It's no one-point safety...

[Boozer]

but how about two points off of a blocked try return?

Go Bears, send the Devils to San Diego.

[Ultra Peanut]

I'm trying to find some way to blame this on Rip Scherer.

[jAZ]

How does this play into the devils going to SD? If Cal wins, they go to a BCS Bowl leaving the Holiday to ASU?

[Boozer]

Originally Posted by jAZ

How does this play into the devils going to SD? If Cal wins, they go to a BCS Bowl leaving the Holiday to ASU?

Hopefully.... Even if Texas jumps Cal in the BCS rankings, I'd imagine that the Rose Bowl would pick Cal due to proximity.

[chief52]

Originally Posted by Boozer

Hopefully.... Even if Texas jumps Cal in the BCS rankings, I'd imagine that the Rose Bowl would pick Cal due to proximity.

They would not be allowed to pick Cal. They would have to pick one of the 8 BCS teams and if Texas jumps over Cal, Cal would not be eligible for a BCS bid. It is a totally screwed up system.

[Boozer]

Originally Posted by chief52

They would not be allowed to pick Cal. They would have to pick one of the 8 BCS teams and if Texas jumps over Cal, Cal would not be eligible for a BCS bid. It is a totally screwed up system.

I'm not sure I understand...as of last week, Cal is 4th in the BCS, even if they and Texas were to flip, the Rose Bowl is under no obligation to pick Texas, even if higher ranked (IIRC). Am I mistaken?

[chief52]

Originally Posted by Boozer

I'm not sure I understand...as of last week, Cal is 4th in the BCS, even if they and Texas were to flip, the Rose Bowl is under no obligation to pick Texas, even if higher ranked (IIRC). Am I mistaken?

It is a crazy deal. My buddy played football at Cal and he has explained it to me. Not sure if I can explain it well, but...

Either Cal or Texas is going to be shut out of a BCS bowl. The four bowls that rotate the championship game, ROSE, SUGAR, FIESTA and ORANGE, are obligated to take 2 of the BCS qualifiers. I found this article which explains it much better than I can.

If Cal gets bumped out by Texas, it would bump ASU down a notch in the bowl selections.


http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/Stor...577458,00.html

By Walter Hammerwold , Staff Writer

Bowl Championship Series officials, fearing a contentious finish to yet another college football season, hoped six games involving BCS contenders Saturday would sort out a potential mess and deliver consensus picks for its four big-money bowl games.
But the expected upsets never materialized and what was supposed to have been Shakedown Saturday has left the BCS with perhaps the worst scenario in its seven seasons.

The BCS will release the pairings for the Orange, Rose, Fiesta and Sugar bowls today. The games will be played during the first four days of January.

An unprecedented five teams made it through the regular season unscathed, including three teams from major conferences. USC, Oklahoma and Auburn each won Saturday to join Utah and Boise State with unbeaten seasons.

Utah, ranked sixth in the latest BCS standings, is expected to make a BCS bowl game as an at-large team. Boise State lacks a high ranking and will play in the non-BCS Liberty Bowl.

That leaves a three-way argument between USC, Oklahoma and Auburn ranked 1, 2 and 3 in the most recent standings for the two berths in the Orange Bowl, site of this season's title game. All three teams are 12-0.

Top-ranked USC was involved in the closest game of the three Saturday, battling rival UCLA for a 29-24 victory at the Rose Bowl. No. 2 Oklahoma dominated Colorado 42-3 in the Big 12 championship game. And Auburn outlasted Tennessee 38-28 in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

The final BCS spot is equally contentious, with BCS No. 4 Cal and BCS No. 5 Texas battling for the last at-large berth. The Golden Bears entered Saturday with a slim .0013 lead on the Longhorns, who were idle Saturday.

Cal defeated a good but not great Southern Miss team 26-16 in a makeup game that was originally postponed because of Hurricane Ivan, but the Golden Bears' lackluster play might not sit well with poll voters.

The highest-ranking team that is not a conference champion is guaranteed an at-large berth if it finishes in the top four.

The fairness of the selections might be debated but the selections themselves are relatively clear:

USC and Oklahoma are expected to hold onto their Nos. 1 and 2 rankings and meet in the Orange Bowl for the BCS title.

Auburn, which is expected to finish third, will play in the Sugar Bowl, where it will face a Virginia Tech team that defeated Miami 16-10 Saturday to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference berth.

Cal is expected to hold off Texas and advance to the Rose Bowl. The Bears will play Big Ten champion Michigan, which received an invitation to the game two weeks ago.

Utah is expected to become the first team outside of the BCS system to receive a berth. The Utes likely will play Big East Champion Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.

Cal's berth is the most tenuous of the projections. If Texas manages to pass Cal in the standings, the Rose Bowl is expected to select Utah, which would send the Longhorns to face Pitt in the Fiesta Bowl.

