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Spr0t
Please let the other thread die. The new BCS is out this week, and here's the Top 16:

1 Ohio State
2 USC
3 Michigan
4 Florida
5 LSU 5
6 Louisville
7 Wisconsin
8 Boise State
9 Arkansas
10 Notre Dame
11 Auburn
12 Oklahoma
13 Rutgers
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>> Anonymous
If Rutgers beats WVU, does that mean that Notre Dame is out of a BCS bowl?

I would love to see those overrated little crybabies left out of a BCS bowl.
>> Anonymous
>>24264
The 10 BCS spots aren't filled, so ND is qualified as long as they stay #14 or better. They're at #10 with no games left, so they get to play in a BCS bowl if one of the bowls pick them. Which is likely due to their drawing power. Figure on the Rose or the Sugar.

Rutgers-WVU has no bearing on ND. It just helps to determine and/or muddle which Big East team will be BCS-bound.
>> Anonymous
NO TEAM IN THE BIG EAST DESERVES A FUCKING BCS BOWL GAME.
>> Anonymous
The BCS system is just a big clusterfuck
>> Anonymous
NEED PLAYOFFS NOW. The BCS is an utter failure.
>> Anonymous
>>24296
Because the BCS system (this year, anyway) doesn't care whether a conference deserves an automatic bid or not, some team from the Big East is going to be in a BCS bowl. Besides, I'd take Louisville, Rutgers or W Va over any team from the ACC.

>>24309
>>24311
Yep, it's a system designed to funnel as much bowl money as possible toward the 6 BCS conferences. There will never be a college football playoff system because the bowls love their monopoly and the BCS conferences love the money they get from the bowls.
>> Anonymous
Would the BCS dare to take THREE Big Ten teams?
>> Anonymous
>>24323
No. By BCS rules, no more than 2 teams from a conference in BCS bowls. Besides, Bucky Badger has already accepted a bid to the Capital One Bowl.
>> Anonymous
>>24272
5 BCS Bowls, 10 Teams

6 BCS Conference Winners (Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma/Nebraska, Louisville/Rutgers, Wake Forest/Georgia Tech, Florida/Arkansas)

4 At Large

Michigan and Boise State have already locked up two of them. Louisville (if Rutgers beats WVU and if Louisville beats Connecticut) and LSU would have the other two automatically.

I may be overlooking one of the new rules or some other factor, though.
>> Anonymous
>>24327
There are no locks except for Conference champions. The ranking mean nothing between #3 and #14, because all the teams are eligible and the Bowl Committees can pick whoever they want.
>> Anonymous
>>24332
It used to be that 1-6 received automatic bids, but I guess they changed that.
>> Anonymous
>>24332
Actually, #3 is a lock if it's a second-place team from a BCS conference. If #4 is a second-place team from a BCS conference, and #3 is not a forced lock as above, then #4 is a lock. This year that means Michigan (currently) is a lock.

But #5-#14 are all eligible. Right now I think it'll be:

OSU
Mich
USC
Fla or Ark
Lou or Rut or WV
Wake or GaTech
OK or Neb
2nd SEC (Fla or LSU)
Boise State

>> Spr0t
WVU isn't getting in.

If Rutgers beats them, Rutgers wins the conference and gets in automatically, with higher-ranked Louisville (?!) getting an at-large. If Rutgers loses, Louisville wins the conference, and no other Big East team gets in.

I'd love to see Notre Dame get nixed, too, but this week #4 plays #9, and #12 plays whatever number Nebraska is. These numbers aren't done.
>> Anonymous
>>24411
If WV beats Rutgers, and UConn beats Louisville, highest BCS-ranked Big East team goes. A loss to UConn might drop Louisville far enough for WV to edge them out, especially if WV wins in a rout.

Even in the event that Rutgers and Louisville win and Louisville rises to #5 past LSU, Louisville is not a safe bet to go BCS bowling. ND and the 2nd SEC team might very well be BCS at-larges, leaving no room for Louisville.
>> Anonymous
Louisville's non conference schedule

Beat Kentucky (7-5) 59-28
Beat Temple (1-11) 62-0
Beat Miami (6-6) 31-7
Beat Kansas State (7-5) 24-6
Beat Middle Tennessee State (7-5) 44-17

That looks pretty fucking impressive to me. Oh, and before everyone picks on the Big East, the rest of the Big East after Louisville is just as good (or bad, I guess) as the Big Ten after Ohio State.
>> Anonymous
>>24433
I agree. The Big East is certainly a better conference this year than the Big 12 and ACC and close to the Big-10. And I'd love to see the Rose match Michigan up against Louisville instead of a ND rematch or an SEC school. But look at it this way: if you're a bowl selector, you want big ratings and a bunch of tickets sold. You have a choice between ND, LSU or Florida, and Louisville - who are you going to choose? Louisville is the unconventional, daring choice, and bowl selectors aren't exactly known for being unconventional and daring.

