A few short years, and there's been chaos nearly every year. When will they figure out it doesn't work...

College Football News Wrote:BCS History ... The Chaos of Every Year
By Pete Fiutak
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Aug 28, 2008


Pitt LB Scott McKillop

One thing has been relatively consistent about the BCS; it has been wacky. Every year there seems to be something chaotic that happens to screw things up, like Scott McKillop and Pitt beating West Virginia last year. Here's a year by year look at the BCS chaos, including what might have happened according to the current set up.

BCS Chaos ... The History
The nuttiness of the last decade of the BCS era
By Pete Fiutak

Oh you wacky BCS, you.

Over the ten years since the Big Ten and Pac 10 joined The Alliance, the BCS has tweaked, massaged, cajoled, added, subtracted, and has tried to adjust its formula to make the system as fair as possible.

The BCS saw one human poll take its ball and go home, and added another mysterious poll that few recognize exists (ask how many people which one actually counts, the AP or the Harris). It came up with an extra game, has tried to address the timely issues by diminishing the importance of the computers, and in the end, has done everything possible to avoid giving the college football world what it really wants: a playoff, or at least a plus-one format.

Dog the system if you will, but it has created several memorable and crazy Novembers over the last decade. As long as everything remains in place, it ensures that even more wackiness is to come.

So before the 2008 season gets underway, take a quick breath and go back to remember all the chaos that ensued in the fantastic and dizzying 2007 BCS race. How did it stack up to the insanity of some of the other nine seasons under the BCS reign, and what might happen this year?

Set the dial back to late fall of 2007.

2008 (the 2007 season)
BCS Championship – LSU 38 – Ohio State 24
Sugar Bowl – Georgia 41 – Hawaii 10
Fiesta Bowl – West Virginia 48 – Oklahoma 28
Orange Bowl – Kansas 24 – Virginia Tech 21
Rose Bowl – USC 49 – Illinois 17

- It was Ohio State No. 1, South Florida No. 2, Boston College No. 3, and LSU No. 4 when the first BCS standings were released in mid-October.
- Ohio State was No. 1 and LSU was No. 2 on November 4th. These two would end up getting the coveted top two spots, but it took a wild and crazy route to get there.
- When the November 11th rankings came out, Ohio State lost to Illinois and dropped to seventh. LSU moved up to No. 1, Oregon was No. 2, and an unbeaten Kansas was No. 3. Oklahoma (4th), Missouri (5th) and West Virginia (6th) were lurking.
- In the November 18th rankings, after Dennis Dixon got hurt and Oregon lost to Arizona, LSU was No. 1, Kansas moved up to No. 2, West Virginia slid into third, and Missouri stepped up to fourth after Oklahoma dropped to No. 10 after a loss to Texas Tech. Ohio State suddenly had a sign of life moving up to fifth.
- Just when everything appeared clear, LSU lost at home to Arkansas and was all but left for dead in the national title chase as it dropped to seventh. Missouri beat Kansas to move up to No. 1, West Virginia was No. 2, Ohio State No. 3, and Georgia No. 4. All Missouri had to do was beat Oklahoma to play for the national title, while West Virginia would’ve been in with a win over a mediocre Pitt team at home.
- And then the chaos kicked in. Missouri lost the Big 12 title game to Oklahoma, West Virginia was stunned by Pitt, and Ohio State, by default, moved up to the top spot in the final BCS rankings. LSU beat Tennessee in the SEC title game, and because the human polls had the Tigers No. 2, it meant a big jump up over Virginia Tech, Georgia, and Missouri into the No. 2 slot. Virginia Tech was No. 3, but finished first among the computers, Oklahoma was No. 4, and Georgia No. 5.

Of course, LSU beat Ohio State to win the national championship capping off the fun.

Was it the most chaotic finish ever? Not necessarily. Here are the other nine BCS finishes, and how the BCS bowl seasons likely would’ve been set up had the current rules and criteria been in place. Remember two things. 1) The human polls basically determine the top two spots now, no matter what the computers say. 2) Only two teams from the same conference can get into the BCS, and Miami and Virginia Tech used to be in the Big East.

1999 (the 1998 season)
National Championship Fiesta Bowl – Tennessee 23 – Florida State 16
Sugar Bowl – Ohio State 24 – Texas A&M 14
Orange Bowl – Florida 31 – Syracuse 10
Rose Bowl – Wisconsin 38 – UCLA 31

The Chaos: The first year of the new BCS era kicked off with an even wilder finish than 2007. Tennessee won close game after close game as it moved into the No. 1 slot, but it wasn’t a lock to keep it. The big storyline was who was going to be left out, Tennessee, UCLA, or Kansas State.

