Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Texas Passes USC in BCS Standings
In the most recent BCS Standings, Texas has just passed USC as the number 1 team in the nation. This controversial move has not helped the credibility and recent criticism of the BCS ranking system. College sports fans may recall the 2003 Championship series in which two champions were crowned, because of faults within the BCS system. LSU defeated Oklahoma and USC defeated Michigan. The problem was that the LSU and Oklahoma were ranked ahead of USC according to the BCS system, while USC was ranked in the top two according to the U.S.A. Today's Coach's Poll and the Harris Interactive Poll.
The modified BCS system that is used today places a heavier emphasis on poll rankings, but still has flaws. Computer scores are generated upon the difficulty of a team's schedule and the strength of its opponents.
A similar situation to the 2003 Series could happen again this year. If Virginia Tech, USC, and Texas remain undefeated, Virginia Tech could potentially replace USC in the championship series if its poll rankings go up and it remains undefeated against Boston College and Miami.
If USC is surpassed by Virginia Tech and left out of the bowl series as an undefeated, reigning champion, serious doubt might be cast on the BCS system. Some analysts have suggested using a playoff system, while others have suggested tweaking the BCS rank system again.
These articles provide a little more insight into both of these issues:
USC Falls Out of BCS Top Spot
Bowl Championship Series Rankings
The modified BCS system that is used today places a heavier emphasis on poll rankings, but still has flaws. Computer scores are generated upon the difficulty of a team's schedule and the strength of its opponents.
A similar situation to the 2003 Series could happen again this year. If Virginia Tech, USC, and Texas remain undefeated, Virginia Tech could potentially replace USC in the championship series if its poll rankings go up and it remains undefeated against Boston College and Miami.
If USC is surpassed by Virginia Tech and left out of the bowl series as an undefeated, reigning champion, serious doubt might be cast on the BCS system. Some analysts have suggested using a playoff system, while others have suggested tweaking the BCS rank system again.
These articles provide a little more insight into both of these issues:
USC Falls Out of BCS Top Spot
Bowl Championship Series Rankings
