Alternatively, they could just petition to have a conference championship game and stay at ten teams. If they could make the argument that it hurt their chances of getting a team in the playoff, they'd have a compelling case. It's not as if there isn't a process by which they could have tried to get a championship game. It was just hubris on their part that they thought all they needed to do was play a round robin and then crown "one true champion."
I think it's a good system. The problem with the polls is the mentality was, "How many spots should a team drop?" and not necessarily, "Ok what order should these teams be in?". What I thought it would be. Should be a great post season.
The Big 12 and BYU have decided they aren't a fit for each other, and Louisville is off the table. Cinci seems like a given at this point... it would be a real dog fight between Memphis, Houston, UCF, and ECU. Didn't they already do that and the appeal got denied?
That would make the conference less competitive. I don't see them adding two chumps just to make a championship game.
Big 12 commish should be fired for this co-champions nonsense. The conference had a champion, it was Baylor.
If Baylor had an extra game against a North division champion, they might have gotten into the playoff. It adds another "tough" game to your schedule by default. Also, the best teams in the American (any given year) can hang with the Big 12. Didn't the AAC champ beat the Big 12 champ last year in the Fiesta bowl? It's the bottom feeders that really weigh the AAC down.
Because there's a large anti-UH contigent in the Big 12. When it comes to qualifications for a P5 conference, UH has everything but the fans at this point... (and a competitive program, thanks Levine )
It would also add another overall win. Ohio St finished with more wins than Baylor and TCU, period. The old bcs computers (5 of 6 actually) have the teams rated as: 1) Alabama 2) Florida St 3) Oregon 4) TCU 5) Ohio St 6) Baylor Baylor jumped two spots from last week but everyone above them stayed in the same position. http://i.usatoday.net/sports/college/football/2014-12-7-fbc-computer-composite3.pdf
Colorado St and Boise St would be the best two teamster Big XII could add. It just doesn't work geographically.
CSU's great coach just got hired away. They did just approve an on-campus stadium... but that program is kind of a gamble.
If Texas and/or Oklahoma (especially Texas) were in TCU or Baylor's shoes this season, then TX/OU would be in and Ohio State would be out. Big names (i.e. $$$) matter. Because the committee and especially the media (ESPN) knows that doing it week to week stirs up controversy. Controversy sells and drums up interest. All of us who are getting pissed about this stuff are playing right into the media's hands like suckers. Agreed on all points. Also, Oregon will beat Florida State by 2-3 touchdowns. I also suspect that Wisconsin purposely laid down last night to make Ohio State's win look impressive enough to the committee to jump them to #4. Wisky barely even tried. Big 12 needs to get rid of that coward Bowlsby and add two more teams ASAP. I'd prefer BYU to be one of them but that seems unlikely. I'd be fine with adding Cincinnati and Boise St.
The Big 12 did it to themselves. For a system that sought to "settle it on the field" as an alternative to the BCS, having Baylor beat TCU head-to-head, only to downplay that result throughout the entire season, doomed the league's chances. If I had my choice, I'd like to see Boise State and Cincinnati added to the Big 12. UH is not a power school and does nothing to prevent the league from slipping further into SWC 2.0 status.
Big XII, they're basically saying they've done away with conferences the way they have it now. So great, just make your championship the top two teams in the conference regardless of division (ie this year TCU/Baylor). They still could have gotten left out this year, but they screwed up by dropping the conference championship and leaving it for the system to figure out who should be considered the top team in the conference.
Expand the playoffs to include all conference champions. Then, no one can complain that they didn't have a fair chance to make the playoffs. Win your conference and make the playoffs. It's so simple.
