BCS Full Circle

The year before the BCS was created, the AP poll decided that they didn't want their poll to determine the National Championship. They didn't want the burden of creating the news as opposed to writing it. This decision, as much as anything else, gave birth to the BCS. Now, in 2004, they have come full circle and decided that they don't want their poll used as any component of the BCS formula.

This is probably the death knell for the BCS. I am torn about that, because I personally don't favor a playoff. We'll have to see what they say when they meet in 2005. They say they are leaning towards some form of selection committee, which might work out.

More to come...

Deathknell for ESPN NFL series

Today's news:

EA Enters into Exclusive Agreements with NFL and PLAYERS INC to Expand and Integrate Customer Entertainment Experience REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2004--Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced exclusive licensing relationships with the National Football League and PLAYERS INC to develop, publish and distribute interactive football games. These five-year agreements -- which EA negotiated separately -- give EA the exclusive rights to the NFL teams, stadiums and players for use in its football videogames. Both agreements also include exclusive rights for console online features. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Boy, that just sucks. This year, the NFL game to play was Sega's ESPN NFL 2K5. It was, by far, the best football game ever made. To give you an idea, I bought Madden 2005 the day it came out, and it is still sitting in the original shrink-wrap because I couldn't manage to pull myself off of the ESPN game.

We'll have to see how this plays out, but it looks like EA is the only game in town. Maybe Sega will make a college game next year.

Games, games, games

I have been fairly obsessed with World of Warcraft since it came out. Which makes me question my continuing need to purchase new games. It it practically a complusion.

Well, yesterday the last two "big" games for the year were released: Knights of the Old Republic II and Battle for Middle Earth. Of course, after work, I went to my neighborhood EBGames and bought them both.

Now KotOR2 is a no-brainer for me. I loved the first game. Mind you, I am still playing it, but I think it was the best game of the last year (actually it was tied for best game with Prince of Persia). I bought it, and am confortable with it sitting in shrink wrap on the shelf until I manage to get around to it.

Battle for Middle Earth has me conflicted though. I don't know if I really want this game. I mean, sure, it is pretty and it is the newest RTS. I am sure that the graphics will entrance me the way a raccoon is mesmerized by a shiny bottle cap. But that will last for all of two minutes.

I also don't know if the game is any good. The reviews have been solidly in the mid-8 range, which is normally pretty good, but all of the reviews comment specifically on the simplicity of the game. The reader reviews, typically a great touchstone of the review process are, in this case, glowing. Over a thousand people on Gamespot have given it an aggregate ranking of a 9.4. Normally, this would be enough to push me out of any sort of doubt. But I can't shake the feeling that those scores are all being skewed by rampant LotR fanboy-ism. I just smell another case of 'Black & White-itis', where everyone wants the game to be so good that the shiny graphics is enough to initially convince them that their dreams have been realized.

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the game needs to go back to the store. One game that will sit unplayed for months is enough this week...

Boomer Sooner baby!

So it is decided. The National Championship game, the Orange Bowl, will be between my alma-mater, the University of Oklahoma and USC. I can't imagine a better game. The last several championship games have all been between a heavy favorite and an underdog. This is the first time in recent memory where the teams are both so dominant and balanced that there just isn't a clear winner. The fact that this game will feature last year's Heisman winner (White), probably this year's Heisman winner, and as many as three Heisman runner-ups (I can see White, Peterson, Leinart, or Bush winning) is astonishing. This is a titanic game.

As for the other BCS games, I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that they didn't have the balls to match Auburn against the other undefeated, Utah. I would love to see if the Utes were for real, and I don't think that Boston College is going to present that challenge.

All in all, I think there is going to be a lot of good college football on around New Year's. I can't wait for January 4th...I just hope that OU lives up to this year's motto: Finish.