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Time to Blow Up the BCS

Many football fans are questioning how LSU ended up in the BCS title game.  But they are asking the wrong question: Just what the heck is Ohio State doing in the National Championship game?

I'm serious.  Ignore the ratings for a moment.  Why Ohio State? Seriously.  Their out-of-conference schedule?  4-9 Washington, 4-8 Akron, 3-9 Kent State, and 1-AA Youngstown State.  The Big Ten is the worst of the BCS conferences.  The Buckeye's best win is against 8-4 Michigan.

That gets you into the BCS title game?  Puhhhhllleeeaze.

LSU belongs there.  Two losses in triple overtime?  Who should they play?  I'll throw a few candidates out there.

Virginia Tech.  Pros:  Only losses were to LSU and a then-top 10 Boston College.  Cons:  Lost badly to LSU.
Oklahoma.  Pros:  2-0 against top 10; 3-1 against top 30.  One loss occured when their starting QB was out of the game.
Georgia.  Why not?

Let's be honest here.  It's time to put strength of schedule back into the BCS at a bare minimum.  As currently written, it only encourages teams to schedule cupcakes.  It doesn't matter who you beat, just win.  See Kansas.  Some people want to point to Hawaii as well, but Hawaii didn't really want to schedule cupcakes.  They just scheduled whomever they could.  Michigan State weaseled out on a commitment to play in Honolulu.

Better yet...it's time to dump the BCS and start the 1-A playoffs this weekend.  Go ahead and use the BCS standings to seed everybody... here's what you get for this weekend's games:

Kansas @ Ohio State
Southern Cal @ LSU
Missouri @ Virginia Tech
Georgia @ Oklahoma

Next week, the semi-finals have the KU/OSU winner playing the USC/LSU winner and the MU/VT winner playing the UGa/OU winner.   Certainly looks a lot more compelling than what we got in the BCS this season.

Poll
What should happen with the BCS?
It's fine as it is.
15 votes
Tweak it and get strength of schedule.
29 votes
Enough is enough. Give me a real playoff already!
161 votes

205 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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Comments

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I have been

in favor of a playoff for a long time. This BCS crap is just plain BS. Dont give this crap about the bowls. The hell with them. 16 team playoff and those that dont make it can go to the bowls. It would be no different then if they went now to anything other then a BCS bowl. Continue to use the BCS but make it by a point system.  
I also think it is time for the NCAA to take of the scheduling. Make it so the big teams have to play someone like Hawaii or Boise State. Make all conferences play championship games. Make Notre Dame join a conference. The NCAA could do the scheduling like NSAA here in Nebraska does it, 2 years at a time. They do it by class here but you could do it like this:

Take the teams this year, break them down into groups of three, Group A is teams with 8-4 records or better. Group B is 5-7 or better (to 8-4). Group C is those with worse then5-7. Now every team plays a team from all three groups for their out of conference schedule.

Or something like that. I know someone can come up with something else and it could be better but this crap that OSU and even KU did this year to get to a BCS is a bunch of CRAP, and now NU is starting to do it. 3 Sun Belt conference teams on the upcoming schedule? Wow how can they keep the sellout streak with teams like that. And dont even give me the crap that we used to have schedules like that when TO was coaching because that is a bunch of crap also.

by taflorom on Dec 4, 2007 12:07 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

OSU-Va Tech Comparison

Since you obviously believe that OSU has no business playing in the title game yet Va Tech does, and you primarily base your argument on strength of schedule, I thought it would be appropriate to compare the resumes of the two teams.

OSU
Quality wins (those against teams with 8+ wins):
at Penn State (8-4), at Michigan (8-4), vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
Loss(es):
vs. Illinois (9-3)
non-conference schedule:
Akron (4-8), Kent St. (3-9), Washington (4-9), YSU (1-AA)

Va Tech
Quality wins:
at Virginia (9-3), at Clemson (9-3), vs. BC (10-2)
Loss(es):
vs. BC, at LSU (48-7)
non-conference schedule:
LSU (11-2), Ohio (6-6), E. Carolina (7-5), William & Mary (1-AA)

These schedules actually look pretty similar when placed side-by-side.  Three quality wins each, and I would argue that PSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin are better than Virginia, Clemson, and BC.  No bad losses on either side, as LSU and Illinois are BCS teams, whereas BC was 10-2; however, it is worth noting that Va Tech couldn't even stay on the field with LSU, losing by over 40 points.  Va Tech played a tougher out of conference schedule, but when you throw out the LSU game in which Va Tech was handed its shirts and thus should not be given much credit, the non-conference schedules are not extremely different (note, in particular, that you rip OSU for playing 1-AA YSU, but you're seemingly ok with Va Tech playing 1-AA William & Mary).

