What’s up with the Mountain West Conference?
You know, just a few days ago I was singing the praises of the Mountain West Conference, and I even went so far as to say that they are better than the Big East and ACC because they had (at that time) three ranked teams.
My, how much changes in one week.
With teams like Utah, BYU and TCU, and sprinkle in some Air Force, I really thought this conference was better than the WAC and Boise State. When you have three teams out of your conference on the top 25, and you are not a power conference, that is awesome!
But what happened? I would have bet my last peanut butter and jelly sandwich that BYU was going to rout Florida State, and I CERTAINLY didn’t see a 54-28 smashing in BYU’s own living room.
And Utah losing at home to Oregon helps Boise State feel bigger than the Mountain West, since they beat Oregon at the beginning of the year.
With all the Mountain West teams 3 games in except TCU, only two teams remain that are undefeated: the afore-mentioned TCU and Colorado State, who at the moment is 3-0.
This is odd because this is a very tough conference, and if Colorado State is currently 3-0, with Utah just falling out the top 25, and TCU undefeated, with BYU still on the rankings, this to me is still a very tough conference…ok let’s not bring up that New Mexico is 0-3.
So the question might be, is this conference for real, or are they all pretenders to the BCS Buster Crown? Again, many will swear by Boise State, but I still think the WAC is not as competitive as the Mountain West.
Yes Boise State beat Oregon…at home, but outside of that, few see their schedule as competitive to the end. Look at the schedule of the Mountain West Conference and key games:
Air Force: Played at Minnesota, will play at Navy, home to TCU, away to Utah and Colorado State, and BYU.
BYU: Played away at Oklahoma, home to Florida State and Colorado State and TCU, Air Force and Utah.
Colorado State: Played away at Colorado, away to BYU, home to Utah, away to TCU and home to Air Force
New Mexico: Played away at Texas A&M, home to Air Force, away to Texas Tech and Utah, home to BYU and away to TCU
San Diego State: Away at UCLA and Air Force, home to BYU, away to Colorado State, home to TCU and way to Utah.
TCU: Away at Virginia and Clemson, Air Force and BYU, home to Utah.
UNLV: Home to Oregon State, BYU, Utah, away to TCU and Air Force.
Utah: Away at Oregon, home to Louisville, away to Colorado State, home to Air Force, away to TCU and BYU.
Folks, that is a competitive schedule.
It’s a shame that the old WAC super conference can’t get back together, when they had 16 teams. This would have ended a lot of talk about BCS Busters and stuff like that when you had teams like Boise State, Utah, BYU and TCU all fighting for one crown before stating a case for a BCS Championship. But as it stands, this Mountain West Conference is indeed a tough conference.
Sure, one loss hurts Utah and BYU a ton, in fact it kicked Utah out of one poll. So it might appear that the pride of the conference rests on TCU, or maybe Colorado State, since they need an undefeated team to make a serious charge at the BCS. I am not as confident in the Rams as I am in Horned Frogs, but both are still undefeated at the moment, after Saturday we will know much more about this conference.
I still think that IF a team goes undefeated in the MWC, they deserve serious consideration at a BCS Title IF there are no undefeated teams out of the BCS conferences. I mean, if people talk about Boise State getting that shot, why not TCU or Colorado State, if they go undefeated?
But there is still much to see, many more games to play, time will tell all.
Showing posts with label BYU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BYU. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
BYU vs Arizona Pioneer Bowl
2008 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl
BYU vs. Arizona
You know, it must be pretty hard to sell tickets for a football game in LAS VEGAS…
I mean, I could think of 500 other things I could do instead of going to a college bowl game, but that is just me.
Anyway, this year’s Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl is kinda interesting. It puts together a Pac-10 team against a Mountain West team, which is actually a pretty interesting matchup.
From the Mountain West, we have BYU, who once was talked about a possible undefeated season, which has fallen slightly from grace, and Arizona, from the BCS Conference of the Pac-10. What are their credentials, and who shall win? Let’s look at some resumes.
The MWC has 5 teams that qualified for a bowl, and BYU is the third best out of the conference. In fact, they had a very good year, making noise as a possible undefeated team, and even a chance of forcing the BCS’s hand to put them in a National Championship if they had gone undefeated.
