Yes, the network has been abysmal the last six years. I’m not denying shows like “The Playboy Club” or “The Event” were god-awful or didn’t have enough time to find their groove. But the mindset of Littlefield’s era has become horribly antiquated in the last decade.

To review, Littlefield left NBC in the 2000-01 season. The fact the network was struggling on nights that weren’t Wednesday or Thursday notwithstanding, (some of) the television landscape facets of the time include:

1. Cable, whose programming output was a fraction of what it is today. Neither AMC nor TNT was producing drama, USA was presenting mostly sci-fi and game shows, and FX’s signature show was “Son of the Beach”. Even HBO was not scheduling the amount of original programming it does now, to say nothing of Starz or Showtime.
2. Neither Hulu nor Netflix existed. For that matter, network websites only housed information.
3. DVR was in its infancy, and was more novel than practical.
4. DVDs hadn’t proliferated.

And in a decade’s time, some of these have been incorporated (DVR being counted as a “Live +3 days” rating) while others are already obsolete (the collapse of the DVD market ensures there won’t be many more “Family Guy”-like revivals). Yet the fact remains that Littlefield’s notion of “Must-See TV” has been crushed with this generation, and the next decade’s promise of completing the most seismic shift in programming since the medium was introduced will render it a footnote.

Moonves, currently sleeping with Julie Chen while determining the disability he wants his next TV detective to have.

It’s a good thing people like Littlefield aren’t the only ones running the show now- if they were, television would be in the same predicament as the music industry. However, some of Littlefield’s generation still run things. To wit, Les Moonves of CBS.

To his credit, Moonves made CBS hot shit, and he can’t be blamed for sticking with what works. However he’s been running it since 1995. The network still wins in the aggregate numbers game and keeps a decent hold on the value-added 18-49 shows. But think of our generation. Do blogging, fairly educated twentysomethings watch anything outside of “How I Met Your Mother” or “The Big Bang Theory” (when you should really watch “Community”)? The network schedule is now a repository of nearly-indistinguishable crime procedurals and “60 Minutes”. They win that old-money title of Nielsen ratings, but they skew older and poorer.

Now, it may look as though the formula will bite them in the ass. While 2012 looks to be a grace year for CBS, and indeed all of big media, 2013 is projected to see them take a significant hit in revenues. Deadline reports fewer cable subscribers and unwilling parties in satellite providers will make competing for viewers a “zero-sum game” as aggregate numbers look to further erode.

The article comes as hardly a surprise, and it fails to account for other media networks can pursue, but the pair of stories separated by a weekend further presses the question of how we statistically define a television program as popular in an era where sports might be the only “appointment viewing”. Internet viewing is only counted in generic web traffic and offers no nuance. We can’t calculate how many of the 3 million or so people who watched “Chuck” (on its first airing) last week were interested in one of its bizarre product placements. And for that matter, maybe being popular is just becoming hurtful. In a society where people and tasks are more specialized than ever, should we continue to count on repackaged shows of yesteryear like “The Cosby Show” or “Friends” to appeal to wide segments of the population?

That isn’t an argument of choosing quality over quantity. It’s an argument of shifting expectations, programming based on what your targeting (e.g. cable) and getting the same number of excellent and awful shows under different calculations. The numbers would be lower, and patience over a week’s time with watching shows on new media would be crucial, but it might save television in the face of crumbling present revenues.

Or, you know. We could just produce a sexy, feminist, affluent, trashy, old-school appealing hour like “The Playboy Club” again and go for broke.

Other Items of Note 

The NBA strike has taken its stalemate to the next level, so let’s talk about baseball’s labor relations for a moment. MLB and the Players Association has agreed to restrain signing bonuses for draft picks, as well as a restructuring of free agent compensation to eliminate early round picks to teams on the losing end. The baseball draft is in many ways a crapshoot, but I still see this as a setback for smaller market clubs who put significant stock in the draft. They’d still have the same number of opportunities, but not as many quality opportunities. This is in the name of veteran free agents, where the norm is less Albert Pujols negotiating a new contract and more Travis Buck signing a minor league deal with Houston and definitely not Jamie Moyer working out at age 49.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

If anyone is interested in the cause of this blog’s 13-month sabbatical, the team went on Hajj. A. Really. Long. Hajj. Also, I’m in the midst of an arduous, frustrating novel (maybe?) writing experience. If I keep at it, there may be updates. But for now, and without spoilers, I’ll throw out some details.

