Kirk Herbstreit

[hammb]

I say it again...I have no problem with What Herbstreit said. Could he have said it a little better without sounding like he's trashing the MAC? Maybe? I also think we as MAC fans are little sensitive to this issue.

The whole point of the BCS was to have a better way of determining a national champion and have the best match-ups in the five BCS bowl games. I think Kirk is just lamenting the fact that this system failed...again!

I love the MAC, but do you really think NIU is one of the 10 best football teams in the country?

No, but according to the rankings, neither are FSU, Wisconsin and Louisville. So half the teams in the BCS are not top-10 caliber.

Bingo.

The BCS had nothing to do with creating a matchup of 5 great bowl games. Or streamlining the national title picture.

The BCS was about creating more money by highlighting 5 top tier bowls and then doing everything in their power to ensure that money stayed with the 6 major conferences. Lawsuits were threatened so they allowed provisions to make it seem like the non BCS conferences had a shot at that money. They figured they could draw this up and it still wouldn't really affect their bottom line.

I mean c'mon the rule is stupid. The non BCS conference team has to rank in the top 16 AND they have to be ahead of one of the automatic qualifiers? That's a ridiculously stupid stipulation, isn't it? The only way it makes sense is if you're taking it in the way it really is: a token cookie thrown out but still enough to shut us out most years. If the BCS were really designed for what you say it was Rollo then it would be the straight up top 10 teams in those games...but of course then you'd piss off the Big East, Big 10, and ACC (who still would not be represented this year), and we can't have them upset.

Personally, I don't care what Herbstreit said. He's an ass, but so are most college football analysts. Nor do I care that NIU isn't one of the top 10 teams in the country. Neither are Louisville or Wisconsin or FSU. I also don't care about the fact that it is the MAC that Herbstreit is bashing...I'd feel the same if it were Boise in and he were trashing the Mountain West.

The bottom line is that NIU is getting us a piece of the pie that was designed solely to not let us have any. I'm happy for them, the MAC, and all of the nonBCS conferences.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

I say it again...I have no problem with What Herbstreit said. Could he have said it a little better without sounding like he's trashing the MAC? Maybe? I also think we as MAC fans are little sensitive to this issue

Right there with ya man, as I said on like page 20 of the bowl thread, its his OPINION, and he gets paid to give his OPINION. Could it have come off better like you said of course, a lot of us could come off a lot better when it comes to giving our opinion. His opinion obviously matters because we watched the selection show and have a four page thread on it, and we should of known it was coming, no one should be shocked by what was said, its not like he was going to lie just to please the fans of MAC schools watching.

Bottom line is its the play on the field that matters, and thats what I'm gonna care about more then the opinions of the media or anyone else who has an issue with NIU getting in

[BGFalconfromCincy]

The whole point of the BCS was to have a better way of determining a national champion and have the best match-ups in the five BCS bowl games

First part I agree with, second part not so much. The BCS was created to match up the #1 and #2 teams in the rankings, so that they played each other in the same game instead of the old way where they had to go to the bowl their conference was affliated with that gave us so many split national championships.

For the bowls that aren't the title game its pretty much business as usual like it was before the BCS, fill the agreement they have with a conference and then pick whoever else, the difference being they have a group of certain teams they have to pick from.

Its never been about creating the best match ups for the five BCS games, its about making sure the top two ranked teams play

[jpfalcon09]

The whole point of the BCS was to have a better way of determining a national champion and have the best match-ups in the five BCS bowl games

First part I agree with, second part not so much. The BCS was created to match up the #1 and #2 teams in the rankings, so that they played each other in the same game instead of the old way where they had to go to the bowl their conference was affliated with that gave us so many split national championships.

For the bowls that aren't the title game its pretty much business as usual like it was before the BCS, fill the agreement they have with a conference and then pick whoever else, the difference being they have a group of certain teams they have to pick from.

Its never been about creating the best match ups for the five BCS games, its about making sure the top two ranked teams play

Honestly, the only BCS games I've ever watched have featured non-BCS schools. The rest are just glorified exhibitions between two schools who are getting a payday. The intrigue that NIU has brought to the BCS this year should be looked at as a good thing for college football. People are tired of seeing the SEC, Oklahoma, etc. dominate the national landscape and play the same teams over and over. The pundits are upset because their fantasy dreamworld of pitting together all these big named schools didn't happen this year, but that has much more to do with the Big Ten and Big East than it does with the MAC. The BCS conferences marginalized their own party this year and so NIU decided to crash it.

