Slight correction: the only team they DON'T play in the Pac 10 is Oregon........

But, I'm in agreement with Amy

But anyway, who cares about NCAA football. Bring on the pros...

I bet USC could beat the Seahawks :p

No, actually, I know what their schedule is.

Our rotation of Pac 10 teams is not something we control, its how the schedule is set in our conference.

No, but USC does control the teams that it plays outside the PAC-10, and it chooses to play teams that are not strong.

Schedules are made years in advance. Coach Carroll is doing everything he can to remedy the situation set up by his predecessor and change our schedule where he can. VA Tech was added this year, for instance.

Its not like Coach Carroll and AD Mike Garrett said oh let's not play anyone who can beat us... a few years ago, when we were stinking up the Coliseum, that is when the sched was set.

i heard that strength of schedule was taken out of the equation or it has a reduced role. if that's the case, and the final record is paramount...who wouldn't schedule cup cakes in order to get the most wins? i think if we were all coaches, we'd do the same to ensure the best end of season record.

OU had a free date and needed to fill a spot. In fact, I believe the AD there even contacted USC about playing in Week 1.

Got Bowling Green instead. Not a bad team though -- they took Ohio State to the wire at the horseshoe.

Besides Va Tech, name 1 other possible loss on USC's schedule (and I think Va Tech is WAAY down this year).

Unfortunately, that's true. Until the coaches and AP start to vote for teams that beat good teams instead of teams that they THINK are good, we'll have a bad system.

I've always thought the best thing to do to placate both the Bowl system and the playoff need would be to do a 4 or 8 team playoff and leave the rest of the bowls in place.

but then it would come down to who gets in. because every dog has its day and with so many upsets happening in football, so i don't think that a team like say toledo should be be in said playoff because it so happen to beat OSU and a few other good teams. the BCS, while not perfect, is probably the best thing going right now without extending the season more than it should be.

Dunno man... the lines are blurry. The MAC had a pretty good record vs. BCS powerhouse teams last year. Toledo might have a shot at beating a few teams in the playoff -- and it may sound crazy to say it, but they could even go all the way. Kind of like a "cindarella" in the March Basketball tournement.

But really, if we did a 4-team playoff, we're talking about extending the season by one game for two teams. Some college AD's are already trying to get permission for a potential 15th game in the season.

We NEED bye weeks. People do important things in the bye weeks. My cousin is waiting for the OU bye week to get married ;)

and with a 4 team playoff, you'd have to choose from a mathematical equation just like the BCS. either way, someone is always going to complain about the system. it's not perfect, but it's better than what we used to have.

Well, basically, with the latest changes to 'perfect' the BCS, we do have what we used to have. The computer polls count less (I think about 20%) and the human polls (the two of them) account for the remaining 80% of the BCS totals.

Strength of schedule is all but pointless. The BCS has been reactive in its changes -- and now looks pretty silly. While the BCS isn't so good at deciding who's #1 and #2, maybe #1-#4 would be a little less contraversial. You'd also have the added benefit of shutting up the people that want a playoff.

Also, we need to get every conference playing a championship game. The fact that OU will likely have to play its toughest opponent from the Big XII north twice and at the risk of losing its berth in the NC game while USC and tOSU have bye weeks is just silly.

You are SUCH an OU homer, dude

Amy/other USC apologists: USC is notorious for weak scheduling, and they have been since the last time they were good, in the 80s. Carroll has even made reference to 'warming up' on some patsies, and keeping his team's travel down (ie mostly home games) to try to 'keep them fresh' for later in the season.

If USC loses a regular-season game, it will be a total upset.

Here's a secret, guys - unlike the last 2 seasons, the calendar doesn't allow for 12 games this year - everyone gets a bye week! actually two! Unless you're playing in the kickoff classic, or at hawaii! Most teams just take it at the beginning! And you OU/Nebraska/Texas jokers: you did it to yourselves, wanting that big chunk of dollar revenue from the title game you always thought you'd be playing in - Baylor sure as shit didn't care.

Don't cry when you play in a conference title game - you made your bed, now lie in it. It's a silly idea, and it does very little, in my mind, to further the SEC or Big 8 (there will be NO big xii references anymore, i decree) as the supposed 'powerhouses' of the planet.

And TOLEDO?????

Shut up - Remember when Miami(OH), supposedly the best team in the MAC, got steamrolled against Iowa, the 3rd-best team in the Big10? The mid-majors have never consistently performed in bowl games against big-league opponents, why would they perform in some cockamamie version of the 1AA playoffs?

The BCS is imperfect, but it's better than the alternative (for right now).

Starang - they didn't do away w/ strength of schedule entirely, IIRC, but they DID eliminate the "margin of victory" qualifier and increased the factor of polls in the final tally.

I am unapologetic in my OU homerism.

You just have to approach me from that angle and accept it.

If your dad started dragging you to games as soon as you could understand the concept of "first down" and "Barry Switzer is God", you'd understand ;)

Actually in reference to USC, OU played them a lot in the early 80's. And for what it's worth, back then, USC owned OU -- at least they were close games... Watched the '81 game on ESPN classics a few months back. Very sad.

Yeah, I won't lie. Last year, the Big XII had a horrible OOC record. But look at the matchups. It was primarily the weak sisters of the Big XII vs. good teams from other conferences. Except in Texas' case. And I can't apologize enough for them. They're kind of a disgrace to the conference as a whole -- losing to Arkansas and Wazzu... vewy bad.

The other matchups had Kansas KANSAS (who is like Vandy of the SEC basically) playing against NC State. Yeah, of course they got rolled. The LSU-OU game was at least VERY close, came down to the last play in fact. That was at least respectable.