Danger Beef

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:28:26 -0600

It really isn't surprising that the Illini were chosen to play in the Rose Bowl, considering that it's a 50 year old tradition to have the Big Ten play the Pac Ten in the tournament. There's no way you can call Ohio State overrated when every other top rated team went down this year. The BCS ranking makes perfect sense if you understand it. There's a reason that Hawaii isn't a top ranked team despite being 12-0. They just don't have a hard schedule. The Illini may be 9-3 but their losses were to: Mizzou in the first game of the season, if you were watching it was a fantastic game, the Illini made a huge comeback despite losing their star quarterback early in the game. Then they lost to Iowa, admittedly a poor standing, but it's hard for any big ten team to play at another school. Their only other loss was to number 5 ranked Michigan at Michigan. The Illini beat #5 ranked Wisconsin and #1 ranked Ohio State, Ohio's only loss this season. The reason people like the Illini this year is because they are interesting. They are a young team that has done a complete turn around in the past year. Shame on you if you went to a Big Ten school and think the Big Ten is overrated. Ohio fell apart in the championship last year but that doesn't mean that the Big Ten is overrated. The BCS ranking system is better than a playoff system, and if you need more explanation I encourage you to read this Tribune article from Saturday: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071130teddy,0,5731189.column. I'm sick of people saying that the BCS system is whack, because it is way more exciting than the NFL. Voting on who is the best team takes into account more than simply looking at a team's record. It is not "random" that Mizzou isn't going to the championship, they lost on Saturday, so their ranking went down. My favorite part of Teddy's Greenstein's article is this: "And amid all the fun, we have people yelling that the sport has to change. It needs a playoff system. Why? So the casual fans who are confused by the BCS and the angry columnists who write about college football three times a year can get finality." Pretty much sums it up to me.

Julene McCoy

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:11:19 -0600

I'm happy for Illinois plus I love the Rose Bowl Pac10/Big 10 tradition. I think it's great and that Illinois should not be discounted. Their team will be the one to beat next year. Go Juice!

arh

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:26:38 -0600

there's no way that the illini should be in a bcs game. if a big ten team is going to be part of the rose bowl, it should have been the overrated buckeyes (who shouldn't be in the national championship game). i'm a big ten graduate, but c'mon!

Spav1

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:45:09 -0600

College footbal makes no sense. What about Mizzou? I don't understand how people can be fans of a sport that has no coherent ranking system and then seemingly random teams end up in the "Nextel All Cup Bowl" or whatever.

Bud Selig

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:34:20 -0600

A 3 loss team does not belong in the BCS. You know what would've made for a fantastic game? USC vs. UGA. Instead I have to watch Illinois get steamrolled. The Big Ten was awful, just awful this year.

Chicagoist: Coming Up Roses for Illini

Danger Beef

Julene McCoy

arh

Spav1

Bud Selig