1. It is set in this blog’s native Youngstown, circa the mid-1980s.
2. Microfiche has been viewed, archived news clips have been watched, and scholarly articles have been read. In other words research has been done in an effort to not simply pull things out of my ass.
3. It will not be a coming-of-age story.
4. A reference to Family Ties will be made, if I remember it.

Does that quartet suck or what? Someone encourage me, and maybe something substantive will arise.

OK Confucius is out of rehab. Hold your breath in ten second increments.

Marc

It’s no surprise that I was amazed when I found Eric Fischer’s study of racial breakdowns in America’s largest cities.

Fischer was inspired by a map created by Bill Rankin in 2009 that shows Chicago’s racial breakdown by community.  The map is simplistically elegant and informative, showing the stark racial boundaries between neighboring communities in an easy-to-interpret design.

The map that started it all

Fischer maps follow Rankin’s lead, breaking down over 100 American cities into White (red dots), Black (blue dots), Hispanic (yellow dots) and Asian (green dots) populations.  He covers a wide range of cities, from Seattle to Miami and San Diego to Portland, Maine.  Even Honolulu and Anchorage are represented.  It’s interesting to see how divided some cities really are.  Some, like Chicago and New York, have made me realize that racial divisions are nearly as visible and distinct as the neighborhood boundaries drawn on a map.

NYC: Hispanics really do live in Spanish Harlem.

Others, like Salt Lake City and Cleveland, the city I’m most familiar with, have cemented what I already believed was true.

Salt Lake City: Yeah, it's white.

Don't slow down in East Cleveland or you'll die.

Check out Fischer’s entire set for 100 more of these stunning images.  They are prime examples of how art, information and technology can come together to create something as unique and beautiful as it is interesting and educational.

Tyler

The Eagles went into the third quarter down 20-3. Vick used his legs to rack up 103 yards on the ground, and he showed flashes of the touch he used to have on the ball throwing for 175 yards and a touchdown. Although the Eagles couldn’t come away with a victory, it was apparent that Michael Vick was the X-factor that gave them a chance. This week the Eagles head to Detroit to take on the Lions who have also lost their starting quarterback. Both teams are looking for their first win, and for Michael Vick this is going to be one of his most important starts as a professional football player thus far. If Vick can come out, get a win, and remain a difference maker on the field then I believe he’ll be the starter come week 3. Vick has been given a blessing in disguise. Kolb’s injury has given number 7 what he has been waiting on. A chance.

-DJ

So of course we’re all aware of the controversial ad that Johnson aired only once against his Republican opponent, Goldwater. I’m a democrat and have never claimed otherwise. However, I’m in agreement with most individuals that blowing up a girl playing in the flowers in a pretty extreme way of pointing out the flaws in your opponent. I’m not claiming what he was saying was wrong, but come on. Anyone who sees a girl and then a nuclear explosion isn’t going to want to support any candidate you say is the cause. It was a cheap shot that worked, and even though in our time they would have been crucified, in the 60s’, everyone blamed Goldwater and we see how it turned out.

Now let’s look at the other end of the spectrum. The politicians who make themselves look like idiots. Independent candidate Dr. Daniel Freilich is running for the US Senate seat in the state of Vermont. Now I can appreciate a good laugh, and there are few people I like laughing at more than politicians. But when an individual does something so outrageous, it just makes me shake my head in pity, that’s when I get upset. This guy decided it’d be a good idea to parody the famous Old Spice commercials featuring a studly black guy on a horse. (By the way, I do a killer impersonation of that guy) Granted, the commercial is funny, if only for the fact it’s outright terrible. But it’s embarrassing having to watch this guy try so hard to get voters to come to his side. I just feel awful writing this too, because I really, really, REALLY like this guy. He’s a great candidate who has almost the exact same ideas I do. But who’s going to pay attention to that when he’s sitting on a cow. (When you watch the commercial, it’ll make sense) Anyways, I guess my point is you can do more than try hard for laughs in order to get votes. All that aside though I really do support Dr. Freilich, and if you’re reading this from Vermont or anywhere really, check his website at www.danielfreilich.com for more information on his platform.

