Who Plays in the NC?

Ted

Please don’t put KU in the big game. One of the other BCS Bowl Games is bad enough, but not the “big” one. I live in Wichita, we have had enough of KU. A weak schedule…that doesn’t describe it. One respectable team in the form of Missouri, and after last night that might even be debateable. I hope that next year KU has to play some quality teams out of the Big XII South…OK, Texas, and Texas Tech would be great.

The Biscuit

I realize it’s all circular. That’s the problem – at some point you just have to make a pick among all these contenders.

I like the ‘quality wins’ argumentin favor of LSU – it’s a valid point. But how can you ignore 2 losses to unranked teams to put LSU in the NC? I get that they won tough games, but I can’t get past those 2 losses. I am willing to give away 1 hiccup, but not 2.

I agree, it’s tough to put Kansas in there – as I said, I don’t think this is ‘right’ – I don’t know what is. But I go Va Tech before LSU, despite that blowout loss. At least Va Tech lost to good teams.

But, there’s no simple answer…

sir john

Interesting arguments here for various teams. The thing I look at is while the arguments are interesting the teams are not. Past O$U there isn’t one team I’d tune in to watch. I suspect BCS ratings would drop about like NBC’s ND did this year. I’m a Weis loyalist and watched them all for three years. But I do know Ty’s last year I gave up watching many and simply went fishing with my daughter on Saturdays.

Most are but ‘regional’ powers with little interest out side of their State except for bookies and betters.

Elkona

Polls are out. LSU is #2. Okla is #3. KU dropped to #8. Finally fairness trumps hype.

The Biscuit

I think it’s tough to put a 2-loss team in there too. But the knocks on Kansas are legit. OU should be in the conversation as well, although obviously the conversation is pretty much over.
I don’t agree with Elkona though – LSU is as hyped a team as any this year. And they’re in the NC because of that hype, and despite 2 losses to unranked teams. In this year’s CFB, that’s almost normal, but it doesn’t make it right. A playoff is our only hope for any sense of justice/satisfaction in a year like this…

Anonymous

Hey man, Love your blog. And I hate the BCS as much as anybody. But make no mistake about it – LSU playing unranked Kentucky and Arkansas – those two teams aren’t exactly creampuffs. Kentucky was (and still is) a very solid team with several playmakers. Andre Wooden (QB) will be on the of top QB’s chosen in the draft. And oh year, Arkansas has this guy named McFadden who is pretty good.
Still, if I were king for a day, I would put Hawaii in the championship just to stick up the BCS’ A**

pups

The should go back to the old bowl system, since they aren’t going to have a playoff. In the past, they at least called it a mythical national championship. Now they pretend to have a National Championship Game, but the participants are decided with the same old BS. At least the old sytem was more honest and many bowls were interesting. This would be a much more interesting bowl set up. Rose: OSU vs USC, Orange: OU vs. VaTech, Sugar: LSU vs. Kansas or Missouri. Then the voters could watch the games and vote. It would still not determine a true champion, but it would be alot better than this BCS BS claiming to have a National Championship Game.

elkona

All this uncertainty is why we need a playoff. Some teams lose games because of injuries. You could certainly make this argument about Oregon. Some of them would be healed by the time the playoffs start. Then everyone is back (theoretically) on a level playing field. And we’d find out whether LSU is too damn hyped or just the real thing.
The fair solution is trim the season to 10 games and have an 8- or 16-team playoff. But the NCAA and most of the conferences won’t allow it. Too much moolah generated by the conference championship and bowl games. Let’s be honest … college football is about money, and the interest groups, including corporate sponsors, won’t allow any alternative that does not include the bowls.

Timugen

To me it’s relatively simple….1 and 2 lost, so the polls should work the same way they have worked every other week of the season….3 and 4 move to 1 and 2.

anOSU v. Georgia

Don’t think that’s fair since Georgia didn’t win their conference? OK.

How about OU then? They just throttled the #1 team in the country by 3 TD’s on neutral ground.

choice #2 anOSU v. OU

Personally I think anOSU (the one team that every took as a given) is really the team that needs to be debated. I’m not sure they really “deserve” to play for it. The general consensus is that Hawaii doesn’t “deserve” it because the didn’t play anyone. Well anOSU didn’t play anyone either and they have one more loss.

But even though I don’t think anOSU “deserves” it I still think they should go and be playing UGA/OU, just to maintain some integrity in this mess. It’s absolutely ridiculous to have the polls suddenly and magically work differently than they have every single other week of the season.

The Biscuit

I agree with the playoff. I think it could be made to work within the bowl system. Drop the reg. season to 11 games (we’ve only had 12 for a couple years now, it wouldnt be that tough to go back), and take the Top 8 into the BCS Bowls. Bowls rotate order in pick of games (1 vs. 8 and then NC, 2 vs. 7 then quarterfinal game, etc.) each year and pick the games they want. How could the BCS Bowls resist getting TWO top-tier matchups every couple years? It could work, bowls (and schools) would get more money and it would spread around. It’d be great. Other non-playoff bowls would get their pick from teams 9 and up. Joy.