Rick Reilly, Have a Clue about Boise

Rick Reilly is a columnist for ESPN.com, and he makes periodic appearances on ESPN.  He thrives upon composing humorous and entertainment based sports stories that don’t always hit the main issues themselves.  I have been a strong critic of Reilly’s style for a very long time.  He is a national pundit in every sense of the word; he focuses far too much on general stereotypes and often says things without processing them and the consequences of his statements.

For example, in one ESPN feature, Reilly inadvertently disrespected every US soccer player by speculating about how good the national team would be if players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Ryan Miller, and other star athletes played soccer instead of their own sports.  He sent the message that our current players weren’t the best the country could produce, and I took major offense to that belief and subsequent statement on national television.

In another feature, Reilly degraded the entire Philadelphia fanbase by arguing that Donovan McNabb was mistreated in Philly.  He stated that the fans should be apologizing to McNabb, and that nothing makes them happy. Of course, as with most pundits, one of his major points was that the fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus.  Hey Rick, that happened in the 1960s, get over it.  The fact that he simply stated that Philadelphia fans are not classy was unfounded and unprofessional.

So what must he have done this time to perturb me enough to write a blog entry?  This entry is a response to Rick Reilly’s article on ESPN.com, “Broncos Can’t Buck this Trend” (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5725597).  I recommend reading it, but if you would rather not, here is a general summary.  Reilly believes that Boise State should be ranked above Auburn and Oregon, and should claim the top spot in the BCS rankings.  He feels that the Broncos are consistently disrespected, and argues that the resume of the Broncos trumps that of any other college football team.  If he wants to make that argument, that is fine, but my problem is with the lack of logic and intelligence with which he did so.

First, Reilly argues that Boise should be ranked above Auburn, and gives the stat that Auburn has 13 less wins in the last 5 seasons than Boise.  I have 3 problems with this statement.  First, and most obvious, the rankings are not based upon past years, the rankings are solely based upon what has happened this year.  Second, Auburn plays in the SEC, and doesn’t play Louisiana Tech and Idaho on a yearly basis.  Instead, the Tigers play LSU, Alabama, Florida, and Arkansas on a yearly basis.  Just a hunch, but I feel that playing Idaho and Louisiana Tech each year might lend itself to a few more wins per season than a team playing in the SEC.  So explain the thought process behind that stat, Rick.  Finally, the personnel is completely different at Auburn from even 2 years ago.  Head coach Gene Chizik was hired in 2009 after Tommy Tuberville was fired, and Heisman contender Cam Newton is a first year starter at Auburn.  But clearly, Rick Reilly thought all that through when he decided that the basis for his Boise State over Auburn argument was a difference of 13 wins in the last 5 years.

Second, Reilly defends the Broncos by arguing that they beat Oregon 19-8 last season at home, and that the Ducks undeservingly sit ahead of Boise.  Hey Rick, who was the starting quarterback for Oregon last year?  That’s right, it was Jeremiah Masoli, now the quarterback of Ole Miss.  Rick, meet Darren Thomas, the 2010 starter for the Ducks, who is tearing up the Pac 10 and everyone else right now.  When you make an argument about a head to head matchup, and the starting quarterback isn’t the same for the losing team in a previous season, that is stupid and inane, and has no bearing on anything whatsoever.

Third, Rick Reilly argues that Boise State plays and beats whoever is throw at them.  He states that Boise State beat San Jose State 48-0, and Wisconsin, who beat Ohio State and Iowa, only beat San Jose State by 13.  Compelling argument Rick, but I have a question, where are Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Iowa ranked in the BCS?  10, 11, and 18, respectively.  How about Boise? Number 3.  What exactly are you arguing, Rick?  That Boise should be ranked higher than Wisconsin? Done.  Higher than Ohio State? They already are.  Higher than Iowa?  They have been all year.  How your stat makes an argument that Boise State should be ranked above Auburn and Oregon is beyond me.

