Reader comments
MWC holding own vs. BCS teams

Good news for MWC, so far at least. I'd like to see them develop and maintain a better record in the bowl games, which I'd speculate isn't near as good vs BCS teams historically as this season has been. Once the MWC teams do that on some sustained basis, they the conference will be taken more seriously. That, and having strength top to bottom in the conference, which also seems to be an improvement this year as compared to previous years, will give the conference more respect outside the region (as well as a better TV contract - sorry Craig T.)

Two comments. (1) This way of looking at wins may understate things since some BCS teams also beat a lot of other teams in their same conference. (2) Sagarin also rates conferences, not just teams, and whatever the system's flaws it is at least unbiased. The MWC comes in 7th place. The WAC still comes in below that ...
1 SOUTHEASTERN
2 BIG EAST
3 PAC-10
4 BIG 12
5 ATLANTIC COAST
6 BIG TEN
7 MOUNTAIN WEST
8 I-A INDEPENDENTS
9 WESTERN ATHLETIC
10 MID-AMERICAN
11 SOUTHERN
12 CONFERENCE USA
13 COLONIAL
14 GATEWAY
15 SUN BELT
16 GREAT WEST
17 BIG SKY
18 SOUTHLAND
19 PATRIOT LEAGUE
20 SOUTHWESTERN
21 IVY LEAGUE
22 MID-EASTERN
23 BIG SOUTH
24 OHIO VALLEY
25 PIONEER
26 I-AA INDEPENDENTS
27 NORTHEAST
28 METRO ATLANTIC
29 ***UNRATED***
(google this file for the reference: fbc07.htm)

Isn't it amazing the WAC is horrible but has two ranked teams. MWC looks stronger than some BCS conferences and has no rank teams.

Thanks to the Utes. Utah has the best BCS record in the MWC.

Way to represent the conference. And way to go Wyoming too! NO mention of BYU in that article...step it up cougars!

It is easy to see why the wac has teams ranked and not the mwc. The wac has teams like Hawaii and Boise State that play games on ESPN 3 to 5 times a year. Yes it may be sunday or tuesday or friday or thursday but followers of football will watch those teams play.

Let me just state Arizona is not a BCS team. Baylor is not a BSC team. Stanford is not a BCS team. Kudos to mwc teams for beating those teams but obviously it didn't impress the pollsters. Texas is a BCS team and they embarrased TCU.

I get so sick of this BCS team lingo. Utah and Boise State were BCS teams. So if Duke and Ole Miss are BCS teams then shouldn't UNLV and New Mexico State call themselves BCS teams because their conference had a bid. There are only 8 BSC teams a season.

I agree the MWC is deeper this year. But you can pooh-pooh the TV fiasco all you want. It is hurting your national exposure. How many people get the MTN and how many of those people that get it vote for the top 25.

Look at the leaders of the WAC and see why they are ranked. BSU biggest win, 4-3 Wyoming in Boise, but loses to 2-4 Washington, currently 5-1. Hawaii, don't even go there. Patsy schedules give great opputunities for some. But BYU's loss to Tulsa is as equally pathetic. Maybe BYU joins the WAC.

BYU never schedules tough non-conference opponents...i think they are still hoping they can go undefeated and be given the national championship because no other team will be undefeated...

they prob don't know about this system called the BCS...they wont let that happen again...you have to play good teams and win...

somebody should let them know...

All I have to say is that if any team from the MTN West was to join a BCS conference they would be in the bottom half of that conference( Yes even the Big East)... guaranteed.

way to win those non conference games utes, too bad no body really cares and the mwc still stinks. So if the utes are so good then why can't they win within the conference. BYU or Air Force will take home the only prize that matters in a bad conference, which is the conference title.

