TCU and the playoff system

[mtutmut]

The TCU Horned Frogs steamrolled the team that beat Alabama, yet they were snubbed at the last minute to be one of the final four. Only a mid-season let-down versus a good Baylor team prevented them from going undefeated. TCU does not have the influence to raise a major protest to this injustice, but I hope that fans pitch a royal bitch in their name. It is only a matter of time before a super-big program gets left out, and then there will be an 8 team playoff lickety split. I just wish that fans of the major conferences would have enough gamesmanship to want to give the underdogs a shot at the big dance with a 16 team playoff in which all conference champions were represented. I thought that it was the American way. I guess that it used to be.

This post was edited on 1/2 10:43 PM by mtutmut

 

[SpaceRaider]

a couple of observations:

heard some talk early this morning on radio about the winter classic viewership taking a beating due to the two playoff semifinals and it would be wise for nhl to move it to February where it won't be going against football.

Heard some other comments this am on fox business channel, that the viewership and overall hype surrounding this plus the championship game is huge and some are predicting it will rival the superbowl (find it hard to believe but who knows five, ten years from now) very quickly.

Got a chuckle from some comments on the radio this am from some long time sports commentators, on the playoffs like it was something brand new that the P5 powers thought up on their own and that they should expand it to 8 or even 16, like that is something no one has ever done on the collegiate level.

Another comment was that it was nice that we now had January 1st games that meant something...

I think the upshot is there will be expansion, to 8 and even 16, and the P-5 will be manipulating the process all the way to try to ensure that it is a P5 invitational only.

 

[mtutmut]

I guess that Rocky fans are a dying breed in today's dog-eat-dog world. Even Boise's continuing Cinderella run has seemed to have lost its luster.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Alabama definately deserved to get in - they won the best conference in college football. Oregon too. You can't leave out an undefeated Florida State.

So, that left Ohio State, Baylor, and TCU. After watching OSU crush Alabama, it's hard to say that OSU isn't one of the 4 best or most deserving.

Unfortunately, someone had to be left out.

I'm with you, 16 with conference champs.

But I really don't think TCU has much to complain about this year.

 

[sWiley]

I think they've got everything in the world to complain about. TCU lost to a very, very good Baylor team in like double OT by a few points.

Ohio State was completely dominated by a terrible Virginia Tech team. Don't care what they looked like against Wisconsin or even Alabama.

Florida State turned out to be the fraud that everyone thought they were. They abused a very weak conference and squeeked by a few decent OOC opponents, but clearly were not a top 5 team this year. Wish the committee had the stones to leave them out.

Every single team minus Florida State really can't complain because they all lost a game. I just don't see how TCU was left out though, I really don't. Don't forget they were ranked #3 going into the final week too. Committee is a bunch of weasels IMO who can't be trusted and clearly their rankings (that people obsessed over each week) mean NOTHING.

What I find interesting is that, with the previous BCS formula, it would have been Alabama vs. Florida State in the championship (There's no way FSU gets left out being undefeated and defending champions). Well, Alabama and Florida State happen to be the two teams who didn't even make it to the title game!

Amazing what can happen when you let the teams settle it on the field......

I say shorten the season by 1 game and go to a 16 or 32 team playoff. Conference champions and then so many at-large spots, much like the NCAA tournament.

 

[MTFNBY5]

I won't argue that OSU didn't deserve to be included but if TCU had Texas or Oklahoma on their jerseys (also from the Big12), had been rated 3rd in the next to last week, and had won in a similar convincing fashion in their last game there is no way in hell they would have been left out.

TCU was a victim of having a small, compared to elite schools, fan base. Goes to show that being in a power conference doesn't matter if you are not considered a national "name" school. IMHO it's all about how many eyes you will draw to the games.

 

[mtutmut]

TCU ought to challenge the winner of the national championship game to an "exhibition" game after the season is over. I am sure that they would be denied, as the national champion would have nothing to gain from playing such a game. However, I would view such a challenge as TCU's way of giving the selection committee the finger. I doubt that it will happen, but college fans should raise a huge stink, especially in Boise St and Baylor territory. There is more money in a 16 team playoff. There would be less egos hurt, and if all conference champions were included, there would be the facade of some level of fairness to the less fortunate programs. Winners all around! It sounds too much like right to actually happen though.

