your BCS thoughts

[jalbre6]

Does anyone think that Auburn is this year's answer to LSU?

WTF happens if SC, OU, Auburn, and Wisconsin all finish undefeated?

Does Utah or Boise State deserve BCS bids?

Which undefeated team loses first?

[scott]

I think Utah deserves a bid, but partly because I hate UT.

If USC, OU, Auburn, and Wisc all finish undefeated, then hopefully it spurs a debate over a 4 team playoff system.

Right now I think the following will happen:

OU defeats USC in the Orange Bowl and become National Champs
Auburn crushes Texas in the Sugar Bowl
Cal over Wisconsin in the Rose bowl
Virginia over West Virginia in the Fiesta

Depending how close the gap between Auburn and OU is going into bowl week, we could see a split le between Auburn and OU if the Tigers really crush UT (which I think they would).

[Man Mountain]

Have you guys seen Wisconsin play? they are the best team i've seen this season hands down. and its not even close.

[jalbre6]

I think if OU got to play USC, they would get pummelled. Same this if they played Cal. Auburn would give them a run for their money. My prediction: They'll be the odd man out in the top 3 BCS teams. I'm not saying that due to my intense hatred for all things Sooner, but USC is unshakable atop the standings, and Auburn still plays UGA and their conference le game (along w/ 'Bama). OU closes with Nebraska and Baylor, and whatever patsy decides to win the Big 12 North.

Wisconsin isn't as good as OU or SC, but would probably hand Auburn their asses. The only two games I've watched the Badgers in was a very narrow 9-7 win at Arizona and the OSU game a couple of weeks ago. My prediction: They lose to Iowa in their last conference game.

I love UT, but if Utah wins out (which they should) they deserve that BCS at-large bid. Which brings me to my bowl picks:

Orange: USC over Auburn

Sugar: OU over Miami (or UVA, if they can beat the 'Canes)

Fiesta: Utah over WVU

Rose: Cal over Wisconsin

One other thought: It's a shame about the different conference tie-ins, because I'd love to see Texas play Michigan somewhere, if the 'Horns can't nail down a BCS spot..

Of course, we still have two weeks of football, plus conference le games. Anything can happen.

[PeterBurns]

It will be decided this weekend.
If Auburn beats Georgia, watch out.

Auburn has the toughest road. Georgia, then a possible rematch or another matchup with Tenn.

Wisc. has the 2nd hardest round. At Mich. State and At Iowa.

Oklahoma and USC will go undefeated.

There is a very good chance that we will have split NC's again if Auburn wins this weekend.

Ideally, if they all won out.
They should pit Auburn Vs. Wis
then USC Vs. Okla
Then one more game....but that makes too much sense.

[rr2418]

I just hope that everything that should go wrong does go wrong with the BCS. It's a shame that some teams will be left out of the picture. The BCS needs to go, so a playoff system could be implemented. I would love to see a Boise St. vs OU or USC. I know! I know! WTF's wrong with me? But I like the David vs Goliath scenerio.

[FromWayDowntown]

I think it would be interesting to see what would happen if both Oklahoma and Auburn lose before the end of the season.

Could we see a Cal/USC rematch in the Orange Bowl -- after all, Cal is pretty much the only team in the country to do anything with SC (a 3 point win in '03 and a 6 point loss in '04)?

Could we see a Rose Bowl that wasn't a National Championship game, but that didn't involve a Pac-10 team? (Say, Wisconsin vs. Utah?)

Whatever else happens, if Utah remains undefeated, I do think that they've earned their shot. Who cares what conference they play in? They've beaten all comers, including absolute woodsheddings of an A&M team that happened to take OU to the wire and a North Carolina team that beat Miami. Utah might not win it's bowl game, but it certainly deserves a chance to compete.

[JFK]

I think the BCS, the College Fat Cats that run the Bowls have made a joke of the Division 1A game. It has ZERO Credibility and its all a bunch of bull , you lose one game and your season pretty much is down the toilet. Unlike NCAA Basketball where you have the greatest Post Season runs to the le Football is all politics and bull .

Wonder why the College "Polls" and "Rankings" in Basketball don't mean squat?
they have them too, but because of March Madness where you get a team like Xavier go on a tear and people's brackets up, its the greatest thing in the world.
NCAA Football, you lose once and your fighting for a BCS Spot, then lose again a New Years Day Bowl, its stupid.
College Lacrosse has a playoff, College Women's Soccer has a playoff, Division II and III football do too, so I HOPE EVERYTHING GOES WRONG this year with the BCS and I hope there's 3 or More unbeatens with bones to pick and pissed off. This advances the cause for a playoff more.

