Polls don't matter. They don't matter in week 1, and they don't matter the final week of the season. Win all your games and you'll head to the BCS, whether you are LSU, Washington, Boise State, Utah or Louisiana-Monroe. The only true undefeated team I've ever seen get hosed by the BCS was the Tulane Green Wave, who went undefeated in 1998. What a heck of a team that was.
2004? Auburn got to play in the Sugar Bowl. That's my point... polls take care of themselves. 14-0 is 14-0.
But they did get hosed. Sure, they went to the Sugar, but that's just a glorified Cotton Bowl. They got left out of the Championship game, and that was a disappointment to them and that team.
I certainly understand your opinion and I totally see what you mean. If it were me, though, undefeated is undefeated. I believe they finished No. 2 (I'd have to look that up), and that's an incredible achievement. And that's what I mean.... when you hear "2004 Auburn" you immediately think of how they were undefeated, just like Tulane's 1998 team went undefeated and finished No. 7.
Finishing anywhere in the top ten is a huge accomplishment and something to be proud of, but when it's pounded into your head that "you win, you're in!", and it doesn't happen, it's a real let-down. All they could do was go undefeated, and they did. They had a Heisman candidate in Cadillac. They played in and won a championship game against a top-ten team (IIRC). What more can you do to earn the right to be considered for the championship? In truth, they never even had a chance to be number one, and it was because they lost to USC in either 2003 or maybe the year before...as if it somehow had anything to do with the 2004 squad.
As a Mississippi State fan, I can see how you might think this is an honor. But if you're after national championships, like LSU, Alabama, Auburn...well, coming in 2nd is poor consolation.
