Mountain West Conference rules bowl season

There are two sides to the argument of whether college bowl games determine the superiority of conferences.

Some say the bowl games have little meaning in determining which conferences are truly the best. Others say they carry great weight.

We tend to agree with the latter since teams should be at their peak during the postseason while meeting squads they (normally) did not play during the regular season.

That being said, it appears as if the Mountain West Conference is No. 1 this postseason. (And to think the MWC does not even receive an automatic BCS berth!)

The irony is that all four MWC teams listed as underdogs in the bowl season were winners: Wyoming (New Mexico Bowl), Brigham Young (Las Vegas Bowl), Utah (San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl), and the Air Force Academy (Armed Forces Bowl.)

Just as ironically, the only MWC team to lose in the postseason was favored to win. But Texas Christian just didn’t have the know-how to stop Boise State’s fake punt when it mattered most in the Fiesta Bowl.

Speaking of, what if Boise State joined the MWC? How could the BCS possibly exclude a conference that would then include traditional powerhouses Boise State, TCU, BYU and Utah?

The MWC certainly made its mark with two wins over the supposedly superior Pac 10 this postseason: BYU over Oregon State and Utah over Cal. And on the topic of the Pac 10, have you noticed how that conference is only 2-5 this postseason?

With two bowl games (out of 34) remaining, here are the conference standings:

Mountain West, 4-1
Big East, 4-2
Big 12, 4-3
Big Ten, 4-3
Southeastern, 5-4
Western Athletic, 2-2
Atlantic Coast, 3-4
Conference USA, 2-4
Pac 10, 2-5
Sun Belt, 1-0
Independents, 1-0
Mid-American, 0-4

BCS afraid of Texas Christian, Boise State

As sure as the Denver Broncos will always choke down the stretch, the BCS choked at the thought of having Boise State and Texas Christian University play anybody but each other this postseason.

That’s why TCU and the Broncos will meet in Monday night’s Fiesta Bowl.

Just think: If the Horned Frogs and Boise State (both non-BCS teams) were to play BCS squads, they could upset the system by both being winners.

And since the BCS excludes universities such as TCU and Boise State from automatic qualification, it would hate to see the little boys upset its big boys.

Let’s face it; both the Horned Frogs and Broncos would surely beat such BCS qualifiers as Iowa and Georgia Tech (Orange Bowl foes), as well as Sugar Bowl loser Cincinnati.

And the BCS certainly wouldn’t want the non-BCS schools playing Florida with the real possibility of the Gators being beaten by a non-BCS team.

After all, Utah (a fellow Mountain West Conference member of TCU’s) embarrassed Alabama in last year’s Sugar Bowl to finish No. 2 in the nation. And that came after the Utes beat BCS member Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

As for Boise State? How could we ever forget the Broncos upsetting Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day 2007?

No, the BCS will not let Boise State of the Western Athletic Conference nor TCU get a shot to beat a "name" school in a BCS game.

In reality, there would be too much egg on the collective faces of BCS officials if two non-automatic qualifiers were to beat teams that gain automatic BCS berths in the same postseason.

Prediction:
TCU 27, Boise State 20

Mountain West Conference more than BCS worthy

With six bowl games down and 28 to go post-Christmas, one thing is for certain:

The Mountain West Conference is more than BCS worthy.

The conference is already 3-0 in the postseason, with Air Force vs. Houston and Texas Christian University vs. Boise State still to come.

Most impressively, have you seen how the Mountain West has handled the supposedly superior Pac 10 of the BCS?

How about QB Max Hall and the Brigham Young Cougars running all over Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl?

Or what about true freshman QB Jordan Wynn and the Utah Utes whipping Jeff Tedford’s California Bears in the Poinsettia Bowl?

On top of that, Wyoming beat heavily-favored Fresno State to start the postseason in the New Mexico Bowl.

The BCS does not automatically include the Mountain West, so there’s only one way to make a statement.

The BYUs and Utahs will just have to keep beating the Oregon States and Cals.
　

San Diego State going to bowl game in 2009?

After 10 straight non-winning seasons, could it be that the San Diego State football team is going to a bowl game in 2009?

(It won’t take a winning record, but the Aztecs could make their first postseason appearance since the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl this season.)

SDSU set itself up for such a scenario with last Saturday’s 42-28 upset win at Colorado State.

The Aztecs (3-4) should be favored to win three of their final five games. Win all three and their 6-6 record makes them “bowl eligible.”

SDSU is a 17-point favorite at home this weekend vs. winless New Mexico.

Then, after a likely home loss to Texas Christian University on Nov. 7, the Aztecs have what will likely be their game of the year at home vs. Wyoming on Nov. 14.

