[NU Sports] BCS ...

[Jim Bendat]

sjtruog at jorsm.com wrote:

>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.
>
Absolutely correct that the Rose Bowl committee is devastated.  That's 3 
Big 12 teams coming to Pasadena in 4 years.  Unbelievable and 
outrageous.  No one here in L.A. cared about Oklahoma coming here two 
years ago, and no one here will care about Texas.  The Rose Bowl should 
absolutely break away from the Bull Crap System and, if it means that 
there will be split national champions more often, so be it.

>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:) ).
>
It is debatable at best.  A lot of us fondly remember when January 1st 
meant a lot of good meaningful games -- true, not necessarily #1 vs. #2, 
but nevertheless a day of drama.  What do we have now on January 1st? -- 
not much worth watching.  The Holiday, Peach and Liberty bowls will 
probably all be more exciting than any of the games on New Year's Day. 
 Hell, yesterday's set of games from morning til late at night were 
better than what we're going to get on January 1st.

>* 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.
>
>  
>
Michigan has to be thanking its lucky stars they'll be playing Texas 
rather than Cal.  The Golden Bears would have stomped the Wolverines, 
but I think Michigan will have a solid chance of beating Texas.

>* 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.
>
>  
>
Well, I agree that OSU will win, but I can't really say whether it will 
be Ohio State University or Oklahoma State University.  Not that anyone 
should really care -- it might as well be Oregon State University.

>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.
>
>  
>
Sounds about right.  All in all, the whole schedule is terribly 
disappointing.  I had looked forward to going to Nashville with the 
Cats.  That's not happening.  Then, I had thought about seeing UCLA (my 
second favorite team) play Notre Dame in Phoenix.  But with Cal getting 
screwed, the domino effect has sent UCLA to Las Vegas where they'll be 
playing Wyoming.  Nope, I have no interest in traveling to that game. 
 Like the Cats, I'm staying home for the holidays.

Jim B.