RazorHawk wrote:I think the 9 game conference schedule will hinder getting two teams in the BCS bowls, more than a conference championship. SEC has not had much problem getting two BCS spots almost every year.Eric wrote:Adding a conference title game probably diminishes the chances that you will get two teams in the BCS. The Big 10 has been getting 2 in the BCS precisely because of the fact that they didn't play a title game. If 10-2 Wisconsin plays 10-2 Nebraska, both aren't going to be BCS bowling, so the hope would have to be that Ohio State or Iowa picks up the slack. I don't think the Big 10, unlike the SEC, has enough starpower, at least under the current circumstances, to withstand one of their top two teams losing in the title game and still remain a favorite to fill in a BCS bowl.
At any rate, even though the Big 12 has 9 conference games, I would expect the Big 12 to get two teams in this year (I would guess Oklahoma State and Oklahoma). The Pac-10, in most cases, wouldn't get two teams in with their divisional alignment, but with Stanford and Oregon being in the same division, I think that it's likely in 2011. The Pac-10 is keeping their 9-game conference schedule in addition to a conference title game. Which is nuts if you want to get two schools into the BCS.
Basically it's a given that the SEC will get one at-large and a non-AQ team will get one at-large. Notre Dame will, maybe beginning in 2012, become a prime candidate to qualify for a BCS slot. So with the way college football is going, I think the championship game hurts the Big 10's chances at getting two BCS teams.
That was kind of a tangent, but it was kind of relevant
I remember when the SEC went to a conference championship game and everyone said this would make it very difficult to win a National Championship. The very first year Alabama won the Conference and the National Championship. And of course, all are aware of the last 5 years in the BCS championship game, with 4 different SEC teams claiming a National Championship and 5 in a row.
I think the Big 10 will do just fine, but I think the 9 game conference schedule is a mistake.
Like I said though, I think that the SEC is just the powerhouse conference in college football right now. Usually you'll have two teams worthy of the BCS in one division. Something along the lines of how Arkansas got into the BCS this season. With the Big 10, things are a lot more iffy. I could see Penn State or Wisconsin not winning the division yet still having a good enough standing in the BCS to qualify. But if the loser of the conference title game is knocked down to 10-3, there is a good chance a 10-2 team that didn't play in a conference title game (like Stanford or Oklahoma State) would take their place as an at-large whereas if the title game didn't take place, the bid would have likely gone to the eventual loser of the Big 10 Championship sitting at 10-2.