Florida State finished off a ten-game winning streak to close out the regular season with a 23-12 win over Florida on November 21st, but there wasn’t any talk about a possible national championship shot being firmly stuck at No. 4 in the BCS rankings.

UCLA was supposed to play at Miami on September 25th, but Hurricane Georges postponed the game until December 5th. It didn’t seem like that big a deal at the time, but the Bruins went 10-0 and had a national title shot when they went to the Orange Bowl. Edgerrin James and the Canes pulled off a 49-45 win to pave the way for an expected Tennessee vs. Kansas State Fiesta Bowl for the national title.

All Kansas State had to do was beat Texas A&M in the Big 12 Championship to play for the national title. The game was seemingly in hand, and then the UCLA loss to Miami was announced. The Wildcat sideline started celebrating and cheering, and then everything changed.

A&M pulled off a stunning comeback to win 36-33 to open the door for Florida State to go to Tempe, and there was also new hope for Ohio State, who was the No. 1 team in the country earlier in the season before getting beaten 28-24 by Nick Saban’s Michigan State. The Buckeyes needed the upsets of December 5th to continue in the SEC Championship game, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Tennessee got by Mississippi State 24-14 and went on to beat FSU for the national title. Ohio State beat Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl, UCLA got run over by Ron Dayne and Wisconsin in thee Rose Bowl, and Kansas State lost another heartbreaker as Drew Brees led Purdue to a comeback win in the Alamo Bowl.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Florida State
Sugar Bowl – No. 8 Florida vs. No. 10 Tulane
Fiesta Bowl - No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Texas A&M
Orange Bowl – No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 14 Georgia Tech
Rose Bowl – No. 9 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 UCLA

2000 (the 1999 season)
National Championship Sugar Bowl – Florida State 46 – Virginia Tech 29
Fiesta Bowl – Nebraska 31 – Tennessee 21
Orange Bowl – Michigan 35 – Alabama 34
Rose Bowl – Wisconsin 17 – Stanford 9

The Chaos: There wasn’t any. Florida State was No. 1 from day one and Michael Vick’s Virginia Tech moved from No. 3 to No. 2 in early November.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 2 Virginia Tech
Sugar Bowl – No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 8 Michigan
Fiesta Bowl - No. 3 Nebraska vs. No. 12 Marshall
Orange Bowl – No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 6 Kansas State
Rose Bowl – No. 7 Wisconsin vs. NR Stanford

2001 (the 2000 season)
National Championship Orange Bowl – Oklahoma 13 – Florida State 2
Sugar Bowl – Miami 37 – Florida 20
Fiesta Bowl – Oregon State 41 – Notre Dame 9
Rose Bowl – Washington 34 – Purdue 24

The Chaos: There wasn’t any question for Oklahoma, who got through the season unscathed by the skin of its teeth. The problem was the No. 2 spot. Florida State lost to Miami in a 27-24 classic on October 7th, but went on to blow the doors off of everyone else over the final six games of the season winning them all by a total score of 277 to 51. Meanwhile, Miami, who had lost to Washington, who went on to finish 11-1 with a Rose Bowl win over Purdue, won its final ten games of the season complete with dominant performances over Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Boston College (who would all end up with winning records) winning the final three games by a total of 113 to 13.

However, BCS No. 3 Florida State swapped spots with No. 2 Miami on November 18th to kick off the controversy. The Seminoles and their high-powered offense were shut down by the Sooners 13-2 in the Orange Bowl, while Miami went on to beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl as part of a run of 24 straight wins ending with the epic 2003 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State. In the short history of the BCS, Miami not playing for the national title was the most glaring BCS error.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Miami (No. 2 in both human polls)
Sugar Bowl – No. 7 Florida vs. No. 5 Virginia Tech
Fiesta Bowl – No. 6 Oregon State vs. No. 11 Notre Dame
Orange Bowl – No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 8 Nebraska
Rose Bowl – No. 4 Washington vs. NR Purdue

2002 (the 2001 season)
National Championship Rose Bowl – Miami 37 – Nebraska 14
Sugar Bowl – LSU 47 – Illinois 34
Fiesta Bowl – Oregon 38 – Colorado 16
Orange Bowl – Florida 56 – Maryland 23

The Chaos: Miami moved up to No. 2 on November 3rd and finished No. 1. Nebraska, helped by a 20-10 win over Oklahoma, was the No. 1 team led by Heisman-winning QB Eric Crouch, but on Thanksgiving weekend, Chris Brown and Colorado ran all over the Huskers in a 62-36 win to open the door for Florida.

