Big Ten team loses bowl game

[YoFuggedaboutit]

So if I understand correctly:

If the major conference team loses to the undefeated mid-major team, it's because they were demoralized due to being out of the championship game.

HOWEVER

If the major conference team beats the undefeated mid-major team, it's NOT because the mid-major team was demoralized due to being out of the championship game.  No, it's because the mid-major team was a fraud and never deserved to be there.  Right?

Funny how I didn't hear you playing the "lack of motivation" card after undefeated Hawaii got stomped out by Georgia in last year's Sugar Bowl...

Hawaii-Georgia last season has absolutely nothing to do with this.  Neither do mid majors vs major conferences.  Like I said earlier.... the Alabama team that showed up for the Sugar Bowl was not the same one that took Georgia to the woodshed.  No way Utah beats that team. 

[Spider-Dan]

If Alabama can't "motivate themselves" when playing against an undefeated team from a supposedly-inferior conference (a team that could have a legitimate claim at a split national championship if they win) in a nationally-televised top-tier bowl game, then Alabama sucks.  Period.  They are a bunch of spineless frontrunners (but then again, I guess a team takes on the personality of their coach, right?).

Stop making excuses.

[BingeBag]

the Alabama team that showed up for the Sugar Bowl was not the same one that took Georgia to the woodshed.

Georgia is crap this year along with most of the SEC. I find it hard to base anything off this.

Utah is cut and dry a much better team than Alabama. We keep pushing these conferences that were dominate the year before without reevaluating anything. It's the same reason USC was #1 to start off the season for a few years in a row, and people got pissed and said the Pac sucks. None of these SEC teams get a pass this year, they are not the best conference in the ncaa anymore.

[Sunstroke]

^^^ If there were an 8-team college playoffs that started tomorrow, USC would be the national champs when it was done.  In regards to the Pac-10 strength currently...their undefeated record in bowl games this year is pretty convincing.

[BingeBag]

^^^ If there were an 8-team college playoffs that started tomorrow, USC would be the national champs when it was done.  In regards to the Pac-10 strength currently...their undefeated record in bowl games this year is pretty convincing.

We can both agree USC has a arguement here at the end of the season. But that offense was riff-raff in the first couple of games.

[run_to_win]

Pac-10 5-0
SEC 6-2
Big East 4-2
USA 4-2
Big-12 4-3
MWC 3-2
Sun Belt 1-1
ACC 4-6
WAC 1-4
Big-10 1-6
MAC 0-5


Except for the MWC and Sun Belt conferences, It really doesn't look much different than last year.
Sun Belt 1-0
MWC 4-1
SEC 7-2
Pac-10 4-2
Big-12 5-3
Big East 3-2
Big-10 3-5
USA 2-4
ACC 2-6
WAC 1-3
MAC 0-3

[Dphins4me]

Georgia is crap this year along with most of the SEC. I find it hard to base anything off this.

Utah is cut and dry a much better team than Alabama. We keep pushing these conferences that were dominate the year before without reevaluating anything. It's the same reason USC was #1 to start off the season for a few years in a row, and people got pissed and said the Pac sucks. None of these SEC teams get a pass this year, they are not the best conference in the ncaa anymore.

  Have to call BS on this one.  The SEC does not need a pass. 

First off.  Whats up with Ga?  They go 10-3 & win their bowl game.

Second The SEC went 6-2 in the bowl games & won the National title.  What else do they need to do?  Sure another one team might be better overall, but The SEC is hands down the best conference in the NCAA from top to bottom.  I cannot believe anyone is even making the comment that it isn't.   However, I will ask.  What conference is better?

 Utah beating Bama is not a indicator of the league.   So Utah won a game, but if they want to be taken more serious then when you play in what is generally considered a weak conference then schedule some tough out of conference games. Come to the SEC & play a game or two.   

The thing is.  Any team can get up to win one game.  Come back next week & play another tough team.  Play Bama this week & then play LSU after that.  Then Ga.  Lets see how you do.  There are very few easy weeks in the SEC.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

We keep pushing these conferences that were dominate the year before without reevaluating anything.

This is true.  If the BCS ran pro-football, NE would have won the AFCE and gotten a first round bye based on last year's record. 

[Dphins4me]

This is true.  If the BCS ran pro-football, NE would have won the AFCE and gotten a first round bye based on last year's record. 

