NCAA football

[Pendulous]

I don't get the Hawaii Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl. Southern Miss won their conference and went 11-2, and they're stuck with 7-5 Nevada. Boise went 11-1 and is stuck with 6-6 Arizona St. Did they want these games to be massive blowouts?

[conscript]

I don't get the Hawaii Bowl and the Las Vegas Bowl. Southern Miss won their conference and went 11-2, and they're stuck with 7-5 Nevada. Boise went 11-1 and is stuck with 6-6 Arizona St. Did they want these games to be massive blowouts?

The Las Vegas Bowl is always the the Mountain West champion, unless they qualify for the BCS, and a Pac12 team, usually the 5th place one, in this case ASU. The Hawaii Bowl is always a matchup of either a Pac12 team or a C-USA team vs Hawaii. If Hawaii isn't bowl eligible, like this year, another WAC team fills in for them, in this case Nevada.

[RollTide]

Matt Barkley is returning to school. More power to him. People keep throwing the Leinart example around like it's a guarantee that he'll drop in the draft.

USC is going to be scary as hell next season.

[mynameisjona]

Matt Barkley is returning to school. More power to him. People keep throwing the Leinart example around like it's a guarantee that he'll drop in the draft.

USC is going to be scary as hell next season.

Oh yea. I'm predicting Pac12 champion with room to spare

Also: screw the OSU sanctions. Basically got a get out of jail free card. With USC as a precedent they should've gotten hit a lot harder

[Brogrom]

The Las Vegas Bowl is always the the Mountain West champion, unless they qualify for the BCS, and a Pac12 team, usually the 5th place one, in this case ASU. The Hawaii Bowl is always a matchup of either a Pac12 team or a C-USA team vs Hawaii. If Hawaii isn't bowl eligible, like this year, another WAC team fills in for them, in this case Nevada.

I am not sure how the the Las Vegas Bowl picks the teams that play in it but I know that it isn't the Mountain West Champion. Boise State played Utah in the same game last year and Boise State was in the WAC last year with Utah in the MWC. Also TCU ended up winning the MWC this season and they played last night in the Poinsettia Bowl. Overall I think the MWC got screwed for bowl games this year, I will admit that I am a bit biased being from Boise but I think that TCU or BSU deserved much better than what they got. Kirk Herbstriet said it best that it is sad they picked Virgina Tech and others to go to the BCS games because they will get a better turnout of fans. Just to add as well Boise State going to the Big East is absolutely stupid in my opinion.

[Sayl]

I am not sure how the the Las Vegas Bowl picks the teams that play in it but I know that it isn't the Mountain West Champion.

They get the #5 Pac-12 team versus their first choice of a MWC team, which can include the conference champ (as long as that team's not headed to the BCS), but doesn't have to. The Las Vegas Bowl likely selected Boise State over TCU because of easier travel distance for Bronco fans. It's all about putting butts in the seats, and I think they doubted TCU fans would travel as well.

[Pendulous]

Did anybody else totally see Boise St. blowing out Arizona St.?

Sad news just in time for the holidays, Texas A&M senior lineman Joseph Villavinsencio died in a car accident: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...m-playerkilled

[Sayl]

Did anybody else totally see Boise St. blowing out Arizona St.?

Yeah, watched the whole thing. I'd wager Erickson's departure is for the best since half the team gave up in the first quarter. With all those senseless penalties and personal fouls they were their own worst enemy. It's always a shame to see such poor discipline and lack of focus.

Highlights of the game for me included Brock Osweiler telling their special teams to fuck off so he could go for it on 4th & 4, and the redneck referee who kept announcing penalties as "UNSPORTSMANSHIPLIKE CONDUCT."

[Badpaladin]

That Las Vegas Bowl solidified my thoughts that the BCS needs a serious do-over. Why can't it just be 1v2, 3v4, 5v6, 7v8, 9v10, etc for bowl week up until a certain ranking? I'm fine if there isn't a playoff system established, but it's fucking ridiculous when a team that consistently demolishes bigger (and presumably better) schools than them has to play a shitty team for a bowl game.

[Sayl]

That Las Vegas Bowl solidified my thoughts that the BCS needs a serious do-over. Why can't it just be 1v2, 3v4, 5v6, 7v8, 9v10, etc for bowl week up until a certain ranking? I'm fine if there isn't a playoff system established, but it's fucking ridiculous when a team that consistently demolishes bigger (and presumably better) schools than them has to play a shitty team for a bowl game.