Rex Grossman’s Gators appeared to be a lock to play the Canes for the national title as they went into a home game against Tennessee as the heavy favorite. Win that, win the SEC Championship game, go on to play for the national title … it was supposed to be a piece of cake.

The Vols pulled off the 34-32 upset in Gainesville and had only to beat LSU in the SEC Championship to be off to Pasadena to play for the championship, but they lost 31-20 to the Tigers to open up a big can of worms

Nebraska had only fallen to third in the BCS rankings, even though Oregon was No. 3 in the two human polls behind Miami and Tennessee. Even so, the door was opened up for 10-1 Texas, who would’ve been the likely choice to go rocketing up the rankings and into the No. 2 spot with a win over Colorado in the Big 12 Championship. Chris Simms couldn’t stop throwing the ball to Buffaloes, Major Applewhite’s comeback fell short, and Texas lost 39-37. Nebraska, who didn’t even win its own division, much less the Big 12 title, moved back to No. 2 leaving Oregon fans with their jaws dropped.

Oregon and Joey Harrington blew past Colorado 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl, Texas beat Washington 47-42 in the Rose Bowl, Tennessee obliterated Michigan 45-17 in the Citrus Bowl, Florida crushed Maryland 56-23 in the Orange Bowl, and Miami crushed Nebraska 37-14 for the national title.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 Miami vs. No. 4 Oregon (No. 2 in both human polls)
Sugar Bowl – No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 13 LSU
Fiesta Bowl – No. 3 Colorado vs. No. 6 Tennessee
Orange Bowl – No. 5 Florida vs. No. 10 Maryland
Rose Bowl – No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Stanford

2003 (the 2002 season)
What Happened
Sugar Bowl – Georgia 26 – Florida State 13
Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 31 – Miami 24 (2 OT)
Orange Bowl – USC 38 – Iowa 17
Rose Bowl – Oklahoma 34 – Washington State 14

The Chaos: Outside of Miami and Ohio State flip-flopping spots in mid-November, with the Canes taking over the top spot, there wasn’t any controversy.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 Miami vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Sugar Bowl – No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 8 Kansas State
Fiesta Bowl – No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Notre Dame
Orange Bowl – No. 4 USC vs. No. 14 Florida State
Rose Bowl – No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 6 Washington State.

2004 (the 2003 season)
National Championship Sugar Bowl – LSU 21 – Oklahoma 14
Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 35 – Kansas State 28
Orange Bowl – Miami 16 – Florida State 14
Rose Bowl – USC 28 – Michigan 14

The Chaos: There have been some problems with the BCS over the years, but this was the whopper of all nightmares.

LSU lost at home to Florida in the middle of the season before reeling off seven straight wins, including a dominant 34-13 victory over LSU, for the SEC title.

USC came up with a half-hearted effort in a late September game at Cal and lost 34-31 on a field goal. The Trojans got it together and won eight in a row scoring 43 points or more in the final seven regular season games on their way to a No. 1 ranking in both human polls.

Oklahoma was everyone’s No. 1 team being talked about as one of the greatest of all-time as it blew through the regular season to a 12-0 record. And then the season took a major turn. The Sooners were shocked by Darren Sproles and Kansas State in a 35-7 Big 12 title game loss, and despite dropping to third in the human polls, they ended up ranked No. 1 according to the BCS rankings with LSU finishing second and USC third.

LSU beat Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl for the BCS national title, while USC won the AP national championship with a Rose Bowl win over Michigan. After this season, the formula was changed to weigh more heavily on the human factor.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 USC (No. 1 in human polls)
Sugar Bowl – No. 8 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami University
Fiesta Bowl – No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Ohio State
Orange Bowl – No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 9 Miami
Rose Bowl – No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 6 Texas

2005 (the 2004 season)
National Championship Orange Bowl – USC 55 – Oklahoma 19
Sugar Bowl – Auburn 16 – Virginia Tech 13
Fiesta Bowl – Utah 35 … Pittsburgh 7
Rose Bowl – Texas 38 – Michigan 37

The Chaos: Auburn 33, The Citadel, 3. That game against a D-IAA team ended up being the difference between three dead-even unbeaten teams. The Tigers went on to go 12-0 including a win over Tennessee for the SEC title, but they couldn’t get into the top two and ended up beating Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

USC was everyone’s No. 1 team, and after getting hosed in 2003, had its spot in the Orange Bowl for the national title guaranteed after going 12-0 finishing up with a tight 29-24 win over UCLA.

