Here We Go Again...

You would think by the year 2008, we would have figured out the problems of college football and the BCS catastrophe that we are going to see and have seen the past few years. So as Ball State just gets the (so far) biggest win in school history over a top 30 team in Central Michigan at Central, we actually lost ground on the AP Poll and will probably lose more ground in the BCS poll. I cannot not tell you how frustrating this is to not only me, but I think I can speak for the the entire campus of Ball State, the football team, and the alumni. It now appears that with Ball States remaining schedule of Western Michigan (a top 30 team) and if they win that game will play against Buffalo (a rising team) in the MAC Championship game in December. This as we all know, will place their record at 13-0. Does Ball State have as tough a schedule as Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, or even Alabama. Of course not, but if we run the table, we will still have beaten every team we played. We cant help who we play in the conference, and let me just say the MAC has put up great performances this year against BCS conference schools. Ball State defeated Indiana, Toledo defeated Michigan, Ohio gave Ohio State a good game, Akron beat Syracuse, Bowling Green defeated Pittsburgh, and I could go on and on. Could it be time to put the MAC Conference in the BCS....maybe. Is it a coincidence that ESPN and ESPN2 allow there Tuesday and Wednesday night games be showcases for MAC schools? If you look at the ratings they have achieved as well. (There better than you would think) And, god bless them, the MAC is trying to get better competition to play them, but like Hawaii in the past years, many large schools don't want to play them for fear of losing to them. Ball State has booked Auburn for next year, and South Florida in 2010 and 2011, both in there respective BCS conferences. Western Michigan will play Michigan, Indiana, and Michigan State in non-conference play as well.  

With all those facts, lets get to my real argument, and that argument is that it appears that Ball State will be a team "on the outside looking in" as they say it. With Utah winning against BYU and Boise State only needing to defeat Fresno State next weekend, they look primed to take the two non-conference at large bids. It appears the only hope that Ball State has now is to make the top 12 in the BCS and hope for the best that we picked over teams like Georgia, Ohio State, and Miami (FL). All teams we could beat this year, I think. I still think the chance is their because a BCS rep from the Orange Bowl was in Muncie to watch a game. My personal opinion, he wouldn't show up at the game if BSU had no chance at all. I dont agree that some conferences get automatic bids, such as Miami (FL) primed to make a bowl game if it wins the very weak ACC, and Cincinnati gets a bid because they won the Big East. How about the Oregon State Beavers who are currently 8-3 will most likely play Penn State in the Rose Bowl because they won the Pac-10. Or how about what sickens me the most is the fact that Notre Dame could get a better bowl bid than Ball State. I could write a 10 page paper on why thats wrong, but thats for another time. Where do we draw the line in selecting teams for bowl bids. Ball State works their asses off, could go 13-0, and they get a spot in the Motor City Bowl for there accomplishments?! Sounds like a slap in the face to me. I dont know about you, but I would love to see BSU against a team like Utah or Texas Tech in a major game. No, we dont have quite the fan base of major conferences, but I GUARANTEE you that we can match the passion those teams have. Fans and players alike. We lost arguably our best player on the team against Indiana in Dante Love, and BSU has been playing just as well (if not better) since the injury to Love. 

I know I am just one former student writing this, but to all you BCS reps....Please give Ball State a chance, instead of giving Ohio State another BCS berth where, like the last 3 years, they have been embarrassed. We are not like Hawaii who lost to Georgia 42-10 in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. We may be a small school, but we can play with the best of them...if you would just give us a chance. GO CARDINALS!!