In short, your post in which you rip OSU seems to be driven more by some anti-OSU or anti-Big Ten animosity (indeed, you claim that the Big Ten is the worst of the BCS conferences, and while I agree it is a down year by Big Ten standards, it is still better, top to bottom, than the Big East or the ACC).  

Finally, I'll note that Va Tech getting into the BCS title game wouldn't exactly be fair to the fans or to LSU.  Indeed, LSU already clearly proved that they're better than Va Tech, beating them by 41 points.  Why should they have to waste everyone's time by again dismantling Va Tech?

by buckeye on Dec 4, 2007 8:06 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Look at Sagarin...

...they have the Big East as the sixth toughest conference.  Behind the ACC, Big East, SEC, Big 12, and  Pac 10.

And no, those schedules do NOT look similar at all.  Ohio State's non-conference 1-A opponents went 11-26.  VT's went 24-13.  Virginia and Clemson are better than anybody Ohio State beat in conference.  Both played 1-AA patsy's, that's a wash.

I don't particularly want to see LSU play Virginia Tech, but VT is more deserving of a shot than Ohio State.  I'd go with Oklahoma or Georgia personally.

by Husker Mike on Dec 4, 2007 8:23 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

that anti-OSU stuff

cuts both ways.

the idea that you consider PSU, Michigan, and Wisconsin better than Virginia, Clemson, and BC shows an incredible bias on the part of the Big 10.

I've lived in Big 10-land for 20 years now. This was a BAD year for the Big 10. There were no really good teams, even though there was plenty of potential.

And OSU? I cannot believe that anyone wants to bother defending that piece of garbage joke of a non-conference schedule. If you are a Buckeye, you should be ashamed of it, just as Husker fans are wondering what the hell we're doing playing three Sun Belt conference teams in an upcoming season.

It is GARBAGE football, and until we stop trying to defend it as something other than garbage, we'll get more of the same.

Go Big Red!

by corn blight on Dec 4, 2007 11:37 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Consider this...

There are other conference rankings out there besides Sagarin's that have the Big Ten ahead of the ACC (e.g., Marsee's).  So I think it's hardly a given that the Big Ten is the worst conference, contrary to what you may believe.

You cannot support your Va Tech non-conference argument by solely looking to the opponents' win-loss record.  Doing so entirely ignores the fact that OSU was 4-0 against non-conference foes, while Va Tech was 3-1.  By your logic, if OSU had played two teams with great records, say Hawaii and Kansas in the non-conference and had lost to them both, OSU would deserve to go to the NC game over Va Tech simply b/c they played better non-conference opponents, notwithstanding the fact that OSU would've then gone 2-2 in such games whereas Va Tech went 3-1.  Your reference to non-conference opponents' winning percentage would be a lot more convincing if OSU and Va Tech had the same record against non-conference opponents.  Unfortunately, they do not.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on the Big Ten best vs. Clemson and Virginia argument.  Clemson has beaten absolutely no one of significance this year (check their schedule), and Virginia lost to NC State and Wyoming.  Wisconsin would beat both teams by several touchdowns, and I'd take PSU and Michigan (and maybe even Michigan State) to beat them both as well.

Look, if you want to say that OSU doesn't deserve to play in the NC game because they lost in November, I'll totally agree with you.  However, every team has a flaw this year.  LSU also lost in November, and they did so to an unranked team (not to mention losing to another unranked team earlier in the season).  It seems that you've bought into the popular yet lazy-thinker's argument that the Big Ten is weak and so OSU shouldn't make it to the title game.  However, taking the time to actually compare their schedule to the other candidates shows that such popular thinking doesn't withstand scrutiny.

by buckeye on Dec 4, 2007 10:44 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Va Tech vs. Ohio State

Let's compare those non-conference schedules again.

