If your betting on NCAA Football this year you must have Bet Jamaica on your list of sportsbooks! Check out the rolling wager option so you never miss a game again!
Cinderella Teams For this Year!
It was a magical game for everyone except Oklahoma Sooners fans.
When Ian Johnson reached the end zone after Jared Zabransky made the Sooners defense bite to the right on a two-point conversion, the Boise State Broncos capped a 12-0 regular season with a Fiesta Bowl win as 7-point underdogs.
The upset was good news for all schools from the non-BCS conferences. It confirmed the quality of teams that can be found outside the nation’s six biggest conferences and it reminded the BCS committee how much the public loves a Cinderella story.
Now that our appetite has been whetted, we want more of the same in 2007. Who are the most likely candidates to crash the BCS party and upset a major school?
It won’t be an easy path. Only 10 schools play in BCS bowls and bigger programs will always have an edge in securing the at-large bids. That leaves a narrow window of opportunity for a small school, which has to be the highest-rated champion of a non-BCS conference and either ranked in the top 12 or ranked in the top 16 and ahead of any BCS conference champ.
Thanks to the perception of weak schedules in the smaller conferences, a single loss in conference play could be enough to keep a smaller school out of the BCS picture.
With all that said, here are the viable candidates for BCS glory from the non-BCS conferences:
The favorite
1. Hawaii Warriors, WAC
Hawaii has a record-breaking quarterback, a lethal home island advantage and one of the cushiest schedules imaginable.
Colt Brennan’s ridiculous numbers are a product of June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense, sure, but the guy’s more talented than many suspect. If the Warriors unearth a stud runner to replace Nate Ilaoa, look out.
Hawaii’s biggest tests are in November, starting with a night game in Reno in much cooler conditions than the Warriors are used to. Then they host Boise State and Washington who have to be wary of falling victim to local hospitality like so many opponents in the past. The Warriors are 40-11 in games played on the islands over the past six seasons.
Synopsis: Best shot at going undefeated and the BCS committee has a crush on the WAC after 2006.
Other reasonable candidates
2. TCU Horned Frogs, Mountain West
TCU fans will say that the Frogs would beat the Warriors in a head-to-head meeting, but the teams aren’t on each other’s schedule so it’s a moot point.
The Frogs have a stacked defense capable of delivering a major upset. That’s good news, considering TCU visits Texas on Sept. 8. A win in Austin would set the tone for a BCS run, much like the Frogs’ win over Oklahoma to start the 2005 season spurred a sprint up the polls. TCU could’ve cracked the BCS that year (when there were only four BCS bowls) if the current system had been in place.
Synopsis: Maybe the best team in the bunch, but the more competitive conference poses a problem.
3. BYU Cougars, Mountain West
Thinking pessimistically for 2007, the Cougars lost a ton of talent at the skill positions from the team that almost went undefeated last year. If their offense isn’t prepared right away, they could start the season 0-3 after games against Arizona and at UCLA and Tulsa.
On the plus side, BYU is as close to a recruiting factory as it gets among non-BCS conference schools, so maybe the Cougars are reloading rather than rebuilding on offense. They also play their toughest MWC games at home.
Synopsis: New QB Max Hall has to duplicate John Beck’s 2006 performance for this to work.
Well, maybe…
4. Boise State Broncos, WAC
They did it last year and Johnson’s still in town, running Chris Petersen’s wacky offense down opponents’ throats. Unfortunately Johnson’s the lone returning starter among the skill positions and the defense took a major hit as well, especially at linebacker.
Boise State’s only BCS conference opponent is Washington, but unlike Hawaii, the Broncos have to travel to Seattle to face the Huskies. The Broncos also travel to Honolulu this season after barely beating the Warriors on the Smurf Turf in 2006.
Synopsis: The target on their backs and a less-friendly schedule prevent a repeat.
5. Utah Utes, Mountain West
The Utes aren’t favored to win the Mountain West because they face both TCU and BYU on the road and their 9-7 record in the MWC the last two seasons says Utah loses to weaker conference teams too.
But Utah could score bushels of points this year if the running game blooms and its killer non-conference schedule could be a blessing in disguise if they somehow go 3-0 against Oregon State, UCLA and Louisville. At least the Utes would avoid the “Yeah, but who’d they play?” questions that Hawaii will face if the Warriors go undefeated.
Synopsis: Utah will be an underdog in five of its 12 games and there’s a reason for that.
Don’t bet on these guys
6. Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, C-USA
Southern Miss has the best shot of winning C-USA, but parity rules throughout the conference and an undefeated run is unlikely.
The Golden Eagles went 8-0 in conference play in 2003 but lost its three games to then-BCS conference teams by a combined score of 89-19. Their only BCS conference test this year is a visit to Rocky Top on Sept. 8. If Southern Miss somehow beats Tennessee en route to an undefeated season, then it’s doable.
Synopsis: Even if it sweeps C-USA, Southern Miss needs the WAC and MWC big boys to falter.
7. Houston Cougars, C-USA
Houston is favored to take the West in C-USA but if the Cougars couldn’t crack the BCS with Kevin Kolb, how serious a threat do they pose without him?
Synopsis: Cougars need undefeated C-USA record and to upset Oregon and Alabama on the road.
8. Tulsa Golden Hurricane, C-USA
Tulsa could surprise in C-USA with a new coach, a new offense and a decent conference schedule. Quarterback Paul Smith is talented and could flourish under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
Synopsis: Have to beat BYU and Oklahoma in a six-day span in September... then sweep the conference.
.gif&AffUrlID=15)
