Did Michigan get shafted by Tressel's abstaining from the vote?

FYI -- Dodd's blog menntioned that Schembechler was a Harris Poll member and his vote was not replaced for the final poll.

 

So the SEC coaches voted for Florida. Big surprise, right? there are seven of them, which accounted for seven points (all of them had fl 2 and um 3). Tressel's vote wasn't going to make up another 19 points. But there are a couple of things at play here. First, at least one high-profile SEC team has tried to schedule Michigan (UGA) and was turned down. Apparently, the only SEC team Michigan is willing to play is Vanderbilt. What are the SEC coaches to make of that? Skeert. Plus, (and I can at least understand from this why coaches did not want their votes made public) what coach wants to vote against a team in his own conference knowing he's going to have to play that team the following year?

 

Pete Carroll was saying something about not liking the system, so he must have meant he declined to vote on the poll this year, not just this week.

 

LSU coach Les Miles said he voted for Florida even though he knew it could cost LSU a trip to the Rose Bowl to play his alma mater, Michigan. He said it was the right thing to do. Not sure if he meant that in terms of conference loyalties or purely voting his conscience, but that's what he said.

That was a tough vote for him in a lot of ways. He said he has some Michigan buddies who won't be speaking to him for awhile.

 

No matter what SEC coaches think about Meyer or Florida, they had no alternative than to vote them No. 2. First, there's what JD said. Second, you have to go back to the Auburn situation two years ago. You have an undefeated team that's odd man out. You let another SEC team get shut out, you're setting a dangerous precedent for the league. No-brainer that they would vote in block.

 

Carroll's been consistent throughout his USC career about not caring about the BCS system at all. Wouldn't surprise me if he didn't vote.

 

Kind of gives new meaning to the term "power conference"

 

Horses for courses.
I think USC matches up better with OSU than does Florida, which I think loses this game by three touchdowns.

 

And since his name is going to be out there if/when Lloyd Carr retires as a favorite to replace him, Michigan die hards won't forget.

Speaking of not forgetting, funny how no one brought up the 1996 season, when -- in a rematch of an earlier game -- Florida beat Florida State in the Sugar Bowl to win the national title. But rematches shouldn't happen -- when it suits the SEC...

 

That wasn't during the BCS era. I think that changes the entire context of the argument, considering how the BCS number one priority is to set up one game where the winning team wins the championship. Was that the case in 1996? I don't remember.

 

The Gospel according to Florida...
Nevertheless, (and yes, I know he wasn't there yet) Meyer came out against rematches but a rematch with FSU gave Florida the national title after a late season loss to the Seminoles...

“A week after the loss to FSU, Texas upset No. 3-ranked Nebraska in the Big XII championship game. That night the Gators defeated Alabama, 45-30, in Atlanta in the SEC championship game behind a six-touchdown performance by Wuerffel, which clinched the Heisman Trophy that he received the following week in New York. Entering the bowl season ranked No. 3, the Gators then saw Ohio State knock off second-ranked Arizona State at the Rose Bowl in a dramatic last-second victory on New Year's Day. That result now meant that the Jan. 2 battle in New Orleans with top-ranked FSU was for the 1996 national championship. The Gators put together a tremendous all-around performance in posting the victory over the Seminoles, which led to a consensus national championship. The 32-point margin of victory over FSU was the largest versus a No. 1-ranked team in bowl history.”

 

No, this is how Michigan got shafted:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_FBC_BCS_Walden.html
Walden's key vote is WSU's imprint on bowl season
By GREGG BELL
AP SPORTS WRITER

Who says Washington State isn't involved in this upcoming bowl season?

Former Cougars coach Jim Walden may have impacted the biggest bowl game of them all - more than any team or player could have.

Walden, employed by the school as its color analyst for radio broadcasts of Cougars football, had a hand in Florida being paired with Ohio State in the BCS title game Jan. 8.

Walden not only placed the Gators (12-1) ahead of the Wolverines (11-1) in his Harris poll ballot last weekend - he also had Florida ahead of the perfect Buckeyes (12-0).

Yep, to Walden, Florida is No. 1. He gave them more points in the final BCS poll than any Gator could have expected.

Strength of schedule was Walden's main reason. He called Florida's schedule "murderous."