Boise State -- can they possibly stand a chance?

[Birds of B'more]

I apologize, I took the grits comment as a dig.

No problem. I just said Alabama cause it's your team. If it was Texas that got left out, their fans would choke on their brisket. If it was USC, they'd choke on their sushi.

I'll agree to disagree on the other part.

[CrimsonTribe]

No problem. I just said Alabama cause it's your team. If it was Texas that got left out' date=' their fans would choke on their brisket. If it was USC, they'd choke on their sushi.

I'll agree to disagree on the other part.[/quote']

I think grits are gross (unless they have cheese in them), which is probably why I take offense.

[waroriole]

I'm not a big fan of it either, but it is what it is. If Auburn somehow makes it through the SEC with only one loss, wins the SECCG, and is held out of the NCG for the likes of BSU, I bet you'll change your tune.

Nah, my tune will be the same. The system for determining who can play for a NC is arbitrary and unfair. If a 12-1 Auburn team is #2 and 12-0 Boise is #3 it won't change my opinion either.

There is too much emphasis placed on pre-season rankings. Boise starting at #3 gets a big edge over Auburn, and any other team, who started in the 20's. I would love to see a playoff, but the problem is determining how many teams get in. 8 seems like too many, and 4 may not be enough. Unfortunately, if they ever did it, it would be at least 8 and probably 16.

[Birds of B'more]

Nah, my tune will be the same. The system for determining who can play for a NC is arbitrary and unfair. If a 12-1 Auburn team is #2 and 12-0 Boise is #3 it won't change my opinion either.

There is too much emphasis placed on pre-season rankings. Boise starting at #3 gets a big edge over Auburn, and any other team, who started in the 20's. I would love to see a playoff, but the problem is determining how many teams get in. 8 seems like too many, and 4 may not be enough. Unfortunately, if they ever did it, it would be at least 8 and probably 16.

Sounds like you'd be good with the +1 scenario that's been discussed?

8 actually works for me. Of course you'll still need rankings to determine who the 8 are....and teams #9 and #10 will always be unhappy. But let's face it, how often can it be argued the teams ranked 9th or 10th at the end of the season deserve serious consideration as the champion? I'm guessing, never.

And any poll that wishes to be a part of the BCS rankings should do away with preseason polls. In fact, rankings that comprise the BCS should not even be released until at least after Week 4. Go into the season as open-minded as possible.

[waroriole]

Sounds like you'd be good with the +1 scenario that's been discussed?

8 actually works for me. Of course you'll still need rankings to determine who the 8 are....and teams #9 and #10 will always be unhappy. But let's face it' date=' how often can it be argued the teams ranked 9th or 10th at the end of the season deserve serious consideration as the champion? I'm guessing, never[/b'].

And any poll that wishes to be a part of the BCS rankings should do away with preseason polls. In fact, rankings that comprise the BCS should not even be released until at least after Week 4. Go into the season as open-minded as possible.

It doesn't stop the #66 team in basketball from crying for a week. I agree that they should wait until after a few weeks have passed before putting out BCS polls

[YardBirds13]

It doesn't stop the #66 team in basketball from crying for a week. I agree that they should wait until after a few weeks have passed before putting out BCS polls

Agree with you, but the #66 team in hoops has WAY less of an argument than the #3 team in college football, especially if the NEVER LOST A GAME!!!

The system is a joke, and it's really the reason I can't get into college football. I love the rivalries, the fans, the game, everything about it. But I can't stand how they determine a "champion".

I'm rooting for Boise to go undefeated and play an undefeated Alabama in the NC, but also have like an undefeated Michigan or Notre Dame or someone get left out. Then I want Boise to win by 20. Just to piss off as many people who run this stupid system as possible.

[square634]

Agree with you, but the #66 team in hoops has WAY less of an argument than the #3 team in college football, especially if the NEVER LOST A GAME!!!

The system is a joke, and it's really the reason I can't get into college football. I love the rivalries, the fans, the game, everything about it. But I can't stand how they determine a "champion".

I'm rooting for Boise to go undefeated and play an undefeated Alabama in the NC, but also have like an undefeated Michigan or Notre Dame or someone get left out. Then I want Boise to win by 20. Just to piss off as many people who run this stupid system as possible.

