Deseret News | Yet another year with a bogus BCS

Reader comments
Doug Robinson: Yet another year with a bogus BCS

Ernesto de Bajo | 3:30 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

The AP poll is where the action is this year. It should divide along BCS lines. Writers who cover BCS teams and conferences will vote for the BCS winner and hopefully everyone else will vote for the undefeated team with non-conference wins against the SEC, Pac-10 and Big-10.

Does anyone know what the approximate breakdown is between BCS and non-BCS writers?

Wondering? | 7:09 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Does the "C" in the middle of BS stand for "Cash" or "Confusion?"

Anonymous | 7:45 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

The BCS should be ignored, voters should vote their conscience, and the rest of college football should have a national championship playoff--just forget the BCS, do the right thing, and soon the BCS will be left outside looking in, and looking foolish.

Comments continue below

contender comparison | 8:05 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Consider the following results:
Team vs top 25 vs top 10 overall
A 4-0 2-0 13-0
B 6-1 2-1 13-1
C 4-1 2-0 13-1
D 3-1 0-0 12-1
E 4-1 1-0 12-1

Without looking at the names or legacies of teams A thru E, most people would choose team A as National Champion, with a few votes for team B. Of course, A=Utah, B=Oklahoma (assuming win over Florida), C=Florida (assuming win over Oklahoma), D=USC, E=Texas. Also, it's ironic that all these 1 loss teams are saying "nobody could beat us", when in fact someone has. Florida fans criticize Utah 3 point wins vs TCU and NM, somehow implying that a 3 point win is not as impressive as a 1 point loss (to Ole Miss).

Coaches' poll rebellion | 8:23 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

This is fun to think about:

What if all the non-BCS school coaches agreed to vote Utah #1 in the final poll and vote the winner of the "BCS Championship" #3 or 4?

There are slightly more BCS schools in FBS than non-BCS, so it wouldn't be enough to just vote Utah #1.

The Utes will get plenty of #2 votes, as will Texas and USC. Therefore, a #3 vote is needed for the OK-FL winner to propel Utah to #1 in the coaches' poll.

It's fun to think about.

In reality, it would be a nice gesture for 4-5 coaches to break rank and vote for the Utes. I don't know if there would be repercussions or not.

brahma | 8:33 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I understand the need for a local writer to appease the home crowd, but please compare the last minutes salvage win over the Horned Frogs (which TCU should have won, having missed 2 chip shot FGs), vs the Sooners, which blew TCU off the field. Let this 2008 Ute team play OkState's schedule (4 top 3 ranked teams in 43 days) and see how they fair. Until they suffer the season long wear and tear of a top tier schedule (and remain unbeaten) they will always be on the outside looking in.

QUESTION??? | 8:54 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Does anyone know what the Utes are projected to be ranked when the final season rankings come out?

RE:Question??? | 9:38 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

4th. 3rd at best, but because Texas beat Ohio State, that keeps Texas at a strong 2nd (after Thursday night). It's almost impossible for a #6/7 team (Utah) to jump that many spots unless everyone in front of them lose. Utah bumps Alabama back, that's one. The Championship game bumps one back, that's two. Texas won so they are in the top three for sure. The Champion gets the top spot obviously, that leaves (2),3,4,and 5 open. The loser of Thursday night's game most likely will drop to 4 or 5. It's unfortunate that you win all your games, and defeat a national power in a BCS bowl game and only finish 3rd at best. Please remember, Boise State BEAT Oklahoma 2 years ago in a BCS game and finished undefeated and I think they ended up 6th in the final poll. Granted, they didn't have as strong as schedule, but they did win.
I went to the game in NO. It was everything you wanted as a fan. Nick Saban was out of his skin all night. Our 15k fans choked their 58k fans. All I can say is I'm proud to be a Ute!

Big Time Brama Fan | 9:45 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Right on Brahma!

