BCS Bowl Games Set

[ShaneDawg85]

Although it was mentioned in the Week 14 thread, I thought it merited it's own discussion. The BCS Bowl games, including the National title game were announced this evening. So here we go:

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati
Fiesta: Boise State vs. TCU
Orange: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

Overall, I think they got it right this year. The biggest "controversies" you could claim to is what Big Ten team should have been in the Orange Bowl, between Iowa and Penn State, and whether or not the Fiesta Bowl should have the two non-BCS conference teams pitted against each other. Even with the close win over Nebraska yesterday, I still think the title game is correct with Bama and Texas.

I think all eyes are going to be on the Fiesta Bowl because of the intrigue of both teams and the story that has surrounded them for the last few weeks. Boise State has the experience factor of having played in a BCS bowl game before, the same Fiesta Bowl when they stunned Oklahoma. But TCU is rock solid on both sides of the ball, and they beat this same Broncos team last year in the Poinsetta Bowl. Different circumstances and different teams, but needless to say, these two teams should know what to expect from each other.

The Sugar Bowl has the potential to be really entertaining, because as we saw yesterday Cincy can move up and down the field really quickly, and they've got two QB's that can beat you. Florida's got the experience, are going to be really sour after losing yesterday, and it's Tebow's last game, so you know the media attention, unfortunately, will be all over that and the team will be focused to win for him, as will he.

The Orange Bowl looks like a real snoozer at the moment, but that will depend on which Iowa team shows up, and whether Georgia Tech sets itself up for a let down. The Hawkeyes had a lot of close wins this season, and Georgia Tech can move down the field in a hurry. Maybe this one will surprise us and we'll get a great game, or maybe we'll get a mistake prone slop-fest by both teams that we got last year.

All in all I think they got the match-ups and the destinations right. Now we wait for New Year's Day. Happy Bowling!

[RShack]

Although it was mentioned in the Week 14 thread, I thought it merited it's own discussion. The BCS Bowl games, including the National title game were announced this evening. So here we go:

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati
Fiesta: Boise State vs. TCU
Orange: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

Overall, I think they got it right this year.
I don't think they got it right, I think this is a farce. They're pairing up TCU vs. Boise State to protect BCS schools from facing embarrassing upsets in 2 major bowls, like what Boise State did to Oklahoma a couple years ago. Both TCU and Boise should have been matched up against BCS-automatic-berth teams. This is a BS deal to let the BCS conferences avoid embarrassment. As a GT fan, I think GT is much safer facing Iowa than either of those two. So, it may be good for GT, but it sucks for college football. It's stacking the deck to keep the non-BCS schools isolated on the outside of BCS competition. BCS schools are scared to play them during the season, and now the BCS conferences don't wanna play them in bowl games either. I think it sucks. Hell will freeze over before Texas ever plays these guys voluntarily...

[geschinger]

I don't think they got it right, I think this is a farce. They're pairing up TCU vs. Boise State to protect BCS schools from facing embarrassing upsets in 2 major bowls, like what Boise State did to Oklahoma a couple years ago. Both TCU and Boise should have been matched up against a BCS-automatic-berth team. This is a BS deal to let the BCS conferences avoid embarrassment. As a GT fan, I think GT is much safer facing Iowa than either of those two. So, it may be good for GT, but it sucks for college football. It's stacking the deck to keep the non-BCS schools isolated on the outside of BCS competition. BCS schools are scared to play them during the season, and now the BCS conferences don't wanna play them in bowl games either. I think it sucks. Hell will freeze over before Texas ever plays these guys voluntarily...

Hard to argue with anything you say here.

[ShaneDawg85]

I don't think they got it right, I think this is a farce. They're pairing up TCU vs. Boise State to protect BCS schools from facing embarrassing upsets in 2 major bowls, like what Boise State did to Oklahoma a couple years ago. Both TCU and Boise should have been matched up against BCS-automatic-berth teams. This is a BS deal to let the BCS conferences avoid embarrassment. As a GT fan, I think GT is much safer facing Iowa than either of those two. So, it may be good for GT, but it sucks for college football. It's stacking the deck to keep the non-BCS schools isolated on the outside of BCS competition. BCS schools are scared to play them during the season, and now the BCS conferences don't wanna play them in bowl games either. I think it sucks. Hell will freeze over before Texas ever plays these guys voluntarily...

