We could beat NIU.....

[mscarn]

I think you're a little off base. Iowa has turned out to be quite a formidable team, nothing from a patsy. Purdue, that didn't turn out well, there was no way when that was scheduled the athletic department thought Purdue would be a 1 win team. They aren't that far removed from a bowl team. Plus, NIU has played Wisconsin when they were a top 5 team in recent years, and has scheduled Nebraska and Ohio State. You expect them to be good.

I'm not saying Eastern Illinois is an exceptional win, but the amount of respect North Dakota State has right now, those two teams are more than likely playing each other in the FCS title game. I'd also wager they are better than half of the teams in the MAC this year. Give respect where it is due, NIU played the schedule they were given and did things many/no MAC teams can't do/have ever done. Two BigTen road wins, they won 7 road games, and went undefeated in conference play. Your team accomplished none of these feats.

If they were a flash in the pan, I'd say they don't deserve going to the BCS, but they've won 25 straight in conference, 24 straight regular season games, have gone 31-1 in regular season MAC games over 4 years, and have 2 straight conference titles. They have a top 10 scoring team and a top 40 scoring defense. They've also gone 4-4 in their last BigTen games, so it's not like teams are compeletely overmatching them, outside of FSU, which has NFL talent all over the field.

Good luck Friday, I think it will be an excellent game. But before you say somebody is undeserving, you might want to fact check, also look at some of the other BCS buster schedules, are they that much better than NIU's?

You've presented the case for NIU well but the facts are indeed the facts. Iowa is above average this year and is not a top tier national program. Purdue is significantly below average this year and is not a top tier national program. EIU has 63 scholarships and Idaho is, well, Idaho.

If the argument is NIU has dominated the MAC and played a good OOC schedule (or relatively challenging at the time it was scheduled) then you're correct. If the argument is that NIU is more deserving then Fresno then you're correct. Unfortunately, the question before the house is whether NIU is an exceptional team that deserves a shot to sniff the rarified air of the highest levels of college football. Nothing they've accomplished over the past 2 years indicates they are great or they can compete at that level and the outcome of the BG game doesn't fundamentally alter that.

Hopefully we win but if we don't I'll gladly cheer for the Huskies in the BCS as the standard-bearers of the conference. Hopefully they give people something to cheer about.

[Schadenfreude]

If the argument is NIU has dominated the MAC and played a good OOC schedule (or relatively challenging at the time it was scheduled) then you're correct. If the argument is that NIU is more deserving then Fresno then you're correct. Unfortunately, the question before the house is whether NIU is an exceptional team that deserves a shot to sniff the rarified air of the highest levels of college football.

And my answer is that the first two criteria qualify Northern Illinois, or a similarly situated MAC/Mountain West/Conference USA/Sun Belt school, to "sniff the rarified air" as you put it.

A Top 15 team that wins all its games? For me, that's plenty good enough to qualify for one of the nation's ten most coveted bowl berths. Am I supposed to feel sorry for Missouri, South Carolina or some other also-ran that gets left out because Northern Illinois was given a chance?

I do not. Northern Illinois did everything it could do this year. My answer to Missouri or South Carolina would be: Win your damn conference.

[mscarn]

If the argument is NIU has dominated the MAC and played a good OOC schedule (or relatively challenging at the time it was scheduled) then you're correct. If the argument is that NIU is more deserving then Fresno then you're correct. Unfortunately, the question before the house is whether NIU is an exceptional team that deserves a shot to sniff the rarified air of the highest levels of college football.

And my answer is that the first two criteria qualify Northern Illinois, or a similarly situated MAC/Mountain West/Conference USA/Sun Belt school, for the third criterion.

A Top 15 team that wins all its games? For me, that's plenty good enough to qualify for one of the nation's ten most coveted bowl berths. Am I supposed to feel sorry for Missouri, South Carolina or some other also-ran that gets left out because Northern Illinois was given a chance?

I do not. Northern Illinois did everything it could do this year. My answer to Missouri or South Carolina would be: Win your damn conference.

NIU did all they could do this year. In previous years, their leadership made a conscious decision to avoid the marquee teams in college football in favor of the mushy middle of the Big 10, arguably the worst conference in major college football. Like Ohio State has proved, all that matters is the record and they wisely put themselves in the best possible position to succeed by avoiding a game they'd be a huge underdog in. Why schedule LSU when you don't have to? That's the lesson of NIU.

