It's the College Football thread!

[Drake Tungsten]

So I take it Oregon not getting into a BCS bowl is the outrage for this year?

[Apocalypse]

A lot of people think Oregon is pretty crappy and overrated so I don't think it's a big deal.

[DanS]

Get in a conference or fight your way in yourself.

They have. So has Ohio State and Oregon. But you have to choose 2 of 3 under the BCS system.

I've got nothing against Ohio State and Oregon. I know OSU is an excellent football team and has earned a BCS spot. I haven't seen Oregon play more than a couple of minutes, so I don't have an opinion of them. Even so, I'm willing to believe that they are also BCS-worthy.

In any event, I wouldn't mind too much if Notre Dame didn't get into the BCS (the only thing would be the money). The BCS doesn't make Notre Dame's year like it does Oregon's. A BCS bid doesn't add anything to Notre Dame's history or football program. It only adds a paycheck and a better opponent to end the year. Personally, I would love to see either an ND - OSU or ND - PSU matchup. Even ND - Louisville in the Gator Bowl might be fun. Not so much ND - Oregon.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They have. So has Ohio State and Oregon. But you have to choose 2 of 3 under the BCS system.

I think you are agreeing with me. I'm arguing that if Oregon has anyone to blame (if they don't get in), it is Ohio State and Notre Dame, because they were shut out of the 'At-Large' catagory. Blaming West Virginia is useless, since Oregon never would be able to get the Big East's spot and the Big East's representative is in the "Top 12"(and haven't finished less than that in the average of their last 4 years).

[DanS]

I don't think Oregon has anybody to blame. I wouldn't even blame themselves, besides of course the USC game. But if they need to blame anybody, blame West Virginia. That's the worst BCS team that I've seen so far. I don't know why you're trying to dress up the pig.

[Drake Tungsten]

A lot of people think Oregon is pretty crappy and overrated so I don't think it's a big deal.

It's rare for the annual BCS *****fest to revolve around a legitimately important issue. Last year was an exception.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by DanS
I don't think Oregon has anybody to blame. I wouldn't even blame themselves, besides of course the USC game. But if they need to blame anybody, blame West Virginia. That's the worst BCS team that I've seen so far. I don't know why you're trying to dress up the pig.

Why in the world would a team in the Pac10, trying for an at large bid blame the conference champion of ANOTHER conference, a spot they would have had no way of winning?

Its like if the Chargers missed the playoffs and blamed the Patriots, because San Diego had a better record than New England. It's silly because San Diego is in no way able to get that spot... its reserved for division winners.

[DanS]

The obvious response is that college football isn't like the NFL. Your analogy is pretty bad.

The bowls want the best teams, insofar as it is consistent with college football tradition and good business sense. West Virginia is the least attractive team in the mix.

[reismark]

Agreed with Dan S all the way. If the college game was like the pros, there'd be a playoff system rather than the BCS and we likely wouldn't be dealing with a lot of this nonsense.

And to answer your question: If a conference that sucks (the Big East) is promised an automatic spot no matter how terrible the team representing the conference may be, it's one less at-large spot that's available to the better teams in other conferences.

This is why I have a huge problem with conference championship games as they're handled - there should be no divisions and the top 2 teams after tiebreakers should be playing for the titles. If that happens, neither Colorado nor Florida State would be anywhere near the BCS (we'd be getting Texas/Texas Tech & Virginia Tech/Miami instead) thus providing better matchups.

I hope to god West Virginia loses this week. It would just be more proof in the pudding that they, not Notre Dame, are the ones to blame.

[Drake Tungsten]

Why is anyone to blame? The Fiesta Bowl is going to pick Notre Dame because of their name and tradition, which will draw more TV viewers, over an Oregon team that has had a better season, but doesn't have nationwide popularity. So what? Is this turn of events really so terrible that we need to turn an uninvolved West Virginia team into a scapegoat?

[Imran Siddiqui]

The bowls want the best teams, insofar as it is consistent with college football tradition and good business sense.

Exactly... money trumps talent.

If a conference that sucks (the Big East) is promised an automatic spot no matter how terrible the team representing the conference may be, it's one less at-large spot that's available to the better teams in other conferences.

As a division champion who sucks is one less wild card spot available to the better teams?

The only reason the NFL analogy 'sucks' to you is because it hurts your case to try to blame West Virginia. What is exactly is the difference between a Patriots team with a worse record who wins the AFC East than a San Diego team who misses out on the wild card and the situation with West Virginia?

If it helps you can think of the BCS bowls as the first round of the NFL playoffs and then it stops there.

we need to turn an uninvolved West Virginia team into a scapegoat?

Apparently reismark need to do that, so his precious Notre Dame doesn't get the brunt of the blame from Oregon and the Pac 10 (who will be engaged in blaming nevertheless).

[Guynemer]

Oregon, better season than Notre Dame? Debatable. A better record, yes, but in exceeding expectations, capturing imaginations, and overall level of play against level of competition, I'd give the Irish the nod.

But your earlier point is well-taken. Of BCS debates, this is rather trivial. It appears that this might be the first year in quite some time that the BCS accomplishes its primary objective without any controversy whatsoever. (Now watch the Buffs and Bruins pull the impossible upsets.)

[DanS]

It was tough this year for Oregon to get out from under the shadow of USC, at least for me. That they lost 45-13 at home against USC pretty much took them off my radar of elite teams for the rest of the season, in similar fashion to ND's 34-31 loss at home to USC that put ND on my radar. OSU was already on my radar and its 25-22 loss at home to Texas solidified my high opinion of them.

Also, controversially around here, VaTech's drubbing at the hands of Miami and Vick's 4 picks against Maryland solidified my low opinion of them. LSU's frustrating win at Arizona State (AZ State handed LSU the game) solidified my low opinion of them.

[Drake Tungsten]

Oregon, better season than Notre Dame? Debatable. A better record, yes, but in exceeding expectations, capturing imaginations, and overall level of play against level of competition, I'd give the Irish the nod.

Notre Dame has only beaten three teams with winning records (and two of those, BYU and Navy, barely have winning records at 6 wins a piece) and lost to a 5-6 Michigan State team. They may have exceeded expectations, but I really can't see how anyone can argue they've had a better season than an Oregon team that has run the table in a tough Pac 10 save for a loss to the number one team in the country.

But your earlier point is well-taken. Of BCS debates, this is rather trivial. It appears that this might be the first year in quite some time that the BCS accomplishes its primary objective without any controversy whatsoever.

I believe a lot of the past BCS controversy has been manufactured just for controversy's sake. This year is just a particularly egregious example.

[Guynemer]

Pac 10 was rather meh this year, apart from USC, Oregon, and UCLA. Arizona State looked real good early on, but then imploded after that tough loss to USC (much like MSU imploded after their tough loss to Michigan). There aren't any other schools out in the Pac 10 that worry me at all, honestly. Head to head, I'd be pretty surprised if Oregon beat Notre Dame (or Wisconsin, or Michigan, for that matter).