Don't get me wrong, I hate the BCS just as much as everybody else (in the non-BCS territories, of course), but we've got no choice to play along with the crummy system in place, right? While the official BCS standings don't come out for another 2 weeks, there are a few things that I have found interesting. (I realize that there is a lot of football yet to be played and Utah has looked awful their last few games. The fact remains that Utah was the first team in the country to become bowl eligible and they have continued to find ways to win games, even as they have played embarrassingly poor on the field.)Utah continues to be highly ranked according to the computers. 5 of the 6 computers that are used in the BCS rankings have published their rankings. Utah is ranked in the top 6 according to 4 of those computer algorithms (and 9th in the other). This gives Utah a projected BCS ranking of #9, which is high enough to warrant an automatic BCS bid.
Simply for comparison's sake (and because all the talk (as of late) has centered around BYU or Boise State, busting the BCS), let's look at how a couple of other teams are ranked. BYU is unranked by two of the BCS computers and ranked 25th by another. All computer algorithms place the Utes ahead of the Cougars. Because BYU had a head start in the human polls, Utah continues to trail a few spots behind. Because of BYU's poor showing in the computer rankings, they are projected to be 12th in the BCS rankings. Boise State is projected at 14th. When Utah first busted the BCS in 2004, their weakest ranking was always the computer rankings.
To add fuel to the fire, without his permission, I am reposting Ben's comment from my earlier post on the Oregon State game. While Kirk Herbstreit is notorious for telling people what they want to hear, during Saturday morning's College GameDay broadcast he was talking up BYU like it was his job. Apparently somebody knocked some sense into him over the long weekend...
Ty, a bonus to my job here in Ohio is I get to hob-knob with influential people in the communities. This morning's winner was Kirk Herbstreit, Mr. College Gameday himself. Three things I learned from him today as he answered my questions over breakfast: 1) The Utes will still win the conference. He is annoyed with how high BYU is ranked since they haven't played any good teams. 2) If both teams remain undefeated until Nov 22, he says there probably wouldn't be anything standing in the way of College Gameday coming back to SLC. He loves the fan support in Utah, and loves the area. 3) If they come to SLC, I told him I'd take him, Chris Fowler and Lee Corso, to dinner with my good friends. (i'd need to take him somewhere spendy, so i'd need people to split the check with...) Hopefully this will ALL happen...!!! SO, there ya have it. BYU still sucks, according to Herbie.By the way, yes Ben I will gladly help foot the bill for their dinner. In fact, they are welcome to come eat roast cougar at my new house. I'll cook it up just like the Utes have been doing for hundreds of years.
Source: BCSguru.com
12 comments:
This year, it seems clear that both BYU and Utah control their own destiny, as far as reaching a BCS game. Whether BYU or Utah is a few spots ahead of the other for the next 6 weeks doesn't really matter. Provided they keep winning, they won't move down and the final win will push them over the top.
As for the computers loving Utah, it's understandable, as they managed to get a decent Pac-10 team. BYU was somehow tricked into playing the terrible ones. BCS computers are not allowed to factor in margin of victory, though some of the people behind them have alternate rankings that do include MOV. In those cases, BYU sees a 10 spot jump in ranking thanks to some pretty big blowouts. The computer ranking folk always insist that including the MOV makes their rankings more accurate, but the BCS folk disallow it as they fear people running up the score. But, it is what it is. This year, at least, if they win all their games, they won't be left out, which cannot be said for Tulsa, Boise State or Ball State, possibly.
Clark - I think that you are spot on. Utah and BYU are both in the enviable position to control their own destinies this year. Now, if they will both uphold their ends of the bargain and cruise through the conference loss-free then we will have so much hype over their game in November that we'll all be sick.
I'd say we'll be sick. I don't even know how I would live the week before the game. They would have to cancel everything. Talk about the biggest game ever between the two teams.
Still, I hope Utah can keep focus until then. Not sure what to say about BYU. Hopefully they do to. And is your wife going to let you roast cougar? Maybe she'll have her own idea of good cookin? Man, still a month left until the good times. I can't wait!
They can come over if I get to sit across from Kirk. :)
All the national guys can keep the praise for the Utes comin'. Then the Cougs can prove them all WRONG!
No no, that's exactly what I'm saying. The majority of national sports outlets are heaping the praise on BYU and/or Boise State and not on Utah. I'm just trying to determine where praise is due.
I just meant that in reference to the Herbstreit comment. Who's giving Boise State more love than Utah?
Almost all bowl prediction websites (i.e. espn.com, cbssportsline, foxsports, etc.) have BYU going to a BCS bowl. Many of them also have Boise State going to a BCS bowl. I've read a handful of commentaries that believe Boise State should be ranked above both Utah and BYU as well.
Maybe because Boise State is the only team of the three with a win against a ranked team.
If nothing changes in 2 weeks when the BCS rankings come out, how can Utah be the one getting no respect, as you seem to be implying?
You obviously read more from the national media than I do. I just implied what I said from your comments. I hope I didn't sound rude.
Come on. No need to apologize to your husband! I do agree that most of the media has been saying BYU should go to a bowl (that is why they are higher in the non-computer polls). All in all, they both need to play and win until the big one in November. That's all it comes down to right now. Then we can talk about who is really better. Until then, they will both have to get through a good TCU team.
Should be a good matchup either way, and I hope both teams stay undefeated until they play each other.
I don't believe I granted a release for use of my statements. Talk to my lawyers. I always knew you were shady, Mr. Squire... :) But (since I'm posting this post-BYU debacle in Fort Worth) it proves Herbie a prophet (okay, more along the lines of just observant) that BYU will fold against a tougher opponent. And fold they did, reminscent of a 3A High School JV team.
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