Weatherford Democrat

Sports

October 26, 2009

TCU passes Boise State in BCS race

NEW YORK (AP) — Boise State got bumped. TCU is now in position to be this season’s BCS buster — for now.

The Horned Frogs passed the Broncos on Sunday in the Bowl Championship Series standings, with TCU jumping two spots from last week and Boise State falling three.

Florida (.9726), Alabama (.9450) and Texas (.8927) held onto the top three spots. All are on course to reach the national championship game if they can remain undefeated. The Gators and Crimson Tide, Nos. 1 and 2 in the AP poll, could meet in the Southeastern Conference title game.

Unbeaten Iowa (.8249) moved up two spots to fourth place after beating Michigan State 15-13 with a last-play touchdown pass by Ricky Stanzi.

Fifth-place USC (.7944) also moved up two spots.

TCU (.7890) is sixth, a spot ahead of Boise State (.7752).

Cincinnati was eighth, the lowest of the unbeaten teams, with LSU and Oregon rounding out the top 10.

The big swing between the undefeated Broncos and Horned Frogs came after TCU won 38-7 at Mountain West Conference rival BYU (6-2) and Boise State won 54-9 at Western Athletic Conference rival Hawaii (2-5).

Those games caused a major shift in the computer rating and that put TCU ahead of Boise State, said BCS analyst Jerry Palm. But the Horned Frogs lead over the Broncos is far from safe.

“If those two teams keep winning, it’s going to go down to the wire,” Palm said in a telephone interview Sunday.

Neither the WAC or MWC has an automatic BCS bid for its champion, but in each of the last three seasons a team from one of those leagues has earned automatic entry by finishing in the top 12 of the final BCS standings.

Only one team from an non-automatic qualifying league can earn an automatic bid and it’s unlikely either would be taken as an at-large selection.

So while the Broncos and Horned Frogs don’t meet on the field this season, they are competing against each other in the BCS standings.

“We’ll see how the votes and the computers and all those people do that stuff and see how it turns out,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said after the Frogs’ ninth straight victory Saturday.

Boise State is ranked fifth in both the Harris poll and USA Today coaches’ poll.

TCU was seventh in the Harris poll, sixth in the coaches’ poll. The Horned Frogs made up the difference in the computer ratings, which accounts for a third of the BCS average.

A compilation of six computer ratings had TCU fourth in the country, Boise State eighth.

Palm said the computer ratings are volatile early in the season.

“Boise took a beating for playing Hawaii and Cincinnati took a beating for playing Louisville. At the end of the year, TCU is not going to be four spots ahead of Boise in the computers,” he said.

Ultimately, Palm said, the poll voters will decide between Boise State and TCU.

“Nobody should be making travel plans yet,” he said. “TCU is there this week but long-term they have to get better in the polls or they’re not going to stay.”

TCU has home games remaining against UNLV, Utah and New Mexico and road games left against San Diego State and Wyoming. The Frogs will be favored to beat all their MWC rivals, and heavily favored against all but Utah, which is 16th in the latest BCS standings.

That Utah game is key for TCU because Boise State has no opponent left on its schedule as good.

The Broncos have six games left against WAC foes San Jose State, Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Utah State, Nevada and New Mexico State.

TCU and Boise State did meet on the field last season and the Horned Frogs handed the Broncos their only loss with a 17-16 victory in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

Boise State played in the BCS after the 2006 season, beating Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime in a classic Fiesta Bowl.

Sports
  • WHS Teakell Roos pitching dominates Abilene

    Just a few weeks ago, Weatherford pitcher Trey Teakell recorded 15 strikeouts in a single game. On Friday, Teakell attempted that same feat, throwing a perfect game through six innings to help the Roos defeat Abilene, 3-0.

    March 20, 2010 1 Photo

  • Aledo Loftis pitch Aledo blanks Hornets, rolls to 3-0 district start

    Aledo starter Calvin Loftis did not need a lot of offensive support Friday, as the Bearcats visited Azle in a District 6-4A meeting.

    March 20, 2010 1 Photo

  • WHS soccer seniors Sports schedule - Week of Mar. 22

     

    Monday, March 22

     

    Tennis

    Weatherford at Robson Ranch Tourney, 8 a.m.

    March 20, 2010 1 Photo

  • Poolville Hall of Honor induction ceremony scheduled for Saturday

    The 2010 Poolville Athletic Hall of Honor class will be inducted on Saturday. Three outstanding athletes and two honor teams will make up the 2010 inductees.

    March 18, 2010

  • Sports briefs - March 19, 2010

     

    Coyotes split DH with Cisco nine

    Staff Report

    Weatherford College continued its early conference -season trend of splitting contests Wednesday, dropping the first game of a double header played at Cisco, but bouncing back in a pitcher's duel to take the nightcap, 2-1.

    March 18, 2010

  • 0318 whs-wallace pitch.tif Lady Roos blow past Abilene in district premier

    It was the delayed kickoff to the 2010 District 3-5A season, and the Weatherford Lady Roos were ready to go. Playing a day later because of wet field conditions, the Lady Roos pulled no punches, handily winning Wednesday night, 9-0, at Shirley Hall Middle Field.

    March 17, 2010 1 Photo

  • 0317 GSc WHS SrNite.tif Weatherford falls to Lady Elks on Senior Night

    With a playoff spot sewn us, as well as Senior Night and Spring Break week, the Weatherford Lady Roos had plenty of distractions floating around. Though the effort was there, the Lady Roos came up short against Burleson Tuesday night, 1-0, in Weatherford’s last home game.

     

    March 16, 2010 1 Photo

  • 0317 GabbyBruner shot.tif Peaster grad, SAGU headed to NAIA basketball tourney

    Little did Southwestern Assemblies of God basketball player Gabby Bruner know two years ago when signing her letter-of-intent to play for the Lady Lions, she might be thrust on the center stage of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Championship Tournament. But it is indeed a reality, as the SAGU ladies prepare to play in the first round of the tourney on Wednesday, in Jackson, Tenn.

     

    March 16, 2010 1 Photo

  • Woods will return to golf at Masters

    PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — For Tiger Woods, this figures to be a Masters like no other.

     

    March 16, 2010

  • Roos baseball, softball rescheduled

    Due to Tuesday's local weather, Weatherford High School baseball and softball games have been rescheduled.

     

    March 16, 2010

Community Calendar

Loading…
Events by eviesays.com

AP Video

Poll

Should Kay Bailey Hutchison resign her Senate seat, as she said she'd do while campaigning for the GOP gubernatorial nomination?

Yes
No
     View Results

Hyperlocal Search

Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide

House Ads