Is fairness an issue in the BCS?

[MiccoMacey]

All the threads on this board (or at least a HUGE majority) think that if we win out we have a good chance to play in the MNC...mainly because our schedule is much lighter than the teams from other conferences.

LSU - for all Les Miles rants, he's correct...the SEC is a much tougher conference than the Big Twelve. One loss and he stays in front of us.

Cal, Oregon, USC - Regarldess of whom steps up in the next few weeks, the Pac-10 is also a stronger conference than the Big Twelve.

My point is this...should a team with two losses be punished because they played a much tougher schedule than a one-loss team?

Just because LSU loses two games because they had to play Florida or Kentucky twice, they are out and we are in because we had...Texas in October.

Or Oregon, who has to play two teams that are ranked higher than any of our other Big Twelve teams, gets punished because they played a much tougher schedule.

I don't know...when I think of championship seasons, I think of teams that are the best. Even when we didn't win it all (2003 or 2004), those teams just seemed to have "it". I love this year's Sooners and have been pretty shocked at what they've been able to accomplish so far. But I just don't see them as an "it" team.

Is this year's team better than the 2003 or '04 teams? Not even close, in my book. Maybe next year, when we should be incredibly talented and experienced in all positions.

But this year, we seem to be gaining on the National Title game through attrition and lack of a tough schedule more so than being the dominant team.

Just because we end up with one loss and LSU (or whomever) ends up with two losses doesn't necessarily make us a better team than LSU (or whomever)...maybe just a team that didn't have to play as tough a schedule.

I'd hate to win it all (or even play for it) based on that.

[FaninAma]

I've got one word for you....playoff.

The BCS is an abomination from hell.....or the IRS. It is so convulated and filled with vagaries, subjective opinions and just outright BS that it has become bigger than the sport itself which is a shame.

Instead of talking about action on the field, college football fans are talking about the BCS and all of it's convoluted inner workings. It is a distraction....a huge, huge distraction.

D-1 college football deserves better.

[CORNholio]

If those teams in the SEC don't think its fair then they can join any conference they want to. They chose to be where they are. And just for the record, yes the SEC is the "toughest" conference, but the difference in all BCS conferences is much less than what it is made out to be; so Vandy would beat Baylor and Ole Miss would beat Iowa State, and you have about 6 Mizzou's in your conference. Who cares? You're bottom feeders crack the top 25 once every 15 years and ours don't. Good for you. You've got 4 teams fighting for the conference instead of 2. Whoopideedoo.
Yes Mr. Allmighty SEC fan your conference is better (congratulations). The thing is, it's not that big of a deal and doesn't make that big of a difference.

[OUster]

forget fairness brother...in this day of roller coaster conference strength, DJ Wolfe quoted Bob's mantra best when he said all that [OU] can control is winning the rest of its games and letting the cards fall where they may. Would Bob refuse a chance at the crystal ball because Baylor is in the conference, or because LSU had to play Auburn right after Florida and Kentucky? No one cared that we had to play #10, #2 and #1 in consecutive weeks during our 2000 MNC run.

Of course these sites are for talking about hypotheticals and whether we will be in the MNC game. I for one have always enjoyed just being one of the teams that are always mentioned in having a chance to play in the big game. I enjoy that we are extremely relevant in the MNC picture, year in and year out. Half the fun is getting there and having my heart stop at least once every game of the season. I am not saying I would like anything less than number 8. But, I like to stop and smell the turf rather than worry about the percentages of us making it to the Superdome this year. Just my two cents, though. sorry for the rant.

[CORNholio]

Just so tired of the attitude that anything that touches the SEC is greatness and any team not in the SEC would go 6-5 in the SEC and Vandy would win the Big12 and Arkie would rule the Big 10 etc...
But in retrospect I think I missed the point of the first post completely. Ill shut up now.

[badger]

I think we need a crying smiley for the next team that whines about the fairness of the bcs... one like this:
http://teachline.ls.huji.ac.il/72682/tutorials/behappy/crying-smiley.jpg

[85sooners]

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b358/paul--moore/quit_bitchin.gif

[yermom]

IMO fairness has dropped in the BCS

they removed margin of victory, but then made the computers and SOS count for less than it used to so it's all about where the media and coaches vote and if you impress them, including in the pre-season

[soonermix]

i actually think that the bcs is slightly better that what we used to have. at least we have a chance for the two best teams to play in a championship game.
as for the sec being the best conference, that is ok with me. i say let them beat the heck out of each other let us beat texas and play for championships.
but as far as the rest goes i am all for a playoff.
maybe something like top 8 plays in a playoff you can still have the outstanding matchups of 6-6 squads play in the pfizer toilet bowl and make lots of money.

