what a crock of bull

[BronxBomber]

The BCS is a joke the best team outside of Oklahoma IS USC...while the Ohio State buckeyes have played a subpar season and clearly look less impressive then the Tojans they get to hold their own destiny by winning this weekend.

 

cool_thu Here is to Michigan this weekend

[Lula]

Wrong forum, but will probably be moved any second now.

[loaf]

not again. Look you narrow minded little man. Ever hear of strength of schedule? It is a major contributor to how the BCS determines their rankings. Ohio State may not be winning 77-0 (Tressel too classy for that) and they may be winning ugly BUT they are winning and winning against a higher caliber opponent than USC. PERIOD.

[bushwacked]

Let me guess.. Loaf is an Ohio State fan right??

 

Hey, I could car less about either team, but USC beat the crap out of Washington State this year and and WA state is CURRENTLY a top ten team who has been doing their fair share of bashing teams this year.

 

Of course, USC may not get an opportunity to BARELY beat San Diego State (huh?) and Penn State (What???).

 

The BCS sucks, Ohio State is a good team, but NOT the 2nd or even 3rd best team in the country. Everybody sees that except for Ohions. The corn crops have gone to your head.

 

Ohio State won't beat Michigan with their anemic offense. Nice run OSU, but not this year.

[Packing Feet]

This will be a moot point in 5 days when Ohio State comes into the big house and gets lit up by the Wolverines

[selfindulgenthack]

Go MICHIGAN!!

Can't stand BCS!!

OSU lost its only game on the road to a winning team. How is that a strong schedule?!

[Tripod Willy]

loaf, it's not class that stops OSU, it's their offense... definitely in the bottom half of D1. As for their program, it's got a storied history, but it says a lot how they handled the "choking" incedent.

[KevinL]

Ohio State is 10-1. USC and LSU are each 9-1. Without a playoff (which is the situation NCAA D1 football is in right now) we need a way to distinguish between these 1-loss teams.

 

We can use the subjective "how they look", or we can use the objective "margin of victory" or we can use "strength of schedule". Maybe there's something else but I can't think of it.

 

How they look is certainly included in the BCS formula (poll ranking). Margin of victory is certainly a factor in this as well. Strength of schedule is a factor on its own and is included in some way in the computer polls.

 

Having said all that, I want to reply to the question about Ohio State's schedule.

 

Ohio State has plays road games against Wisconsin (7-4), Indiana (2-9), Penn State (3-8), and Michigan (9-2). I believe Penn State's record is misleading as they have played the 19th toughest schedule according to the NCAA, but certainly they are not a winning team.

 

If OSU loses to Michigan, the Buckeyes certainly are no longer in the running for a Sugar Bowl bid. If they beat Michigan, they will have performed very well against a very difficult schedule.

 

Let's look at some other top ranked teams away schedules while we're at it.

 

USC: at Auburn (6-5), California (6-6), Arizona St (4-7), Notre Dame (4-6), Washington (5-6), Arizona (2-9).

 

So USC plays 1 winning team (6-5) away while the Buckeyes play a Wisconsin (7 win) and Michigan (9 win). I think we can agree Ohio State has the more difficult away schedule.

 

LSU: at Arizona (2-9), Miss St (2-8), South Carolina (5-6), Alabama (4-7), Mississippi (8-2). LSU has yet to play a winning away team but they have a tough game this weekend.

 

Oklahoma: at Alabama (4-7), Iowa State (2-8), Texas (9-2), Colorado(5-6), Texas Tech (7-4). Pretty similar away schedule to OSU with 1 extra non conference away game, Oklahoma has their 2nd toughest away opponent this weekend.

[justin]

This discussion is a waste of time. If OSU beats Mich. - than they deserve to be #2 - and will be. If they loose, than they will no longer be #2 in the BCS.

