Cougars Aren’t Apple of BCS’ Eye

If Washington State defeats Washington in Saturday’s Apple Cup, the Cougars will finish the regular season 10-1 and make a strong case for being considered for an at-large berth in a major bowl. In fact, the drumbeat has already started in Pullman with Coach Mike Price telling the Tacoma News Tribune, “I think if we win we have a good chance of going to the Sugar Bowl or the Orange Bowl.” Whoa, now.

On merit, Washington State at 10-1 could argue it deserves one of two at-large bowl championship series berths. In reality, the Cougars have about as good a shot of that happening as Ryan Leaf earning man-of-the-year honors in San Diego.

No one said the bowl business was fair.

The situation is different from last year, however, when Pacific 10 Commissioner Tom Hansen all but threatened a retreat from the BCS if the Fiesta Bowl did not take Oregon State with its at-large pick. Timing is everything.

Last year, the Pac-10 champion, as usual, went to the Rose Bowl, which left the Fiesta Bowl as a viable option for a deserving Pac-10 team. This year, the Rose Bowl is hosting the national title game, with the Pac-10 champion going to the Fiesta Bowl.

So, unless Oregon can somehow make it to the Rose Bowl and play for the national title, there is no available at-large BCS spot for a 10-1 Washington State. If Oregon and Washington State tie for the Pac-10 title, Oregon wins the conference title because it won the head-to-head meeting. As Pac-10 champion, Oregon would play in the Fiesta Bowl and Washington State would likely end up in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

You can’t blame Price for making his fight public, but the coach is dreaming if he thinks either the Orange or Sugar bowl is going to take a flier on Washington State, a school with a small fan base and no television following. Hansen said he would vigorously lobby Washington State’s cause but acknowledges the chances are slim of the Cougars getting a nibble from the Orange or Sugar bowls.

“History has shown us the harsh reality is they just are more interested in teams in their areas,” Hansen said. “But that doesn’t mean we won’t make the effort.”

Last year, Oregon State was ranked fifth and sixth in the BCS when bowl bids were going out. Washington State is No. 8 in the BCS and No. 9 in the Associated Press poll.

Getting a BCS cold shoulder won’t sit well with Washington State fans, and they have every right to be perturbed. Frankly, it’s the price of doing business in far-away Pullman.

The Cougars have drawn just about all of this year’s short straws. It wasn’t Washington State’s fault it started the season unranked and picked to finish last in the Pac-10.

It wasn’t Washington State’s fault terrorists struck on Sept. 11, forcing the cancellation of its Sept. 15 game against Colorado. A victory over Colorado might have given Washington State the lift needed to get in the national title hunt.

Because the Colorado game could not be rescheduled, Washington State had to sub in Division I-AA Montana. Truth is, Washington State deserves to be treated better than some Mid-American Conference school trying to crack the top 10.

Washington State is co-leader in what most consider the nation’s toughest conference.

The Cougars defeated UCLA and Stanford this year and had a couple of shots at the Oregon end zone in the final minute of a 24-17 loss to the Ducks.

And while Washington State’s No. 44 strength-of-schedule ranking isn’t so hot, it is better than those of No. 2 Miami (66) and No. 6 Texas (55).

“No matter how well they’ve done, they haven’t quite caught up,” Hansen said of the Cougars’ plight.

Pac Bits

More on the conference’s deal with the Insight.com Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.: It’s a four-year agreement beginning next year and essentially replaces the Aloha Bowl, which went belly up. For this year only, the Seattle Bowl, formerly the Oahu, moves up to the No.4 spot in the Pac-10 rotation and the Las Vegas Bowl will take the No. 5 Pac-10 team. Contracts with both bowls expire after this year; Hansen indicated the Pac-10 would renew with either the Seattle or Las Vegas bowls, but not both.

“Quite honestly, we are letting the two of them play for the spot for our fifth team for the next four years,” Hansen said. “We will make a decision after we experience those two games.”

Look for the conference’s bowl partners to start locking up games as early as next week. If Washington State loses to Washington, the BCS will likely release all Pac-10 schools from the major bowl picture except for Oregon, which has an outside shot at the Rose Bowl. All other Pac-10 schools would be free to negotiate with the Holiday, Sun, Seattle and Las Vegas bowls.

The Pac-10 would prefer to keep a school from the Northwest in the Seattle Bowl. Oregon and Washington are bitter rivals, yet Oregon will be rooting for Washington each of the next two weeks against Washington State and Miami.

A Washington win in the Apple Cup means Oregon can clinch the Pac-10 title with a win over Oregon State, while a Washington win over Miami would help Oregon’s Rose Bowl chances.