Cincinnati fails to gain ground in BCS standings
November, 8, 2009
Nov 8
6:48
PM ET
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
I really thought Cincinnati would move up to No. 4 in the latest BCS standings after Iowa's loss.
Instead, TCU leapfrogged right past the Bearcats into the No. 4 spot, as Cincinnati stayed at No. 5. The Bearcats have the better computer rankings, and in fact are ranked third in the composite computer numbers, surprisingly two spots ahead of Texas. But TCU has the advantage in both human polls.
It looks like Cincinnati's near second-half collapse against UConn on Saturday may have indeed cost it some style points, at least with Harris Poll voters who jumped the Horned Frogs ahead this week. TCU won big this weekend, but it was over San Diego State, a team that is nowhere near as good as UConn.
Now you have to wonder if, even if Texas were to lose, Cincinnati could jump ahead of TCU for the BCS title game. The closing stretch of games for the Bearcats -- West Virginia, Illinois and Pitt -- will be much stronger than what TCU faces -- Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico. So maybe that would turn the tide in Cincinnati's favor in the court of public opinion.
TCU's best win this year is at BYU, which is No. 22 in the BCS standings this week. Cincinnati has beaten Oregon State (23) and South Florida (24) on the road. So you make the call.
Another disappointing showing in the BCS standings is Pitt. Though the Panthers are No. 9 in both BCS polls, they check in at N0. 12 in the overall standings, thank to some weak computer numbers (average computer ranking: 13th). Again, though, the Panthers have almost zero chance of getting an at-large bid at 10-2 and simply need to focus on winning the Big East.
South Florida, as mentioned earlier, is No. 24 and West Virginia is 25th, meaning half the Big East is represented in the BCS standings. Not bad for a league whose BCS merits was being debated in the offseason, huh?
I really thought Cincinnati would move up to No. 4 in the latest BCS standings after Iowa's loss.
Instead, TCU leapfrogged right past the Bearcats into the No. 4 spot, as Cincinnati stayed at No. 5. The Bearcats have the better computer rankings, and in fact are ranked third in the composite computer numbers, surprisingly two spots ahead of Texas. But TCU has the advantage in both human polls.
It looks like Cincinnati's near second-half collapse against UConn on Saturday may have indeed cost it some style points, at least with Harris Poll voters who jumped the Horned Frogs ahead this week. TCU won big this weekend, but it was over San Diego State, a team that is nowhere near as good as UConn.
Now you have to wonder if, even if Texas were to lose, Cincinnati could jump ahead of TCU for the BCS title game. The closing stretch of games for the Bearcats -- West Virginia, Illinois and Pitt -- will be much stronger than what TCU faces -- Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico. So maybe that would turn the tide in Cincinnati's favor in the court of public opinion.
TCU's best win this year is at BYU, which is No. 22 in the BCS standings this week. Cincinnati has beaten Oregon State (23) and South Florida (24) on the road. So you make the call.
Another disappointing showing in the BCS standings is Pitt. Though the Panthers are No. 9 in both BCS polls, they check in at N0. 12 in the overall standings, thank to some weak computer numbers (average computer ranking: 13th). Again, though, the Panthers have almost zero chance of getting an at-large bid at 10-2 and simply need to focus on winning the Big East.
South Florida, as mentioned earlier, is No. 24 and West Virginia is 25th, meaning half the Big East is represented in the BCS standings. Not bad for a league whose BCS merits was being debated in the offseason, huh?
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