COLLEGE FOOTBALL 101. for women. Your guide to getting into the game!

Transcription

1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL 101 for women Your guide to getting into the game!

2 CONTENTS Introduction Page 1 College football: A brief history The early days Page 2 College football today Page 2 The rules: An overview The basics Page 3 Offensive rules Page 8 Defensive rules Page 9 Special teams rules Page 10 General no-no s Page 10 College football rivalries and traditions Rivalries Page 11 Traditions Page 12 Bowl games and championships: The heart of college football Conferences Page 13 Non-BCS bowls Page 14 BCS bowls Page 15 BCS ranking: determining a champion Page 15 Get into the game! Page Sherry Ciurczak. All rights reserved. Resale or redistribution is expressly prohibited.

3 I N T R O D U C T I O N Ladies, are you tired of sitting on the sidelines while the guys have all the fun when college football season rolls around? Do you get stuck fetching nachos and drinks while the men cheer their teams on? Would you like to join in but don t know the rules? Well, it s time to get off the sidelines and get into the game! This guide will give you an overview of the great game of college football, the most entertaining spectacle in American sports. You ll also find helpful hints Time-Out Tips that will help you to not only understand the game, but to love it. Once you ve read College Football 101 for Women, you ll be able to discuss the finer points of the game knowledgably in practically any situation. You ll be able to recognize the common signals the refs use to flag penalties. You ll have a solid grounding in the game s greatest rivalries and traditions. You ll understand how the bowl games work and how national championships are determined. In short, you ll know more about college football than the average guy! So the next time a man asks you to make a beer run or refill the bowl of chips during a college match-up, you can say, Do it yourself, dude! The game s on! TIME-OUT TIP: PICK A TEAM Perhaps more than any other sport, college football is about emotion. You need to feel passionate about your team. If you don t already identify with a particular school, pick a college team and root for it through thick and thin. And remember a real football fan doesn t just go with the current frontrunner. If you stick by your team when they lose games, it ll just make their eventual victories that much sweeter. 1

4 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: A BRIEF HISTORY THE EARLY DAYS The first college football game was played in 1869 between Rutgers and Princeton. Rutgers won that contest 1 0. In the early years, college football was almost entirely an Ivy League affair, with Columbia, Yale and Harvard prominent among the first schools to field teams. You would hardly recognize the game played back then as the football we watch today. For one thing, there was very little passing. Also, players wore none of the modern gear our gridiron gladiators wear today. Back then, a cloth hat or no head gear at all was considered adequate protection. As you can guess, that was dangerous. In fact, football almost didn t make it as a sport because there were so many serious injuries. Some schools banned the game altogether. But finally, college football authorities got together to make a set of standard rules and to mandate protective equipment for the players. This was the birth of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, in That organization still governs college football today. COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY Today college football is played at hundreds of schools nationwide. There are three divisions, the most prominent being Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FSB, formerly known as Division 1A). National college football championships for Division 1 FSB are determined by bowl games (more on that here). The NCAA also established the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision, which was formerly known as Division 1AA. The NCAA governs the Division II, Division III and junior college football programs as well. From humble beginnings, college football has grown to become an incredibly popular sport, with small-town colleges and universities regularly selling out stadiums that seat over 100,000 people. Now let s leave history behind and find out what all that excitement is about. 2

