Time to Kick the Big MAC Out of the BCS?
by Husker Mike
on Jan 7, 2008 11:23 PM CST
in Football
14 comments
Well, LSU's 38-24 victory over Ohio State capped up yet another sub-standard season for the Big 10 11, or probably more accurately, the Big MAC. They went 3-5 with victories over the MAC's Central Michigan, and a woeful Texas A&M squad who fired their coach. Their one impressive victory was Michigan's defeat of Florida.
Not that you shouldn't have seen this coming. The Big Ten has been wallowing in mediocrity for some time, with the exception of Ohio State's 2002 championship. Is the Big Ten merely a glorified MAC conference now?
It was surprising to hear the entire ESPN GameDay crew select Ohio State. Or maybe it's not; ESPN likes to force feed the Big MAC down our throat throughout the season. Perhaps it's their control of major media markets in Chicago to the East Coast. Perhaps it's their commitment to the Rose Bowel.
I'll forgive the poor performance of Hawai'i in the BCS; it was a nice story. But the next two worst performances in the BCS were Illinois and Ohio State. Illinois had no business playing in a BCS game, and Ohio State had no business playing in the BCS Championship.
But wait, you say. Ohio State only lost by 14. Well, there was a garbage touchdown at the end against the scrubs in a prevent defense. And for the second year in a row, Ohio State started the BCS title game like a high school freshman after the prom. A premature ejaculation got the Buckeyes out to a quick lead, but that was all she wrote for Ohio State until late in the game.
So should the Big MAC be kicked out of the BCS? Hardly. Football is cyclical, and eventually they'll come out of it. The arrival of Rich Rodriquez will probably be the spark that pulls the Big MAC out of their current doldrums. Big MAC teams will need to upgrade their schedules so that when they face real competition (i.e. someone not in the MAC or the Big MAC), they don't get that glazed over look as they get blitzed once again.
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How about calling out one of your own, Oklahoma?
As a Buckeye fan, I'll be the first to admit that I was disappointed with last night's game. However, I find it a bit perplexing how you are so quick to throw the Big Ten under the bus while not doing the same for your own conference, the Big XII. Oklahoma, year in and year out the best team in the Big XII (and conference champion again this year), has lost its last four BCS games. This year, it lost in a blowout to a WVU team that lost to Pitt. If that is not a black eye for a conference, I don't know what is. Typically the conference's second best team, Texas, squanders talent like none other--each year it has one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, yet it finds a way to lose 3-4 games every season. It took a once in a lifetime talent in Vince Young for them to win the NC, and they have shown they won't do it again anytime soon. In short, the Big Ten bashing on this site is out of control--I'm beginning to think that you rip the Big Ten just to deflect attention away from your own conference's woes.
by buckeye on
Jan 8, 2008 7:49 AM CST
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Big XII went 5-3 in bowls...
Oklahoma did lay an egg in the Fiesta Bowl, and I did say that. But Missouri and Kansas both came up with very impressive bowl wins. Texas had a nice win as well.
The Big XII finished with FOUR teams in the Top 10.
The Big MAC would KILL to have those "woes".
by Husker Mike on
Jan 8, 2008 8:40 AM CST
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And what about the ACC?
While you're ripping conferences, what about the ACC, which is, in my opinion, the worst BCS football conference (yes, even worse than the Big East)? The conference's best team, Virginia Tech, is 4-8 in its last 12 bowl games. The ACC has lost each of the last three Orange Bowls. And ACC teams went 2-6 in bowl games this year. I'll add that although BC barely got by Michigan State, 24-21, BC only did so by virtue of the fact that MSU turned the ball over several times. Also, BC was the second place ACC team this year, and MSU was tied for 7th in the Big Ten.
by buckeye on
Jan 8, 2008 8:23 AM CST
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This is funny
And what's with the Michigan State comment? Are turnovers no longer a part of the game of football? Last I checked, turnovers are usually a result of defenders being in position or making a good hit, not because the offense just decided it didn't want the ball anymore.
You should really let this argument go, because you don't have any ammunition. Your conference managed such impressive bowl wins as beating Central Michigan, Texas A&M and Florida...while you lost to BC, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, USC (blowout), and LSU (not nearly as close as the score might indicate).
Also, I would be remiss not to mention that all the Big 12's bowl wins and losses were to BCS-conference-affiliated teams.
by TB on
Jan 8, 2008 9:00 AM CST
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Check the facts
I'm not turning to bashing the ACC to deflect attention away from the Big Ten, I'm asking why Husker fans want so badly to throw the Big Ten under the bus that they make an argument that the Big Ten is such a weak BCS conference while ignoring other worse BCS conferences, such as the ACC.
Did you check the ACC's bowl record? 2-6. Those two wins were over UConn (no big deal) and Michigan State (score being 24-21). But you don't want to admit that this was a mismatch from a conference standings standpoint, as BC finished second in the ACC while Michigan State finished tied for seventh in the Big Ten. I'll tell you right now that if the second place team in the Big Ten played the seventh place ACC team, the game wouldn't be a three point nail-biter.
by buckeye on
Jan 8, 2008 9:27 AM CST
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Told you
this would happen - that if Ohio State lost that game in the manner in which they did, the bashing would get worse.
Here's the problem the Big 10 has:
- Ohio State has been destroyed in two straight national title games.
- Illinois, a second-place team got destroyed by USC in the Rose Bowl.
And from there the real problems start. The Big 10 has been a thorn in the side of college football fans for a number of years now. This constant love-affair with the Rose Bowl, all the bullshit about tradition came through again this season and f'ed up the BCS bowls.
If there's any talk about conference title games, a playoff or any major change in the system, it's been the Big 10 and the Pac-10 who dig their heals into the ground and oppose it while making up nonsensical excuses, i.e. "it would hurt the athletes academically".
