cat's Claw, you need to go back and read all the information that came out a couple of months ago when the new contract negioations started. The new agreement for 2006 is not done yet but it will include a provision that gives the BCS the right to exclude any team that does not finish in the top 16. Dr Perlman at Nebraska proposed it to avoid having a 7-4 team qualify for the Orange Bowl. While that proposal isn't neccessarily aimed at the Big East it is obvious that it would be the most at risk.
A lot of the info that came out ther first few weeks were inaccurate. Teams have to finish in the Top 16 or risk losing their bids, but it's not a guarantee. The Big East champion likely would still get an at-large bid. BUT the Big East champion that doesn't finish in the Top 16, if they DO get denied, which I doubt, would likely lose their BCS bid to a Big 12 or SEC at-large. But a lot of the stuff that came out the first week weren't true, the articles that have come out lately have cleared up a lot of the mistakes. Example, people thought that if C-USA or the MWC finished as the 6th best conference they would get an at-large bid to the BCS, that is false.
Plus, The new fifth bowl will be hosted by the Big East.
That's not true, nobody knows WHO will host the 5th bowl. There is a chance of the Gator Bowl getting it, but all signs point towards the Cotton Bowl getting it. The Cotton Bowl wanted to be a BCS bowl badly, and a lot of people were upset it didn't get BCS status.
You will play the qualifying non BCS team in that game.
Not necessarily true. See, that why I'm telling you that a lot of those older articles aren't correct. It was PROPOSED that the NBE play a non-BCS at-large bid, but that has been scrapped because it would effect the alternating bowls. Example, if the Cotton Bowl is tabbed the 5th BCS bowl the Cotton Bowl might not be the host for non-BCS schools every year. And if the Big East champion is attractive enough they might get a Fiesta Bowl bid. Those early articles tabbing the Big East champion vs the non-BCS team was speculation, not necessarily true. People ASSUMED the Big East champion would face a non-BCS at-large simply because the Gator Bowl is favorite to be given BCS status. Now, even if given BCS status, it's not a guarantee that the Big East champion would face a non-BCS at-large. Outside of the Big Ten champion, would is obligated to play in the Rose Bowl if they're not in the national championship game, ANY of the other 5 conference champions might face a non-BCS at-large.
The political pressures are such that they will put a top 16 finishing non BCS team in that bowl. The Ohio State AD ststed it well, "we lost the PR battle on this." Based on last years finishes the new BCS bowl would have matched West Virginia vs Miami (O). That may not be what you want to hear but it is the reality of the situation. The BCS is being considerably watered down .
Again you are wrong. West Virginia WOULDN'T have necessarily faced Miami-OH. Nobody knows how the new BCS set up would be. The NBE champion might face a team like Miami-OH if the Gator Bowl were given BCS status. But since that might not happen there is a chance that a BCS at-large team might face a non-BCS team. Example Texas as an at-large might face a BCS team, and the Big East champion might play in the Fiesta Bowl. Nobody knows. And a non-BCS team finishing in the Top 16 CANNOT qualify for a BCS bid alone. The only way, as of now, a non-BCS can qualify for an at-large bid is:
Finish in the Top 12 to be considered, Top 6 is an automatic bid
Finish ahead of a BCS conference. Example, the Mountaine West champion finishes ranked #14 in the final BCS poll, another conference, say the Pac-10 champion, finishes ranked #15, the Pac-10 keep their automatic bid, the Mountain West champion gets an automatic bid (at-large) for that year.
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