[Husker] Big XII gets shafted by BCS

Tue Dec 6 11:33:20 CST 2011

Even with that clarification, I still think Boise State got shafted by the BCS. True, the bowls have the option to pick whomever they wish for those at-large spots as long as they are ranked in the top 14.  So in that light:  yes, the Sugar Bowl had the right to not select Boise State.  (I'm using the Sugar Bowl as the problem child, because the lineups for the Rose and Orange were pretty much predetermined, and the Fiesta put together a primo matchup of Okie State and Stanford.)

But I don't think that the Sugar Bowl chose wisely.  Virginia Tech's resume is actually worse than Boise State.  In Sagarin's rankings, Virginia Tech did not defeat anybody ranked in the top 30.  Nobody.  (Boise has a victory over Georgia.)  So from a football perspective, Boise is more deserving.

And from a business perspective, Virginia Tech has a history of not bringing fans to bowl games.  Of course, many of these examples are to the Orange Bowl, so Hokie fans may find New Orleans a welcome alternative.  It's amazing how unattractive the Orange Bowl has become in recent years as travel costs have gone up.  That's the only explanation I can come up with for why football fans don't want to spend New Years in South Florida.  Meanwhile, as I recall, Boise State fans have flooded Phoenix in the past.  I imagine they'd head to New Orleans en masse as well.

But yes, the Sugar Bowl has the right to pick who they want.  I just don't see any evidence that justifies their selection of Virginia Tech over Boise State.

Mike Jaixen
http://huskermike.blogspot.com
http://www.cornnation.com

________________________________
 From: David Strong <gobigredlist at gmail.com>
To: Andy Knipp <andy at knipp.com> 
Cc: husker at tssi.com 
Sent: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 11:15 AM
Subject: Re: [Husker] Big XII gets shafted by BCS

I know I post this all the time but I can't help it.  This BCS thing just
chaps me so much.  No, Boise State did not get shafted.  Nobody ever gets
shafted in this thing because the selection criteria is so misunderstood.
People continue to believe that the best teams, the teams with the best
records, etc etc should be chosen for bowl games.  That is a false believe,
that is not the selection criteria for the games.  There are 2 selection
criteria for the games:

1. the AQ slots
2. the teams that make the most business sense, in the opinion of the
sponsors, to invite.

Boise State did not fit either of these criteria and they were not
invited.  They were not shafted, they just didn't fit.  These are the same
criteria that were used to include Virginia Tech...they fit the selection
criteria.

It is not about pairing the best teams, rewarding the best teams, best
records, most accomplishments, etc.  It is about money. Every year someone
says a certain team got screwed because they were "better" than a team that
got selected.  No they didn't.  Who is better or who had a better season is
not why a team gets selected.

Dave

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 10:02 AM, Andy Knipp <andy at knipp.com> wrote:

> Actually I thought Boise State got shafted. They are ranked #7 with only 1
> loss and yet they are stuck in a Bowl in Vegas (OK that works) with a 6-6
> Arizona State team. What will the line be on that ? > 50 ?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: husker-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:husker-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf
> Of
> Mike Nolan
> Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 10:15 AM
> To: husker at tssi.com
> Subject: [Husker] Big XII gets shafted by BCS
>
> Aside from an interesting #3 vs #4 matchup in the Fiesta Bowl,
> (first team to 100 wins?) the Big XII got shafted big-time by the
> BCS this year.
>
> The ACC got two teams into BCS bowls for the first time in conference
> history while the Big XII only got one.
>
> Virginia Tech's pairing against Michigan better sell a lot of begniets
> to Hokies fans in New Orleans, there's really no other good explanation
> for having a school that lost badly to Clemson not once but twice,
> by 23-3 and 38-10 margins, in a BCS bowl.
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
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