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[NewLib]

No garbage teams like the ones in the MWC, nope.

Sagarin doesn't lie.

Im not disputing your point, but Sagarin lies a ton. Its probably the worst computer poll.

 

[Sirpopopop]

... ok

I thought so.

 

[mre]

I dont understand why NCAA didnt do anything. They make almost zero money from college football the way it is set up. Almost all of the costs of running the NCAA are payed by NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament.

You want the NCAA making money? Fuck the NCAA.

 

[StoOgE]

I dont understand why NCAA didnt do anything. They make almost zero money from college football the way it is set up. Almost all of the costs of running the NCAA are payed by NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament.

While this is true the schools make very little money on the NCAA tournament.

Bowl money is what is funding many of these schools football programs. Football costs more to run than a basketball program so the arguement is that the schools need the bowls in order to afford to maintain a football program.

An NCAA run football tournament would mean the schools get jack for appearing in it compared to the current bowl set up.

The Texas and Bamas of the world don't *need* the bowl money. But the Baylor's and Vandy's do.

 

[elrechazado]

I thought so.

clearly...why, by listing two bad teams from one conference, you have completely shut down the debate. I'm unable to list any bad teams from the BCS conferences, teams that have sucked on wheels for 30+ years. You're a very skilled debater.

 

[Sirpopopop]

Im not disputing your point, but Sagarin lies a ton. Its probably the worst computer poll.

A computer can't lie, but I know that's not what you are saying at all.

The rating used by the BCS is shitty, but the ELO Chess rating by Sagarin is a decent indicator of team strength.

 

[jamesinclair]

Do you really think ratings will go down though?

the BCS keeps getting bigger and bigger contracts for their games.

Hell, the SEC just signed a BILLION fucking dollar contract with ESPN.. and ESPN isn't even first in line for SEC games. A BILLION fucking dollars to be the SEC's second fiddle.

The money is flowing and those in power right now have a vested interest in keeping it this way.

It will take Congress/NCAA to step in and do something about it. Congress seems more concerned with the BCS being an exclusive monopoly, not about forcing a playoff and the NCAA doesn't give a fuck.

And on the other end youll see more and more colleges with weak teams simply dump their programs like northeastern and that new york school from last week. It's such a waste of money.

 

[Sirpopopop]

clearly...why, by listing two bad teams from one conference, you have completely shut down the debate. I'm unable to list any bad teams from the BCS conferences, teams that have sucked on wheels for 30+ years. You're a very skilled debater.

I'd like to see you start first by stating why the ACC and Big East from top to bottom have historically been worse conferences than the MWC from top to bottom.

 

[NewLib]

You want the NCAA making money? Fuck the NCAA.

Im not promoting the NCAA doing anything. I just never understood why they never did. Are they afraid the SEC will take its ball in leave?

Edit: There is one reason why I dont have much respect for the Big East: Notre Dame. Either tell them to get in or get out.

 

[mre]

Im not promoting the NCAA doing anything. I just never understood why they never did. Are they afraid the SEC will take its ball in leave?

Maybe. :lol

Edit: There is one reason why I dont have much respect for the Big East: Notre Dame. Either tell them to get in or get out.

Notre Dame should be in the Big Twelve East.

 

[Sirpopopop]

The MWC can easily create a damn good conference by gathering all the mid-majors not in the conference that are already good (Boise State/Houston), and grabbing teams that will become good again (SMU - loaded college - they will be back) to create a conference that has the money and prestige to get access to the system.

 

[timetokill]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiesta_Bowl#2010

The 2010 BCS and Fiesta Bowl selection committees shock and insult the world of College Football by selecting #6 BSU to face #3 TCU in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl. Many see this as a blatant attempt to keep non-Automatic Qualifying schools from competing against the "Big 6" Schools. This has led to many fans dubbing this the "Segregation Bowl" or "Separate But Equal Bowl"

:lol :lol

 

[bachikarn]

Why don't they just make the bowls to be the games that are played in the play off. Like set up a 6 team play off and have various BCS bowl games (I guess you would need to add the Cotton and like the Citrus to be BCS bowls) to be different stages of the playoff. The only problem is the Rose Bowl which wants a Big 10/Pac 10 match up, but I would happily concede that the Big 10 and Pac 10 automatically qualify for the play off if it actually happens.

edit: i guess the main problem would be that they wouldn't know who was going to play in the later stages of the playoff till right before and probably not be able to sell tickets.

