2008.11.10
BCS selection system unfair
There are three Big 12 teams among the top five squads in the polls and BCS standings — Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma. No argument there. But there’s one problem: only two of them will wind up in a BCS bowl. No more than two teams in a single conference are allowed to be chosen for the five BCS bowls. That’s another thing wrong with the BCS. All three of those teams could wind up with just one loss, but one will be a BCS wallflower. I have no problem with the BCS games being forced to take a Utah or Boise State, but they also should be free to pick the best at-large teams from BCS leagues regardless of conference affiliation. I’d rather see the third-best Big 12 team in a BCS bowl this year than the Big Ten runner-up. — Mark Berman
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I'm not convinced about Texas Tech. Who have they beaten on the road this year?
I'll have to take a look at their schedule. I'm not sure how good the defenses are in that league.
Comment by Nelson — November 11, 2008 @ 2:52 am
Kansas State's road wins have come against
Nevada(?), Kansas State (coach just fired), Texas A & M, and Kansas.
Comment by Nelson — November 11, 2008 @ 2:56 am
There needs to be a playoff system in D1. It is the only way to get a true champion. High schools have a playoff and the season lasts half the school year from the time practice starts. It is too long. It is rediculous but there is a true champion. D1 is not right to not have a playoff system.
Comment by Frank — November 11, 2008 @ 8:13 am
There's so much money tied up in the bowl system that it will be tough to change the system. Between the bowls themselves, advertisers, television and radio contracts, and all the other marketing and money that goes into it, I'm not sure there will ever be a substantial change. About the only thing I could see is taking the conference champions from each of the BCS conferences (and make each conference have a championship game) and then take the highest rated non-BCS conference champ (if they are in the top 15 or so) and the highest rated non-league champ and do an 8-team playoff. Play the first 4 games in the already established bowl games, then set up 3 new games for the semi-finals and finals. It may still not be a perfect system, but I think it would be better than what we currently have, and it would force the patsy's of college football like Ohio State or Penn State who play practically no one during the regular season to prove themselves in a playoff. That would likely leave the 2 real best teams in the country at the end, or help to prove that a team from a weaker BCS conference like the big East, ACC, or Big 10 actually belonged there.
Comment by Other John — November 11, 2008 @ 8:52 am
#3: Division 1 college football has a playoff system, and Virginia's own James Madison has an excellent shot at winning it all again this year. It's the Div. I FBS that is without a true champion.
Comment by true college fb fan — November 11, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
I agree that the Big Ten is down as is the Big East, PAC-10 and the ACC. But to keep saying that Ohio State plays patsies during the regular season is just plain wrong. This year and next year it is USC (yes, I know they got beat by them). In 2004 and 2005 they played Texas home and home (barely lost to Texas the year they won the BCS, beat them the next year when they were in the top five). They scheduled Washington back when Washington had a really good program, not their fault that Washington fell off. They have scheduled Notre Dame when they were really good. They have Virginia Tech down the road in a home and home as well as Miami, Oklahoma, California, and Tennessee. All scheduled when these teams were considered among the top teams in the country.
Conference schedules are just that. Not alot of options. As far as the other schools everybody, including the current elite teams, schedule patsies. LSU had Appalachian State, Louisana Monroe, and Troy on their schedule. None of those schools are expected to give them trouble. VT found out how much fun it can be playing MAC schools in the past, not exactly walkovers (certainly they did not schedule those games thinking it would be a hard). Almost none of the SEC teams are willing to go anywhere outside their conference schedules. When they do it has not exactly been fun (Cal over Tennessee, USC destroyed LSU, Auburn gets beat by an O.K. WVU). Seems to me last year that Michigan handled almighty Florida in a bowl game.
To make a blanket judgement on a program based on one or two years just shows a complete lack of knowledge. OSU is 4-2 in BCS games with one championship. Only USC has as many victories and only has one championship. Other John, how is your favorite school doing?
Comment by David — November 13, 2008 @ 3:58 pm