By hook or by crook they were going to get LSU into the national title game. God I wish West Virginia would have held on and won! On a side note, it must suck being Virginia Tech and JUST missing out on the national title game, they're ranked #3 (overranked in my opinion):

http://cfn.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=2&c=557949

Big East:

#9 West Virginia
#21 South Florida
#22 Cincinnati
#25 Connecticut (Finally some justice in having UConn ranked, an obvious reward for winning a share of a BCS conference/Big East title).

Oregon State is #26, interesting. Check this out, Pitt, with a losing record, is ranked AHEAD of Rutgers! Pitt is #42, Rutgers is #43. Ummm, didn't Rutgers also beat a #2 team and don't they actually HAVE a winning record!?

Does the Big East still give a split title officially, or will both schools be receiving a Big East trophy. Honestly wondering here...

CollegeCard Wrote:Does the Big East still give a split title officially, or will both schools be receiving a Big East trophy. Honestly wondering here...

They are co champions. They both get a trophy.

Shannon Panther Wrote:

CollegeCard Wrote:Does the Big East still give a split title officially, or will both schools be receiving a Big East trophy. Honestly wondering here...

They are co champions. They both get a trophy.

Interesting. It makes sense obviously.

CatsClaw Wrote:

Shannon Panther Wrote:

CollegeCard Wrote:Does the Big East still give a split title officially, or will both schools be receiving a Big East trophy. Honestly wondering here...

They are co champions. They both get a trophy.

Interesting. It makes sense obviously.

Pretty sure that the engraving on it says co-champions.

Shannon Panther Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:

Shannon Panther Wrote:

CollegeCard Wrote:Does the Big East still give a split title officially, or will both schools be receiving a Big East trophy. Honestly wondering here...

They are co champions. They both get a trophy.

Interesting. It makes sense obviously.

Pretty sure that the engraving on it says co-champions.

So the Big East gave out 4 trophies in 2004? No wonder Tranghese looked tired and haggard that year!

Best game won't be the biggest game
By Matt Hayes
Sporting News

Yes, yes, we know. This team or that team got hosed by the BCS. What's new?

The reality of the situation is any two-team combination for the BCS national title game is going to be criticized. It's the nature of the season.

From the Backed-in Bowl to Hawaii doing the unthinkable, let's break down the BCS games:

Best game: Fiesta Bowl, Oklahoma vs. West Virginia. It's not even close. Easily the best matchup of the five bowls. Frankly, this game could be the national title game. Think about it: If Pat White is healthy, who really wants a piece of that West Virginia spread option offense? Then there's OU, which had the most impressive win of the season in the Big 12 championship game. I'd take either of these teams against anyone else on a neutral field.

Worst game: Rose Bowl, USC vs. Illinois. Poor Zooker. He finally makes his mark as a coach on the field, and his young, rising team merely has to play the most talented team in the country. The Illinois seniors have never been to a bowl game. The USC seniors have never played in anything other than a BCS bowl game. It's going to get ugly, folks.

Most exciting game: Sugar Bowl, Hawaii vs. Georgia. Two offenses hitting their stride, and two quarterbacks -- Hawaii's Colt Brennan and Georgia's Matt Stafford -- who are going to make a ton of money in the NFL when their respective time comes. Georgia feels like it was snubbed by the BCS; Hawaii is elated to just be there. Georgia should simply overwhelm the Warriors -- just like Oklahoma should've thumped Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl.

Bottom line: The Dawgs better figure out how to deal with those multiple option routes from those NFL receivers in the Warriors' run-and-shoot offense, or this will be a fourth-quarter game with both teams in the high 30s.

Most boring game: Orange Bowl, Virginia Tech vs. Kansas. At the very least, the place will be packed - which is what the Orange Bowl desperately wants/needs. I'm guessing less than 40 total points combined. Admit it: You want to know what Kansas will do against a non-Big 12 team in a big game.

Most overrated game: BCS national championship game, Ohio State vs. LSU. Look, I can't get excited about a team that lost to two average SEC teams -- one at home -- and a coach who says his team is undefeated in "regulation."

