2006 National Championship Semi-Final Matchups

December 23rd

The Sugar Bowl
2:30pm, ABC
#1 Ohio State vs.
#5 USC

The Rose Bowl
7:00pm, ABC
#3 Michigan vs.
#4 Florida

2006 National Championship Round One Results

Round One Results: There were no major upsets in the first week of the 2006 NCAA Division 1 National Championship tournament.

December 16th, 2006.

The Capital One Bowl
45 Michigan
37 Louisville
Two offenses slugged it out for most of the game, but it was Michigan's defense that won it for Michigan. Louisville drove the ball deep into Michigan territory late in the game, but on 4th and 3, Michigan stopped Brian Brohm as he scrambled for the first down. Michigan moves on the face Florida in the Rose Bowl.

The Hoilday Bowl
24 LSU
31 USC
USC Quarterback John David Booty engineered an 84 yard scoring drive late in the 4th quarter that turned out to be the difference in a hard fought game. USC moves on the play #1 seeded Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

The Orange Bowl
13 Wisconsin
24 Florida
In front a crowd dominated by Florida fans, the Gators dominated both sides on the football. Leading 24-6 until Wisconsin scored a late touchdown. The University of Florida moves on to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl
38 Ohio State
27 Boise State
Boise State proves that they deserved to be in the picture by taking a 14-10 lead over Ohio State mid-way through the second quarter. However, Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith turned it on in the second half and Ohio State pulls away and will face USC in the Sugar Bowl.

Ron Prince on Houston sports talk radio talking about the Texas bowl

Listen to it here...

Kansas State vs. Rutgers in the Texas Bowl

I have my tickets... do you have yours?

Athletics director Tim Weiser announced Sunday that the Wildcats (7-5) have accepted an invitation to play Rutgers (10-2) in the inaugural Texas Bowl on Dec. 28 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. (CST) and will be televised nationally by NFL Network.
The Texas Bowl marks K-State’s 12th bowl berth in the last 14 years – a feat shared by just nine other programs in the country – and the Wildcats’ fourth trip to the state of Texas for a bowl game. The Wildcats, who are making their first trip to Houston for the postseason, have previously played in the 1997 Cotton Bowl, the 1998 Alamo Bowl and the 2001 Cotton Bowl.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our football program in the inaugural Texas Bowl and I am pleased to accept the invitation on behalf of Kansas State University," Weiser said. "The state of Texas has always been an outstanding bowl destination for our football program and our fans. The hospitality extended to our program and our supports has always been outstanding and we are honored to be part of an exceptional matchup between two of the nation’s top conferences.”
Kansas State won three of its final four games of the season to finish tied for second in the Big 12’s North Division under first-year head coach Ron Prince to earn its first postseason bowl berth since the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
“We are excited to be selected as the Big 12’s representative in the Texas Bowl and we are looking forward to playing one of the nation’s best teams in Rutgers on Dec. 28 in Reliant Stadium,” Prince said. “I could not be more proud of what our team has accomplished this season and I am pleased that all their hard work is being rewarded with an opportunity to play in a first-class event like the Texas Bowl.”
Under the direction of Home Depot Coach of the Year Greg Schiano, Rutgers has been one of the most notable turnaround stories in college football during the past two seasons.
Schiano guided the Scarlet Knights to just their second 10-win season in school history in 2006, including a thrilling, come-from-behind 28-25 victory over then third-ranked Louisville on Nov. 9. The win propelled the Scarlet Knights to their first top-10 ranking in school history. Overall this season, Rutgers has been ranked for 11 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch ever for the Scarlet Knights.
The 2006 Texas Bowl will be the first meeting between K-State and Rutgers on the gridiron and the second time the Wildcats have squared off with a current member of the Big East Conference this season. K-State fell to then-No.8 Louisville on Sept. 23 and is 4-7 all time vs. current members of the league.
The Wildcats have faced Big East teams in three bowls, splitting games with Syracuse in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl (W, 35-18) and 2001 Insight.com Bowl (L, 26-3) and falling to Boston College – now a member of the ACC – in the 1994 Aloha Bowl (L, 12-7).
Kansas State will begin accepting ticket orders for the Texas Bowl beginning at 9 a.m., Monday after the Wildcats accepted an invitation Sunday to play in the December 28 game in Houston against Rutgers of the Big East Conference.
K-State has been allocated approximately 10,500 tickets for the game, which will be played in Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Tickets are available through K-State in the stadium’s lower level at $35, $50 and $75, and in the Club level for $50 or $75.
The easiest method to order tickets is online at www.k-statesports.com, clicking on the bowl information tab and selecting “Buy Bowl Tickets.” Donors to the Ahearn Scholarship Fund and season ticket holders placing online orders should click on the “Donor/Season Ticket Holder” button for tickets. Fans may also order in person at the K-State Athletic Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum or by calling 1-800-221-CATS.
Ahearn Fund members and season ticket holders will receive seating preference for bowl orders placed by 5 p.m., Wednesday, December 6. Donors at the $3,000 level and above will be given seating priority up to 10 tickets. Donors below the $3,000 level and all other fans placing orders will receive seating priority up to six tickets. Assignment of all seating allocated to K-State will be based on the K-State Priority Points system. All orders will include a $15 handling fee and tickets will be distributed through a priority delivery service.
Fans interested in travel packages are encouraged to call the K-State Alumni Association’s bowl hotline at 866-373-7379. Travel options include air transportation and hotel, as well as land-only packages. For additional information on the travel packages, Alumni Association pre-game party and the all-University pep rally visit the Association’s web site at www.k-state.com.

2006 National Championship Bracket

The final BCS standings are out and the top 8 teams remain the same as last week, but with some obvious movement at the top.

Once again, there are teams out there that could make a case for playing for the National Championship but will not have a chance. If and when the powers that be decide we should move to a playoff, here is what it would look like this year:

Round One:
December 16th, 2006.

The Capital One Bowl
11:ooam Kickoff ESPN
#3 Michigan vs. #6 Louisville

The Hoilday Bowl
2:30pm Kickoff ESPN
#4 LSU vs. #5 USC

The Orange Bowl
2:30pm Kickoff ABC
#7 Wisconsin vs. #2Florida

The Cotton Bowl
7:00pm Kickoff ABC
#1 Ohio State vs. #8 Boise State

Results from the first round will be posted tomorrow with seating for the second round.

Another BCS Joke

UCLA beat USC on Saturday and threw the BCS upside down. USC was a lock to play Ohio State for the Mythical National Championship game until they got shut down by UCLA. Now we have at least two teams, Michigan and Florida who both deserve to be in the Championship game, but only one will have a shot.

Michgans only loss came against the #1 ranked Buckeyes in Columbus, by 3 points. It was a great game and on a neuteral field, it could turn out differently.

Florida played the toughest schedule in the country and lost only to Auburn.

Both are very deserving. Then there are teams like Boise State who is undefeated. Oklahoma who should be 12-1, except that the referees robbed them of a win at Oregon State.

Later today the BCS rankings will come out and at least one team that deserves a shot at the National Championship will be left to play for money.

Yet another year has gone by when the BCS failed to deliver what it was designed to do. Guarantee a #1 vs. #2 championship game.