Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scor

O&N HOME | NFL MLB NBA NHL NCAAF NCAABk Nascar Golf Soccer Tennis Boxing Horse Racing All Sports

Around FCS: Laughing at the BCS mess

Fri 9th, January 2009

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - It's the day after the BCS "title" game and as a follower of the playoff used in FCS, I'm once again feeling a little smug. You have to snicker at the chaos of the BCS, while at the same time realizing that we have as close a system to perfect in deciding the FCS national champion.

I honestly tried to get excited about watching Florida and Oklahoma play on Thursday night, but even though I found myself admiring the performance of the Florida defense and the way that Tim Tebow and company put away their 24-14 "championship" win, I couldn't help but think the wrong team might be hoisting that precious crystal football.

I actually fell asleep trying to watch the Fiesta Bowl between Texas and Ohio State on Tuesday night, but that just illustrated the importance of a contest where one of the teams, the Longhorns, knew they had just as legitimate a right to be playing Florida as Oklahoma did.

It was also embarrassing to listen to the game's broadcasters all but totally ignore the controversy of the teams selected to this year's BCS shindig. I guess the big bucks being paid by the Fox network to televise the game precluded the announcers from voicing an opinion on the BCS mess.

To put things into perspective, if FCS had used a BCS formula for picking two finalists, No. 1 ranked James Madison and No. 2 Appalachian State would have lined up and played for the title, giving us a rematch of a regular-season game won by the Dukes. Richmond and Montana wouldn't have been invited.

If any team can relate to the plight of undefeated Utah, it is Richmond. The Spiders were 4-3 at one point during the regular season before embarking on a nine-game winning streak to close the year.

Like Utah in the FBS polls, Richmond was ranked seventh in the Sports Network FCS top-25. But the Spiders got the chance to beat Appalachian State, No. 3 seed Northern Iowa and No. 4 Montana to win their championship on the field of battle.

The Spiders would have been building for 2009 halfway through the 2008 season, if the FCS used the idiotic system of the BCS.

Imagine the excitement of seeing Florida have to play USC or Utah after dispatching Oklahoma? Those are games I probably could stay awake for. Every year in the FCS playoffs, we have plenty of edge-of-your-seat excitement, with games coming down to the wire.

Richmond and Montana both felt those kind of adrenaline rushes after going on the road to pull out big semifinal wins over Northern Iowa and James Madison, respectively. There wasn't a single bowl game this season that held my attention like those two games did.

Perhaps in my lifetime, we will finally see the powerbrokers at those FBS schools come to their senses and institute a playoff system that would crown a true champion. But until then, those of us who love FCS can continue to crow that we know how to do things right.

AN FCS FLAVOR TO THE NFL PLAYOFFS

My hectic schedule in covering FCS on a national basis doesn't allow me much time for enjoying the NFL regular season, so I am always excited to sit back and watch when it comes time for the NFL playoffs.

Last weekend's opening round was particularly pleasurable because of the opportunity to see so many former FCS stars shine in the NFL spotlight.

No sooner than I turned on the television on Saturday, there was the chance to watch Tennessee State alum Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (10 tackles, three pass breakups) intercept a pass for the Arizona Cardinals. Northern Iowa's most famous quarterback, Kurt Warner (19-of-32 for 271 yards and two TDs), helped the Cardinals to a 30-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons - just the third playoff win ever for the Cardinals.

Richmond's Tim Hightower (six carries, 23 yards) scored the eventual winning touchdown on a four-yard third-quarter burst and Idaho State's Pago Togafau saw action as a reserve linebacker.

The Falcons had a couple of famous FCS alums of their own with Villanova's Payton Award-winning receiver Brian Finneran (two catches, 11 yards) and Montana's Buchanan Award winner on defense in Montana's Kroy Biermann (one tackle). Laurent Robinson of Illinois State is on the Atlanta injured list

When San Diego earned a classic 23-17 overtime win over Indianapolis, you could make a case for punter Mike Scifres as the most important player on the field. Among the Western Illinois graduate's well-placed kicks was a 67-yarder that set up one of the Chargers' scores. Scifres averaged 52.7 yards and put all six of his punts inside the 20-yard line.

