Being a schedule maker for college football teams must be an interesting profession, though that job usually falls upon the capable shoulders of the school’s Athletic Director. Filling out the conference schedule is a snap, but when it comes to non-conference games against ever changing opponents, lining up teams and filling in dates on a calendar suddenly becomes quite a challenge.

This weekend will be the last weekend that some teams will see action unless they are bowl eligible. In that case, a game in December or one in January will extend their season, perhaps giving fans the chance to fly off to a warmer climate to enjoy local sites and a great game.

For some teams, what happens this weekend will have a profound impact on their season, elevating a handful to the upper stratosphere of college football if they win, while placing others in obscurity (or a lesser bowl) if they lose. Let’s take a look at some key contests this weekend and what the stakes are:

Michigan at #10 Ohio State – The Buckeyes are very much alive in the Big Ten race and could win the conference crown if they beat Michigan and Penn State loses to Michigan State. For the Wolverines, they’re playing for dignity because with eight losses (the most in the school’s 129 year football playing history) only a win over the Buckeyes can ease the pain of 2008.

#15 Michigan State at #8 Penn State – The Nittany Lions have recovered from their stunning loss to Iowa, but they still need to beat the Spartans this weekend to qualify for a BCS bowl game. Michigan State can move up in the rankings by knocking off Penn State, helping crown Ohio State the Big 10 champion.

#14 Brigham Young at #7 Utah – Any other year and this game might simply be played for bragging rights for the best team in the state of Utah. The Cougars slipped up badly when they lost to TCU but can achieve redemption by knocking of the Utes. For Utah, a win means a BCS bowl game, perhaps a shot at the national championship if things fall their way.

#20 Pittsburgh at #19 Cincinnati – Both teams will play regular season games after this Saturday, with Pitt still needing to beat West Virginia and UConn once the Bearcats are out of the way. The winner of this game takes over the Big East lead while the loser will probably have to settle for a December bowl game.

#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma – The Red Raiders of Texas Tech can ensure that they’ll face Missouri for the Big 12 conference title with a win and maintain their shot at playing for the national championship. Should the Sooners prevail, the Texas Longhorns will move up unless the Sooners wipe the Red Raiders off of the field.

What is the oddest match up this weekend? Why that would be 4-7 The Citadel which will take on #4 Florida Gators in the swamp. Ever since losing to Mississippi State by one point on September 27th, the Gators have rolled over every SEC opponent they faced. For FCS The Citadel, a sixty point loss is a real possibility this Saturday.

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Tags: college bowl games, college football, college sports, Football Championship Series

The bowl games are over (all 32 of them) ending what some have called the most turbulent year in memory. Starting with Michigan’s stunning loss to Appalachian State and ending with the crowning of LSU as national champions, the year was a roller coaster one as high ranked teams seemed to lose on a weekly basis. Indeed, LSU is the first team in the history of major college football to be crowned the national champion with two losses.

The major college teams, what are now called BCS (bowl champion series) division schools, rake in hundreds of millions of dollars each year in revenue thanks to ticket sales, promotional offers, championship games, and the bowl games. Throw in clothing rights and other advertising options and the revenue generated each year is probably in the billions of dollars.

Those universities fielding a high ranked team can expect to reap more than ten million dollars from a major bowl appearance alone.  Teams that were selected for the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar, Rose, and BCS Bowls each earned $17 million from the bowls, an amount many college administrators salivate over.

One administrator, Michael F. Adams of Georgia, apparently has had enough with the current system and is calling for an eight-team playoff system to be introduced citing inequity of the current set up. What Adams doesn’t mention is that his Georgia Bulldogs, who also lost twice this season, wasn’t in a position to compete for the national championship. Although the Bulldogs had the opportunity to play in the high-paying Sugar Bowl, it wasn’t enough.

Some see Adams’ call for a playoff system to be hypocritical. Columnist Jason Whitlock, for example, said as much and is urging that the NCAA “adopt” top high school football and basketball athletes by providing them with a college prep education. As only a handful of college players ever make it to the pro ranks, most will graduate college with barely the skills to make it in life.

Whitlock’s call, in my opinion, is refreshing as much as it is revealing. College sports, enjoyed by millions, benefits the coffers of the universities more than the future of its student-athletes. Like Whitlock, I believe paying college students to play isn’t the way to go, but making sure that they are equipped to compete in the world later on makes perfect sense.

Will the universities go with Whitlock’s suggestions? Probably not.  Instead, we’re likely to see more money pour into college sports with little residual benefit for the players.

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Tags: college bowl games, college football, college search, Jason Whitlock, Kansas City Star, LSU Tigers, NCAA Football, Ohio State Buckeyes, scholarship search