A Nebraska Fan's Perspective of the BCS

IMHO | Dec. 10, 2001 | Mean Daddy

[Mean Daddy]

As I'm tired of taking shots from fans whose teams are lucky to go 4-8 let alone have a winning season for the past 30 odd years, I wanted you to hear from a Husker fans perspective as to the BCS ruling.

First of all let me state after Colorado beat us up, I wanted Texas, Tennessee et al to win their games. Four teams had to lose for us to have a shot.

If Colorado had rescheduled their game with Washington State, this might not be an issue. Out of all the games cancelled due to 9/11, only one wasn't rescheduled.

There's talk of the BCS instituting the Colorado rule, that is, if you win your conference, you pick up extra points. I propose the Nebraska rule, if a team (re: Colorado or Nebraska) don't play, you can't change their rankings because you think one coach deserves it more then another (see college and sportswriter polls that magically changed to favor Colorado).

If your going to favor a team that lost twice, why not Tennessee, why not Florida? Because the BCS is based on the whole season, not one game.

Criminy, the type of thinking that has been communicated on these posts would make you an instant member of the Demorats.

[Mean Daddy]

To suggest Nebraska gracefully bow out is like asking GW Bush to give the POTUS to AlBore since Al really won Florida. Same principle, right?

Flame away....

[Arkinsaw]

I don't like your team. But I agree with you.

[dirtboy]

If your going to favor a team that lost twice, why not Tennessee, why not Florida? Because the BCS is based on the whole season, not one game.

The point is not that I think Tennesse or Florida should go. The point is, Nebraska shouldn't. IMO Oregon should go, as IMO a team should win their conference to be eligible to play for the national championship, and Oregon has one loss as opposed to Colorado's two losses (and I'm from Colorado).

[thefactor]

Go Ducks! Oh wait, they got s-c-r-e-w-e-d.

[Texican72]

This is why the BCS should be called the "Bull Crap System". There is really no excuse for not having at least an 8, if not 16 team playoff system.

[ThreeYearLurker]

Hey, I'm with you. Despite the loss to Colorado, the Huskers look like a great team, which is more than can be said about many of the other contenders. Living in Oregon, I have seen the Ducks play all season and they are not a great team. They could very easily be 7-4. They looked awful against OSU. Miami is a great team, and this year, despite the Colorado game, the Huskers are number 2.

[Media2Powerful]

I'm a KSU fan....Nebraska deserves to go to the title game. They were embarassing during the game against Colorado, but if you look at Colorado overall, they had their best game against Nebraska. THAT, does not make them a champion. You see these flukes all the time in pro footbaLL.

A playoff system would be better than the current BCS, but the BCS is better than the AP or Coaches polls, which are often heavily biased towards the favorite teams of the voters.

Don't worry about what people say....ENJOY YOUR TEAMS SHOT AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP!

Congratulations to your team. I hope that smear Miami.

[Alberta's Child]

I've got no sympathy for Colorado. In fact, I see no reason why Colorado deserves to be in the title game any more than Tennessee does. Colorado's only claim is that they are "more qualified" than one other team. If Tennessee had beaten LSU but had lost to a second-tier SEC team like Mississippi earlier in the season, they would have been a "better" team for the title game than Nebraska (according to the logic of Colorado's supporters) even though they had lost two games.

[Mean Daddy]

If anyone has a reason to be PO'd, it's Oregon. I've been telling people all week that if LSU wins it would get ugly. I'm still not convinced that a playoff is the way to go as if you choose the top 8 or 16 or whatever, you'll have the same scenario where someone is more deserving then another.

[colorado tanker]

A conference champion should have the slot; if not Colorado, then Oregon. Nebraska didn't win its division or conference; to crown them national champion over conference champs would be a joke.

If the BCS ran the electoral college, Gore would be prez based on the wacko computer models he kept trotting out.

