On the BCS and Bowl Selection Committees

by cougfan on Dec 6, 2009 6:48 PM PST Comment 13 comments

If you haven't seen the bowl selections yet, here they are:

Citi BCS National Championship Game
Texas vs. Alabama

FedEx Orange
Iowa vs. Georgia Tech

Tostitos Fiesta
Boise State vs. TCU

Allstate Sugar
Florida vs. Cincinnati

Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi
Ohio State vs. Oregon

I'm going to ignore the Rose and Orange bowls and focus on the other 3 bowls involving teams that have legitimate gripes with the BCS.

What the BCS, and specifically the selection committees, did here was set themselves up for a "we told you so" moment and essentially created the matchups in order to shed the system in the best light. Specifically, the Boise State-TCU matchup highlights what's wrong with the system and the screwing non-BCS conference schools get.

Here's what the BCS wants to happen, in my mind:

BSU-TCU: Who cares, one of the smaller teams takes out the other undefeated team

FLA-CINCY: Florida takes out Cincy

This leaves the Alabama-Texas winner the undisputed national title winner in the minds of those that run the BCS.

It's a shame they don't even have a plus one system this year because Texas, Alabama, TCU, and Boise State or Cincy (probably the latter), could really make for some entertaining games. Instead, we get the same junk again and two non-BCS teams playing each other instead of getting a shot at the big boys. The system is broken and has always been broken. Unfortunately, the money invested in the bowls and the current system will prevent it from being fixed anytime soon.

I'll take my tinfoil hat off now and hope Cincy beats Florida and that TCU-BSU is an entertaining game, causing BCS chaos. I really have no interest in watching B12 vs SEC football for the national title as it stands now.

Also, if you like cheap entertainment remember to follow @insidetheBCS on twitter. In order to make it easier to see what people think, check out this insidetheBCS twitter search. The public has spoken and they are pissed.

1	Alabama	13-0	1	2841	.9968	1	1470	.9966	1.0000	2	.998
2	Texas	13-0	2	2721	.9547	2	1409	.9553	.9200	3	.943
3	Cincinnati	12-0	4	2467	.8656	4	1280	.8678	.9300	5	.888
4	TCU	12-0	3	2579	.9049	3	1336	.9058	.8400	4	.884
5	Florida	12-1	5	2395	.8404	5	1240	.8407	.9100	1	.864
6	Boise State	13-0	6	2358	.8274	6	1216	.8244	.7800	6	.811
7	Oregon	10-2	7	2130	.7474	7	1096	.7431	.7800	7	.757

Edit: Added the final standings for the top teams. Notice Cincy was ranked 2nd by the computers and one loss Florida was ranked ahead of TCU. They also have Oregon and Boise State equal and well behind the rest. I'd love to know how the computers rank, too.

This FanPost does not necessarily reflect the views of the site's writers or editors, who may not have verified its accuracy. It does, however, reflect the views of this particular fan, which is just as important as the views of our writers or editors.

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Comments

I hope Cinci wins

and I hope that either BSU dominates TCU or vice-versa, while the national championship game is a low scoring close game…

That way we’ll have two undefeated teams that just dominated in bowl games and undefeated team that barely won it’s national championship.

by Roy Weaver Stuckey on Dec 6, 2009 7:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Pretty much the scenario I'd like to see

Other than seeing the bowls set up in a better way, I’d love to see Cincy bring it to Florida and I could see TCU dominating BSU. If Cincy destroys Florida, you’ll hear people wondering what Cincy would’ve done to Alabama, too.

by cougfan on Dec 6, 2009 7:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What. A. Joke.

CougCenter

by Jeff Nusser on Dec 6, 2009 8:46 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I just don't see why they wouldn't give the little guys a shot at the big boys

One of the best bowl games in recent memory, if not every, was BSU-Oklahoma. The game was entertaining throughout, especially at the end, and was a big David and Goliath matchup. Why not give us those chances again this year. We have 2, maybe 3, Davids in TCU, Cincy, and BSU. You can pair those with bigger names for what could be great matchups.

Instead, the BCS plays it safe and protects their BCS conference cash cows. What a shame.

by cougfan on Dec 6, 2009 11:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

They don't because they have no incentive.

At least, I don’t think they see the incentive. If they realized that they would get MORE viewers with the David/Goliath games like that classic BSU-OK game, I bet they would be trying harder to get them.

Hooray status quo!

by displacedcoug on Dec 7, 2009 1:13 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Because it's a lose lose...

If BSU, TCU and Cincy all beat Florida, GT and Iowa (for example) then they have a huge nightmare trying to keep these teams out next year. Every time a BSU goes undefeated, they have a gripe. But Boise doesn’t travel as well as Florida, nor do they drive up ratings like Tebow and the rest of the Florida DUI’s. So, when they can force 2 of 3 remaining unbeaten smaller schools to lose, they’ll take it. I’m upset at these matchups mostly because it’s a money grab, and it’s another symbol of college sports having lost their purity.

Besides, that way when these teams clean up again next year they can call it a redemption story and try to build more fake intrigue.

"Attending WAZZU is great preparation for real life. It teaches you not to expect too much."
- Don James.

by B Money on Dec 7, 2009 5:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

To play devil's advocate

If BSU, TCU, and Cincy all go down they can point to the system working by rewarding the power BCS conferences with at large bids in the future and proving that the smaller conference undefeated teams are frauds.

I agree with you, though, that the bowls want teams that travel well, get ratings, and they want to protect their cash conferences.

by cougfan on Dec 7, 2009 11:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

kinda hard for BSU and TCU to both go down...

by displacedcoug on Dec 7, 2009 11:50 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

oh wait.

nevermind. I’m dumb.

by displacedcoug on Dec 7, 2009 11:51 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was under the impression

that the individual bowls get to pick the teams in a draft type format (except for the teams that are designated to some bowls). I read on a BCS bowl projection that the Fiesta Bowl likes interesting matchups that you don’t get to see, and that is why they selected the TCU/Boise matchup. While I will say I think that game will be fun to watch, I would much rather see Boise beat down Iowa and TCU get a shot at Florida or Cinci.

by spencer peaty on Dec 7, 2009 10:25 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

here is a portion of that link

“The Allstate Sugar Bowl has the first pick and will take Florida. The Fiesta Bowl has the next at-large pick. Expect TCU to be that selection. The FedEx Orange Bowl should take Iowa next, but it would not shock me if Penn State is picked instead of the Hawkeyes.

The Fiesta Bowl would have the next selection. The Fiesta will be able to create the first matchup of undefeated teams in a BCS bowl game other than the title game. Look for the Fiesta to take Boise State over Cincinnati. The Broncos travel well and would bring a host of fans to Glendale, Ariz. That would leave the Sugar Bowl to select Cincinnati to face Florida."

Who knew selecting the BCS games was like picking your friends in backyard football?

by spencer peaty on Dec 7, 2009 10:27 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs