This kind of stuff has been going on for decades. Georgia was the only major college team to go unblemished in 1946. 11-0 Shut out both Auburn and Alabama Gave up less than 10 points per game. 392pf 107pa So who gets the National Championship? Notre Dame at 8-0-1 The national championship series would be great if they don't allow automatic conference slots. i.e. Michigan should never have been in the Rose Bowl this year. Tejas got a free ride from having to play a closer ranked team. And some may disagree on this board, but Georgia or Utah should have played Texas in the Rose Bowl and the other team should have played Cal. The Big 10 and Pac 10 should always have to earn a slot!
"The Big 10 and Pac 10 should always have to earn a slot!" And Chip, you were doing so well until that last piece of foolishness. What, pray tell, is the difference between the Big Ten Champ getting an automatic bid to the Rose Bowl and the SEC Champ getting an automatic bid to the Sugar Bowl? Every major conference is lined up with a bowl.
Your suggestion that Michigan "should never have been in the Rose Bowl this year"... and that "Georgia or Utah should have played Texas" is based on what? What did Georgia do in their 3 point win over Wisconsin (who got totally thumped in their last two games) that convinced you the Dogs were better than Michigan? Utah probably deserved a better bowl match-up to show their stuff... that's a given... But the Champion of any of the major conferences (minus the Big Easy now) deserves the chance to represent themselves and their conference in a major bowl. In case you haven't noticed, there's some pretty good teams in the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, ACC and, yes, even the Pac 10 that can play with anybody... and to deny any conference champ a major bowl is ludicrous.
I believe the exact words that I heard were "There has been talk that Auburn will buy their players rings." I don't remember the guys name because I was browing at the time as well, but it was the clown who hosts the show with Trev and Mark May. To do so would lack class and I would bash the hell out of Saban (or Miles) were he to do that. Yes they got shafted, but that's not the rules we all agreed to. Don't pull a USC. They're going to get what's coming to them soon enough.
Youre right, but I think a conference championship game would validate each conferences automatic bids. The Big10 and Pac10 dont have them. I feel that any conference that has more than 8 teams, thus creating the possibilty of two teams going undefeated in conference play -AND- not playing each other, should have a championship game with representatives from each of two divisions. I realize the NCAA requires 12 teams for conferences to have them, but thats the way it should be. The ACC will be joining the ranks next year with the addition of their 12th team, BC. The Big East, Big10, and Pac10 should follow suit. What if Michigan had played Wisconsin this year? Iowa might have been in the Rose Bowl instead. Or what if there was an Iowa- Michigan rematch in a championship game. The winner would have certainly earned their spot.
I'm saying that if you are going to have a TRUE playoff series you need to line up the best 8 teams in the country. Period! I'm saying that the SEC Champ should not be automatic either. The Big 10 simply didn't have a top 8 caliber team this season. Neither did the Big East. Why should they get an automatic slot in a true playoff series? Watching part of the Utah - Pittsburgh matchup made me ill. Utah should have been afforded a much better challenge. #4 Cal and #6 Utah would have been a better match. #5 Texas and # 7 Georgia would have been a better matchup as well. Or Cal and Texas... Believe me, I was not happy that Georgia ended up playing Wisconsin. I wanted to play Texas. And the truth is, Richt called off the Dawgs at 24-6 against Wisconsin for whatever reason. Wisconsin had about 75 net yards of offense at halftime. Georgia is now 7-1 all-time against the Big 10. 2-0 vs. Wisconsin 2-0 vs. Purdue 1-0 vs. Michigan State 1-0 vs. Ohio State 1-1 vs. Michigan. But Georgia has never played Iowa.
Very true... I hope the Big Ten adds a "12th" very soon and establishes a championship game. We need it.... for the simple example that next year Purdue gets to go through conference play without facing either Michigan or Ohio State. Ridiculous is a word that comes to mind. I'd also like to see a ruling that if you lose your conference championship game, aka Oklahoma last year, you don't get to play in the BCS championship.... you know, add even a little more spice to the soup. btw, there's been some talk that Syracuse is "approachable" as our 12th (perhaps as much or more for basketball than football)... that would work for me, as it helps us tap the east coast market, would please Penn State and, best of all, screw Notre Dame out of any consideration.
Chip, my daughter graduated from Georgia and my son from Auburn. I've watched some great SEC football over the years. My point is simply every conference champ of the major conferences should be represented in your play-off scenario. Who says the Big Ten didn't have one of the top 8 teams at season's end... you? That's the fun of Bowl games.... was Cal your #4 team... are they now? All I saw from these games is that there are a lot of very good teams out there who can play with anyone. "Georgia called off the Dogs".... spare me, please.