[12345]

I dont get why you guys are mad at him!? He is right. Stop living in fantasy land. Niu should not be playing fsu? Its bad college football and fans. Get a clue people

[jpfalcon09]

I dont get why you guys are mad at him!? He is right. Stop living in fantasy land. Niu should not be playing fsu? Its bad college football and fans. Get a clue people

But an unranked 8-5 Rose Bowl participant is, right?

[BGFalconfromCincy]

I dont get why you guys are mad at him!? He is right. Stop living in fantasy land. Niu should not be playing fsu? Its bad college football and fans. Get a clue people

I'm not mad at him, do I think he should have made it sound more like he is bashing the system then NIU, yes, but again its his opinion and I don't care enough to get worked up about it even if I may disagree with it

It doesn't matter if NIU shouldn't be playing Florida State. It doesn't matter its bad for college football. It doesn't matter if its bad for the fans. The rules state if a non-AQ team finishes in the top 16 and ahead of a AQ conference champion that it gets to go to a BCS bowl.

NIU played its 13 games, won 12 of them, finished in the top 16 and ahead of the Big Ten and Big East champs. Those are the rules and NIU followed them the same way Wisconsin, Louisville, and everyone else who got a BCS bowl bid did.

[hammb]

I dont get why you guys are mad at him!? He is right. Stop living in fantasy land. Niu should not be playing fsu? Its bad college football and fans. Get a clue people

The game hasn't been played yet, so you don't know if it's bad college football or not.

And NIU absolutely SHOULD be there...they played within the rules of the shitty system and got their shot. Perhaps they wouldn't be there if some of the other conferences could field worthwhile teams, but the Big 10 and Big East could not, so NIU got in, as well they should.

Herbstreit can say all he wants, I'm not mad at him. Although I find it funny that he and all the other talking heads on ESPN are spending their time bashing NIU and saying how terrible this game will be...maybe if they took the time to do some research and show how good of a team NIU is (and mark my words they ARE a good college football team) they might actually get some ratings for this game? Really seems to me like ESPN talking heads are hurting the company with the way they were carrying on and on, but at the end of the day I really don't care what they think. The system is ridiculous and NIU beat it. Good for them, good for us.

[BGSUFanatic7]

The fact is, Wisconsin is the biggest joke in the entire world. They get into their conference championship game because TWO programs (including Herbstreit's OSU) didn't even qualify for it this year. Those guys weren't even top 4 in their conference and they go to the BCS. But ESPN guys like Kirk are too stuck up to admit that the Big Ten sucked this year. As well did the Big East.

[Flipper]

I could give a 3F about Herbie or his opinions. NIU has more of a right to be in a BCS game than Wisconsin does....

[Falcon137]

Scott Van Pelt and Russillo discuss it. Right around 55 minute mark. They don't share the same outrage as everyone else, pretty level headed discussion.

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=8706482

[Rollo83]

This year feels different than when TCU or Boise crashed the BCS party a few years ago. Those teams had some quality wins against major programs and they both passed the "eye test" as a team that could hang with a top ten team.

Just don't see it with NIU this year. Not much of a resume as far as wins and the loss to a bad Iowa team is a black eye. And, this team just doesn't pass the "eye test."

Hope I am wrong but I could see Florida State making a statement by rolling up a big score here.

[MarkL]

This picture made my day.

[Cap City 7]

I was disappointed in Herbstreit because I had always kind of admired him for being pretty honest about how he sees the state of college football. I live in Columbus and I know he moved out of state supposedly in part because of his unwillingness to toe the party line when it comes to his alma mater. He has been especially critical of the lack of quality in the Big Ten especially compared to the SEC. He took a lot of heat in Columbus because of that. Everyone here expects him to blindly support OSU and the Big Ten and he does not. Of course, part of that could be because ESPN pays him to be objective and give his opinion. I just feel he signalled out Northern and ignored how thin the resumes of Louisville and Wisconsin are.

[Rollo83]

Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports saying basically the same thing Herbsreit said...

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--col ... 04636.html