[Oskee] Illini move up in BCS ranking...

[Mike Heins]

Quoting Robert Mingee (mingee at swbell.net):
> Yeah, given that many of the teams above us play each other, I'd say
> we've got a fair chance of moving into the top 12 for an at-large.
> However, there's no way we can go to the Rose Bowl, right?

Wrong.

> We finished tied with Michigan in conference record, and according to the tiebreak rules I saw here: 
> 
> http://bigten.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/102204aad.html
> 
> head-to-head is the first tiebreaker, and we lost to Michigan, so they go.

You are in the ancient days before the BCS. The Rose Bowl has nothing to
do with how you finish in the conference.

> I guess it depends on the definition of "eligible" in b.1, but I
> assume that to mean bowl-eligible, not BCS-eligible, since we're a
> conference with an "automatic" bid. My understanding is that if the
> conference champ goes to the BCS NC game, the tiebreak winner gets the
> automatic bid regardless of their BCS standing, so long as they are
> bowl-eligible. What if neither us nor Michigan finished in the top 12
> and OSU goes to the NC game? I can't believe that the Big Ten would
> fail to have a team in the Rose Bowl at all. I just don't see any way
> that anyone other than OSU or Michigan is going to play in the Rose
> Bowl. Am I missing something?

Yes, the BCS. The Rose Bowl doesn't have to take a Big 10 team at
all.

The more minor bowls have deals they have to honor with regard
to conferences, but sometimes that even is malleable. For instance,
if the Gator takes a Big East or ACC team this year, it has to
take Big 12 teams the next two years, as there is a "2 out of 4"
deal. Other bowls have other agreements.

-- 
Mike Heins
Perusion -- Expert Interchange Consulting    http://www.perusion.com/
phone +1.765.647.1295  tollfree 800-949-1889 <mike at perusion.com>

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90%
how I react to it. And so it is for you... we are in charge
of our attitudes. -- Charles Swindoll