Yes, you are correct. And yall are going to love this. This excerpt is from the latest edition (2011) of "Death to the BCS" by Dan Wetzel, Josh Peter and Jeff Passan: Good... freaking... Lord. The book doesn't address the most obvious question, which is how the hell this guy is even included in the computer polls in the first place.
That old crazy coot Billingsley had LSU #2 and USC #3 in the final computer poll, and that catapulted LSU past USC, allowing us to play OU for the title.
The early 2000s saw a great many changes to computer polls, adding and removing a couple formulas on a yearly basis. Basically the idea was to deemphasize margin of victory in the computers. Computers that emphasized MoV were phased out in favor of those that ignored it. Someone might have gotten their feelings hurt or something. Getting the most accurate formulas were never the consideration; finding reasonably accurate formulas which were considered to be politically correct was the goal.
Come on, there's got to be a place for a crazy old coot from Oklahoma in the BCS formula somewhere... He does sound like someone who'd be great to drink beers with. :grin:
3. No conference title? No problem!: Nebraska backs into Miami beating Mike Bellotti and Oregon had reasons to shout about not making the 2001 title game. Throughout the 2001 season, Nebraska looked like an outstanding team led by eventual Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Eric Crouch. Then it got pummeled 62-36 in the regular-season finale at Colorado, which knocked the Cornhuskers out of the Big 12 title game. Nebraska ended the regular season ranked No. 4 in both polls, while two-loss Colorado went on to win the Big 12 title game and finish the regular season ranked third in both polls. One-loss Oregon finished No. 2 in both polls. Yet the BCS formula, which doesn't account for the timing of a defeat, somehow spit out the Cornhuskers as unbeaten Miami's lunch, er, opponent. Oregon went on to crush Colorado 38-16 in the Fiesta Bowl, while Miami manhandled Nebraska 37-14. Note: The system was changed the following year. [ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3403882"]BCS system leaves long trail of wounded victims - College Football - ESPN[/ame]
5. Texas politickin': Brown lobbies for poll promotion over California Jeff Tedford and Cal felt the BCS sting We're a country divided into red states and blue states, so why shouldn't that carry over to college football? In 2004, Texas coach Mack Brown kissed babies, shook hands and openly pleaded for pollsters to promote his Longhorns (AP No. 6, ESPN/USA Today No. 5) past California (AP No. 4, ESPN/USA Today No. 4). When the Bears won "only" 26-16 in their season-finale at Southern Miss, Brown got enough superdelegate switches to swipe Cal's Rose Bowl berth. The postscript? Texas quarterback Vince Young then posted the first of two BCS bowl performances for the ages, in a dramatic Rose Bowl win over Michigan, and the despondent, injury-riddled Bears laid an egg in an embarrassing Holiday Bowl loss to Texas Tech. Note: The above link works, it just looks weird