 

[Sommy]

TCU (and Baylor really) got screwed once again so the big conferences could benefit once again.

TCU won by 50+, only lost to the number 5 (or was it 6?) team at the time and they drop 2 places and get leapfrogged by an Ohio State team that lost to an unranked team? Don't argue OSU's case to me, because if they were all that good, they would have been ranked higher already. You can't come to the last week and then change all the rules.

Come on - you don't actually think that was fair do you? The arguement that OSU beat Bama isn't relevant, because we are talking who should have been in the game in the first place. If you do want to argue that - look at what TCU did in their bowl game, not to shabby either.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

What is frustrating is that when I go to the ESPN boards and seek out responses and discussion on TCU, all you hear from the sheeple is "Can't hang with the big boys.....".

In the end, big conferences sack the smaller ones again.

 

[mtutmut]

Originally posted by JohnDavidBlue:
What is frustrating is that when I go to the ESPN boards and seek out responses and discussion on TCU, all you hear from the sheeple is "Can't hang with the big boys.....".

In the end, big conferences sack the smaller ones again.

Uh.....isn't TCU in the Big 12 conference? Looks more like smaller programs getting screwed even when they join larger conferences.

 

[Predarat]

I really want this thing to expand, bring it to 16 with all conference champions in. Hell I would not complain about Wileys 32 team idea. BTW I still love the Rocky movies. except that one that was between Rocky IV and Rocky Balboa.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

exactly.

Originally posted by mtutmut:

Originally posted by JohnDavidBlue:
What is frustrating is that when I go to the ESPN boards and seek out responses and discussion on TCU, all you hear from the sheeple is "Can't hang with the big boys.....".

In the end, big conferences sack the smaller ones again.

Uh.....isn't TCU in the Big 12 conference? Looks more like smaller programs getting screwed even when they join larger conferences.

 

[RaiderDoug]

Originally posted by Sommy:

TCU (and Baylor really) got screwed once again so the big conferences could benefit once again.

TCU won by 50+, only lost to the number 5 (or was it 6?) team at the time and they drop 2 places and get leapfrogged by an Ohio State team that lost to an unranked team? Don't argue OSU's case to me, because if they were all that good, they would have been ranked higher already. You can't come to the last week and then change all the rules.

Come on - you don't actually think that was fair do you? The arguement that OSU beat Bama isn't relevant, because we are talking who should have been in the game in the first place. If you do want to argue that - look at what TCU did in their bowl game, not to shabby either.

I think TCU deserved to get in over Ohio State. I actually think Baylor had more claim to the slot as they actually beat TCU (take 2 11-1 teams that played each other - you have to take the team that won, right? If not, you're not settling it on the field).

But I don't think it's the slam dunk total screw job that everyone else does. It's not some terrible injustice.

The fact is, when you lose a game in this sport - you give the committee ammo to use against you. And TCU has no one but themselves to blame in that regard, so I don't really have a whole lot of sympathy.

I'm also not nearly as impressed with TCU's bowl win over a Mississippi team that was a fraud from the start as Ohio State coming into virtual Bama home game in New Orleans with a 3rd string QB and demolishing the SEC champion. I do think that vindicates the selection quite a bit.

Nonetheless, I think this is really splitting hairs. It's not like Ohio State was 8-4. The B10 is a pretty stout conference (at least equal to the B12 if not better) - the B10 was smart enough to play a conference championship game and crush a good Wisconsin team.

The fact is, TCU held it's destiny in it's own hands and failed. If you want in- win all your games. If you don't get in then - then you can pi$$ and moan.
This post was edited on 1/7 9:22 AM by RaiderDoug

 

[Blueraider_Mike]

Doug,

Come on man! You talk about taking care of business - OSU didn't, they lost at home to a crappy VT team compared to TCU loss on the road to Baylor. Then you praise OSU on their win over Bama when Bama was beaten by the team Ole Miss that you claim was a fraud.

Not that I care, but having trouble following your points here.

The point is Ohio State was selected to be in the top 4, they didn't earn it any more than TCU lost the opportunity. If TCU had "TEXAS" on their jersey they would have been in. The whole thing is still some type of beauty contest.