Fourth, Reilly argues that since Boise crushed Wyoming 51-6, who almost beat Air Force, who almost beat Oklahoma, Boise could absolutely beat Oklahoma.  Again, my question to Rick is, where is Oklahoma ranked?  That’s right, 9th, 6 spots behind Boise.  Is it me, Rick, or are your arguments becoming less and less relevant as your article continues?

If you didn’t think it could get worse, it did.  He then stated, with regards to Boise State beating Oklahoma, “Oh wait, it already did [happen].”  Rick, that was January 1st, 2007.  Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson are not playing for the Broncos anymore, and Paul Thompson and Adrian Peterson are not playing for the Sooners anymore.  A comparison to a game 4 years ago is completely ridiculous, and is embarrassing to you as a journalist, Rick.

Finally, Reilly argues that Boise would “carve up” the ACC because the Broncos “whipped” Virginia Tech on the road (I have a hard time calling a 33-30 game a “whipping,” and it technically was not a home game for Tech, either).  But Rick, tell me, what team in the ACC is ranked higher than Boise State, thus in your mind disrespecting the Broncos?  None.  Get your facts and logic straight, and then come back to me.

Pardon the point-by-point analysis, but I found nearly everything included in this article to be completely ridiculous and unprofessional in nature.  There was no logic involved, it was simply a biased opinion based upon readily available and popular facts that were thrown together in a way that made no sense whatsoever and negated every one of the points he tried to make.

The fact is that Boise is lucky to be ranked #3.  Missouri is undefeated with more quality wins than Boise State, and Alabama I have ranked ahead of Boise because of 3 quality wins that trump Boise’s top win over Virginia Tech.  So please, Rick Reilly, and all other national pundits who want to make an argument about Boise State, you can make the argument, but before doing so, please, have a clue.

Podcast: 10/25 Sports Blitz

Title: Sports Blitz

In this Bob Long’s Sports Podcast, Chris and I discuss the controversial call in the Steelers Dolphins game this weekend, preview and predict the World Series, analyze the future of the Philadelphia Phillies, and analyze the most recent BCS standings.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-10-25T18_20_00-07_00

Podcast: 10/20 Sports Podcast

Title: 10/20 Sports Podcast

In this Bob Long’s Sports Podcast, Chris and I discuss many issues in sports, including the new BCS rankings, the NHL power rankings, and the issues of headshots and other illegal hits in the NFL.

Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/entry/2010-10-20T14_57_18-07_00

Podcast: 2010 Preseason College Football Predictions

Title: 2010 Preseason College Football Predictions

Bob Long’s Sports Blog’s inaugural podcast, featuring colleague Chris Pierangeli.  The podcast includes analysis and predictions for the upcoming college football season.  Created on August 25, 2010.

Download Link: http://bobsportsblog.podomatic.com/enclosure/2010-08-29T18_00_39-07_00.mp3

College Football Conference Update

Yesterday, the big 5 from the Big XII (Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State) declared that they would all remain with the Big XII and not pursue other conference affiliations.  This declaration leaves the Big XII with 10 teams, the Big Ten with 12 teams, and the Pac 10 with 11 teams.  Expansion seems to have been abated temporarily, but the wheel will surely begin turning again soon, even if not with the same velocity.

The Pac 10 is not satisfied.  The conference was a few hours away from a “Super-Conference” with teams such as Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, among others.  The conference was a few hours away from taking a dominant foothold in college football from the Pacific to the Great Plains.  A few hours away from becoming the richest conference in the history of college football, with the combined effect of the big programs added and the launch of a conference television network.  The network is still in the works, and may be released soon, but it will not have the momentum and power that it would have had if the Big XII powers had joined the Pac 10.

What is next for the Pac 10?  Most likely, the conference will pursue a 12th team so that the conference can have a championship game.  The most likely candidate is Utah from the Mountain West.  However, the Pac 1o, more than any conference, was disappointed in the result of the expansion process, and lost the most yesterday afternoon.