I agree 100%. The major difference is that in basketball, every Division I team honestly controls its own destiny to win the National Championship. That's why I would hate for them to take away the automatic qualifiers for conference champions like some big conference fans want to do. That would essentially create a BCS-like monopoly system. Yes, the #66 team still gripes in the current system, but you can honestly say that they lost their chance on the court -- if they had won their conference tournament, there wouldn't be an issue. To choose a 1-loss SEC team over an undefeated Boise State team would be to tell Boise State that it can't compete for a National Championship, and never even had a chance at the beginning of the season. Where's the sport and competition in that?

[BaltimoreTerp]

I agree 100%. The major difference is that in basketball, every Division I team honestly controls its own destiny to win the National Championship. That's why I would hate for them to take away the automatic qualifiers for conference champions like some big conference fans want to do. That would essentially create a BCS-like monopoly system. Yes, the #66 team still gripes in the current system, but you can honestly say that they lost their chance on the court -- if they had won their conference tournament, there wouldn't be an issue. To choose a 1-loss SEC team over an undefeated Boise State team would be to tell Boise State that it can't compete for a National Championship, and never even had a chance at the beginning of the season. Where's the sport and competition in that?

This is why I like a 16-team playoff. There are eleven conferences, so you have eleven AQs and five at-larges.

Right now, there are six auto-qualifiers and four at-larges, so you are basically adding conference champions and an additional worthy team to that group.

Get a Selection Committee to select the at-larges and seed the group. Basically take what has been wildly successful in basketball and use it to fix football. Call it "December Delirium!" or something.

[Birds of B'more]

This is why I like a 16-team playoff. There are eleven conferences, so you have eleven AQs and five at-larges.

Right now, there are six auto-qualifiers and four at-larges, so you are basically adding conference champions and an additional worthy team to that group.

Get a Selection Committee to select the at-larges and seed the group. Basically take what has been wildly successful in basketball and use it to fix football. Call it "December Delirium!" or something.

I don't think a 16-team playoff is realistic...at least not to start with. I can see this thing evolving in baby-steps. They'll probably start with a +1 game, which essentially creates a 4-team playoff. Then hopefully shortly after that they'll expand it to 8. Then like the basketball tournament did over the years, they'll take it up to 16 once they iron out the details (like how to incorporate some of the current bowl system) and figure out how much more money there is to be made.

[YardBirds13]

16 would be awesome. I'd love to see the MAC champ and the Sun Belt champ get a shot instead of playing in some crappy bowl game.

LEt #16 seed Central Michigan have a shot at #1 Alabama in the first round. Let's at least give these guys a chance.

[CrimsonTribe]

TUSCALOOSA - On his radio show Thursday night, Alabama coach Nick Saban took a shot at Boise State, which might have moved into BCS national championship contention with its 33-30 victory Monday over Virginia Tech.

He noted that Alabama defeated Virginia Tech in its 2009 opener and defeated "six other teams that were the caliber of Virginia Tech, or maybe better. And maybe more than that if you throw in Texas and Florida in the SEC Championship Game. ..."

"It's the full body of work. It's not just that you can beat one team, but if you have to beat six or seven other teams and have to play with consistency to do it, I think that goes a long way in saying a lot about what kind of football team that you have. And that's no disrespect that you have, because they may certainly be able to do the same thing if they were put in that circumstance."

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/09/notes_saban_takes_a_shot_at_bo.html

Speak the truth fearless leader.

[Pedro Cerrano]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/09/notes_saban_takes_a_shot_at_bo.html

Speak the truth fearless leader.

I'll be bitter if Ohio St plays Boise St in the title game and a one-loss SEC team is left out.

[waroriole]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/09/notes_saban_takes_a_shot_at_bo.html

Speak the truth fearless leader.

Saban continues to show what a classy guy he is.

[brooksie05]

I'll be bitter if Ohio St plays Boise St in the title game and a one-loss SEC team is left out.

Pretty much the only hope Ohio State has of winning a title.

[Birds of B'more]

I'll be bitter if Ohio St plays Boise St in the title game and a one-loss SEC team is left out.

And so will a lot of other people. Important people, who will see that as the tipping point to make immediate changes to how a champion is determined. So it's a good thing, really. One year of bitterness will be worth a lifetime of better college football.