The Troy Aikman Memorial Week 8 NCAA Football Running Thread

If USC wins at Ohio State, at Notre Dame and at Oregon during a one-loss regular season, with its only loss coming on a day when its starting quarterback sat out with injury, the Trojans would have to be given some thought. I don't buy into the theory the BCS game has to be SEC/Big 12 just because of the conferences.

 

Agree with Oz. If Texas loses, I think USC gets its shot in the title game if the Trojans win out. Winning those three road games would be impressive ... and don't discount the fact that Washington is a much improved team. The Huskies did should have beat Notre Dame, and I think they'll give Oregon all they want in Seattle this weekend.

 

The Gators have had some embarrassing losses in Starkville. One of them got a coach fired. I don't see that happening. If Florida loses it will be at South Carolina or in the SEC Championship game.

 

I should add that even as an Iowa/Big 10 graduate/fanboi, I can't see the Hawkeyes winning out. Doesn't mean they haven't had a great season, especially considering that their best bet to replace departed NFL running back Shonn Greene was injured and is missing the season.

Therefore, I think the BCS big enchilada bowl field comes down to the SEC and Big 12 champs and USC. That's the sad reality for teams like Cincy, Boise State and TCU.

 

interesting read on the SEC in the current SI. (and photos that are just ... great. the shot of tebow under center, and the shot of bama gang-raping a rebel, and the shot of a few piggies looking up at a flyiing auburn helmet sans a tiger in the frame is what sports photography is all about.)

 

rape train?

 

The O'Jays decided to call the song Love Train instead.

 

If Cincy wins the Big East, they'll be back in the Orange Bowl. Boise would be a shoo-in for Glendale.

 

Bearcats.
Horned Frogs.
It's the Orange Bowl Classic!
Get your tickets now! (or wait until 30 minutes before game time, because there will be plenty of seats available)

 

Assuming any combination of Big Ten, SEC, Pac 10, Big 12 schools in the championship game, why would the Orange Bowl willingly select Cinci?

Miami automatically gets the ACC champion and would then have the third at large pick after two of the other three bowls replaced the teams they lost to the BCS championship game. Would the Orange Bowl really select Cinci over any other at large pick? Second, how long until the Orange Bowl gets tired of getting stuck with absolutely shitty matchups?

Since the addition of the 5th BCS championship game the Orange Bowl has been putrid:

2007: Wake Forest v. Louisville
2008: Kansas v. VA Tech
2009: VA Tech v. Cinci

 

More often than not, it's been the Big East champ vs. the ACC. Oklahoma was already in the Fiesta in 2008 so Kansas wasn't going there.

 

This has more to do with bad luck in the rotation than anything else.

Last year, the Orange Bowl had the #5 pick for their at-large bid. Fiesta picked first to replace their conference champ (#1 Oklahoma) and went with Texas. Sugar went second to replace their champ (#2 Florida) and went with Alabama. At this point, the picks rotate every year. #3 was Fiesta and they went with Ohio State. #4 was Sugar and they had to pick from Utah and Cinci, went with Utah. #5 was Orange and they literally had no choice but to pick Cinci.

The year before, LSU and Ohio State were the top two, so The Rose Bowl went with Illinois and Sugar with Georgia. #3 pick was Orange and they went with KU. #4 was Fiesta and went with WVU. #5 was Sugar and got stuck with Hawaii, who they had no choice but to pick.

In the 2007 games Orange had the #4 pick and had no choice but to select from Boise and Louisville.

This year, with the Orange Bowl having the #3 overall pick, I'd have to imagine they'd go with any major conference team over Cincinnati considering last years game with Cinci produced the all time worst television rating for any BCS Bowl in BCS history (since 1999). Of course, if Cinci is without their QB for the rest of the season, the Big East champ could end up with a really putrid record.

The Fiesta has #4 pick and Sugar #5 pick this year. I'd have to think that the Sugar will get stuck with the Big East champ this year as Fiesta would rather have Boise than anyone from the Big East.