Another BCS Failure

[nbcrusader]

Cal should be in a BCS game.

While the system worked in getting #1 and #2 in a final game, the rest of the field is a near disaster.

Discuss

 

[The OOTS]

Cal lost to #1
Texas lost to #2

Each has one loss.

Cal should have the spot based on losing only once and to the #1 ranked team in the country.

It's a shame.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the post-season system in college football can never be and will never be right. even if you go to an 8 team playoff system... if a team ranked 9th beat a team ranked 7th, and the team ranked 9th doesn't get into the playoffs, there's still gonna be some bitching going on. there's bitching with teams that miss the NCAA tourney in basketball, too... and they take 65 teams. there's always gonna be screw ups... but at least... for once... they got the national championship game right.

 

[Hewson]

Of course with Auburn 12-0, with the 9th toughest schedule in the NCAA( if I recall the graphic had Oklahoma's schedule ranked like 25 and USC's like 37), there's a very good argument that they didn't even get #1 and #2 correct.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

point

 

[nbcrusader]

I wonder why Auburn did not rank higher in the "human" polls? Was USC-Oklahoma decided from the beginning?

 

[Hewson]

USC was preseason #1, Okla was top 5, may have been # 2 in both polls, and Auburn started season ranked 17, so because of the very flawed polling system, a guy who puts USC 1, Okla 2 and Auburn 17 in August isn't gonna put Auburn ahead of the others in Nov/Dec if they all are unbeaten, regardless of the path each takes to get there. (USC's close shave with a very average UCLA team Saturday shows me Pete Carroll has some work to do to prepare for the Orange Bowl)

 

[nbcrusader]

Oklahoma will be formidable.

UCLA played their hearts out.

 

[turboradar]

You have a point. Auburn started too low. That is why you at least need a few playoff games so a team that has dominated like Auburn can prove it self. They did everything right but can't play for the national championship.

 

[stray dog]

Auburn dominated the best conference in college football....and doesn't even get a chance at a national title...wtf!

 

[LyricalDrug]

I live in Berkeley; I went to Berkeley; I cannot believe Cal got screwed so badly. What a travesty. The only reason Texas is going to Pasadena and we aren't is because Texas's coach was classlessly politicking for votes. Cal had a ridiculously good offense this year--we went 10-1, lost to USC by 6 points on the road in a game we dominated, and won the rest of our games by an average of 24 points!

 

[rupertg]

Any team that schedules The Citadel doesn't deserve to play in the national championship game.

 

[Hewson]

Cal definitely got screwed over, but that just proves the flaws in the current system. Pitt is far less deserving a BCS game than Cal, but because they won the big east they go...same goes for Michigan and Va Tech to some extent.
They should have matched up games thus:
USC vs OKLA (Orangutan)
AUB vs Va Tech (Sugar)
Cal vs Texas (Rose)
Utah vs Boise St (Fiesta)
I think Texas vs Cal would be a great game, give Pitt and Michigan lesser games like Holiday or Gator Bowl, and give Boise St a reward for going undefeated

As for Auburn scheduling Citadel, thats been a traditional game for years, and take it away they still went 11-0 and dominated the SEC, regarded as best conference...and one could argue that Citadel is a tougher opponent this year than Houston or Baylor who were on Oklahoma's schedule.

 

[Blue Room]

Hey, I'm an Auburn fan also (they are probebly my 2nd favorite team). But they are paying for scheduling the Citadel AND Louisiana Monroe. I mean COME ON! At least play division 1 teams! When did The Citadel become a rivalry with Auburn???? When I lived down there they didnt even play them at all. A rivalry typically means the wins and losses go back and forth and both teams play every year and have for many years. I dont think The Citadel meets that criteria in ANY way.

You can go through the match ups on who played who close and you are going to find every single team on this list should have lost to some mediocre opponents. Texas should have lost to Kansas. Cal should have lost to Oregon, etc...

What makes me sick is Mack Brown's whining seems to have paid off. Cal was one play away from being undefeated. Sorry Trojan fans they outplayed you. Just didnt get it on the scoreboard. But winning the title takes winning those kind of games when you shouldnt so I will give you that. But Cal should probebly be in the Rose Bowl.

I'm a Michigan fan and I dont think we should be in the Rose Bowl. Should be the Citrus, thats how good we are this year. But I like that they are underdogs. Thats typically when Michigan wins, when they shouldnt. Then again I dont think its ridiculous that we are there either. Pitt being in the Fiesta Bowl. That is ridiculous.

I agree that they will never get it right as Headache says. But I think some form of a playoff is better than what they have now. I think it will happen, just not in the near future.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I actually prefer the old system of bowls and not the BCS points system for some reason.

 

[OnFire]

There still could be a legit national champ this year if Va Tech upsets Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. I could see that happening if they're still moping about the whole BCS thing (even though they really did get screwed).

I saw the USC/Va. Tech kickoff classic this year, first college football game I've been to in decades. USC has got some unbelievable talent at the skill positions.

