Finally, some respect for the non-automatic qualifier conferences in the BCS. TCU and Boise State both were excellent teams this year and were rewarded last night when they announced the BCS Bowl match-ups on ESPN. They both should have a chance to prove their worth on the big stage against a major conference and quiet the doubters, but instead, the BCS Bowl selection committee, in their infinite wisdom, decides, once again, to hold down the mid-majors and pit them against each other. Brilliant! Not.
The BCS selection committee is so hell bent on being sure the SEC and Big 12 get all of the credit, that they wouldn’t even give TCU a chance to show they deserve to be ranked #3 in the country with a shot to beat a major conference team. Without these match-ups, these mid-major teams will never be fairly rated or given the credit they deserve. Since the BCS won’t give them any credit or respect, it is on college football fans everywhere to appreciate the talent out there.
As a mid-major, the fact that TCU is ranked #3 in the country tells you they have beaten some top teams. On the way to 12-0, TCU beat two top 20 teams in BYU and Utah. Out of conference, TCU beat a strong ACC team, Clemson, on the road and held one of the best running backs in the country, C.J. Spiller, in check. TCU has a strong QB in Andy Dalton who threw for 22 TDs, only 5 interceptions, and nearly 2,500 yards on the season, while also rushing for over 500 yards at nearly 5 yards per carry. They are even stronger at RB with the three headed monster of Joseph Turner, Matthew Tucker, and Ed Wesley who combined for over 2,000 yards on the ground averaged a touch under 6 yards per carry with 23 TDs combined.
If those stats don’t impress you, then let’s look at their rankings across college football. In terms of total offense, TCU is ranked 8th in country. They rank 5th in rushing offense out of the 120 Division 1-A football programs. Those rankings are even more impressive when you realize that TCU had to play the 2nd and 4th ranked defenses in the country, Clemson and New Mexico respectively. TCU scored only 14 points on Clemson in a hard fought battle, but dropped 51 points on the New Mexico Lobos. Say what you want about mid-majors and their strength of schedule, but the stats don’t lie: 12-0 overall, 8-0 in the conference, and averaging nearly 41 points per game.
One final note to the BCS selection committee. Open up your eyes and pay attention to football across the country. If you want to do your job right, promote smaller conferences and celebrate success at the highest level when it happens, regardless of where in the country the school is located. Stop trying to keep conferences without automatic BCS qualifiers down. It’s bullshit and you know it.
Need More? BYU, Boise State, C.J. Spiller, Clemson, NCAA, NCAA FB, New Mexico, TCU
.jpg){kind=small}
I'm a Big East guy, you don't have to convince me of the strength of the conference. However, Cincinnati has a huge opportunity against Florida, should be a great game. My complaint was with the pairings of the games, not the rankings, that's an entirely different conversation.
Astute observations. You're right!!