[NU Sports] Big Ten image ...

[Eric C West]

Thoughts on the BCS discussion:

1. Just because the Big Ten is not currently considered super-great by the computers doesn't mean the BCS is wrong. The fact is that Big 12 went 27-3 out of conference this year, with no losses to teams like Ball State, Rice, Iowa State, New Mexico State, or Army. Perhaps their victories over the likes of Florida State and TCU don't look too hot at the moment, but right now the Big Ten's best two victories are against two Pac-12 teams for whom the jury is still out. There's a lot more than hype going into it, and in any case "hype" is a poll problem, not a BCS problem.

2. That said, Wisconsin will be just fine with the computers if it wins out; in that scenario it will likely be the polls that keep them from the BCS title game, if Oklahoma and the LSU-Alabama winner stay undefeated.

3. I'm not surprised Gupta doesn't like other computer rankings; pretty much everyone who has a computer system will tell you that every other one is dreadfully wrong. Not sure it means much beyond that. For the record, Oklahoma State is currently #3 in my system and I'm not at all surprised that the computers like them.

4. Sadly, we've already had five undefeated teams at the end of a season before, and I'm not sure that season even ranked in the top 5 for "outrage" against the BCS. I really don't know what it would take to turn the tide, except perhaps continued corruption from the bowl runners themselves.


Eric West
e-west at northwestern.edu