[NU Sports] Texas vs. Cal

[Sanford_Stein at rush.edu]

I enjoyed Bob Schooler's link to the pro-Texas Rose Bowl arguments.
I'll provide the counter-arguments, with the disclaimer that I am the
parent
of a recent Cal-Berkeley graduate so I am totally biased.

It could be reasonably argued that Texas and Cal were pretty much equal
last year, with no definitiive way to determine the better team.  Given
that,
California should have been selected because:

1.  Texas has been to dozens of major bowls, Cal rarely gets the chance--
      probably the last time was the 1960 Rose Bowl.

2.  While the point is well-taken that Cal was not the Pac-10 champ, there
is
     still the Big Ten/Pac-10 tradition of the Rose Bowl and that should
have
     been honored.

3.  Cal was ranked higher all season and, suddenly, when the last poll
     determines bowl selection, they fall behind Texas despite not losing
     any more games -- this seldom happens and seems a little suspect.

                        SS