Running bowl thread

I love college football season. Especially around these here parts.

 

It that because you're a masochist? Or a sadist?

 

Yes.

 

I can't -- which still illustrates my point -- but unlike you, I can at least admit it.

Anybody who believes they know definitely that mediocre bullshit teams like Kentucky, South Carolina, Vanderbilt or Georgia would beat any team is full of shit. That's articularly when they are going to use comparative scores, which mean nothing because each game is different and unique --

You don't know whether Neveda would beat Kentucky nor do I, which, again, is why the BCS and all of its supporters are asinine.

 

FIESTA BOWLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

So what happened against Arkansas in 2002 is irrelevant, but what happened against Oklahoma in 2007 is?

I assume that what happened against Georgia in 2005 is also irrelevant? How about what happened later in 2007 against Washington?

I say they skip the game against Oregon, replace them with Idaho State and make it even easier. If all you have to do is go undefeated, why make it harder on yourself?

Florida's won 23 straight non-conference games, including six straight over Florida State. Boise's won 25 straight regular-season games, including, well, two over Oregon. And yet no one gives a shit about Florida's 23 straight non-conference wins, even though the caliber of that competition is barely exceeded by the caliber of Boise's total competition.

 

I know Kentucky didn't get blown out by a team that lost its last nine games, nor did it get shut out by Notre Dame.

 

Hmm...2002 vs. 2007...hmmmmm....jeez, what might be more relevant when judging 2009...hmmmmmmmm

And I don't believe I treated Florida's achievements like shit, as has happened contrapositively (tho six straight over Florida State ain't that big a deal anymore). I wouldn't argue that all in all, Boise's program isn't at Florida's level. But it's not a Ball State one-season wonder, either. It's a BCS-caliber program.

 

Neither.

 

If you don't think what a program did two years ago is in any way indicative of the state of the program now, with the same coach, many of the same players, and a better quarterback now, then I just can't help you.

 

That depends what you mean by 'BCS-caliber.'

Is it a program capable of competing in a BCS conference? Yes.

But it is not a BCS-bowl caliber program, as compared to the likes of Florida, Alabama, etc.

It is a program that would reach a bowl game more often than not if it competed in a BCS conference. But it would not routinely go undefeated, nor would it likely ever go undefeated.

That's where those losses in previous seasons become relevant. Because the program has not in any way shown that it can consistently win those games, year in, year out. Yeah, they've beaten Oregon two straight years. They've also lost to Washington -- and say what you will about Arkansas or Georgia, if the Fiesta Bowl is relevant, then so is the loss to Washington.

They're 2-1 in the Pac-10 in the past three years. Above average, but not undefeated.

 

Two years ago, by the way, Boise went 10-3 and beat exactly two teams with winning records -- Fresno State and 7-6 Southern Miss -- and lost by a dozen to Hawaii, which turned around and got its doors blown off by Georgia.

ETA: Washington that year went 4-9, 2-7 in the Pac-10, after a 2-0 start. After that 2-0 start, the second of which was that 24-10 win over Boise, Washington lost 22 of its next 24 games.

 

Boise State has a pretty good team this year and a good program.
The rest of the WAC, however, is horrible. I live in Pac-10 territory and there are at least six Pac-10 teams this year that would have an extremely high chance of running the table in the WAC if they were to switch places with Boise State.
Not so with the Mountain West.
That doesn't mean Boise State is bad and nobody can prove that the Broncos wouldn't go undefeated in a BCS conference (they wouldn't IMO), but they clearly benefit from playing in the WAC in the sense that year in and year out they will be in a position to go undefeated if they win their one "big" game.
They'll never get in the BCS championship game but their road is much easier getting to a BCS game.
Meanwhile, teams playing in a competitive BCS conference have virtually no chance short of a conference title.