| The Poto Blog |
THE EL POTO BLOOG AND
THE POWER 25!
Hello friends. After a one-year
hiatus, yours truly is back to
give his thoughts on the world
of sports here for Mid America
Broadcasting. I hope you will
check back often, and I hope
you’ll join us for our fall sports
coverage starting in a couple of
weeks.
For the first time since the end
of the 2007 season, the Power
25 is back. A lot has happened
since then…and that will be
enough to write about that.
Anyhow…the Power 25 is
strictly an opinion piece by El
Poto…yours truly. I do some
research and then rank the top
25 teams in Indiana regardless
of class. If you disagree (which
I know you do already!), feel
free to write me at
bpotosky@midamericabroadca
sting.com.
This year will do the countdown
a little different. We’ll do two
teams a day starting with #25
and #24 today…so…the #25
team in the pre-season Power
25...
THE POWER 25!
Hello friends. After a one-year
hiatus, yours truly is back to
give his thoughts on the world
of sports here for Mid America
Broadcasting. I hope you will
check back often, and I hope
you’ll join us for our fall sports
coverage starting in a couple of
weeks.
For the first time since the end
of the 2007 season, the Power
25 is back. A lot has happened
since then…and that will be
enough to write about that.
Anyhow…the Power 25 is
strictly an opinion piece by El
Poto…yours truly. I do some
research and then rank the top
25 teams in Indiana regardless
of class. If you disagree (which
I know you do already!), feel
free to write me at
bpotosky@midamericabroadca
sting.com.
This year will do the countdown
a little different. We’ll do two
teams a day starting with #25
and #24 today…so…the #25
team in the pre-season Power
25...
1) WARREN CENTRAL
2) BEN DAVIS
3) CARMEL
4) CATHEDRAL
5) CHATARD
6) FW SNIDER
7) PENN
8) VALPARAISO
9) JASPER
10) CENTER GROVE
11) EV. REITZ
12) FW DWENGER
13) BELLMONT
14) EV. MEMORIAL
15) MERRILVILLE
16) PIKE
17) WEST LAFAYETTE
18) PLYMOUTH
19) COLUMBUS EAST
20) HERITAGE HILLS
21) HAMILTON SE
22) HARDING
23) RITTER
24) SHELBYVILLE
25) CONCORD
 |  |  |  |  |  |
11 on the PS2.
The first round of the 2010 El Poto College Football
Playoff starts with the 1-16 matchup. The top-seeded
Auburn Tigers, champions of the SEC, faced the Sun
Belt Champion and 16th-seeded Florida International
Golden Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl in
Birmingham.
FIU, not intimated by the top ranked Tigers, moved
the ball on the game’s first possession, cranking out a
couple of first downs and narrowly avoiding a lost
fumble before the drive stalled inside the Auburn 30-
yd line. The Golden Panthers went for it on 4th down,
and came up short.
From there, Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton
went to work. Going 80 yards in 13 plays, Newton
connected on five key completions setting up a 4-yard
TD run by Onterio McCalebb to allow Auburn to dent
the scoreboard first.
Disaster struck FIU on the next possession. An
interception set up the Tigers in the red zone. On the
next play, McCalebb scooted 17 yards to cash in the
turnover. Just like that, it was 14-0 Auburn and the
top-seeded Tigers were on their way. Another first
quarter fumble led to a Tiger field goal…making it 17-0
Tigers with five minutes left in the opening quarter.
That score would hold at the end of the first quarter.
It went from bad to worse for the Golden Panthers in
the 2nd. Eltoro Freeman scored on a pick six for
Auburn, expanding the lead to 24-0.
Looking for a prayer, FIU got one on an 82-yd TD
catch by Greg Ellingson from QB Wes Carroll. FIU
goes for two and are unsuccessful, but the Golden
Panthers look for a little hope trailing 24-6. Their hope
was short lived as Newton scored from 6 yards out.
Auburn was up 31-6 just short of the ½ way mark of
the second quarter.
With the game in hand, Auburn pulls the starters in
the 3rd quarter, and they cruise to a 58-6 win. Auburn
outgains FIU 431-222. McCalebb rushes for 101 yards
and a pair of scores. FIU was overmatched and didn’t
help their own cause with five turnovers. Auburn (14-
0) moves on to the Chick-Fil-A-Bowl in the Round of 8
against the Oklahoma-Arkansas winner. Florida
International finishes with a 6-7 record.
Speaking of that Oklahoma-Arkansas game, that will
be next on the schedule in the Armed Forces Bowl in
Dallas.
As always your questions and comments are
welcome at bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com
when Oregon and Auburn meet in Arizona next
month, college football still remains the lone major
sport that does not have a playoff.
Why is that? One simple reason….$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The current bowl system is too tied into sponsor
dollars. You take a playoff system…and that goes bye-
bye.
But…what if you could use the bowl system as a
means to an end and incorporate a playoff system
through the bowls?
That is the purpose of the El Poto playoff system.
For the last three years, I have taken the bowl
system, pitted 16 teams and then use the bowl
system to produce a playoff to determine the national
championship. And for the last three years, the El
Poto playoff champion has differed from the actual
champ.
