Considering they will certainly lose 3 games and possibly 5...how in the name of Zeus's butthole could they be ranked in the top 14 at the end of the year? They sure are not going to start out ranked highly like last year. I think we can almost bank on the fact that they will not be wasting anyone's time in a BCS bowl.:hihi:
I may be wrong, but I think the link that uscvball posted might be outdated. It was my understanding that the irish were only guaranteed a BCS spot if they finished in the top six of the BCS rankings. I might be confused, but I thought that was one of the changes made last year when they also stopped receiving the full payout for a BCS game. I do know that there is deffinitely a separate criteria for them to get an automatic bid for a BCS game as opposed to being "elligible" for a BCS bid. What that difference is I'm not sure, but I'm fairly certain that they won't be given any more bids unless they meet the automatic bid criteria. Having said that, I would never expect ND, or any other team, to ever Turn down a BCS bid Acknowledge that they are overated Not campaign for the most lucrative bowl invite avialable. Yes they get drummed when they play out of their league, but I'd be more concearn as a fan if the players, coaches, and administration openly stated that they were afraid to play another team and campainged to get invited to a lesser bowl just to have a better chance of winning.
This link is definitely accurate. Check #'s 4 and 5. ND guaranteed with a top 8 finish. Still separate treatment. I do agree with your three statements above. ND is doing what anyone else would. #3 is a little dicey-some coaches will be more outspoken than others (Tressel v. Carr is a good example). Still doesn't change the fact that having a separate set of rules for ND is questionable particularly in light of the new format. http://bcschampionshipgame.motime.com/
I stand corrected, thanks. I think the ranking is proportional to the number of games (i.e. - 4 BCS games, if ND is in the top 8 of BCS they get a spot). While I will agree that this is preferential treatment for ND, I also believe that this should be the ultimate guide for all selections. Let the top two teams play for the championship, and then let the 4 BCS bowls pick from the next 8 teams, regardless of conference affiliation. I know this will cost ND some opportunities (they CAN be selected if they are in the top 12-14 I think), but it would end some of the debate about who "deserves" a bid and who doesn't.
No it won't. There has to be some reward for winning the conference championship in terms of bowl prestige. You wouldn't understand this, but it's something that happens when you play the same teams over and over and it means something other than "a shot at the national title </delusion>."
My feeling is that if you win your conference, and your conference as a whole was pretty good, odds are that you will be ranked in the top ten. I understand the importance of conference championships. I was at LSU when that was the only thing that mattered because a NC didn't seem a possiblity.