Their 6-2 record is blemished by only TCU and Utah, who are very good teams. Their first win over Northern Iowa was nothing to really put stock into, but then wins over not one, but TWO Pac-10 teams raised interest. When BYU beat Washington and UCLA, there was serious talk that this team was a force to be reckoned with…
Who knew how those same two Pac-10 teams would fall in the gutter?
A shutout on conference foe Wyoming, a win over Utah State from the WAC and another win over New Mexico gave this team a 6-0 start, and the sports media starting singing praises. It was quite possible that BYU was going to certainly be in a BCS bowl, and maybe, just maybe, challenge for a National Title.
Then the dream ended at TCU.
A 32-7 pounding proved that although BYU was good, they were not great enough to remain undefeated, and from there fell from grace. There would be no chance for a national championship for them, and now there was a race to see which non-BCS team would be the one to get that valuable BCS bowl bid. With TCU losing to Oklahoma, and BYU losing to TCU, it seemed that they had to fight to get that BCS spot.
BYU added three more wins, all over lesser foes like UNLV, San Diego State and Colorado State, before facing Air Force and beating them, leaving that last game of so much importance…against Utah. But it was not to be.
Four teams that was on BYU’s schedule will be in a bowl, and the Cougar’s record against them was 2-2. About par for the course, although I give BYU more credit than that.
From the Pac-10, we have Arizona, who was the least of the conference’s teams to qualify for a bowl. At 7-5, the Wildcats went 5-4 in conference play. Two quick wins over Idaho and Toledo were quickly forgotten when Arizona lost to New Mexico.
Three games in, and they were already in trouble.
And as if taking a cue from BYU, they also played UCLA and Washington, defeating them both. Even at 4-1, it wasn’t that impressive. It got worse when they faced and lost to Stanford and fell to 4-2.
Arizona needed a “signature win” to get back on pace, and they found it with a great win over then ranked California. The win put them at 5-2, just one win shy of qualifying for a bowl. But that would have to wait another week, as they lost to USC, only by one possession. There was still signs that this team could still get it together, and they showed it the next game, beating Washington State.
But the season didn’t end so well via the state of Oregon, as Arizona lost to both Oregon and Oregon State back to back. The Wildcats were able to salvage the season in a final win over Arizona State and limped into the post season.
Four teams on that schedule will be in post season, and Arizona’s record against them is 1-3, beating only California, although a good win.
So, who is better?
Well, for BOTH teams, beating UCLA or Washington means nothing since both of those squads stink this year (sadly spoken as a Bruin fan). But I have to wonder if BYU is more battle tested against strong foes than Arizona. Take away California, who else has Arizona beaten of quality? We know BYU lost to Utah and TCU, and has not defeated a ranked foe this year.
This is almost an even fight, but I can’t help but think the game favors BYU, who is quite familiar with the Pac-10. I think BYU wins this by two touchdowns…but we shall see.
BYU vs. Arizona
You know, it must be pretty hard to sell tickets for a football game in LAS VEGAS…
I mean, I could think of 500 other things I could do instead of going to a college bowl game, but that is just me.
Anyway, this year’s Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl is kinda interesting. It puts together a Pac-10 team against a Mountain West team, which is actually a pretty interesting matchup.
From the Mountain West, we have BYU, who once was talked about a possible undefeated season, which has fallen slightly from grace, and Arizona, from the BCS Conference of the Pac-10. What are their credentials, and who shall win? Let’s look at some resumes.
The MWC has 5 teams that qualified for a bowl, and BYU is the third best out of the conference. In fact, they had a very good year, making noise as a possible undefeated team, and even a chance of forcing the BCS’s hand to put them in a National Championship if they had gone undefeated.
Their 6-2 record is blemished by only TCU and Utah, who are very good teams. Their first win over Northern Iowa was nothing to really put stock into, but then wins over not one, but TWO Pac-10 teams raised interest. When BYU beat Washington and UCLA, there was serious talk that this team was a force to be reckoned with…
Who knew how those same two Pac-10 teams would fall in the gutter?
A shutout on conference foe Wyoming, a win over Utah State from the WAC and another win over New Mexico gave this team a 6-0 start, and the sports media starting singing praises. It was quite possible that BYU was going to certainly be in a BCS bowl, and maybe, just maybe, challenge for a National Title.
Then the dream ended at TCU.
