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News Nuggets, 10.18.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

New look BCS to debut: Let the bickering begin

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

10.17.04: Army streaking; C- USA, Carolinas scoreboard ... College football weekend: stars & storylines ... More...
10.16.04: Blazers scorch Frogs to stay unbeaten in league ... Another Florida school graduating to Division I ... More...
10.15.04: 'Bama matchup evokes perils of 2000 ECU game for USM ... Miami comeback brings cocky Cardinals down to Earth ... More...
10.14.04: Thompson: Pinkney's redshirt year safe and secure ... Schnellenberger ringside for U of L vs. Miami ... More...
10.13.04: JV Pirates live up to varsity's example — Toronto approves bid to host bowl game ... More...
10.12.04: Herrion anoints Badiane, Cook as team's leaders ... No. 1 Southern Miss QB to miss 'Bama game ... Tar Heel trio sacked by pot charges ... More...
10.11.04: College football weekend: stars & storylines ... C-USA standings, scoreboard, schedule & TV ... Associated Press football poll ... More...
10.10.04: Army sheds losing ways at Bearcats' expense ... Conference USA & Carolinas football scoreboard ... More...
10.09.04: Future looks lonely for Temple Owls football ... Coug legend Drexler enshrined in hoops Hall ... More...
10.08.04: Golden Eagles claw out overtime win over Houston
— ESPN2 HD to debut with C-USA doubleheader ... More...
10.07.04: Southern Miss road warriors back home for primetime ... Louisville building $10 million baseball stadium ... More...
10.06.04: Reported dispute with coach nets suspension for ECU's Fox ... Holtz sanctions receiver over academic issues ... More...

The best way to reach the Orange Bowl and play for a national title is to go undefeated.

The new scaled-down Bowl Championship Series standings are set to debut on Monday with seven unbeaten teams remaining after a week that began with twice that many.

While last season proved that one loss doesn't eliminate a team from the national title chase — co-champions Southern California and LSU lost one — at this point the teams with one loss need help and can't complain if they're stuck behind the unbeatens in the BCS standings.

``I don't even know how they figure (the BCS standings) out. I couldn't tell you the criteria,'' Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Sunday. ``It really doesn't make a lot of difference. If you don't win games, you're not going to be there anyway.''

The top four teams in both The Associated Press Top 25 and the coaches poll — USC, Oklahoma, Auburn and Miami — are undefeated. The other unbeatens are Wisconsin and those potential BCS busters Utah and Boise State.

With the BCS' formula now relying predominantly on the polls, the top four teams should also hold down the top four spots in the BCS standings.

Last season's BCS mess prompted a change in how the national title matchup is determined.

In case you have forgotten, USC finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in both polls, but third in the BCS standings. That put LSU and Oklahoma, which was thumped by Kansas State in the Big 12 title game, in the Sugar Bowl playing for the BCS title.

The AP media poll voters made USC their national champion after the Trojans won the Rose Bowl. Voters in the coaches poll were obligated to make LSU No. 1 after the Tigers beat Oklahoma.

So the BCS guys went back to work and came up with a formula in which the AP poll counts for one-third of a team's BCS points, the coaches poll counts for a third and an average of six computer rankings makes up the other third. In the past, results from the AP and coaches polls were averaged, then factored in with the other components — a formula that lessened the significance of the polls.

The Trojans and Sooners have comfortably ranked one and two in both polls all season and in all likelihood will line up the same way in the BCS standings. That puts USC and Oklahoma in control, with Auburn and Miami lurking.

The Trojans remaining road to the Orange Bowl looks fairly smooth. Road trips to Washington State and Oregon State aren't too scary, and rivals Notre Dame and UCLA don't have enough talent to match USC.

The Sooners' remaining schedule looks tougher with back-to-back road games against Oklahoma State (Oct. 30) and rejuvenated Texas A&M. The Big 12 North is down, so if the Sooners reach the conference title game in Kansas City, their opponent should be manageable. But wasn't that supposed to be the case last year?

Auburn's most formidable remaining opponent — Georgia — comes to The Plains on Nov. 13. The Tigers are almost a lock to play in the Southeastern Conference title game, where they could rematch Tennessee or maybe Georgia.