After getting a huge break in 2003, Oklahoma didn’t leave much room for question in 2004 going 12-0 complete with a dominant Big 12 Championship win over Colorado. OU won its final three games of the regular season by a total score of 107 to 6.

Urban Meyer’s Utah team, led by QB Alex Smith, went 12-0, but never got higher than No. 6 in the BCS rankings. Someone had to be left out between USC, Oklahoma and Auburn, and it turned out to be Auburn. After USC destroyed a lifeless OU 55-19 in the Orange Bowl, and after Auburn’s Sugar Bowl win, there was some talk of changing the system to a plus-one format, but it still hasn’t materialized.

What the BCS might have been according to the current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 Oklahoma
Sugar Bowl – No. 3 Auburn vs. No. 6 Utah
Fiesta Bowl – No. 4 Texas vs. No. 9 Boise State
Orange Bowl – No. 8 Virginia Tech vs. No. 21 Pittsburgh
Rose Bowl – No. 5 California vs. No. 13 Michigan

2006 (the 2005 season)
National Championship Rose Bowl – Texas 41 – USC 38
Sugar Bowl – West Virginia 38 – Georgia 35
Fiesta Bowl – Ohio State 34 – Notre Dame 20
Orange Bowl – Penn State 26 – Florida State 23 (3 OT)

The Chaos: There wasn’t any. USC and Texas were the top two teams throughout the season and played one of the greatest national championship games of all-time.

What the BCS might have been according to current format
BCS Championship – No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 Texas
Sugar Bowl – No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 11 West Virginia
Fiesta Bowl – No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 8 Miami
[b]Orange Bowl – No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 22 Florida State
Rose Bowl –[/b] No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 5 Oregon

2007 (the 2006 season)
BCS Championship – Florida 41 – Ohio State 14
Sugar Bowl – LSU 41 – Notre Dame 14
Fiesta Bowl - Boise State 43 – Oklahoma 42 OT
Orange Bowl – Louisville 24 – Wake Forest 13
Rose Bowl – USC 32 – Michigan 18

The Chaos: It’s easy to forget in hindsight, but Florida failed to set the world on fire with close win after close win, along with a 27-17 loss at Auburn. The Gators had won five games by a touchdown or less, including a 17-16 victory over South Carolina on a last-second blocked field goal.

Ohio State steamrolled through the season, highlighted by a win over Texas, and then got by Michigan in arguably the greatest game ever played in their long and storied rivalry. It didn’t seem like there was any need to play the national title game considering the Buckeyes, led by Heisman winner Troy Smith, was simply too good.

Meanwhile, the other national title slot appeared to be USC’s for the taking. The Trojans lost in the final moments to Oregon State 33-31 in late October, but rallied to get back up to No. 2 in the BCS rankings going into the showdown against UCLA. The Bruins pulled off a 13-9 upset, Florida, ranked fourth in the BCS rankings, beat Arkansas 38-28 for the SEC title, and the debate was on.

Should Michigan, who lost the 42-39 classic in Columbus, be given another shot against the Buckeyes with the national title on the line? After all, it was a nearly dead-even game the Wolverines lost on the road, and many wanted to see what would happen on a neutral site.

It didn’t happen, USC crushed Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and Florida put on a clinic over Ohio State to set the Big Ten back several years in the PR department.

I hope they figure it out soon. But I doubt it. Too many people have too much money riding on the BCS.

Buy Championship Seasons with a small donation to the voters in the major polls...

At least that's what it seems like at times.

His "what might have been" lineups need some work...he didn't include a Big East team in the BCS following 1998 and Louisville would have been in the BCS following 2004.

Everything associated with the BCS has been a cluster$#@!, so why should this article be any different...?

The BCS is fine from the standpoint it's better than anything before. The problem is the concept of the bowl system is outdated.

The playoffs need to happen. Without the playoffs, Appalachian State would not have come close to winning the FCS title last year despite being hands down the best team at that level (the James Madison first round game notwithstanding).