So I guess my point is, politicians. Get your act together. It doesn’t take a controversial ad, or a really embarrassing commercial to get America to support you. While those tactics may work and in most cases get the votes you’re looking for, it might not be from the people you’re looking for. Would you rather have the support of the gay college student who supports your ideas, thoughts, and opinions? Or the laughing unemployed guy who stumbled into a voting booth to vote for “the guy who didn’t blow up that little girl”? I don’t know about any of you, but I’ll take the gay college student anytime.

-By the way this is RJ Spencer, the newest writer for Ok Confucius and I’m so happy to be here! Sorry my first post was so…harsh, I promise I’m a really nice guy, I just get fired up sometimes. But anyways enjoy my ramblings! If you don’t…then feel free to rant to me on my twitter @RJWearsPrada

Count another outlet on its resume. Poster Cabaret plays host to dozens of artists, specializing in concert poster art that looks as good in your room as it would outside a club.

Having recently moved into my house in Columbus, I started scouring Allposters.com in search of something cool/nice/relatively inexpensive to add some color to an otherwise bland room. But when in search of something ‘alternative’ as opposed to another AC/DC or Doors poster, the site usually turns up that picture of Death Cab for Cutie where Chris Walla makes some shape with his hands. It can be a little underwhelming.

Boring!

So you want something that lets everyone know how much you love Transatlanticism, but want to appear unique as well? You could try this…

And with Jenny Lewis as an added bonus! Take a sampling of some of our other favorite indie darlings.

Cool? Cool. Just a couple of my favorites, and there are many, many more on the site itself. Most posters are priced between 15 and 35 dollars, and take up enough space to tie a room together. Visit the site sometime, and get lost searching for every last obscure artist you love.

Once again… www.postercabaret.com

Marc

Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been an Ohio Bobcats diehard since the day I stepped on campus in September 2008.  Coincidentally, my hatred for Ohio State, which had laid dormant during my grade school years, has awoken while on the campus of another university.  This is partially due to the fact that on game day I see more scarlet and grey jerseys in campus bars than green and white ones in the stands of Peden Stadium.  This article in Ohio University’s student newspaper pretty much sums up my opinion on the Ohio State issue.

It’s hard to be a fan of a non-BCS school (unless that school is a perennial power like Boise State, TCU or Utah).  The mainstream media only reports on our team if something really amazing or really terrible happens, and you won’t see Lee Corso putting on a Bobcat head anytime soon.  The only times our games are shown are early in the season when we pick up our paycheck to play one of the BCS schools or during the conference season on a Tuesday night on ESPN U.

I decided to document my experiences this past Saturday as my beloved Bobcats opened Mid-American Conference play against the Toledo Rockets in an attempt to describe what it’s like to root for a school big enough to play at the same level as the big boys, but small enough to remain off the mainstream radar.

I left my apartment around 1 p.m. after watching the first quarter of the noon games.  The Ohio Women’s Volleyball Team was hosting a mini-tournament against some big names, Pitt, Northwestern and nationally-ranked Tennessee.  Our volleyball team is good.  They’ve won the MAC and played in the NCAA tournament the past several years.  However, they weren’t good enough this weekend, sweeping Pitt Friday morning, losing a five-set heart-breaker to Tennessee that night and falling 3-1 to tournament champions Northwestern on Saturday. And yes, you read that correctly, I skipped out on other schools’ football games to watch my school’s volleyball match.

The match ended around 4 and I headed to the tailgate park for some pregame festivities.  We don’t have too many tailgaters, and very few students partake in the action.  I suppose most of the student body would rather watch other games than to tailgate ours, especially with Ohio State playing Miami at 3:30.  I tailgate with members of Bobcat Attack, a forum for Ohio athletic superfans like myself.

The homemade Bobcat Attack megagrill

While we talked about the volleyball tournament and that night’s game, the tent next to ours was a different story.  Instead of grilling and getting excited for our game they had a portable satellite tuned to the Buckeyes game and spent the afternoon huddled around the TV cheering every time OSU did anything.  That’s a good indicator of how the Bobcats almost always play second fiddle, even in their own city.

I stuck around the Bobcat Attack tailgate long enough to grab a hot dog, then made my to the Student Tailgate Park.  This is one of the better recent decisions made by the university, a practice field converted into an area for students to hang out before kickoff.  There’s a DJ, plenty of cornhole boards and every week different vendors come with free food for everyone.  As a member of the OZone, our official cheering section, I usually work the table at the park signing up new members.  It was extremely busy for the first game, but by week two almost everyone is signed up, so there isn’t much traffic.  Overall turnout at the student tailgate also took a big hit from week one to two.  Partially because everyone wants to do to everything move-in weekend, partially because the sky was grey and the forecast was calling for rain and, again, partially because most students were still too busy watching Ohio State to come out.

