Will the MAC take the Big East's automatic BCS bid?

[Ohio Dem]

Northern Illinois beat Alabama today. NIU also beat Maryland this year.

Marshall beat Kansas State today. KSU was sixth in one poll.

Toledo beat Pitt today. Pitt was ninth in one poll.

Bowling Green gave Ohio State a very competitive game. OSU was fourth in one poll. BGSU had the number one offense in the nation going into today's game. BGSU already beat a ranked Purdue team this year.

Is the MAC a for-real conference? Will they get the Big East's automatic BCS bid when Miami and Virginia Tech bolt at the end of this year? I think that the MAC is a better conference at this point than the Big East, if you pretend Miami (who looked very good tonight) and Va Tech (nice win on Thursday, in a - get this - hurricane) aren't in the conference. Other than those two schools, I gotta tell you I'm not impressed with the Big East.

Edited to change the subject line into something more representative of what the thread is about.

[ryharrin]

1. We'll get some more schools in there.

Syracuse is looking up after todays win. WVU should be pretty good. And hopefully Pitt just overlooked Toledo, and will do better next week. If we pick up two schools from one of the smaller conferences (Toledo or Marshall or Northern Illinois would be just fine), we'll be right back in it. Oh, and just so you know, I'm a lifelong Syracuse fan who was waiting longingly for basketball season until todays solid win against UCF.

[Ohio Dem]

2. OK, here's the thing:

Well, you kinda make my point. UCF's only victory this year was a close 33-29 game against a non-division 1-A school. By contrast, Va Tech, who is leaving the Big East, beat UCF 49-28.

So saying that the Big East is fine because Syracuse (one of the better of the leftover Big East teams) beat one of the poorer MAC schools seems silly.

I agree that adding a couple of the better MAC teams would help, but it might make more sense for a couple of the better remaining Big East teams to join the MAC.

On edit: I forgot. WVU should be good? Um, no. They are and will continue to be horrible. Even the WVU fans I know realize this. Maryland (who lost to NIU) stomped them today. Wisconsin (who got beat by BYU at home) beat them in Morgantown. Cincinnati (who was tied with - wait for it - Temple at the half, though I don't know how that game turned out) beat them in Morgantown. It doesn't look good for WVU this year.

Second edit: I think Cincinnati pulled it out against the Owls today.

[Hubert Flottz]

9. No it doesn't look good for WV DAMN IT!

WVU lost some great players last year! They are too stuck up to play Marshall, but the day in going to come when they have to do it! If it was this year Marshall would kill them! WV has serious O & D line troubles! Quincy Wilson ran wild last year, but the holes are not there anymore! Gawd I miss Lance Nimmo and Avon Coburne! It's going to be a LOOOOOOOOONG season for WV, but I look for Marshall to hang tough from yesterday on! Marshall played the Vols tough and the Vols went and whipped Florida yesterday! Being from WV I'd LOVE to see Marshall become the 'Beast Of The East'!

The fact that Avon Coburne went to the lions as a free agent SUCKS! It ain't fair!

[Ohio Dem]

3. Oh, and Miami (OH) beat Colorado State today by 20.

Wasn't CO State ranked at the beginning of the season? If so, and I'm pretty sure they were, why? Why no ranked MAC teams?

That's the problem with rankings. The voters don't know what the hell they're talking about until a few games get played.

[sasquatch]

4. The MAC is looking better than the Big East

I think Marshall and scholarship restrictions have made this happen.

[Ohio Dem]

5. You have them backwards, but you're right.

Scholarship restriction are what made Marshall possible.

[sasquatch]

6. True

The same with Miami of Ohio

[Ohio Dem]

7. One could argue that scholarship restrictions made

Schools like Miami of Florida possible. Back in the old days, the Michigans and Nebraskas and Alabamas and Ohio States and Oklahomas of the world would give out hundreds of scholarships. If nothing else, it kept good players from going elsewhere. Those players actually get to play somewhere now.

[sasquatch]

8. Good Point