The Big East will be fine, and have as good a chance to make the playoff as they could have hoped for.

The Big East will have to have a 13-0 or 12-1 team to make the playoff just like everybody else. (Except SEC, they could have a remote shot at getting a 10-2 team in, but I don't think they would get in over a 12-1 BE Champion

12-1 BE Conference Camp will be able to make it in on years when there are not a lot of other strong 11-1 teams.

UH made it to #6 in the country playing UAB, Tulane, Rice, North Texas, Marshall, and ECU last year.

The Big East has increased it's chances of having multiple top 25 teams by expanding to 14 and hosting a conference championship game. The SOS for the Big East will improve quite a bit, and everything will be ok.

The concern that needs to be focused on at this point is which Bowl will our Champion play in when we don't make the top 4.

That is the next top priority. We must secure a top bowl tie in. (Orange, Cotton, Fiesta, Sugar). If Cotton is elevated, I think the Big East has a chance to do it.

Especially if the Cotton wins the "Champions Bowl" bid. That leaves Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar with zero current tie-ins. I would hope the Big East could secure one of those 6 remaining spots for it's Champion.

agree and I can't wait to get this thing going

Agree 100%, but I still think the Orange is our most likely tie in. I still also like the idea of an Orange/Fiesta partnership.

I hope they can. The Big East needs to in order to secure that home run TV deal. We'll see if they can pull off either a tie-in with the Orange, Cotton, or Fiesta, but I'm not confident that they can.

(06-21-2012 12:28 PM)3601 Wrote:  Agree 100%, but I still think the Orange is our most likely tie in. I still also like the idea of an Orange/Fiesta partnership.

Something like that would be huge.

If we could get a deal where the Big East Champ automatically goes to the Orange vs, say the ACC champ then the new system will be great for us...as already stated, we will have has much chance as before of getting a team in the four team playoff (2009 Cincy would have made it for example). What we really need is a tie in with the Orange and we'd be set.

Probably pie in the sky but if we could get it, it would be huge. Really, if the ACC could just admit it's on the outside looking in as well, then the ACC and BE powers that be could go as a team to the Orange Bowl people and try and work something out...problem is the ACC is like the story of The Emperor Has No Clothes right now...they are naked and don't know it.

(06-21-2012 12:31 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  If we could get a deal where the Big East Champ automatically goes to the Orange vs, say the ACC champ then the new system will be great for us...as already stated, we will have has much chance as before of getting a team in the four team playoff (2009 Cincy would have made it for example). What we really need is a tie in with the Orange and we'd be set.

Probably pie in the sky but if we could get it, it would be huge. Really, if the ACC could just admit it's on the outside looking in as well, then the ACC and BE powers that be could go as a team to the Orange Bowl people and try and work something out...problem is the ACC is like the story of The Emperor Has No Clothes right now...they are naked and don't know it.

But...but...Swofford keeps saying there's 5 power conferences...

I think we need more information on the structure of the system. They say semifinals at bowls, final bid out, but there a lot of ways that could work out. Other than the Rose and Champions bowls, is there a point for tie-ins at all? What happens to those tie-ins if they are the site of the playoff? Will the Rose even be part of the semifinal rotation? Will the site of the Champions Bowl? If their teams aren't in the playoff, are the PAC-12, SEc, Big 12 and Big 10 going to take their top teams out of the Rose/Champions, or make those spots the preferred landing place for teams that aren't in the playoff? I think there are a lot of unaswered questions that need to be worked out before anyone can start talking about tie-ins.

Here's my guesses on the above:

- 4 teams make playoff, semis alternated between the Orange, Sugar and Fiesta.
- Rose and Champions Bowls take best PAC-12, Big 10, SEC, and Big 12 teams not in playoff.
- The 1 of the 3 of Orange, Sugar and Fiesta that doesn't host the semis fields a best of the rest (at large vs at large) with no tie-ins. This game likely will have ACC or BE champ if they don't make the playoff, or possibly a highly ranked CUSA/MWC team or possibly the #3 or 4 B-12/SEC/PAC-12/Big 10 team if one of those leagues has a bunch in the top 10/12.