I entered Peden Stadium right at 5:30, just as the gates opened.  I’m usually one of the first ones in the stadium to claim my seat.  A benefit of being a smaller team is students get into all games for free and OZone members are given the best sections in the stadium.  I parked myself in the front row of the 50 and watched the teams warm up for the 7:00 kickoff.

The field view from my seat

These would actually become pretty full with students, at least until halftime

We actually schedule our games around Ohio State’s schedule.  When they play at noon, we play at night.  When they play at night, we kickoff at 2.  Their 3:30 game is a dilemma because if we start early, everyone will leave to get to a bar to watch the Buckeyes.  We decide on a night game in hopes that the dual fans will come out once the OSU game is over.  That’s another problem more prestigious programs don’t have to deal with.  A lot of our students grew up Buckeye fans and it’s hard for them to switch allegiances and make the Bobcats their top priority.

As kickoff approaches “The Most Exciting Band in the Land” takes the field.  The Ohio University Marching 110 is truly the pride of the university.  They are routinely rated one of the best college bands in the country for their high-energy performances and funky dance routines.  A lot of students actually care more about the band than the football team and it’s evidenced by the exodus of students after the 110′s halftime performance.

The Marching 110 doing what they do best

It’s sad to see how many students head for the exits after halftime.  Even if the game is close, and this one was 13-13 at the break, roughly half of the students will head out before its conclusion.  Night games are the worst because most students need to start their drinking before 10 when the game ends.  The atmosphere takes a huge hit as a result, but that’s the price you when students are apathetic towards their own school’s athletics.

Toledo held us scoreless in the second half, and they picked up a touchdown early in the fourth quarter for a 20-13 victory.

No victory on Victory Hill this time

It was a tough loss at home because we are a favorite in the MAC East and Toledo is picked to finish near the bottom of the MAC West.  You always want to start conference play off on a good note and we failed to do that.  What makes matters worse is we can’t do anything about our conference record until October 2.  This week we travel to Ohio State and then on to Marshall on September 25.  We’ll probably lose both games and start up MAC play again deflated with a 1-3 record.

Playing in the FBS, but outside the BCS is tough because even if we went undefeated we wouldn’t play for a National Championship.  Many top-level FCS schools are competitive with FBS teams of our caliber, and those teams have a playoff and a title to compete for.  The best we can do is play in low-level bowl games in undesirable cities (I’m looking at you Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit!)

I know this has been a pretty negative post, but don’t get me wrong, I love my school and my team.  I just wish more of the student body felt the same passion I do.  I have a blast at all the games and some of my best friends here are the other diehard Bobcat fans.  I know it’s hard to get excited when the team is never ranked and isn’t mentioned on ESPN, especially when a team some 80 miles up US 33 has been a contender for years.

This week is especially hard for me and other Ohio fans as we once again travel to the Horseshoe and take on the Buckeyes.  We played Ohio State in 2008 and almost pulled off the upset.  It was my first weekend on campus, and it really cemented my love of the Bobcats.  Every time I’ve walked past someone with an OSU shirt on this week I’ve wondered, does he even know who they play this week?  I’d hope that all the students here will be wearing green and white this Saturday, but I’ve already heard some saying they will be sporting both schools’ colors as they watch.  I can’t fathom rooting against my own school, no matter how long I’ve been a fan of the opponent, but I know it will happen on Saturday.  If we somehow manage to pull off the upset I’m sure many of my classmates will be upset that we ruined OSU’s shot at losing a National Championship game to an SEC school.

I’d be ok with them being upset because I’ll be out celebrating the biggest win in my school’s history.  Go Bobcats!

Tyler

Track Listing and Download Link After the Jump.

Alright, so it’s been awhile since we’ve had a playlist. I personally spent the past week or so compiling what I believe to be a great mix of songs. The central theme I was going for was introspective music that is easy listening but at the same time compelling. I wanted to try and introduce everybody to some new music in the process, but also highlight some older songs that fit the profile I was looking for. As always, I hope that you love it.