 

[AlteredBeast]

TCU, BYU, Utah is a better top three than most conferences. If only Boise State and Houston were in the MWC.

 

[jjasper]

The MWC can easily create a damn good conference by gathering all the mid-majors not in the conference that are already good (Boise State/Houston), and grabbing teams that will become good again (SMU - loaded college - they will be back) to create a conference that has the money and prestige to get access to the system.

Pretty much. If they take what they have and add Boise, Fresno St, and Houston it is a BCS league. They could add a championship to get more TV exposure too. They would probably have to wait till the Cotton got added in though.

 

[Talon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiesta_Bowl#2010

:lol :lol

Okay, people, have some perspective.

 

[Cyan]

Im not disputing your point, but Sagarin lies a ton. Its probably the worst computer poll.

lolwat

Sagarin is probably the best of the computer polls, although the version the BCS uses is the politically correct watered-down edition.

It's commonly known that Billingsley is the worst of the computer polls.

Okay, people, have some perspective.

Yeah, I'm on board with bitching, but I gotta draw the line at comparisons to segregation.

 

[Chumly]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

I cant believe the BCS put fucking TCU and Boise State together. Worthless........

Im excited to play Arizona in the Holiday bowl should be a good game.

 

[jjasper]

:lol People blaming the BCS for this. It isn't like they all got together and decided to do it like this. The Fiesta Bowl actively chose this. They didn't even have to take Boise.

 

[mre]

:lol People blaming the BCS for this. It isn't like they all got together and decided to do it like this. The Fiesta Bowl actively chose this. They didn't even have to take Boise.

I heard that the BCS committee threatened to replace the Fiesta with the Independence Bowl if they didn't play ball and take both TCU and Boise. Only a rumor for now, but I'll let you know if I hear anything different.

 

[whytemyke]

I can't believe that the NCAA punished Central Michigan with playing Troy. All because we scared Notre Dame out of playing in a bowl game? Seriously?





Also, the whole thing with Boise vs TCU is ridiculous. It just goes to show that the BCS Bowls/Conferences aren't interested in anything but maintaining their bottom line and control, because if they ended up in a position where 2 unbeaten mid-majors knock off top tier BCS teams, then it totally unravels the entire racket that they've spent so long to build. It's ridiculous and I'm making it a point to only watch the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[StoOgE]

:lol People blaming the BCS for this. It isn't like they all got together and decided to do it like this. The Fiesta Bowl actively chose this. They didn't even have to take Boise.

Well their only other option was VaTech.

You think the bitching about this is bad? Just imagine is Boise had been passed up for number 11 :lol

 

[Sirpopopop]

I can't believe that the NCAA punished Central Michigan with playing Troy. All because we scared Notre Dame out of playing in a bowl game? Seriously?





Also, the whole thing with Boise vs TCU is ridiculous. It just goes to show that the BCS Bowls/Conferences aren't interested in anything but maintaining their bottom line and control, because if they ended up in a position where 2 unbeaten mid-majors knock off top tier BCS teams, then it totally unravels the entire racket that they've spent so long to build. It's ridiculous and I'm making it a point to only watch the Fiesta Bowl.

Agreed.

Then again Boise vs. TCU is so transparently a scheme borne out of fear, that I'm looking forward to the potential backlash after all the bowls are done.

 

[jjasper]

Also, the whole thing with Boise vs TCU is ridiculous. It just goes to show that the BCS Bowls/Conferences aren't interested in anything but maintaining their bottom line and control, because if they ended up in a position where 2 unbeaten mid-majors knock off top tier BCS teams, then it totally unravels the entire racket that they've spent so long to build. It's ridiculous and I'm making it a point to only watch the Fiesta Bowl.

The BCS bowls are completely autonomous in their picking so long as they stay within the rules of the set forth. Fiesta had second pick after Sugar. They took TCU over Virginia Tech Iowa/Penn State, And Cincy. Then when their turn came up again they took Boise over Cincy and Virginia Tech. If you think they did this because they wanted to protect the big boys you don't know who the bowl system works. They did it cause they would bring in the most money this way. Boise is lucky to be in a BCS game they could have easily been passed up and sent to whatever shit bowl the WAC champ plays in.

Well their only other option was VaTech.

You think the bitching about this is bad? Just imagine is Boise had been passed up for number 11 :lol

Yeah but what do they care if it brought it more money.

 

[Subitai]

How does the Outback Bowl take Northwestern over Wisconsin? Wisconsin travels as good as any team in the country.