5 THE RULES: AN OVERVIEW THE BASICS To understand what s going on, it s important to know some basics about how the game is played, the teams and player roles. Each team has three subgroups: offense, defense and special teams. A team can field 11 players at a time. Here s a table that identifies types of players and their roles in the game: OFFENSIVE UNIT Quarterback Offensive linemen Center Guards Tackles Receivers Wide receivers Tight ends Running backs Tailback Halfback Fullback DEFENSIVE UNIT Defensive linemen End linemen Nose tackles Tackles Linebackers Cornerbacks The leader of the offense, the quarterback throws, hands off or runs the ball downfield. Typically large guys, the offensive linemen help advance the ball by blocking for the running back or quarterback. The center lines up in front of the quarterback and snaps the ball to him. Usually among the fastest, receivers run downfield to catch the ball thrown by the quarterback. Tight ends generally line up next to the offensive line and are also eligible to receive. They help with blocking. Typically tough and tenacious, running backs take hand-offs from the quarterback and run downfield. Fullbacks are generally power runners used in short yardage situations rather than for explosive speed. These are the guys who try to stop the quarterback from throwing or stop the running back from gaining ground. Most defensive linemen are large, though some teams prize speed over girth. As their name implies, these players back the defensive line, trying to stop the run or break up pass plays. Cornerbacks shadow receivers (in man-to-man coverage) or are assigned territory (in zone coverage); their job is to break up pass plays or make an interception. SPECIAL TEAMS (play when the ball is kicked) Punter The punter kicks the ball (without the help of a teammate) when his team can t advance the ball to get a fresh set of downs. Placekicker This guy better be ready for a lot of pressure; it s his job to kick field goals and to kick off to the opposing team to start the game or after a score. Returner Usually an extremely fast guy with good hands, the returner catches the placekicker s kick and tries to score or at least get good field position for his team. 3

6 Basic Football Formation Here s a common formation that shows the position of the offensive and defensive teams. The blue team is on offense. It has a quarterback (QB), tailback (TB), fullback (FB), center (C), offensive guard (OG), offensive tackle (OT), wide receivers (WR) and tight ends (TE). The red team defends with defensive linemen (DL), defensive ends (DE), linebackers (LB), cornerbacks (CB), a strong safety (SS) and free safety (FS). The football field: The field is 100 The football field: The field is 100 yards long and 160 feet wide. It is divided in the middle by the 50 yard line. There are solid white lines every ten yards from the 50- yard line to the goal line. The areas that extend past the goal lines for 10 yards are called the end zones, where teams can score touchdowns. At far edge of each end zone are the goal posts, which teams use to kick a field goal instead of going for a touchdown or to kick for an extra point after scoring a touchdown. From one sideline to the other, the field is divided into three parts (left, center and right) by the hash marks. For each play, the ball is placed where it ended up after the prior play. But if the ball ends up outside of the center part of the field, it is placed on the nearest hash mark. This is to make sure the plays don t start too far to the side of the field. Kickoffs: Before the game starts, there is a coin toss. The team that wins the coin toss gets to chose whether to play offense or defense first and which end zone they ll defend first. The team that will defend first kicks off to the opposing team. Kickoffs occur at the start of each half and after each touchdown or field goal in other words, when there s a change of possession. The kicking team puts the ball on a tee at their 35 yard line and kicks it to the other team. The kick returner either catches the ball and tries to run it back as far as possible or calls for a fair catch if he can see that there is no room to run. He calls for a fair catch by raising and waving his hand while the kick is in the air. The kick returner can t run the ball if he has called for a fair catch, and the other team can t tackle him. Play starts where he catches it. If the ball is kicked into the end zone, it s a touchback, which means play starts at the offense's 20-yard line. 4

7 TIME-OUT TIP: COIN TOSS STRATEGIES After the coin toss, there can be a lot of strategy involved when the winner chooses whether to go on offense or defense and which end zone to defend. The position of the sun or direction of the wind is often a factor. The winning captain may want his opponent to have to throw into the wind first, for example. Some coaches almost always choose to go on offense first if they win the coin toss, while others prefer defense. Time: College football games are officially played for one hour (four 15-minute quarters), but if you ve ever watched one, you know it lasts a lot longer than that as long as three hours. This is because the clock stops when the ball is not in play, for an incomplete pass or when a player runs out of bounds. It is also stopped for a 20-minute half-time. Each team has three time-outs per half that they can use to stop the clock. Clock management is an important part of the game, and coaches try to use their time-outs wisely so they ll have some left if they need them. College football does not have a two-minute warning time-out like the NFL. You may have noticed that the last two minutes of a football game can take a very long time to play out. In the game s final two minutes, an offense that needs time to score can run out of bounds or throw incomplete passes to stop the clock. For every fresh set of downs, the clock stops so the officials can move the chains that they use to measure the 10-yard set of downs. On the other hand, if an offense is ahead during the final two minutes, they might try to run out the clock by keeping all the players in bounds, usually while running the ball. That way, if they have to punt, the other team will have less time to catch up. Territory: The teams switch end zones after the first and third quarters, moving the ball to the same place on the opposite side of the field where it ended up on the last play of the quarter. After half-time, there is another kickoff, and the team that lost the coin toss receives the ball. Sometimes, the switch from offense to defense can cause a shift in momentum, sparking the team that receives the ball to move forward or taking the wind out of the sails of a team that was rolling along before half-time. 5