So…how do we get 16 teams to a playoff? Simple….
There are 11 conferences in the Football Subdivision
(FBS). You win your conference….you get in.
And then….five at-large spots. To qualify for an at-
large, you must win at-least nine games. Then, a la
March Madness, seeds the teams via committee. In
the case of this blog, yours truly will be the committee.
So for the 2010 El Poto College Football Playoff….
here’s how the brackets look….
PEACH BOWL BRACKET (or whatever they call the
Atlanta Bowl game…)
BBVA Compass Bowl – Birmingham AL
#1 Auburn (13-0 / SEC Champion)
#16 Florida International (6-6 / Sun Belt Champion)
Armed Forces Bowl / Dallas TX
#8 Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
#9 Arkansas (At Large – SEC)
HOLIDAY BOWL BRACKET
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl / San Francisco CA
#4 Stanford (11-1 / At Large – PAC 10)
#13 Central Florida (10-3 / Conference USA Champ)
Music City Bowl / Nashville TN
#5 Wisconsin (11-1 / Big Ten Champ)
#12 Nevada (12-1 / WAC Champ)
ROSE BOWL BRACKET (The reason the Rose Bowl
is a quarterfinal is because it was last year’s title
game)
Humanitarian Bowl / Boise ID
#2 Oregon (12-0 / PAC 10 Champ)
#15 Miami-Ohio (9-4 / MAC Champ)
Liberty Bowl / Memphis TN
#7 Michigan State (11-1 / At Large – Big 10)
#10 LSU (10-2 / At Large – SEC)
COTTON BOWL BRACKET
Texas Bowl / Houston TX
#3 TCU (12-0 / Mountain West Champ)
#14 Connecticut (8-4 / Big East Champ)
Motor City Bowl / Detroit MI
#6 Ohio State (11-1 / At Large – Big 10)
#11 Virginia Tech (10-3 / ACC Champ
There’s your matchups. Whatever bowls are not part
of the playoff would still be played for teams not
included (sorry Boise.) All matchups will be simulated
via NCAA Football 11 on my trusty PS2. Starting
Christmas week….we will start the 2010 college
playoff.
As always, your questions and comments are
welcome at bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com.
between my work schedule and my lack of desire for
writing (IE laziness) I just haven’t found something to
write about….until now.
With some thoughts on the football tournament so
far, it seems so incredulous that the mighty
Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference is completely
out of the 5A tournament. After last week’s shockers
with Warren Central, Center Grove and to a lesser
extent Ben Davis bowing out, the MIC’s final three
teams were eliminated in semi-final action capped by
Fishers’ 17-14 win over Carmel. So for the first time
since 2000, a MIC team will not win the 5A
championship, and for the first time since 1998, there
will not be a MIC representative in the State Finals,
the year when Rex Grossman’s five TD passes led
Bloomington South over Homestead.
What’s really interesting about this year’s tournament
so far is that it’s not just the traditional MIC powers
that are already on the sidelines. Teams like Griffith,
Heritage Hills, Sheridan et al are all done for the 2010
season. Some different names are still alive. Schools
like Lawrence Central, Guerin Catholic, South Central
and others who have had only fleeting success in the
past or tasting it for the first time still find themselves
suiting up on Friday nights.
It’s the best time of the year. For the next four Friday
nights, a trophy is on the line. As the weather chills,
the gridiron action is just starting to heat up.
If you have any questions, please feel free to write me
at bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com. You can
also check us out on Facebook on the MAB page http:
//www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Northern-
Indiana/Mid-America-Broadcasting-LLC/117793598692
Or my personal page “Bob Potosky” http://www.
facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1544420855
(You’ll have to send a friend request for the personal
page).
The first round of the 2010 El Poto College Football
Playoff starts with the 1-16 matchup. The top-seeded
Auburn Tigers, champions of the SEC, faced the Sun
Belt Champion and 16th-seeded Florida International
Golden Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl in
Birmingham.
FIU, not intimated by the top ranked Tigers, moved
the ball on the game’s first possession, cranking out a
couple of first downs and narrowly avoiding a lost
fumble before the drive stalled inside the Auburn 30-
yd line. The Golden Panthers went for it on 4th down,
and came up short.
From there, Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton
went to work. Going 80 yards in 13 plays, Newton
connected on five key completions setting up a 4-yard
TD run by Onterio McCalebb to allow Auburn to dent
the scoreboard first.
Disaster struck FIU on the next possession. An
interception set up the Tigers in the red zone. On the
next play, McCalebb scooted 17 yards to cash in the
turnover. Just like that, it was 14-0 Auburn and the
top-seeded Tigers were on their way. Another first
quarter fumble led to a Tiger field goal…making it 17-0
Tigers with five minutes left in the opening quarter.
That score would hold at the end of the first quarter.
It went from bad to worse for the Golden Panthers in
the 2nd. Eltoro Freeman scored on a pick six for
Auburn, expanding the lead to 24-0.
Looking for a prayer, FIU got one on an 82-yd TD
catch by Greg Ellingson from QB Wes Carroll. FIU
goes for two and are unsuccessful, but the Golden
Panthers look for a little hope trailing 24-6. Their hope
was short lived as Newton scored from 6 yards out.
