RT @uscmissinglink @PeteCarroll I second that emotion. USC vs. Boise would be awesome! (Though, who knows, it may be this yr’s Fiesta Bowl.)
RT @uscmissinglink @PeteCarroll I second that emotion. USC vs. Boise would be awesome! (Though, who knows, it may be this yr’s Fiesta Bowl.)
That would not be awesome. It would not be awesome to have a USC vs. TCU game either. There’s no glory in beating a non-BCS school and moreover, losing to a non-BCS school would be impossible to live down (e.g. Oklahoma, Alabama). It’s a lose-lose for the Trojans on this one. We should rather hope for a USC vs. Texas, Alabama, Florida match-up which will be an option if the Trojans don’t choke against UCLA or Arizona. Actually USC’s last 4 games are no joke ASU, Stanford, UCLA and Arizona.
Oops, I actually meant to delete this post from the blog, because without the Twitter context, it doesn’t make sense. I wasn’t saying a Fiesta Bowl matchup would be “awesome” — I was responding to @uscmissinglink’s suggestion to @PeteCarroll that USC should schedule a regular season game in 2011 against Boise at the Coliseum, and saying that would be awesome.
I agree with you that, from the Trojans’ perspective, a Fiesta Bowl this year vs. Boise would NOT be awesome (although, from Boise’s perspective, in terms of trying to gain credibility heading into a possible legit title run in 2010-11, it certainly would… provided they win, of course).
By the way — there’s almost no way USC-Texas, USC-Alabama, or USC-Florida can happen. The Sugar Bowl will take Alabama or Florida (whoever isn’t in the BCS title game), and then they have LAST pick to choose AL/FL’s opponent, so they’ll end up with either the Big East champ or Boise/TCU. It’s a shame: if the selection order (after the “host bowls” replaces the #1 and #2 teams) was Sugar-Fiesta-Orange this year, instead of Orange-Fiesta-Sugar, it could happen. But it isn’t, so it can’t.
As for Texas, well, the Fiesta Bowl will obviously have to take Texas if the Longhorns are Big 12 champs, but not in the BCS title game. And they pick second-to-last, so they, too, will end up with either the BE champ or Boise/TCU. The only way USC-Texas could happen would be… actually… I can’t think of any way it could happen, in any bowl, since neither the ACC champ nor the Big 12 North champ are going to the title game, obviously. I think, actually, the only conceivable location for a USC-Texas rematch would be… the Rose Bowl?!? If Oregon either loses 3 of its last 4, or else goes to the BCS title game, such that USC is Rose Bowl-bound… and Texas loses the Big 12 title game… and meanwhile Iowa goes to the BCS title game, and no other Big Ten teams are BCS-eligible (PSU loses 2 of 3, Wisconsin loses, OSU isn’t Top 14 after losing to Iowa)… maybe the Pasadena peeps pick Texas to replace Iowa for the Rose Bowl against USC. But that’s an awful lot of unlikely things that would have to happen. In all likelihood, if USC makes it to a BCS bowl, they’ll be playing either the ACC champ in the Orange Bowl or Boise/TCU in the Fiesta Bowl.
I don’t think the Sugar Bowl gets last pick this year. I think the host of the BCS championship game gets last pick, so it should be the Rose Bowl that picks last this year. So that would mean they automatically get the Big-10 champion, Ohio St. vs. The all but certain Pac-10 champion Ducks. But of course, Oregon could Quack the table and end up in the BCS championship opening the At-large bid in the big game which of course would go to a 2-loss USC team. Of course, IF the Rose Bowl really gets last pick, then there’s a good chance that we could FINALLY see USC play a different bowl game besides the tired USC Rose Bowl.
I’m actually torn on whether to root FOR or AGAINST Oregon, whichever I choose, I will have to root harder than ever before, because it will take 3 losses (out of 4 games) to move USC ahead of them, or 4 consecutive wins and an 11-1 season to push Oregon into the title game (and some BCS magic along the way). The odds are stacked so high against the Pac-10 champion it really doesn’t seem fair, especially considering that the P10 is the best conference this season.