DDT

Playoff at the bottom
DDT proposes: Four teams, numbers 121 through 124 in a playoff. Number 121, Idaho (1-11) meets #124 Southern Mississippi (0-12); #122 UMass (1-11) plays #123 New Mexico State (1-10). The two winners meet and a trophy, “Best of the Bottom,” is awarded to the winner.

This would give SouMiss, the only squad is DivOne not to win a game this year, a 50/50 chance at a win, maybe two, and would give the other three a chance at not only another win, but maybe two more.

The games will be played in the Kibbee Dome in Moscow, Idaho, capacity 16,000, the smallest venue in DivOne.

Yes Virginia, the BCS is a CF
Having the bottom four line up makes about as much sense as putting Northern Illinois in the Orange Bowl against Florida State. But under the current BCS CF anything is possible because common sense has proven impossible with NCAA administrators and the current crop of ADs in college football.

However, Florida State will remember that in 2006 an underdog, and then a mid-major, Boise State upset favored Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl; and in 2008 the underdog, and then a mid-major, Utah upset Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and, someday, a playoff is coming.

Still holding out for a better deal
Louisiana Tech learned a hard lesson about the bowl system. Even though 70 of 124 DivOne teams are going bowling, including some like Georgia Tech with a losing record and Rice who barely broke even, the Bulldogs of LaTech are not among them. Reason: They asked for more time to consider an offer from Shreveport’s Independence Bowl so they could compare other invitations.

Unfortunately, nobody called and the Independence Bowl couldn’t wait and called Ohio who will play LaTech’s neighbor Louisiana-Monroe (ULM).

LaTech was 9-3 and made the Top 25 at one point. ULM was 8-4, beat Arkansas and won 7 of their last 9 games. Would have made a great in-state rivalry game but oops ... Ohio was 8-4 and lost 4 of their last 5 and their fans are not as likely to travel as fans of two Louisiana schools within a short distance of Shreveport.

Next game for LaTech will be their season opener, August 31, 2013 at North Carolina State.

From our West Texas A&M bureau in Santone:
The WTAMU Buffaloes dumped the Colorado State-Pueblo Thunderwolves in a DivTwo playoff game, Dec. 1. According to wire copy, “The home team—the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Thunderwolves—were steamrolled at home 34-13 by a West Texas A&M (12-2) team that continued a remarkable run in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.”

The T’Wolves had beaten the Buffs in the season opener. Tables turned. Buffs will now travel to North Carolina to play the #2 ranked  Winston-Salem State Rams in a DivTwo semi. Winner gets the winner of Minnesota State and Valdosta State for the DivTwo crown.

In other playoffs
In the FCS:
Wofford @ North Dakota State (defending champion)
Sam Houston State @ Montana State
Georgia Southern @ Old Dominion
Illinois State @ Eastern Washington

In DivThree:
Mary Hardin-Baylor at Mount Union (Last year’s runner-up, champ in 2008, and champion in DivThree 9 of the last 19 years)
Wisconsin-Oshkosh @ St. Thomas