BuckeyeSoldier;979024; said:
Actually that seems pretty unlikely unless you think the rose would take a 3 loss michigan team..
kartaron;979026; said:
I dont see how... A 3 loss Michigan is going to be between 15-20 at the best... If Purdue or Penn St win out they could be ranked but I doubt they climb higher than Michigan... If Wisconsin beats Michigan it would probably just keep both of them unranked...and like someone said above, the pollsters are not going to play a 1 loss Oregon or undefeated Az St team against a 3 loss barely ranked team thats already lost badly to the ducks.
scooter1369;979035; said:
If The Bucks go to the Big Easy, I can't see the Rose Bowl taking scUM. They got prison raped by Oregon and no one wants to see that potential rematch.
Your collective points concerning the Rose Bowl may be sound - though the Rose Bowl and the Big 10 do go hand in hand, and there is a way that Michigan may get to go regardless.
The assumption stated above that Michigan would be ranked 15-20 at best isn't on as a sound a footing.
Right now Michigan is ranked in the top 12 in the BCS rankings. It is much likelier that they will the remaining two contests before The Game than that they would lose them. Their ranking only remains static if nobody above them from other conferences loses. I'd say that is highly unlikely, for Arizona State and Oregon must go head-to-head, two teams go in, only one remains. Georgia may be looking to sit well right now, but if they win through their game with Georgia Tech they likely face LSU. Either LSU falls, or Georgia does, most likely the latter. Likewise BC may end up facing off against Virginia Tech or - equally likely - find a way to lose against one of remaining challenges on their schedule, my money being on Clemson. Then of course you have the Oklahoma question, do they play for the championship against Kansas or Missouri? Two of the top 10 BCS teams would be putting their post-season bowl game on the line as it now stands, either way that match is scheduled. The collective fallout from the remaining schedule matchups and the championships games can conspire to solidify TSUN's position in the top 10 in the BCS, even with a loss to Ohio State in Ann Arbor.
Which leads me to this - how TSUN plays for the Roses.
Here is one way:
Oregon loses to Az. State, but Az. State then inexplicably fall apart against a resurgent USC with a healthy Booty at the helm. Oregon State, playing the game of their lives, dusts up Oregon's record yet more in the final game of the season.
So, at that point who would the Pac-10 champion be? And would the Rose really blink an eye over matching a 9-3, top-10 ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl against a Pac-10 champion that they did not get trounced by in the second game of their season? Or, would they elect to take the other door offered should Ohio State be destined to play in New Orleans for the Chanpionship? That is put Michigan up against whomsoever they please within the rules of BCS selections.
Also, should the Rose look past a 9-3 and top-10 ranked Michigan team there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that they would still be placed in one of the other BCS bowl games.