Here’s the download link
Listing

“Zambezi” Tinashe (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE)

“English Garden”  Like Pioneers

“I Walked” Sufjan Stevens

“Island Cottage” Sea Oleena

“Look Up” Bradley Hathaway

“Yes Yes Yes” Elsinore

“Ask Me How I Am” Snow Patrol

“I’m A Creep And I’m Proud”  Kelsey Brown

“Swim Until You Can’t See Land” Frightened Rabbit

“You Ain’t Going Nowhere” Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova (Bob Dylan Cover)

“The Comeback”  Shout Out Louds

“Anthophobia” The Love Language

“I Saw Lightning” Telekinesis!

“If I Was”  Young Rebel Set

“Tea And Thunderstorms” Olney Clark

“Welcome Home” Radical Face

Enjoy.

James

This game is yet another National Championship rematch, the 1979 Sugar Bowl, when #2 Alabama stopped #1 Penn State on the goal line to give Bear Bryant his fifth National Championship.

The schools had a heated series of games from 1981-90 with Alabama holding a 6-4 edge over the span, and an 8-5 record overall against the Nittany Lions.  This will be the first meeting between the schools since Penn State’s 9-0 win on the road in 1990.

Despite huge opening week victories, both teams enter this reincarnated rivalry with some question marks.

Alabama’s Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram will likely miss his second straight game recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery to repair his left knee.  Ingram sustained the injury in practice early last week.

Filling in for Ingram will be sophomore Trent Richardson, this week’s Sports Illustrated cover boy.  Last week Richardson had ten carries for 66 yards and two scores, as well as three catches for 46 yards, and didn’t play in the second half.  Don’t expect those kind of numbers against Penn State’s notoriously hard-nosed defense who held Youngstown State to 75 rushing yards on 33 carries, just 2.2 yards per rush.  The Nittany Lions haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher since Iowa’s Shonn Greene in 2008.

Will Richardson pass the century mark against Penn State?

Not only will Alabama be without their best offensive player, they lack one of their most important players on the other side of the ball.  Defensive end Marcell Dareus will sit out as part of a two-game NCAA suspension for receiving improper benefits from an agent on two trips to Miami.  Coach Nick Saban originally planned to appeal and attempt to reduce the suspension to one game, but decided against it because there isn’t enough precedent in similar cases.

Penn State’s biggest concern entering the game is at quarterback.  Rob Bolden is the first true freshman to ever start under center for Joe Paterno.  The 6’4″, 208 lbs Orchard Lake, Michigan, native has big shoes to fill, replacing Daryll Clark, who set Penn State’s single-season passing yards and touchdowns records last year.

Bolden looked impressive in his debut, completing 20 of his 29 attempts for 239 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.  However, that was in Beaver Stadium with over 100,000 supporters and against an FCS team.  This will be a true test for the freshman away from the friendly confines of Happy Valley and against the top-ranked team in the nation.

The good news for Bolden is he has an excellent corp of running backs to support him, led by senior Evan Royster.  Royster needs just 441 more yards this season to become Penn State’s all-time leading rusher.  He’ll be hard pressed to gain yards against the Tide, who held San Jose State to just 89 rushing yards.

Expect an old-school, hard-fought clash between two of the most historic programs in the nation.  Look for Penn State to establish their ground game first to give Bolden time to adjust in his first road game.  Alabama will also try to get it done on the ground early and then rely on the experience of senior quarterback Greg McElroy to march the Tide along.

Yards, and more importantly, points may be hard to come by in this game so both sides must capitalize on early opportunities to build confidence.  These defenses are relentless and will try to clog up the lanes to prevent runs.  Play action passes will be vital for both teams in order to build successful drives.

Alabama will want to force Bolden into passing situations early to make him uncomfortable.  He showed great poise, even after throwing a pick against Youngstown State, but it could all change on the road.  Penn State will probably call a few short passes and screens early to help Bolden establish himself before he airs it deep, which he is fully capable of doing.

Prediction

Ingram and Dareus’s absences could spell trouble for the Tide.  Richardson may be good, but he’s no Heisman Trophy winner.  I don’t see him repeating his opening week success in this game.  Royster and the other Penn State running backs will slowly wear down the Tide defense, who will miss Dareus’s presence on the line.  If Bolden can keep his composure in hostile Bryant-Denny Stadium, I think the Nittany Lions have a real chance of pulling off the upset.  I think Penn State will score in the middle of the 4th quarter to give them a 23-20 edge and then hold off the last couple Alabama possessions, ending with a dramatic final drive by Alabama which Penn State stops around midfield on 4th down.  Not as dramatic Alabama’s 1979 Sugar Bowl goal-line stand, but still an intense game from start to finish.