8 Downs: If your team is on offense, they have four plays to either score or move the ball 10 yards or more to get another set of four downs. Each play is over when the offensive player with the ball is either stopped or goes out of bounds. Teams typically try to get a fresh set of downs within the first three plays. If they don t make it and aren t close enough to kick a field goal, they ll usually punt. But sometimes a team will go for it on fourth down if they re close to making a fresh set of downs and/or they really need to score. First down If a team doesn t make it on a fourth down attempt, the ball is turned over to the opposing team s offense where it ended up on the last attempt. Snapping the ball: When play begins, the offense and defense square off against each other on the line of scrimmage (an imaginary line across the field where the ball is placed). All of the offensive linemen except the center lean over with a hand on the ground. The center places his hands on the ball. The quarterback, directly behind the center, either places his hands between the center's legs to receive the snap, or, in a shotgun formation, stands a few steps behind the center to catch the snapped ball, which the center tosses back to the quarterback. Before the snap, the quarterback shouts a series of signals. They can be numbers or words. One in particular has been agreed upon prior to the play by the offense as the signal that means the ball will be snapped. The offensive players know when the ball will be snapped. The defense doesn t know and will have to wait until they see the snap to react. Play begins when the ball is snapped. If the snap is taking place after a previous play, the offense has 25 seconds from the end of the prior play to snap the ball. If they don t have enough time to get the line ready, they have to call a time-out. TIME-OUT TIP: AUDIBLES Sometimes the offense will line up to snap the ball, and while the quarterback is calling signals, he ll shift strategy and the placement of players. This is called an audible meaning he s changing the play. Sometimes quarterbacks will call an audible in reaction to something they ve noticed on defense a missed coverage assignment, a hole that they see on the defense, etc. 6

9 Pass plays: To execute a pass play, the quarterback takes a few steps back while looking downfield for an open receiver. The receiver can be any offensive player except the linemen, who are ineligible to receive a pass. While the quarterback tries to connect with a receiver, the four defensive linemen up front rush the quarterback. Their goal is to make him throw the ball before he is ready or to tackle him for a sack and loss of yardage. The quarterback is defended by his offensive linemen, whose job is to block the defensive linemen. When the quarterback throws a pass, the play ends when the receiver misses the ball, catches it and is run out of bounds (or scores) or when his knees touch the ground either because a defensive player tackles him or he falls. Run plays: To execute a run play, the quarterback takes the snap and hands the ball off to a running back (tailback, halfback or fullback). The running back tries to run up the field to gain yardage while the offensive line blocks for him. If the runner fumbles before the play is over, everyone tries to jump on the ball to recover it for their team. If the defense comes up with it, their team s offense takes over at the spot where the fumble occurred. Punting: If the offense doesn t make a fresh set of downs in three plays, they ll usually use the fourth down to punt to the other team. When a team punts, the ball is snapped to the kicker, who kicks it without help from a team mate. The receiver on the other team tries to run it back to either score or get better field position for his team. Scoring: There are three ways to score on offense: a field goal (three points), a touchdown (six points) and the point after a touchdown. On the point after, if the kicker kicks the ball through the uprights, the team gets an extra point to make it a total of seven points. However, it is also an option to try to run the ball into the end zone on a point after attempt. If your team makes it, it s two extra points. This can be a decisive factor in a close game. Officiating: Although just about everyone refers to the guys in the striped shirts as the refs or the zebras, only one is actually the referee, and he is in charge of the entire officiating crew. There are several categories of officials in his crew: Umpires: The umpire makes calls on the players behavior, position and equipment. Head linesman: This official is in charge of determining where the line of scrimmage is and making sure players respect its boundaries. Line judge, back judge, side judge: These refs are responsible for specific areas of the field and making sure blocks, routes and plays are legal. The line judge also helps keep time. 7