The Rose Bowl should have been booted from BCS consideration after they took Illinois over many better teams, all in the name of the Rose Bowl Tradition. The Big Ten and Pac 10 can go straight to...

Screw that. Traditions like those belong in the stone age, when good football was played between teams who broke every rule they've written, long before they wrote them. Those teams then wrote the rules in order to keep other teams from becoming good enough to compete with them.

bitcruncher Wrote:The Rose Bowl should have been booted from BCS consideration after they took Illinois over many better teams, all in the name of the Rose Bowl Tradition. The Big Ten and Pac 10 can go straight to...

Screw that. Traditions like those belong in the stone age, when good football was played between teams who broke every rule they've written, long before they wrote them. Those teams then wrote the rules in order to keep other teams from becoming good enough to compete with them.

Bump. It's ridiculous that a(supposedly) more 'high profile' should get the nod for a bowl. The last several years the B-10 has been beneath the BE, but they have. Hope we put 2 in the freakin' BCS bowls this season.

Maybe we'll get lucky and a quake will take care of the Rose Bowl for us too...

bitcruncher Wrote:The Rose Bowl should have been booted from BCS consideration after they took Illinois over many better teams, all in the name of the Rose Bowl Tradition. The Big Ten and Pac 10 can go straight to...

Screw that. Traditions like those belong in the stone age, when good football was played between teams who broke every rule they've written, long before they wrote them. Those teams then wrote the rules in order to keep other teams from becoming good enough to compete with them.

Yessir... Its time to start new traditions. Start a 4 team playoff or even a plus one if its needed. Its still better than we've got and it'll lead to a full blown playoff. BCS = joke and the sad thing is that it was better than the old bowl coalition.

Isn't it working exactly the way that "they" (BCS, bowls, TV) want it to work?

Controversy

Articles written

TV time filled with BCS stuff

Message boards lit up about the BCS

Viewership high

$$$$$$$$$


What am I missing? I think that the powers that be are very happy with this system.

TerryD Wrote:Isn't it working exactly the way that "they" (BCS, bowls, TV) want it to work?

Controversy

Articles written

TV time filled with BCS stuff

Message boards lit up about the BCS

Viewership high

$$$$$$$$$


What am I missing? I think that the powers that be are very happy with this system.

A playoff would be no less popular or successful and would probably generate more total revenue. The NFL and NCAA basketball seem to do pretty well with such a model.

bitcruncher Wrote:A few short years, and there's been chaos nearly every year. When will they figure out it doesn't work...

Realizing it is one thing. Admitting it is another.

TerryD Wrote:Isn't it working exactly the way that "they" (BCS, bowls, TV) want it to work?

Controversy

Articles written

TV time filled with BCS stuff

Message boards lit up about the BCS

Viewership high

$$$$$$$$$


What am I missing? I think that the powers that be are very happy with this system.

Of course they are. It helps to maintain the status quo.

Although they must be cringing at the thought of a non -BCS school crashing the party every year...

bitcruncher Wrote:The Rose Bowl should have been booted from BCS consideration after they took Illinois over many better teams, all in the name of the Rose Bowl Tradition. The Big Ten and Pac 10 can go straight to...

Screw that. Traditions like those belong in the stone age, when good football was played between teams who broke every rule they've written, long before they wrote them. Those teams then wrote the rules in order to keep other teams from becoming good enough to compete with them.

Granted, I'm an Illinois homer that witnessed that Pasadena massacre in person, but the point of all of the bowls outside of the national championship game is to garner the highest ticket sales and ratings for the bowls themselves - plain and simple. We can have logical arguments all day as to whether this is right or "fair", but that's how the system is. At least the Rose Bowl has a long-standing contract with the Big Ten and Pac-10, so I continue to be perplexed as to why people are so shocked that the Rose Bowl actually honors its contract. Every single other bowl has taken suspect teams within the past couple of years - the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl each took Notre Dame over other higher ranked teams after the 2005 and 2006 seasons, while the Orange Bowl took Kansas over Missouri even though Kansas had lost to Mizzou this past year. Calling out the Rose Bowl in this regard is extremely selective reasoning - it's the one bowl that actually has a long-standing contract in place with two conferences and it chooses to honor it whenever there are BCS-eligible teams available from those conferences instead of whoring itself every time that Notre Dame gets 9 wins like the other bowls. This isn't just the BCS bowls - look at how the Gator Bowl treats the Big East like it's a red-headed stepchild. Instead of complaints about how the Rose Bowl actually honors its long-term relationships, the complaints ought to be with the other bowls that are mercenaries that look for the quick and dirty short-term sexy matchup every year (and Big East fans should be at the forefront on this issue because it's the one BCS conference that gets screwed in its bowl contracts compared to the others).

