...and as much as fans of the BCS and opponents to the mid-major movement are cheering after that game (which included many UGA fans), I have mixed feelings about it. As a fan of a BCS-conference team, I guess there's some contentment to come from seeing an upstart mid-major lose after playing a slate of unimpressive conference opponents and rising to #3 in the nation while arguing they get no respect. But here are my two problems:
1) Though I am not a fan of a large, wide-format playoff in FBS college football, I am a fan of the plus-one format of BCS bowls. In other words, I like the idea of seeing the top 4 teams play in major bowls at the end of the season and then seeing a championship game a week later from the two winners. I know it is problematic. One problem will be how to get fans to the semi-final game across the country knowing that they have to spend a ton of money and time to get there and knowing that they could be missing out on "the big game" in favor of (what will end up being) a more forgettable consolation game. In turn, the "consolation" bowls won't like this set-up as it reduces the significance of the game and may mean they don't get many fans out to the game. Second, to the extent there is now controversy about a 3rd or 4th team deserving to be in the national title game, but being left out unfairly, there will also be controversy about a 5th or 6th team who get left out of the "Final Four" unfairly. That is a given. But that is an argument for another day. The truth is that, more often than not, there is a controversy over who deserves to be in the final game, and whether or not the final combatants are truly the best teams in the country. And I think a plus-one format will give us a "truer" national champion without having to overhaul the BCS or bowl formats and without diminishing the importance of the regular season.
However, with Boise eliminated, there seem to only really be two, maybe three, teams that have an argument that they deserve to be in the national title game. Thus, it lends more credence to the argument that no playoff, in any shape or form, is necessary and that the system works. With two undefeated and impressive mid-majors loudly protesting their cause, a plus-one system gets more attention and actually looks like a perfect fit. But TCU (as a twin of Boise in almost every shape and form - except perhaps in the x's and o's) loses just as Boise loses. It hurts their credibility when a similarly-situated mid-major takes such a severe blow. And now, who would get the 4th spot? The 5th (now 4th) team is LSU (assuming they beat Arkansas, and if they don't - it throws an ever bigger wrench into things), but they won't even win their conference and they already lost to one of the other 3 teams in the regular season (Auburn). Is that right? Same with Stanford, who already lost to Oregon. Then you've got Wisconsin, who - again - may not even win their conference unless they get the right votes.
In the end, Boise's loss hurts the plus-one movement. So, in my opinion, that is one negative.
2) The other negative is unique to Georgia fans. Boise NOT going undefeated brings the big Chik-fil-A Kickoff Classic down a notch. Though Boise is truly a better team than they were when Georgia beat them in 2005, they will now, fairly or not, be called "pretenders" on the national stage. So, instead of Georgia facing the mid-major juggernaut that, despite going undefeated, was unfairly trampled on by "the man" at the end of the 2010 season, they will be facing the "pretender" that was exposed as being simply another, cute, upstart lower-tier team that clearly has no place among the big dogs. Fair or not, hyperbole or not, that will be the general feeling in the offseason. In other words, no matter what, I don't think a Georgia win will be considered an upset. I don't even think a win over a #9 Boise State (just guessing at their preseason ranking) would be as impressive to most pundits as a win over a #22 Mississippi State or a #18 Florida. If Boise had gone undefeated and started the year in the Top 5 again, I think it does. At the least, it would be considered far more impressive.
It is still a big game to start the season for Georgia. But it won't have the same feel and anticipation as it would if Boise had been undefeated this season. If Nevada can beat them, what's the big deal, right? So, that's a little bit of a bummer. But I will still be fighting for tickets and will love getting a chance to go to that game!
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