As I said, this is one of the only controversies this year. I don't really feel one way or the other about it. The fact that there are two non-BCS teams even in the major bowl games says a lot, so we should be so fortunate for that. But I see what you're saying, and what you say I agree with you. But this isn't the worst the BCS has done. The worst thing they could have done was leave Boise State out of the BCS entirely, but Boise did what they had to do, and Oklahoma State did their part as well.

[RShack]

As I said, this is one of the only controversies this year. I don't really feel one way or the other about it. The fact that there are two non-BCS teams even in the major bowl games says a lot, so we should be so fortunate for that. But I see what you're saying, and what you say I agree with you. But this isn't the worst the BCS has done. The worst thing they could have done was leave Boise State out of the BCS entirely, but Boise did what they had to do, and Oklahoma State did their part as well.
The only thing it says is that the whole BCS set-up is a stacked deck. And, no, we should not feel fortunate for that, we should be pissed off about it. (And I don't even care about Boise or TCU. I think Boise's blue field is ugly, and until this season I forgot TCU even exists.) I think Congress is as screwed up as anybody else thinks they are, but I hope they stick their nose into this and, at minimum, stop the BCS from calling their rigged sham a "national championship series". It's not.

Here's one way to track if there's any progress on fixing it: The St. Petersburg Times has a PolitiFact web site where they've got an ObamaMeter tracking Obama's campaign promises (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/browse/). They have 521 of them listed (30 pages worth), and each one is labelled as either "kept" (61), "broken" (7), "stalled" (23), "compromise" (16), "in the works" (170), or "not yet rated" (237). After only 10 months, I figure that count looks pretty good, considering everything. (That tally only adds up to 514, dunno where their counts are off.) Getting a college football playoff is listed as campaign Promise #306 (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/306/push-for-a-college-football-playoff-system/). It's currently marked as "in the works". Now, he mainly promised that as a semi-joke when some reporter asked him about it, but I like it anyway, and I also like it that somebody is tracking them all.

[RShack]

I just now noticed that the TCU-Boise State game is a rematch of last year's "San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl", in which TCU beat Boise State 17-16.

So, not only is this a lame way for BCS teams to hide from the #4 and #6 teams in the country, it's also an exact rematch of the dang 2008 Poinsetta Bowl. How silly is that?

[waroriole]

I don't think they got it right, I think this is a farce. They're pairing up TCU vs. Boise State to protect BCS schools from facing embarrassing upsets in 2 major bowls, like what Boise State did to Oklahoma a couple years ago. Both TCU and Boise should have been matched up against BCS-automatic-berth teams. This is a BS deal to let the BCS conferences avoid embarrassment. As a GT fan, I think GT is much safer facing Iowa than either of those two. So, it may be good for GT, but it sucks for college football. It's stacking the deck to keep the non-BCS schools isolated on the outside of BCS competition. BCS schools are scared to play them during the season, and now the BCS conferences don't wanna play them in bowl games either. I think it sucks. Hell will freeze over before Texas ever plays these guys voluntarily...

Not to knock your school, but I don't think anyone would be surprised if either of those two teams put a whooping on GT. I don't think they're thought of as highly as either of those teams, despite being in a BCS conference. It doesn't seem like they're protecting a BCS school, just giving people a match up that they want.

[ShaneDawg85]

Not to knock your school, but I don't think anyone would be surprised if either of those two teams put a whooping on GT. I don't think they're thought of as highly as either of those teams, despite being in a BCS conference. It doesn't seem like they're protecting a BCS school, just giving people a match up that they want.

This is more of my sentiments. Frankly, it's a no brainer to put TCU against Boise State in a bowl game. You'd be stupid not to do it. I don't think they're worried about being embarrassed, at least that's not the first thought entering their minds. We've seen non-BCS teams upset major programs, ie Boise vs. Oklahoma & Utah vs. Alabama, and we've seen non-BCS teams get destroyed, ie Hawaii vs. Georgia. We've also seen non-BCS teams go into BCS games and destroy inferior opponents, ie Utah dismantling Pittsburgh.

