The 'Separate But Equal' Bowl: Does the BCS Even Listen?

I don’t have a problem with it. In fact I love the irony of the situation. You know all the arguments they make when BCS schools complain about getting matched up with a non-BCS opponent? Now they have to eat their own words. They want to talk about how they’ve beaten BCS schools when they get into the BCS. Well then why is it an insult for them to be paired up against another “BCS buster”?

Boise plays Virginia Tech in Washington DC next year and has a home-and-home with Oregon State over the next three years, but that’s it…the rest of their future non-conf is full of teams that it seems like will eventually be conference foes in the MWC.

TCU, however, has Texas Tech in 2011, Oklahoma in 2012, and then home-and-home with LSU and Arkansas from 2013-2016.

Is it okay to still be excited about watching this game even though it’s very unfair to both teams?

…a different match up for both teams, but the BCS will be able to justify it based on a geographical argument. Every BCS bowl has some tie in that makes sense geographically and with Texas freeing up the Big 12’s spot, they can say both teams fit there geographically.

down with cream puff self scheduling!
death to the six conference aristocracy!
to hell with greedy corporate monopolies!
the BCS represents everything wrong with America today!

i want to love college football so much, but i just can’t get past the illegitimacy that is inherent in the system. going into every season it’s pretty much a given that the supposed climax at the end is almost always going to be dogged by controversy and unresolved claims to greatness. it just sucks so bad, and i’m tired of it. if tennessee didn’t have the good fortune of being a “have” program, where i know wins will be justly rewarded by the process, i wouldn’t even bother. too much frustration, and too many turd burgers from the NCAA and BCS people who don’t give a damn about the good humor of the fans, the right of every team to control their own destinies with their play*, or the financial well being of the universities themselves. there is no resemblance of a level playing field, so there are never any equitable outcomes.

*if that is not the penultimate essence of athletic competition, i don’t know what is.

Both undefeated…both teams from the western U.S. playing in a great bowl in a great climate out west.

….so what’s the problem? The non-bcs teams want respect and to be treated equally like the ‘big boys’ and now they are. They’re not entitled to only be matched up against a BCS team and not each other.

Anyone who argues this game is not fair because of low interest, low TV ratings or low ticket sales is just making the case for why these non-bcs teams shouldn’t be in bcs bowls in the first place.

For the record- I think this will be a good game. If it has low ratings it won’t be because of me.

In one sense, yes, I do feel that the BCS has relegated Boise and TCU to the little kids’ table. My initial reaction was the same as most people that they somehow go the short end of the stick.

However, the more I distance myself from that first, emotional reaction, the more I am convinced that this is not necessarily a bad thing. Each team has garnered respect this year, hence the #4 and #6 rankings (even if it is a system that we can all agree is flawed). What additional respect would they gain from beating #9 GT or #10 Iowa that they won’t gain from beating each other? Yes, I recognize the “rematch” and “likely conference opponents” arguments, but somebody is going to come out of this game with an impressive win and a legitimate beef about not winning the NC.

The only way this could have been better in the current system is if Cincy was playing either TCU or Boise in the Fiesta with the other playing Florida in the Sugar. Either that or a playoff…

Speaking of which, is there any year that supports the playoff argument more than this year? You’ve already got #1-#8 going against in each other in the bowls, how hard would it be to requisition the Orange Bowl so that you could play the 4 big bowls on January 1st with #1 vs. #8, #2 vs. #7, etc. Given that there’s already a week (almost) between the traditional New Year’s Bowls and the NC game (Jan 7th), you’d only need 1 more week and 2 more games! I know there will never be a perfect system that makes everyone happy, but this seems logical to me and would work very well this year. End tangent…

…had sway over the whole process? I bet the Sugar Bowl wasn’t going to be happy about getting a non-BCS league team three years in a row. Last year’s wasn’t a sellout and the Hawai’i/UGA game was a bloodbath.

Nice take on the whole debacle that is the BCS. And thanks for the OBNUG reference.

While we weren’t exactly pleased with the rubber match with TCU, It is going to be a great game. IMO, possibly the best BCS bowl this year, in terms of actual on the field football, and not hype. Plus it’s a battle of unbeatens so that always adds fuel.

Thanks for the positive words about the Broncos. I live about an hour and twenty minutes north of Knoxville in Kentucky. Been to Neyland twice, (’08 vs. FLA & ’09 vs. AUB) loved it!

There’s another great write up over at Fanhouse.

Best of luck in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl!

I am more confident in this 2009 TCU team than I have been in any other “BCS Busting” non-AQ team. Looking at BCS Mountain West teams:

Utah in 2004 with Urban Meyer was very good, but was not tested. They dismantled the Big East champion Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl, but never was given a chance to show the caliber of team that they were.

Utah was very good in 2008, but was certainly not dominant throughout the season. Going into the Sugar Bowl I did not know what to expect. The 14 point dominant performance shocked me even as a Utah student.

Now we have TCU in 2009. They destroyed Top 25 BYU and Utah teams by 31 and 27 points. They beat Clemson in a tough road game. Their closest call this year was against Air Force in a hostile road game with snow, where they won by 3. Since then they have been flat out dominant. They have a stellar defense and offense. They arguably the most well-balanced teams in the country.

Non-AQ teams not only are fighting for themselves in BCS games, but all non-BCS schools. If a team is going to represent all non-AQ teams they better be good. This team I feel would beat Texas, and would give Alabama one hell of a game. It is a shame that they will not get a chance to showcase their team with the likes of the SEC’s top teams like Florida or Alabama. Rather, they are stuck with a rematch of 2008 Poinsettia Bowl against a team that is will be a conference rival in just a couple years.

I was extremely disappointed to hear that TCU wont get a chance to play a BCS Conference Team, and will rather be stuck in a “BCS Buster Bowl” This TCU team could have been very special and they wont get a chance to fully prove that.