Re: Question | 9:49 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Realistically...4 or 5. At best, 3rd.

to bra... fans | 10:34 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

it's easy to be a snobe and think your team is better than Utah. (You are and it isn't!)
...geez how long ago was last friday? Remeber all the Alabama coaches, players, fans and the national media thought the same as you do. Where are they now. crying and complaining. Which is where you would be after the Utes creams you off your high horse.
OK-States schedule wasn't at all impressive - Washington St, Missouri St and Troy ? come on ... yes you played some tough games... so does all the top teams. grow up and quit whinning.
see contender comparision above.

CCD | 11:12 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

A few short years ago Urban Meyer was all over the BSC busting bandwagon. Questions: Will Urban revisit his BCS busting ways and endorse the Utes as national champs if his Gators loose? Or, will he stick with his new found BCS buddies and ignore his Utah roots in favor of the almighty BCS dollar? Since I fully expect the Gators to win, what will his comments be if asked about the Utes at 13-0?

Iï¿½m all for Shurtleff, or anyone else, annoying the BSC. I wish more big time coaches (i.e. Urban) and other university types would have the guts to stand up to them. Unfortunately, BCS pockets are deeper than the rest of the world, and unless enough people somehow reject them, they will never change. All those big bowls, TV contracts, etc. make it real easy to ignore the rest of the world. Oh, wait a second. We just sent a bunch of crazed Ute fans to New Orleans to help line their pockets even more with our hard earned ï¿½mid majorï¿½ dollars. I admit it would have been difficult, but maybe we should have started a trend and ignored them by refusing their Sugar Bowl bid.

Question | 11:45 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I think Michigan was also ranked when the Utes beat them....So, make that 5 ranked teams!

Tyler | 11:58 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Michigan definitely was not ranked, but they also weren't supposed to be as bad as they were.

AP a joke as well | 12:13 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

At least 6 of the voters in the AP poll haven't even seen Utah play. The other have seen only highlights. How can they even make an informed vote. They just look at the other polls and guess. A play off is long over due.

No National Champ | 12:35 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I won't accept Utah as the national champ, or any other team. Until there is a playoff like basketball or baseball, there is not a national champ in football. It is all a scam. Using the current bowl system we could have a playoff and then a legitimate champion. Until then, who cares!

Mike | 12:56 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Michigan was ranked #24 in the coaches poll when Utah played them. I watched that game again last night and it is stated by the commentators and shown on the screen.

BCS champs vs March Madness | 12:56 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

In the BCS, voters in the polls watch Sportscenter to learn about the teams and take their cues from the vested-interest ESPN talking heads about which teams are deserving of NC consideration.

In basketball, a 10-member selection carefully evaluates every team, meeting weekly to discuss and compare notes, and even encouraging committee members to go out a watch teams in person.

In the BCS, nameless computers, with biased formulas that favor the BCS conference teams, spit out names of contenders.

In basketball, RPI is calculated for every team, but the selection committee only uses RPI as one factor.

In the BCS, two beauty contest winners are picked by adding A + B + C, with no human intervention to consider whether the selections make any sense.

In basketball, all factors are carefully considered by real people before choosing and seeding teams.

In the BCS, half the teams are eliminated from National Championship consideration before the first kickoff and there is seldom a clear-cut, undisputed National Champion.

In basketball, EVERY team has an equal opportunity to win the National Championship and there is rarely if ever a dispute about the clear-cut National Champion.

And still the BCS exists!

WHY???

Ranked opponents | 1:24 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

In-season rankings are meaningless, unless the opponent was ranked for the majority of the season or in the final polls.

Pittsburgh 1984 (3-7-1), even though the Panthers were ranked #3 when BYU played them at the start of the season, cannot be considered a ranked opponent by any reasonable fan.

Michigan 2008 (3-9), even though the Wolverines were ranked #24 in ONE poll at the start of the season, cannot be considered a ranked opponent by any reasonable fan.

BYU fans can legitimately say that the Cougars beat #1-ranked Miami because Miami was the defending National Champion and finished the season 10-2 and ranked #3.