A 32-7 pounding proved that although BYU was good, they were not great enough to remain undefeated, and from there fell from grace. There would be no chance for a national championship for them, and now there was a race to see which non-BCS team would be the one to get that valuable BCS bowl bid. With TCU losing to Oklahoma, and BYU losing to TCU, it seemed that they had to fight to get that BCS spot.
BYU added three more wins, all over lesser foes like UNLV, San Diego State and Colorado State, before facing Air Force and beating them, leaving that last game of so much importance…against Utah. But it was not to be.
Four teams that was on BYU’s schedule will be in a bowl, and the Cougar’s record against them was 2-2. About par for the course, although I give BYU more credit than that.
From the Pac-10, we have Arizona, who was the least of the conference’s teams to qualify for a bowl. At 7-5, the Wildcats went 5-4 in conference play. Two quick wins over Idaho and Toledo were quickly forgotten when Arizona lost to New Mexico.
Three games in, and they were already in trouble.
And as if taking a cue from BYU, they also played UCLA and Washington, defeating them both. Even at 4-1, it wasn’t that impressive. It got worse when they faced and lost to Stanford and fell to 4-2.
Arizona needed a “signature win” to get back on pace, and they found it with a great win over then ranked California. The win put them at 5-2, just one win shy of qualifying for a bowl. But that would have to wait another week, as they lost to USC, only by one possession. There was still signs that this team could still get it together, and they showed it the next game, beating Washington State.
But the season didn’t end so well via the state of Oregon, as Arizona lost to both Oregon and Oregon State back to back. The Wildcats were able to salvage the season in a final win over Arizona State and limped into the post season.
Four teams on that schedule will be in post season, and Arizona’s record against them is 1-3, beating only California, although a good win.
So, who is better?
Well, for BOTH teams, beating UCLA or Washington means nothing since both of those squads stink this year (sadly spoken as a Bruin fan). But I have to wonder if BYU is more battle tested against strong foes than Arizona. Take away California, who else has Arizona beaten of quality? We know BYU lost to Utah and TCU, and has not defeated a ranked foe this year.
This is almost an even fight, but I can’t help but think the game favors BYU, who is quite familiar with the Pac-10. I think BYU wins this by two touchdowns…but we shall see.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
BCS Busters
BCS Buster Teams
Every year the media scrambles to find the flies in the ointment, and then create stories to force them into the BCS National Championship. Even some of my favorite sports commentators on some of the shows seem to whine like babies when it comes to whether the BCS Championship should invite teams outside the power conferences to the National Championship.
To me, the National Championship should represent the two BEST teams in the country, not the teams with the best records. This is where the spirit of competition is often misplaced, because although I have nothing against teams from outside the power conferences, I just am not convinced that a team with an 11-0 or 12-0 record is better than a team like Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC or Florida with 1, or even 2 losses.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions, but let’s talk about that.
As of this date October 15th 2008, there are 6 teams of note that are not in the power conferences…
(For the novice, the “Power Conferences” are the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC…)
So the question becomes, who, if any, has a chance to play in the National Championship. This also begs the question as whether any of these teams can sincerely be seen as the BEST in the country.
Let’s chew on this. I mentioned 6 teams, let’s start with one that currently is not ranked on the polls: Tulsa University.
This team is currently 6-0 in Conference USA, a team that does not have an automatic invitation to the BCS bowls. Usually the champs of this conference get a trip to the Liberty Bowl. Funny, a few weeks ago we had placed ECU in that game, if not in the BCS, but now it looks like neither is gonna happen.
The record might look great, but there is a ZERO chance of Tulsa playing in the National Championship, and a 1% chance of playing in a BCS bowl. Why? The strength of schedule is very soft. Of their 6 wins, the current record of their opponents is 13-26. And if you take out Central Arkansas State, which isn’t a Division I school, that record changes to 8-25. Tulsa has three interesting games on their schedule, including Central Florida, Arkansas and Marshall. IF they win the division, they may well have to play Marshall again in the Conference USA Championship, or possibly UCF or even, dare we say…ECU?
But even undefeated, the strength of schedule keeps Tulsa from any National Championship, and unless everybody in the top 25 loses again, they can’t make it to the BCS bowls.
Ball State is the new darling of the NCAA, currently 7-0. Impressive, but coming out of the Mid-American Conference where currently 3 teams have a better than .500 record is a big problem. The strength of schedule will hurt them tremendously, but add on to this they have key division games vs. Western Michigan and Central Michigan just to fight to the division title. It seems whoever comes out of this division will win the MAC Championship, but even if Ball State goes undefeated, there is just no way they could be considered one of the two best teams in the nation. I can’t even see an invite to a BCS bowl if they go undefeated.