The Big XII was the big winner from the expansion.  It seems illogical to say that the Big XII is the winner, considering the conference lost 2 teams, but the conference is a winner because it is still standing.  Hours before the top teams announced that they would stay in the Big XII, it looked as if the conference would lose 2 of the top 10 all-time programs (Texas and Oklahoma), along with many other notable programs, and thereby dissolve as a whole.  However, since the big programs declared their allegiance in the Big XII, the conference will stay afloat- barring some unforeseen last-minute changes.  In addition, the conference will remain the second best in the country in my opinion, and the conference teams will be more profitable than in the past, due to similar total revenues and less teams with which to share it. 

The Texas Longhorns were the big winners in terms of the individual programs.  Texas had two conferences catering to their wants, and the program utilized this leverage to the fullest advantage.  Texas forced Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe’s hand to the point that he allowed Texas to retain its revenue-sharing deal within the conference (which rendered the program extremely profitable relative to the rest of the conference), and he opened the door for Texas to launch its own television network, which will exponentially increase the program’s revenue.

The Big Ten was also a winner from the whole process, as the conference added Nebraska, a prestigious program that will almost certainly be ranked in the top 10 to begin next season.  In addition, with 12 teams, the conference added the necessary component through which to institute a conference championship, which the Big Ten has been seeking for years.

The Big East is a conference that is safe for now, but is certainly not out of the water.  The Big Ten appears to be satisfied with 12 teams at this point, but if it decides to add as many as 4 more teams, the Big East could be in trouble, as the Big Ten could undoubtedly seek programs such as Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Syracuse, among others.  The Big Ten has also reportedly targeted Notre Dame, but the loss of the Irish would not be a big problem for the survival of the Big East.  The focus now will shift from the Big XII to the Big East, and the Big East will be on the defensive.  More to come as more develops.

More Conference Changes

BREAKING NEWS:  Boise State is the next domino to fall in the NCAA-wide conference shuffle.  The Broncos moved from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to the Mountain West Conference.  Nebraska also officially announced that it would join the Big Ten today, as was expected. 

Today also brought as much speculation as answers.  Big XII schools such as Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State expressed interest in moving to the Pac 10.  Texas A&M was in discussion with the SEC about a possible conference move.  The SEC also still has interest in Texas and Oklahoma, among others, even though these schools expressed interest in the Pac 10 today.  The Big Ten has retained interest in Texas, although that proposition has become much less likely in the past few weeks.  Finally, if these powerhouses leave the Big XII for the SEC or Pac 10, the Mountain West may attempt to pick up some of the Big XII schools left behind, such as Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri, among others.  The Big Ten may still also have interest in the northern Big XII schools, most notably Missouri.  So many possibilities to be decided in the next few weeks, and Bob Long’s Sports Blog will cover every development.

The school that intrigues me most in this roulette is Kansas.  Think about it.  This mediocre football school appears to be a school left behind as the Big XII may fall apart and the bigger football schools join other conferences.  However, Kansas has arguably the most prestigious college basketball program in the history of college basketball (apologies to UCLA, Kentucky, and North Carolina), and the team would be so far out of place in the Mountain West.  Does anyone else have a problem with Wyoming strolling into Allen Fieldhouse each year for a conference game?  I know I do and I know Kansas fans do.  Therefore, the Kansas football program appears to be keeping the university from switching to a big name conference, and the big story will be how this will affect the basketball team.  Another question is whether a conference like the Big Ten would take Kansas (even with the mediocre football program) because of the competition, prestige, and revenue the Jayhawk basketball program will bring to the conference.

A few important answers today led to even more questions, so stay tuned in the coming weeks.

Dominoes Falling in College Football Conferences: Big XII on the Short End

Today, two big shifts occurred in college football.  The supposed apocalypse of the college football conference landscape appears to be happening.  Now the only question is who will be left out of the party, and where teams will land at the end of the roulette.  Colorado officially accepted a bid to become a member of the Pac 10 Conference.  Nebraska has reportedly accepted an invitation to become a member of the Big Ten Conference, and a statement is expected to be released on Friday.