This year OU will probably be screwed out of the Game because of the Weak BIG XII North team and the Weak schedule they have with cupcakes like Baylor that will drag them down.

Auburn and USC probably will end up playing in the le game if Auburn runs the table and gets out of the brutal SEC, if not then look for Wisconsin to get in perhaps. USC is firmly in there as long as they win out they're in the Orange bowl no matter what.
just OU's chances are in trouble with the computers and all that crap.

lots of those 1 loss teams could raise in a playoff, imagine Cal goin in on a playoff, they'd knock off some people.

whatever happens i hope Texas and WHACK BROWN get screwed out of the BCS

[jalbre6]

I like your thinking, From Way Downtown.

OU will play Nebraska and Baylor still, and should take both behind the woodshed. Then they'll knock off K-State in the le game. If Auburn can beat Georgia, Alabama, and then the West winner (Tennessee, most likely), I think they'll hurtle OU in the BCS standings.

As far as USC, I don't think they'll have much of a problem winning out, with Arizona and UCLA both patsies, but maybe Notre Dame can nut up and do something. My money's against that happening.

Wisconsin is playing like Ohio State a couple years back. Not blowing out everyone they face, but playing harder and using their strengths, making people adjust to them instead of vice versa. It's realistic that six teams can finish out the regualr season undefeated, including Boise State and Utah.

In my mind, I've been equating Cal with Texas, since their only losses are to #1 and #2, respectively. Losing early is way better than losing late, but with so many undefeated teams still around, it's tough to predict where everyone will be sitting when the music stops.

So at least in my mind, if the big Three of USC, OU, and Auburn can survive unblemished, and Wisconsin holds on as well, you face a royal dilemma. Not to mention the entire states of Utah and Idaho talking about getting jobbed. Recent history shows though that with this many teams left looking this pretty, at least one or two of them will get upset. But even if three lose, there are still three teams left undefeated.

I think Utah would actually fare pretty well against pretty much any team besides the two PAC-10 squads. Could you even imagine the uproar in Cali if SC and Cal played for all the marbles in Florida? That might end the BCS fiasco right then and there.

Also, for what it's worth, the most intriguing matchup would be OU vs USC. The two most recent powerhouses in the NCAA need to hook up. I wish they could just deny the Big East their slot and give it to one of these worthy mid-majors.

[jalbre6]

JFK,

Good call with the NCAA hoops comparison. People that don't follow basketball all season all of a sudden turn into bracketheads. Can you even imagine how great a football tourney would be? Give me an eight or sixteen team playoff, fellas. Shorten the regular season to nine games, split the Pac-10 and the Big-10 into divisional conferences, make every major conference have a le game to get a tourney bid, throw in a few at-larges and make some history.

[JFK]

JFK,

Good call with the NCAA hoops comparison. People that don't follow basketball all season all of a sudden turn into bracketheads. Can you even imagine how great a football tourney would be? Give me an eight or sixteen team playoff, fellas. Shorten the regular season to nine games, split the Pac-10 and the Big-10 into divisional conferences, make every major conference have a le game to get a tourney bid, throw in a few at-larges and make some history.

Yeah because a Boise State or a Utah if they're hot can really make trouble for some people, i mean you wouldn't have to scrap the Bowls either use them too and keep going with them


the West Final = Rose Bowl

South Final =Sugar Bowl

SouthWest = Fiesta Bowl

East = Orange Bowl

some like that not necessarily in that order but tweak the bowls and use them as playoffs and neutral grounds or whatever

[jalbre6]

I like the playoff/bowl idea, but one more to pile on, Myles Brand. Put the semifinals and finals in neutral-site campus stadia. Playoff games in Death Valley? The Big House? Neyland? That'd be sweet beyond comprehension.

[scott]

One other thought: It's a shame about the different conference tie-ins, because I'd love to see Texas play Michigan somewhere, if the 'Horns can't nail down a BCS spot..

The only way would be the Alamo Bowl, and that would have to be a pretty big disappoint for Texas fans, because it would mean a 4th place finish in the Big 12.

I think if OU got to play USC, they would get pummelled. Same this if they played Cal.

I'm not nearly as high on the PAC-10 teams as you are, but I never am. USC and Cal are both top quality teams, but I don't think they'd be able to run the table in the SEC like Auburn is doing and I think OU could.

[Jimcs50]

Utah does not deserve it because they schedule dogs in their nonconference schedule.(A&M is down lately so that is why they scheduled them) If you are affraid to play against the big boys, then you do not deserve to play in the big boys Bowls.