If the Aztecs beat New Mexico and Wyoming, then they would only need to win at Utah (not likely) on Nov. 21 or at Nevada Las Vegas (likely) on Nov. 28.

Amazing how far that new head coach Brady Hoke (may) have brought the Aztecs in one season.

Ryan Lindley has proven to be a standout QB as exemplified by his six touchdown passes vs. Colorado State. DeMarco Sampson had the game of his life with 15 receptions for 257 yards and three TDs.

The only drawback is that the team’s leading receiver, Vincent Brown, has ligament damage in his right thumb that could keep him sidelined for an undetermined amount of time.

Get this: CBSSports.com is projecting that the Aztecs will meet Fresno State this season in the New Mexico Bowl.

Wishful thinking? Maybe. But at least it’s a step in the right direction for a university that hasn’t played in a bowl game in the 21st century.

Cincinnati-Virginia Tech don't belong in Orange Bowl

Why are Cincinnati and Virginia Tech playing in the Orange Bowl, one of five BCS games?

Let’s forget about the controversy over whether there should be a national championship playoff.

How about what happens on the other end of the BCS spectrum?

Cincinnati (Big East) and Virginia Tech (Atlantic Coast Conference) are only in a BCS game because their respective conferences are guaranteed a spot.

What does this say for conferences such as the Mountain West and Western Athletic, which clearly have more deserving teams this year?

The Poinsettia Bowl features Boise State (12-0) of the WAC against Texas Christian (10-2) of the Mountain West.

Boise State is ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll; TCU is No. 11. Each is ranked ahead of Orange Bowl competitors Cincinnati (No. 12) and Virginia Tech (No. 21).

Yet Boise State and TCU are playing pre-Christmas, while Cincinnati-Virginia Tech is featured on New Year’s Night. Ridiculous!

When you include Utah (No. 7) and Brigham Young (No. 17) along with TCU, the Mountain West has three teams rated ahead of Virginia Tech. Yet only Utah is in a BCS game via its perfect 12-0 season.

So while most people (rightfully) argue that the BCS should have an eight-team playoff to determine a national championship, the entire BCS needs to be revised.

There’s no way Cincinnati and Virginia Tech should be in a BCS game while the likes of Boise State, TCU and BYU are on the outside looking in.

Chargers hope to revive Miami memories

If you’re old enough, you will definitely remember the last time that the Chargers won a game at Miami.

Who can forget that epic playoff game on Jan. 2, 1982 when the Chargers prevailed in overtime 41-38?

Remember the game-winning, 29-yard field goal by Rolf Benirschke 13:52 into overtime; remember the photos of an exhausted Kellen Winslow being helped off the field by two teammates.

Classic!

What’s not so classic are recent performances by the Chargers, who have lost six straight to the Dolphins.

The most recent, a 23-21 loss in 2005, came at a time when the Chargers controlled their playoff destiny beforehand (but never did make the playoffs.)

Then two years previous, the Monday night game was moved to Phoenix because of massive wildfires in San Diego with the Dolphins winning, 26-10.

It’s a little different now with the Chargers being (somewhat) considered a powerhouse and the Dolphins a pushover … until their stunning upset of New England two weeks ago.

Miami has not won two straight since November 2006 … and it says here the streak will continue.

Weekend Predictions:
Chargers 24, Dolphins 17
Texas Christian 41, San Diego State 13

Poinsettia Bowl: Aztecs out, Utah in?

Would you like to see San Diego State play in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl this year?

Keep dreaming.

First of all, the Aztecs (4-5) would have to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible.

Where do you find two wins with games at Air Force (Nov. 17) and at home vs. Texas Christian University (Nov. 24) and Brigham Young (Dec. 1)?

Even if the Aztecs finish 6-6, the Poinsettia Bowl would have to choose a Mountain West Conference team with seven wins over SDSU.

The best that can be said for the Aztecs at this point is they’re on a two-game winning streak and have surpassed last year’s victory total of three.

“We’re excited to play,” SDSU coach Chuck Long said. “We have an upbeat practice tempo going. Guys are really starting to gel and really enjoy being around each other. We've had a great time with this team all year.”

But after nine years of the Mountain West Conference, they are still the conference’s only team never to appear in a bowl game during that time.

As for the Poinsettia Bowl, look for a match-up between Navy (6-4) and Utah (7-3). Navy has already accepted a bid to the game.

BYU (7-2) will win the Mountain West and go to the Las Vegas Bowl. That leaves Utah and New Mexico (7-3) as the leading contenders for the Poinsettia Bowl, but Utah has a much better “name” than the Lobos.

The Aztecs will be on the outside looking in, but what’s new?

This week’s prediction:

Air Force 27, SDSU 23