Retarded.

I really don't understand this either. Maybe they were obligated by contract with the Big Televen since NW won the head-to-head. Usually NW is the one that gets boned in these things cause they're low on fans.

Fun fact! That's the attendance of last year's Poinsettia Bowl.

Why is that relevant? The 2008 Poinsettia Bowl matched up TCU and Boise State...

Given this fact, I think it was sort of gutsy for the Fiesta to go this way with BSU, but then maybe they were worried more about fallout if they took Va Tech. Or, maybe it was to raise the profile of their event for the future? Idk, but whoever wins, if they do so convincingly and the MNC looks sloppy (a 16-15 Texas win?), could make a case to the AP to take the title they dish out. Like an almost shootout where a great defense gets beat by an insane offense. Ya, it would have been better to go up against Cincy, but they both get a chance to make the case now to the AP.

I like to think about the Fiesta Bowl in a maverick sense, because most of us don't remember that it was the Cotton Bowl that used to have more prestige than the Fiesta Bowl until Don Meyers pulled enough strings to get my Lions up against the U in 1987 in the biggest college bowl game ever as related here at espn. You've probably read it before, but its more for everyone else.

Edit: By biggest I mean TV audience as the article points out:

At halftime, Bob Costas conducted a rambling interview with President Reagan. Meyers' vision had come to fruition. The ratings were enormous, larger than even the network could have expected: 25.1 percent of households with televisions (more than 70 million viewers) were tuned to NBC that night; no college football game has gotten that kind of ratings share, before or since.

The Super Bowl that year had 80 million viewers. The Steelers/Cardinals game this year had 98 million viewers.

This past BCS title game had only 26.8 million viewers and the closest it has been since was USC vs Texas in 06 with 35.6 million viewers.

 

[timetokill]

The BCS bowls are completely autonomous in their picking so long as they stay within the rules of the set forth. Fiesta had second pick after Sugar. They took TCU over Virginia Tech Iowa/Penn State, And Cincy. Then when their turn came up again they took Boise over Cincy and Virginia Tech. If you think they did this because they wanted to protect the big boys you don't know who the bowl system works. They did it cause they would bring in the most money this way. Boise is lucky to be in a BCS game they could have easily been passed up and sent to whatever shit bowl the WAC champ plays in.

I don't know, why not take Cincy instead of TCU in that case? TCU has had problems selling out their games at home, even in a season like this. Are they really going to fill the seats?

And on that point -- are Boise or TCU fans going to buy tickets en masse to go see a bowl game that doesn't have even a chance of giving them more credibility ("you only beat a mid-major in a bowl game")?

 

[Talon]

I really don't understand this either. Maybe they were obligated by contract with the Big Televen since NW won the head-to-head. Usually NW is the one that gets boned in these things cause they're low on fans.

We own the media, so we made some phone calls.

 

[StrikerObi]

While this is true the schools make very little money on the NCAA tournament.

Bowl money is what is funding many of these schools football programs. Football costs more to run than a basketball program so the arguement is that the schools need the bowls in order to afford to maintain a football program.

An NCAA run football tournament would mean the schools get jack for appearing in it compared to the current bowl set up.

The Texas and Bamas of the world don't *need* the bowl money. But the Baylor's and Vandy's do.

Speaking as FSU fan, we do need the money. The Champs Sports Bowl paid for $100k of our badly needed and soon to be finished library renovation. So I say keep the bowls, ditch the BCS.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Do you really think ratings will go down though?

the BCS keeps getting bigger and bigger contracts for their games.

Hell, the SEC just signed a BILLION fucking dollar contract with ESPN.. and ESPN isn't even first in line for SEC games. A BILLION fucking dollars to be the SEC's second fiddle.

The money is flowing and those in power right now have a vested interest in keeping it this way.

It will take Congress/NCAA to step in and do something about it. Congress seems more concerned with the BCS being an exclusive monopoly, not about forcing a playoff and the NCAA doesn't give a fuck.

No idea what the trends are, but from an article from the local Iowa paper I was just reading:

The Big Ten Conference was guaranteed an $18.3 million payout due to league champion Ohio State earning an automatic berth in the Rose Bowl.

Having a second team in the BCS will bring the Big Ten an additional $4.5 million.

An appearance in the Capital One Bowl is worth $4.3 million.

The conference splits its bowl revenue equally among the 11 member schools.