Also, saying the BCS is going to kick out the Rose Bowl is akin to the calls for the Big East to kick out Notre Dame - that's nice to have such tough talk, but the reality is that the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame have the power in these respective situations as opposed to the other way around. The Rose Bowl is the highest-rated and most high profile BCS game outside of the national championship itself by a large margin - it's not even remotely close between the Rose Bowl and the other BCS bowls. Remember the Bowl Alliance back in the mid-1990s? Well, that played out the exact scenario where the other bowls tried to put together a national championship game without the Rose Bowl. Out of the 3 seasons when it was in existence, the first year was the only time that it got a #1 vs. #2 matchup (since the other seasons had either a Big Ten or a Pac-10 team as #1 or #2 at the end of the year) - the other two seasons, the "Bowl Alliance Championship Game" got smoked in the ratings by the Rose Bowl. The BCS is worthless without the Big Ten and Pac-10 (and by extension, the Rose Bowl) and the other BCS conferences understand that with firsthand knowledge because they lived through the Bowl Alliance years not very long ago. Whatever you may think of those teams, no network is going to pay for a national championship structure that wouldn't include teams such as USC, Michigan, and Ohio State. That's like saying that the AL East won't be included in the MLB Playoffs - well, good luck finding a network that would sign up for a championship structure that doesn't include the Yankees and Red Sox. Put yourself in the shoes of a TV executive that reports to his boss in Los Angeles when you're thinking about this!

Bottom line: what other BCS team (aside from Mizzou) deserved a spot? And the B-12 had two teams already. ***** about KU, not Illinois. But, cant' do that either, since the Jayhawks won.

Maybe if our team beats underacheiving UL and Pitt teams, or if USF doesn't lose three straight, we wouldn't be having this discussion about Illinois.

Even though I don't think Illinois was any better than UC or USF (definitely not Mizzou), they have nothing to apologize for.

Frank the Tank Wrote:

bitcruncher Wrote:The Rose Bowl should have been booted from BCS consideration after they took Illinois over many better teams, all in the name of the Rose Bowl Tradition. The Big Ten and Pac 10 can go straight to...

Screw that. Traditions like those belong in the stone age, when good football was played between teams who broke every rule they've written, long before they wrote them. Those teams then wrote the rules in order to keep other teams from becoming good enough to compete with them.

Granted, I'm an Illinois homer that witnessed that Pasadena massacre in person, but the point of all of the bowls outside of the national championship game is to garner the highest ticket sales and ratings for the bowls themselves - plain and simple. We can have logical arguments all day as to whether this is right or "fair", but that's how the system is. At least the Rose Bowl has a long-standing contract with the Big Ten and Pac-10, so I continue to be perplexed as to why people are so shocked that the Rose Bowl actually honors its contract. Every single other bowl has taken suspect teams within the past couple of years - the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl each took Notre Dame over other higher ranked teams after the 2005 and 2006 seasons, while the Orange Bowl took Kansas over Missouri even though Kansas had lost to Mizzou this past year. Calling out the Rose Bowl in this regard is extremely selective reasoning - it's the one bowl that actually has a long-standing contract in place with two conferences and it chooses to honor it whenever there are BCS-eligible teams available from those conferences instead of whoring itself every time that Notre Dame gets 9 wins like the other bowls. This isn't just the BCS bowls - look at how the Gator Bowl treats the Big East like it's a red-headed stepchild. Instead of complaints about how the Rose Bowl actually honors its long-term relationships, the complaints ought to be with the other bowls that are mercenaries that look for the quick and dirty short-term sexy matchup every year (and Big East fans should be at the forefront on this issue because it's the one BCS conference that gets screwed in its bowl contracts compared to the others).

