 "Photo:")
Upon further review, instant replay is a bad idea.
It is ironic that the best game of the year, more like the best game of the new century, took place without the use of instant replay. Southern Cal's 34-31 victory against Notre Dame was thrilling from start to finish. Because the Trojans were the visiting team and with Notre Dame being an independent, Trojan coach Pete Carroll was given the option of whether replay would be used. Believing that replay disrupts the game, Carroll chose against it.
The experiment began in the Big Ten last year and was adopted by nine of the 11 major Division I football conferences, including the SEC, for use this season. The NCAA will soon decide whether to make instant replay a permanent fixture of the game.
Let's hope they do not.
The most common mantra of those supporting replay is that it is about "getting it right." I find this laughable, because the NCAA fails to institute a playoff system for determining a true national champion. They want to get individual plays right, but they can't even make sure they get the entire season right.
Southern Cal is pretty familiar with this concept. After finishing the 2003 season ranked No. 1 in both major polls, the BCS computers chose to rank them third, thus locking them out of the national championship game. The Trojans were forced to share the title with LSU that year.
Another major issue I have is the same one that Pete Carroll has - it disrupts the flow of the game. Televising a game disrupts it enough, and replay threatens to make it unbearable. Television is a must for college football fanatics, but a line has to be drawn at some point. Imagine the following scenario: A team scores a touchdown, then kicks the extra point, cue commercial, after commercial the team kicks off to the other team, cue another commercial (this actually happens quite often), after this commercial, play resumes, then cue an instant replay review.
Another flaw with replay is that it still does not ensure the correct call is made. In the final quarter of the Georgia-Vanderbilt game Saturday, Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley threw a pass to receiver Bryan McClendon that McClendon obviously trapped against the ground. The play was called a touchdown.
In the West Virginia-Louisville game, West Virginia attempted an onside kick while trailing 24-14. Before Louisville receiver Jimmy Riley could catch the ball, he was leveled by West Virginia players, the ball popped loose and West Virginia recovered. The referees failed to enforce a rule that states a player must be given the opportunity to field an airborne ball. West Virginia went on to score, later winning the game in overtime.
College football has done just fine without instant replay for well more than a hundred years. The NCAA should find other ways to ensure the game is played fairly.
How about just making sure the referees know the rules and have their glasses on?
Week six of college football was one of the best in recent memory. The Southern Cal-Notre Dame game lived up to its billing as an epic battle between two tradition-rich programs. On Friday night, 56,000 people showed up in Notre Dame Stadium for the pep rally. The atmosphere during the game Saturday was electric, and Matt Leinart's last-second touchdown put him right back on track for a potential Heisman repeat. The Trojans are now likely to remain undefeated heading into the final week of the season for the inter-Los Angeles battle against UCLA.
Week 6 also proved to be a milestone for other teams trying to remain undefeated.
Penn State, a week after a strong win against Ohio State, fell to Michigan in the Big House, 25-27, on a last second touchdown pass by Michigan quarterback Chad Henne.
Alabama struggled against Ole Miss before kicking a last-second field goal to win 10-7.
UCLA trailed Washington State 21-0 in the first half. UCLA quarterback Drew Olson threw for five touchdown passes for the Bruins, who rallied for a 44-41 overtime win, which included a 17-point fourth quarter.
Week 7 matchups:
Texas vs Texas Tech: Vince Young and the second-ranked Longhorns face their toughest test since defeating Ohio State in week two. Texas Tech averages more points per game than many basketball teams.
Prediction: Texas 47 Texas Tech 35
LSU vs Auburn: Auburn has returned to form since stumbling against Georgia Tech in week one. LSU is coming off a huge win against the Florida Gators. The winner will challenge Alabama later in the season for a spot in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
Prediction: Auburn 27 LSU 21
Alabama vs Tennessee: It has been several years since Alabama was the higher ranked team heading into the annual "third week in October" rivalry against Tennessee. Tennessee's offensive woes continue after being exposed by Georgia two weeks ago. Alabama is trying to find a playmaker to replace injured wide receiver Tyrone Prothro.
Prediction: Alabama 17 Tennessee 12
UCLA vs Oregon State: UCLA had been the surprise of the Pac Ten this season. Oregon State at 4-2 presents a difficult challenge for the Bruins. Many points will be scored.
Prediction: UCLA 42 Oregon State 36
Southern Cal vs Washington: Washington is a far cry from the program that once dominated the Pac Ten. Don't expect the Trojans to stumble against the Huskies.
Prediction: Southern Cal 58 Washington 17
Week 5 predictions: 4-2
Overall: 22-9
Be the first to comment on this article!