I see it as going for the most attractive match-up, and you can't get anymore attractive than what they've done. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just that from a marketing and ratings standpoint, it was the most obvious decision to make, and if in the same situation I'd do the same thing.

[geschinger]

Not to knock your school, but I don't think anyone would be surprised if either of those two teams put a whooping on GT. I don't think they're thought of as highly as either of those teams, despite being in a BCS conference. It doesn't seem like they're protecting a BCS school, just giving people a match up that they want.

I don't think it's the matchup that everyone wants to see. It is a sequel to last year's matchup. What made the BSU BCS win so great a few years ago was that they beat a power from a major conference. David beating Goliath. Instead we get two Davids battling out and the powers to be will still be able to discount those guys as being legitimate teams to ever be considered for an NC.

[waroriole]

I don't think it's the matchup that everyone wants to see. It is a sequel to last year's matchup. What made the BSU BCS win so great a few years ago was that they beat a power from a major conference. David beating Goliath. Instead we get two Davids battling out and the powers to be will still be able to discount those guys as being legitimate teams to ever be considered for an NC.

Well, there's not a Goliath for them to face, unless it's Florida, and another little guy (Cincy) is facing them. I don't care about either of them beating GT or Iowa, I'd rather see these two face each other, and have a legit claim to a NC.

[geschinger]

Well, there's not a Goliath for them to face, unless it's Florida, and another little guy (Cincy) is facing them. I don't care about either of them beating GT or Iowa, I'd rather see these two face each other, and have a legit claim to a NC.

Cincy is not a little guy, they are a program from a BCS conference. Although I am growing to like their matchup with UF. If they beat UF and drop 40 on them they will have a legit claim themselves.

What is unfortunate is that the winner of the TCU/BSU game is going to be discounted - the only reason they were able to go undefeated is because they were able to avoid playing a big guy in the BCS.

[waroriole]

What's lost in all this is that for the 6th time in 7 years, at least one other team will have a legitimate claim to being the best in college football and not get the chance to prove it.

2009: Alabama or Texas (14-0) NC; TCU/Boise (13-0) will be unbeaten and maybe Cincinatti
2008: Florida NC (13-1); Utah (13-0)
2007: LSU (11-2); Kansas (12-1)
2006: Florida (12-1); Boise State (13-0)
2005: They lucked up and got it right
2004: USC (13-0); Auburn (13-0), Utah (13-0) [I actually call this Auburn's NC, but I might have a bias:D]
2003: LSU (12-1); USC (11-1) [USC won AP title)

[waroriole]

Cincy is not a little guy, they are a program from a BCS conference. Although I am growing to like their matchup with UF. If they beat UF and drop 40 on them they will have a legit claim themselves.

What is unfortunate is that the winner of the TCU/BSU game is going to be discounted - the only reason they were able to go undefeated is because they were able to avoid playing a big guy in the BCS.

Does that mean that Duke, Vandy, Northwestern, Baylor and even Temple up until a few years ago aren't/weren't little guys. Cincy may be from a BCS conference, and may be up and coming, but until they get a big win they're a little guy. In fact, Boise and TCU are among the big boys more than Cincy.

[ShaneDawg85]

Does that mean that Duke, Vandy, Northwestern, Baylor and even Temple up until a few years ago aren't/weren't little guys. Cincy may be from a BCS conference, and may be up and coming, but until they get a big win they're a little guy. In fact, Boise and TCU are among the big boys more than Cincy.

Add to that, Cincy couldn't defeat Virginia Tech last year in the Orange Bowl. Cincy might play in a BCS conference, but until this year, and maybe a year or two prior, the Big East has been held on a lower level than the ACC in terms of recognition and respect. Among certain circle the Big East is still a punching bag for criticism. Cincy beating Florida, the defending National Champion and member of the most recognized conference in the country, among some, would be a big-time upset and go a long way to changing that.