Tyler

still hurts after all these years

Defensive end Olivier Vernon told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “It’s revenge time. Nobody’s forgotten about that. I feel like I was playing in that game.”

For the Buckeyes what happened in 2003 simply happened in 2003. Even Jim Tressel claimed to be puzzled by the idea that this game holds a sense of revenge for Miami. As for the superstar quarterback of the Buckeyes, the game wasn’t even important enough at the time for him to watch.

Terrelle Pryor, originally from Jeannette, Pa., said, “I’d be lying if I said I watched that game”.

All eyes will be on Pryor this weekend as the stage is set for battle. Number 2 Ohio State takes on the number 12 ranked Hurricanes in the Horseshoe at approximately 3:40 pm on Saturday. The weight of the two superpowers will be riding on their star quarterbacks, Pryor and Miami’s Jacory Harris. They both opened up the season last week in impressive fashion. Harris was very efficient as he went 12-of-15 for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns in a demolishing 45-0 win over Florida A&M, while Pryor went 17-of-25 with 247 yards and 3 touchdowns in almost a mirrored outcome of 45-7 over Marshall.

Expect Harris to attempt to make plays downfield with his arm Saturday, being that he is much more apt to stay back and sling one downfield then to take off with his feet. While his counterpart is a threat through the air as well as on the ground- Pryor has over 1400 rushing yards throughout his career of 26 games. Ohio State defensive back Chimdi Chekwa, a senior from Clermont, Fla., talked about the opposing styles of Harris and Pryor.

He said, “He’s a great quarterback, just like Terrelle, but I don’t think they have the same style. Terrelle is a guy who, if you give him an opportunity to run, he’s going to take that opportunity and make you pay. Jacory is a guy who wants to sit back there and throw the pass”.

The offensive line of the Hurricanes will be tested against the Buckeyes as Harris was forced to use his feet far too many times last season. If the line can give him time in the pocket expect him to seek out his favorite target, senior Leonard Hankerson.

Ouch!

As far as Miami’s defense, expect them to attempt to make the Buckeyes offense one-dimensional by stuffing the running game early. They want to see Pryor forced to show us that he has a Heisman worthy arm as well as the athletic ability to extend drives with his feet.

The task of shutting down the running game of OSU won’t be an easy one. Brandon Saine was simply stellar with 103 yards and two touchdowns on the ground last week only carrying the ball nine times. If Pryor can engineer this game through his passing and keep Miami’s defense off balance then we can expect a lot out of Saine, Boom Herron and even Pryor himself.

Ohio State’s defense looks primed and ready as ever this year, forcing three turnovers last week against Marshall. Expect a similar game plan for the Bucks D as far as stuffing the run and putting Harris into some uncomfortable throwing situations. If OSU can get some pressure on Harris and force him to make some bad decisions then we might see some turnovers in favor of the Buckeyes.

Prediction

If OSU can get in the backfield, and make Jacory Harris uncomfortable I expect them to get some turnovers. I feel like this will be a game won and lost by a few costly errors. An interception late in the game for Miami is my prediction for their downfall. Expect the Buckeyes to win in the Horseshoe 31-24 with a late drive to break the tie with a touchdown edging out Miami by the same score and margin as in 2003. I think that scoring prediction adds a nice sense of dramatic effect don’t you?

-DJ

Also check out our Oklahoma-Florida State preview. Check back tomorrow for previews of Notre Dame vs. Michigan and Alabama vs. Penn State.

But it isn’t 2001 or 2002. In 2010, a Florida State-Oklahoma match-up gets to be a national TV game, but it’s scheduled opposite the more hyped Ohio State-Miami game, and the prime time slot belongs to Penn State-Alabama.

Like its afternoon counterpart, these two teams also met in a championship game. The 2001 Orange Bowl, where Oklahoma beat an FSU team that leapfrogged Miami in the BCS standings 13-2, was their last meeting. Unlike the Fiesta Bowl re-creation though, this is no grudge match. It’s pitting two teams battling back to respectability.

Miami, 2001.