Hey Mr. Schedule, what polls are you looking at that show BSU as a ranked team? I don't consider a team to be "ranked" unless they are in the top 25. As far as I'm concerned everybody between 26-50 are all tied for 26th. So BYU is right there with BSU and UCLA... and Utah.

yes The Utes stomped UCLA(Check)
Yes The Utes beat Louisville(Check)
take in to consideration this too..
K.O.ed!!! By by the Beavers (Check)
Bullied by last place Rebs 27 to Zero!(Check)
Scoring "Zero" at UNLV can be done by any
team anywhere! Hofstra can score zero at UNLV.
West High can score zero at UNLV.
Pop Warner teams can all score zero at UNLV!
We could get some guys together and score zero
at UNLV! The two horrible eggs layed by the Utes
cancel out any good they accomlished with their
wins over Louisville(4-4) and UCLA. Put down the
naddy light Utah fans and cross your collective fingers and pray your resume' of ugly losses is
not expanded in Ft. Collins Saturday.
Cougs take care of business like they should and the "Crimson Rehab program" will be again on the outside looking in eating crow nuggets, own words almondine and a large slice of humble homemade pie.
GO...................COUGS! (1st place Cougs!!)

I am with you let BYU join the WAC and the MWC and Wac will both be stronger!!!!!!!

To "MWC Teams"-

I'm afraid your definition of "BCS teams" is not the same one assumed by the author of the article. The article is referring to teams that belong to conferences with automatic BCS bids. Only six conferences (ACC, SEC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10) get automatice bids. Therefore, teams in those conferences (yes...even Duke, Baylor and Arizona) are BCS schools.

As odd as it seems, if Duke went undefeated one year, they would play in the national championship. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for teams from mid-major conferences anymore. Its a messed up system, but we all buy into it by watching the BCS games and participating in the hype.

The chart showing the MWC with 7 wins against BCS conf foes and the Pac-10 with only 6 is very misleading. The MWC record against BCS teams is 7 wins and 8 losses. The Pac-10 is 6 wins and 3 losses. This data gives quite a different take on things - it isn't the number of wins, but the percentage of wins that really counts.

Also, as noted above, most of the MWC wins are against conference bottom feeders (two of the wins are against Arizona, for example).

You should write a follow-up article which would give a more accurate assessment of the MWC.

BCS schools are only playing .500 against other BCS schools this year. Pretty sure that's how well they did last year, too!

I wonder if "MWC teams" and "BYU" ever watch college football.

First, A BCS team gets BCS money from BCS bowl games regardless of how terrible they are based on their conference affiliation. Stanford and Arizona are a BCS teams because even if they don't win a single game they get significantly more Bowl money than most conference champions of non-BCS conferences. UNLV and New Mexico State don't bring in several million dollars a year by losing. BCS conference teams all do. Granted once every now and then a non-BCS school hits it big rewarding their conference (e.g. Utah & Boise State).

As for BYU not scheduling difficult teams, that comment is so out of touch with reality it's pathetic. BYU and Utah have consistently lead the MWC (and many of the mid major conferences) in scheduling difficult games. Wasn't it BYU that played #1 USC during three of USC's best years in history even when BYU was having down years? Get your facts straight.

Boise State and Fresno are the only other non-BCS teams to consistently play (and beat) top programs and that's only been a trend within the last 5 years.

I think it is great the MWC has this type of record but until the BCS let's the MWC be with them--it is meaningless. MWC loses players every year to BCS, not because they MWC football is bad but because those players get more exposure playing in the PAC 10 and other BCS conferences, which in turn helps those who want to make it in the NFL.

It stinks being on the outside looking in.

"BYU | 10:13 a.m. Oct. 25, 2007
BYU never schedules tough non-conference opponents...i think they are still hoping they can go undefeated and be given the national championship because no other team will be undefeated...
they prob don't know about this system called the BCS...they wont let that happen again...you have to play good teams and win...
somebody should let them know..."

You have no clue. Since 2000 BYU has played teams like Florida St, Virginia, Cal, ND, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, USC, Boise St, Boston College, UCLA..Future games against UCLA, Arizona St, Notre Dame, Washinton, and Florida State..

Utah should never schedule such tough conference opponents....i think they are still hoping they can go undefeated and win a national championship because no other team will be undefeated...

How are they ever going to get any respect and enough wins to play in a BCS game if they lose at home to AFA 20-12 and at UNLV 27-0. They should follow BYU's good example and win those types of games...

somebody should let them know...