November 5, 2009

Rivals.com Staff

At the College Football Roundtable each week, we ask members of the coverage staff for their opinions about a topic in the sport.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Can you see a scenario whereby a one-loss Oregon team should pass an unbeaten Boise State team in the BCS standings?

My usual view is that a victory on the field settles the issue. But I can see where Oregon should move ahead of Boise State. True, Boise State beat Oregon. That proved Boise was superior - on that day. That game was played Sept. 3. Since then, Oregon has developed into a powerful team that appears as good as any in the country. The Ducks' offense has rolled up at least 42 points in four of the past five games. QB Jeremiah Masoli didn't play in the game in which they didn't hit that mark. Hey, good teams often get better as the season progresses. A 27-point victory over USC proves Oregon has gotten significantly better since its season opener. At the same time, Boise State is playing a powder-puff schedule. The Broncos even struggled to defeat Tulsa, which recently lost by two touchdowns to SMU. If Boise State had beaten Oregon in October, I'd probably feel different. But now, I wouldn't object if Oregon moved ahead.

- OLIN BUCHANAN

Yes, I think a one-loss Oregon team could - and should - pass an unbeaten Boise State team in the BCS standings. I know Boise State beat Oregon, but you need to look at a team's entire body of work when assessing where it should be ranked. And there isn't a sane human on the planet who could conclude that Boise State's resume is more impressive than Oregon's. If each team wins out, the Ducks will have wins over the likes of USC, Utah, California, Stanford and Arizona. Boise State? The Broncos will have beaten Utah State, Hawaii, UC Davis, Fresno State, San Jose State and Miami University. Knowing that, how could you not rank Oregon ahead of Boise State?

- TOM DIENHART

Which should weigh more heavily, the head-to-head meeting or the body of work? Oregon shouldn't be ranked ahead of Boise State at this point of the season just because of the Ducks' win over USC. By the end of the regular season, if Oregon is ranked 11-1 and Boise State is 13-0, then it gets dicey. Oregon unquestionably will have the more impressive overall resume, with five BCS top-25 opponents on the schedule compared to Boise State's one. But what was the point of Boise State playing the game in the first place if it didn't merit some kind of reward? Detractors also will say Oregon has improved as the season went on, as if Boise State had absolutely nothing to do with the eight points the Ducks scored Sept. 3. Boise State proved itself against Oregon. It deserves to reap the rewards, which includes a higher ranking.

- DAVID FOX

I would rank Oregon ahead of Boise State right now. Boise State beat Oregon - and quite impressively. But that was Sept. 3. It's now Nov. 5. A ranking is a snapshot of the season, not of one game. For those who say Boise State should remain ahead of Oregon because the Broncos won the head-to-head matchup: Would you say the same thing if Boise were to lose a game? In that scenario, each team would have one loss and Oregon's still would be to Boise State. Let's get serious about the main difference between the teams: Boise State had a one-game schedule, and that one game was its opener. And that opener was a long time ago.

- MIKE HUGUENIN

I can understand the rationalization behind putting Oregon ahead of Boise State. Oregon redshirt freshman RB LaMichael James didn't play much in the Ducks' 19-8 loss to the Broncos, and the Ducks have improved as much as any team in the country since that season-opening fiasco. Who knows if Boise State would be undefeated if it faced the week-in, week-out grind of a Pac-10 schedule instead of feasting on overmatched WAC opponents after that victory over Oregon? So, yes, I can understand the argument. I just can't agree with it. Boise State has a better record than Oregon and won the head-to-head matchup. That head-to-head result has to count for something, no matter how early in the season it came. There's no way I could vote Oregon ahead of Boise State.

- STEVE MEGARGEE