ESPN Commentators Suck
At least twice during bowl games I've heard ESPN commentators lament how Georgia wasn't picked for the Rose Bowl game. Had these idiots done just a little basic homework, they'd know that there was next to no way Georgia was going to the Rose Bowl this year. I'll break it down for you here:
(1) Of the 6 major conferences, some of the champions are automatically contracted to certain bowl games unless they're #1 or 2, in which case they go to the BCS title game. This list is as follows: Rose Bowl (Pac-10 and Big 10), Sugar (SEC), Orange (ACC) and Fiesta (Big 12). The Big East team is not contractually obligated to any bowl, but their champion does get a BCS game bid. After that, other teams are picked by a set of rules including victories and an order of picking, as well as rules for so-called "mid-majors" breaking into the BCS.
(2) No conference can have more than two teams in BCS games.
(3) If a BCS bowl game loses its contractual champion, they get the first replacement pick starting with the bowl with the #1 team in the nation and then the bowl with the #2 team. Since Ohio State is ranked #1 (Big 10) the Rose Bowl got the first pick. The Sugar Bowl lost LSU to the BCS game, so they got the second pick. However, there is a rule in the BCS that prevents the bowl game that lost the #1 team to the title game from picking a team from the same conference as the bowl that lost the #2 team unless that bowl consents to the loss.
What this means for the match-ups is this:
The BCS title game got #1 Ohio State (Big 10) and #2 LSU (SEC).
The Rose Bowl got USC (Pac-10) and the first replacement pick.
The Sugar Bowl got the second replacement pick and the last replacement pick.
The Orange Bowl got Virginia Tech (ACC) and the third replacement pick.
The Fiesta Bowl got Oklahoma (Big 12) and the fourth replacement pick.
Since Georgia is an SEC team like LSU, there was no way the Rose Bowl could pick them unless the Sugar Bowl consented, which wasn't going to happen, because then the Sugar Bowl would have a game with no meaning rooted in any tradition, plus Georgia brings in huge cash. Hence, the Rose Bowl could have selected Hawaii or West Virginia, who were both guaranteed BCS games, or a qualifying at-large team like Boston College. Illinois (Big 10) qualified for the BCS under the at-large rules, and the Rose Bowl people love tradition, so they picked the Illini. The Sugar Bowl then got its traditional host in Georgia (SEC) as an at-large for its first pick. The Orange Bowl picked Kansas (Big 12) as the last at-large. The Fiesta Bowl then had to pick between West Virginia and Hawaii, and they selected the Mountaineers. That left the Sugar Bowl with Hawaii.
How is it people whose job it is to be up on these things won't do the basic homework? They sound like idiots.
(1) Of the 6 major conferences, some of the champions are automatically contracted to certain bowl games unless they're #1 or 2, in which case they go to the BCS title game. This list is as follows: Rose Bowl (Pac-10 and Big 10), Sugar (SEC), Orange (ACC) and Fiesta (Big 12). The Big East team is not contractually obligated to any bowl, but their champion does get a BCS game bid. After that, other teams are picked by a set of rules including victories and an order of picking, as well as rules for so-called "mid-majors" breaking into the BCS.
(2) No conference can have more than two teams in BCS games.
(3) If a BCS bowl game loses its contractual champion, they get the first replacement pick starting with the bowl with the #1 team in the nation and then the bowl with the #2 team. Since Ohio State is ranked #1 (Big 10) the Rose Bowl got the first pick. The Sugar Bowl lost LSU to the BCS game, so they got the second pick. However, there is a rule in the BCS that prevents the bowl game that lost the #1 team to the title game from picking a team from the same conference as the bowl that lost the #2 team unless that bowl consents to the loss.
What this means for the match-ups is this:
The BCS title game got #1 Ohio State (Big 10) and #2 LSU (SEC).
The Rose Bowl got USC (Pac-10) and the first replacement pick.
The Sugar Bowl got the second replacement pick and the last replacement pick.
The Orange Bowl got Virginia Tech (ACC) and the third replacement pick.
The Fiesta Bowl got Oklahoma (Big 12) and the fourth replacement pick.
Since Georgia is an SEC team like LSU, there was no way the Rose Bowl could pick them unless the Sugar Bowl consented, which wasn't going to happen, because then the Sugar Bowl would have a game with no meaning rooted in any tradition, plus Georgia brings in huge cash. Hence, the Rose Bowl could have selected Hawaii or West Virginia, who were both guaranteed BCS games, or a qualifying at-large team like Boston College. Illinois (Big 10) qualified for the BCS under the at-large rules, and the Rose Bowl people love tradition, so they picked the Illini. The Sugar Bowl then got its traditional host in Georgia (SEC) as an at-large for its first pick. The Orange Bowl picked Kansas (Big 12) as the last at-large. The Fiesta Bowl then had to pick between West Virginia and Hawaii, and they selected the Mountaineers. That left the Sugar Bowl with Hawaii.
How is it people whose job it is to be up on these things won't do the basic homework? They sound like idiots.