Understand what I am saying folks, I am not putting down these teams, I am looking at the theory that the National Championship is about the two best teams in the nation. Having a perfect record is great but it does not make you the best. If the BCS started awarding National Title games to undefeated teams, then schools like Notre Dame will water down their schedules even further to beg for a title that is not earned. Florida State played two Southern Conference teams this year and beat them with a combined 115 points…but that does not make them great. Heck, they are not a lock for even a bowl yet.
So although it seems like I am picking on Ball State and Tulsa, I am not.
Whereas Ball State is ranked #24 and #25 on two different polls, Boise State is ranked #16 and #17. This is a team that has shocked the nation, and although you can always question the strength of the Western Athletic Conference, you cannot question these guys.
A quality win over Oregon makes these guys legit, and you have to consider if this team deserves a national title shot IF they go undefeated. They still have some tough games in their conference with Fresno State and San Jose State and Hawaii, but overall nobody is going to compare the WAC to the SEC or Big 12, or even the ACC.
Strength of schedule is going to hurt them but they have a legit case of at least a BCS bowl if they go undefeated. But if so, you’d be saying they are one of the top 10 teams in the nation…I don’t have a problem with that at all if they go undefeated.
National Championship? I don’t think so. It goes back to whether Boise State with no losses is better than an Oklahoma with one loss, or Florida, Ohio State, LSU or other top ranked teams in stronger conferences with one loss. Yeah, I know they got that huge win awhile back, but could they do it again for a national title? I’m just not convinced that even if they go undefeated that they could be one of the two best teams in the nation. But if they DO go undefeated, they should be invited to a BCS bowl.
TCU is actually in one poll, and out of another. At 6-1, we know their only loss was to Oklahoma, and nobody is gonna fault them for that. The Mountain West Conference should be “popping their collars” because they have made some noise this year, with TCU being one of them. But because they already have one loss, they have no chance for a BCS Championship. Like the WAC, there is no championship game so there is no extra shot to move up the ranks. TCU will not be considered for a BCS title, even if they run the tables, but they CAN possibly get an invite to a BCS bowl if they clean out the MWC. If you consider who is on that schedule, that would really be saying something, even moreso that if Boise State goes undefeated. But one loss from an non-power conference school means elimination from the National Championship…
Unless everybody else loses 2 games….
Utah is currently #14 on one poll, and #13 in another. With 5 games left, and 2 very key games left, this is a team that can easily slip into the top 10 if other teams are caught napping. We know the SEC and Big 12 will knock each other around, so any teams like Utah, Boise State or even TCU can have a chance to slip in the elite circle if they go undefeated the rest of the season.
With wins over Michigan (ugh), Air Force and Oregon State, you have to give the Utes credit for being a good team. And their positioning is perfect right now, much better than TCU since the Horned Frogs are very low in the top 25. But Utah has to play TCU in a few weeks, and just like the SEC and Big 12, it is quite possible that the MWC can knock each other out of the national title.
But let’s say the don’t and Utah goes undefeated. Do they deserve a trip to the Orange bowl? I think IF they go undefeated, you have to seriously consider it because they have quality wins and the still have to play two teams that are ranked in one or more polls. This is a quality team. But are they better than a 1-loss team from a power conference?
Good question. I honestly don’t know the answer to that yet.
Then there’s BYU at 6-0.
Right now they are virtually guaranteed at LEAST a BCS bowl because they are in the top 10 in two polls. As I said, the MWC must be mighty happy with Utah, TCU and BYU making noise in the polls, and Air Force not being a shabby team either. This conference is very good, and I might say the best non-power conference in the nation. So if the power conferences are guaranteed a BCS bowl for their champions, then I think the Mountain West deserves at least that too.
But here’s the knocks on BYU. Yes they beat Washington and UCLA, and at the time it looked like very quality wins. But the Washington win was a controversial one, and barely beating an 0-6 team is not that impressive. Crushing the UCLA Bruins was nice, but we’re finding out that this team wasn’t all it was cracked up to be either.
In fact, only one team has a winning record of the 6 wins BYU has…hardly qualifying for a national championship. But they’ll get to prove themselves with some major games. Of their 6 remaining games, only one team at this point has a losing record in San Diego State (Marshall Faulk??).
