AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 16 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USWill 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?
Comments
By hjjh
August 16, 2007 8:17 AM | Link to this
NO!
By BadDawg
August 16, 2007 8:31 AM | Link to this
Good thing Hawaii doesn’t have Tech on their schedule, that would really hurt their strength of schedule.
By somesuchdaw'g
August 16, 2007 8:58 AM | Link to this
Hawai’i is probably the best team in the c**. The Bell Tolls FOUR all who challenge JSquared and the Island-Not -Rainbow-Warriors-But-Even-If-They-Were -Still-The-Rainbow-Warriors-They-Would- Kick-No-Less-@ss. Or somesuch.
By Don V
August 16, 2007 9:42 AM | Link to this
A 12-0 Hawaii team should get a BCS bid, not a MNC bid, but at least one of the bowls. The only exception to this is if another small conference team (TCU, Boise St) also goes undefeated then their schedule is tougher than Hawaii’s and they should get the bid.
By jabster
August 16, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this
It’s not just being good, but the prospect of a home-and-home that your fans won’t travel to and will cost your AD a fortune in expenses.
Maybe if Hawaii offered more gate to the visiting team to make up for it…? How does the WAC address that issue for conference games?
Having two DI-AA teams on your sked ought to DQ you from at-large BCS consideration.
And I am glad to see Jones getting some respect from a boss that isn’t named Smith.
By Rod M
August 16, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this
Boise State & Hawaii can’t be undefeated as they play each other. My predication is Boise State beats Hawaii as always & wins the WAC.
By BellToller
August 16, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
Let em toll mf’ers. Let em toll for thee.
By JSquared
August 16, 2007 10:39 AM | Link to this
Listen to the Bell Boise St it tolls for thee
By bronco billy
August 16, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
my bsu squad gonna have its collective bell strait tolled on 11/24 by a bunch of DGD’s it makes me sad and scared and I like to hug other men.
By 2N4YEARS
August 16, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this
No, no, a thousand times no. Tony, is THIS the best you could come up with to write about today?? I agree w/ you that the Boise ST./OU game was probably one of the best in CFB, but you have to ask yourself this: was OU really that good? I mean, they got destroyed by USC a couple of years back in the NC. Do you really think it would have been different if Boise St. would’ve played USC in a Bowl game, or FLA in the NC game?? I was wondering if UGA was going to take Boise St. lightly in that first game of ‘05, but thanks to the media hyping that game up as an ‘Upset Special’, the DAWGS took care of business —in a BIG way. OU probably took Boise St. lightly last year. I mean, who gets up to play Boise St. or Hawaii?? Nobody. Come on, Tony. For someone with a name like ‘Mr. College Football’ (self imposed, no doubt) I would expect a ‘Serious’ CFB topic.
By Dave
August 16, 2007 1:15 PM | Link to this
It depends what everyone else does. If there are ten 0-2 loss teams from the BCS conferences, or an undefeated TCU, then Hawaii probably doesn’t deserve a BCS bid. If there’s an undefeated Hawaii, and no more than one other team with less than two losses, then they probably deserve a shot at the BCS title.
My guess is an undefeated Hawaii would qualify for a BCS autobid, as they’d probably be in the BCS top 12 even with an awful strength of schedule.
By JMar
August 16, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this
Hawaii is garbage when they play on the mainland. I wouldn’t even speculate on an undefeated season at this point.
By Senaca
August 16, 2007 4:13 PM | Link to this
Colt and June will drop a pu-pu platter on yourn head if you think they aint the real deal. UH is better than evrybody in the world.
By Spike
August 16, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this
Tony, in a word “No”.
By Spike
August 16, 2007 4:40 PM | Link to this
Tony, in a word,”No”.
By Zeier was Right
August 16, 2007 4:53 PM | Link to this
I wish Hawaii could play the buttsniffers to start the year - Hawaii 62 U(sic)GA 20
By Mike
August 16, 2007 7:52 PM | Link to this
The Fiesta bowl was a great game, but the outcome was the worst thing that could happen to college football. Now all the mid major patsies think they deserve a shot at the big time based on that one game. No Hawaii does not deserve a shot with that schedule. If they lose one game they should quit football for good.
By Warrior Dave
August 16, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this
Hey don’t be Hawaii Hater. Coach Jones has carefully crafted this team from scratch and we may be turning the corner. The defense could be something special with much need depth. We are finally getting some highly regarded players on both sides of the ball.
Mr. Barnhart’s article was well researched and I thank him for that. Getting people to come over is getting to the point of impossible. We will travel more as evidenced by our games next year at Florida and Oregon State. We would have loved to go to Ann Arbor this year but Mr. Barnhart gave you Michigan’s reply.
