Articles about UH and the BCS

Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News writes about the lack of respect for UH in the human and robot polls.

The 9-0 Warriors, of the Western Athletic Conference, are the only remaining unbeaten not named Kansas. Off to their best start since 1925, they've won 20 of their last 21. That loss was to Oregon State in last year's regular-season finale, 35-32.

Ranked 13th in the Associated Press (media) polll, they need to finish in the top 12 of the final Bowl Championship Series standings to earn an automatic bid to a BCS bowl. They're 11th and 12th in the two polls that count (Harris Interactive, USA Today, respectively) but 16th in the BCS.

If you don't play in a BCS conference, legitimacy is always a debatable topic. And they're tied for 27th in computer average.

Jeff Shain of the Miami Herald writes how strength of schedule is affecting Hawaii's BCS ranking.

Critics say Hawaii should have scheduled tougher opponents. But what if none of the big boys wants to play you? As recently as this spring, the Warriors had only 11 confirmed dates after Michigan State paid $350,000 to back out of a visit. ESPN tried to set up a game between the Warriors and Michigan, but coach Lloyd Carr apparently shot it down.

''He wouldn't play us,'' Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier told The Honolulu Advertiser this summer. ``It would have been the opener.''

Instead, the Wolverines booked a game against Appalachian State. Worked out well, huh?

Frazier's scramble led him to contact a dozen schools available for Hawaii's remaining open dates in 2007. ''Every single AD wanted to do it,'' he said. ``There was opposition in the ranks.''

And here's an interesting quote from Florida coach Urban Meyer.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Hawaii is finding an easier time booking its 2008 schedule -- when record-setting Colt Brennan will be flinging passes in an NFLcamp.

The Warriors' opener, incidentally, takes them to Gainesville. Also worth noting: The Gators will not repay the favor. No return trip?

''I've been there [for games],'' UF coach Urban Meyer said this summer. ``If I have anything to do with scheduling -- and I do -- I'm not going to go there. I'll vacation there; I just won't play there.''

This, mind you, from the coach of the defending national champions. Not to mention part of the vaunted -- hey, just ask them -- Southeastern Conference.

The Warriors deserve better. At the very least, they shouldn't be made to suffer for others' insecurities.

Andrew Bagnato also writes about Hawaii's standing in the BCS rankings.

Palm said the Warriors can expect a bump in the computers if they beat 5-4 Nevada (that’s their record, not their height) and 9-1 Boise State. But the computers may hold their noses when Hawaii meets 3-7 Washington, its lone BCS-level opponent.

If Hawaii wins out, Palm gives the Warriors “better than a 50-50 shot” of finishing in the BCS Top 12, which would mean a guaranteed BCS berth, probably in the Sugar Bowl, for Colt Brennan and Co.

And MSNBC's Bryan Burwell has a great column about how ridiculous the BCS system is for determining a national champion.

The regular season has been a blast, but ultimately, the postseason is a fraud. We’ll spend the rest of the season waiting on are mistakes to happen, not greatness to be achieved. We’re waiting on spreadsheets to spit out confusing calculations on strength of schedules, or faceless voters to cast weekly ballots that are determined on whims and suppositions, regional and historic personal prejudices.

The BCS formula for determining a national champion is still too flawed. They think they have it right, but they’re not even close.

It doesn’t matter how the regular season works out, there will be at least three, maybe four more teams among this season’s elite teams who can justifiably lay claim to a spot in the championship mix. But the truth is, once again, someone is going to be left on the outside with no chance to compete for the BCS championship hardware.