Bill Stewart Must Go (dot) COM

Everything needs a conspiracy now.  9/11?  Conspiracy.  Underwear bomber?  Mystery man on airplane.  Economic meltdown?  Government conspiracy to take control of our lives.  Uggs?  No explanation.

So it’s no surprise that many in Mountaineer Nation have been saying the fix was in on the Gator Bowl long before yesterday’s loss.  I’ve heard several people over the past few weeks state, matter of factly, that there was no way WVU stood a chance and that college football would never allow Bobby Bowden to leave with a loss (see Don Nehlen, Music City Bowl, Nehlen’s prior bowl record).

It’s nearly impossible to say whether there was some collusion that allowed FSU a better chance that WVU to win the Gator Bowl.  One of the more tangible things to look at is the penalties.  Looking at penalties, Florida State was penalized more than twice as much as WVU.  FSU had 7 penalties for 69-yards while WVU was penalized 3 times for 29-yards.  Hard to see that as an official conspiracy.

There’s really nothing else that would point to some elaborate conspiracy that allowed Bobby Bowden his final triumph.  At the end of the day, WVU was outcoached by a man who is 117 years old and slept through the 3rd quarter.  And, really, that’s not surprising.  WVU has played with zero emotion and intensity all year.  And they had nothing to play for in the Gator Bowl.  While the team on the other side was playing for an embattled coach that is likely to never be on the sideline again.  Who had the inspiration?

If you want to cling to a conspiracy theory for why WVU lost the Gator Bowl, that’s cool.  But send the evidence.  I just saw a team that was whipped by a bad 6-6 Florida State.  Nothing more, nothing less.

From the ESPN.com article, Ann Bowden had this quote:

“Eat your heart out, Florida State,” Ann Bowden, the coach’s wife, said afterward. “Eat your heart out.”

I’m not exactly sure what that means.  Nevermind…I take that back.  She thinks because everyone was so nice to Bobby at the Gator Bowl, they’re going to regret him leaving.  Ann, dear lovely Ann, the only reason everyone was so nice to him was because they knew he was leaving.  It gives them one last chance to say goodbye.  And they were winning.  Do you think the FSU faithful would be yelling BOB-BY, BOB-BY if they were losing (as they should have been)?

Also, it became obvious that Bowden was just sticking around to beat Paterno.  In his postgame conference, he had this to say:

“How about them 22 wins I got at South Georgia College? How come that don’t count?” Bowden said, talking about where he was from 1956-58, before heading to Samford. “I know it doesn’t count NCAA, but will somebody mention, please, that I have 400 wins during my lifetime?”

Bobby, those wins don’t count.  And how about those 14 wins that should be stripped from your record because of the cheating scandal at Florida State?  Why are we still counting those?  I’m not sure if you saw the Outside the Lines report about FSU and the cheating scandal, but it was pretty blantant and, from what they were saying, probably continues.  And Bobby Bowden was fully aware of what was going on.

Yes, Bobby Bowden probably deserves better than being forced into retirement considering what he has done at Florida State.  But Bobby is also far from an angel.  Remember that Steve Spurrier labeled Florida State as “Free Sneakers University” for a reason.  And Bowden was in the middle of all of that.  He deserves the tribute and he deserves some accolades but don’t pretend Bobby Bowden was the most honorable and terrific coach ever.  He was great but far from perfect.  Now I’m going to go back to being pissed off at Bill Stewart for losing…thank you.

WVU – ranked #16 in the country.  Just beat a “Top Ten” team in Pittsburgh.  Finished the season at 9-3 and second in the Big East conference.

Florida State University – not ranked.  Finished 6-6 and tied for 6th in the ACC.

FSU made it to the Gator Bowl because FSU forced their coach to retire after another sub-par season.  And, what happens?  I don’t have to tell you.  WVU takes a 14-3 lead and then fails to pile on points and allows FSU to dominate the second half and lose the football game.  Throw on the dismantling of the WVU basketball team today, and you have what could be considered a very shitty day for Mountaineer fans.

WVU should not have lost to this Florida State team.  Sure, they had the emotion of Bobby Bowden’s last game but, at the end of the day, WVU should have been a better football team.  But, it wasn’t.  Special teams was horrendous and the passing game never even got started…with or without Jarrett Brown.  Once the Seminoles shutdown Noel Devine, the game was over.  And WVU’s defense could not get a team off the field on 3rd down.  Again.