Miami Gardens was the peak for both these programs. Oklahoma spent the next decade a permanent fixture on national title shortlists, but dropped short at each opportunity. They’ve appeared in three national title games since only to fall short to LSU, USC and Florida, respectively. Add consecutive Fiesta Bowls where they were the victim of Boise State trickery and a fleet-footed West Virginia team embittered by Rich Rodriguez’s departure as well as a 2009 campaign that was the worst since Bob Stoops‘ arrival and it’s almost a wonder how the polls continue to count the Sooners.

Oklahoma also had to contend with a tumultuous offseason which almost culminated in the collapse of the Big 12. Not quite a good fit for either the SEC or the Pac-10, it would have been interesting to see what Oklahoma would have done had the dominos fallen. One of their biggest hurdles in the past several years has been the resurgence of Nebraska football. Both programs recruit Texas very hard and in the past Oklahoma got second pickings of the recruiting hotbed. Recently, they have had to vie with Nebraska and more often than not, they’ve lost. It will be interesting to see whether this development continues once Nebraska joins the Big Ten next year.

For Florida State though, the Orange Bowl was the end of an era. Their third consecutive national title appearance was the last time they played for one. The Noles appeared in a Sugar Bowl and two Orange bowls despite unimpressive records (all three games were losses) and have had to vacate most of their 2006 and 2007 victories. Last season was tarnished by the embarrassing discovery that some players only read on a second grade level. No matter what he’s saying now about the administration, Bobby Bowden appeared to be losing his grip on the team, and playing a New Year’s Day bowl game this year only served as a farewell.

In his place, Jimbo Fisher looks ready to take the program back to its old national standing. Infused with one of the best recruiting classes and new found energy, this game would be his first big-game win. With the recent dominance of Florida and return of Miami, Florida State is really at a critical turning point for the next several years.

Despite the setbacks, this game is not a Notre Dame-Michigan. These teams are still ranked and have titles in mind.

Oklahoma’s 8-5 season came with gained experience and something to look forward to. Landry Jones had an up-and-down year replacing Sam Bradford but ended with 400 yards against an up-and-coming Stanford team. Jones’ target, Ryan Broyles, almost single-handedly carried the offense last year and could form a dual threat if DeMarco Murray stays healthy and re-emerges as Adrian Peterson’s worthy successor.

Murray and Broyles, cornerstones of the Sooner offense

Florida State may finally turn their highly-ranked recruiting classes into an on-field product. They return one of the most experience offensive lines on a unit that finished 28th in yards per game and 32nd in points per game. Quarterback Christian Ponder returns for a third year healthy and eager to impress NFL scouts. New coach Jimbo Fisher began last week in a relentless thrash against Samford, a Noles team determined to keep their preseason ranking.

Optimism aside, the uncertainties of this games are on the side of the visiting Seminoles. Ponder has experience and NFL attention, but no big-game record. Bludgeoning ninth-ranked BYU in Provo last year is his only highlight, and how he’ll fare against the crowds in Norman is anybody’s guess. The defense is also full of holes, finishing in the bottom tier in yards and points allowed last year. Octogenarian D-coordinator Mickey Andrews (on staff since 1984) left with Bowden, and new hire Mark Stoops (brother of OU head coach Bob and furthering The Youngstown Connection in college football) had a mixed first game. While lowly Samford was limited to 54 yards in the first half en route to a 42-3 intermission, they had 300 total yards, two drives that ended in FSU goal line stands and dominated the time of possession.

Not that Oklahoma is a dead-on favorite to win. Home field advantage and a top ten ranking still meant they had to fight against Utah State. Jones didn’t complete half of his passes and the pass defense was anemic for an Aggie offense that put up 421 yards (to Oklahoma’s 422). It seemed the only thing that saved the Sooners were the strong showings of Broyles and Murray, but Wednesday’s USA Today derided the pair as predictable and believe more offensive playmakers need to emerge.

Guard Rodney Hudson brings experience to the 'Noles offense

Prediction:

This game is going to be an offensive shoot-out and will come down to how many bodies can move the ball downfield. FSU running back Ty Jones is just taking over the role and won’t stand toe to toe with Murray, but a highly regarded line and Ponder’s ability to distribute (nine players caught passes against Samford, and four had at least three catches) speaks to Florida State’s favor. These two teams will obviously make adjustments from their first games, but expect the Seminoles to escape with a win.

Marc

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