Also, saying the BCS is going to kick out the Rose Bowl is akin to the calls for the Big East to kick out Notre Dame - that's nice to have such tough talk, but the reality is that the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame have the power in these respective situations as opposed to the other way around. The Rose Bowl is the highest-rated and most high profile BCS game outside of the national championship itself by a large margin - it's not even remotely close between the Rose Bowl and the other BCS bowls. Remember the Bowl Alliance back in the mid-1990s? Well, that played out the exact scenario where the other bowls tried to put together a national championship game without the Rose Bowl. Out of the 3 seasons when it was in existence, the first year was the only time that it got a #1 vs. #2 matchup (since the other seasons had either a Big Ten or a Pac-10 team as #1 or #2 at the end of the year) - the other two seasons, the "Bowl Alliance Championship Game" got smoked in the ratings by the Rose Bowl. The BCS is worthless without the Big Ten and Pac-10 (and by extension, the Rose Bowl) and the other BCS conferences understand that with firsthand knowledge because they lived through the Bowl Alliance years not very long ago. Whatever you may think of those teams, no network is going to pay for a national championship structure that wouldn't include teams such as USC, Michigan, and Ohio State. That's like saying that the AL East won't be included in the MLB Playoffs - well, good luck finding a network that would sign up for a championship structure that doesn't include the Yankees and Red Sox. Put yourself in the shoes of a TV executive that reports to his boss in Los Angeles when you're thinking about this!

I could care less about LA. I used to live there, so I can talk all I want about it... :coffee2:

I have a problem with the Rose Bowl being aligned in the BCS and not selecting the best available team. That what ALL other BCS bowls are supposed to do. I realize it doesn't always happen, but the Rose Bowl's choice of Illinois was a slap in the face to every good program that got passed over. It's in the name of tradition, but with so much money and exposure on the line, the Big Ten and Pac 10 don't want to share it with the rest of us. If that's the case, fine. Just don't expect the best of both worlds.

I have the same problem with Notre Dame, and think the fat man is simply a case of poetic justice coming home to roost...

bitcruncher Wrote:

Frank the Tank Wrote:

bitcruncher Wrote:The Rose Bowl should have been booted from BCS consideration after they took Illinois over many better teams, all in the name of the Rose Bowl Tradition. The Big Ten and Pac 10 can go straight to...

Screw that. Traditions like those belong in the stone age, when good football was played between teams who broke every rule they've written, long before they wrote them. Those teams then wrote the rules in order to keep other teams from becoming good enough to compete with them.

Granted, I'm an Illinois homer that witnessed that Pasadena massacre in person, but the point of all of the bowls outside of the national championship game is to garner the highest ticket sales and ratings for the bowls themselves - plain and simple. We can have logical arguments all day as to whether this is right or "fair", but that's how the system is. At least the Rose Bowl has a long-standing contract with the Big Ten and Pac-10, so I continue to be perplexed as to why people are so shocked that the Rose Bowl actually honors its contract. Every single other bowl has taken suspect teams within the past couple of years - the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl each took Notre Dame over other higher ranked teams after the 2005 and 2006 seasons, while the Orange Bowl took Kansas over Missouri even though Kansas had lost to Mizzou this past year. Calling out the Rose Bowl in this regard is extremely selective reasoning - it's the one bowl that actually has a long-standing contract in place with two conferences and it chooses to honor it whenever there are BCS-eligible teams available from those conferences instead of whoring itself every time that Notre Dame gets 9 wins like the other bowls. This isn't just the BCS bowls - look at how the Gator Bowl treats the Big East like it's a red-headed stepchild. Instead of complaints about how the Rose Bowl actually honors its long-term relationships, the complaints ought to be with the other bowls that are mercenaries that look for the quick and dirty short-term sexy matchup every year (and Big East fans should be at the forefront on this issue because it's the one BCS conference that gets screwed in its bowl contracts compared to the others).

Also, saying the BCS is going to kick out the Rose Bowl is akin to the calls for the Big East to kick out Notre Dame - that's nice to have such tough talk, but the reality is that the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame have the power in these respective situations as opposed to the other way around. The Rose Bowl is the highest-rated and most high profile BCS game outside of the national championship itself by a large margin - it's not even remotely close between the Rose Bowl and the other BCS bowls. Remember the Bowl Alliance back in the mid-1990s? Well, that played out the exact scenario where the other bowls tried to put together a national championship game without the Rose Bowl. Out of the 3 seasons when it was in existence, the first year was the only time that it got a #1 vs. #2 matchup (since the other seasons had either a Big Ten or a Pac-10 team as #1 or #2 at the end of the year) - the other two seasons, the "Bowl Alliance Championship Game" got smoked in the ratings by the Rose Bowl. The BCS is worthless without the Big Ten and Pac-10 (and by extension, the Rose Bowl) and the other BCS conferences understand that with firsthand knowledge because they lived through the Bowl Alliance years not very long ago. Whatever you may think of those teams, no network is going to pay for a national championship structure that wouldn't include teams such as USC, Michigan, and Ohio State. That's like saying that the AL East won't be included in the MLB Playoffs - well, good luck finding a network that would sign up for a championship structure that doesn't include the Yankees and Red Sox. Put yourself in the shoes of a TV executive that reports to his boss in Los Angeles when you're thinking about this!

