THE WINDS OF CHANGE
IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE BCS BUSTERS, THE NCAA SHUFFLED 12 TEAMS
Every year, it seems as though there are a host of non-BCS teams in weak conferences who finish the season either undefeated or with one loss, and look to gain a BCS bowl bid at the end of the year...but it's always filled with controversy. Should an undefeated non-BCS team get in over a one-loss BCS team? How important is each team's strength of schedule? Is the non-BCS team really as good as everyone thinks they are, or are they simply the benefactors of a weak conference? This year, the NCAA took steps to reduce the end-of-season controversy by making changes to a total of five conferences.
In the Big Ten, Notre Dame will join the fray in 2010 after years of speculation that the Fighting Irish would eventually join the conference. Notre Dame joins Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan as the cream of the crap in what some refer to as one of the weaker BCS conferences in the nation alongside the Big East. The Fighting Irish will replace Indiana, who will look to rebuild their football program as an independent school this season. The freedom of not being locked into a conference schedule will allow the Hoosiers to schedule weaker opponents, which should lead to better records, and brighter recruiting classes.
In the Pac-10, perennial BCS buster Boise State joins the west coast powerhouse teams of USC, UCLA, Cal, and Oregon. For years, the Broncos have been a yearly favorite to gain a BCS bowl bid at the end of the season, but their weak conference schedule has always been a major point of discussion. If Boise St. can continue their success in the Pac-10, they'll gain the respect of the entire country, and finally get a shot at appearing in a national title game. Washington State will replace the Broncos in the WAC. The Cougars will have a good shot at competing in the weaker conference, with teams like Fresno St. and Hawaii sitting atop the WAC.
The Big XII got the biggest conference makeover, moving a total of three teams from the Mountain West. TCU joins perennial national title favorites Texas and Oklahoma in the Big XII South, while Baylor will now become perhaps the best team in the Mountain West. In the north, Utah and BYU will replace Colorado and Iowa State, adding some firepower to the traditionally weaker division of the Big XII.
Finally, the UCF Golden Knights joined in-state rivals Florida in the SEC East, while mediocre Vanderbilt will have a chance to excel in the C-USA.
With the new conference alignment set, the BCS action is sure to be intense in 2010.