[Schadenfreude]

the Big 10, arguably the worst conference in major college football.

For what it's worth, traditionally, the term "major college football" includes all of Division I, including the Youngstown States and Lehighs. But even if you narrow the term to only apply to FBS, this statement is still hyperbolic.

And, no, Northern Illinois didn't schedule Louisiana State. But I'm okay with that. The Huskies played a more ambitious nonconference slate than many of the schools who will be playing in BCS bowl games. They are in the top 15. They are undefeated. That's enough for me, as long as they win on Friday (which isn't a given, obviously).

[jpfalcon09]

Tommylee Lewis will be back for NIU so their passing game just got a whole lot better.

[HuskieJWN]

Tommylee Lewis will be back for NIU so their passing game just got a whole lot better.

He actually is the co-pilot of this offense. It's his wide skill set that makes the offense much better. Yes, he is valuable in the pass game, but he's even more valuable in the jet sweep, motion, and distraction area.

He gets about 10 touches a game, 2-3 rushing and 6-7 passing. Most of his catches are screens and he virtually picks up a first down each time. He is a weapon in down field passes, as you can see from Iowa, but much more dangerous on the outside. He is probably the biggest reason teams get beat on play action and the read option.

I believe his stats don't do him justice as far as importance to the NIU offense goes. That being said, they did hang 35 on Toledo without him and Da'Ron Brown. If he's returning kicks as well, his importance becomes even larger. He's more than likely the fastest guy on the field.

[Globetrotter]

They were awarded the bowl game based on the rules that we currently have.

They got in fair and square by the rules. Nobody is arguing that. Their performance in the game and the complete ineffectiveness of Lynch proved their team wasn't able to compete at that level and why the so-called rules suck and are in the process of being changed.

This is a counterproductive attitude. The rule that gives us access is a great rule, and it will be a big, big setback for the MAC if it is eliminated, as I think is the case next year.

How NIU played (not great, but far from awful) is a side issue compared to whether or not they deserved a chance to show their stuff in the first place. They deserve a chance. They were in the top 15 and better than any Big East team. Why should a Big East or American team automatically qualify, but not a better team from the MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, or Conference USA?

That rule that got Northern Illinois in last year (and may get them in again this year), is a great rule. When a MAC team (or a Conference USA/Mountain West/Sun Belt team) has an exceptional season, that team ought to have access to one of the biggest bowl games to see how they measure up. Marshall didn't get that chance in 1999. Miami didn't get that chance in 2003. Now our conference has that chance, and college football is better for it.

I'm not exactly sure how it will work starting next year, but the very fact of a four team playoff -- with no realistic chance for a MAC school to squeeze into that show, no matter what they do on the field -- seems like a pretty big setback for us and our conference.

A four team playoff is not enough. That actually seems worse for us than the status quo.

Seems to me the best thing for us would be a 16-team playoff, with automatic bids for each conference, just like every other NCAA division and subdivision has. Glancing at the current BCS standings, that would probably put Northern Illinois against Missouri (at large) in the first round. Tough game, but not impossible for the Huskies. Why not play it out and see what happens?

Based on the current rankings and conference winners, here's your 16-team bracket:

1 Florida State (ACC)
16 Louisiana Lafayette (Sun Belt)

8 South Carolina (At-Large)
9 Baylor (At-Large)

5 Missouri (At-Large)
12 Northern Illinois (MAC)

4 Alabama (At-Large)
13 Central Florida (American)

6 Oklahoma State (Big XII)
11 Arizona State (At-Large)

3 Auburn (SEC)
14 Fresno State (Mountain West)

7 Stanford (Pac-12)
10 Michigan State (At-Large)

2 Ohio State (B1G)
15 Rice (Conference USA)

Amazing.

[Globetrotter]

How incredible would it be if we were playing this game to possibly enter the BCS 16 team tournament? Are you telling me there wouldn't be thousands more fans at the game thousands more watching on TV? Right now I have 0 ambition to drive to Detroit to watch this game. It's exciting for me but I can just watch on TV. If you told me that if I went to Detroit and got to see BG win to go to a 16 team BCS tournament it would be a can't miss event. Why is this so hard to see?