[RShack]

Not to knock your school, but I don't think anyone would be surprised if either of those two teams put a whooping on GT. I don't think they're thought of as highly as either of those teams, despite being in a BCS conference.
Well, no point in arguing about that. We'd find out on game day if they'd let them play, but they instead created a repeat of the dang Poinsetta Bowl. IMO, people who think this isn't a case of the BCS dodging upsets are just naive. I agree that GT would be the underdog against them, but that doesn't mean much. As for what folks think of GT, well, people have been dissing Paul Johnson's approach forever, and he's done nothing but win everywhere. If Notre Dame was smart, they'd hire him. Fortunately for GT, I don't think they're smart, I think they over-estimate how much their legacy counts these days. Nobody wants to go to South Bend, there's nothing there except Touchdown Jesus painted on the wall, plus a Studebaker Museum and a bunch of empty factories, and that's it. Current recruits don't remember when ND was a winner, and they don't care what their grandfather says about it.

What happens with GT is that everybody makes the mistake of saying Paul Johnson runs the triple option, which is missing the point. People say that because they're not used to seeing it. But PJ only runs that play about 15-20% of the time. In reality, what happened is that he started out learning the run-and-shoot, and he's come up with a version of the run-and-shoot that's based on running instead of passing. It corrects the main weakness of the passing-oriented run-and-shoot, which is that it doesn't take any time off the clock, so the other team has lots of time and you end up losing a lot of high-scoring games. His correction reverses that, so that the other team's offense gets figgity watching from the sideline while their D gets worn out from spending 40 minutes on the field chasing after guys running outside. So, when the other team's O gets on the field, they get anxious, like they gotta do something right now. So, the GT-D gets lots of 3-and-outs, while the GT-O has almost none.

IMO, one of the keys to whether GT thumps Iowa will be whether or not GT can get some linemen healed up. They've been down to their very last linemen lately on both sides of the ball. Some of their best guys are out, and whoever's left gets no rest, which matters when the O is on the field for 40 minutes and PJ is always pulling the linemen and making them run sideways. In the ACC title game, they lost one of their last D-linemen very early on, and that guy had been way down on the depth chart before they started losing all the guys above him. I was afraid they'd wind up using their #5 cornerback as a D-tackle. But it worked out OK in the end: with a D-line that consisted of 1 first-rounder and the 3 little pigs, GT couldn't do anything at all about Mr. Spiller, he just went nuts and damn near won the game single-handedly, but Clemson couldn't stop GT either, and GT ate clock so Clemson didn't get enough time with the ball. We'll find out what happens in the Orange Bowl. One thing I bet doesn't happen is what happened vs. LSU last year, when the young GT team got cocky because they upset GA by putting up 23 points in 7 minutes. No danger of them making that same mistake this year. If GT has some healthy linemen, Iowa might wind up paying for what LSU did to GT last year. We'll see...

[waroriole]

RShack,

Don't take what I said the wrong way. GT is a fine football team, with one of the best coaches in the country. If I were him though, I wouldn't want the ND job b/c he can do pretty well in Atlanta.

I'm just saying that the most appealing matchup (without getting into the politics of it all) is TCU vs. Boise. I would love to see TCU or Boise thump a BCS school, but I would rather see them play each other b/c the winner will have a legit claim as NC. I look at the Orange as kind of the afterthought BCS bowl. The Sugar and Fiesta are set up the way that most fans want to see it. The top 4, not in the NC game, playing each other. I want the top teams to play each other b/c IMO that's what the games should be about.

[CrimsonTribe]

What's lost in all this is that for the 6th time in 7 years, at least one other team will have a legitimate claim to being the best in college football and not get the chance to prove it.

2009: Alabama or Texas (14-0) NC; TCU/Boise (13-0) will be unbeaten and maybe Cincinatti
2008: Florida NC (13-1); Utah (13-0)
2007: LSU (11-2); Kansas (12-1)
2006: Florida (12-1); Boise State (13-0)
2005: They lucked up and got it right
2004: USC (13-0); Auburn (13-0), Utah (13-0) [I actually call this Auburn's NC, but I might have a bias:D]
2003: LSU (12-1); USC (11-1) [USC won AP title)

2004 was the biggest farce I've ever seen. Auburn would have beaten either of the two teams in the national championship game and they didn't even get a split national title, but somehow USC was able to get a split title the year before.

/onepete.com rant

[waroriole]

2004 was the biggest farce I've ever seen. Auburn would have beaten either of the two teams in the national championship game and they didn't even get a split national title, but somehow USC was able to get a split title the year before.