That's like me saying I should've been valedictorian in college, but apparently, they count calculus, physics, economics and sports journalism classes. Then there's Ohio State. What do we know about the Bucks? They lost one game in regulation.

This article appeared on the Yahoo Sports website on Monday, December 3, 2007.

Wow, Thats some serious respect for the BE champion, WV.

....and one of LSU's two "average" SEC teams was ranked. Oklahoma lost to two unranked teams and Matt Hayes is all over their nuts. Gee, wonder why.

RebelKev Wrote:....and one of LSU's two "average" SEC teams was ranked. Oklahoma lost to two unranked teams and Matt Hayes is all over their nuts. Gee, wonder why.

The only reason Arkansas is ranked is because of the SEC good 'ol boys.  Besides, the SEC is the LAST conference who should be complaining about someone getting biased coverage.

RebelKev Wrote:....and one of LSU's two "average" SEC teams was ranked. Oklahoma lost to two unranked teams and Matt Hayes is all over their nuts. Gee, wonder why.

Remember when we had our conversation about South Carolina? I thought it was a total joke that team was ranked #8 at the time and you said they are justified. Anyway, their season played out and look where they are.

Bottom line is SEC is pumped way up by the media and their play on the field is hardly much different than any other BCS conference. Meanwhile, BE is being disrespected big time by the typical media SEC/B10 homers.

Orange Bowl took Kansas cause they know WVU would probably roll Va Tech. Kansas is sort like a paper tiger which is perfect opponent for Va Tech.

"What to watch, what to miss"


[font=Times New Roman]Very subjective article:


Bowl games are interesting way to judge relative strength of conference teams as well as watch great players.

1) OU is going to be very tough match for WVU even if White is 100%

OU has excellent run and pass game. Strong defense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Bradford played great game against U Missouri.

A WVU win would be huge for Big East, but very unlikely.


2) None of the other Big East teams play a ranked opponent.

3) Interesting that best bowl BC could get, as ACC's no 2 team, ranked no 14, is against unranked MSU. So much for the Boston, New England market that BC supposedly commands.

4) Other games of interest:
a) Texas Tech which beat OU after injury to QB, against UVirginia. Expect Tech to win.
b) Hawaii vs Georgia should be very interesting game.
c) VT vs Kansas: ACC no 1 vs Big 12 no 3.
d) Unranked Michigan vs Florida, primarily to watch Tebow.
e) LSU vs OSU primarily to see SEC vs Big 10 matchup.[/font]

I love how they try and rip the Big East for not playing another ranked team in bowl games, as if it's our fault the Pac-10's and ACC's #4 team isn't ranked. Our #4 team is ranked so why isn't their #4 team ranked?

CatsClaw Wrote:

RebelKev Wrote:....and one of LSU's two "average" SEC teams was ranked. Oklahoma lost to two unranked teams and Matt Hayes is all over their nuts. Gee, wonder why.

The only reason Arkansas is ranked is because of the SEC good 'ol boys. Besides, the SEC is the LAST conference who should be complaining about someone getting biased coverage.

I was referring to Kentucky.

SF Husky Wrote:Bottom line is SEC is pumped way up by the media and their play on the field is hardly much different than any other BCS conference. Meanwhile, BE is being disrespected big time by the typical media SEC/B10 homers.

You're right. Having the toughest SOS for a conference, having multiple national champions, having consistently-ranked teams, yeah, it's all because the media pumps up the SEC.

PUHLEEZE. The media hates the SEC. Their darlings are the PAC-10 and the Big-10. I'd like to see any team play a year in the SEC and see what they say. We haven't had a year when we didn't have at least 5 teams in the top 25 that I can remember, and yes, it is legitimate. Was SC? Yes, at the time they were.

Now, since you brought it up, name a team in the SEC you think is ranked too high.

SF Husky Wrote:Orange Bowl took Kansas cause they know WVU would probably roll Va Tech. Kansas is sort like a paper tiger which is perfect opponent for Va Tech.

