Posted on 01/09/2007 5:46:20 AM PST by PetroniDE
In our hearts, we know that Boise State is not as good a team as Florida. But this is America - land of the underdogs - it's all about knocking off the big guys and winning the tournament. My point is that being the best team in the country is a different argument than winning the tournament - and both are good, but the tournament winner gets the trophy! Does winning the NCAA basketball tourney really mean you're the best team in the country? And does it matter if you're arguably the best team in the country but lose - or don't make it to - the tournament?
NEVER HAPPEN.
Pac-10 is the one power conference that cares about the "non-revenue" sports. Travel costs are the major hurdle to Pac-10 expansion. Just no-where to expand to. They would need a travel partner; whom would that be: Idaho, Montana, Idaho St?
The money isn't the real problem, most of the major conferences have come around to favoring the playoffs, most of the coaches, of course most of the fans, and many presidents have now come around. The only impediments now are the Pac 10, Rose Bowl, Big 10(sic) and their commissioner Jim Delany.
This article is an eye-opener, and infuriating at the same time:
[College Football]Playoff Plunderer (Big 10's Jim Delany)
We will get the start of a playoff no later than 2011, and any 1+ or more playoff will soon evolve into a complete 10 to 16 playoff system, while saving the bowls pretty much how they are.
Actually, they could, after a couple of years.
Teams play UP to their schedule. SEC is the best conference in the country and attracts NFL talent because the nation's high school players know that the ticket to the NFL runs through the SEC.
Say Chris Petersen and the BSU heirarchy did something totally bizarre and paid their way into the SEC Western Conference. Yes, they'd take a beating for a couple of years from Bama, LSU, Tennesee, etc. They'd go 5-5 and Ian Johnson's cheerleader fiancee Chrissie would have to walk down the aisle with him in a body cast once the Dawg's Defense was done with Mr. Heisman Candidate.
BUT THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY START PLAYING UP TO THEIR SCHEDULE!!! They'd attract stellar HS recruits who wanted to play top schools and a top schedule and wanted a shot at Playing On Sunday.
If BSU wants to get serious, they need to step up to a Major Conference and leave the WAC behind. That's what I think will happen eventually if BSU keeps winning and the rest of the WAC continues to play Nun Football. The rest of the conference is pretty weak, fwiu.
Miami did that when they were an independent with no money.
Eventually, after about three years, they'd be at parity with Florida and Georgia, drawing most of their strength from the Pac-10 states. BSU is number 5 today because they play in the WAC. Period.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
I remember your comments on the BSU-OU thread. You proved right there that your handle was quite appropriate considering your knowledge/opinions on college football.
The SEC is the best conference and the only team that I would rank on being par with them is USC. The Big 10, Big 12, and Pac 10 are as good as WAC (as BSU showed all of us). Frankly, the ACC is a better conference than the three named earlier.
Pick out the top 2 teams from each of the minor leagues (Big 12, Big 10, and Pac 10 minus USC) and you have a single SEC division. Get used to the truth - must be sad to see y'alls media-driven hype come crashing to the earth.
There has been recent talk about a PAC 10 expansion to PAC 12. Boise St is always mentioned along with either Hawaii, San Jose St., or Fresno St.
If I were Boise State I would join the Pac 10 in a New York Minute.
This would give them an entree into the Big Time. They'd have to play in the weak part of the conference, of course. I assume that USC and UCLA would play in the South.
Probably BSU, due to their Fiesta Victory, and Hawaii.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
My only problem with this is that now if you admit teams strictly based on record, that will encourage teams to schedule more creampuff opponents, there would be fewer real good inter-conference games during the regular season. One of the reasons that I think that having a playoff would diminish is the importance of regular season games.
In a way with the current system, in essence, there is a playoff game every week. If a team loses, they know they are out, or their odds of winning the NC greatly diminish.
I don't want to see college football get to be like college basketball, where it's "Wake Me Up in March."
Reminds me of Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl III, and Fiesta Bowl 1987. How the favorites do then?
The key word here is "CHAMPION". Best team doesn't always win the championship in any sport. Boise State (and about half of 1-A) was eliminated from the championship chase before the season even started.
Would there be an upset here? Not likely; but they deserve a shot.
To listen to you, any team that loses one or two games is not much better than crap, e.g., Wisconsin "played nobody," Michigan was "exposed," Notre Dame was "overrated," Auburn was lucky, the Florida schools "stayed in their region," etc. Do you think there are any good teams? Possibly, just possibly, college football has become very competitive, a lot of very talented people are working very hard, and on a given day the 50th best team in the country can beat the best team. And, just possibly, even very good teams can lose two or three games.
The only thing Idaho is champion at is potato growing.
With the cuts in scholarships, the talent pool is more evenly distributed than ever before. "On Any Given Saturday" is a reality.
Exactly. My post was addressed specifically to the worst SEC mutual wanker here and his nonsense that if top 25 team X (he applies that argument to several teams, whichever is being discussed) played in the SEC they'd finish near the bottom. The SEC had a good year and perhaps were the best conference this year, but they weren't head and shoulders above everyone else this year or every year.
Boise might eventually have SEC-caliber talent in their first-string, but what would they do when 4 or 5 of theose guys go down for the year? What would Boise do when 4 or 5 of their star underclassmen leave early for the NFL?
The beauty of the NFL system is that everyone gets a shot based on their record. The corruption of the modern college system is that opinion, record, and prejudice play too big a role.
Boise State could probably stay close to the Gators, even at the Swamp, but the Gators as a team are much, much deeper than the Broncos. The Broncos need about three years in, say, the Pac-10 for me to say they could go in actually beat the Gators in the Swamp.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
We don't have many good inter-conference matchups now. There were 74 1-A/1-AA matchups this year. With so many bad OOC games already, you won't see big changes in OOC schedule philosophy.
I leaned toward eliminating all 1-A/1-AA games but the 1-AA schools need the cash. No excuse for a real 1-A team to schedule multiple 1-AA squads.
Playoff game every week is not correct. First playoff is the pre-season poll. Not in the Top 25 to start? You are out of the running, BEFORE your first game. In some ways, the final poll today has already eliminated some teams.
I'll defend BSU here. As long as BSU is a Division I-A school, like Florida. I believe they deserve a shot. But only with playoffs. Under the current system, I just don't think they have a case. It's unfair, but there it is. The only answer is playoffs.
"Playoffs?!?! Are you kidding me? Playoffs?!?!" (/Jim Mora Impersonation)
You didn't read my post. I left USC out of that list.
If you are not a USC fan, you have much to be shameful about, especially if your team depends on the sports media and the polls to win national titles.
I stand by what I said - your average Big 10/Big 12 "champion" is no better than a mid-ranked SEC team, Kirk Herbstreit and your BS posts notwithstanding.
My point is this: recruiting, recruiting, recruiting. SEC teams are the best in the nation because of recruiting not because they are in the south, but because they are the best recruiting teams in the nation.
The only way BSU runs with the Big Dogs is to recruit, and recruit deep.
If, say, they are headed to the Pac 10, as another poster indicated, the only way Boise State can hope to compete there is to go deep on recruiting.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Also, these are "Recognized" National Championships from College Football Data Warehouse -- IE AP/UPI, the AP/BCS etc. No Sporting NEws, Dave's Fishing Magazine, etc that a lot of teams claim.
Big Ten 27 SEC 24 Big-12 19 Pac-10 16 ACC 11 Big East 10
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.