[AZSOONER]

I've got one word for you....playoff.

The BCS is an abomination from hell.....or the IRS. It is so convulated and filled with vagaries, subjective opinions and just outright BS that it has become bigger than the sport itself which is a shame.

Instead of talking about action on the field, college football fans are talking about the BCS and all of it's convoluted inner workings. It is a distraction....a huge, huge distraction.

D-1 college football deserves better.
Yeah!! What he said.

[yermom]

i actually think that the bcs is slightly better that what we used to have. at least we have a chance for the two best teams to play in a championship game.
as for the sec being the best conference, that is ok with me. i say let them beat the heck out of each other let us beat texas and play for championships.
but as far as the rest goes i am all for a playoff.
maybe something like top 8 plays in a playoff you can still have the outstanding matchups of 6-6 squads play in the pfizer toilet bowl and make lots of money.


yes, when you look a years like '94 and '97 the BCS is loads better than it used to be

it's like a 2 team playoff ;)

a playoff sounds like a good idea, but some things would have to radically change for it to work. the established traditions and notions for one. the other thing is filling stadiums with a week's notice for 2-3 weeks wouldn't be easy

[humblesooner]

The playoff format will be even more "unfair" (not my word) than the BCS system.

For an example, if you have an 8 team playoff there would be at least one or two 2-loss teams that would be in the mix. All those teams have to do is get hot and win a couple of games and they have a chance at the Crystal Ball. While an undefeated (possibly tOSU or BC) would have to go through the same thing for their shot. You can have a bad game or tow early in the season, but don't dare have on in November or later.
I know this is how a playoff works and I am not arguing that point. What I am saying is that in the BCS system the top two teams (however they are selected) play for the Championship and a 2-loss team is out.

Does anyone think that the Rockies are the best team in baseball this year? Probably over the last month, yes, but for the entire season?
Yet, they look like a good bet to win the WS just beacuse they got hot at the right time.

[MiccoMacey]

I've got one word for you....playoff.

What's that? Uh -- Playoffs? Don't talk about -- playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game! ;)

[OKC-SLC]

To me it's not so much about fairness.

The way I think about it is that even if you ARE playing in the toughest conference, if you are indeed the best team in the nation you shouldn't lose two games.

Sure it's hard to win week in/out in a tough conference. We've been there in the last several years (especially 2000, where the in-season rankings proved true in the bowl season IMO). But if you're the best team in the country, don't lose two games.

[aero]

Rankings in general are not fair. Look at the preseason and first week rankings and now look at them. So the teams that start out in the top 10 and certainly the top 5 have an advantage from the start solely based on somebody slotting them in a high spot. All they have to do is keep winning. OUr 2000 team was great because we came from way down in the pack to win it all. Seems like we were 19th or lower that year. I can't remember when a team from that low of a ranking made it to the NC game. I would agree the SEC is overall a better conference this year but that doesn't mean their top team is better than OUr top team. I also wouldn't necessarily say the PAC 10 was better than the B12. Maybe, but only because OUr lower teams seem pretty bad. But I think OU, Texas, TT would have a pretty good chance of beating Cal, Oregon, and USC.

[jccouger]

Shutup.

Which other teams do you see that have "it". Did LSU have "it" when they lost to kentucky? Or did USC have "it" when they lost to stanford?

There is no "dominant" team this year, and the 2 teams that play the best throughout the year should be in the national championship game. If one of those teams happens to be us we deserve to be there, whether we have "it" or not.

[rondog79]

sec may be one of the best conf. but they (sec fans media) truly under estimate the big 12 as to say one of their teams would win our conf. bull s**t
i dont think they would finish third. so do i think its fair yes COME PLAY IN OUR HOUSES and tell me at isnt fair when they have 3 losses their a bunch of whining dooshbags.

[SoonerBBall]

LSU - for all Les Miles rants, he's correct...the SEC is a much tougher conference than the Big Twelve. One loss and he stays in front of us.