This loss, coupled with the current state of the Sugar Bowl, is an embarrassment for the entire Big East Conference.  I’m not sure what else to say about it at the moment.  Is it coaching?  I don’t know.  But a 9-3 WVU should not have lost to this 6-6 Seminole team.  It just shouldn’t have happened.

It’s a special time of year.  It’s the time between the end of the college football regular season and the BCS bowls.  And while there are traditional New Year’s bowls that hold some significance (see Cotton Bowl, Gator Bowl, San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl), most are just boring and of interest to only those fans who care about the teams playing (see the 10 Pittsburgh fans at the Meineke Car Care Bowl).

So, here are the worst bowls, a little late but worst nonetheless:

• Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – Marshall v. Ohio (Marshall won).  Between the 2 schools, there are approximately 94 fans.  Yay!?
• Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl – Clemson v. Kentucky (Clemson won).  You said Gaylord.
• Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl – Bowling Green v. Idaho.  Who wants to watch a game at Boise State?  Who wants to have to look at the blue turf?  Probably not the 14 people who attend the game by choice.
• GMAC Bowl – Troy v. Central Michigan.  It’s January 6th.  Why would you have a bowl game on January 6th?  It makes absolutely no sense.  And it’s Troy v. CMU.  The ratings should be…ummmm, poor?
• International Bowl - South Florida v. Northern Illinois.  You’re going to put South Florida in Toronto on January 2nd.  That is a recipe for boredom and disaster.  I’m guessing there should be about 3 USF fans in the stadium.  And maybe 20 NIU.

There are too many bowls.  And those 5 above prove it.  But there’s definitely no room for a playoff.

Bobby Bowden is known as one of the most accessible coaches in all of college football.  And he agreed to sit down for a quick interview with billstewartmustgo.com.

	ROD: Thank you for taking the time for this interview before the Gator Bowl.
	BOBBY BOWDEN:  Zzzzz….
	Mr. Bowden?
	Yeah, yeah.  Sorry about that.  Yeah.  Gator Bowl, Florida State, West Virginia.  Yeah.  Daggummit.
	Is there something wrong?
	Diaper issues.  No big deal.
	For your great-grand children?
	Ummmm…yeah…that’s it.  I need to get diapers for the great-grandkids.  Sounds good.
	What’s it mean to you to play your final game at Florida State against West Virginia in the Gator Bowl?  Are you looking forward to it?
	Zzzzz….
	Mr. Bowden?
	Yeah, Gator Bowl.
	Are you looking forward to the Gator Bowl?
	I am happy for the time I’ve had at Florida State University.  My wife and I have enjoyed our time at FSU.  I would have liked to coach another year but it was time to move on.  We are thankful for all the great years at Florida State and I would like to tha…Zzzzz…
	Mr. Bowden?
	Billy Stewart is a heckuva coach.  I remember when Billy and I picked up the covered wagons and headed to California in hopes of striking it rich.  There was gold in them hills.
	What are you talking about?
	I pooped.  Zzzzzzz…

The Gator Bowl is January 1st at 1:00 p.m.  We’ll try to catch up with Bobby again before then.

With the eyes of the college football world on locations other than Gainsville for the first time in several years, Urban Meyer channeled his inner-Brett Favre and announced a shocking retirement.  Of course, the focus of the college football world returned to Gainsville immediately.  And, after a day to think about it, Meyer might not be retiring after all.  Or maybe he is retiring.  Or maybe he’s taking a leave of absence for a year.  Or maybe just for the summer.

When the eyes of college football fans should be looking on the multiple bowls and the pending national championship game between Alabama and Texas, Meyer has managed to put all the focus on himself and Florida.  And I’m sure that wasn’t done on purpose.  Or maybe it was.  The timing is a bit suspect.  Is Meyer using this faux-retirement to inspire his otherwise disappointed Gator squad?

If Meyer’s health is truly at stake, then he should take some time off.  But the announcement of this whole thing is weird.  If he’s going to coach in the Sugar Bowl, there’s no reason this couldn’t wait until after the BCS National Championship game.  If he’s coaching in 2010, there’s no reason this couldn’t wait since the Gators’ won’t be doing a coaching search.  There’s something bizarre about this whole incident and I’m sure there’s more to follow.

