Why not

[OldPony]

Why aren't people looking at 2 other 1 loss teams, Boise St and Miami O have one loss and Miami O hasn't lost since their first game to Iowa back in August. BSU had only a 2 point loss to Oregon St. No BCS bowls for either though. No non-BCS school can hope for a BCS bowl unless they go undefeated and then its only a maybe. Playoffs anyone?

[Bergermeister]

Nope. Not me.

[HorsePower]

They're not in one of the predetermined BCS conferences. To crash that party, they would have had to run the table and get a lot of teams ahead of them knocked off to even be considered. Personally, I'm glad they didn't make it. Maybe one of these days we'll have a team from a non-BCS conference roll through its schedule undefeated -- and winning its games handily -- and force the abolishmen of this stupid system. They're saying now it's going to be tweaked. Until they tweak it into a playoff system, it will continue to fail.

[DiamondM]

Interestingly, the computers actually had Miami #6 in the BCS but because the people rankings had them low, they have no shot.

People are whining about how screwed up the computers are, and I certainly don't like the BCS, but not because of the computers. Computers do not have the biases that AP writers and coaches do. Computers are at least objective, unlike people, which can produce equally or more flawed results. Why should a loss by USC to Cal (the worst team that any of the 3 lost to) early in the season count less in voters' minds or the computers than a loss in the final game of the season against a great team? The computers treat every loss equally, unlike the fast food drive through poll system that, in addition to bias, has the quirk that an early season loss, however bad, is better than a late season loss because the people in front of you in the polls have plenty of time to lose so you can move up in line. "Thank you, drive through."

What people should be whining about is not that USC, rather than OU or LSU, should be in the championship game, but about how the current system does not have a mechanism for allowing all worthy teams to play for the title (including other 1 loss teams like Miami and BSU and even (ick) TCU). At the very least, the system should have 8 "BCS" bowls, and a playoff with the winners of those bowls, i.e, a 16 team playoff (with automatic berths and at large slots).

It's annoying that it takes a BCS school to get screwed for the big boys to finally comtemplate scrapping the system (after several years of lucking out with only 2 clear title contenders), when the have-nots have been complaining all along. But at least it looks like this will be the beginning of the end.

[OldPony]

Good point Diamond M. The computers were better than the people. Why were none of Miami's victories considered quality. They beat Marshall and BGSU didn't they? Isn't BGSU a top 25 club?
I believe the only way is for a 32 team playoff. At 16, the large conferences will still get all but 2 or 3 of the teams at best. At 32, we would see who was really the best but the big boys don't really want that. At 32, all majors and mid-majors could at least get their conf champ in. I believe if you asked the Ponies, they might tell you that Boise was as good as anyone they played this year. Boise gets the big ole Fart Worth Bowl though. Huge payout for a great season, huh?

[Water Pony]

1. Ten teams in five bowls (rotate Holidiay, Cotton and Capital One/Orlando as fifth bowl)
2. Non-BCS guaranteed one spot (Highest rated)
3. Big East not automatic
4. Require a Conference Championship Game for all Div. 1A conferences
5. Final game is two highest rated teams after the five Major Bowl Games are played (you could rotate Championship Game between major Bowls or put a new Final Two game site up for bid
6. Reduce Regular season to ten games, add Conference Championship game, add a major bowl and finally a National Championship game for a maximum number of games of 13 for final two.
7. No computers

[Greenwich Pony]

Won't happen. Nice idea, but if the Big East loses it's bid, the money for college football will suddenly shrink. Also, no way that colleges go back to ten games, though I think it would make sense. If they stuck to eleven it might work.

[OldPony]

And why does non BCS get only 1 spot? Aren't Miami O and BSU deserving to be in a playoff this year? Would either get in a 10 team playoff? A 10 team playoff is as bad as no playoff for the mid majors. It would only add a sense of legitimacy to the cr&p the BCS has been feeding people anyway.

[GoRedGoBlue]

The crime is not just the BCS bowls, it's the 9-2 NIUs not going to bowls while weak 6-6 Northwesterns and KUs go.

The mid-level bowls should also be in play.

[ProudPonyPa]

DiamondM sez

The computers treat every loss equally, unlike the fast food drive through poll system that, in addition to bias, has the quirk that an early season loss, however bad, is better than a late season loss because the people in front of you in the polls have plenty of time to lose so you can move up in line. "Thank you, drive through."

I disagree. In fact, the BCS computer is more of the drive through effect than the humans. The BCS program, as I understand it, doesn't allow for the fact that a team can improve over time - even in the course of a season. Just cuz a team comes out of the chute strong and another team takes a few weeks to gel does not mean that Team A is better. That is what a playoff will do for you.. see what team is better at the end of the season after growth has occurred.

<small>[ 12-09-2003, 07:55 PM: Message edited by: Javs ]</small>