/onepete.com rant

Wow, that almost puts a tear in my eye coming from a Bama fan.:D FWIW, I'm not totally against the Tide in the NC game.;)

[CrimsonTribe]

Wow, that almost puts a tear in my eye coming from a Bama fan.:D FWIW, I'm not totally against the Tide in the NC game.;)

Have to give credit where credit is due and they had one helluva team that year. It was still hilarious to watch them have their own national championship parade and give out fake rings though. Who else in the world would do that?

[waroriole]

Have to give credit where credit is due and they had one helluva team that year. It was still hilarious to watch them have their own national championship parade and give out fake rings though. Who else in the world would do that?

We were named national champs.........................by Golf Digest, seriously.:laughlol:

[JamesI]

While I'm looking forward to the Boise/TCU matchup, I really wanted to seeBoise or TCU get Florida in one game and perhaps Cincinatti in the other.

[RShack]

I'm just saying that the most appealing matchup (without getting into the politics of it all) is TCU vs. Boise. I would love to see TCU or Boise thump a BCS school, but I would rather see them play each other b/c the winner will have a legit claim as NC. I look at the Orange as kind of the afterthought BCS bowl. The Sugar and Fiesta are set up the way that most fans want to see it. The top 4, not in the NC game, playing each other. I want the top teams to play each other b/c IMO that's what the games should be about.
I agree that the Orange Bowl is an afterthought.

I disagree that "most fans" want to see TCU and Boise play each other. I bet lotsa fans wanna see TCU and Boise each get a shot against a brand name school from a BCS conference. Face it, that Boise-Oklahoma bowl from a couple years ago is one of the all-time favorite bowl games for lots of folks who don't really care about either of those teams.

I also disagree that the winner of Poinsetta Bowl II will have a legit claim to the NC. Some might say they will, but they won't, simply because almost-nobody among BCS schools would play them.

[Goop]

Wow, that almost puts a tear in my eye coming from a Bama fan.:D FWIW, I'm not totally against the Tide in the NC game.;)

Gotta go with the SEC! I'm a Bama fan, and I will root for the SEC when it comes to it. My only exception is Tennessee. I hate Tennessee with a passion and cannot bring myself to root for them ever.

[waroriole]

I also disagree that the winner of Poinsetta Bowl II will have a legit claim to the NC. Some might say they will, but they won't, simply because almost-nobody among BCS schools would play them.

I guess it depends on how you define legit claim. In my mind, I could see the winner possibly beating Alabama or Texas, but I guess they won't have a realistic shot to win the AP poll. I look at the same way I do with the 2004 Auburn team. In my mind Auburn won the 2004 NC, and the winner of the Boise/TCU game, along w/ Cincy if they win, could say the same thing.

[CrimsonTribe]

From my heroes at EDSBS (http://WWW.EDSBS.COM).

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Picture-28.png

[geschinger]

Does that mean that Duke, Vandy, Northwestern, Baylor and even Temple up until a few years ago aren't/weren't little guys. Cincy may be from a BCS conference, and may be up and coming, but until they get a big win they're a little guy. In fact, Boise and TCU are among the big boys more than Cincy.

In terms of respect by those who only follow the sport from a distance, sure but not in terms of affiliation. If for example Vandy ran the table they would be in the NC game and noone would question it. But it is true that if Cincy beats UF their stature will improve and maybe the next time they are one of 3 undefeated teams they will get a little bit more respect. I believe they finished 2nd in the computer polls but since Texas is a "bigger name" with more hype of course they are behind them in the human polls.

[geschinger]

Add to that, Cincy couldn't defeat Virginia Tech last year in the Orange Bowl. Cincy might play in a BCS conference, but until this year, and maybe a year or two prior, the Big East has been held on a lower level than the ACC in terms of recognition and respect.

Only by those with a clear bias. In the last year or two the ACC has slightly out performed the Big East but prior to that the Big East has been the better conference.



Among certain circle the Big East is still a punching bag for criticism. Cincy beating Florida, the defending National Champion and member of the most recognized conference in the country, among some, would be a big-time upset and go a long way to changing that.