Fullback Mike Tolbert of Coastal Carolina and linebacker Stephen Cooper of Maine (eight tackles) were among the other Chargers celebrating the win, while defensive end Robert Mathis of Alabama A&M (four tackles, two sacks) was one of the significant performers for the Colts. Howard's Antoine Bethea also made his mark at defensive back with an interception and a 36-yard return, a pass breakup and five tackles.

You couldn't help but notice two FCS quarterbacks leading their teams when Baltimore beat Miami 27-9 on Sunday afternoon. Joe Flacco, the Raven rookie from Delaware, was a sometimes-shaky 9-of-23 for 135 yards, but he didn't throw any interceptions to lead his team to the win.

Chad Pennington, who took Marshall to the FCS championship game in 1995, was 25-of-38 for 252 yards and a touchdown, but he was picked off four times by the tough Baltimore defense.

The most exciting game for me, however, was the Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings game, where one Payton Award winner (Villanova's Brian Westbrook) and two Buchanan Award winners (Idaho State's Jared Allen and Cal Poly's Chris Gocong) were on display in prominent roles.

Westbrook was held in check by Allen (three tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble) and the Vikings' defense for much of the game, but the crafty runner finally broke loose for a 71-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Donovan McNabb to put the game away for the Eagles in their 26-14 victory.

Gocong (four tackles) teamed with James Madison's Akeem Jordan (four tackles), the 2004 Buchanan Award runner-up, to hold the Minnesota offense down. Darren Sharper (one tackle), another Buchanan Award runner-up from his William & Mary days, played at safety for the Vikings despite injuries.

Tarvaris Jackson, a one-time star at Alabama State, had played well at quarterback for the Vikings down the stretch, but completed just 15-of-35 passes for 164 yards in this game. Protecting Jackson was Harvard alum Matt Birk at center, while tight end Visanthe Shiancoe of Morgan State caught one Jackson pass for seven yards.

Jamaal Jackson of Delaware State starts at center for the Eagles, while defensive end Bryan Smith of McNeese State and linebacker Joe Mays of North Dakota State are also on the Philadelphia roster, and Delaware State's Shaheer McBride is on the Birds' practice squad.

There will be more FCS flavor to this weekend's playoffs.

When the New York Giants host the Eagles on Sunday, Southern Illinois running back Brandon Jacobs will be back in action after returning from injury. Linebacker Zak DeOssie of Brown, guards Rich Seubert of Western Illinois and Kevin Boothe of Cornell and cornerback Rashad Barksdale of Albany are among the other FCS alums on the Giants' roster. North Dakota State safety Craig Dahl is currently on the injured list for New York.

Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher knows FCS well. He was on hand for the FCS semifinal game between Montana and James Madison and again in the title game between Montana and Richmond to watch his son, Brandon, a sophomore linebacker with the Grizzlies.

But Fisher also knows the FCS ranks are an excellent source for NFL talent. The Titans have Eastern Washington's Michael Roos anchoring the line in an All-Pro season at left tackle, Pro Bowl cornerback Cortland Finnegan played collegiately at Samford, and dependable kicker Rob Bironas from Georgia Southern will suit up for Saturday's game with Baltimore.

Others on the Titans include offensive lineman Eugene Amano from Southeast Missouri State, fullback Casey Cramer of Dartmouth, defensive end Jacob Ford from Central Arkansas, defensive back Tuff Harris of Montana State and defensive end William Hayes from Winston-Salem State. Tight end Matthew Mulligan of Maine is on the Tennessee practice squad.

Carolina, which meets Arizona in the other game on Saturday, has also tapped FCS talent for some key components on its roster. Western Carolina fullback Brad Hoover is a veteran force for the Panthers, who also have backup quarterback Josh McCown from Sam Houston State, cornerback Dante Wesley of Arkansas-Pine Bluff and safety Quinton Teal from Coastal Carolina. Maine wide receiver Kevin McMahan is on the Panthers' practice squad.

Pittsburgh has the lowest total of FCS players among the playoff teams as it prepares to battle San Diego on Sunday. But the Steelers can rely on tackle Willie Colon from Hofstra and defensive end Aaron Smith of Northern Colorado. ex-Princeton tight end Jonathan Dekker is on injured reserve.

So the FCS season may be over, but like me, you can enjoy some football this weekend by watching the FCS alumni club in the NFL playoffs.