There aren't enough teams playing this week ranked behind idle ND to force them below #14, so forget about squeezing out ND, they're BCS eligible. If Rutgers and/or Oklahoma lose, they will probably drop below the magic #14.
>> Anonymous
"A complicated set of rules is used to determine which teams compete in the BCS bowl games[1]. Certain teams are given automatic berths depending on their BCS ranking and conference, as follows: The top two teams are given automatic berths in the BCS National Championship Game. The champions of the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, and SEC conferences are guaranteed automatic BCS bowl appearances. The highest ranked champion of a non-BCS conference will receive an automatic berth if it is ranked in the top 12, or ranked in the top 16 and higher than another BCS Conference champion. A special case is made for the independent (non-conference) team Notre Dame, which receives an automatic berth if it finishes in the top eight. If there is an available spot the third-ranked team will receive an automatic berth. Again if there is another available spot the fourth-ranked team will receive an automatic berth.

After the automatic berths have been granted, the remaining berths, known as "at-large" berths, are filled from a pool of teams who are ranked in the top 14 and have at least nine wins. The actual teams that are chosen for the at-large berths are determined by the individual bowl committees."
>> Anonymous
A lot of the BCS foul-ups could have been avoided with one simple rule: If you're not a conference champion, you can't play in the National Championship game.

Unfortunately, as was alluded to during the USC-Notre Dame broadcast Saturday night. at least one conference, most likely one that holds a championship game, vetoed that idea.
>> Anonymous
>>24465

Ought to turn the BCS bowls into an 8-team playoff (6 conf. champs and a pair of good at-larges).
>> Spr0t
>>24465

The counter-argument there is, "What happens if the 2nd best team in the nation is in the same conference?" Kind of like when the 10 best teams in the entire NBA are in the West. What does that leave for the NBA Finals?

I'm not saying I agree with that argument, especially since, in a 12-game schedule with 119 teams, there's no reason for teams to play each other twice. But that's what the arguers are saying.

We don't need a playoff, but did Louisville really need to play Middle Tennessee? I say no.
>> Anonymous
>>24506
It's easier to make that argument if there's more interconference play, or if teams aren't allowed to dip down to 1-AA to fill out their schedules. Given that most teams only play 3 or 4 games outside their conference, I'd say if you can't win the conference, don't even think about playing for the National Championship.

I'd love to see a playoff system, but the bowls control the money and the BCS conferences control the teams, so it's not going to happen.
>> Anonymous
Here's another reason why a BCS bowl would pick a team like non-automatic SEC team like LSU over a non-automatic Big East team like Louisville.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2680928

32,000 pre-sales for a team that hasn't even been officially invited yet? That's insane. But that's exactly what Bowl officials like to see. Businesses in Pasadena are probably drooling at the thought of all those tourists coming from Michigan and Louisiana.
>> Spr0t
>>24532

Are you implying that fans from New Jersey don't travel well?!

Hmm, wait a minute...
>> Anonymous
>>24540
It more he is implying that there aren't any fans in New Jersey.
>> Anonymous
>>24540
>>24550
Actually I think there's enough NJ emigrants in SoCal to make a decent showing at the Rose Bowl, plus whatever Jerseyites plan to make the coast-to-coast trip. Of course if WV beats Rutgers on Saturday, Rutgers will probably drop below the magic #14 and out of any BCS bowl discussions.

I'd personally prefer to see a 1-loss Louisville or Rutgers in Pasadena as opposed to a 2-loss SEC team. But it's hard to argue with 32,000 pre-sales before the end of November and an official invite. If it's possible to buy your way into the Rose Bowl, LSU and their fans may have just done it.
>> Spr0t
>>24553
Where did you get #14 from?

Top 12 are guaranteed slots. Top 16 only if they outrank a conference champion.
>> Anonymous
>>24634
This would be from the BCS rules. I know they change every year as they attempt to fix the usual foulups, but this is the rule for this year:

>At-Large Teams

>If there are fewer than 10 automatic qualifiers, then the bowls will select at-large participants to fill the remaining berths. At at-large team is any Division I-A team that is bowl-eligible and meets the following requirements:

>A. Has won at least nine regular-season games, and
>B. Is among the top 14 teams in the final BCS Standings.

How could top 12 be guaranteed slots when there's only 10 BCS bowl slots available? You might want to read>>24436since its more or less correct (it only misses the part where the locks for #3 and #4 are exclusive - if #3 is a non-champion lock, then #4 is not a lock blah blah.)
>> Spr0t
>>24636

Probably because a team from a non-auto BCS conference need only rank 12 or higher to be guaranteed the slot. Which just goes back to the BCS being a fucked up system.

Imagine if Boise State had been 12, but Notre Dame had been 11? Good times.
>> Anonymous
>>24638
>Imagine if Boise State had been 12, but Notre Dame had been 11? Good times.

Doesn't really change anything. Boise State still gets the have-nots' exemption, and Notre Dame is still eligible and likely to get picked for their drawing power.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2682215

Now it looks like the governor of Louisiana is pitching LSU to the Rose and Orange bowls. The LSU Rose Bowl pre-sale count is at 38,000 and presumably still rising, at $135 a pop.
>> Spr0t
>>24647

It's my understanding-- and the ESPN article only confirms this-- that Kathleen Blanco is a fucking retarded idiot.

When she ran for governor she couldn't even answer the questions on the televised debate. She didn't know what the fuck to do during Katrina. And now she shows so little understanding of football that she's pestering bowl officials in a misguided PR effort?

Hey, Blanco-- LSU didn't even win their fucking division. If (and I mean, WHEN) Florida beats Arkansas this weekend, you're no better than third in your conference. Third doesn't get a BCS bowl. KTHXBYE.
>> Anonymous
>>24654
Seems like this all has to be explained to you. If/when/whatever Florida beats Arkansas, Arkansas will be a 3 loss team and likely out of the top 10. At that point there will be Sugar-bound Florida, and maybe a 2nd SEC team. LSU will be ranked at #5 or #6, with a fanbase that speaks the language of bowl selectors: cold hard cash.

The Rose will pick Michigan, and will have the choice between a Notre Dame ranked in the #10-13 range, the Big East champ, and a 2nd SEC team. Given that the bowls care about money first and an interesting matchup second, what do you think they'll do?

If the 'backs beat Florida, they'll be Sugar-bound, and Florida will probably slip in the rankings from #4 to below LSU. Rose Bowl has the same choice to make - again, what do you think they'll do? (Although this choice is much closer than the other one.)
>> Spr0t
>>24657

Florida will beat Arkansas, and if by some miracle they don't, I contend that Florida will remain higher ranked than LSU.

If Florida wins, it's still possible for Arkansas to remain higher than LSU. They still won their division, after all, and I think you'll recall it was very recently that a #2 ranked team lost... and stayed at #2.
>> Anonymous
>>24658
Currently, the BCS rankings have Florida at #4, LSU at #5, Arkansas at #9, ND at #10 and Auburn at #11.

If Florida loses, the Rose might very well take LSU over Florida or Notre Dame, even if Florida (possibly but improbably) manages to stay above LSU in the rankings. The main question about inviting LSU to Pasadena was: how well will they travel? They seem to have answered that to the tune of 38,000 pre-sales without an official invitation.

Florida may be hurt by Florida State in this decision, since everyone knows that the Seminoles travel poorly. Why take a chance on a team from Florida when you know that LSU fans are ponying up cash just on the RUMOR that they may be coming to Pasadena?

In the event of a Florida loss, the Rose may decide to dodge the LSU-Florida question by making the conventional Notre Dame pick. That would leave the tough choice to another bowl, most likely the Orange, who'd probably take home-state Florida.

If Arkansas loses, they're done. They'll be a 3-loss team and their ranking will probably fall below the Rutgers-WVA winner, Auburn, and maybe Oklahoma, too.

I still think the best FOOTBALL matchup for the Rose would be Michigan and the Big East champ, but that's probably an economically unacceptable decision for the bowl selectors.

And I agree that Blanco's an idiot. But governors are supposed to make misguided PR attempts when it comes to major sporting events, so what are you gonna do?
>> Anonymous
Yeah WVU has no chance. They honestly don't deserve to go to a bowl game anyways. They have great potential but blew it on some key plays. I'd love to see Rutgers beat them and win the Big East but I don't know if it'll happen.

Regardless Louisville doesn't deserve anything. They're an average team who got lucky against WVU and otherwise didn't accomplish anything. They'll just get beat in any bowl game they go to.
>> Anonymous
I think I've figured out a Florida dream scenario. Oddly enough, it requires USC to beat UCLA, but not by much. Since 4 of USC's stronger opponents are playing today (Cal, Ark, OreSt, Neb), if they all lose, USC will be hurt enough in the computers for Florida to overtake them (but probably not overtake Michigan). USC has to beat UCLA by a little and Florida has to pound Arkansas. This will create enough split ballots in pos. 2,3,4 to maybe let Florida sneak into BCS #2 and the NCG. If Florida wins and USC loses, there will probably be too many ballots naming OSU/Mich/Fla in that order to let Florida sneak in.
>> Anonymous
Boise State. :)
>> Anonymous
>>24729
wrong bitch