.

Northwestern Examiner: Wildcat free agent signings could crack NFL squads

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:35:35 -0600

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance”

A chance was all Lloyd Christmas wanted, and he managed to eventually get it.
But for some reason or another, a piddly little chance has eluded Northwestern players on draft weekend over the past three seasons.

Sure Evanston has never been a hot bed of NFL talent, but usually there is one player in every class that is at least worth a sniff. The Wildcats had never gone three straight years without having at least one player draft.

But the last time any ‘Cat heard their name was 2006, which seems likes a distant memory these days. Northwestern had three players get the call that year: defensive tackle Barry Cofield, offensive lineman Zach Strief and linebacker Tim McGarigle.

The best hope this year to break the shutout was Tyrell Sutton, but concerns over injuries and size probably negated any shot of him being “reserved” by a pro team.

But what do pro scouts know? They hit as often as they miss no matter if it is the first or the seventh round. For every Peyton Manning, there is usually a Ryan Leaf.

At least Pat Fitzgerald wasn’t upset about it enough to complain in the media like Mike Leach did. You would have thought Leach had learned to keep his mouth shut after he and the administration battled over his contract in the media at the end of last season.

Still the chance to make an NFL team may not have escaped Northwestern’s graduating seniors just yet.

Three former Wildcats signed free agent contracts on Sunday night, long after Mr. Irrelevant finished his champagne celebration.

Sutton, John Gill and Eric Peterman all inked deals with NFC North squads with the hope of taking their careers to the next level.

Going undrafted probably means it is a long shot at best that a player will see the field on Sunday, but even if it is just for completeness, I asked my fellow Examiners who cover the pro squads to give me their best guess on what – if any – impact that Northwestern’s former stars will have at the next level.

Get all the insight and read the rest of this article at Examiner.com.

MRI 2008 - Tournament Final

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:26:58 -0600

One bad week tripped UNC from the regular
season title. Not so for the tourney one.
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

North Carolina dominated the NCAA tournament, something that the MRI thought might happen...except for that conference tournament week.

You see, the Tar Heels stumbled during the ACC tournament, allowing Memphis to squeak by them during the final week of the season. That led the MRI to pick the Tigers as the tournament champions.

But things changed quickly. As soon as North Carolina starting stomping opponents, the Tar Heels were slipping back into the lead.

By the time the Sweet Sixteen rolled around, North Carolina was sniffing the No. 1 spot, and Missouri assisted the matter by taking out Memphis in dramatic fashion.

The Tar Heels rolled through the rest of the tournament, extending the lead and trouncing the rest of the field, something that the MRI had thought might happen... well, last year. But this year, they did it right.

Included in the rankings this time around are the winners of the other three tournaments: Penn State, Old Dominion and Oregon State.

Yes, Oregon State, who ended with a losing record against Division I teams took home a tournament title. If I thought that the Penn State NIT title was unlikely, I can't even begin to explain how the Beavers pulled this one off.

Oregon State finished as the No. 192 team in the country, and that is after the tournament win.

Talk about unlikely. But then again, it was the CBI, a tournament that it seemed had trouble filling its field because of the monetary requirement it attached to a home game (Apparently Oregon State didn't have a problem paying.)

But that is a matter for another day. Until then, check out the tournament final rankings of the MRI.

Projecting the Tournament: Finals Edition

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:49:24 -0600

For as poorly as the MRI did at predicting the NIT, it did amazingly well at predicting the NCAA tournament so far.

With one game to go (that the computer cannot win), the MRI was at the 73rd percentile at ESPN, having been helped by a number of upsets along the way. The computer needed the help because it landed just one of its Final Four teams predicted prior to the tournament beginning.

Its solid standing is better than a number of the personalities who get paid the big bucks to spout on about sports on a daily basis at ESPN. The computer is ahead of everyone at PTI, a solid three-quarters of Around the Horn, and is hanging in there against the Editorial staff.

Not bad.

Penn State: The Improbable NIT winner

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:11:26 -0600

Penn State finished off Baylor last night 69-65 to take the NIT title. While some may mock the winner of this secondary tournament -- calling then No. 66 even though this title brings with it more prestige than dropping a first round NCAA game in an upset -- the NIT has been a stepping stone for many teams moving into the next season.

I wrote about this at Examiner, but here is a list of the teams that have turned recent NIT success into NCAA tournament glory the next season:

Ohio State turned last year’s championship into a No. 8 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament.

West Virginia, the 2007 champion, reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2008. The runner-up, Clemson, was No. 5 seed but ran into a hot Villanova team.

Two-time defending champ South Carolina started the 2007 season 10-3 before getting rolled by a hot SEC conference that ultimately produced NCAA champ Florida.

Ok, so Ohio State's tournament run didn't end with fireworks and parades, but they made the field. That should give Penn State a lot of hope going into next year, even with the loss of Jamelle Cornley.

Northwestern Wildcats Examiner: Could Curry become a Wildcat?

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:15:51 -0600

Liberty’s season ended Monday, an 88-65 loss to the James Madison Dukes in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

The future of the basketball program ended Tuesday.

Seth Curry, the high-scoring, little brother of Davidson’s Stephen Curry announced his decision to transfer in order to face tougher competition during his college career.

Frankly, the fact that Liberty had this kid for a year is a shock in itself.

Everyone watched the elder Curry light up the league in his freshman season, averaging almost 22 points per game. Then he turned it on for his sophomore campaign, almost leading the Wildcats to the Final Four.

At that point, coaches across the country should have been scrambling to recruit Seth. Even if he were a bust, given the play of his brother, it would have been worth the risk.

It is almost like watching Archie Manning play in the NFL and Peyton tear up the SEC, and then not recruiting Eli.

The family has the genes.

So Liberty got its season of glory, even if that glory ended in the fourth best tournament in the country.
Now where does Seth go?

Read the rest of this story here.

The MRI Rankings are copyright 2009 by MRISports.com. Ben Miraski is a freelance reporter, edits and writes for MRISports.com and is a featured blogger on FanIQ. He also is the Northwestern Wildcats Examiner for Examiner.com. Readers can contact Ben at bmiraski@mrisports.com

Projecting the Tournament: NIT Edition

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:03:26 -0600

Everyone has been down on the SEC this season, and for good reason. A bunch of mediocre teams, who failed to win even small games during the non-conference season, doesn't make for exciting basketball.

When you add in that the "normal" names failed to impress, no one was watching.

And no one is watching the SEC anymore, at least in the NCAA tournament. As the second weekend gets set to begin, all three teams from the South have already packed their gear away for the off-season.

But those fans might want to flip the channel from CBS to ESPN. The league that everyone though was way down has actually impressed in that other tournament, the NIT.

Of the eight teams remaining, three are from the SEC, and all three should be favored in their games to get to Madison Square Garden.

Imagine that. We aren't talking about three teams from the supposedly very deep Big East -- it could have happened. We aren't talking about Big XII. And we aren't talking about the little guys breaking through, although at least one of the Final Four spots will be taken by a team with a little chip on its shoulder.

Nope, this is the SEC that is running through what has actually been the more competitive tournament when you look at how fairly matched the teams have been.

As always, let's see what the computer says about who should be headed to MSG on March 31.