BCS Bowl Projections: Arkansas Razorbacks and Others Show System Is Broken

With the final BCS poll drawing near, bowl matchups are beginning to take form.

No team will be more disappointed when the bowls are announced than the Arkansas Razorbacks, besides maybe Boise State.

In a system that is broken, a team ranked third just a week ago has no chance of going to a BCS bowl. This despite their only two losses coming against the top two teams in the country.

Let’s take a look at some of the less deserving teams with a chance at a BCS bowl and why the system is to blame. 

Houston Cougars

Houston is one of two teams still undefeated in the FBS, and they should be commended for that.

Case Keenum has put up spectacular numbers and with a win over Southern Miss, the Cougars should be in line for a trip to the Sugar Bowl.

No one is trying to diminish Houston’s accomplishments, but when your top wins are against UCLA and Tulsa, should you really be rewarded with a BCS bowl?

Louisville Cardinals

Louisville finished the season at 7-5 (5-2) and is the leader in the clubhouse for the Big East championship and a BCS bowl.

Cincinnati and West Virginia both have 4-2 conference records. The Bearcats finish the season against Connecticut, and the Mountaineers finish the season at South Florida.

A three-way tie would most likely mean West Virginia gets the nod, but a Cincinnati loss would put Charlie Strong and the Cardinals in a BCS bowl. 

West Virginia Mountaineers

The legitimacy of an automatic qualification for the Big East has been questioned for years.

After Connecticut showed they clearly didn’t belong on the same field with Oklahoma last season, the cries grew louder.

This season, West Virginia could be the beneficiary of an undeserved BCS tie-in. The Mountaineers don’t have a win this season against a team currently ranked in the BCS Top 25.

At No. 23, West Virginia would be the sixth-ranked team in the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten. 

Big 10 Championship Loser

Both Wisconsin and Michigan State enter the first Big Ten Football Championship Game with 10-2 records. Could the loser of the game be able to find their way into a BCS bowl?

The Big Ten is likely to get two bids, but the loser of the Big Ten championship will more than likely end up in Orlando.

Michigan Wolverines

The more likely choice for the second Big Ten bid would be Michigan. Like Michigan State and Wisconsin, the Wolverines also sit at 10-2.

Unlike the loser of the Big Ten championship, Michigan is locked in at two losses. That, along with a large fanbase, should land them a BCS bowl.

Does a team with a weak schedule like Michigan really warrant a second Big Ten bid over a school like Arkansas?

Broken System

Under the current system, a conference is only allowed two teams in BCS bowls. There is no differentiation between the BCS National Championship Game and other BCS bowls.

Deserving teams have been left out of BCS bowls in the past due to this rule.

This season, the issue is very apparent. The SEC’s top two teams could end up playing for a national title, while Arkansas ends up in the Capitol One Bowl or AT&T Cotton Bowl.

Can we really justify putting an untested Conference USA school over them? Can we justify a seven-win Louisville team?

There’s a desire to represent all regions of the country in the top bowl games. The sacrifice in quality, though, may have finally become too much.