The Football Bowl Subdivision (NCAA Classification) is made up of 11 conferences and four independents … 124 teams make up the FBS. All of these teams must award 85 scholarships to keep that classification! Six of the conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, PAC 12, SEC, & Notre Dame) created another association within the FBS known as the BCS (Bowl Championship Series… not an NCAA Classification … but a construct by these institutions), their intent was to pit the # one ranked team against the # 2 ranked team each and every year. Essentially they were assuming that these teams would come from one of their six conferences! They were right … they have each and every year since 1998! So the math is … 69 programs (ACC, 12, Big 12, 10, Big East, 8 Big 10, 12, PAC 12, 12, SEC 14, & ND) make up the BCS ….. the remaining 55 (C-USA, 12, MAC 13, WAC, 7, MWC, 10, Sun Belt, 10 & Independents 3) FBS programs are outside looking in and hoping for a place at the table of plenty!
The BCS is coming to an end in 2014 … for any number of reasons. One of the perceptions is that the conferences and teams that make up the BCS are simply better than their FBS Brothern. Let’s put that to the test by examining the 2012 results!
The ACC vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 8-4: Boston College lost to Army 0-1; Clemson beat Ball State 52-21; Duke Beat Florida International 46-26 & Memphis 38-14, FSU did not play a Non -AQ opponent; G-Tech lost to Middle Tennessee 49-28 & BYU 41-17; Maryland did not play a Non AQ opponent; Miami did not play a Non AQ opponent; NC State beat South Alabama 31-7; North Carolina beat East Carolina 27-6 & Idaho 66-0; Virginia lost to Louisiana Tech 44-38; Va Tech beat Bowling Green 36-0; Wake Forest beat Army 49-37! Schedule Complete!
Big 12 vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 12-2: Baylor beat SMU 59-24 & Louisiana Monroe 47-42; Iowa State beat Tulsa 38-23; Kansas lost to Rice 25-24 & Northern Illinois 30-23; Kansas State beat North Texas 35-21; Oklahoma beat UTEP 24-7; Oklahoma State beat Louisiana Lafayette 65-24; TCU beat SMU 24-16; Texas beat Wyoming 37-17 & New Mexico 45-0; Texas Tech beat Texas State 58-10 & New Mexico 49-14; West Virginia beat Marshall 69-34;! Schedule Complete!
Big East vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 8-4: Cincinnati beat Miami of Ohio 52-14 & lost to Toledo 29-23; U-Conn beat U-Mass 34-0 & Buffalo 24-17 & lost to Western Michigan 30-24; Louisville beat Florida International 28-21 & Southern Mississippi 21-17; Pitt beat Buffalo 20-6; Rutgers beat Tulane 24-12 & lost to Kent state 35-23; South Florida beat Nevada 32-31 & lost to Ball State 31-27! Syracuse does not play a FBS Non-AQ; Two game left with Non AQ opponents Rutgers @ home vs Army 11/3/12 & Temple @ Army 11/17/12
Big Ten vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 20-5: Illinois beat Western Michigan 24-7 & lost to Louisiana Tech 52-24; Indiana beat U-Mass 45-6 & lost to Ball State 41-39 & Navy 31-30; Iowa beat Northern Illinois 18-17 & lost to Central Michigan 32-31; Michigan beat Air Force 25-31 & U-Mass 63-13; Michigan State beat Boise State 17-13, Central Michigan 41-7, & Eastern Michigan 23-7; Minnesota beat UNLV in OT 30-27 & Western Michigan 28-23; Nebraska beat Southern Mississippi 49-20 & Arkansas State 42-13; Northwestern did not play a Non AQ opponent; Ohio State beat Miami OH 56-10, Central Florida 31-16, & UAB 29-15; Penn State lost to Ohio 24-14 & beat Navy 34-7; Purdue beat Eastern Michigan 54-16 & Marshall 51-41; Wisconsin beat Utah State 16-14 & UTEP 37-26.
PAC 12 vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 11-5: Arizona beat Toledo in OT 59-38; Arizona State does not play an FBS Non AQ; California lost to Nevada 31-24; Colorado lost to Colorado State 22-17 & Fresno State 69-14; Oregon beat Arkansas State 57-34 & Fresno State 42-25; Oregon State beat BYU 42-24; Stanford beat San Jose State 20-17; UCLA beat Rice 49-24 & Houston 37-6; USC beat Hawaii 49-10; Utah lost to Utah State 27-20 in OT & beat BYU 24-21; Washington beat San Diego State 21-12; Washington State lost to BYU 30-6 & beat UNLV 35-27.
SEC vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 24-2: Alabama beat Western Kentucky 35-0 & Florida Atlantic 40-7; Arkansas lost to Louisiana Monroe 34-31 in OT & beat Tulsa 19-15; Auburn beat Louisiana Monroe 31-28 in OT & New Mexico State 42-7; Florida beat Bowling Green 27-14; Georgia beat Buffalo 45-23 & Florida Atlantic 56-20; Kentucky beat Kent State 47-14 & lost to Western Kentucky 32-31; LSU beat North Texas 41-14 & Idaho 63-14; Mississippi State beat Troy 30-24, South Alabama 30-10 & Middle Tennessee 45-3; Missouri beat Central Florida 21-16; Ole Miss beat UTEP 28-10 & Tulane 39-0; South Carolina beat East Carolina 48-10 & UAB 49-6; Tennessee beat Akron 47-26 & Troy 55-48; Texas A&M beat SMU 48-3 & Louisiana Tech 59-57; Vanderbilt beat U-Mass 49-7. Florida has Louisiana Lafayette to play!
Notre Dame vs Non AQ (Automatic Qualifiers) FBS Programs 2-0: beat Navy 50-10 & BYU 17-14.
BCS Conferences vs FBS Non AQ Teams: 85-22
ACC 8-4; Big 12 12-2; Big East 8-4, Big Ten 20-5; PAC 12 11-5; SEC 24-2; ND 2-0
So you decided …. 85-22 (BCS Teams win 8 out of every 10 games played against FBS Non AQ Teams) are the BCS 85 scholarship programs simply better than their Non-BCS/AQ FBS 85 scholarship programs?
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