# 2012-2013 College Football Bowl season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 26, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144 "2012-11-26T13:20:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/1 "2012-11-26T13:20:45Z")
Figured we’d need a thread to discuss all the bowls plus I wanted to ask a question. I’d really like for South Carolina to go to the Chick-fil-A Bowl because I might actually be able to travel to Atlanta for the game. However most predictions have Clemson playing there as the ACC #2 and no one wants to have that rematch. What is the chance Clemson would go elsewhere? The only path I can see is if GaTech somehow beats FSU in the ACC Championship game to claim the BCS Bid and FSU moves down to Chick-fil-A. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/2 "2012-11-29T14:39:49Z")
If an Oklahoma team that can’t beat Kansas State or Notre Dame gets bumped out of the Sugar Bowl by a Kent State team that can’t beat Kentucky, I’m gonna be pissed. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/3 "2012-11-29T14:45:29Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > If an Oklahoma team that can’t beat Kansas State or Notre Dame gets bumped out of the Sugar Bowl by a Kent State team that can’t beat Kentucky, I’m gonna be pissed. How would that happen? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/4 "2012-11-29T14:56:59Z")
> [@](#): > > The BCS makes it possible for a team from a non-automatic qualifying conference to make a BCS bowl under a few special conditions. First, that team must finish in the top 16 of the BCS standings. Second, it must finish ahead of the champion of an AQ conference. The 11-1 Golden Flashes are currently No. 17 in the BCS standings and ranked ahead of every Big East team. However, Kent State also lost 47-14 to a Kentucky team that didn’t win a single SEC game. How can it be in a position for a BCS berth? > > Part of the answer lies in the problematic computer polls, and most of the issues are well known. To begin with, five of the six computers do not reveal the details necessary to reproduce their results. Millions of BCS dollars are at the mercy of five black-box algorithms. Second, the BCS forbids the computers from using margin of victory in their calculations. It doesn’t matter that a 33-point loss to Kentucky says something much different about a team than a one-point loss to a top-10 opponent. In the name of sportsmanship, the BCS will not give teams the incentive to run up the score. From [here.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/11/28/bcs-computers-kent-state/index.html?xid=cnnbin) In the only computer poll that has a public formula, it also doesn’t matter that Kentucky’s record is 2-10. OU has to pin its hopes on 1. Northern Illinois beating Kent State - very possible I suppose. 2. The human pollers dropping Kent State even after beating NIU - unlikely in my opinion. Or 3. A Big East team jumping ahead of Kent St. This would require a currently unranked Rutgers or Louisville team to jump ahead of Kent State based upon a victory over the other tonight. Also unlikely IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/5 "2012-11-29T15:10:36Z")
As a Kent State alum I say to hell with the Sooners and Go Flashes. :D:D:D Seriously Nars, what is your basis for being pissed? If the breaks go Kent State’s way why shouldn’t they get a chance in the sun for a change? OU has a good chance to make it to a good bowl everyyear, while this is probably KSU’s one and only good shot. I reiterate, to hell with the Sooners and Go Flashes. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/6 "2012-11-29T15:19:44Z")
As an OU alum, I’m just going to be pissed. Not pissed at Kent State, just pissed in general. I don’t begrudge Kent State at all. OU has benefitted from some squirrelly rules in the past (Hello three way tie between UT, TT and OU). We also had to settle for the [Insight.com](http://Insight.com) bowl last year while our little brother from Stillwater went to the Fiesta Bowl. That was a severe blow to our pride. If the Flashes should make it to New Orleans to play the Gators, it will be the biggest mismatch since OU-Boise State. Oh wait… But seriously, your Flashes would get killed. I’d expect the line to be in the 30’s or maybe even the 40’s. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/7 "2012-11-29T15:21:46Z")
A Kent St.-Florida matchup would be a pretty good indication of how bad an 8-team college football playoff would be. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/8 "2012-11-29T15:40:09Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > A Kent St.-Florida matchup would be a pretty good indication of how bad an 8-team college football playoff would be. Just the first round. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/9 "2012-11-29T16:03:28Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > As an OU alum, I’m just going to be pissed. Not pissed at Kent State, just pissed in general. I don’t begrudge Kent State at all. OU has benefitted from some squirrelly rules in the past (Hello three way tie between UT, TT and OU). We also had to settle for the [Insight.com](http://Insight.com) bowl last year while our little brother from Stillwater went to the Fiesta Bowl. That was a severe blow to our pride. > > If the Flashes should make it to New Orleans to play the Gators, it will be the biggest mismatch since OU-Boise State. Oh wait… > > But seriously, your Flashes would get killed. I’d expect the line to be in the 30’s or maybe even the 40’s. We Flashes don’t have an illusions about that. Kent State is an academic institution and not just a football factory. LOL. Anyway, I’ll be rooting like hell for KSU, but betting on Florida. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/10 "2012-11-29T16:17:28Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > Just the first round. Correct - which means that an 8-team playoff would be bad. I didn’t say anything about a 4 team playoff. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/11 "2012-11-29T16:40:05Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Correct - which means that an 8-team playoff would be bad. I didn’t say anything about a 4 team playoff. I’ll take all the college football I can get. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/12 "2012-11-29T16:50:28Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I’ll take all the college football I can get. Eh. I worry that a crappy first round of an 8-team playoff would severely affect the quality of the final game. Adding two games to the schedule takes a toll. Rookies in the NFL show pretty solid deterioration after 10-12 games their first year. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/13 "2012-11-29T17:24:36Z")