Alabama is a class team and we enjoyed you coming to play and also enjoyed having the opportunity to go there to play. We hope to do more home and homes with other powerhouses going forward.
By gowarriors
August 16, 2007 8:34 PM | Link to this
non-bcs schools will always a tough time getting respect. hawaii makes it even more difficult with this year’s unfortunate schedule. all they can do is ‘take it one game at a time’ and hope for the best. next year, UH does play florida at the swamp, so any talk about weak sos will not be true. i’m hoping washington, bsu, fsu and sjsu have good records this year to help UH’s standing…
By Mike
August 16, 2007 9:20 PM | Link to this
That’s cool. Just don’t talk a bunch of crap about coming down to SEC territory and showing us how to play football. Ask Boise fans how well that works out.
By reckme
August 16, 2007 11:24 PM | Link to this
I agree. Hawaii would finish dead last in the SEC. Heck, probably finish no better than 3rd in the ACC. And their schedule will hurt them. A heisman QB cannot account for a team to be considered NC material. Case in point….Calvin Johnson. He was the best player in CF last year but Tech wasn’t no where near a NC contender. So no, Hawaii isn’t good enough (overall) to be considered for a shot at the title game. Topic over Tony. Move on to local issues like Tech or The Dawgs. Give up kissing Lee Corso’s arse!!
By TCM
August 17, 2007 5:58 AM | Link to this
Yes I agree with what 2N4YEARS had to say in his blog. This topic SUCKS!! Come on Tony Barnhart you can do better than this garbage. Being that as it may, nobody in the mainland really gives a flip about HAWAII football. I’ll be so happy when programs like FSU, MIAMI, ALABAMA, UNC, & WASHINGTON, etc get it back together and are seriously competing again for conf titles so that will eliminate these scrubs like WEST VIRGINIA, BOISE ST, RUTGERS, HAWAII, etc from this BCS talk who play panzy schedules year in-year out. College football is at an all-time ratings low when RUTGERS is getting more coverate than say PENN ST. It’s ridiculous!! Even if HAWAII goes undefeated they don’t deserve a BCS bid. They can be invited to a NEW YEARS’ game like the GATOR BOWL, OUTBACK BOWL or whatever but not a BCS prime-time game. If these scrub schools, WEST VIRGINIA included, want the “big boy” recognition they need to step up to the plate and play “big boy” football against real teams. Try scheduling USC, or VA TECH, or TEXAS, or OHIO ST, etc… real teams, and not schools like ARKANSAS SCHOOL for the BLIND, MONTANA UNION, or DELAWARE A&M!! RIDICULOUS!!!!
By Krusha
August 17, 2007 6:24 AM | Link to this
Hawaii offered a bunch of BCS schools around a million to fill that 13th slot, so saying they didn’t offer enough money is moot.
Until they have an actually playoff for the national championship or those coveted BCS bowls, this topic is going to come up year after year, with the BCS schools always looking down on the other conferences even though those same BCS schools are getting beaten by those so called lower-class teams on a constant basis.
By wayoutwest
August 17, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this
panzy schedules?!?
step up to the plate yourself, big boy. hawaii played purdue, bama, oregon st and arizona st last season and went 11-3. in 05 they played usc, michigan st and wisconsin. in 08 they will play florida, wazzu and oregon st.
hawaii regularly has the toughest schedule of non-bcs teams, yet suddenly no one wants a piece of them in 07? GIVE ME A BREAK… the problem’s on your end, not ours.
By Kyle
August 17, 2007 8:53 AM | Link to this
A 12-0 Hawaii, Boise, or WV should get in only if there is not a better 1 loss team sporting a stronger schedule.
By wrc
August 17, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this
If hawaii goes undefeated and beats everybody soundly they deserve a bcs berth without question.lsat year they lost only to boise state at boise by 7, at alabama by 8 and to oregon state at home by 3 with Hawaii’s main running back hurt for that game. everyone else got blown out by 30 to 45 pts in Hawaii and here on the mainland.It’s not Hawaii’s fault that the top teams refuse to play them,Hawaii offered several top teams 750k to play the game and they all refused. Mich State even payed 250k to get out of playing hawaii The reason why is because if Hawaii beats them they will loose there top ranking and a bcs berth which is alot more than 750k.So really the only thing Hawaii can do at this point is blow everybody out,rack up as many pts as possible and lets see what happens!!My advise to June jones is do not take Colt Brennan out of the game in the third quarter like he did 6 times last year because they were up by so many pts. If he plays the whole game 60 to 80 pts a game will be a breeze.Honestly if Colt Brennan play all 4 qtrs of every game his numbers are going to be staggering!!Hawaii has 4 games this year on espn and espn2 be sure and watch the most exciting football team in the country!!