I could care less about LA. I used to live there, so I can talk all I want about it... :coffee2:

I have a problem with the Rose Bowl being aligned in the BCS and not selecting the best available team. That what ALL other BCS bowls are supposed to do. I realize it doesn't always happen, but the Rose Bowl's choice of Illinois was a slap in the face to every good program that got passed over. It's in the name of tradition, but with so much money and exposure on the line, the Big Ten and Pac 10 don't want to share it with the rest of us. If that's the case, fine. Just don't expect the best of both worlds.

I have the same problem with Notre Dame, and think the fat man is simply a case of poetic justice coming home to roost...

As Jose Jalapeno on a Stick noted, who truly got passed over in the BCS other than Mizzou last year (and that occurred because the Orange Bowl chose Kansas)? General sports fans might have wanted to see Georgia play USC, but the fact of the matter was that the Sugar Bowl was going to take Georgia as an SEC team. If a team like Georgia had lost a BCS spot to a team like Illinois, then it would be fair to criticize the Rose Bowl selection. However, none of the other BCS teams other than Mizzou (who couldn't be picked because 2 teams from the Big 12 were already selected to BCS bowls) had a clear advantage over Illinois on the merits (who if you recall at the time handed then-#1 Ohio State its only loss and in Columbus, no less - for those on the board that might bring up how the Buckeyes blew in the national championship game, remember that's with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight as opposed to the first week of December when the BCS selections were made). I truly believe that if there was a team that was definitively head and shoulders above Illinois that was actually available (and it has to be stated again such available teams did not include Georgia or Missouri), then the Rose Bowl would have taken that team. The thing is with last year's screwy season, that hypothetical alternative team didn't exist, so the Rose Bowl wasn't going to throw out its relationship with the Big Ten to take a team that would be a marginal improvement (if any) over Illinois at best.

At the same time, NONE of the BCS bowls EVER pick anyone just because it happens to be the best available team - if the best available team happens to also be a "desirable" team, then that's all well and good in the minds of bowl officials and a bowl will take that team without any questions, but they aren't going to willingly take an "undesirable" team under any circumstance. Unless they are forced to take an "undesirable" team that somehow got a guaranteed bid (i.e. any non-BCS team that makes it), they will ALWAYS pick the sexiest/richest/most traditional/biggest traveling fan base team that's BCS eligible for those at-large bids (preferably a big state school from the Big Ten, SEC, or Big 12, or even better yet, Notre Dame) regardless of where they are ranked. This is absolutely a fair criticism of the BCS system itself, but it is patently unfair to suggest that the Rose Bowl is somehow the only one that does this or engages in this practice more than anyone else. As I pointed out already, the Orange Bowl picked Kansas over a higher ranked Missouri team and the Fiesta and Sugar Bowls both picked Notre Dame the last two years over higher ranked teams, showing that every single BCS bowl is clearly of the mindset of doing whatever the hell they want with no regard for where the teams are ranked. ALL of the BCS bowls are only out to create the matchup that combines the best for ticket sales and overall ratings (along with maintaining historical conference relationships).

I'm not saying this is the right thing to do - I'd actually be perfectly fine with a system that assigns at-large bids strictly on the final BCS rankings - but I'm just pointing out you have to call out all of the BCS bowls on this issue with the system currently in place as opposed to putting the majority of the blame on the Rose Bowl (who, unlike the other BCS bowls, actually has firm commitments to two conferences).

I could care less about the details. The BCS is an empty promise, and the current bowl setup is an inhibition to the progress of the whole of the NCAA. Bowls should be abolished as a part of the determination of the national champion in favor of a playoff.

If they want to keep the bowls, use them to determine conference heirarchy after the top teams are selected for the playoff. Then tradition, and fair play are served...