[jpfalcon09]

How incredible would it be if we were playing this game to possibly enter the BCS 16 team tournament? Are you telling me there wouldn't be thousands more fans at the game thousands more watching on TV? Right now I have 0 ambition to drive to Detroit to watch this game. It's exciting for me but I can just watch on TV. If you told me that if I went to Detroit and got to see BG win to go to a 16 team BCS tournament it would be a can't miss event. Why is this so hard to see?

For some insane reason, the NCAA embraces this theory in basketball/hockey/baseball but never in football. I can't think of a good reason why its any different.

[bgsufalcon24]

How incredible would it be if we were playing this game to possibly enter the BCS 16 team tournament? Are you telling me there wouldn't be thousands more fans at the game thousands more watching on TV? Right now I have 0 ambition to drive to Detroit to watch this game. It's exciting for me but I can just watch on TV. If you told me that if I went to Detroit and got to see BG win to go to a 16 team BCS tournament it would be a can't miss event. Why is this so hard to see?

For some insane reason, the NCAA embraces this theory in basketball/hockey/baseball but never in football. I can't think of a good reason why its any different.

Isn't it the same for swimming, cross country, tennis, field hockey, etc...that if you win your conference that you win an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament? I mean, whenever BG wins the conference in soccer or volleyball they go to NCAA's for that.

Funny how they just won't do it in football. And it's not like academics would be that big an issue. The final week of the regular season is the first week of December. Most schools are taking exams in either the 2nd or 3rd week of December, so if the tournament starts on the 3rd Saturday in December (that'd be the 21st this year), nobody would have to miss any classes or exams. The semifinals would be around the time of new year's day, and the title game around the time the national championship is usually played now.

Too much sense. Of course that's why it doesn't happen.

[San Diego Falcon]

The NCAA does embrace it for football, just not at the level that most people care about (DI-FBS/DI-A).

Yes, how freaking exciting would it be for us to be playing to get into the tournament? A win would get us the #14 seed vs Auburn or the #15 seed vs Ohio State.

[hammb]

It won't happen for one single reason: money.

And not total money either. You'll never convince MW that there is more total money brought in with the current joke of a system than there would be in a true 16 team playoff like proposed above.

The problem is that opening that up to all conferences opens the revenue up to all conferences as well. Something like the NCAA hoops revenue sharing scheme would worn quite well but as we've seen that model can allow the gonzagas, the butlers, etc to build programs. They don't want that in football! How dare the mac or sun belt take a penny from osu, Alabama, or USC!!

[Globetrotter]

It won't happen for one single reason: money.

And not total money either. You'll never convince MW that there is more total money brought in with the current joke of a system than there would be in a true 16 team playoff like proposed above.

The problem is that opening that up to all conferences opens the revenue up to all conferences as well. Something like the NCAA hoops revenue sharing scheme would worn quite well but as we've seen that model can allow the gonzagas, the butlers, etc to build programs. They don't want that in football! How dare the mac or sun belt take a penny from osu, Alabama, or USC!!

How is revenue shared in college basketball?

[hammb]

I believe the revenue for the tourney (tickets, TV, etc) is put into a giant pool. It is then divided into 127 "tournament shares". (Probably 135 now with the expanded field).

Anyhow every team that gets a berth in the tourney earns one tournament share for their conference. Every game won is an additional tournament share for the conference. How the conference divide that money among their members is up to them.

The result is your conference gets more money by both putting teams in and winning once they're in. This is one big reason why the powerhouse conferences keep growing and merging...more teams in means more money.

Its a pretty fair way of divvying up the cash IMO. Oh and unlike bowls I do believe that participation expenses might be taken out of it before the money is given to the conferences, but I'm unsure on that.

[Flipper]

At some point college football is going to have to bite the bullet and acknowledge that the bowl system and the need to crown a legit champion in one of the two marquee sports are mutually exclusive...you really can't do both. Even the limited playoff they're going to now is going to make the majority of the games feel like the NIT...will anyone really care about the rose Bowl when t isn't hosting a semifinal? Just bite the bullet...go to a real playoff like 24 suggested and let the bowls exist on a smaller scale for nonqualifiers to reward teams and fans and be done with it.