Really? After watching what Kentucky did against LSU are you really so sure that Missouri or Tech couldn't throw the ball all over the field against them? Seriously? This year is wacky and I'm not quite sure you can say the SEC is seriously any better than any other power conference.



Cal, Oregon, USC - Regarldess of whom steps up in the next few weeks, the Pac-10 is also a stronger conference than the Big Twelve.

Okay, what exactly has USC done to make you think that OU, Texas, Tech, Missouri, KSU, and Kansas could give them a game? Also, Cal and Oregon have played each other, and that is about it. Oregon killed Michigan, but is that really so great?

I just don't buy your premise that either of these conferences is so much better than the Big XII that they automatically deserve a spot over us with the same number of wins. Hell, USC doesn't at all.

[RedstickSooner]

If you want a national championship, don't lose.

Do you suppose, that maybe -- just maybe -- it made it a little more difficult for the Big-12 to field a national champion during the early part of this century, when we had 4 elite teams (Mildcats, Cornholers, Tejas, OU).

I didn't see any other conferences doing soul-searching because of the terrible travails we had to undergo at the time.

Fudge 'em. If life is so unfair, they can ditch their CCG -- same as we can (and probably should, 'til the Midsize-11 and *****-10 put CCGs in place).

And remember -- last year, Michigan ALMOST made it into the National Title game. If the Midsize-11 had a CCG, and that CCG had pitted michigan and the Bucknuts against each other, and the Bucknuts had, say, lost by 1 point -- it probably would've *strengthened* the argument for a Meechegan-Bucknut national championship game. Because it would've, to some pundits, "proven" that these two teams, which had been at the top of the rankings all season, were "truly" teams 1-A and 1-B.

No friggin' way a 2 loss team should be in the NC game. Not unless all the other true contenders have two losses, as well.

Nobody held a gun to the SEC's head, and made them play a championship. Nobody held a gun to ours, either.

This is college football. You nut up, and you win out, and you're in. Fall short, get left out, tough.

[MojoRisen]

Big 12 greater than Pac 10 - not far off SEC

[misplaced_sooner]

Cal, Oregon, USC - Regarldess of whom steps up in the next few weeks, the Pac-10 is also a stronger conference than the Big Twelve.

I'm so sick of hearing this...........

The Pac10 isn't any tougher than the Big 12.

Who has Oregon beat?
Houston, a reeling Michigan team, Fresno St, Stanford and Washington St.

Who has USC beat?
Idaho, a Nebraska team that barely escaped Ball State, Washington St, Washington, Arizona

Those two teams have beat teams with a combined record of 11-23.

WOW.....:eek:

We have 1 unbeaten and they have one unbeaten. Cals opponents have a record of 13-18, OUs opponents have a record of 23-23. We'll find out how good Cal is this weekend.....and how good Az St is as well.

I don't understand the argument of the Pac-10 is better. It is only 'better' b/c the so called "experts" want them to be better.

Andrew

[oupride]

The BCS is fair. Don't you get it? It REWARDS teams like South Florida and yes, tOSU.

[BoonesFarmSooner]

Cal, Oregon, USC - Regarldess of whom steps up in the next few weeks, the Pac-10 is also a stronger conference than the Big Twelve.

My point is this...should a team with two losses be punished because they played a much tougher schedule than a one-loss team?



The PAC-10 is so overrated. There are more good teams in the PAC 10 than in the Big 12, but the two flagship schools are:

Cal - lost AT HOME to a baseball school. The same school that absolutely got destroyed at Cinci.

USC - lost AT HOME to a 41 point underdog who was starting a second string qb. And what else has USC done this year to impress anyone? They got all this hype for their offense rolling over the Huskers, and then the following week Ball FREAKING State puts up 150 more yards on the Huskers than the condoms. USC struggled against Washington and Arizona and is living off preseason hype.

Oregon gets their toughest games at home. Arizona State is about as fraudulent as an unbeaten as Kansas.

[humblesooner]

The BCS is fair. Don't you get it? It REWARDS teams like South Florida and yes, tOSU.

If they awarded a first half champion and a second half champion, then you would be right.
South Florida is now out of the picture and tOSU probably will be too sometime in the next 5 - 6 weeks.
The season is playing out and the system will sort out the two best teams again.