10 Penalties: The refs assess penalties if the players don t follow the rules (more on rules both offensive and defensive later). When a penalty is called on a team, the opponent can accept the penalty or decline it. Sometimes it makes sense to decline it. For example, if a penalty would result in re-playing the down, but the team that is choosing to accept or decline the penalty gained a lot of yardage on the play, the team would decline the penalty and keep the yards. When a penalty is accepted, the official brings the ball back to the original line of scrimmage and marks the penalty yardage from there. For example, if the line of scrimmage was at the 35-yard line and the ref is assessing a five-yard penalty, he would bring the ball back to the thirty-yard line. Penalties can be five, ten or 15 yards in college football. If there is little room to move backward because the penalized team is close to the goal line, the maximum penalty is half the distance to the goal. Sometimes penalties offset. For example, if both teams get a five-yard penalty on a play, the down is replayed, and no yardage is marked off. OFFENSIVE RULES Now that you understand the game s basics, let s review some of the rules that apply to the offense and take a look at some of the penalty signals you may see. Holding: It s the offensive linemen s job to keep the defensive line away from the quarterback and to open holes for the running back. But offensive linemen are not allowed to grab onto opponents with their hands while blocking. If they do and an official sees it, it s a holding penalty. False start, illegal formation, encroachment: There are strict rules about when the offensive team can move prior to the snap. Linemen are not allowed to move prior to the snap, and if a receiver shifts position, he must move parallel to the line of scrimmage. After the snap, the quarterback must be behind the original line of scrimmage when he throws a pass. If any of these rules are violated, it s a five-yard penalty. Ineligible downfield on a pass: If an offensive lineman goes too far past the line of scrimmage before the quarterback throws the ball, he is an ineligible player downfield, and it s a five-yard penalty. 8

11 Intentional grounding: The quarterback doesn t want to get sacked for a loss of yardage, so sometimes he ll throw the ball away if no one is open. But he s got to make it look like at least someone had a chance to catch it. If not, he can be called for intentional grounding, which is a five-yard penalty and a loss of down. Safety: Sometimes, as the result of a kick, penalty or loss of yardage, the offense has to line up with their backs to their own end zone. With the line of scrimmage just across the end zone line, the offense may have to snap the ball with the quarterback actually in the end zone. If an offensive player is tackled in his own end zone, the defense scores a safety. That means they get two points. It s a rare occurrence and cause for great celebration by the defense when it does happen. DEFENSIVE RULES The defense is also subject to strict rules that govern play. Let s review some of the rules and penalty signals you may see that apply to the defense. Illegal block in the back: Players aren t allowed to block another player in the back because of the risk of injury. If they get caught blocking in the back, it s a 10-yard penalty. Pass interference: Defensive players (such as cornerbacks or safeties) can attempt to catch the pass for an interception, but they aren t allowed to trip or grab the receiver. They have to wait for the ball to arrive and go for it on equal footing with the receiver. If they violate this rule, it s pass interference, and it s a 15-yard penalty or the amount of yardage the receiver would have gained had he caught the ball. A pass interference call also results in a first down for the offense, so it s a serious penalty. Offsides: Prior to the snap, the defensive players have to remain on their side of the line of scrimmage. Unlike the offense, they don t know when the ball will be snapped. Sometimes the quarterback will attempt to draw them across the line of scrimmage offsides by doing a hard count, that is, by emphasizing a particular verbal signal as if it is signal to snap the ball. If the defensive player moves forward and either makes contact with an offensive player or doesn t get back on his side of the line of scrimmage before the snap, he is offsides, and it s a fiveyard penalty. 9

