Sept. 2, 2004
Columbia, Mo. - Fall is finally upon us - the college football season is underway. Pre-season number one Southern California opened the 2004 campaign with a 24-13 win over Virginia Tech in the BCA Classic. If this game was any indication of what we are in store for this year, it should be one exciting season. Missouri opens its fourth season under head coach Gary Pinkel this Saturday evening.
The most anticipated season in the last 20 years begins with the Tigers playing host to the Indians of Arkansas State. A crowd of 50-to-55 thousand is expected, so there is still an opportunity for you to join us.
Quarterback Brad Smith has been a focal point of not only opponent's defenses, but certainly the media. From the New York Times, to USA Today, writers have been making the trip to Columbia to visit with this impressive young man. The nation now knows about this gifted athlete from Youngstown, Ohio. He is on virtually everyone's "Watch-List" for the Heisman Trophy. In fact, last Saturday evening ESPN did its breakdown of the top-10 candidates for the prestigious award. Smith was listed number two, behind Kansas State's Darren Sproles.
You probably will notice some rule changes this year. Among them, was the NCAA's decision to allow the Big Ten Conference to experiment with instant replay. It will be used in all televised conference games and in non-league contests at Big Ten stadiums as long as the Big Ten team's opponent gives the go-ahead.
Also new for the 2004 season:
• Officials equipped with microphones will announce the number of a player committing a penalty. NFL officials already do this, but most college announcements have identified only the offending team;
• As is done in basketball, a head coach now can request a timeout from the sideline (but not from the press box);
• A player who, in the official's judgment, is blocked into a passer will not be called for roughing the passer;
• A player who runs forward and leaps in the air in an attempt to block a field goal or extra point may not land on an opponent;
• If a team kicking off is offside, then the return team has the option of tacking 5 yards on the end of the return or requesting a re-kick;
• Pass interference will not be called after contact on a fake punt if the officials determine a pass is high enough and deep enough to simulate a punt.
The way we will decide the national champion in college football has also changed. In July, the Bowl Championship Series announced changes to the way the BCS standings are compiled.
The BCS statistical rating system determines which teams play in the National Championship game, and those which are eligible to participate in Bowl Championship Series games. The new system will include three components: the rankings of the Associated Press media poll, the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and a computer average. Each component will count one-third of a team's overall BCS ranking.
The previous rating system included five components: the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls, computer rankings, strength of schedule, team record and a quality win factor. Under the new system, which was unanimously approved by the 11 Division I-A commissioners, Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White, the BCS Athletic Director Advisory Committee and the Presidential Oversight Committee, a team will have a "percentage" score from each of the three components. These percentages will be averaged to determine a team's BCS ranking.
In the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls, the formula will no longer average the weekly rank of each team. Instead a team will be evaluated on the number of voting points it receives in each poll. A team's AP score will be its points in the poll divided by a possible 1800 voting points. The same formula will apply to the USA Today/ESPN poll and its 1500 voting points.
Six computer rankings have been retained for 2004: Jeff Sagarin, whose rankings are published in USA Today, Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey and Dr. Peter Wolfe. The New York Times, which participated in 2003, withdrew. A team's highest and lowest computer ranking will be discarded from figuring a team's computer poll average. Points will be assigned in inverse order of ranking from 1-25. The four remaining computer scores will be averaged and the total will be calculated as a percentage of 100.
The top two teams in the final BCS Poll will meet for the national championship in the 2005 FedEx Orange Bow, January 4 in Miami, Fla. Finally, construction on the Mizzou Arena is continuing, as we close in on the opening of this amazing facility. Next month, I'll tell you about some very special events that will allow you to see our new arena, so stay tuned.
As always, I would like to thank-you for taking the time to read this column. If you have any questions about these topics, or anything else pertaining to Mizzou athletics, or even college athletics in general, please feel free to e-mail me at aldenm@missouri.edu.