“Football popularity, through attendance and through television ratings over the last 10 years, has gone on an upward curve, dramatically,” Barta said. “And it’s probably not coincidental that’s when the BCS was created.”

Lots of money for the schools, ratings going up. No way it's going to change with that dynamic.

 

[mre]

Speaking as FSU fan, we do need the money. The Champs Sports Bowl paid for $100k of our badly needed and soon to be finished library renovation. So I say keep the bowls, ditch the BCS.

I don't think the BCS system is going anywhere. Even if they moved to a playoff system I'd imagine the BCS would be involved in setting the brackets.

 

[yellowjacket25]

Also, the whole thing with Boise vs TCU is ridiculous. It just goes to show that the BCS Bowls/Conferences aren't interested in anything but maintaining their bottom line and control, because if they ended up in a position where 2 unbeaten mid-majors knock off top tier BCS teams, then it totally unravels the entire racket that they've spent so long to build. It's ridiculous and I'm making it a point to only watch the Fiesta Bowl.

I couldnt agree with this more. The BCS finds a way to ruin the end of the college football season every year. Both of these teams got screwed.

 

[Gigglepoo]

The BCS finds a way to ruin the end of the college football season every year. Both of these teams got screwed.

It's pretty crazy that the bowl games are now the worst part of the college football season.

 

[whytemyke]

And how the freak does an 11-2 MAC team, almost ranked all year, whose only losses are to Arizona and Boston College, end up in the god damned GMAC bowl against TROY? I'm really sore over our damn bowl selection this year.

 

[mre]

And how the freak does an 11-2 MAC team, almost ranked all year, whose only losses are to Arizona and Boston College, end up in the god damned GMAC bowl against TROY? I'm really sore over our damn bowl selection this year.

Blame that Irish pride. You've been expecting the GMAC or PapaJohn's bowl for a while. The only thing that has changed is your opponent, and you can't really blame that on the bowl when their first choice chickened out.

 

[Cyan]

They took TCU over Virginia Tech Iowa/Penn State, And Cincy.

It's not like it was some huge mystery who the Orange would pick. They took TCU knowing full well they'd wind up taking BSU as well. Why? We can only speculate...

Yeah but what do they care if it brought it more money.

More money? You think Poinsettia Bowl II is going to bring in more money? Pfft. That's the main reason I'm buying into the conspiracy theory--there's no fucking way they're retarded enough to think they'd make more money with two mid-majors.

I heard that the BCS committee threatened to replace the Fiesta with the Independence Bowl if they didn't play ball and take both TCU and Boise. Only a rumor for now, but I'll let you know if I hear anything different.

It's not that much of a stretch to think that the BCS people were pushing the matchup, to try and take away some ammo from the folks in the Senate going after them.

 

[jjasper]

It's not that much of a stretch to think that the BCS people were pushing the matchup, to try and take away some ammo from the folks in the Senate going after them.

The problem with the argument is that the BCS people don't really have any power outside of making the rules in the off season. Bowls do stupid things that they think are good decisions. Like the Outback bowl picking Auburn and Northwestern. What a terrible game, thank go no one will watch it.

 

[StoOgE]

The problem with the argument is that the BCS people don't really have any power outside of making the rules in the off season. Bowls do stupid things that they think are good decisions. Like the Outback bowl picking Auburn and Northwestern. What a terrible game, thank go no one will watch it.

according to Stewart Mandell the Fiesta Bowl changes it's mind into pursuing this matchup late in the game.

 

[Karakand]

Here's how it's done, Karakand.

Knock Knock

Who's there?

Boo.

Boo who?

Oh, hey Tim Tebow.

Urban Meyer walks into a bar and says, "I'm dying of dehydration get me to a hospital!" The bartender looks at him and says, "Maybe you should try drinking some of Tebow's tears next time."

 

[Tamanon]

But tears are salty, they'll just dehydrate him more.

 

[Lonestar]

I remember hearing when Auburn got the Outback bowl bid, that a few of the SEC schools fan bases were upset, because I believe the Outback is 3rd or 4th in tie ins, right? That they picked Auburn, instead of Arkansas, Kentucky, or Georgia (there's a trend here), that something seemed wrong.

Well, I guess Karma answered with Northwestern.

 

[Karakand]

But tears are salty, they'll just dehydrate him more.

If Jesus could turn water into wine I think it's more than possible for Timmy to be able to desalinate his own tears.

