Rutgers...another victim to name recognition?

[Eric]

Boise State has begun to try to get some better teams on the schedule; Washington and Oregon are going to play the Broncos in the near future.

[mountainman]

The concern right now is beating UCONN tonight.

Now you're talking.

My two cents:

UConn is a well coached and disciplined team .... I suspect they will hang in their for a while, but with Rutgers running game and UConns lack of depth the Knights will pull away as the game wears on.

[Eric]

Really? I believe that West Virginia is the 2nd best team in the country and they match up with Ohio State tremendously. The reason being run defense. The Buckeyes are 18th against the run, but part of that is probably due to the other team having to play catchup so many times. It would be extremely interesting to see how Ohio State would handle West Virginia's speed on offense because I think WVU would win in a shootout with Ohio State.

[mountainman]

Come on, folks, it's getting time to get real and stop talking about which undefeated teams deserve to be in the NC game against the Ohio State/Michigan winner. I've noticed that the WVa, Louisville, Boise State and Rutgers folks just talk about getting there. It's as though they know their guys have no chance to, you know, actually win the thing.

Well heck, Footnote .... gotta' win the dag-gum conference first, just make it to the BCS Games.

Been around this game a long time and know through experience that a lot of things can happen on the way to the conference title.

Then, as far as the Big East Champion is concerned, we got all these talking heads and politician coaches and athletic directors saying, "Since our team has one loss the Big East Champ has to go undefeated or else."
In addition to the guys saying there's such a points disparity already in the BCS Ranking that even if Ohio State or Michigan lose their match-up then they should meet again.

What the dickens is that all about? Wasn't Southern Cal part of that points disparity just last week?

And another thing ..... the Big Ten has a long history and strange things have happened along the way in that conference for sure.

[Spence]

In addition to the guys saying there's such a points disparity already in the BCS Ranking that even if Ohio State or Michigan lose their match-up then they should meet again.

Even if both Ohio State and Michigan are undefeated going into The Game the loser shouldn't get a rematch unless every other team in the T25 has two losses. It would be silly to have the same teams play two times in a row, when you have quality teams all over the country that has not lost to the #1 team. I don't care if Ohio State loses the game by one point in triple overtime, they shouldn't get a rematch.

Not only is it completely unfair to the rest of the nation, it would take some of the meaning out of the rivalry if the loser got a second chance. The poll voters should have enough sense to keep this from happening.

[Derek]

I'd just like to point out once again...That I put WVU at #1 or #2 dont remember which in my preseason poll.

They will be there.

IMO.

[mountainman]

And another thing ..... the Big Ten has a long history and strange things have happened along the way in that conference for sure.

My meaning is a vague here, what I mean is that let's not discount the possibility that Ohio State and Michigan could lose before they get to their game. Stranger things have happened in the Big Ten.

[..fanatic]

Rutgers had its share of problems with a not-too-good UConn team Sunday night. Ray Rice looked like his ankle was beat up pretty baldy, then he had it fallen on by a lineman in such a manner than I winced when I saw the replay - I can't believe he didn't break his leg on that play. Sad thing is, it happened with about a minute left in the game and he was in there to help run out the clock.

Rutgers also has no passing game. They may upset WVU or Louisville, but not both, and I doubt they beat either one.

[Spence]

I agree. Rice had no business in the game at that time and it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't hyperextend that knee.

I also agree that Rutgers can't beat West Virginia and Louisville. I'm not sure they can even pull the upset. Unless they just had a bad game last night that wasn't to impressive.

[Eric]

In addition to the guys saying there's such a points disparity already in the BCS Ranking that even if Ohio State or Michigan lose their match-up then they should meet again.

Even if both Ohio State and Michigan are undefeated going into The Game the loser shouldn't get a rematch unless every other team in the T25 has two losses. It would be silly to have the same teams play two times in a row, when you have quality teams all over the country that has not lost to the #1 team. I don't care if Ohio State loses the game by one point in triple overtime, they shouldn't get a rematch.

