[NU Sports] BCS ...

[sjtruog at jorsm.com]

You gotta feel for Cal ... the coach elects not to run it up at the end
and they get edged out. #4 in both polls but not in the BCS. You can make
a case for Texas, but you gotta think the folks in Pasadena are
devastated.

Under the BCS, the Rose Bowl seems to have more ties to the Big XII than
the traditional Big Ten/Pac 10 matchup. And on that point alone, I'd say
scrap the system! The Rose Bowl has already broken away from the rest of
the BCS in the TV contracts ... a few more years of this and they might
break away from the whole BS system altogether.

Then you get the title game ... an unbeaten SEC team who beat three top 10
teams in the SEC and was only really challenged in the final minutes of
one game. Plus, the lack of matching the other two unbeatens (Utah and
Auburn) against each other ... this system really has sucked the fun and
life out of the old bowl system without giving us a true championship in 5
of the 7 years.

Ugh -- I like how the BCS spin doctors are out again saying how this is
the reason we have the system to break a tie (how come that sounds just as
hollow now as it did last year when no one brought it up?:) ) ... or how
it's the best we can do and better than the old system (debatable at
best:) ).

Oh well, not much of a bowl lineup for the BCS ... and looking at the Big
Ten's games, it may not be a good year for the league either:

* ROSE: Michigan vs. Texas - Despite the disappointment out west, Texas
did have a case and we could have a pretty good offensive game here with
Benson and Edwards. You'd have to say that Texas has the edge in athletes,
but this could be the closest of the BCS bowls. Gotta give Texas the edge.

* CITRUS: Iowa vs. LSU - A defensive matchup of two great coaching minds
... LSU has come on strong since September and Iowa's also improved
throughout the season. There may be more points scored by the defenses
than by the offenses here. LSU's the favorite, but I'd never count out
Ferentz.

* OUTBACK: Wisconsin vs. Georgia - Two teams who were looking to be in the
BCS a month ago have to both be disappointed by Tampa. Good defenses, but
you'd have to say that the way Wisconsin finished the year, this looks
like a UGa rout unless the Dawgs don't bring their A game (which they have
a habit of doing in big games).

* ALAMO: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma State - This looks like our best bet for
a win, especially with the Texas BCS bid bumping up Big XII teams so that
the Bucks don't have to face a Texas team. There will be some big
fireworks from the offensive playmakers ... but gotta go with OSU down the
stretch.

* SUN: Purdue vs. Arizona State - The Devils were all set for the sun in
San Diego but instead are shipped out to the desert. The quarterback show
alone is worth the price of admission. But with ASU a bit disappointed to
be there and Purdue healthy again, I think the Boilers win here.

* MUSIC CITY: Minnesota vs. Alabama - Coulda been us, but the Gophers
sneak in instead ... a classic battle of Minnesota's rushing offense vs.
Bama's rock-solid defense. Given how the Gophers tanked the end of the
season, you gotta like Bama's chances here ... especially since the Tide's
weak spot (offense) will be helped along by Minny's porous defense.

So I'd say we're looking at 2 - 4 wins, depending on how Ferentz and Carr
get their teams ready for some strong southern teams on January 1.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT