Well, except for the Pac-10 being ranked below the Big East this year, there are no surprises otherwise.
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
Other than USC, who does the PAC 10 have? The PAC 10 falls to worse than the MAC without USC this year. The PAC 10 was 1-6 vs the MWC.
The Big East had a lot of teams hovering in the ORV.
Besides, take it while you can. The Big East has a 0.5259, earning BCS merits by by own numbers. When was the last time I was on the side that the Big East deserves a BCS automatic qualification?
Zac
· 11 months ago
Ben, to be perfectly honest with you, I don't believe in this BCS, automatic, birth thing. I think invites to the big bowls, to any bowl for that matter, should be earned regardless of conference affiliation. Yes, I pull for the Big East, because that's the conference within which my team is a member. That said, I'd like to think I have enough honor to realize when it's neither their year nor the conference's year. I don't want the Big East to always and forever be the best, most dominant conference. I don't care if the MWC or even the WAC is better. All I want to see for the Big East is consistency and respect. A NC for WVU would also be nice, but the former would be sufficient.
FSU_Ben
· 11 months ago
Heh "BCS automatic birth" :P
Not a grammar nazi just thought that was a funny mistype.
Zac
· 11 months ago
I've said it before, spell check don't save my as...
Zac
· 11 months ago
Oh, the only reason I managed to be 1st on a blog a couple of times this week, I've been sick as a friggen dog since Sunday. Man, I hope none of ya get this. Talk about hang'n on & grab'n the energy and run... Yeeesh!
Regan
· 11 months ago
Sorry, dude; look at the bright side - Bowl Season starts tomorrow with the EagleBank (WF/NAVY)...see if you can stay home until Jan 9th. :)
Zac
· 11 months ago
Now I gotta check, but didn't Wake & Navy play this year already?
Clemson_Joe
· 11 months ago
Yep. Skinner threw 4 interceptions (which will not happen again), and Navy took it 24-17. There are at least 2 match ups of the bowls that already happened this year. Air Force and Houston is the other. I'm not positive if there are any more than that, but I really wish they wouldn't repeat match ups from the same season.
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
two or three per year is not bad, with 34 of them.
Besides, it gives us a measure of the variance inherent to the game.
FSU_Ben
· 11 months ago
Very interesting article though we should be talking about ND's automatic bid! Look at the independants average :P. This whole discussion of earning it becomes rathar moot when ND get's an automatic bid!
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
Though Navy contributes some, Notre Dame accounts for all of the independents points. Considered as a conference of one team Notre Dame has a score of 0.5040, which can be found in the link.
2005 and 2006 were good years for Notre Dame.
Tommy_Trojan
· 11 months ago
The "Conference Criteria" doesn't get over until all the bowl games are done. Contrary to what Ben Prather understands, "Good" football programs improve as the season winds down, and bad ones get worse. The cream always rises to the top. While we're riding high on some of the MWC's early wins - I am of the opinion that they may not win any bowl games at all. TCU has their best shot. Even still - Boise State could hand them their lunch. The Pac 10 on the contrary, looks set up very nicely, and if Oregon takes out Oklahoma State like I think that they will - that conference may go unbeaten.
So, the point of this thread is absolutely meaningless, until all Bowl games are completed. We'll all know a whole lot more, about where all of these conferences really stand, once all the dust has settled.
I think that in some of the key games that Prather is so concerned about that it could end up like this:
Arizona hammers B.Y.U. Fresno State is likely to beat Colorado State T.C.U. should beat Boise State (but this is certainly not a lock) California will probably destroy Miami (Fla.) Oregon will dismantle Oklahoma State (like every good team has) Air Force has a chance against Houston Oregon State will beat down Pittsburgh Southern Cal is the prohibitive choice to bury Penn State The Tide will Roll over Utah (Utah will get beatdown in this one - This years BCS joke game)
Maybe I'm being a homer here. Not trying to. But, it sure looks to me like the PAC 10 is gonna do a whole lot better than the MWC is gonna do in these games. I could be wrong - but I really doubt it. So, we've withstood a whole year of MWC blabbering (at the expense of the PAC 10), only to find out that nothing has ever really changed. Except for the fact, that both Oregon and Oregon State now have established QB's, something that they did not have entering the season.
Hotty_Toddy
· 11 months ago
TT -
If that's true, then Ole Miss should be in the top five. lol
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
The point of the thread is to use the BCS criteria to measure the conferences when considering automatic qualifications. The criteria are:
1) The highest ranked team in the final BCS standings 2) The ranks of all teams in the conference in the computer polls after the REGULAR SEASON 3) the number of top 25 teams in the final BCS standings.
The BCS criteria do not include the bowls at all.
I do plan on issuing a final report card after the final exams come in, with the challenge cup standings counting for 25% of the final grade.
Tommy_Trojan
· 11 months ago
Ben:
The Final BCS Criteria should definately use the Bowl games. Why shouldn't they?
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
Well now, here we agree 100%
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
I was wrong about BYU. You were wrong about Fresno.
I got Miami and Oklahoma State picked. The ACC is undervalued and the Big 12 south was tough. Penn State and Utah I picked as upsets.
1-1 with 4 left to go.
My official Sugar Bowl prediction is Utah 17 Alabama 24, reflecting my thoughts on the relative strength of the teams.
I will agree the MWC is not set up as well as last year and thought 3-2 would be a good turn out this year. I would have said the same about the PAC 10, 3-2.
Of all the MWC teams, BYU always hurts the least when they lose.
