BCS system reevaluated

ramseystatz — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:48:37 +0000

Since the dawn of college football, controversy has surrounded the determination of the two participants in the National Championship game. Ever since the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) has been used as a determinant, it has only added fuel to the fire.
If a team wins a BCS conference title (Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference, etc.) it will automatically qualify for a chance to play in a BCS bowl game (The National Championship game, Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, etc.).
Most of the controversy always seems to stem from the way BCS rankings are determined. The rankings are determined by combining the Associated Press (AP) poll, the Coach’s Poll and computer rankings. The computer ranks teams by strength of schedule and number of wins. If a team plays weak teams and wins all their games, the computer will still rank them low.
Non-BCS conferences have even gone so far as to say that the BCS violates antitrust laws.
In the past few years, teams from non-BCS conferences have beaten the odds and become eligible for a BCS bowl appearance, an act dubbed ‘BCS busting.’
In the BCS’s 12 year history, there have been 16 BCS busters. Of these 16, only six have actually received a BCS bowl game. The BCS buster prevailed in every game except in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl where Boise State and Texas Christian University (TCU), both BCS busters, played each other.
One team that is attempting to beat the odds three years in a row is Boise State University. The Broncos have proven that it is possible to play and win a BCS bowl game. If Boise State could beat the odds one more time, as it has been speculated they will, they may become the only non-BCS school to play in the National Championship game.
Talks have been in progress, since the BCS system was created, about different ways to determine a National Champion. One popular idea is a playoff. The number of teams in the playoff is up for debate, but the most popular seems to be an eight team playoff.
Some advantages of a playoff are that every team has an equal chance to win the Championship, teams would play their hardest (creating a more exciting game), teams could rest their players if they were guaranteed a playoff spot and the list goes on and on.
The BCS system is safe for now, but something should be done to give every team an equal chance at college football’s most prestigious team award, The National Championship.

FAHS Hall of Fame coach remembered

adviser — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:39:27 +0000

On September 25th, Fort Atkinson, along with many surrounding communities, lost an influential coach and friend.

Pete Von Allmen, former FAHS Head Girls’ Basketball coach, died three days after his 65th birthday in his home.

He had been struggling with heart problems for quite some time.

Von Allmen was known for his love of the game of basketball.

He coached for a total of 33 years. 17 years were spent as the Hartland Arrowhead High School Girls’ Basketball Coach, seven years in Fort, two years as an assistant at Beloit College, and more recently, an assistant on the UW-Whitewater Girls’ basketball coaching staff.

He was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004.

“Pete was a great coach because he understood the game of basketball and the dynamics of working with athletes to allow them to get the most out of themselves,” UW-Whitewater Head Men’s Basketball Coach Pat Miller said.

All together, Von Allmen posted a record of 454-154 in his career.

He won 12 conference championships at Hartland Arrowhead High School, and 3 in Fort.

He lead Fort to their first sectional final appearance in 1996.

He was the first high school girls basketball coach in state history to win 400 games.

He was nominated as the Wisconsin High School Basketball Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1991, which were the same years he lead Hartland Arrowhead to Division 1 State Championships.

“He was demanding and passionate which are two great qualities for any coach. He also had a tremendous knowledge of basketball and was a tremendous mentor to me,” Miller said.

This past summer, Coach Von Allmen came and helped with a shooting clinic for the FAHS girls basketball players run by Pat Miller.

The clinic was two days, and focused on shooting form.

“Pete was great to work with, always positive and enjoyable to talk to. It was great to bounce ideas off of Pete. He always gave me great perspective and I typically walked away from the conversation with a laugh,” Miller said.

Von Allmen had many ties to the community, and made sure he stayed involved in basketball in anyway he could.

“He was someone who experienced great success and had tremendous experience as a teacher and a coach. He was active in the WBCA, Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association, and was very giving of his time and energy,” Miller said.

Though basketball was a big part of his life, there were many qualities about Von Allmen that the people he knew enjoyed.

“I knew Pete for 15 years through his work with the WBCA and was able to get to know him much better when he began working at UW-Whitewater. I learned a lot from Pete on and off the court,” Miller said.

In his spare time, Von Allmen enjoyed golfing and talking politics with co-workers and friends.

“A great aspect about him was that you always knew where he stood on issues. He was honest and let his opinions be known, which was a trait I respected a great deal. I loved to spend an afternoon with Pete on the golf course and talk about different issues such as politics, basketball, and golf. He was a great mentor for me,” Miller said.

The Signal » Collegiate

BCS system reevaluated

FAHS Hall of Fame coach remembered