Posted on 12/07/2009 9:10:25 AM PST by The Pack Knight
This should feel like a just reward for an offseason where the non-automatic qualifiers extolled their virtues in front of Congress, then reached unprecedented heights in the BCS era on the field.
It can't be understated that for the first time, two teams from outside of the major conferences have been granted access behind the BCS' velvet rope as No. 3 TCU and No. 6 Boise State will meet in the Fiesta Bowl. "I think the Fiesta Bowl, to their credit, is putting two very, very deserving teams on the field against each other," WAC commissioner Karl Benson said.
It's a statement, no doubt, but maybe not the one that this landmark moment should deliver, because the Broncos and Horned Frogs are having to play each other.
The Fiesta Bowl has created a matchup that seems more like a cop-out than an achievement; denying the two unbeatens a chance to validate their seasons against the big boys on the sports' biggest stage and opening up an entirely new chapter of BCS bashing/collusion allegations.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/cory_mccartney/12/06/boise.state.tcu/?xid=cnnbin#ixzz0Z1WkeLVo Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription
(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
Don’t forget the bone-headed play by the Nebraska kicker who kicked the ball out of bounds and gave Texas the ball on their 40. That was a gift. Also Texas escaped with a win. That should have counted against them. Well at least Florida lost!
Utah beat Alabama easier than Florida did last year...TCU just crushed Utah this year....
TCU would beat Alabama at least 3 out of 4 games...
Well Bama just squeaked by Auburn the week before, while Florida crushed FSU.....so much for that.
Boise issued a challenge this year to any BCS school. They’d travel to play them, and not require a return engagement. No takers.
Also, besides the point, but if Boise wants to be taken seriously, they need to get rid of that blue turf.
THe point of the article is that, whichever one of them wins, all they “proved” was that they could beat another undeserving team.
We wanted these two teams to play two highly ranked major-conference teams. If they lost, then it would prove the bias against the non-major-conference teams was somewhat justified. But if TCU and Boise could beat high-ranked teams that they can’t get a chance to play in the regular season, it would show that they were being unfairly punished for not being able to buy their way into a major conference.
The BCS organization, knowing the danger they faced, played a brillian tactical move, having them compete against each other, which will prove nothing except which of the two is the better team. .
Speaking of FSU, they may have ruined TCU’s chances when they crushed BYU in Provo. That was hardly a ringing endorsement for the Mountain West Conference.
So what? TCU still played a bunch of sissy schools. As did Utah, for that matter. Well, except their matchup with Oregon.
TCU could beat Alabama.
Boise State could beat Texas.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure.
Utah beat Alabama easier last year then Flordia.
TCU is better then Utah was last year. Alabama would loose to TCU.
Boise has been trying to schedule better teams, but no conference team wants to take the chance on a game that won’t help them in the ratings, but could sink their chances for a major bowl game.
TCU beat more top 25 teams then Texas did.
Also you heard that Eddie Gran left Tennessee for FSU. Apparently he is very good at recruiting in SoFla, so that could be big.
It was completely understandable that bama was looking ahead to the game against UF, and had a tight game at Auburn.
And we saw why they were more focused on the SEC CG- they had that one circled on their calendar all year and it showed.
Right you are. Which BCS schools refused to play Boise this season? Or any season, for that matter.
The Big 12 definitely had a down year. But OU will be back, and once Nebraska gets an offense watch out....and if A&M can get a defense.....and OK State isn’t going anywhere.
I only saw that in a post here last night, and it may have been your post that I read.
recruiting is a whole ‘nother game, aint it?
Because we don’t have a playoff, I guess we’ll never know. Maybe the small schools would win, maybe not. The big schools would probably win most of those matchups, but don’t tell that to Georgetown and Villanova. BTW, how did Alabama do in their bowl game vs. a small school last year?
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