Tommy_Trojan
· 11 months ago
Ben:
Miami is gonna be missing their starting QB (Marve) along with about three more guys that got suspended today. They'll be buried by California. They don't even have a prayer. Oklahoma State is overrated and Oregon is underrated. Oregon will destroy Oklahoma State. Oregon always plays Oklahoma pretty well and the Cowboys are no Oklahoma. Oregon is way too big and physical for Oklahoma State to handle. Mark that one down. While Oregon will be running the track meet that the Cowboys are so used to - Oklahoma State is not gonna be able to get off the ball at all. Oregon will be the most physical team that the Cowboys have seen. It's Curtains for certain.
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
Your analysis makes sense. I never let my sense trump my passion.
Tommy_Trojan
· 11 months ago
Ben:
Although it wasn't quite the blowout that I had inticipated - I'll take the Cal win over Miami. Actually lost some dough on that one. The spread was -8. But, as well as the ACC has been playing it's a good win for the Bears. Florida State looks like a team that is gonna have to be reckoned with next year. So, that's 2-0 and your MWC is 2-1 so far. I can clearly see Air Force getting you another win. Who knows, Maybe the Utes, pull a shocker. I know that Oregon State is a grind it out kinda team - and Utah pulled that one out. So, I'm not so sure that Alabama's style is gonna catch Utah unprepared.
Ben Prather
· 11 months ago
I agree with the Florida State assessment, but Notre Dame was the real surprise this bowl season. While a solid win was not completely unexpected, complete domination was not. If they can built on this solid performance they could be back to Notre Dame form next year.
Air Force's odds are clearly better than Utah's odds, but neither game is certain.
Utah and Alabama are both grind it out kind of teams, as is TCU. We are better prepared for Alabama's style than we would be for Florida's, Oklahoma's, Texas' or even USC's style.
It is Boise State that does not usually see this style of play.
What about the Big East at 2-0? Rutgers may be ending that run.
All Comments
The Big East had a lot of teams hovering in the ORV.
Besides, take it while you can. The Big East has a 0.5259, earning BCS merits by by own numbers. When was the last time I was on the side that the Big East deserves a BCS automatic qualification?
Not a grammar nazi just thought that was a funny mistype.
Besides, it gives us a measure of the variance inherent to the game.
2005 and 2006 were good years for Notre Dame.
So, the point of this thread is absolutely meaningless, until all Bowl games are completed. We'll all know a whole lot more, about where all of these conferences really stand, once all the dust has settled.
I think that in some of the key games that Prather is so concerned about that it could end up like this:
Arizona hammers B.Y.U.
Fresno State is likely to beat Colorado State
T.C.U. should beat Boise State (but this is certainly not a lock)
California will probably destroy Miami (Fla.)
Oregon will dismantle Oklahoma State (like every good team has)
Air Force has a chance against Houston
Oregon State will beat down Pittsburgh
Southern Cal is the prohibitive choice to bury Penn State
The Tide will Roll over Utah (Utah will get beatdown in this one - This years BCS joke game)
Maybe I'm being a homer here. Not trying to. But, it sure looks to me like the PAC 10 is gonna do a whole lot better than the MWC is gonna do in these games. I could be wrong - but I really doubt it. So, we've withstood a whole year of MWC blabbering (at the expense of the PAC 10), only to find out that nothing has ever really changed. Except for the fact, that both Oregon and Oregon State now have established QB's, something that they did not have entering the season.
If that's true, then Ole Miss should be in the top five. lol
1) The highest ranked team in the final BCS standings
2) The ranks of all teams in the conference in the computer polls after the REGULAR SEASON
3) the number of top 25 teams in the final BCS standings.
The BCS criteria do not include the bowls at all.
I do plan on issuing a final report card after the final exams come in, with the challenge cup standings counting for 25% of the final grade.
The Final BCS Criteria should definately use the Bowl games. Why shouldn't they?
I got Miami and Oklahoma State picked. The ACC is undervalued and the Big 12 south was tough. Penn State and Utah I picked as upsets.
1-1 with 4 left to go.
My official Sugar Bowl prediction is Utah 17 Alabama 24, reflecting my thoughts on the relative strength of the teams.
I will agree the MWC is not set up as well as last year and thought 3-2 would be a good turn out this year. I would have said the same about the PAC 10, 3-2.
Of all the MWC teams, BYU always hurts the least when they lose.
Miami is gonna be missing their starting QB (Marve) along with about three more guys that got suspended today. They'll be buried by California. They don't even have a prayer. Oklahoma State is overrated and Oregon is underrated. Oregon will destroy Oklahoma State. Oregon always plays Oklahoma pretty well and the Cowboys are no Oklahoma. Oregon is way too big and physical for Oklahoma State to handle. Mark that one down. While Oregon will be running the track meet that the Cowboys are so used to - Oklahoma State is not gonna be able to get off the ball at all. Oregon will be the most physical team that the Cowboys have seen. It's Curtains for certain.
Although it wasn't quite the blowout that I had inticipated - I'll take the Cal win over Miami. Actually lost some dough on that one. The spread was -8. But, as well as the ACC has been playing it's a good win for the Bears. Florida State looks like a team that is gonna have to be reckoned with next year. So, that's 2-0 and your MWC is 2-1 so far. I can clearly see Air Force getting you another win. Who knows, Maybe the Utes, pull a shocker. I know that Oregon State is a grind it out kinda team - and Utah pulled that one out. So, I'm not so sure that Alabama's style is gonna catch Utah unprepared.
Air Force's odds are clearly better than Utah's odds, but neither game is certain.
Utah and Alabama are both grind it out kind of teams, as is TCU. We are better prepared for Alabama's style than we would be for Florida's, Oklahoma's, Texas' or even USC's style.
It is Boise State that does not usually see this style of play.
What about the Big East at 2-0? Rutgers may be ending that run.