Not only is it completely unfair to the rest of the nation, it would take some of the meaning out of the rivalry if the loser got a second chance. The poll voters should have enough sense to keep this from happening.

I think this possibility is more than people realize. The disparity between #2 and #3 is huge right now in the BCS even though West Virginia will have to play USF, Cincinnati, Pitt, Louisville, and Rutgers. If the loser gets beat by less than 3 points, I think it's a real possibility they meet at a neutral site for a rematch.

If West Virginia or Louisville made it out of the Big East unscathed, I would want them to go over the Michigan/OSU loser, but it might not happen. If the AP drops the loser of The Game to #3, the computers might differ and stick them at #2.

[Spence]

Then the coaches and Harris should drop the loser of the game down enough to keep that from happening. I want Ohio State to make the NC badly, but I don't want to get in that way. First. you shouldn't be able to get into the NC game by losing your last game and second it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the CFB teams. I didn't like this the last time it happened. It would be backing into the national title game. It would be wrong.

[mountainman]

If the Wolverines and the Buckeyes are ranked as the two best teams in the nation in the final BCS Rankings then of course they should play for the title.

If a rematch were to happen there will be howling from coast to coast from teams that may be undefeated or have one loss or claim schedule strength, conference strength, and the like.

We'll here more howling from the media about moral certainty, moral uncertainty, playoffs, conference championship games, and every other conceivable angle.

But the bottom line is that if Ohio State and Michigan prove to the two best teams in the nation they should play for the National Title. IMHO

Isn't that what this is all about?

[Eric]

It is, Mountainman. The point of the season in which you lose should have nothing, repeat, NOTHING to do with the final standings. If Michigan played Ohio State the first game of the season and lost, why should that make a difference if they lose later? I really felt that Oklahoma deserved to be in the championship game in 2003 even though they got hammered in the last game of the season. If we look at the entire body of work, what teams have done over the course of the entire season should be the only thing that matters.

If Michigan and Ohio State are really the #1 and #2 teams in the country, why shouldn't they get a go at it on a neutral site? That might make a difference.

There are 3 teams with a legit reason to be #1 (that would be all 3 of our teams, Spence and MM). If there is another undefeated team besides Boise State, they should get the chance instead of the Michigan/Ohio State loser. If there are other 1 loss teams and Michigan loses a really close game, the only one you could really make an argument for is Florida or Auburn.

If West Virginia and Louisville lose during the course of the season, I truly believe that the national championship should be Michigan and Ohio State.

[colorado_loves_football]

Rutgers didn't start in the top 25, that is their problem. It is a little about name recognition, for lack of a better term. I do believe that if Rutgers beats West Virginia and Louisville that they should get the same treatment WVU or UL would have gotten in the polls. I also believe that they will get the same treatment in the human polls, but maybe not the computers.

Assuming Rutgers can win out, I think they likely are paired against Ohio St vs. Michigan winner. That's without knowing how the computers calculate their numbers. Pollsters, in my opinion, would be willing to give the Knights a 'shot', and the computers shouldn't keep them out, either.
The BCS formula is supposedly a lot more 'fair' now than it was, when SOS was a 'primary' component. Now, it's based primarily on wins, weighed against losses. Assuming that's the 'forumula' Rutgers can win a NC, this year, if they win out. Boise St, can't because they don't play in a 'major' confernece. Their only hope is for a BCS invitation, this year.

[Spence]

I still don't like the idea of a rematch. Even if there is only one undefeated team. Ohio State -Michigan is about "all or nothing" always has been. This year the loser will likely go to the Rose Bowl, I don't like that much either. My point is if there are 6 one loss teams, who is to say the second best team is the loser of Ohio State -Michigan? All we know is that when they played one was better then the other. That should mean someone else gets a shot. I don't think it will happen. I think the human polls will fix it so that can't happen. I don't fault them for that. You shouldn't get rewarded for losing your last game when you know what the stakes are. That is what rivalry games are all about and it is especially true when it is the last game.