Therefore, the Big XII Conference, known to be the 2nd best conference in football in recent years, may cease to exist in the very near future.  The conference has already lost 2 teams (Nebraska and Colorado) and is now left with 10.  I also expect that Missouri, which is very unhappy with the treatment it has received with regard to revenue sharing in the Big XII, will bolt for the Big Ten very soon.  That leaves a conference that has already struggled with revenue compared to nearby conferences such as the Big Ten, Pac 10, and SEC, with only 9 teams.  So what could the conference do to restore itself?  Pick up more teams? Not likely.  The Mountain West Conference, with teams such as Utah, TCU, and BYU, would be the hotbed from which to draw potential universities.  However, the problem with this solution is that the Mountain West is also trying to expand, and has reportedly offered a bid to Boise State from the WAC.  Therefore, the Mountain West is lobbying hard to expand its conference so that the conference isn’t looted for its talent like the Big XII is now.

However, for argument’s sake, let’s say that the Mountain West is raided for its talent, and Boise State does not join.  Where will those teams go?  Does one really think that Boise (from the WAC), Utah, or BYU will go to the Big XII?  Certainly not based upon location compared to the Pac 10, and certainly not based upon revenue as compared to the Pac 10.  Therefore, the only team that could join the Big XII from the Mountain West would most likely be TCU.

So the best case scenario for the Big XII is that the conference loses the three teams that are almost certain to leave (Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri), and then picks up TCU from the Mountain West.  10 teams isn’t a terrible number, and I believe the conference would be very happy with this result.  However, the one key factor that has yet to be discussed is the influence of the SEC.  The SEC has reportedly had interest and contact with Texas and Texas A&M about a possible conference change.  The Big Ten has also had significant interest in Texas.  Then there is Oklahoma, which is also a potential target for the SEC.  If one of these three powerhouses leaves the Big XII (Texas, Oklahoma, or Texas A&M), then most likely all will look to find new homes, and this would spell doom and the end of the Big XII Conference as we know it.

Therefore, to college football fans who do not quite have the whole picture in terms of the conference shifting, here is a cliffnotes version of what is most important.  Colorado, Nebraska, and Missouri will leave.  The Big XII will attempt to acquire teams like TCU from the Mountain West to offset the departure of these three schools, but this is not what is important.  The Big XII could continue to thrive under 9 teams or even 8 teams, and the addition of a Mountain West school is not necessary.  What is essential for the future is the conference is the decision of these three teams; Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.  These three teams are the mainstays of the conference, and Texas has major rivalries with both Texas A&M and Oklahoma.  If one of these three teams leaves the Big XII, at least one of the other two will follow, which will leave the conference depleted and will cause the third and final team to leave.  If this happens, this will end the confernece as we know it.  Therefore, when analyzing the conference shifts, and the future of the Big XII, worry not about Colorado or Nebraska, or whether the conference can entice TCU, but worry about what will happen to Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.  Those three universities hold the conference in the palms of their hands at this point, and can drop it at any point they wish.

Big Ten Expansion…and More?

The most pressing issue cascading through the  college football landscape is that of conference expansion.  Leading the charge for expansion is the Big 10 Conference, whose last expansion occurred in 1989 when Penn State accepted an invitation to join the conference.  The Nittany Lions gave up their then independent status in football, and left the Atlantic 10 Conference in the other sports to join the Big Ten.

In 2010, the potential expansion again revolves around an indepedent football school.  Notre Dame, under new head coach Brian Kelly, has reportedly been invited to join the conference and give up its indepedent status in football and its Big East affiliation in basketball and other sports.  Coach Kelly has asserted that he would like the school to remain independent because of the ability to be a “national” program, and the ability to play any team it wants without restrictions.  It may be financially beneficial to remain independent as well, as the school has an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game in the waiting if the team finishes in the top 8 in the Final BCS Standings.  In addition, the Fighting Irish have a lucrative network TV contract with NBC, which provides a lot of revenue for the school and most likely could not be matched by that of a conference team. 