 

[jjasper]

I remember hearing when Auburn got the Outback bowl bid, that a few of the SEC schools fan bases were upset, because I believe the Outback is 3rd or 4th in tie ins, right? That they picked Auburn, instead of Arkansas, Kentucky, or Georgia (there's a trend here), that something seemed wrong.

Well, I guess Karma answered with Northwestern.

They passed over Tennessee who the bowl is designated for (2nd place in the east), Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina. They also turned down Ole Miss because the Cotton wanted to swap its west team for Tennessee. Tennessee got the better end of the deal (not counting getting the swap to play in Jerry world). I would take the Peach over the Outback everyday of the week. Waking up at 10am on 1/1 is borderline impossible.

Georgia got kicked from the Peach to the Independence, Kentucky gets to play in the music city bowl for like the 3rd time in 4 years, and South Carolina gets stuck in Birmingham.

 

[mre]

I remember hearing when Auburn got the Outback bowl bid, that a few of the SEC schools fan bases were upset, because I believe the Outback is 3rd or 4th in tie ins, right? That they picked Auburn, instead of Arkansas, Kentucky, or Georgia (there's a trend here), that something seemed wrong.

Well, I guess Karma answered with Northwestern.

The issue is that the Outback usually takes the top team from the east not playing in a BCS game or the Capital One game, and Auburn ain't from the east. So rather than taking whatever team mathematically ended up "second" in the east--I think it was Tennessee--they went down to the west's fourth team, Auburn.

Tennessee fans in particular are steamed. Edit: Except, apparently, Jasper. :lol

Here's the actual procedure from the SEC's website:

The Capital One (2nd), will then make its pick following the BCS selections. The bowl must select the team with the next best overall record or a team within one win of the team with the next best overall record.

The Outback, Chick-fil-A and AT&T Cotton Bowls will work with the conference office to determine picks 3-5. The Cotton Bowl has the first preference of teams from the Western Division and the Outback Bowl has first preference of teams from the Eastern Division. The Cotton or Outback Bowl can select teams outside of its divisional preference, but must not select them before the opposite bowl selects from its divisional preference. The Chick-fil-A Bowl has the selection of preference following the Cotton and Outback Bowls.

In selections 6-7, the AutoZone Liberty and Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowls will make their selections, not in any specific order, but in consultation with the SEC Office. The Bowls will rank available qualified teams in order of preference. If there are no similarities in the order of selection, the bowls will be granted its selection. If the bowls rank the same teams in preference, the team involved in the process would get its preference of which bowl to participate.

The Petro Sun Independence Bowl will receive the eighth selection and the Papajohns.com Bowl will have the ninth selection of available SEC teams.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Big Cowardly System.

Everybody knows that Florida, Iowa, or Georgia Tech, or Cincy would get rolled by TCU and that Boise would most likely beat Goergia or Iowa. To avoid another beatdown of a "power" conference team by a "mid-major", they skirted them off to the side. What they've done is shown their true colors and gamed an already gamed system. Bravo, BCS bowls. Bravo.

Given that Texas managed to avoid the upset, the matchups should have been like this.

Alabama v Texas
Cincy v Boise St
Florida v TCU
Oregon v Ohio St
Georgia Tech v Iowa

Both Iowa and Georgia Tech are garbage teams to be playing in such high stakes bowl games. They should have been the two teams shuffled to the periphery.

College football is nothing but a big, fat racket.

 

[mre]

Big Cowardly System.

Everybody knows that Florida, Iowa, or Georgia Tech, or Cincy would get rolled by TCU and that Boise would most likely beat Goergia or Iowa. To avoid another beatdown of a "power" conference team by a "mid-major", they skirted them off to the side. What they've done is shown their true colors and gamed an already gamed system. Bravo, BCS bowls. Bravo.

Given that Texas managed to avoid the upset, the matchups should have been like this.

Alabama v Texas
Cincy v Boise St
Florida v TCU
Oregon v Ohio St
Georgia Tech v Iowa

Both Iowa and Georgia Tech are garbage teams to be playing in such high stakes bowl games. They should have been the two teams shuffled to the periphery.

College football is nothing but a big, fat racket.

Yes, everyone knows that Florida and Cincy would get "rolled" by TCU. I think the games would be competitive either way, but I don't see any of those three teams rolling another.

 

[Danthrax]

And how the freak does an 11-2 MAC team, almost ranked all year, whose only losses are to Arizona and Boston College, end up in the god damned GMAC bowl against TROY? I'm really sore over our damn bowl selection this year.