12 SPECIAL TEAMS RULES Players on special teams are generally subject to the same rules they are subject to on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, but due to the nature of kicking, there are special rules associated with special teams. Roughing the kicker: The receiving team can try to block a punt. If they succeed at it, the ball is turned over, and they ll be in much better field position. However, they have to be careful not to hit the kicker. Roughing the kicker is a big penalty that can result in lost yardage or even a new set of downs for the kicking team. Invalid or illegal fair catch signal: When the ball is kicked off, the kick returner can either let it go into the end zone for a touchback, catch it and return it or signal for a fair catch. However, he must make the right signal (which is waving an arm extended over his head), and he can t make the signal after the ball hits the ground or is touched by a receiver. If he does, it s an invalid signal. An illegal signal is a signal made after the ball is caught or recovered. Touchback: A touchback occurs when a ball that is kicked or punted crosses into the end zone without being controlled by a player on the kicking team. The ball is brought back out to the 20-yard line. GENERAL NO-NO S There are also penalties that can be called on players who misbehave on either side of the ball. Let s review a sample of them. Personal foul: A personal foul penalty can be assessed for a variety of reasons, but it s usually called on a flagrantly illegal and dangerous hit (such as a blow to the head) or a late hit out of bounds or after a player no longer has the ball. It s a 15-yards penalty. Unsportsmanlike conduct: A 15-yard penalty assessed for taunting or otherwise behaving in an unsportsmanlike manner. Excessive celebration after a touchdown can also draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. 10

13 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: RIVALRIES AND TRADITIONS RIVALRIES One of the greatest things about college football is its long and wonderful history of rivalries. The longest uninterrupted consecutive match-up in the top division is between Nebraska and Kansas, which have met annually for over 100 years. Rivalries generally occur between schools that are in fairly close proximity. But sometimes conference opponents who are hundreds of miles apart will compete for the same championship, and that will produce a rivalry. It s impossible to cover them all, but here s a look at five of the most heated. Michigan vs. Ohio State Playing since 1913 and often for a Big 10 title, these powerhouse teams wrote the book on rivalry. While on a recruiting trip to Michigan, Ohio State s legendary coach, Woody Hayes, once refused to stop for gas in the state, saying he d rather push his car back to Ohio than fill up in Michigan. Texas vs. Texas A&M Called the Lone Star Showdown, this game is played for bragging rights in Texas. The rivalry is so heated that the rival school is mentioned in each school s fight song, and the schools have pre-game preparations that include a Hex Rally (Texas) and a giant bonfire (Texas A&M). Army vs. Navy Playing for the Commander in Chief s Trophy, the service academies square off each year on the last weekend of the regular season. The game is usually played in Philadelphia, and the winner gets inter-service bragging rights for the year. Cal vs. Stanford Called simply The Big Game, this annual clash has been held for more than a hundred years between these Golden State rivals. The match-up is by far the biggest football event in the San Francisco Bay area, and the winner takes home the Stanford Axe. Florida vs. Georgia Although the administrations of both schools have asked network TV announcers to stop referring to the game as The World s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, that s what the rivalry game is popularly known as. The Southeastern Conference heavyweights slug it out on neutral turf in Jacksonville, FL. 11

