Are Scholarship limits and APR's beginning to change things

[EastStang]

Is it just me or are the BCS conferences getting weaker? The PAC-10, Big Ten, ACC, BE, the Big XII north, Notre Dame and even some schools in the SEC are beginning to show that they are not as strong as they used to be. Is this because they are more selective in academic problem children? Or because of the lowering of scholarship levels for football? Or a little bit of both? Seeing Troy almost take out LSU. Washington and WSU in the pillow fight of the week (which I watched for the sheer perverse joy). Michigan losing 9 games. ND losing to Syracuse this year and Navy last year. Wisconsin having problems this year. Tennessee not bowl eligible. ACC with no clear cut strong contender and losing to non-BCS teams. BE like the ACC. The exceptions are the Big XII South and portions of the SEC, but even there as pointed out in another thread, the Aggies are not doing well. And of course you have Utah, Boise, and Ball State all undefeated and wondering why two out of three go to lower bowls than the ACC and BE champs.

[PoconoPony]

Is it just me or are the BCS conferences getting weaker? The PAC-10, Big Ten, ACC, BE, the Big XII north, Notre Dame and even some schools in the SEC are beginning to show that they are not as strong as they used to be. Is this because they are more selective in academic problem children? Or because of the lowering of scholarship levels for football? Or a little bit of both? Seeing Troy almost take out LSU. Washington and WSU in the pillow fight of the week (which I watched for the sheer perverse joy). Michigan losing 9 games. ND losing to Syracuse this year and Navy last year. Wisconsin having problems this year. Tennessee not bowl eligible. ACC with no clear cut strong contender and losing to non-BCS teams. BE like the ACC. The exceptions are the Big XII South and portions of the SEC, but even there as pointed out in another thread, the Aggies are not doing well. And of course you have Utah, Boise, and Ball State all undefeated and wondering why two out of three go to lower bowls than the ACC and BE champs.

It is called parity for all the reasons you point out. Parity in the sense that the perenial bottom of the league teams are getting stronger and recruiting more competitively taking talent from the top teams thereby lowering the over all level of the conference ( more parity) by deminishing the usual talent pool for the historical top teams. In addition, the "have nots/left out" conferences and independents have up-graded their programs taking even more talent/depth from the BCS conferences. This is all the more reason the BCS system is such a joke. Conferences like the ACC and Big East potientially will be represented in BCS bowl games by teams with 3 or 4 losses. In the interim, the "have nots" will beg to get one team into a major bowl and this year and that may be a real problem. Time for the university presidents to support a playoff system.

Look at the joke the Big XII south will be facing to determine their representative to the league championship game. If nothing changes this weekend then 3 teams will end season play with identical 11-1 records. Oklahoma was number #3 in the polls this morning despite having been thoroughly beaten by Texas at a netural site and TT has already been thrown to the dogs. Makes no sense. What if (hypothetical) Oklahoma were to be selected as the south division winner then lose to Mizzou in the championship game. Oklahoma is then thrown to the dogs with 2 losses and out of BCS consideration. Texas and TT are then eligible with 1 loss to go to a BCS game when neither was good enough to play in the championship game. Mizzou, in the mean time, takes 2 losses and an automatic bid into a BCS bowl game. At the same time, Texas and TT with 1 loss may or may not get a BCS bid. Penn State and Oregon State cruise into BCS bowls with no risk as neither conference has a championship game. USC then joins Texas and TT ( potientially Alabama if they are upset by Florida in championship game) and other BCS one(1) loss teams along with the undefeated "have not" teams to see if they will be considered for the remaining 3 slots. Confusing, but not at all fair when teams with 2,3 or 4 losses get automatic bids. With the above scenario very possible, who is going to give Utah or Boise State any consideration?

[davidpaul123]

I think having so many games on TV really makes the difference since now you dont have to go to STATE U or some historic powerhouse to play, be noticed, and get a shot to play at the next level.