I definitely see the PAC-12, Big 10, SEC, and Big 12 wanting to send their top team that doesn't make the playoff to their Rose/Champions bowl. The question is if the Rose would give up the option of a semifinal game in lieu of the best teams from the PAC-12/Big 10 not in the playoff. On the one hand they'd be giving up the chance at a big game that would determine who goes to the championship. On the other hand, they'd always have the best Big 10 and Pac-12 teams not in the playoff; if they participate in the semis, they'd only have that matchup half of the time. They could also focus their energies on hosting the championship.

(06-21-2012 12:24 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  agree and I can't wait to get this thing going

ditto. That damn countdown clock cant move fast enough.

Im excited for the nBe if we can hold this together and add a BYU/AF

12-1 maybe, 13-0 will be a lock unless its an odd year with five or more teams without a single loss. Conference needs a few things, stable membership, a bowl game for its champion and runner-up, and a new tv deal.

(06-21-2012 01:26 PM)Frog in the Kitchen Sink Wrote:  I think we need more information on the structure of the system. They say semifinals at bowls, final bid out, but there a lot of ways that could work out. Other than the Rose and Champions bowls, is there a point for tie-ins at all? What happens to those tie-ins if they are the site of the playoff? Will the Rose even be part of the semifinal rotation? Will the site of the Champions Bowl? If their teams aren't in the playoff, are the PAC-12, SEc, Big 12 and Big 10 going to take their top teams out of the Rose/Champions, or make those spots the preferred landing place for teams that aren't in the playoff? I think there are a lot of unaswered questions that need to be worked out before anyone can start talking about tie-ins.

Here's my guesses on the above:

- 4 teams make playoff, semis alternated between the Orange, Sugar and Fiesta.
- Rose and Champions Bowls take best PAC-12, Big 10, SEC, and Big 12 teams not in playoff.
- The 1 of the 3 of Orange, Sugar and Fiesta that doesn't host the semis fields a best of the rest (at large vs at large) with no tie-ins. This game likely will have ACC or BE champ if they don't make the playoff, or possibly a highly ranked CUSA/MWC team or possibly the #3 or 4 B-12/SEC/PAC-12/Big 10 team if one of those leagues has a bunch in the top 10/12.

I definitely see the PAC-12, Big 10, SEC, and Big 12 wanting to send their top team that doesn't make the playoff to their Rose/Champions bowl. The question is if the Rose would give up the option of a semifinal game in lieu of the best teams from the PAC-12/Big 10 not in the playoff. On the one hand they'd be giving up the chance at a big game that would determine who goes to the championship. On the other hand, they'd always have the best Big 10 and Pac-12 teams not in the playoff; if they participate in the semis, they'd only have that matchup half of the time. They could also focus their energies on hosting the championship.

The Rose is definitely going to be in the semifinal rotation - they want to be included. They will likely receive Big Ten or Pac-12 semifinalists in the years that they're hosting the semifinal. The more pertinent question is really how large the rotation will be - it might be among 6 bowls (e.g. add in the Cotton and Outback) as opposed to just the current 4 BCS bowls. Those bowls might have tie-ins (e.g. Big Ten #2, SEC #2, etc.) or they could be at-larges, but the one thing that I've consistently heard is that such bowls aren't going to get forced to take any "undesirable" school that they don't want. The trade-off for those outside the power conference group (however you want to define it) is more access to the national championship on paper with the playoff and more money. Access to the top tier bowls outside of the semifinals, though, are going to be strictly power conference affairs.

(06-21-2012 01:54 PM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  12-1 maybe, 13-0 will be a lock unless its an odd year with five or more teams without a single loss. Conference needs a few things, stable membership, a bowl game for its champion and runner-up, and a new tv deal.

I agree. We should have almost all of these answers come November/December.

OK, this answers some of my questions: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball...off-format

The Rose will participate in the semis. That means there will be 2 "formerly known as" BCS bowls each year that won't hold the semis, meaning 4 at large spots. When the Rose isn't a semi, it will be PAC-12/Big 10, leaving 2 at large spots. The good news for the BE and ACC is that the Champions Bowl will have dibs on the top Big 12/SEC team not in the playoff, so that is less competition for those two spots. The BE and ACC will basically be fighting likely #3/4 teams from the Big 12/SEC/Big 10/PAC12. The years the Rose is hosting a semi, there will be 4 at large spots. There will be a little more competition, since the best teams not in the playoff from the Big 10 and PAC-12 will be available since there won't be a traditional Rose Bowl.