Cal and Texas each have one loss, the Bears to No. 1 USC and the Longhorns to No. 2 Oklahoma. Last week, Texas coach Mack Brown spent postgame interviews lobbying on behalf of his team to potential poll voters.

Conventional wisdom Saturday was Cal needed only to win to retain its lead over Texas, but some experts believed a lackluster performance could hinder the Bears' hopes.

USC, Oklahoma and Auburn faced a similar situation for the Orange Bowl. Three victories were likely to leave the standings as is, though Auburn might have been able to pass Oklahoma if they dominated Tennessee and the Sooners struggled against Colorado.

The only team that struggled of the three was USC, which was relatively safe because it would have had to fall two places to miss the Orange Bowl. Such a jump down for a team that won would be unprecedented.

Orange Bowl CEO Keith Tribble met with the Trojans in a closed meeting after Saturday's game, where he is rumored to have extended USC an unofficial invitation.

After meeting with the Trojans, Tribble told the media, "They're No.1 in my book. You can draw the conclusion. They started No.1 and ended No.1. Chances are very good they're going to be there. I'd say 99.9 percent chance.'

This is the second straight year that a team with a legitimate claim at the top spot will be shut out of the title game. Last year, USC finished first in both wire service polls and third in the BCS. The Trojans went to the Rose Bowl, while Oklahoma and LSU played for the BCS title at the Sugar Bowl. All three teams entered the bowl season with one loss.

Only two teams Tulane in the 1998 season and Marshall in the 1999 season have finished the season unbeaten and failed to receive a berth in the BCS-title game since the system started in 1998. Neither team was a member of college football's six major conferences.

[Boozer]

Originally Posted by chief52

The highest-ranking team that is not a conference champion is guaranteed an at-large berth if it finishes in the top four.

Didn't know that. Thanks.

[Boozer]

Word on the street is that Cal got screwed and ASU is headed El Paso way.

[chief52]

Originally Posted by Boozer

Word on the street is that Cal got screwed and ASU is headed El Paso way.

That is gonna suck! The show is supposed to be on in an hour and a half. My buddy already made reservations to fly to Pasadena. Did you see it on any certain site?

[Boozer]

Originally Posted by chief52

That is gonna suck! The show is supposed to be on in an hour and a half. My buddy already made reservations to fly to Pasadena. Did you see it on any certain site?

http://www.cactusranch.com/devils/messages/48838.html

Take it at face value.

[Michael Michigan]

Originally Posted by Boozer

http://www.cactusranch.com/devils/messages/48838.html

Take it at face value.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-120...home-headlines


USC Finishes First in BCS Standings
Texas passes California for the coveted No. 4 position.
By Chris Dufresne
Times Staff Writer

12:49 PM PST, December 5, 2004

It's official.

USC finished No.1 in Sunday's final BCS standings and Texas passed California for the coveted No. 4 position and wrecked Cal's dream of playing in its first Rose Bowl since 1959, the Times has learned.

As expected, 12-0 USC and 12-0 Oklahoma finished No.1 and No.2 in the final standings and will meet Jan. 4 in the Orange Bowl for the BCS national title.

Auburn, which also finished the season undefeated at 12-0, finished third in the BCS and will play in the Sugar Bowl.

Texas won the battle for the final at-large spot despite finishing behind Cal in both human polls.

Cal finished fourth in final Associated Press poll while Texas finished sixth, one spot behind No. 5 Utah.

Cal also finished fourth in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' poll while Texas finished fifth.

Texas, however, was able to trim enough of Cal's points lead in the polls to pass the Golden Bears in the final standings.

Cal entered the weekend with a .0013 lead over Texas but apparently its 26-16 victory over Southern Mississippi on Saturday night was not convincing enough for several voting and writers and coaches.

[chief52]

The LA Times is reporting Cal is out as well. What a Crock!

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-120...home-headlines

It's official.

USC finished No.1 in Sunday's final BCS standings and Texas passed California for the coveted No. 4 position and wrecked Cal's dream of playing in its first Rose Bowl since 1959, the Times has learned.






As expected, 12-0 USC and 12-0 Oklahoma finished No.1 and No.2 in the final standings and will meet Jan. 4 in the Orange Bowl for the BCS national title.

Auburn, which also finished the season undefeated at 12-0, finished third in the BCS and will play in the Sugar Bowl.

Texas won the battle for the final at-large spot despite finishing behind Cal in both human polls.

Cal finished fourth in final Associated Press poll while Texas finished sixth, one spot behind No. 5 Utah.

Cal also finished fourth in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' poll while Texas finished fifth.

Texas, however, was able to trim enough of Cal's points lead in the polls to pass the Golden Bears in the final standings.

[chief52]

This is how the LA Times feels the games are going to fall FWIW.

Rose: Texas vs. Michigan.

Fiesta: Utah vs. Pittsburgh.

Sugar: Auburn vs. Virginia Tech.

Orange: USC vs. Oklahoma

[Michael Michigan]

BcS show on ABC starting.....





Now