Yep, they don't get any respect. Over the last few years they merely have the best record in major college football, but they never get a chance to play for the national championship.
Their schedule is too weak, you say? Maybe, but after their conference commitments, there's only so many games left, and they can only play other schools that are willing to play THEM. You won't see college football powerhouses getting in line to play these guys because, frankly, I think they're scared to death of them. Getting beat by a "small-market" team would plunge them in the polls and likely cost them a lot of money when the end-of-season farce that's called the "bowl system" comes into play.
Tough competition? In 2006 they had a crack at Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. They beat them. In 2009, they got TCU, then ranked #3 or 4 in the country in the same Fiesta Bowl. They beat them. What do these guys have to do to get a shot at a national championship?
Now the Big East conference is about to lose some teams and they've extended an invitation for Boise State to come on board. But that's only for football. All their other athletic programs aren't welcome. Back to the Rodney thing. So what will happen if they take the offer? Their conference "stature" will go up a notch and the plane rides will get a lot longer for them and other teams they get matched up against.
So they're movin' on up to the east side. Will they finally get a piece of the pie? Probably not. They're still from Idaho, which the TV people would hate when they consider their precious ratings, not to mention sponsors, aka the money people. And while coaches, writers, and computers supposedly calculate the rankings of college football teams, I highly suspect the TV execs quietly have a say-so too. Idle thought: Ever consider who may have programmed those computers in the first place?
Look at what's already happening. #1 Louisiana State is about to play #2 Alabama. Somebody has to lose, right? Yet the talking heads are already yammering about a rematch in the championship game. Okla St. is still unbeaten, as is Stanford, as are the Rodneys. There's something very wrong with that picture.
Then again, it's the SEC, aka Super Enormous Conference, or maybe Stupendous Economic Clout. Some of those schools might have larger student populations than the whole state of Idaho. Hell, for that matter, if a few of their boosters got together, and pooled their resources, they could probably BUY Idaho. This is not lost on the TV people. Trust me.
So it is what it is and alas, I fear my beloved Rodneys will continue to be disrespected no matter what they do.
People can make up all the reasons they want, but if BSU stays unbeaten, while others falter, the only way I'm going to be convinced they're not worthy of a title shot is if they get it, and get trashed. Only one way to find out.
The loser of Bama/LSU might get preferential treatment over an unbeaten team? Please. If for no other reason, ask yourself this. While watching the championship game, which would you rather have? A choice between a fine Idaho potato and a bowl of grits -- or a choice between a bowl of grits and another bowl of grits?
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