However, if there were a conference that could provide revenue that rivals what Notre Dame makes now, it would be the Big Ten.  The Big Ten has lucrative contracts with both the ESPN Family of Networks and its own network, the Big Ten Network.  But the equal distribution of revenue, which potentially attracts teams such as Missouri from the Big XII to the Big Ten, may dissuade teams such as Notre Dame.  If the revenue needs to be shared equally with as many as 15 other teams, Notre Dame may be unable to acquire as much revenue within the Big Ten that it does now.  Certainly there are many pro’s and con’s for Notre Dame to consider as the conference expansion train appears to be rolling by very quickly.

Speaking of the Missouri Tigers, that program is also considering moving from the Big XII to the Big Ten.  In addition, the Big Ten has reportedly invited Nebraska to join.  Rumors have circulated that the Big Ten is a potential suitor for Texas, as well as Oklahoma, but Nebraska and Missouri make the most sense geographically and have generated the most talk of expansion.  Both member programs of the Red River Rivalry have remained silent on the issue to this point.  As stated, Missouri’s main interest in the Big Ten stems from the fact that the Big XII does not share revenue equally, and as a result the program does not receive as much TV revenue as Texas or Oklahoma.  Nebraska is a logical choice geographically for the Big Ten, which is the likely reason for that invitation.

The Big East did not escape unscathed from the long reach of the Big Ten.  Invitations have been reportedly extended to Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Rutgers.  These schools would give the Big Ten an increased East Coast presence, as at this point only Penn State gives the conference such diversability. 

With the extension of so many invitations to the conference, the Big Ten could include up to 16 teams within a few years.  If one is doing the math, this expansion could spell the doom of the Big East and Big XII conferences.  The Big East could lose 4 schools to the Big Ten, including Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Notre Dame (in every sport but football).  At this point the Big East Conference would only include football schools Connecticut, West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida.  That is it.  With schools such as Villanova and Georgetown competing at the FCS level, and schools such as St. Johns and Marquette which don’t have football programs at all, the conference could collapse upon itself because of the lack of strength and number from the football programs.  This could lead to a collapse of the entire conference as a whole, and the demise of the overall best college basketball conference since the most recent expansion before the 2005-2006 season.

The Big XII could face a similar fate.  With rumors of Colorado moving to the Pac-10, and the possibility of Texas and Oklahoma moving to either the Pac-10 or the SEC, the Big XII could lose up to 6 of its premier programs, leaving only the likes of Kansas, Iowa State, and Baylor, among others.  The Big XII could potentially wither as the Big East could due to the domino effect started by the Big Ten.

So what does this all mean? Could a situation really occur in which the Big Ten could include as many as 16 teams, Notre Dame could no longer be independent, and there could only be 4 major “super-conferences,” with the destruction of the Big XII and the Big East?  Will the history of rivalries such as Pittsburgh and West Virginia (the Backyard Brawl), Texas and Oklahoma (the Red River Rivalry), and Texas and Texas A&M, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (Bedlam), become traditions of the past?  These potential realities could all be realized with the right collapse of the dominoes in the conference expansion carousel. 

Is it good for football?  I tend to think no, as the beauty and excitement of rivalries will be compromised.  Sure, we will have 4 superconferences, but where will the excitement come from?  How will the Big Ten be so exciting when teams don’t even play half the teams in their conference?  How can a true conference champion be crowned with the possibility of 3 undefeated teams in a conference?  The only positive of this change to 4 superconferences would be the potential inclusion of teams such as Boise State and TCU in a conference like the Pac-10.  With this improvement, the 4 year debate about how to appropriately reward teams like Boise State, TCU, and Utah with their weak regular season schedules will end.  All these teams will be included in power conferences, and finally will need to prove themselves week in and week out.