14 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRADITIONS College football traditions vary too, from the hounds-tooth hats University of Alabama students wear to honor the late, great coach Bear Bryant to the fresh coat of gold paint on the helmets of Notre Dame s Fighting Irish. Fans and players alike take part in a variety of fun and fascinating traditions. It s impossible to cover them all in this guide, but this section will give you an overview of some of the rituals that enrich the sport. And maybe it will give you a few ideas of your own. Tailgating: This pre-game ritual brings fans together in parking lots, yards and empty fields near stadiums all over the country for tailgate parties. Some are casual affairs featuring grilled hot dogs and beer. Others are a bit fancier, like many of the parties held at the Grove at Ole Miss, where white tablecloths, candles and cocktails lend an elegant air. Observes one partygoer: We may not win every game, but we ve never lost a party. Mascot rituals: Whether animal or human, school mascots often play a major role in game-day traditions. At Florida State, a student dressed as Chief Osceola rides a horse to the center of the field and throws a flaming spear into the turf before kickoff at a Seminoles home game. At Colorado University, Ralphie, a live buffalo, runs out onto the field ahead of the team before the game and after half-time. And no University of Georgia game would be complete without Uga the Bulldog on the sideline. Players walk: Some say this tradition started at Auburn University (Tiger Walk), but it now belongs to many schools. Fans line a road or sidewalk to cheer the players on as they walk from the campus to the stadium before the game. Some players dress up in suits and ties for the stroll, and often handshakes or high-fives are part of the ceremony. Band traditions: School bands help create traditions, including a ritualized singing of the school song at a certain point in the game or a half-time routine. One of the greatest of them all is Ohio State s Script Ohio, in which the band spells out Ohio in cursive, with a sousaphone to dot the i. 12

15 BOWL GAMES: THE HEART OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONFERENCES Before we can talk about bowl games, which are the highlight of the college football fan s entire year, let s review football conferences. These divisions serve as the basis for determining bowl and championship eligibility. Here s an overview of the 12 major college football conferences: ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE Boston College Clemson Duke Florida St. Georgia Tech Maryland Miami North Carolina St. Virginia Virginia Tech Wake Forest BIG EAST CONFERENCE Cincinnati Connecticut Louisville Pittsburgh Rutgers South Florida Syracuse West Virginia BIG TEN CONFERENCE Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Michigan St. Minnesota Northwestern Ohio St. Penn St. Purdue Wisconsin BIG TWELVE CONFERENCE Baylor Colorado Iowa St. Kansas Kansas St. Missouri Nebraska Oklahoma Oklahoma St. Texas Texas A&M Texas Tech CONFERENCE USA East Carolina Houston Marshall Memphis Rice Southern Methodist Southern Miss Tulane Tulsa UAB UCF UTEP INDEPENDENTS Army Navy Notre Dame Western Kentucky MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE Akron Ball State Bowling Green Buffalo Central Michigan Eastern Michigan Kent State Miami (OH) Northern Illinois Ohio Temple Toledo Western Michigan MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE Air Force Brigham Young Colorado State New Mexico San Diego State TCU UNLV Utah Wyoming PACIFIC TEN CONFERENCE Arizona Arizona State California Oregon Oregon State Stanford UCLA USC Washington Washington State SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE Alabama Arkansas Auburn Florida Georgia Kentucky LSU Mississippi Mississippi State South Carolina Tennessee Vanderbilt SUN BELT CONFERENCE Arkansas State Florida Atlantic Florida International Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe Middle Tennessee North Texas Troy WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE Boise State Fresno State Hawaii Idaho Louisiana Tech Nevada New Mexico State San Jose State Utah State 13

