BC(Mes)S
Wouldn't it be great if these teams Utah (11-0), Boise State (11-0), Auburn (11-1), and Texas (11-1) all get together on New Year's Day and watch Tostito's dream match up for their Fiesta Bowl's BCS match-up of Iowa State (7-5) and Syracuse (6-5)? Let's see if we can make it happen.
Oklahoma (currently 10-0) beat Nebraska today to wrap up the Big XII South Division, thereby clinching a spot in the Dr. Pepper Big XII Championship Game at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on December 4. Whom they will play is not known yet, but anyone who has followed the BCS will know that this is the perfect recipe for the Sooners to blow it, screwing up everything. The conference requires that someone win the Big XII North Division, but nobody really seems to want to. Four teams are still in contention--Iowa State(3-3,5-4), Colorado (3-4,6-4), Nebraska (3-4,5-5), and Missouri (2-4,4-5)--with four games to play. On November 20, Iowa State plays at Kansas State and Missouri hosts Kansas. Then on the day after Thanksgiving, Colorado plays at Nebraska, and then Iowa State hosts Missouri to decide it all. Four games without the possibility of a tie gives 2^4=16 possible outcomes--Iowa State controls its own destiny and wins 6 of the scenarios. Nebraska and Colorado each win 4 and then Missouri wins 2. There cannot be a four-way tie. Missouri would win a three way tie at 4-4 with Iowa State and Colorado by virtue of their head-to-head sweep, while Nebraska would win a three way tie with Missouri and Iowa State, having beaten Missouri head-to-head with ISU being elinimated in the third tie-breaker by having the worst record against the fourth place team in the division Colorado.
Now we move to the Big East which still gets a BCS bid despite having dwindled down to seven teams. Boston College, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse are still alive. I think. When it comes down to selecting the BCS team from amongst possible co-champs, the conference's rules are strictly speaking not applicable in certain circumstances. The rules for breaking a three-way tie are written for a season of 7 conference games, but this year each team only plays 6.
These four teams play 4 games. Boston College plays at Temple next week, and then hosts Syracuse the following week. Pitt hosts WVU on Thanksgiving night, and then travels to South Florida on December 4 to make up a September nonconference game postponed by one of the hurricanes. That leaves three conference games giving 8 possible outcomes. Boston College does actually control is own destiny, but there is only one scenario where it wins outright. West Virginia has 3 scenarios where it wins outright. Now the remaining four scenarios all depend on the final BCS poll. One has a two-way tie with Boston College needing to finish no fewer than places lower than WVU thanks to today's victory over the Mountaineers to win. There are two three way ties that would most likely be won by Pittsburgh, and then there is a fascinating four-way tie.
This four-way tie occurs with BC beating Temple but losing to Syracuse and Pittsburgh beating West Virginia. In this case, they would all be 4-2 in the conference, and the four team "mini-conference" as described in section C.A.2. of their tie-breaking procedure would apply, with
*-Pitt's game at South Florida does not effect this.
Under the conference rules, the two teams with the best records and the two teams that have actually been ranked, albeit low rankings, are eliminated, leaving Pitt and Syracuse to be decided by which team is ranked higher. Neither are currently ranked, but with today's win at Notre Dame and a win against West Virginia, Pitt should probably receive a couple of votes at least although a loss to South Florida could screw that up. If neither team is ranked, then Syracuse would get the BCS berth.
So Iowa State vs. Syracuse? It's possible.
Oklahoma (currently 10-0) beat Nebraska today to wrap up the Big XII South Division, thereby clinching a spot in the Dr. Pepper Big XII Championship Game at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium on December 4. Whom they will play is not known yet, but anyone who has followed the BCS will know that this is the perfect recipe for the Sooners to blow it, screwing up everything. The conference requires that someone win the Big XII North Division, but nobody really seems to want to. Four teams are still in contention--Iowa State(3-3,5-4), Colorado (3-4,6-4), Nebraska (3-4,5-5), and Missouri (2-4,4-5)--with four games to play. On November 20, Iowa State plays at Kansas State and Missouri hosts Kansas. Then on the day after Thanksgiving, Colorado plays at Nebraska, and then Iowa State hosts Missouri to decide it all. Four games without the possibility of a tie gives 2^4=16 possible outcomes--Iowa State controls its own destiny and wins 6 of the scenarios. Nebraska and Colorado each win 4 and then Missouri wins 2. There cannot be a four-way tie. Missouri would win a three way tie at 4-4 with Iowa State and Colorado by virtue of their head-to-head sweep, while Nebraska would win a three way tie with Missouri and Iowa State, having beaten Missouri head-to-head with ISU being elinimated in the third tie-breaker by having the worst record against the fourth place team in the division Colorado.
Now we move to the Big East which still gets a BCS bid despite having dwindled down to seven teams. Boston College, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse are still alive. I think. When it comes down to selecting the BCS team from amongst possible co-champs, the conference's rules are strictly speaking not applicable in certain circumstances. The rules for breaking a three-way tie are written for a season of 7 conference games, but this year each team only plays 6.
These four teams play 4 games. Boston College plays at Temple next week, and then hosts Syracuse the following week. Pitt hosts WVU on Thanksgiving night, and then travels to South Florida on December 4 to make up a September nonconference game postponed by one of the hurricanes. That leaves three conference games giving 8 possible outcomes. Boston College does actually control is own destiny, but there is only one scenario where it wins outright. West Virginia has 3 scenarios where it wins outright. Now the remaining four scenarios all depend on the final BCS poll. One has a two-way tie with Boston College needing to finish no fewer than places lower than WVU thanks to today's victory over the Mountaineers to win. There are two three way ties that would most likely be won by Pittsburgh, and then there is a fascinating four-way tie.
This four-way tie occurs with BC beating Temple but losing to Syracuse and Pittsburgh beating West Virginia. In this case, they would all be 4-2 in the conference, and the four team "mini-conference" as described in section C.A.2. of their tie-breaking procedure would apply, with
Team Overall Record Wins in the "mini-conference"
Pittsburgh 8-3 or 7-4* West Virginia, Boston College
Syracuse 6-5 Pittsburgh, Boston College
West Virginia 8-3 Syracuse
Boston College 8-3 West Virginia
*-Pitt's game at South Florida does not effect this.
Under the conference rules, the two teams with the best records and the two teams that have actually been ranked, albeit low rankings, are eliminated, leaving Pitt and Syracuse to be decided by which team is ranked higher. Neither are currently ranked, but with today's win at Notre Dame and a win against West Virginia, Pitt should probably receive a couple of votes at least although a loss to South Florida could screw that up. If neither team is ranked, then Syracuse would get the BCS berth.
So Iowa State vs. Syracuse? It's possible.
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