 

[Mr. BAW]

I gotta agree with you, I am inclined to believe that SC will come out firing! the Trojan were flat with UCLA, they had just come off that win over ND...I really think the championship game will bring out the best in them...admittedly, I know very little about OK except that they LOST last year against Kansas State and LSU...

:smirk:

 

[Blue Room]

The OK/USC game is an excellent match up. Both teams have great offenses and decent defense. You would think it might be a shoot out. Which means it will probebly be a low scoring game! The only bowl match up I see that is not very interesting is the Pitt/Utah Fiesta bowl

 

[Clark W. Griswold Jr]

I actually prefer the old system of bowls and not the BCS points system for some reason.

While the BCS is poor, nothing was worse than the old system. Under the old system Auburn goes to the Sugar, OU goes to the Orange, and USC goes to the Rose. No bowl would have anything close to a #1 vs #2 match up.

The old system was responsible for Penn State not playing Nebraska in 1994.

It was responsible for Miami not playing Washington in 1991.

It was responsible for Colorado not playing Georia Tech in 1990.

It was reponsible for Nebraska not playing Michigan in 1997.

All of the above were clear cut 1 vs 2 matchups that the fans were denied.

Still wanna go back to the good ole' days?

The BCS is acceptable if you look upon it as a "work in process". the university presidents are like crabby old bosses too set in their ways. They will never accept sweeping changes, you just have to impliment them over time. Eventually we will get a BCS type system that uses the bowls as a springboard to at least a 4 team playoff. The key will be the pressure put forth by the networks.

 

[Clark W. Griswold Jr]

I'm sorry, but the notion that the SEC is the best conference in the nation is theory at best. UGA, UT, and LSU were major underachievers this season. After those three plus Auburn, what have you got?

Their collective non-conference schedule is a who's who list of mid-major programs. Vandy actually lost at home to U Maine! (ouch!)

Guess how many games the SEC played against teams from other BCS conferences?

Answer: 7 among the SEC's 12 member programs. SEVEN!!!!

(Notre Dame, Oregon St, Rutgers, Clemson, Indiana, Georgia Tech, and Texas)

The SEC's record in these games was only 3-4, with the best win coming vs Georgia Tech.

Of those 7 games, how many were played on the road?

Answer: 1 !! One non-conference game on the road against a BCS program...In the entire SEC!! And that was a traditional home and home rivalry (Georgia at Georgia Tech).

Compare this with a conference that took a lot of heat this year, the Big 10(11). With one fewer team than the SEC, the Big 10 managed to play 15 non conference games against BCS competition. And 9 of those games were on the road.

Auburn could very well be the best team in the nation, but they didn't exactly go out of their way to prove it.

 

[pub crawler]

Cal... lost to USC by 6 points on the road in a game we dominated...

Without question Cal was the better team on the field that day. Aaron Rodgers looked phenomenal.

 

[Hewson]

The only bowl match up I see that is not very interesting is the Pitt/Utah Fiesta bowl

Actually that may be a pretty good game, Pitt's good (though not as good as last year since Fitzgerald left early, and def. not BCS material), and nobody pays much attention to the Utes, but I saw a couple of their games, they're a darn good football team.
And for those who might be inclined to wager, my first look Bowl Season tip is to jump on Pitt +16.5 (currently, up from opening line of 15) vs the Utes.

Of course the game that might be most fun to watch is the Liberty Bowl, Louisville vs. Boise St...if the weather in Memphis is good, we're talkin points aplenty.

 

[Blue Room]

Actually that may be a pretty good game, Pitt's good (though not as good as last year since Fitzgerald left early, and def. not BCS material), and nobody pays much attention to the Utes, but I saw a couple of their games, they're a darn good football team.
And for those who might be inclined to wager, my first look Bowl Season tip is to jump on Pitt +16.5 (currently, up from opening line of 15) vs the Utes.

Of course the game that might be most fun to watch is the Liberty Bowl, Louisville vs. Boise St...if the weather in Memphis is good, we're talkin points aplenty.

I agree about the Liberty Bowl, I think its a better game than the Fiesta. Nothing about the Fiesta match up is intrigueing IMO. Utah wants to show they are legit, the wont get it if they beat Pitt. If Pitt beats them then Utah are exposed as a complete fraud. Either way I just dont think its that interesting. Would have been interesting to see them go up against a true BCS team to see if they were for real this year.

Actually check out the New Years Eve night and day bowls. There are some excellent match ups there. Fortunately I can watch most of them, but the ones that night I will miss. It is New Years Eve after all. Not one of my favorite holidays but I'm going to a party anyway.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Of course the old "system" had its flaws but I missed the pageantry that was involved with each every bowl. All the major bowl games felt more important than they do now. Replacing one bad system with a mediocre system doesn't get me all excited either. All or nothing is how I feel.

 

[speedracer]

Face it...12 games is not enough to pick out the top 2 or 4 teams in the country. The NCAA should just drop the BCS and the whole charade of "objectively" picking the national championship game, or go to a 8/16 team playoff. Period.