With all these possibilities for conference expansion, it is apparant that there will be a major shift of some kind in the college football landscape.  Bob Long’s Sports Blog will follow the development every step of the way and keep you readers updates with every phase of the massive transition as the details emerge.

The BCS National Championship Game

Last night, the BCS National Championship Game was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.  Top ranked Alabama, led by Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram, faced Texas, led by four year starter Colt McCoy.  It was supposed to be the perfect matchup: two undefeated teams, from big name conferences, and the stars were a Heisman winner and a Heisman finalist.  However, early in the first quarter, the dynamic of the game would change drastically, as Colt McCoy was injured on the second series of the game.  He ran a quarterback draw to the left side of the offensive line and endured a fairly innocent hit.  However, he went to the locker room because he could not feel his right arm, and while in the locker room was unable to throw a 7 yard pass to his father to prove he was fit to return.  He simply got hit in the wrong place at the right time, and could not return to the game. 

At this point freshmen Gary Gilbert entered the game at quarterback for Texas.  His first drive stalled, but Texas had been in field position when he came in the game, and the Horns kicked a field goal to take a 6-0 lead.  Gilbert’s luck went downhill from there.  After Alabama scored a touchdown to take a 7-6 lead, Gilbert could not find the rhythm.  He was uncomfortable in the pocket, could not hit receivers, and made very bad decisions when throwing the ball.  His bad decisions were epitomized by his second quarter final minute shovel pass which was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Alabama.  This mistake wasn’t as much his fault as it was Mack Brown’s, though.  Even though a pick 6 isn’t exactly what one would expect from a shovel pass, it was still an unnecessary risk with so little time left in the half.  Alabama went into the half with a 24-6 lead. 

Late in the third quarter, Gary Gilbert started to find some rhythm.  He hit his receivers with a few short passes before connecting with leading receiver Jordan Shipley for a 44 yard touchdown pass.  The Texas defense then held the Tide and talented Bama kicker Leigh Tiffin missed a 52 yard field goal.  Gilbert then picked up where he left off and connected with Jordan Shipley again for a 28 yard touchdown.  After a two point conversion, Texas had cut the lead to 24-21 with 6:15 remaining in the game.  The Texas defense once again stopped the Tide offense, and Gilbert had a chance to engineer a game winning job with 3:14 remaining.  The nation was on the edge of its seat, about to see history.  A freshmen, in his first snaps after replacing the program’s all time wins leader, leads the Horns to a National Championship by erasing an 18 point deficit. 

However, the storybook ending was not meant to be.  After a holding penalty, Gilbert lost the ball after being hit hard by Eryk Anders from the blind side, and Alabama recovered at the 3 yard line.  Alabama scored to increase the Crimson Tide lead to 31-21.  Another late touchdown by Alabama notched the final tally in the 37-21 victory, ensuring Nick Saban his second career National Championship, the other one he won with LSU. 

This was an important win for Alabama’s program.  For the football program that other than Oklahoma and USC may be the greatest college football program of all time, a 16 year National Championship drought was unacceptable.  Nick Saban, in his third year with Alabama, restored the program to prominence by bringing the program its first National Championship in 17 years, and its first Heisman Trophy Winner, Mark Ingram.  Congratulations to the Tide for once again being on top.

One has to feel sympathetic towards Texas.  Last year, many argued that the Longhorns deserved to be in the National Championship Game instead of Oklahoma, who the Horns had beaten in the Red River Rivalry.  This year, after the team went undefeated, Texas loses its quarterback for the majority of the championship game.  Colt McCoy had been waiting his entire career to play in this game.  One could hear the pain in his voice last year when he talked about Oklahoma being chosen for the Championship Game over Texas, and one could hear the pain in his voice last night when Lisa Salters asked him what he felt about his injury and subsequent removal from the game.  Would Texas have won the game if Colt remained in the game?  Maybe and probably not.  But for a kid who had been dreaming his entire career for this game, and has done so much for college football, Colt McCoy deserved 60 minutes to try to live his dream.

