[Bubbarossa]

I have to say, this year has been one of the most interesting and exciting years in college football!!! Anyone agree???

[grumpybear]

Originally Posted by 'Cane

It doesn't make a difference which team "deserves" it. Whoever wins the conference goes to the Rose Bowl. If OSU takes care of their business it does not matter. If they lose to Michigan, they have nobody to blame but themselves.

this is the one and only correct answer

/thread

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

That game just proved that the Big Ten is a good conference. If a team like Illinois can march out and take down the number #1 team in the nation and it's division, it just shows how competitive the Big Ten really is. It's no better or worse then the Pac-10 or SEC.

That being said, that game sucked. Oh well. This season's been a crazy ride for everyone and there is still a decent amount of football to be played. Anything can and will happen.

But LSU (#1 at the time) was taken down by KT, and USC was taken down by Stanford, and #2 Gators (at the time) by Auburn and so on...
It actually proves nothing about Big 10...
It is just one of those crazy years...

[eshtog]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

That game just proved that the Big Ten is a good conference. If a team like Illinois can march out and take down the number #1 team in the nation and it's division, it just shows how competitive the Big Ten really is. It's no better or worse then the Pac-10 or SEC.

That being said, that game sucked. Oh well. This season's been a crazy ride for everyone and there is still a decent amount of football to be played. Anything can and will happen.

LOL, Ohio State hasn't played anyone good thats why they lost when they played Illinois

[Ateneo_BluEagles]

How can Michigan play in the Rose Bowl, assuming they defeat OSU? Don't you have to be in the top 10 BCS standings to be invited to a BCS Bowl game?

[Bubbarossa]

I could be mistaken, but if Michigan wins, they will go to the Rose Bowl. It's one of the few bowls that still takes certain teams from certain leagues...in this case, Pac-10 and Big 10 (USC vs. Mich last year). If Ohio St. had gone undefeated, they would have gone to the BCS Championship game, while Michigan (maybe an at-large berth) would still have gone to the Rose Bowl...however, now they are both playing for the Rose Bowl bid.

I could be wrong, but i believe this is how it will play out for the Rose Bowl.

[Bubbarossa]

Here ya go,

http://www.bcsfootball.org/bcsfb/eligibility

[Z4luvr]

Originally Posted by Ateneo_BluEagles

How can Michigan play in the Rose Bowl, assuming they defeat OSU? Don't you have to be in the top 10 BCS standings to be invited to a BCS Bowl game?

If you win the conference championship in a conference that is an "Automatic Qualifier" you are guaranteed a BCS bowl bid, even if you suck and haven't beaten a decent team all year like OSU and Michigan. As I recall, the automatic qualifier conferences are Big 10, Big 12, SEC, Pac-10, ACC, and Big East. Good teams in non automatic qualifying conferences Mountain West, WAC, Conference USA to name a few), usually get screwed (except Boise State in 2006 and Utah in 2004)

I was kind of hoping OSU might make it to the Mythical National Championship game undefeated. If that happened 10 one loss teams would be clamoring for the chance to beat them for the Championship. Effectively, the vote for who got to play Ohio State would determine the National Champion. Ohio State had a complete "cupcake" non-conference schedule.

It is still going to be chaotic. LSU still has to win 3 games Ole Miss, Arkansas and conference final, Oregon doesn't have anyone good left on their schedule (Arizona, UCLA and OSU). Oklahoma still has to play Tech, OSU and the winner of Missouri - Kansas game. Kansas and Missouri have each other and then probably OU left to play. West Virginia might sneak in, but they still have 2 ranked opponents to play.