Almost, three days have passed and the Fiesta Bowl pick of undefeated Boise State and TCU feels more and more like a slap in the face rather then an award of a great season. Besides that neither team will get to prove themselves against an automatic qualifying league this is a rematch of the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl that saw TCU win 17-16. The Fiesta Bowl has come out and said they wanted the two highest ranked teams, and to be getting two undefeated teams was a bonus.
However if they wanted the two highest teams they would have taken Cincinnati with their second pick. The Fiesta Bowl choose TCU as their replacement for losing Texas to the national title game --instead of ratings gold in Iowa-- then on the turn after the Orange to Iowa the Fiesta decided to take Boise because of their proximity. However, if the Fiesta was truthful in the highest ranked teams outside of the title game they would have taken Cincinnati who was number three instead of Boise State that is sixth.
Andy Staples from Sports Illustrated put it best:
Welcome to Glendale, home of the Separate but Equal Bowl. Great work, @insidethebc
Neither team is really excited about playing this game, but TCU coach Gary Patterson is putting on his best happy face by on about being in the their first ever BCS game:
"This is a fun time, I don't want to put a negative spin at all on it," Patterson said. "This is the first time we've been to one of these games. We've tried so hard to get to one of these games, so for me, I'm just excited to get a chance to be here. It's easier to get to one once you've been there because you've proven you can get there. So this is a stepping stone, just like we talked about climbing the mountain. The mountain's getting steeper and the air's getting thinner. That's OK, that's what you want."
Now one could argue that the non-BCS have earned their way by getting two schools in to the BCS and are being treated as equals. Which is why it should not be a big deal that the two are matchup each other, but rather the game should be looked at from a rankings stand point that puts the number four and six teams in the same game. Those are sentiments from the BCS that wants nothing to do with a playoff or give TCU --if they win-- an opportunity to speak out for a shot at the national title as Utah did last year after they destroyed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Instead the two are sat at the kiddies table for Thanksgiving dinner or if you prefer the 'Separate but Equal Bowl,' then for the smarty pants Plessy v. Ferguson.
The fact is not that this should be one of the better BCS bowl games, but is that instead of creating a matchup that the people want to see the BCS is just trying to prevent more perceived embarrassing loses handed down by a non-BCS towards a BCS teams. But, it is not like Ohio State, Notre Dame, or Oklahoma have not had their share of embarrassing loses. Boise State and TCU should have been given the opportunity to beat a team from an automatic qualifying league.