10 Biggest Bcs Slights

UNTflyer · June 10, 2008

10. Unbeaten and unloved: Non-BCS programs kicked to curb

These practically annual slights have led to much huffing and puffing, which is typically followed by a hardy chuckle from the BCS conferences.

9. Kansas State has the cooties: Wildcats can't buy BCS love

The BCS didn't do any favors for Kansas State during its run of success in the late 1990s.

8. Just plain stupid: Kansas loses to Missouri but wins BCS berth

Sometimes decisions are simply indefensible, and so we have the Orange Bowl's decision to choose BCS No. 8 Kansas over BCS No. 6 Missouri in 2007

7. Season of the absurd (2007): What happens if everybody keeps losing?

This messy absurdity inspired the first legitimate, though ultimately futile, effort to implement a plus-one, Final Four playoff format a few weeks ago.

6. Rivalry rematch?: Florida nips Ohio State-Michigan II by .0101

The controversy quieted down a bit from the Big Ten side of things when Florida stomped Ohio State for the title and USC overwhelmed Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

5. Texas politickin': Brown lobbies for poll promotion over California

In 2004, Texas coach Mack Brown kissed babies, shook hands and openly pleaded for pollsters to promote his Longhorns (AP No. 6, ESPN/USA Today No. 5) past California (AP No. 4, ESPN/USA Today No. 4).

4. The transitive property: Florida State ( A ), Miami ( B ) and Washington ( C )

In 2000, Miami coach Butch Davis couldn't stop squawking about how irritated he was that Florida State was playing for the national championship against unbeaten Oklahoma.

3. No conference title? No problem!: Nebraska backs into Miami beating

Nebraska got pummeled 62-36 in the regular-season finale at Colorado, which knocked the Cornhuskers out of the Big 12 title game. Yet the BCS formula, which doesn't account for the timing of a defeat, somehow spit out the Cornhuskers as unbeaten Miami's lunch, er, opponent.

2. SEC outrage: Undefeated Auburn left out

Another three-headed BCS monster emerged in 2004, with Auburn, Oklahoma and USC as the troika of undefeated BCS teams (apologies to Utah and Boise State) in play.

1. No. 1 and done: Computers reject top-ranked USC

The 2003 regular season ended with three one-loss teams in BCS contention. USC was ranked No. 1 in both the AP poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll, and its only defeat came in triple-overtime at California, which finished 8-6. LSU was No. 2 in both polls, its lone setback a 12-point home loss against a Florida team that went 8-5. Oklahoma, though dominant during the regular season, tumbled to No. 3 in both polls after getting drubbed 35-7 in the Big 12 championship game by Kansas State, which finished 11-4.

When the computers spit out an Oklahoma-LSU title game, many neutral observers joined Trojans fans in vehement protest, in large part because most believed USC was the best team. So when USC whipped No. 4 Michigan in the Rose Bowl, it remained No. 1 in the final AP poll. LSU beat Oklahoma 21-14 in the BCS title game and was ranked, by contractual obligation, No. 1 in the final coaches' poll, although three coaches rebelled against the undemocratic process and also voted USC No. 1.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3403882

Eagle1855 · June 10, 2008

On with the USC fellatio-fest.

Regarding #5, Cal looked really good against then 7-4 Texas Tech...

Green Mean · June 10, 2008

On with the USC fellatio-fest.
Regarding #5, Cal looked really good against then 7-4 Texas Tech...

And Texas came out the winner in the Rose Bowl and beat Michigan.

emmitt01 · June 10, 2008

And Texas came out the winner in the Rose Bowl and beat Michigan.

Which in no way legitimizes their being there...if getting to a BCS game meant you belonged there then please see numbers 3 and 8 in this list.

greenminer · June 10, 2008

10. Unbeaten and unloved: Non-BCS programs kicked to curb
These practically annual slights have led to much huffing and puffing, which is typically followed by a hardy chuckle from the BCS conferences.

Leave it to the world-wide leader in sports to further validate the mass misconception that if you're not a BCS auto-qualifier, then you're non-BCS.

Ladies and gents: ALL FBS division schools are BCS. Think of it this way: to whatever extent, if you're included in the BCS formula then you're a BCS member.

Eagle1855 · June 11, 2008

Which in no way legitimizes their being there...if getting to a BCS game meant you belonged there then please see numbers 3 and 8 in this list.

Very true. Texas got bumped out of a BCS bowl a few years before that so I think this was a "makeup" whether warranted or not. Very similar situation, if I remember correctly, in that they ultimately lost to a team in the Holiday Bowl they probably should have beaten... a la Cal v Tech.

I really think Cal and Texas were pretty much equals that year. Cal's one loss came against #1 USC, Texas came against (as usual) #2 OU. Really would have liked to see those two play that year.

emmitt01 · June 11, 2008

Very true. Texas got bumped out of a BCS bowl a few years before that so I think this was a "makeup" whether warranted or not. Very similar situation, if I remember correctly, in that they ultimately lost to a team in the Holiday Bowl they probably should have beaten... a la Cal v Tech.
I really think Cal and Texas were pretty much equals that year. Cal's one loss came against #1 USC, Texas came against (as usual) #2 OU. Really would have liked to see those two play that year.