Anonymous | 1:35 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Check out ESPN front page. They are asking people to vote Utah #1 because you have to have at least a chance for everyone to become NC and Utah is only school who has no exuse not to be the NC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rvalens2 | 3:29 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Re: BCS champs vs March Madness

"In basketball, ... there is rarely if ever a dispute about the clear-cut National Champion. And still the BCS exists! WHY???"

*****

MONEY! - MONEY! - MONEY!

Those who have it don't want to share it with those that don't. Compare the BCS game payouts to ALL the rest and you'll find it's not even close.

The FIVE BCS games will payout 85 million dollars this year. The remaining TWENTY-NINE non-BCS Bowl games combined will payout 43 million*.

They (the BCS conferences) don't want to share that money.

If you consider that many BCS teams also participate in non-BCS Bowl games then you end up with payouts, to non-BCS teams, that are actually MUCH LOWER than the 43 million listed here.

I don't know what the payout for non-BCS teams will be this year. But it would be interesting to know!

Anybody out there got those figures? Please post them if you do. Thanks.

*(estimated 2008-2009 payouts final amounts may vary slightly)

Anonymous | 3:36 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

The only thing I wouldn't like about Utah being rated #1, is the possibility of team schedule a bunch of creampuffs so they can go undefeated and be national champion.

rvalens2 | 3:35 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Oops! Made one mistake in my calculations for the totals. They should actually be doubled since the payouts are per team. :0(

Steve - Playoff series | 4:06 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I don't see how anyone can be against things being changed so college football finishes the season with a playoff system and ending in a true championship game. They do it with basketball, so why not with football too??? It doesn't make ANY sense.

The college sports nuts get all excited over "March Madness" as the basketball teams make their way through a playoff series, so why not do the exact same thing in December each year with college football?

"But what about the bowl games?" Some might ask. Or you might say "Tell that to all the bowl game organizers who have so much money tied up in it".

Well the bowl games need not end under a playoff system. You simply make all of them part of it. Each game played in the playoffs would have an individual name "Holiday Bowl", "Sugar Bowl", "Rose Bowl" etc.

This is how most sports factions settle their championships, through playoffs. It's the fairest way to determine the champion. Winner takes all rather than an elaborate judging of teams.

What stinks... | 4:22 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

...about this whole mess is that if the Utes were in the pitiful leagues of the Big East or the ACC and would have run the table, they would be in the National Championship with no questions asked. Because they are in a non-BCS conference (which is better than the Big East, ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-10) they have no shot at the title. Just crazy that people can make the arguments that the Utes don't deserve to be in the title game because they played a schedule in a "below average" conference. But this "below average" conference is head and shoulders above the Big East, ACC, and Big Ten.

why... | 8:32 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Why I voted for Obama? Because he wants a playoff system, like 90% of the rest of America.

We will have one by 2014. You heard it here first.

crybabies | 8:44 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Was it that impressive win over Michigan that makes you number 1? The utes are pretenders! Always whinning about getting no respect. Waa

Check of ESPN | 9:25 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

You suggest that everyone vote for the Utes to be #1, this isn't, and shouldn't be a popularity contest. It is a sporting event. If the Utes are voted #1 it is has no validity. Read all the posts about a playoff system (like using the current bowls). It can be done and until it is there is no national champ, and the Utes can claim they are national champs, but until they play a game to decide it, there is NO national champ in football!

Why watch tomorrow's game? | 10:24 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

When there is already a more worthy national champion --Utah
Let Fox know that tomorrow's night game is not national championship game.

SoCalUtahFan

bookt | 5:15 a.m. Jan. 8, 2009

the only team that could match utah play for play on offense defense etc. is florida. both teams are mirror images of each other;however, utah's ace in the hole is at quarterback. brian johnson gives the utes the edge in a head to head matchup. forget oklahoma and texas. if florida pounds oklahoma like utah pounded alabama, case closed. utah number 1!

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