As a Badger Alum I say, Go Huskers! Love my Badgers but I do not want to hear a month of how they don’t deserve to be in the Rose Bowl, which would be pretty much true. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/14 "2012-11-29T17:41:53Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > In the only computer poll that has a public formula, it also doesn’t matter that Kentucky’s record is 2-10. Yes, it does, although not by much. The “quick version” of how Colley works is, you have to solve 120 or so equations in the same number of variables. Each FBS team (as well as “groups” of FCS teams, where the total number of games played by that group against FBS teams is pretty much equal to the number of games most FBS team have played) has an equation: (1 + (wins - losses) / 2) = rating \* (games played + 2) - sum of opponents’ ratings (multiplying a team’s rating by the number of times the two teams played each other) The ratings are the unknowns. The “secret” to Colley is, it assumes that every team starts the season 1-1. For Kentucky, you get rating \* 14 - opponents’ ratings = -3. If they were 6-6, it would be 1 instead of -3, inflating its opponents’ ratings slightly. > [@](#): > > OU has to pin its hopes on 1. Northern Illinois beating Kent State - very possible I suppose. 2. The human pollers dropping Kent State even after beating NIU - unlikely in my opinion. Or 3. A Big East team jumping ahead of Kent St. This would require a currently unranked Rutgers or Louisville team to jump ahead of Kent State based upon a victory over the other tonight. Also unlikely IMHO. Don’t forget about Boise State - if they win, they can sneak into the top 16, and since they would be the Mountain West champion, they would get the automatic BCS berth if they finish ahead of Kent State. (Note that only the highest ranked non-“major” conference champion can receive an “automatic” berth.) So, who’s in if Kent State or Boise State gets an automatic spot: The six major conference winners Notre Dame Kent State or Boise State Florida will almost certainly get one That leaves one - and it looks like a choice between Oregon, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. (They can’t choose a third SEC team.) It’s going to come down to (a) the order of selection and (b) who wants what team. Assume Notre Dame and the SEC champion finish in the top 2 Sugar Bowl (replacing SEC winner): my guess is Florida At this point, there are three openings, and two automatics: Rutgers, and Kent State/Boise State, chosen in this order: Fiesta Bowl (to play Kansas State) Sugar Bowl (to play, presumably, Florida) Orange Bowl (to play the ACC champion - presumably, Florida State) Even if neither Kent State nor Boise State finish in the top 16, I think the Fiesta will choose Oregon, so the Sugar will have to decide whether Oklahoma or Nebraska “travels better” (translation: “spends more money in New Orleans”), while Rutgers ends up in the Orange. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/15 "2012-11-29T18:24:55Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Eh. I worry that a crappy first round of an 8-team playoff would severely affect the quality of the final game. Adding two games to the schedule takes a toll. Rookies in the NFL show pretty solid deterioration after 10-12 games their first year. I think for every time you get a crappy first round match up like Kent State vs Florida, you’d get a high quality match up. Just from this year, neither LSU and Oregon are playing for conference or national championships, but that would be a great first round playoff game. I suppose a lot depends on how you choose your eight teams. Some consideration would have to be given for the ‘mid-major’ conferences to get a team in the mix instead of just taking the Top 8 teams in the final rankings. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/16 "2012-11-29T18:30:50Z")
Most awesome scenario: GT beats FSU and goes on to play Kent State in the Orange Bowl. I guarantee it will be the lowest rated BCS game ever. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/17 "2012-11-29T18:36:16Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > As a Badger Alum I say, Go Huskers! Love my Badgers but I do not want to hear a month of how they don’t deserve to be in the Rose Bowl, which would be pretty much true. As an Husker alum, I am looking forward to the game. Records be darned, it’s going to be a tough game, and Husker fans love Alvarez. Do I feel that Ohio State or Penn State should be there? No, the two teams that didn’t cheat are in the Big Ten title game. That’s the rules. Too bad about unbeaten Ohio State, but they have to ask themselves if the money, cars, and tattoos were worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/18 "2012-11-29T19:28:13Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > As an Husker alum, I am looking forward to the game. Records be darned, it’s going to be a tough game, and Husker fans love Alvarez. > > Do I feel that Ohio State or Penn State should be there? No, the two teams that didn’t cheat are in the Big Ten title game. That’s the rules. Too bad about unbeaten Ohio State, but they have to ask themselves if the money, cars, and tattoos were worth it. I don’t think they deserve to be there either, but I would love to see a more deserving team go from the Big 10, like Nebraska. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/19 "2012-11-29T19:57:30Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Most awesome scenario: GT beats FSU and goes on to play Kent State in the Orange Bowl. I guarantee it will be the lowest rated BCS game ever. Can you guarantee that the sun will come up tomorrow too, because you’re not going out on much of a limb there, Barkis. Most likely the game will also be very poorly attended, as Kent State doesn’t “travel well”. Most of the time KSU fans don’t even travel the ten miles down the road when the team plays at the University of Akron. Heck, until this season most KSU students didn’t even have much of a reason to travel 2 miles down the road from the main campus to the stadium. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144/20 "2012-11-29T20:11:47Z")
Guaranteed or your money back. Most Kent State “fans,” like other Ohio MAC school fans, are probably OSU fans first. As a Notre Dame fan in Columbus, on one hand it would be nice to beat their ass in the title game. On the other hand, boy it’s fun coming back with “so don’t cheat” when they bitch about not playing in the title game. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-2013-college-football-bowl-season/642144.md?page=2)