[FF Disgrace]

Aren't most of these discussions a waste of time - that's what makes this so fun! 2 debates going on here though. One is whether OSU or USC is the better team. Well, who the heck knows unless they play each other? USC has looked better against weaker opponents (WSU is good, but not great), but OSU has played a tougher schedule, played through injuries and is still winning. So, I don't think there's anyway to say definitively, right?

Now, as to the BCS sucking. I totally disagree. If we were using the old system (and assuming USC and OSU win out), then USC and OSU would meet in the Rose Bowl, and OU would play in the Sugar vs. SEC champ (LSU?). So, you would still not get a game b/w the top two teams. At worst, it is just as good as the old system, but in terms of determining national champs, I think it's better.

[bushwacked]

Kevin L. You forgot about USC plaing Wash State (9-2). That kinda screws your point.

[KevinL]

Bengalbeliever:

OSU lost its only game on the road to a winning team. How is that a strong schedule?!

   

My post was in response to this post. Road games.

 

Washington State (9-2) was a home game for USC. As were Hawaii (6-4), as will be UCLA (6-5) and Oregon State (7-3).

 

So USC is 3-0 vs winning teams this season, with 2 games to play.

 

NC State (7-4), Bowling Green (8-2), Iowa (8-3), Michigan State (7-4), and Purdue (8-3) were home games for OSU.

 

OSU is 5-1 vs winning teams with 1 game to play.

 

USC has 2 teams on their schedule with 7 or more wins. Both at home. OSU has 7 teams on their schedule with 7 or more wins. Five home and 2 away. See why OSU gets the strength of schedule points now?

[justin]

FF Disgrace:

Aren't most of these discussions a waste of time...

I disagree. I think most of the discussions are thoughfull, well argumented and do have a point.

 

 

FF Disgrace:

Now, as to the BCS sucking.  I totally disagree.  If we were using the old system (and assuming USC and OSU win out), then USC and OSU would meet in the Rose Bowl, and OU would play in the Sugar vs. SEC champ (LSU?).  So, you would still not get a game b/w the top two teams.  At worst, it is just as good as the old system, but in terms of determining national champs, I think it's better.

I completely agree with you here - and have said so repedly in the past. I like the BCS and feel that the "right team" has won the NC each year of it's existence. In contrast, the old system was poor in that it did not allow for the flexibility of any two teams playing each other. Anyone who complains about the BCS has not thought about this and probably has not tried to recomend a better system. For those who think that an 8 team playoff would be better has not truly thought about the selection & process of playoff. Anytime you have to select a team - there is going to be a debate - whether it is the # 2 team in the current format - or a #7 or #8 team in a proposed format.

[heinzelman]

It’s obvious to me that the poor sportsmen that “hates” Ohio state are just singing sour grapes. Trolls that spout undeserving trash against another team should check themselves when their team is doing well, it’s just a game, enjoy it instead of getting your panties in a bind about it. I’d like to see the color of your rhetoric if your team was in the same situation.

 

The BCS is not perfect but is does eliminate the influence of that same sour grapes mentality that plagued us before the BCS came along. Opinion should not determine a championship, performance should.

 

Ohio State has played a respectable season, against a very tough schedule. If they lose to Michigan, then so be it, they should no longer be in the running for the Sugar Bowl, they get what they deserve for their performance. I can accept that because their fate depends on their performance, not the biased opinion of pollsters of fans of other programs.

 

Yes, lots of close games and close calls for the Bucks, but this is what football is about, winning or losing but doing so with your best effort. I think that’s what Ohio State has given, this year, they deserve a shot in my opinion to see if they can play like champions this week.

 

I for one think that you couldn’t ask for a more exciting scenario, a big game in Ann Arbor that ANYONE should be able to enjoy, lots of consequences if the #2 team loses and lots for many teams to be proud of this year.

 

Yes I am an Ohio State fan, can’t wait to hear the pot shots that come next for the trolls…..

[bushwacked]

No pot shots, like I said earlier, I could care less about either team. If Ohio state wins this weekend, they probably deserve it. I'm just amazed at how USC obliterates a team last week and drops.

 

Good luck OSU, you'll need it this weekend.