[mjk19]

I do not think NU should bow out. The BCS is the current system and thats how it ended up. I do not like NU football because they always schedule soft non-conference games. Many major programs do the same thing. I do not want to see NU playing the likes of Troy State, TCU, etc. We all know who will win. I am a big fan of CU because for some inexplicable reason they always schedule tough non-conference games. Fresno State could of easily beaten NU. I want to see the major programs play each other so I get angry when NU is chosen over CU just because CU takes a chance playing good teams while NU plays cream puffs. NU played only three road games while CU played 5 road games. NU apologists point out CU lost 2 games but CU beat more ranked opponents than any other school. CU beat the #1, NU, and #3 BCS, Texas, teams at the time.

[SoDak]

What about Illinois then?

[shoedog]

Down here in KC, Northern Iowa grad (I-AA) and we are in the playoffs and in the final four so I don't worry about this argument from a fan of any of the schools.

Nebraska should be in based on the rules ahead of time. People who wanted to change in the middle are no different than Gore people wanting to change after the fact.

This stated, its hard to believe that Nebraska without winning a division and conference getting in. The fact they did not get in based on that wouldn't be as bad, however teams that played an extra game for having a great season, then gets knocked down for the loss.

Oregon would be my pick, more than Colorado for who got the rawest deal. Yet for all the people that think Oregon got the raw deal, what about Illinois? one loss in the Big 10 (Arguable a very down year this year) Colorado is probably playing the best football right now. It is also a joke that basically, if Southern Miss beats TCU than Colorado was in. To think that the BCS was really won or lost based on that game is ridiculous.

Nebraska had 8 home games and only two top caliber opponents. Oklahoma a gutty tough win, and Colorado a blowout loss. They had a very soft schedule other than that. They didn't have to play Texas so Nebraska gains from the "Power" of the Big 12, yet they didn't have to face one of the reasons the conference was that tough. Also could Nebraska have played Colorado's schedule and won every game? I don't think they could have beat Texas in Texas twice.

Finally, the jury is still out on how good the Big 12 was after all what was the biggest win the conference had in the non-conference? Texas and OU beating North Carolina?

All that being said if Nebraska wins there will be two National Champions, since the winner of Oregon and Colorado will rightfully be awarded a piece of the pie. I personally think Nebraska could easily beat Miami in the Rose Bowl. All this is fun to me. Good Luck to your Huskers.

[lodwick]

Exactly correct - except for Miami, every team out there has got bent over and abused at least once, in exactly the "wrong" game.

Texas would have just as much of a shot at beating Miami, as any other number of those that got hosed by the BCS.

[dirtboy]

What about Illinois then?

How many losses does Illinois have? How many quality wins?

[mjk19]

Ping!!! GO BUFFS!!!

[yarddog]

I don't care for Miami or Nebraska but sure don't see how any other team could have been put ahead of them.

I personally think Florida may just be the strongest team in the country but they certainly don't deserve anything after letting Tennessee beat them at home. The loss at Auburn was a little more understandable since it was played during a rain/windstorm. A QB who throws accurate but fairly soft passes like Grossman is particulary susceptible to wind.

I guess Oregon has a valid claim but I don't think they are that good.

[Alberta's Child]

Nebraska didn't win its division or conference; to crown them national champion over conference champs would be a joke.

Under a playoff format in NCAA football, it would still be possible for a team to win the national title even if it had already lost its conference championship game.

Any Freepers who have been touting the superiority of the NCAA basketball tournament should realize that this sort of thing happens in basketball all the time.

[Texican72]

I do not want to see NU playing the likes of Troy State, TCU, etc.

Actually, TCU helped Nebraska's cause when they beat Southern Miss last week. It put TCU in a bowl game, and moved Nebraska's strength of schedule ranking from 21 to 14. Still, I find it hard to see a team playing for the national title when they didn't win their conference. Number three in the Big 12, Number one in the country???

[SoDak]

They also lost once to Texas 41-7. A fluke? No more a fluke than the beating they handed NU.