[Jimcs50]

I think USC would beat OU, but I think OU has a great chance to win and it would go down to the wire.

[DrRich]

It Sucks!!!! 'nuff said!!!

[JFK]

Utah does not deserve it because they schedule dogs in their nonconference schedule.(A&M is down lately so that is why they scheduled them) If you are affraid to play against the big boys, then you do not deserve to play in the big boys Bowls.

I dunno Jim

I know football is a different sport from Basketball, but in the NCAA's if teams never met you'd think some teams out of like the Sun Belt Conference or some smaller conference couldn't hang with the Majors?

Upsets happen and I believe in a Football playoff you'd get a hot team like Boise State who would play nothing but no names and cupcakes probably catch a team and bite them in the ass.
I know my Michigan Wolverines would probably choke a game away in a playoff.

[FromWayDowntown]

Utah does not deserve it because they schedule dogs in their nonconference schedule.(A&M is down lately so that is why they scheduled them) If you are affraid to play against the big boys, then you do not deserve to play in the big boys Bowls.

That's insane. Utah is a member of a conference and must play against the teams in its conference. When it plays outside of its conference, it scheduled teams from the Big XII, Pac 10, and ACC. Utah played those teams and beat them -- beat them soundly. And, as it turns out, the teams they beat have proven to be good enough to take OU to the wire (A&M) and to beat Miami. What more do you want?

The other part of this is that scheduling is a two-way street. Who says that Utah didn't want games with Texas and Florida State, or comparable teams. What you don't consider, Jim, is that none of the big dogs have any incentive to schedule games with Utah, because a non-conference loss to a good Utah team would sink their chances for a BCS bid. If you schedule non-conference patsies, you're left to just win your conference to get into the BCS, and if you can sweep your conference, you can go to the le game. You don't see many of the schools that are in the running for the le game having great non-conference schedules, and you'd certainly never see any of those schools scheduling non-conference games with mid-major powers like Utah.

Give the Utes a break -- they'd probably win several of the major conferences, and they'd certainly be in the running for a high bowl bid in virtually every other conference.

[jalbre6]

Utah's schedule:

9-2-04 TEXAS A&M (Thur.) WON 41-21
(the Ag's are a legit top 25 team, the Utes biggest W this year)

9-11-04 at Arizona WON 23-6
(not much to note besides being a major conference W on the road, took unbeaten Wisconsin to the wire)

9-18-04 at Utah State WON 48-6
(crappy Sun Belt team)

9-25-04 AIR FORCE WON 49-35
(Usually a good win, but the Zoomies are off this year.)

10-1-04 at New Mexico (Fri.) WON 28-7
(beat middle-of-the-road MWC team in Albuquerque, beat Texas Tech)

10-16-04 NORTH CAROLINA WON 46-16
(another BCS conference W over team that beat Miami, played really tough sked- see losses to Louisville, Fla St, UVA, Va Tech)

10-23-04 UNLV WON 63-28
(they suck, no value here)

10-30-04 at San Diego State WON 51-28
(again, not much value, but the Aztecs almost beat Michigan)

11-6-04 COLORADO STATE WON 63-31
(once again, not much value)

11-13-04 at Wyoming
11-20-04 BRIGHAM YOUNG

I can see why they would get shafted. But if the Utes keep hanging 30-40+ margin victories on the crappy conference teams they're doomed to play, they at least deserve some consideration. Wyoming (who beat Ole Miss) and BYU (who beat Notre Dame) are the two teams in their conference with something on their resumes, and with +.500 records. If the Utes beat them both in decisive fashion, they deserve a BCS bid. Of course, if USC, OU, Wisconsin, and Auburn all finish undefeated, and Texas and Cal win out, there's a better than even chance that Utah will be on the outside looking in. Maybe they can play Boise State, which I think would be a uva game. If Michigan didn't lose to the Irish early on, this would be even uglier.

I really think that a playoff system will overwhelmingly get supported if four or more teams out of the six mentioned finish the pre-bowl season with no losses. FOur major conference champions finish undefeated, and two of them don't get a chance at the le? Or worse if #1 played #2, and #3 played #4, we have yet another split, this time with teams that ran the table? What a ing disgrace.

[PeterBurns]

All great points.

Make sure you call in our show on Sat. Mornings. from 11:00 to 1:30
736-9760

Ticket Tailgaiter.

[DrRich]

OK Mr. Sports Chick,

WHat's the true story behind Bruno leaving? Van Earl Sucks!!!