[kscherer]

OK, there are just two weeks of college football left. The Orange bowl is basically set (USC vs. UO) barring any wild upsets. The other three bowls, however, remain a tossup. Likely participants look like this:

Orange: USC vs. UO
Sugar: VT vs. Auburn
Fiesta: BC vs. Utah
Rose: UM vs. Cal

However, there is a lot of shaking going on with the Rose Bowl. If Texas loses, Boise State could crash the Rose Bowl. It's all up in the air.

What do you think?

[Eugene]

It's ridiculous that Michigan is all but guaranteed the Rose Bowl while Cal's bowl bid is dependent on other teams' records like USC and Texas...

[kscherer]

That is because of the three primary rules of entry into the BCS:

1) All six BCS conference champions gain automatic entry;

2) Any non-BCS conference team that reaches the top 6 gains automatic entry, provided they do not violate rule 1;

3) The highest ranking BCS conference non-champ gains automatic entry if they place in the top four, provided they do not violate rules 1 & 2.

As of now, the first six slots are filled by the BCS conference champs, likely Oklahoma, USC, Auburn, Boston College, Virgina Tech and Michigan. That leaves the two at-large slots open. Utah, by way of rule 2 has filled one spot. California is currently in the other spot by way of rule 3. Cal is dependant upon a win by Texas and itself to maintain their spot. Should Texas lose they will likely slip from the top six, making room for Boise State to move into the other at-large spot. This scenerio, although a long-shot, would boot Cal by way of rule 2, as rule 2 does not have a provision for the number of non-BCS Conference schools that can gain entry.

Although it seems unfair for Cal, the rules were adopted to force the power conferences to allow entry by the non-power conferences. It is less fair for a school like BSU, who is undefeated, to be omitted while 1- or 2-loss teams get in. While some will argue that non-BCS teams are weaker, this can only be proven by actually playing them.

Cal could be out, not because of an unfair system, but because they failed to take care of business, while USC, UO, Auburn, Utah and BSU have all done so! Regardless of "strength of schedule", each team has the opportunity to go out and win games, all of them if possible. The only real answer is a playoff system. Any team not good enough to be champ would be eliminated at some point through the playoffs.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by Eugene It's ridiculous that Michigan is all but guaranteed the Rose Bowl while Cal's bowl bid is dependent on other teams' records like USC and Texas...

USC is in, regardless of the outcome of their final game.