16 BOWL GAMES There are two types of bowl games: Bowl Championship Series (BCS) bowls, which feature the top teams and determine championships, and non-bcs bowls. Non-BCS bowl games don t end with a championship, but there s plenty of excitement for participating teams. Teams must win at least six games to be bowl eligible, and regional factors and conference performance are taken into account in the selection process. Here s a look at the non-bcs bowls: NON-BCS BOWL GAMES CONFERENCE/TEAM CONFERENCE/TEAM Capital One Bowl SEC #2 Big Ten #2 Gator Bowl ACC #3 Big 12 #3 / Big East #1 / Notre Dame AT&T Cotton Bowl Big 12 #2 SEC # 2/3/4 Outback Bowl SEC #2/3/4 Big Ten #2 International Bowl MAC #3 Big East AutoZone Liberty Bowl C-USA #1 SEC #6/7/8 Meineke Car Care Bowl ACC #4 Big East / Navy Chick-fil-A Bowl ACC #2 SEC #2/3/4 Independence Bowl Big 12 #6 SEC #6/7/8 Brut Sun Bowl Pac-10 #2 Big 12 #4 / Big East #1 / Notre Dame Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl ACC #5/6 SEC #6/7/8 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Pac-10 #2 Big 12 #3 Emerald Bowl Pac-10 #4/5 ACC #5/6/7 Alamo Bowl Big 12 #3/4 Big Ten #3/4 Texas Bowl Big 12 #7 Big East #3 / C-USA #3/4 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl WAC #1 ACC #8 Insight Bowl Big 12 #5 Big Ten #5 Champs Sports Bowl Big Ten #3/4 ACC #3 Motor City Bowl MAC #1/2 Big Ten Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl C-USA WAC #2 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl MWC C-USA / Pac-10 Pioneer Pure Vision Las Vegas Bowl Pac-10 #4/5 MWC #1 SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl MWC At-large GMAC Bowl MAC #1/2 C-USA #2 New Orleans Bowl Sun Belt #1 C-USA #5 PapaJohns.com Bowl C-USA #3/4 Big East / MAC New Mexico Bowl WAC #3 MWC 14

17 BCS bowl games are the grand finale of the season. The top ranked teams battle it out for a spot in a prestigious bowl, and the top two teams vie for the ultimate prize a national championship. There are four BCS bowl games plus the national championship game. Here s a look at the BCS bowl series: BCS BOWL GAMES Allstate BCS National Championship Game FedEx Orange Bowl Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Allstate Sugar Bowl Rose Bowl CONFERENCE/TEAM CONFERENCE/TEAM BCS #1 BCS #2 BCS (ACC if available) BCS (Big 12 if available) BCS BCS BCS (SEC if available) BCS BCS (Big 10 if available) BCS(Pac 10 if available) BSC RANKING: DETERMINING A CHAMPION Unlike practically every other sport, there s no play-off system in college football. The BCS organization ranks the teams and chooses who participates in one of the four BCS bowls and the national championship game. The prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology doesn t have a football team. But to understand the complex formula the BCS uses to rank teams, it helps to have a degree in math. Luckily, it s not necessary to dive into the algebra in great detail. Just keep in mind that the BCS ranks the top 25 teams all season, updating the rankings each week based on the teams' performances. The BCS bowl bids and national championship game participants are determined by these rankings, which take into account the following factors: Polls Computer rankings Strength of a team's schedule Number of losses The BCS assigns a numerical value to each factor, and the four values are tallied to produce a team's final score. The team with the lowest point total gets the number one spot. Needless to say, this system is the subject of a lot of controversy, especially when fans believe their team was robbed of a spot in favor of an inferior team. But in the absence of a true play-off system, there will be some subjectivity in the process. 15

18 G E T I N T O T H E G A M E! So there you have it, the basics of the great game of college football. There s a lot more to learn (see the time-out tip below for some more resources), but if you ve read this guide, you now understand as much about how college football is played as the average guy. Are you ready to get into the game? You ve taken the first step by learning the basics. Now it s time to make college football a part of your life. The best way to do that is to make it personal. There are a lot of ways to accomplish this. As we mentioned earlier, it s essential to pick a team if you don t already have one. Another way to get into the game is to develop your own traditions around game time. If you re lucky enough to have season tickets, develop a tailgating tradition. It can be as fancy or simple as you like. Even if you don t have tickets, you can still tailgate with a backyard barbeque or picnic right in your living room. The options are limited only by your imagination. Also, read up on your team. Learn about the coaches and players, how their recruiting efforts are going, who is improving, who is injured, what their prospects are for moving on to the NFL. This will help you feel more connected. And that s what college football is really about: connections between players and fans, and fans from one generation to the next. It s a great game. Be a part of it! TIME-OUT TIP: LEARN MORE Ready to learn more about college football? Here are some helpful resources where you can get more in-depth information: Penalties: Recruiting and general Info: Scores, standings, etc.: More scores, standings, etc.: 16