Miami (5-0) is the only unbeaten with more than half of its games left. Road games at North Carolina State and Virginia probably pose the biggest threats to a perfect season.

You can almost hear the complaints coming from fans in Madison, Wisc., already. The Badgers are No. 6 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the ESPN/USA Today poll and will probably find themselves behind Florida State (5-1), No. 5 in each poll, in the first BCS standings.

Wisconsin's remaining schedule looks accommodating with home games against Northwestern and Minnesota and road games against Michigan State and Iowa. The Badgers say it's way too early to start worrying about the BCS.

``Nah,'' tailback Anthony Davis said. ``I just normally worry about getting to practice.''

Then there's Utah of the Mountain West Conference and Boise State from the Western Athletic Conference.

The Utes are ninth in the AP poll and 10th in the coaches poll. The Broncos are 19th and 16th, respectively. The Orange Bowl isn't a realistic destination for either, but perfection could make one of them the first team from a mid-major conference to play in a BCS game.

To get considered for one of those other big-money bowls, Utah and Boise State would have to finish the season in the BCS top 12. A top-six spot would guarantee an invite.

But with nothing but conference games left for both the Utes and Broncos, it'll be tough for them to improve their rankings and add BCS points even when they win.

Ah, yes, BCS time is here. Let the bickering begin.


C-USA standings, scoreboard, schedule & TV

Through games of Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004)

                   C-USA      All
TEAM               W   L     W   L
UAB                3   0     5   1
Southern Miss      3   0     4   1
Louisville         2   0     4   1
Memphis            2   1     5   1
Army               2   3     2   4
Texas Christian    1   2     3   3
South Florida      1   2     2   3
Cincinnati         1   2     2   4
East Carolina      1   2     1   4
Houston            1   2     1   5
Tulane             0   3     1   4

THURSDAY, OCT. 14:
Miami 41, Louisville 38 (ESPN)

FRIDAY, OCT. 15:
UAB 41, Texas Christian 25 (ESPN2)

SATURDAY, OCT. 16:
Alabama 27, Southern Miss 3
Army 42, South Florida 35
Memphis 49, Tulane 24

FRIDAY, OCT. 22:
South Florida at Louisville 8
:00 PM [ESPN]

SATURDAY, OCT. 23:
UAB at Tulane 2:30 PM (ESPN+)
Houston at Texas Christian 6:00 PM
East Carolina at Southern Miss 7:00 PM (ESPN+)
Memphis at Cincinnati 7:00 PM

Compiled from Conference USA data and other sources.


Associated Press college football poll

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 16, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

[Conference USA team, including future members, and Carolinas teams in bold. ECU opponents in red.]

Record Pts Pvs
 1. Southern Cal (50) 6-0 1,610 1
 2. Oklahoma (13) 6-0 1,567 2
 3. Auburn (2) 7-0 1,478 4
 4. Miami (FL) 5-0 1,448 3
 5. Florida State 5-1 1,304 7
 6. Wisconsin 7-0 1,240 10
 7. California 4-1 1,215 8
 8. Texas 5-1 1,081 9
 9. Utah 6-0 1,072 11
10. Georgia 5-1 1,040 12
11. Tennessee 5-1 999 13
12. Purdue 5-1 957 5
13. Michigan 6-1 895 14
14. Virginia 5-1 738 6
15. Louisville 4-1 627 18
15. West Virginia 5-1 627 17
17. Texas A&M 5-1 561 23
18. Louisiana State 4-2 528 20
19. Boise State 6-0 467 21
20. Florida 4-2 450 22
21. Arizona State 5-1 305 15
22. Oklahoma State 5-1 273 16
23. Virginia Tech 5-2 194 NR
24. Notre Dame 5-2 134 NR
25. Iowa 4-2 62 NR

Others receiving votes: Texas Tech 54, UAB 41, Alabama 37, N.C. State 36, Minnesota 26, Missouri 24, Stanford 12, Memphis 7, South Carolina 7, Northern Illinois 3, Southern Miss 2, UCLA 2, Georgia Tech 1, Pittsburgh 1.


News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 
 

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