Because of those things, the Big 10 already has an image problem with the rest of the nation, and it's one of the reasons I have no problem bagging on them.
by corn blight on
Jan 8, 2008 11:56 AM CST
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so THAT's what your problem is...
So because you think the Big Ten is preventing a playoff, you trash all of its teams? That's mature. What about trashing the Pac-10, who is just as much at fault as the Big Ten?
That aside, I take issue with your claim that OSU has been destroyed in two straight national championship games. From my vantage point, OSU had the ball on LSU's 35 yard line down 14 with about 10 minutes to play. Is that really a team that "has been destroyed?" I don't think so. But don't let me stop your misrepresenting the game in an effort to discredit OSU and the Big Ten.
by buckeye on
Jan 8, 2008 1:15 PM CST
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actually
I'm not for a playoff system. We already have the NFL for that.
I do believe that if the Rose Bowl is going to stick with this Big 10/Pac 10 bullshit that they need to be removed from the BCS, but it's doubtful that happen.
BTW, I resent the Big 10 more because I live in Big 10 land and I listen to their stuff all the time. Perhaps if I were still living in my native Nebraska, or back down in Dallas, I'd have a different attitude. But I don't. I don't recall the Big 12 or Big 8 having the high and mighty attitudes that the Big 10 has. It's amazing more administrators and faculty aren't injured from RSI, patting themselves on the back on a daily basis.
destroyed, dismantled, creamed. take your pick. They showed some life in the second half for a while, but that roughing the kicker call effectively ended the game.
by corn blight on
Jan 9, 2008 7:49 AM CST
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Tell us how you really feel
But really, I was surprised at all of the ESPN guys that went with Ohio State. It never seemed like much of a contest once LSU got the ball rolling. I was quiet the first part of the game while watching it with people in Missouri, but enjoyed hearing the silence of the (Missouri) Tiger fans as they watched LSU's defense in all ways harass the Buckeyes. They know what's coming. Anyway - yeah Big 10 overrated, but they'll be back sometime. In a couple years there probably won't be any App. State, Illinois, Wisconsin, or Iowa surprises for Ohio and Michigan.
by doombob on
Jan 8, 2008 11:38 AM CST
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Is it alright to say now the SEC is best?
As an LSU fan, I have long thought the SEC was the premier conference, and with a one-two AP final punch this year it would be hard to argue otherwise. I love the fact USC with its television media lackeys got only one vote while Georgia got three and Kansas got as many first place votes as USC.
I agree with the comments that there are leagues that the BCS should reconsider in their inclusion, but the issue of money and bigger television rankings will make the issue moot. The inclusion of Hawaii in the BCS bowls was a joke when you play noone in the top 25 (I believe that is correct) even if you have a perfect record. If Nebraska in its current down cycle played Hawaii's schedule, it would have been in a bowl this year.
Another matter that might be reconsidered from the SEC point of view would be the limitation to two conference teams in the BCS games, but again getting other less deep conferences to agree would be impossible. How many conferences other than the SEC and the Big XII could have three?
However, the real reason I came to the site was to say the Tiger Nation will direly miss Bo Pelini and knows he will do great things for Nebraska. I predict your wins will increase, your recruiting will soar and Nebraska will return to its days of glory. Finally, I believe Nebraska will pick up and has picked up many LSU fans who want to see Coach Pelini do well at his former location. Go Huskers (but still LSU more)!
by LSU4UNeb on
Jan 8, 2008 12:36 PM CST
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No
argument here. SEC is the best confrence bar none.
by 96operator on
Jan 8, 2008 12:39 PM CST
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Heck...
Nebraska would have made a bowl game if they played in the Big MAC; everybody they lost to were bowl teams. (They only played two teams that didn't make bowls: Iowa State & Kansas State.)
The last several years, I've felt the SEC was clearly the dominant league. Several years ago, that's been claimed but hard to verify. USC is clearly the top dog in the Pac 10, but didn't have any other top teams unless you count Oregon with a healthy Dennis Dixon. The Big XII is probably 2nd best, with the Pac Ten 3rd. Then the Big East and ACC.
Hawai'i probably shouldn't have been in a BCS bowl game, but they went undefeated and Michigan State of the Big MAC weaseled out on playing them at the last minute. So I don't see how you could have excluded them; it's not their fault that Spartans chickened out.
by Husker Mike on
Jan 8, 2008 12:52 PM CST
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SEC is the best conference, no doubt
No doubt the SEC is the best conference, right now. LSU executed perfectly last night and made no mistakes. They deserved to win.
by buckeye on
Jan 8, 2008 1:16 PM CST
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Playoff
Hard to argue any of these wins and losses in meaningless bowl games!
If these were PLAYOFF BOWL GAMES on the ROAD to a REAL CHAMPIONSHIP! You might be able to compare wins, losses and come up with something.
I do think the SEC has more speed and talent at this time.
IF the BIG 10 and the PAC 10 are the only thing keeping a playoff system from College Football then don't let them in the playoff system...start one without them. Let them Have their ROSE BOWL!
Play only Conference games through regular season. All conference winners are in! Use the BCS to Seed the top 16 or 32 teams and start the playoffs. Through December....when students are OUT OF SCHOOL! There are more details......it is so EASY and it would be AWESOME!
Now if one TEAM/Conference dominates in that system it is VERY OBVIOUS who the best conference is.
Otherwise ,,,its hard to guage Bowl Games....one Team's coach is fired and not even at the game,,,one is leaving after the game...one team is disappointed with the bowl they got and the Team they are playing is elated to be there.....etc...etc..
College Football needs to get this fixed.....my five year olds soccer team has a PLAYOFF!
by bleach on
Jan 8, 2008 7:34 PM CST
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