With games vs. TCU, Utah and Air Force, the second half of the season will surely prove if BYU is worth of the hype. Go undefeated and I believe they deserve a BCS bowl. But a National Championship? Maybe, but to do that, 7 of the top 8 teams in the nation must lose, because BYU will not be jumping over anybody any other way.
Four teams from the Big 12 are still in the mix; if any of those win out, they are in, and BYU could be out. Alabama and Florida are still in, but I just can’t see Alabama going undefeated, so we may be talking about Florida, but the SEC is a tough conference. USC is still in the mix, even though they don’t have a conference championship game, and then there is Penn State. If they get through the Big 10, they are in.
This means the favor is against BYU, it’s not enough for them to win out, they need a LOT of help. They’ll get it from the Big 12 and maybe the SEC, but the Pac-10 and Big 10 are risky allies to depend on.
The next few weeks will reveal all. BCS busters, for the bowls sure, but for the National Championship…well, lots of stuff need to happen…and they just might…
Every year the media scrambles to find the flies in the ointment, and then create stories to force them into the BCS National Championship. Even some of my favorite sports commentators on some of the shows seem to whine like babies when it comes to whether the BCS Championship should invite teams outside the power conferences to the National Championship.
To me, the National Championship should represent the two BEST teams in the country, not the teams with the best records. This is where the spirit of competition is often misplaced, because although I have nothing against teams from outside the power conferences, I just am not convinced that a team with an 11-0 or 12-0 record is better than a team like Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC or Florida with 1, or even 2 losses.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are exceptions, but let’s talk about that.
As of this date October 15th 2008, there are 6 teams of note that are not in the power conferences…
(For the novice, the “Power Conferences” are the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC…)
So the question becomes, who, if any, has a chance to play in the National Championship. This also begs the question as whether any of these teams can sincerely be seen as the BEST in the country.
Let’s chew on this. I mentioned 6 teams, let’s start with one that currently is not ranked on the polls: Tulsa University.
This team is currently 6-0 in Conference USA, a team that does not have an automatic invitation to the BCS bowls. Usually the champs of this conference get a trip to the Liberty Bowl. Funny, a few weeks ago we had placed ECU in that game, if not in the BCS, but now it looks like neither is gonna happen.
The record might look great, but there is a ZERO chance of Tulsa playing in the National Championship, and a 1% chance of playing in a BCS bowl. Why? The strength of schedule is very soft. Of their 6 wins, the current record of their opponents is 13-26. And if you take out Central Arkansas State, which isn’t a Division I school, that record changes to 8-25. Tulsa has three interesting games on their schedule, including Central Florida, Arkansas and Marshall. IF they win the division, they may well have to play Marshall again in the Conference USA Championship, or possibly UCF or even, dare we say…ECU?
But even undefeated, the strength of schedule keeps Tulsa from any National Championship, and unless everybody in the top 25 loses again, they can’t make it to the BCS bowls.
Ball State is the new darling of the NCAA, currently 7-0. Impressive, but coming out of the Mid-American Conference where currently 3 teams have a better than .500 record is a big problem. The strength of schedule will hurt them tremendously, but add on to this they have key division games vs. Western Michigan and Central Michigan just to fight to the division title. It seems whoever comes out of this division will win the MAC Championship, but even if Ball State goes undefeated, there is just no way they could be considered one of the two best teams in the nation. I can’t even see an invite to a BCS bowl if they go undefeated.
Understand what I am saying folks, I am not putting down these teams, I am looking at the theory that the National Championship is about the two best teams in the nation. Having a perfect record is great but it does not make you the best. If the BCS started awarding National Title games to undefeated teams, then schools like Notre Dame will water down their schedules even further to beg for a title that is not earned. Florida State played two Southern Conference teams this year and beat them with a combined 115 points…but that does not make them great. Heck, they are not a lock for even a bowl yet.
So although it seems like I am picking on Ball State and Tulsa, I am not.
Whereas Ball State is ranked #24 and #25 on two different polls, Boise State is ranked #16 and #17. This is a team that has shocked the nation, and although you can always question the strength of the Western Athletic Conference, you cannot question these guys.
A quality win over Oregon makes these guys legit, and you have to consider if this team deserves a national title shot IF they go undefeated. They still have some tough games in their conference with Fresno State and San Jose State and Hawaii, but overall nobody is going to compare the WAC to the SEC or Big 12, or even the ACC.