This should not take away from Alabama’s victory, however.  The Tide was the more consistent and impressive team all year, and the Tide still scored 31 legitimate points on the Texas defense.  Therefore, it wasn’t that the Texas offense struggled significantly, but instead the Alabama took control of the game early and then played conservatively to retain the lead for the remainder of the game.  Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide for the program’s 13th National Championship, and for a fitting and exciting conclusion to the 2009-2010 bowl season.

The Fiesta Bowl

I am going to tell this one like it is.  The BCS tried to save itself by putting Boise State and TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.  Of the 10 teams in the BCS bowl games, Boise and TCU were the only teams that were from non-BCS conferences.  Such teams have had mixed results in the past.  Boise State beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Hawaii got crushed by Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and Utah beat Alabama handily in the 2009 Sugar Bowl. 

Therefore, going into the 2009 BCS Bowl season, the non-BCS conferences were 2-1 in the last 3 BCS bowl appearances.  In each of these games, the non-BCS conference team was undefeated, but did not get to play for a National Championship.  This trend has led many to ratchet up the debate and controversy about whether the current BCS postseason system is fair and justified in its treatment of non-BCS conference schools.  There has been increased support of a playoff system (I myself have designed and advocated a 12 team playoff system.  See December 2nd, “Why College Football Needs a Playoff System…and Why an 8 Team System is not the Answer”). 

When this year’s BCS selections were made, and there were two non-BCS conference schools that were undefeated, I knew those BCS weasels were going to match the two up in the same bowl game.  Basically, this move was to save the BCS from any unnecessary criticism.  If either TCU or Boise State had beaten a major conference school in a bowl game, the fans would be criticizing the BCS, calling for a playoff system, and calling for a split National Championship.  The same criticism occurred in the 2006-2007 and the 2008-2009 season after BCS bowl victories by Boise State and Utah, respectively.

So, what to do to avoid any criticism? Put them both in the Fiesta Bowl.  The game could not have gone any better for the BCS, and it makes me sick.  It was a very low scoring game, so the fans do not know whether or not the defenses were very good, or if the offenses were terrible and could not hang with the top conference teams.  In addition, because the game was very close, there won’t be much controversy about a split National Championship.  For example, if TCU won by 20 or more, some people would argued that the Horned Frogs deserved a chance to play in the National Championship over Texas who somewhat snuck in with an unimpressive victory over Nebraska.  However, since the game was close, and neither team looked very stellar, the BCS avoided a potentially damaging situation by putting TCU and Boise State in the same bowl game.   

The fans will never really know how good either of these teams are, and that is the true shame of the whole situation.  Contrary to the beliefs of the committee members of the BCS, the fans’ top priority is not to criticize the system.  The fans simply want to see good football games, reward the best teams, and be respected as fans.  However, the BCS did not respect the fans in this instance, but instead duped the fans out of two good games.  The BCS duped the fans and the rest of college football out of learning how good TCU and Boise really were.  If the BCS really was trying to be fair and was confident in the system, the committee would have no problem letting the non-BCS qualifiers play against the big name teams.  Now do I think TCU or Boise State could have hung with, say, Ohio State?  I really don’t know, and that is the point.  The only way to find out how good one of these teams are is to place them against a perennial powerhouse.  If they get crushed, then they get crushed, but at least we know how good the teams really were.  Now all we know is that Boise State can beat the next best non-BCS conference team.  Great, there is one of those teams each year.  But what fans do not always get to see is the small, non-BCS team play against the big name teams.  That is why everyone has loved watching those games over the past 3 years.

Until the BCS is either ousted or its ideology is changed significantly, college football fans will continue to see the smaller teams like Boise State get the raw deal so that the BCS will not have to change. It is extremely frustrating, and the only way to change the way things are run is to take active steps to change the system.