If Penn State gets into the BCS Championship game over a 1 loss, SEC team, Big 12 team, or even USC or FSU, nobody should ever schedule another strong out of conference opponent again. Yeah, the Oregon State win looks better each week, but Penn State has that and the Ohio State win to go along with playing every single team in the bottom half of the Big 10. Penn St is a good team, but how have they really proven that over a 1 loss Georgia, Oklahoma, USC, or Florida? If they make it to the BCS Championship game, the formula to a national title is going to be schedule a bunch of cupcakes every year and wait until your conference is down.
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Teams figured this out about 5 years ago, nothing new.Comment -
The incentives for playing a tough schedule are MUCH weaker than the incentives of playing a soft schedule. A tough schedule only pays off if you have the same record as a team you are competing against to get into a major bowl. Playing a weak schedule gives you a better record. The tough schedule is only used as a tiebreaker, and even then if you started off higher in the polls (USC) then it still might not be enough.
So yes, there is a reason teams play as soft schedules as possible. My particular favorite is LSU, who plays at home twice as often as they hit the road.Comment -
If the SEC and Big 12 (and ACC, if they were relevant) would stop being greedy by scheduling a money grubbing conference championship game that is not needed, perhaps they wouldn't be eliminated from BCS championship game consideration every year.
With that said, all of the arguing in world won't help until an 8, 12, or 16 team playoff is put together.
There is no reason why you couldn't have the 6 BCS conference champs, a Mtn West/WAC champ, a Sun Belt/MAC/C-USA rep, and 4 at large teams, with the top 4 teams getting a bye -- playing for the title. GREED, GREED, GREED.Comment