Only those wearing Big East homer rose colored glasses would think that WVU would roll VT.

BCS snub, Kansas getting picked for Orange Bowl riles Missouri fans
By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER, Associated Press writer
December 3, 2007

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Talk about misery in Missouri.

For Tigers fans, a Big 12 title game loss to Oklahoma was bad enough. No more No. 1 ranking, no trip to New Orleans for the BCS national championship.

At least Missouri (11-2), could still boast supremacy over archrival Kansas, a team the Tigers knocked from the unbeaten ranks with a late-season victory at Arrowhead Stadium. The win gave Missouri the Big 12 North division crown.

Not so fast. When it comes to Missouri-Kansas, two schools that can't even agree on their all-time series record, nothing is ever quite so easy.

Kansas, not Missouri, earned the coveted Bowl Championship Series at-large berth and a Jan. 3 trip to the Orange Bowl to face ACC champion Virginia Tech. Missouri, shut out of the BCS, heads to the Cotton Bowl and a New Year's Day battle against No. 25 Arkansas (8-4), its southern neighbor.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and his players had nothing but good things to say about the Cotton Bowl selection, from the opportunity to play in the program's first Jan. 1 bowl game in nearly four decades to the chance to make a better impression on recruits in Texas after the lopsided Alamodome loss to the Sooners.

But knowing that the dreaded Jayhawks were headed to a more prestigious bowl, despite the loss to Missouri and lower rankings in both the AP and final BCS polls?

The BCS selection process, like making sausage, is a process not easily understood from the outside. All-American tight end Martin Rucker agreed.

"I don't know how it happens, I don't know why it happens, but it happens," he said. "We just have to be thankful for the bowl we got in there and give it our best shot."

BCS coordinator Mike Slive said that once the at-large teams are determined, the matchup choices are up to individual bowls.

Regular-season winners from the six power conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern) earned automatic berths in the BCS, joined by undefeated WAC champion Hawaii.

The at-large berths went to Kansas, Georgia and Illinois -- a team that also lost to Missouri this season. The Illini face Southern California in the Rose Bowl.

"Kansas is very deserving of the BCS," said Slive, who also is the Southeastern Conference commissioner.

He later added, "I certainly would understand that (Missouri) could be very, very disappointed."

Across the Missouri-Kansas border in Lawrence, athletic director Lew Perkins said the Jayhawks earned their spot in the Orange Bowl.

"We don't have to be apologetic for anything," he said. Kansas finished the regular season 11-1.

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing agreed.

"We're very deserving," he said. "If anyone wants to doubt us, we've proven them wrong all year and we're going to continue to do that because we've earned the spot we got."

Orange Bowl officials cited Kansas's status as a one-loss team as well as the team's historic connection to the old Big Eight Conference.

Of course, Missouri was also a member of the Big Eight.

"Kansas and Missouri were back to back next to each other," Orange Bowl chief executive officer Eric Poms said. "Having a one-loss team compared to a two-loss team was the most pressing thing we looked at. At the end of the day, that was our thought process."

At Booche's restaurant in downtown Columbia, a popular hangout known for its greasy burgers served on wax paper, Missouri fans weren't buying that explanation.

"It just doesn't make any sense. It's not fair," said Tiger fan Chris Huston. "Kansas had only one loss because they didn't have a chance to play in the title game after Missouri beat them."

Missouri now has four weeks to prepare for its next game. The Tigers plan to quickly cleanse themselves of the disappointing loss to Oklahoma, which won its fifth Big 12 title in seven appearances since 2000.

The Tigers hope to avoid a repeat of similar events in 1998, when Kansas State's run at No. 1 ended with a Big 12 title game loss followed by a monumental collapse to Purdue in the Alamo Bowl.

"You've got to flush it out of your system pretty soon," said Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. "We feel like we still have a lot to prove."

This article appeared on the Yahoo Sports website on Monday, December 3, 2007.