ARTICLE:'Fresno State might be tough to keep out of BCS bowl'

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'Fresno State might be tough to keep out of BCS bowl'

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Fresno State might be tough to keep out of BCS bowl
Sept. 5, 2001By Dennis DoddSportsLine.com Senior WriterTell Dennis your opinion!

Dodd's mailbagWAC commissioner Karl Benson has more than dreams of Fresno State becoming the first non-Bowl Championship Series school to break through to a BCS bowl. He believes he has proof it will happen. Going off on a rank
It happens every year: A Mid-American Conference team whips up on a BCS conference team or two or three or four. Missouri (by Bowling Green) and Minnesota (by Toledo) have been early victims this year. It will never happen, but if the I-A programs in Michigan and Ohio were forced to play each year, it would look like this:
1. Michigan
2. Toledo
3. Ohio State
4. Western Michigan
5. Michigan State
6. Cincinnati
7. Akron
8. Ohio
9. Miami (Ohio)
10. Bowling Green
11. Central Michigan
12. Eastern Michigan
13. Kent State
After almost folding three years ago when eight members left to form the Mountain West, the WAC might be a litmus test for the BCS this year. Benson's belief is based in part on Senate anti-trust hearings five years ago, instigated by the WAC. Because Benson helped lead that revolt-of-sorts against the bowls and major-college football powers, there is much hope Fresno -- or any overachieving non-BCS program near you -- can make it to a BCS bowl sometime soon. 'People are always speculating,' Benson said of Fresno, which is 2-0 and ranked 19th after upsetting Oregon State. 'If this Fresno team were to go undefeated with it's non-conference schedule and not make it, then you'd have to question if it was possible -- ever (to get in a BCS bowl).' The way things have played out this season, Fresno State is in the most favorable position of any non-BCS program since the system's formation in 1998. It has the schedule (13 games, three against BCS schools) and talent to go undefeated, Steps 1 and 2 in securing one of possibly two at-large BCS bowl spots. 'What it will take is an undefeated team with a good non-conference schedule that can produce computer numbers,' Benson said. The crusade started in 1996, when Benson and the WAC were outraged that then-WAC champion BYU went 13-1 during the regular season and could not crack the lucrative three-game lineup in the Bowl Alliance. The six Alliance berths were then guaranteed to five major- conference champions and one at-large team. Alliance berths went to the likes of No. 8 Florida State, No. 9 Texas and No. 13 Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, BYU was left out of the loop despite a final No. 5 ranking after a Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State. It did not sit well that the Cougars proved themselves on the field and had to settle for a second-level bowl, worth less money, less prestige and less self-esteem. Benson not only complained; he and some western legislators helped convene Senate anti-trust hearings against the bowls. Those hearings got the attention of the alliance commissioners, who began the slow process of at least allowing the WAC and its peers into the loop. 'What the committee told college football is to work things out,' Benson said. 'This didn't need to be at this (federal) level.' During the spring of 1997, the BCS began to take shape with that BYU injustice in mind. 'When they created that first BCS poll, they took BYU's 1996 schedule and performance, so had that been in place, BYU would have gotten in,' Benson said. 'I've said all along for anyone (below the BCS level) to get in, they would have to match what BYU did in 1996.' Guess what non-BCS member best resembles BYU '96 at this moment? Good ol' Fresno State.

The Bulldogs have beaten BCS schools Colorado, Oregon State and have Wisconsin, Colorado State and Utah State left in the non-conference schedule, which is comparable to BYU's in '96. The Cougars played Texas A&M, Arkansas State, Washington, Utah State and UNLV out of conference. It lost only to Washington. 'In the late '70s, there was Florida State, nobody knew about them,' said Fresno coach Pat Hill whose program is in its 10th year in the WAC. 'Why not have a school like Fresno State try? If we do go undefeated ... maybe it is time to see if there is a new and upcoming football team that has a legitimate opportunity to play in the new arena. I'm hoping the schedule we play gives us an opportunity.' The BCS commissioners have thrown up every possible obstacle to keep out the so-called 'non-signatory' leagues (read: no chance at a BCS bowl). The champions of the ACC, Pac-10, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, SEC and, under certain circumstances, Notre Dame are given automatic BCS bowl berths. The 29-year old WAC is in the same boat with mid-majors the MAC, Conference USA and Mountain West. But this year, Benson might get lucky with his Bulldogs breaking out. A non-BCS school must finish in the top six of the final BCS poll to have chance at an at-large BCS bowl. Tulane in 1998 and Marshall in 1999 each went undefeated but didn't get a sniff from the BCS. Tulane finished 10th in the BCS; Marshall finished 12th. Some of the old back-room bowl dealings still exist. Toledo went 10-1 last year (beating Minnesota along the way) and didn't get a single bowl invitation. But this year, two small adjustments might help Fresno get in. The impact of victory margin on the computers has been lessened considerably. The 'quality win' component gives teams credit for victories of top 15 teams in the final BCS poll. Based on its non-conference schedule, Fresno has a chance for four of those quality wins. 'Yeah, oh yeah, they would have beaten teams that had preseason recognition,' said Charles Bloom, an SEC associate commissioner who worked on the original BCS formula. 'It helps Fresno that the scoring margin has been eliminated. If they keep going, Fresno has a decent chance.' Hill's program has come so far so fast that Hill finds it hard to schedule teams that will make a BCS impact.

He said the four Pac-10 teams in his state -- Cal, UCLA, Southern California and Stanford -- are not returning his calls.

'Someday we're going to have 70,000 seats and we'll offer them a $1 million to get some of those games,' Hill said. 'We'll play anybody, anywhere, anytime. We've always said that.

We've played three BCS teams a year for five years now.

We're not afraid to play that type of schedule.

That's the only way we have a chance to do something not only for our conference, but our university.'