[NU Sports] Steve, NU is part of Goliath

[Brad Wilson]

... which is why I don't associate NU with TCU and Boise and Utah and their
ilk.

NU may be the David in the Big Ten but as a Big Ten member is undeniably
part of Goliath. Developments in college football that downgrade the primacy
of the traditional conferences and "Big Six" of the BCS do not help NU, they
hurt it.

Anything that helps the Big Ten'[s status and primacy also helps NU. The
exclusivity of the Rose Bowl has been a huge boost for the Big Ten, which is
precisely why the Mack Browns of the world wanted so desperately to play
there and why Boise wants to as well. It's special, it's the Big 10's and we
should have kept it that way.

Because NU is in the Big Ten the Cats can go 6-6 and (almost always) be
assured of a bowl. That's because Jim Delany, acting as Goliath's agent, can
throw his weight around at the Davids. Good.

As for why I don't give Boise and its ilk "credit", my argument has long
been based on a simple premise. Sure, on any given day, Boise could beat
Oklahoma or Alabama or Oregon or Ohio State (especially if it has a month to
prepare). But against a week-in, week-out pounding as Boise would get in the
Pac-10, say, or Big 12 Boise would not be as successful as it is now, where
it plays one or two serious games sprinkled in among weeks off against San
Jose State or New Mexico State.

The only way to prove me wrong is for Boise to join a BCS league and try its
luck. I concede I could be wrong, but I don't think so. The MWC is much
better league than the WAC (for now, anyway) which is why I would give Utah
and TCU more respect.

As for Boise's big wins this year, the ACC win was a neutral site, not on
the road, and came against a team that lost to James Madison the next week;
the PAC-10 win was over an average Oregon State team that lost to a
Washington team that looked awful Saturday night against Arizona (Jake
Locker as the #1 NFL pick? In what world is that?).

I don't "hate" Boise; I just question its resume.

As for the bowls, well, I enjoy almost all of them and it's fun to see the
kids and alums and fans enjoying themselves on an memorable trip that may be
the highlight of their athletic career. I, unlike Steve, don't need to see
an ultimate winner all the time in everything and I want a playoff I will
watch the  NFL. I'll make exceptions for someone like Steve, a passionate
CFB fan, but I find that most of the people who want a playoff in CFB are
only very casual CFB fans and are NFL fanatics, and want CFB to look more
like the NFL. I suspect most college football fans like the bowls just fine.
I do.

Brad Wilson