There has been a lot of discussion about the Big East not belonging in the BCS and the Mountain West belonging, so I thought I'd check some facts on the two. These are only since 2005, when the MWC expanded to 9 teams and the Big East added teams to give it the current 8 teams.
Record in BCS games:
MWC 1-0
Big East 3-1
Top 25 teams at season's end:
MWC: 7
Big East: 8
Top 10 finishes:
MWC: 3
Big East: 4
Looking at each year individually, in only one of the four years did the MWC have a stronger top 25 finish than the Big East: 2008. 3 MWC teams were ranked at season's end, where only 1 from the Big East was. What the MWC has done without having easy access to the BCS and it's $$ is incredible. However, having ONE better season than the Big East does not mean that the MWC belongs and the Big East doesn't. One thing that the Big East does have more of than the MWC: balance. Since 2005, the MWC has only had 3 teams ranked at season's end (these are the only 3 that have been ranked at any time as well, even in-season): TCU and BYU both finished ranked 3 times, with Utah being ranked only 1 time. The Big East has had 4 different teams ranked at the end of the season (with 2 more teams that have been ranked at some point during the season, South Florida and Pitt): West Virginia 3 different times, Cincinnati and Louisville 2 times, and Rutgers one time. 6 different teams that have been ranked vs. 3. Only two Big East teams have never been ranked at any time over the past 4 years, compared to six MWC schools.
I agree the Big East does not deserve an auto-bid just because they are the Big East, but why does the MWC just because they have better teams AT THE TOP. RIGHT NOW. Even then, the Big Three has a relatively short track record. Utah was ranked earlier this year, only the second time in their ENTIRE history they have been ranked at some point in two consecutive seasons. TCU and BYU have done better with the consistency part, but neither has cracked the top 5 in that span.
That 6th auto-bid should go to the 6th highest ranked conference champ, not automatically to ANY conference's champion. Or better yet, no auto-bids at all. EVERY conference has to earn it EVERY year.
Very good. I think we overrate ourselves here in the MWC. The Big East does have more teams with better history than the MWC. And you are right with Utah's history. Over the last three decades they have been decent at best. TCU has not consistently been that good either. BYU has been consistently ranked but that is about it.
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