 
I've never understood rankings. 

One:  How can you judge teams before they even step on the field.  Plus majority of people voting on look at the final score when they do play.

Two:  How does the No. 1 team beating the No. 2 team, now make the No. 3 team better than the No. 2 team.

[Spider-Dan]

Two:  How does the No. 1 team beating the No. 2 team, now make the No. 3 team better than the No. 2 team.

By the same logic, how does PHI beating MIN make them better than ATL, who lost to AZ?  When NE lost to IND in the AFC Championship 2 years ago, why does that make them worse than CHI, who got to play for the NFL title?

That particular kind of problem is always going to be present, even in a bracket playoff.

[Dphins4me]

When NE lost to IND in the AFC Championship 2 years ago, why does that make them worse than CHI, who got to play for the NFL title?

That particular kind of problem is always going to be present, even in a bracket playoff.

I do not see a problem there.   I doubt many thought Chicago was better than Indy, but in a playoff bracket you live & die with the draw & how you play.  Plus its an NFC against the AFC in the Super Bowl.

[NADS]

Big 10 is a solid conference, but they just were matched up against better teams. Only Iowa played a team they should've defeated. I was actually shocked OSU nearly beat Texas, figured it would be a 63-9 massacre with Texas claiming they are National Champs. That will obviously not be the case now.

Penn State's one major weakness was their secondary and it was exploited to the fullest. They are an excellent team, but you can't have a secondary THAT AWFUL and expect to be a Top 5 team.

IMO, Utah is National Champions and I can share that with whoever wins the BCS game, as both Oklahoma and Florida are awesome.

Big 10 is a solid conference they just lack SEC speed.  Speed kills.  I was surprised OSU hung with Texas too--maybe not 63-9 but at least 10 points.

If there were an 8-team college playoffs that started tomorrow, USC would be the national champs when it was done.  In regards to the Pac-10 strength currently...their undefeated record in bowl games this year is pretty convincing.

USC is a stud but the Pac-10 sucks--outside chance they would win the playoffs.  Here's a little info on 5-0 in the bowls.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/01/02/pac-10-bowl-perfection-what-it-means-not-as-much-as-you-might-think/

USC might be a beast but they play a "home" game in the Rose Bowl every year.  The top of the Big 10 might be weak by comparison to other leagues but Penn State and Ohio State would beat any other Pac-10 team outside USC.

[Sunstroke]

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2009/01/02/pac-10-bowl-perfection-what-it-means-not-as-much-as-you-might-think/

I read the words "in my mind" or "I believe" written by that blogster three times in there. Thanks for tossing out an editorial opinion to support your claim against the Pac-10.

My statement was an accurate one...if there was a playoff, USC would be national champs when it was done. As far as any Pac-10 general bashing goes...5-0 against the other conferences in the games that count. That number is the truth, unencumbered by opinion.

[NADS]

No doubt, they got it done and that's all you can ask.  If the Big Ten went 5-0 I'd be saying the same thing.

As a Big Ten guy, Bowl Season is embarrassing.  It drives me nuts when a Big Ten team loses one game and falls out of the Top 10, especially after losing to a Top 10 team, but with the bowl standings maybe that's the way it should be.   

[bsmooth]

  Have to call BS on this one.  The SEC does not need a pass. 

First off.  Whats up with Ga?  They go 10-3 & win their bowl game.

Second The SEC went 6-2 in the bowl games & won the National title.  What else do they need to do?  Sure another one team might be better overall, but The SEC is hands down the best conference in the NCAA from top to bottom.  I cannot believe anyone is even making the comment that it isn't.   However, I will ask.  What conference is better?

 Utah beating Bama is not a indicator of the league.   So Utah won a game, but if they want to be taken more serious then when you play in what is generally considered a weak conference then schedule some tough out of conference games. Come to the SEC & play a game or two.   

The thing is.  Any team can get up to win one game.  Come back next week & play another tough team.  Play Bama this week & then play LSU after that.  Then Ga.  Lets see how you do.  There are very few easy weeks in the SEC.

Utah beat Alabama convincingly and the game was pretty much over by the end of the 1st quarter, where as Florida had to seal the victory against Bama in the 4th quarter. Plus this was a home game for Bama.
I know all you SEC fans are blinded by your love, but not going undefeated in bowls makes it hard to to substantiate that claim. The SEC only has one more victory than the Big 12 does.