BYU no longer in BCS consideration
| • | UH-BYU fame facts |
By Tim Korte
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Have fun at Graceland, BYU fans.
What seemed increasingly likely the past two weeks is official after the latest BCS standings were released yesterday: BYU won't squeeze into a Bowl Championship Series game.
The Cougars (12-0) are No. 12 for a second straight week, meaning they remained eligible for an at-large BCS invitation.
However, coach Gary Crowton said BCS officials notified him late yesterday that the Cougars were released from BCS consideration, eliminating even a remote chance that BYU could still qualify.
Crowton said the situation "really aggravates me" because BYU hasn't concluded the regular season. The Cougars can finish with a 13-0 record by defeating Hawai'i on Saturday.
"From a motivational standpoint, I think that it's really not a very fair way to do it," Crowton said. "It's almost like they want you to be demoralized, so you don't win and it takes pressure off them."
BCS officials couldn't be reached for comment.
As the Mountain West champion, BYU is going to Memphis, Tenn., to play Louisville in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31.
"It's going to be fun," BYU athletic director Val Hale said. "We'll have a good time and make the most of it."
Before being released, BYU could have reached a BCS game only through a bizarre decision by a network television executive or a bowl committee willing to invite the Cougars to the Sugar or Orange Bowl.
If you're a BYU fan, here's the problem.
Miami, the only Division I-A undefeated team other than the Cougars, is top-ranked in the BCS standings and headed to the national title game at the Rose Bowl against either No. 2 Tennessee or No. 3 Nebraska.
The Fiesta Bowl was BYU's best hope for a BCS game, but it's locked up with No. 4 Colorado and No. 5 Oregon. The Cougars needed one of those teams to reach the Rose Bowl, but Nebraska is blocking the way.
The Mountain West doesn't have an automatic berth for the eight BCS slots, like the Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-10, SEC and ACC. Another of BYU's liabilities was a schedule that, according to the BCS computer, ranks 105th among 117 teams.
"They can say what they want about our schedule," Hale said. "The fact is that if we go 13-0, we belong at their party and they know it."
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BCS STANDINGS
• Cornhuskers rise: Nebraska is perhaps on the verge of its greatest comeback ever thanks to the Bowl Championship Series standings.
The Cornhuskers, all but out of the national title chase after a 62-36 loss to Colorado on Nov. 23, would play No. 1 Miami in the BCS championship game if LSU beats Tennessee on Saturday.
The BCS standings confirmed as much yesterday, ranking Miami first, Tennessee second and Nebraska third — ahead of fourth-place Colorado, the team it lost to by 26 points — and fifth-place Oregon.
LSU (8-3) plays Tennessee (10-1) for the Southeastern Conference title on Saturday.
Miami (11-0) has 2.50 points in the BCS rankings, Tennessee (10-1) 4.79 points, Nebraska (11-1) 8.39 points, Colorado (10-2) 9.88 points, and Pac-10 champion Oregon (10-1) has 10.44 points.
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BOWL INVITATIONS
• Louisiana Tech in Humanitarian Bowl: Louisiana Tech, which won the Western Athletic Conference in its first season as a member, accepted an invitation yesterday to play in the Humanitarian Bowl on Dec. 31. The Bulldogs (7-4) will face an undetermined at-large opponent.
• Texas in Holiday Bowl: Tenth-ranked Texas (10-2) accepted an invitation to play No. 20 Washington (8-3) in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28.
• Kansas State in Insight.Com Bowl: Kansas State accepted an invitation to the Insight.Com Bowl yesterday, giving the Wildcats their ninth straight bowl appearance. Kansas State (6-5) will play Syracuse (9-3) on Dec. 29 in Phoenix.
