College Football 2010: So it begins

[Guynemer]

Frankly, if your team had lost, what is it, two games in the past five years?, and had never received serious consideration for a national title slot, I think you'd be a bit annoyed as well.


Thankfully, as a Michigan fan, I do not have this problem.

[Boris Godunov]

Who hasn't considered it? Receiving first place votes in the polls is being considered.

[Imran Siddiqui]

On the contrary, they do. AP voters are specifically instructed to "pay attention to head-to-head results."

How does pay attention = make it mandatory?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Frankly, if your team had lost, what is it, two games in the past five years?, and had never received serious consideration for a national title slot, I think you'd be a bit annoyed as well.

Well if they played in a decent conference....

If you play in a mid-major, it is no surprise that you have to climb up the rankings until you are considered like the big boys.

[Tuberski]

Settle down, princess. Nobody said joining a BCS conference was an easy process. Utah, South Florida and others have managed it, though. Not easy isn't the same as impossible. Similarly, if the conference schedule is holding them back, going independent might deserve consideration. Find as many BCS teams as will play them, and backfill the rest with the same creampuffs they play in conference now (or other creampuffs, won't really matter). At the very least, they could use their entire OOC schedule to play the best teams possible. There are 60 or so BCS teams out there. Not being able to find four that will play them is laughable. Instead, BSU filled the other two spots with Toledo and Wyoming. Last year, they supplemented the Oregon game with Miami (OH), Bowling Green, Tulsa and UC-Davis. They've played six ranked (at the time, to be generous to BSU) teams in the last four years, and two of those were TCU in a bowl. Until they show that they can beat good teams consistently (week after week, not once or twice a year), they're going to find themselves questioned, no matter how good they are. I guess it's easier to waltz through the WAC, then cry about how nobody respects you.

Are you really that stupid?

Utah didn't just decide to join the PAC-10(12) conference, they were invited to join the conference because they brought a good sized market to the conference, not because Utah decided to. Boise State wasn't asked for the same reason BYU wasn't asked, they don't add a significant market.

Now if Boise ever refused an invite, then I'd agree with you.

As far as going independent, let's see if BYU has a decent schedule next year to see if it's possible.

ACK!

[Guynemer]

Let's also not forget that Boise State is moving to the Mountain West, which appeared to be on-track to a BCS berth, and is (at minimum) significantly better than the Big East (and possibly the ACC as well) this season, and even better in seasons past.

And then, of course, as soon as they jump up a league, two of top teams in the Mountain West jump ship.

[Solomwi]

Are you really that stupid?

Utah didn't just decide to join the PAC-10(12) conference, they were invited to join the conference because they brought a good sized market to the conference, not because Utah decided to. Boise State wasn't asked for the same reason BYU wasn't asked, they don't add a significant market.

Now if Boise ever refused an invite, then I'd agree with you.

As far as going independent, let's see if BYU has a decent schedule next year to see if it's possible.

ACK!

How does that contradict anything in my post? I understand how conference expansion works, and what primarily drives it. As I said before, it doesn't really matter to me why they play such a soft schedule. First, as long as they play it, they deserve the backseat status that goes along with it. Second, if they want to change that, there are steps that can be taken. They don't have to sit back and wait for an invitation. They can market themselves to any major conference they feel they might be a fit for. One that arguably fits the bill would presumably like to get back in the conference championship game business. I understand that the number one expansion factor is stacked against them, but that's where Bleymaier needs to earn his pay. Or take one of the non-realignment routes I mentioned.

Of course, that assumes Boise actually wants to change its status, which I'm not sure is the case. Right now, they have an easy road to a lucrative bowl game, get to pile up a stellar record against their joke of a schedule, and can save everything for a couple of big games a year, then sit back and watch the talking heads whine for them. Sure, they'd love to get into the BCSCG someday, but until everything falls just right, they'll sacrifice that for the sweet gig they have on hand.

[Tupac Shakur]

Boise State wasn't asked for the same reason BYU wasn't asked, they don't add a significant market.

BYU wasn't invited to the Pac-10 because they're Mormon; BYU delivers a hell of a lot more TV viewers than either Utah or Boise State.

[Tuberski]

BYU would deliver the same market as Utah, but you are correct about the viewers, and why Utah was taken over BYU (mormons).

ACK!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Whoa...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5756898

Big East wants to add two more football schools with the main focus on getting TCU! That'd be quite a coup!

[SlowwHand]

Pretty cool. A private college that hasn't done much of anything for around 45 years, but now after 2-3 years of success, they're a coup. Bob Lilly must be proud.

[Guynemer]

Whoa...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5756898

Big East wants to add two more football schools with the main focus on getting TCU! That'd be quite a coup!

What the ****ing ****?

[Al B. Sure!]

From cited article:

Former Big East member Temple is a possible backup plan if Villanova decides not to move up because the Owls play in an NFL stadium (Lincoln Financial Field)

[Tupac Shakur]

BYU would deliver the same market as Utah

No. BYU is the more popular university within the state of Utah, and has a far greater fanbase outside the state. They are clearly the superior pick in terms of potential revenue generation, but the Pac-10 schools couldn't look past BYU's religious affiliation.

edit: To use an analogy that might make my point more clearly, saying Utah delivers the same market as BYU is like saying Michigan State delivers the same market as Michigan. Sure, they're in the same state, but one school is clearly the bigger draw.

[Boris Godunov]

So Jake Locker is out due to cracked ribs and the Huskies will be starting a Redshirt Freshman in his first collegiate game on Saturday against Oregon at Autzen.

Poor little fellah.