Strength of schedule is going to hurt them but they have a legit case of at least a BCS bowl if they go undefeated. But if so, you’d be saying they are one of the top 10 teams in the nation…I don’t have a problem with that at all if they go undefeated.
National Championship? I don’t think so. It goes back to whether Boise State with no losses is better than an Oklahoma with one loss, or Florida, Ohio State, LSU or other top ranked teams in stronger conferences with one loss. Yeah, I know they got that huge win awhile back, but could they do it again for a national title? I’m just not convinced that even if they go undefeated that they could be one of the two best teams in the nation. But if they DO go undefeated, they should be invited to a BCS bowl.
TCU is actually in one poll, and out of another. At 6-1, we know their only loss was to Oklahoma, and nobody is gonna fault them for that. The Mountain West Conference should be “popping their collars” because they have made some noise this year, with TCU being one of them. But because they already have one loss, they have no chance for a BCS Championship. Like the WAC, there is no championship game so there is no extra shot to move up the ranks. TCU will not be considered for a BCS title, even if they run the tables, but they CAN possibly get an invite to a BCS bowl if they clean out the MWC. If you consider who is on that schedule, that would really be saying something, even moreso that if Boise State goes undefeated. But one loss from an non-power conference school means elimination from the National Championship…
Unless everybody else loses 2 games….
Utah is currently #14 on one poll, and #13 in another. With 5 games left, and 2 very key games left, this is a team that can easily slip into the top 10 if other teams are caught napping. We know the SEC and Big 12 will knock each other around, so any teams like Utah, Boise State or even TCU can have a chance to slip in the elite circle if they go undefeated the rest of the season.
With wins over Michigan (ugh), Air Force and Oregon State, you have to give the Utes credit for being a good team. And their positioning is perfect right now, much better than TCU since the Horned Frogs are very low in the top 25. But Utah has to play TCU in a few weeks, and just like the SEC and Big 12, it is quite possible that the MWC can knock each other out of the national title.
But let’s say the don’t and Utah goes undefeated. Do they deserve a trip to the Orange bowl? I think IF they go undefeated, you have to seriously consider it because they have quality wins and the still have to play two teams that are ranked in one or more polls. This is a quality team. But are they better than a 1-loss team from a power conference?
Good question. I honestly don’t know the answer to that yet.
Then there’s BYU at 6-0.
Right now they are virtually guaranteed at LEAST a BCS bowl because they are in the top 10 in two polls. As I said, the MWC must be mighty happy with Utah, TCU and BYU making noise in the polls, and Air Force not being a shabby team either. This conference is very good, and I might say the best non-power conference in the nation. So if the power conferences are guaranteed a BCS bowl for their champions, then I think the Mountain West deserves at least that too.
But here’s the knocks on BYU. Yes they beat Washington and UCLA, and at the time it looked like very quality wins. But the Washington win was a controversial one, and barely beating an 0-6 team is not that impressive. Crushing the UCLA Bruins was nice, but we’re finding out that this team wasn’t all it was cracked up to be either.
In fact, only one team has a winning record of the 6 wins BYU has…hardly qualifying for a national championship. But they’ll get to prove themselves with some major games. Of their 6 remaining games, only one team at this point has a losing record in San Diego State (Marshall Faulk??).
With games vs. TCU, Utah and Air Force, the second half of the season will surely prove if BYU is worth of the hype. Go undefeated and I believe they deserve a BCS bowl. But a National Championship? Maybe, but to do that, 7 of the top 8 teams in the nation must lose, because BYU will not be jumping over anybody any other way.
Four teams from the Big 12 are still in the mix; if any of those win out, they are in, and BYU could be out. Alabama and Florida are still in, but I just can’t see Alabama going undefeated, so we may be talking about Florida, but the SEC is a tough conference. USC is still in the mix, even though they don’t have a conference championship game, and then there is Penn State. If they get through the Big 10, they are in.
This means the favor is against BYU, it’s not enough for them to win out, they need a LOT of help. They’ll get it from the Big 12 and maybe the SEC, but the Pac-10 and Big 10 are risky allies to depend on.
The next few weeks will reveal all. BCS busters, for the bowls sure, but for the National Championship…well, lots of stuff need to happen…and they just might…
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