Unlike Pitt, the 2001 Tigers Won their way into the Sugar Bowl by beating Tennessee in the SECCG. Also, despite the commonality with this years Pitt team of having 3 losses, the 2001 LSu team was on a roll going into the Sugar Bowl and had established a late season dominance that might have carried them all the way to an NC if there had been a playoff system. We'll never know. If Utah beats Pitt what have they proved? By denying Utah a chance at playing an established power with a higher ranking like Auburn, Texas or Cal the Utes are being cheated out of the ability to earn the kind of respect they would get by beating or even playing on an even keel with one of those teams. Sure, its possible that AU, Cal or TX might make it a blowout by halftime against Utah but thats something else we'll never know. Utah-Pitt is of absolutely no interest to me except that I will watch it if I don't have anything better to do just like I watch the Insight.com bowl or the Houston Bowl or the Weedeater Bowl.
Hell, I'm planning to watch the New Orleans Bowl on Tuesday night. It's college football and it's all I've got left. I have absolutely zero interest (anymore) in the NFL and the NBA.
You and me both...I was spoiled when they had like 19 games on 19 days in a row back for awhile there... The NFL amuses me the way I was amused this afternoon...The (S)Aints were down when I dozed off, and up when I woke up...It's like realizing you had an interesting or humorous dream... The most I get out of the NFL is the highlights on Sunday night, and on Sports Center the following week. Watching Vick to see what he did, if Whataburger kept on winning, what buffoonish stereotypical dance Terrell Owens did, how miserably bad Haslet does on the field, and whether Delhomme can continue the Panthers on their march back to respectability...
I have little interest in the NFL till playoff time, then I like it. I usually think the two conference championship games are the best. 4 great teams, 1 week rest, minimal hype, do or die. I like it. I would like to see the Saints or Texans on a roll, like 12-4 or better, I'd watch that week in week out. The strikes killed much of my interest in pro sports, millionaires on strike just doesn't seem right. The players should get their bucks, rather than the owners, but then they act like they are better than we are, and its not appealing. I used to like the NBA, no I never watch it till the finals, then I don't enjoy it that much. There are enough thugs and irresponsibles in the league to make it unappealing to me. I've never been a baseball fan, except when LSU is in the CWS, or the Astro's make a run like this year; it was pretty cool in Houston this fall. I saw Clemens win two games at the ballpark; he's pretty intimidating on the mound!
The BCS needs more tweaking (since the $$$ involved means it will never go away). I think a BCS conference champion must be in the BCS top 12 in order to be BCS bowl eligible. So, Pitt would have been left out of the Fiesta this year, and Cal would be smelling the Roses while Texas would be facing Utah. Actually, at this point in time, I believe the Big East should be tossed from the BCS alliance. Since their will be 10 BCS spots in the new deal, let the 5 real major conferences (SEC, Big XII, Big 10, Pac-10, and ACC) have automatic bids into the BCS bowls with anybody else in the BCS top 8 guaranteed a spot. If this proposal were in place this year, here's the BCS bowl lineup: Sugar: Auburn vs. Utah Rose: Cal vs. Michigan Fiesta: Boise St. vs. Texas Orange: Va Tech vs. Georgia BCS Title Game: OU vs. USC You would have 5 interesting bowl matchups for TV and 5 sellouts in the stadiums!
Pre-BCS this is what the bowls might look like for this year: Sugar - Auburn vs. Texas Rose - USC vs. Mich Orange - Pitt vs. Georgia Fiesta - Oklahoma vs. Utah Back to the original post - "Boycott the Fiesta" Something to think about-had Auburn played in the Orange Bowl it would have left the Sugar Bowl with the Pitt-Utah matchup. How convenient it was for the Sugar Bowl that Auburn was not ranked 1 or 2 in the final BCS poll. Same thing with the Rose Bowl. Had California remained ahead of Texas, Golden Bears fans could have driven from Berkley the day of the game and made it back home before midnight. But because Texas leapfrogged Cali, the city of Pasadena stands to make somewhere in the vacinity of $10 million in hotels, rental cars, food, etc. How convenient for the Rose Bowl.
Every time I see Utah discussed as a BCS team, I think of poor Tulane. Too bad they didn't have that 11-0 season this year, since the odds of me winning the lottery are better than that happening again anytime soon.
I am still seeing the Fiesta Bowl as a chance for the smaller non-BCS conference schools to take a major blow. If Pitt somehow comes out of this game with a victory, it would be devastating for the non-BCS conferences.
Tigerfan58, when did the Fiesta tie-in with the Big 12 start? I know the Orange had the tie in with the Big 12 for a long time. I thought they started the Big 12 / Fiesta Tie in when the Bowl Coalition started and then followed by the Bowl Allinace and the BCS. So I think the Orange would have actually had the Big 12 winner, the Fiesta at one time had no tie in and that is how they became the big player in the Bowls when Penn St and Miami were both independents and went undefeated. The Coalition was I believe in 1994 and 1995. The Bowl Allinace was in 1996, 1997 and 1998. I'm pretty sure the Big 12 was the anchor of the Orange Bowl until the Bowl Allinace started, which was the precursor to the BCS. So I think the Bowls would have been Auburn vs ? in Sugar OU vs ? in the Orange USC vs Michigan in the Rose Fiesta would have been in a battle with the other bowls for both of their participants. Pitt and Utah probably wouldn't had been in the mix. Utah may have been since they were undefeated but I think it is more likely the 4 open spots would have been taken by Cal, Texas, UGA and either LSU, Iowa, Tenn & Va Tech, with Miami also being included since the Orange Bowl likes them even though it kills their revenue's.
You're right. The Big 8 (before it was 12) did go to the Orange Bowl every year prior to the BCS. Based on that it could have been something like: Sugar - Auburn vs. Texas Orange - Oklahoma vs. Va Tech Rose - USC vs. Mich Fiesta - California vs. Georgia Utah, Louisville and Boise St. all would have been tied into other bowls.