VT:  LSU
OSU:  Washington
Advantage:  Virginia Tech

VT:  Ohio
OSU:  Akron
Advantage:  Virginia Tech

VT:  East Carolina
OSU:  Kent State
Advantage:  Virginia Tech

VT:  William & Mary
OSU: Youngstown State
Advantage:  Nobody

VT played 1 premier team, 2 solid mid-majors, and a 1-AA patsy.
OSU played 1 bottom feeder BCS team, 2 bottom feeding mid-majors, and a 1-AA patsy.
VT's 3-1 record with that schedule easily trumps OSU's 4-0 record.
11-26 vs 24-13 is not a slight difference.  It's huge.

by Husker Mike on Dec 4, 2007 11:08 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ohio State's strength of schedule

Just a question and a few observations, to which I'll hope you respond, and then I'll let it go (although I do enjoy debating college football with fans of teams from other conferences).

  1. Assume WVU beat Pitt this past weekend.  Would you have had as much of a problem with WVU in the NC game that you apparently have with OSU being there?  I'm just wondering, because I haven't seen nearly the backlash in your rankings against WVU that you have against OSU, even though WVU's strength of schedule is ranked 47th whereas OSU's is ranked 48th.
  1. You claim that you'd have no problem with Oklahoma in the NC game.  Yet its strength of schedule is 39th.  Again, OSU's is 48th, so Oklahoma's is better, but it's not so much better so as to justify your outrage directed at OSU and the supposed weak Big Ten while simultaneously claiming that OU deserves a spot in the title game.  
  1. I don't remember whether I saw it here, but there are a lot of people claiming that USC deserved a title shot, and their strength of schedule is 80th.  

In short, I think it's kind of funny that so many people are ripping OSU for having a supposedly weak schedule when theirs is head and shoulders above that of USC, practically the same as WVU's (about whose schedule I have heard no complaints), and in the same ballpark as Oklahoma's.  

by buckeye on Dec 4, 2007 3:16 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

So who has Ohio State beaten?

For Ohio State, here are their best victories:
Purdue (7-5, #51 Sagarin)
Michigan State (7-5, #40 Sagarin)
Penn State (8-4, #31 Sagarin)
Wisconsin (9-3, #30 Sagarin)
Michigan (8-4, #27 Sagarin)

Ohio State lost to Illinois (9-3, #21 Sagarin).  Did not play anybody in the top 20, and did not beat anybody in the top 25.

West Virginia's best victories:
Maryland (6-6, #49 Sagarin)
Miss St. (7-5, #52 Sagarin)
Rutgers (7-5, #42 Sagarin)
Louisville (6-6, #44 Sagarin)
Cincinatti (9-3, #15 Sagarin)
UConn (9-3, #26 Sagarin)

With a loss to South Florida (9-3, #12 Sagarin).  Two wins better than any of Ohio States, and a better loss.

Oklahoma's best victories:
Texas (9-3, #25 Sagarin)
Missouri twice (11-2, #9 Sagarin)
Texas A&M (7-5, #38 Sagarin)
Oklahoma State (6-6, #43 Sagarin)
Losses to Colorado (6-6, #50 Sagarin) and Texas Tech (8-4, #29 Sagarin) are worse than  Ohio States.  But three victories better than Ohio States, including 2-0 against the Top 10.

In other words, Oklahoma and West Virginia can claim to have beaten a top 15 team.  (The Sooners have two of 'em.)  Ohio State can't even claim a victory over a top 25 team.

by Husker Mike on Dec 4, 2007 11:13 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Look at the Coaches Poll

OSU has beaten
#15 Wisconsin
#28 Penn St.
#31 Michigan
#36 Michigan St.

WVU has beaten
#23 Cincinnati
#30 Connecticut

EDGE: Ohio State (and it's not even close)

OSU has lost to
#13 Illinois

WVU has lost to
#25 South Florida
unranked (and 5-7) Pitt

EDGE:  Ohio State (and it's not even close)

by buckeye on Dec 5, 2007 7:15 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Do you REALLY believe...

...that Wisconsin is a top 15 team?

by Husker Mike on Dec 5, 2007 9:17 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Check the rankings

Wisconsin is ranked #15 in the Coaches poll, #18 in the AP poll, and #15 in the Harris poll, so yes, I do believe that Wisconsin is a top 15 team.  If you're disputing the rankings of all three polls, it seems like you're beginning to grasp at straws in an attempt to discredit OSU.  That is my problem with the anti-OSU movement:  it is based more so on the blowout loss in last year's NC game and the myth that the Big Ten is weak than it is on fact.  Looking at the actual numbers, as I've stated above with respect to strength of schedule, shows that the facts don't support the widely-held anti-OSU sentiment.

by buckeye on Dec 5, 2007 10:06 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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