Again, clear case of bias and I'm not sure a win against UF would erase it any more than the Big East's best blowing out the Big 12 Champions did in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl or the Big East's best beating the best of the ACC by double digits in the 2006 Orange Bowl or the Big East's best running for almost 400 yards beating the best the SEC had to offer in the 2005 Sugar Bowl. The Big East had a down year this year and I believe it ended up worse than the ACC for the second consecutive year. But I think you'd find that this year as in most years since the ACC raided the Big East that the Big East has consistently been better than at least 2-3 other BCS conferences every year. This year it was clearly better than the B12 and B10.

The Big East has to deal with the bias since the programs don't have the history of those in other conferences but as bad as that is it pales in comparison to what the non BCS teams have to deal with in this broken system.

[RShack]

Again, clear case of bias and I'm not sure a win against UF would erase it
Well, I agree there's bias that downgrades the Big East. But it's kinda understandable, given all the changes in the conference makeup when the best teams left. Not saying it's right, but it is understandable.

At the same time, saying that Cincy beating Florida wouldn't change that any is a reverse-bias about bias, if you ask me. Cincy thumping Florida would be a very big deal.

[geschinger]

Well, I agree there's bias that downgrades the Big East. But it's kinda understandable, given all the changes in the conference makeup when the best teams left. Not saying it's right, but it is understandable.

At the same time, saying that Cincy beating Florida wouldn't change that any is a reverse-bias about bias, if you ask me. Cincy thumping Florida would be a very big deal.

It would help, sure, but how much will it change that bias? They ran all over the SEC a few years ago and absolutely dominated Oklahoma two years ago. If those didn't help change things, why would another win over the SEC - this time against their 2nd best team change things?

[waroriole]

In terms of respect by those who only follow the sport from a distance, sure but not in terms of affiliation. If for example Vandy ran the table they would be in the NC game and noone would question it. But it is true that if Cincy beats UF their stature will improve and maybe the next time they are one of 3 undefeated teams they will get a little bit more respect. I believe they finished 2nd in the computer polls but since Texas is a "bigger name" with more hype of course they are behind them in the human polls.

That's just not true. In 2004 Auburn ran the table in the SEC and got shut out. They were the best team in the country, but weren't in the "big draw" category of Oklahoma or USC, and Auburn is much higher in the pecking order than Vandy.

[geschinger]

That's just not true. In 2004 Auburn ran the table in the SEC and got shut out. They were the best team in the country, but weren't in the "big draw" category of Oklahoma or USC, and Auburn is much higher in the pecking order than Vandy.

Fair point, but that was a year where there were two other undefeated teams who were both also considered to be better teams by the computers as the humans?

[RShack]

Fair point, but that was a year where there were two other undefeated teams who were both also considered to be better teams by the computers as the humans?
Well, that's the crux of why we have all this endless bullcrap about conferences. It's not gonna get minimized, much less go away, until we have an actual playoff of 8 or more teams. That's the only way to have a sane way of settling this stuff on field. Until that happens, it's just gonna be everybody's goofy biases, based on who they like and don't like, and those biases among poll voters and the dang bowl committees (who mainly care about renting hotel rooms) keep the whole thing screwed up.

You feel crapped on because you like the Big East. (BTW, how come you're a Big East person? If I ever knew, I forgot.) Just imagine if you were a fan of one the conferences that can count on getting absolutely screwed no matter what. Face it, right now there is absolutely no way to figure out how good TCU or Boise State really are, and the stupid BCS racket arranged to take away the 2 bowl game contests that might have told us something. I really want the politicos to stick their bribe-happy noses into this mess and make them cut it out this BCS-monopoly BS. In general, I'm in favor of fewer laws instead of more laws, but there are exceptions, and this is one of them...

[geschinger]

Well, that's the crux of why we have all this endless bullcrap about conferences. It's not gonna get minimized, much less go away, until we have an actual playoff of 8 or more teams. That's the only way to have a sane way of settling this stuff on field. Until that happens, it's just gonna be everybody's goofy biases, based on who they like and don't like, and those biases among poll voters and the dang bowl committees (who mainly care about renting hotel rooms) keep the whole thing screwed up.


Agree completely.



