The College Football Thread 2006

[reismark]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
[Ok, more like Louisville, but let me dream]

What's to dream? The West Virginia loss today officially gave Rutgers control of its own destiny. Beat West Virginia next week and Rutgers goes to the BCS. Rutgers and Louisville would share the Big East title but Rutgers would go to the big bowls thanks to the win over the Cardinals.

And West Virginia proved in spades today that they're beatable. If SOUTH FLORIDA can beat them in Morgantown, Rutgers can.

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
(Assumption is that the conferences and ND will not allow Michigan and ND to play again in a bowl as they have already played in the regular season)

That's going to be one of the real tough questions to answer when it comes down to it. The Rose Bowl has a lot of power in the BCS scheme (why else, under the new guidelines, would the Rose, in position to lose both its representatives, get to replace them both before the other bowls have a stab at everyone else?) and I'm not sure if a Michigan/ND rematch being blocked would be an automatic, especially considering cash-cow ND is one of the teams in question. It's a 50-50% proposition as far as I'm concerned.

On the other hand, though, you might be right about LSU being the big beneficiary of such a decision. Florida *might* be able to hang on for an at-large if they lose to Arkansas, but Arkansas has to win to get into the BCS after today. WVU's out of the at-large picture, Wisconsin is shut out to the limits on reps per conference, and LSU is certainly gonna hurdle Louisville with the win today.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by reismark
What's to dream? The West Virginia loss today officially gave Rutgers control of its own destiny. Beat West Virginia next week and Rutgers goes to the BCS. Rutgers and Louisville would share the Big East title but Rutgers would go to the big bowls thanks to the win over the Cardinals.

As I said, let me dream.

And West Virginia proved in spades today that they're beatable. If SOUTH FLORIDA can beat them in Morgantown, Rutgers can.

And Rutgers lost to Cincinnati, a team WVU beat by 18 (Rutgers beat South Florida by 2). It was the classic looking ahead game, and WVU will be fired up next week.

That's going to be one of the real tough questions to answer when it comes down to it. The Rose Bowl has a lot of power in the BCS scheme (why else, under the new guidelines, would the Rose, in position to lose both its representatives, get to replace them both before the other bowls have a stab at everyone else?) and I'm not sure if a Michigan/ND rematch being blocked would be an automatic, especially considering cash-cow ND is one of the teams in question. It's a 50-50% proposition as far as I'm concerned.

It's a cash cow for the Rose, at the expense of the other bowls. As for the Rose having power in the BCS scheme, everyone has that power if their tie in goes to the championship game... it's the Rose was the only one with two conferences being tie ins. I'm not exactly sure anyone wants to see Michigan play ND again... but yes, the Rose may want the extra moolah.

On the other hand, though, you might be right about LSU being the big beneficiary of such a decision. Florida *might* be able to hang on for an at-large if they lose to Arkansas, but Arkansas has to win to get into the BCS after today. WVU's out of the at-large picture, Wisconsin is shut out to the limits on reps per conference, and LSU is certainly gonna hurdle Louisville with the win today.

I think LSU hurdles Louisville (though I think that doesn't matter because Louisville wins the BE) but they were high before and both losses were fairly early in the year.

[SlowwHand]

High before? Can they pass a drug test?

[Drake Tungsten]

It tells teams like Boise State and Utah that, even though you are undefeated you don't deserve a "good" team to play.

I don't see how Oklahoma can be considered a "bad" team to play. They'd be 11-1 right now if the refs hadn't screwed them at Oregon...

You may have a point if Nebraska is the one who goes to the Fiesta Bowl, though.

[SlowwHand]

Boise St. can't/won't whine at all about playing in Fiesta Bowl. It's not a blow off game.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Boise St. can't/won't whine at all about playing in Fiesta Bowl. It's not a blow off game.

They may get a blow off opponent however.

Don't you find it funny that both non-BCS teams have gone to the Fiesta bowl?

They did say, however, that the Orange bowl "might" consider Boise State.

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

Don't you find it funny that both non-BCS teams have gone to the Fiesta bowl?

Given that they're both from the Rocky Mountains, no, I don't. It's the logical venue, geographically. How many fans are Utah or Boise State going to send to the Sugar or Orange Bowls?

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Don't you find it funny that both non-BCS teams have gone to the Fiesta bowl?

Given that they're both from the Rocky Mountains, no, I don't. It's the logical venue, geographically. How many fans are Utah or Boise State going to send to the Sugar or Orange Bowls?

You are asking how many people would want to leave Utah and Idaho for a football game? In January?

Own Goal!

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

No, I'm asking whether it makes better economic sense to host Utah and Boise State in the relatively nearby Fiesta Bowl or the distant Sugar and Orange Bowls...

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
No, I'm asking whether it makes better economic sense to host Utah and Boise State in the relatively nearby Fiesta Bowl or the distant Sugar and Orange Bowls...

Which explains why, obviously, Pitt went to the Fiesta Bowl.

ACK!

[Drake Tungsten]

You can't always place teams in the most geographically convenient BCS bowl. Utah just happened to go undefeated in a year when the Fiesta Bowl was available (forced?) to take them and Pittsburgh.

Also, the Big East isn't tied to any particular bowl, so its champion is just as subject to placement politics as at-large teams from the Mountain West and WAC are...

[MRT144]

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Wisconsin
4. USC
5. Florida
6. Boise State
7. Louisville
8. Oklahoma
9. Rutgers
10. Arkansas

[SlowwHand]

AP is out.

[Eroberer]

Arg, rankings are getting tedious, because my focus has shifted to college basketball. That Florida - Kansas game will be one of the best all year. Great show! Football:

1) OSU
2) Michigan
3) USC
4) Florida
5) Louisville
6) LSU
7) Wisconsin
8) Oklahoma
9) Arkansas
10) Boise State

I had to boot WVU, unfortunately. The SEC is CLEARLY the best conference in the land.

[SlowwHand]

2nd best, maybe. Big 12 is best.