Oh I agree, but don't forget that it's not the BCS's job to seed "even" matchups in all these piddly bowls. All the BCS does is select (identify, I should say) #1 vs. #2, then any AQs, and then at-large eligible selections [edit, for clarity: and that's just for the NC game, Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Orange bowls -- anything outside that isn't part of the BCS]. From there it's up to the bowl committees themselves and the deals they make with conferences and their peers. Piddly-bowl selections are usually based on regional markets, TV ratings appeal, and ticket/merch. sales. Aside from the marquee bowl games (or sometimes even including them), the system's always been like that.

What we're seeing now though is the consequence of everyone vying for FBS (D-IA) money. In the 1970s, you had enough bowls to cover 22 to 30 teams, and that was it. Now, with all the FBS additions, we're up to 120 schools (with 124 coming for the 2012 season), and the NCAA relaxed the bowl eligibility guidelines so that you can finish 6-6 and still have the opportunity to make extra cash from the postseason. Needless to say, it rather trivializes the bowl season if excellence on the field isn't a prerequisite and you have 60+ slots to fill.

[Sayl]

Aaaand check out the crowd on hand for the Independence Bowl!



Okay, so that's halfway through the 4th quarter, but still.

[wombinator04]

Aaaand check out the crowd on hand for the Independence Bowl!



Okay, so that's halfway through the 4th quarter, but still.

The people still sitting there must've gotten bribed.

[mrbadxampl]

Aaaand check out the crowd on hand for the Independence Bowl!



Okay, so that's halfway through the 4th quarter, but still.

that'd make it hard to get a "wave" going...

[Drinkman45]

That Las Vegas Bowl solidified my thoughts that the BCS needs a serious do-over. Why can't it just be 1v2, 3v4, 5v6, 7v8, 9v10, etc for bowl week up until a certain ranking? I'm fine if there isn't a playoff system established, but it's fucking ridiculous when a team that consistently demolishes bigger (and presumably better) schools than them has to play a shitty team for a bowl game.

I am sorry but ASU has been checked out of the season since they lost to UCLA, Boise State didn't prove anything that game besides that they could beat a team that has been down for 6 weeks. Boise needs to get into a real conference before they can start complaining about anything the BCS gives them. And by the way they lost to TCU and still were placed 6th? Come on

[conscript]

I am sorry but ASU has been checked out of the season since they lost to UCLA, Boise State didn't prove anything that game besides that they could beat a team that has been down for 6 weeks. Boise needs to get into a real conference before they can start complaining about anything the BCS gives them. And by the way they lost to TCU and still were placed 6th? Come on

Ya ASU was epicly bad over the last half of the year. They should have walked to the title game in the Pac12 against Oregon with USC being ineligible. Their collapse was even more epic than the hilarity of the Illinois implosion. Can't wait to see what Illinois' non-existent offense can do against the 1-6 on the road Bruins. Should be an epic battle of badness.

Boise will play in the Big "East" soon enough and then we can see what they are really made of. They should be demonstratively better than every team in the conference so they will get their wish of having a chance for the title and a BCS bowl bid for sure. Make a couple of field goals and maybe they would have had the chance to prove they deserve a shot at the National Championship although honestly they still wouldn't have made it at undefeated beacuse their resume continues to be terrible every season. Would have been nice to see them get a real bowl opponent though to see what they are made of against a real team, not a Georgia struggling to find its footing before finally righting the ship.

[Pendulous]

Thank you Air Force, I pick you to win and you blow on the most useless play in football. Really, why would you EVER fake an extra point? Go for two. the element of surprise is not worth having none of your offensive players on the field.

Also, all my rage for Mark May. Somebody kick his useless ass off TV.

[RollTide]

Thank you Air Force, I pick you to win and you blow on the most useless play in football. Really, why would you EVER fake an extra point? Go for two. the element of surprise is not worth having none of your offensive players on the field.

Also, all my rage for Mark May. Somebody kick his useless ass off TV.

Don't worry, he's next on this list of people who need to go now that Craig James is finally gone.

[Sayl]

And by the way they lost to TCU and still were placed 6th? Come on

Remember how the timing of losses factors into the situation. Boise State lost to TCU, and dropped in the polls as a result -- but they also posted three more wins to finish the regular season. In that span, five teams ranked above them lost (Oregon, Oklahoma, Clemson, Arkansas, Virginia Tech). Oregon later jumped them in the polls, and Houston also briefly passed them before getting pasted by Southern Miss to finish the season. So BSU finished 6th in the Harris and Coaches Polls, 8th in the AP, and 7th in the BCS standings.

---------- Post added 2011-12-29 at 06:52 PM ----------

Don't worry, he's next on this list of people who need to go now that Craig James is finally gone.

Please tell me Chris Spielman's on that list too. Still, the departures of Craig James and Bob Davie are celebration-worthy.

[nbm02ss]

That victory over Notre Dame wasn't pretty, but I'll take it!

[Badpaladin]

RG3 doesn't play so well under pressure. Go Washington!