You feel crapped on because you like the Big East. (BTW, how come you're a Big East person? If I ever knew, I forgot.) Just imagine if you were a fan of one the conferences that can count on getting absolutely screwed no matter what. Face it, right now there is absolutely no way to figure out how good TCU or Boise State really are, and the stupid BCS racket arranged to take away the 2 bowl game contests that might have told us something. I really want the politicos to stick their bribe-happy noses into this mess and make them cut it out this BCS-monopoly BS. In general, I'm in favor of fewer laws instead of more laws, but there are exceptions, and this is one of them...

My dad is a WVU grad - was there at the same time as the Logo. I grew up a Mountaineer fan and never changed my allegiance when I went to a where there were no major sports. I never cared one way or the other about the conference itself per se until the exodus when Swofford started trying stick the knife in saying that the Big East should lose it's bid. It was such sweet justice that for several years after the exodus it was the ACC whose teams were getting a bid to a BCS game that they never would have come close to qualifying for w/o the auto bid. Suddenly we didn't hear much from Swofford about eliminating unworthy conferences from the BCS while at the same time the Big East has done extrodinarily well in the BCS.

I know it would suck to root for a team in a non BCS conference knowing that no matter how well you play you're eliminated from playing for a NC from day one. And most schools from the BCS conferences will get near them for a regular season game. The way the system is setup it's a no win proposition for a team in say the SEC to man up and agree to a home and home with a team like TCU or BSU. It's a viscious cycle setup to protect the status quo.

[RShack]

AMy dad is a WVU grad - was there at the same time as the Logo. I grew up a Mountaineer fan and never changed my allegiance when I went to a where there were no major sports. I never cared one way or the other about the conference itself per se until the exodus when Swofford started trying stick the knife in saying that the Big East should lose it's bid. It was such sweet justice that for several years after the exodus it was the ACC whose teams were getting a bid to a BCS game that they never would have come close to qualifying for w/o the auto bid. Suddenly we didn't hear much from Swofford about eliminating unworthy conferences from the BCS while at the same time the Big East has done extrodinarily well in the BCS.
I agree Swofford is a snake.

My Dad's from a town about 30 miles S of Morgantown and, while he never went to college, his cousin (who was more like his sister than his real sisters were) taught undergrad math there for about a hundred years. I started following WVU because of that, and that's when I started following Bobby Bowden, who was such a hoot talking to the media. Plus, after the Marshall team got killed in the crash before the last game of the season, Bobby wanted to have the WVU team wear their green jerseys and play their last game for them, which I thought was a wonderful gesture, but the stupid NCAA wouldn't let him do it. (Too bad how Bobby got treated at WVU the end.) I also had some relatives in Salem, and I remember when Bobby's kid Terry (the one who coached at Auburn and then later was on TV for a while) coached at nearby Salem College...

[geschinger]

I agree Swofford is a snake.

My Dad's from a town about 30 miles S of Morgantown and, while he never went to college, his cousin (who was more like his sister than his real sisters were) taught undergrad math there for about a hundred years. I started following WVU because of that, and that's when I started following Bobby Bowden, who was such a hoot talking to the media. Plus, after the Marshall team got killed in the crash before the last game of the season, Bobby wanted to have the WVU team wear their green jerseys and play their last game for them, which I thought was a wonderful gesture, but the stupid NCAA wouldn't let him do it. (Too bad how Bobby got treated at WVU the end.) I also had some relatives in Salem, and I remember when Bobby's kid Terry (the one who coached at Auburn and then later was on TV for a while) coached at nearby Salem College...

Thanks for sharing that, I had never heard about WVU wanting to wear green for Marshall. I guess the NCAA has been sticking it's nose in situations it shouldn't long before I started to follow the sport.

I figure the university must have made a positive impact on the Bowden family even after WVU hanged Bowden in effigy even if Bobby still has some bitterness. Younger Bowden did all he could possibly do to try and get considered for the position after RRod fled.

[RShack]

Thanks for sharing that, I had never heard about WVU wanting to wear green for Marshall. I guess the NCAA has been sticking it's nose in situations it shouldn't long before I started to follow the sport.
It wasn't just wearing green as a symbol... he wanted his WVU team to put on Marshall uniforms and go play Marhshall's last game of the season for them.
He wanted his WVU team to show up at game time and fill-in for the Marshall team who had been killed in the plane crash...