The Fiesta Bowl stepped up and saved the NCAA’s ass today by putting the two Non-AQ teams against one another.  Both teams had to be hoping to get a shot at BCS conference opponents.  If TCU would have crushed the shoddy Iowa Hawkeyes in the Fiesta and Boise beat Florida in the Sugar, all hell would have broke loose.  But, instead, the Fiesta takes both and saves the NCAA from any humiliation.

It’s a shame really.  I’m sure TCU was hoping for a game against a BCS school so if they won, and won decidingly, they could lobby for a little split title support.  By only beating Boise, they don’t further their agenda for a little national love.  I’m sure the Fiesta thought having the two undefeated Non-AQ teams against each other would be compelling, and it might be, but it really did the NCAA a huge favor.  And it really screws TCU, Boise and every other non-AQ school and puts another hole in the playoff balloon.

TCU is trying to acquire Blount from Oregon before the bowl

For all the bandwagon TCU fans that have emerged, let me see your tears.  Let me see you cry for TCU and Boise State.  Screw Cincinnati, right?  What about Auburn a few years back?  No, none of those teams were good enough to play for the national title in those years but everyone’s gonna cry for the Horned Frogs and Broncos?  Give me a break.

Sure, TCU played a tough schedule.  And they’re gonna get an opportunity to show that they deserve to be considered a “big boy,” just like Utah and Boise have done.  But they deserve no more consideration for a national title than Cincinnati.  Boise is undefeated.  But they deserve no more consideration than Cincinnati.

Quit crying for TCU.  If you don’t like the bowl system, then write to the NCAA Commissioner or your congressmen.  Quit bitching and take action.  If you think TCU or Boise or Cincinnati is getting screwed, too bad.  They won’t be the first and, according to the NCAA, they won’t be the last.

It seems like an eternity ago, but just a few shows weeks ago people were talking about the University of Pittsburgh winning the Big East and going to a BCS bowl.  Pitt was so highly regarded that a few moronic folks were talking about the possibility of Pittsburgh receiving an at-large bid for the BCS.  Well, guess what?  Pitt isn’t going to a BCS bowl.  And Pitt isn’t going to a New Year’s Day bowl.  Nope.  Pitt is going to the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, NC.

As funny as Pitt’s fall is (losing to WVU in Morgantown and then the *cough, cough* hearbreaker to Cincy), the funnier part is that Pitt had to beg the folks in Charlotte to take them.  The Car Care Bowl wanted Rutgers because, well, Rutgers actually has fans.  Pitt, not so much.  So Pitt had to basically tell the Car Bowl folks that pairing them with UNC would sell tickets because UNC was close-by and would sell tickets.  They didn’t promise that Pittsburgh would sell tickets but that UNC would.  How sad is that?

So, the Wannstache and Pittsburgh are heading to Charlotte to play at home game for UNC.  Pitt will bring their 600 fans down to watch the Wannstache choke again.  Should be an entertaining to game…for people who dislike Pittsburgh.

By losing their 4th consecutive game (hahahahah!! hahaha!), the Fighting Irish played their ways out of any chance for the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida which means a Big East school will play an ACC school.  Before Pittsburgh lost to WVU, most people believed it would be the loser of the Cincinnati / Pittsburgh game who would get the traditional January 1st bowl.  Now, it appears WVU has the inside track for another trip to Jacksonville if they defeat Rutgers.

WVU has always been a more attractive prospect for the Gator Bowl officials.  If Notre Dame was ineligible for the bowl, which they are, WVU easily is the second best choice.  West Virginia fans always travel well and the warmth of Jacksonville is a great attraction at the end of December / beginning of January.  Pittsburgh fans pretty much suck and Cincinnati hasn’t developed a following yet.  And Cincy fans would still be upset over the loss of the BCS bowl bid and probably too pissed to travel.

So, despite all the turmoil this year, if WVU can finish 9-3, it looks like it will be the Gator Bowl.  That’s a far cry from the International Bowl in Toronto everyone was predicting a month ago.  This is the  last year for the current configuration as the Gator Bowl will switch to a Big Ten / SEC matchup in 2011.