AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 16
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Will Hawaii get any love?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last season Boise State beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in one of the greatest games these old eyes have ever seen. When it was over and Boise was 13-0, fans asked why the undefeated Broncos didn’t at least get a sniff at the national championship.
So we have to ask: Will those same folks rally to support Hawaii?
The Warriors were 11-3 last season, losing to Alabama, Boise State, and Oregon State. The way the schedule sets up, June Jones and the gang have a pretty good shot at going 12-0. And with a quarterback like Colt Brennan, who threw for an incredible 5,549 yards and 58 touchdowns last season, Hawaii will stay on the national radar as long as they are winning.
But there is a problem. The schedule is an absolute mess with a pair of non-conference games against Division I-AA Northern Colorado (1-10 in 2006) and Charleston Southern (9-2 in the Big South). The Warriors have only one game against a BCS school in Washington, which was 5-7 last season. They also travel to UNLV (2-10 in 2006).
Will 12-0 against that schedule get Hawaii into a BCS game?
No, no, a thousand times no.
It’s not all Hawaii’s fault. After Brennan lit up Purdue for 433 yards passing in a 42-35 win last season, other teams wanted no part of Hawaii. Michigan State paid $250,000 to get out of a trip to Honolulu this season and as a result the Warriors have only 12 regular season games. Hawaii is allowed to play 13 regular season games by the NCAA.
ESPN tried to put together a game between Hawaii and Michigan at Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines would not go for it.
So Brennan is going to roll up some huge numbers and make his case for the Heisman Trophy. But the BCS formula is going to absolutely crush these guys when it comes out in October.
This is why it’s tough being a little guy in Division I-A football. As long as you’re bad, you can get all the games you want with the big boys. But if you have the audacity to get good and starting beating the big schools, the BCS conferences won’t return your phone calls.
So let me ask you. If Hawaii just kills every team it plays and goes 12-0, should the Warriors go to a BCS bowl?