Auburn was up 31-6 just short of the ½ way mark of
the second quarter.
With the game in hand, Auburn pulls the starters in
the 3rd quarter, and they cruise to a 58-6 win. Auburn
outgains FIU 431-222. McCalebb rushes for 101 yards
and a pair of scores. FIU was overmatched and didn’t
help their own cause with five turnovers. Auburn (14-
0) moves on to the Chick-Fil-A-Bowl in the Round of 8
against the Oklahoma-Arkansas winner. Florida
International finishes with a 6-7 record.
Speaking of that Oklahoma-Arkansas game, that will
be next on the schedule in the Armed Forces Bowl in
Dallas.
As always your questions and comments are
welcome at bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com
when Oregon and Auburn meet in Arizona next
month, college football still remains the lone major
sport that does not have a playoff.
Why is that? One simple reason….$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The current bowl system is too tied into sponsor
dollars. You take a playoff system…and that goes bye-
bye.
But…what if you could use the bowl system as a
means to an end and incorporate a playoff system
through the bowls?
That is the purpose of the El Poto playoff system.
For the last three years, I have taken the bowl
system, pitted 16 teams and then use the bowl
system to produce a playoff to determine the national
championship. And for the last three years, the El
Poto playoff champion has differed from the actual
champ.
So…how do we get 16 teams to a playoff? Simple….
There are 11 conferences in the Football Subdivision
(FBS). You win your conference….you get in.
And then….five at-large spots. To qualify for an at-
large, you must win at-least nine games. Then, a la
March Madness, seeds the teams via committee. In
the case of this blog, yours truly will be the committee.
So for the 2010 El Poto College Football Playoff….
here’s how the brackets look….
PEACH BOWL BRACKET (or whatever they call the
Atlanta Bowl game…)
BBVA Compass Bowl – Birmingham AL
#1 Auburn (13-0 / SEC Champion)
#16 Florida International (6-6 / Sun Belt Champion)
Armed Forces Bowl / Dallas TX
#8 Oklahoma (Big 12 Champion)
#9 Arkansas (At Large – SEC)
HOLIDAY BOWL BRACKET
Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl / San Francisco CA
#4 Stanford (11-1 / At Large – PAC 10)
#13 Central Florida (10-3 / Conference USA Champ)
Music City Bowl / Nashville TN
#5 Wisconsin (11-1 / Big Ten Champ)
#12 Nevada (12-1 / WAC Champ)
ROSE BOWL BRACKET (The reason the Rose Bowl
is a quarterfinal is because it was last year’s title
game)
Humanitarian Bowl / Boise ID
#2 Oregon (12-0 / PAC 10 Champ)
#15 Miami-Ohio (9-4 / MAC Champ)
Liberty Bowl / Memphis TN
#7 Michigan State (11-1 / At Large – Big 10)
#10 LSU (10-2 / At Large – SEC)
COTTON BOWL BRACKET
Texas Bowl / Houston TX
#3 TCU (12-0 / Mountain West Champ)
#14 Connecticut (8-4 / Big East Champ)
Motor City Bowl / Detroit MI
#6 Ohio State (11-1 / At Large – Big 10)
#11 Virginia Tech (10-3 / ACC Champ
There’s your matchups. Whatever bowls are not part
of the playoff would still be played for teams not
included (sorry Boise.) All matchups will be simulated
via NCAA Football 11 on my trusty PS2. Starting
Christmas week….we will start the 2010 college
playoff.
As always, your questions and comments are
welcome at bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com.
between my work schedule and my lack of desire for
writing (IE laziness) I just haven’t found something to
write about….until now.
With some thoughts on the football tournament so
far, it seems so incredulous that the mighty
Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference is completely
out of the 5A tournament. After last week’s shockers
with Warren Central, Center Grove and to a lesser
extent Ben Davis bowing out, the MIC’s final three
teams were eliminated in semi-final action capped by
Fishers’ 17-14 win over Carmel. So for the first time
since 2000, a MIC team will not win the 5A
championship, and for the first time since 1998, there
will not be a MIC representative in the State Finals,
the year when Rex Grossman’s five TD passes led
Bloomington South over Homestead.
What’s really interesting about this year’s tournament
so far is that it’s not just the traditional MIC powers
that are already on the sidelines. Teams like Griffith,
Heritage Hills, Sheridan et al are all done for the 2010
season. Some different names are still alive. Schools
like Lawrence Central, Guerin Catholic, South Central
and others who have had only fleeting success in the
past or tasting it for the first time still find themselves
suiting up on Friday nights.
It’s the best time of the year. For the next four Friday
nights, a trophy is on the line. As the weather chills,
the gridiron action is just starting to heat up.
If you have any questions, please feel free to write me
at bpotosky@midamericabroadcasting.com. You can
also check us out on Facebook on the MAB page http:
//www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Northern-
Indiana/Mid-America-Broadcasting-LLC/117793598692
Or my personal page “Bob Potosky” http://www.
facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1544420855
(You’ll have to send a friend request for the personal
page).