It's the MAC, dude. We get screwed pretty much every year. It's ridiculous that an 8-4 team (Oregon State) is ranked 16th in the AP poll while 11-2 Central Michigan is 25th. That's three more wins and two fewer losses, but nine spots lower! WTF!


At least you can look at the bowl game this way: it's the MAC Champion versus the Sun Belt Conference Champion.

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Yes, everyone knows that Florida and Cincy would get "rolled" by TCU. I think the games would be competitive either way, but I don't see any of those three teams rolling another.

TCU is very strong on both sides of the ball, while Florida suffers from major scoring droughts and is pretty susceptible to bad defensive lulls against a good offense. Florida would give them a better game than Cincinnati I think, but TCU is far more complete. I've seen 6-7 TCU games this year, and I've seen all but the FCS games for Florida, and I've yet to see a single thing to make me think they're capable of beating TCU. Look what happened when Florida finally played a top tier team...they got spanked.

I expect Florida to beat Cincinnati simply because the Florida defense is going to be way more capable of getting stops in that game.

 

[Lonestar]

It's the MAC, dude. We get screwed pretty much every year. It's ridiculous that an 8-4 team (Oregon State) is ranked 16th in the AP poll while 11-2 Central Michigan is 25th. That's three more wins and two fewer losses, but nine spots lower! WTF!


At least you can look at the bowl game this way: it's the MAC Champion versus the Sun Belt Conference Champion.

It's all about who you win over, and who you lose to. Oregon State beat the Fighting Toby Gerharts, and lost to BCS teams Oregon and Cincy, as well as similarily ranked Arizona (who should be ahead with same record) and a 4 loss USC (HA HA).

CMU lost to said 4 loss team Arizona and 4 loss Boston College. What's their best win? 6 loss Michigan State?

I've enjoyed watching CMU's QB in the rare instances I've seen them on TV, but no, they have 8-10 wins over teams that fill up SEC OOC games (the ones that I always hear shit about)

 

[Toski]

If Boise St. and Fresno St. left the WAC, there would only be Hawaii and Nevada, which means the WAC would have to fold. There would only be 2 teams barely worth anything and the rest is not worth talking about.

People talking about the Fiesta Bowl having a choice :lol . The Fiesta Bowl is the fall guy this year for the BCS pure and simple.

 

[mre]

TCU is very strong on both sides of the ball, while Florida suffers from major scoring droughts and is pretty susceptible to bad defensive lulls against a good offense. Florida would give them a better game than Cincinnati I think, but TCU is far more complete. I've seen 6-7 TCU games this year, and I've seen all but the FCS games for Florida, and I've yet to see a single thing to make me think they're capable of beating TCU. Look what happened when Florida finally played a top tier team...they got spanked.

I expect Florida to beat Cincinnati simply because the Florida defense is going to be way more capable of getting stops in that game.

TCU is a very good team. Make no mistake, though. Florida is also a very good team with an elite defense and a solid if inconsistent offense led by a QB that can hurt you both running and passing. We can make arguments for each team winning the game, but to absolutely know that one team would "roll" another is ludicrous.

Also, the Florida that Bama deconstructed was not the Florida of the previous 12 games and may not even be the Florida that shows up in the bowl game. (1) The whole Carlos "I'm a big freaking moron, kind of like Andre Smith" Dunlap issue; and (2) the very real possibility that Charlie Strong's head was not 100% into that game due to looking ahead at potential HC opportunities. I expect (1) to be resolved well before the bowl season begins. Either Dunlap plays or he doesn't, but he will no longer be a distraction. (2) will also be resolved. Either Strong will be a HC somewhere, or he won't be.

I expect that UF will come out for its bowl game focused, and, unless they have another Dunlap/Smith moment in the week leading up to the game, I *think* that they'll be Cincy.

If Boise St. and Fresno St. left the WAC, there would only be Hawaii and Nevada, which means the WAC would have to fold. There would only be 2 teams barely worth anything and the rest is not worth talking about.

People talking about the Fiesta Bowl having a choice :lol . The Fiesta Bowl is the fall guy this year for the BCS pure and simple.

The Fiesta, after making its first pick of TCU had the following choices: Boise, Cincy, or Virginia Tech, which means they really only had a choice between Boise and Cincy. I'm not sure which would have been the better game.

Edit: I suppose they could have also chosen BYU, which would have been a mistake, because BYU could have named their score against TCU, and what fun would that game have been?