Bowl games are all about TV ratings, and no team consistently boosts numbers like Florida State.
Ed Gunther of the National Championship Issue took the average rating for all bowl games played from 2002 through this past season and compared it to when a particular team played in a game. The Seminoles played in eight bowls, and the total boost to share points was 11.05.
Texas was second at 9.5, Notre Dame third at 8.27, Michigan fourth at 7.28 and Ohio State fifth at 7.05.
At the bottom of his list is Oklahoma, which totaled minus-12.49.
Ed also totaled the scores by conference and found that the Pacific 10 had a positive share of 13.2, besting the Big Ten, which was 8.
This is pretty skewed data. FSU has been playing in Bowls beneath it's status almost every year since that time so of course that bowl's number jumps. ND, same thing. Texas and Ohio State play other good teams in BCS games consistently so their numbers get boosted by the other team. If anything it shows that bad bowls benefit when good teams with solid followings have a subpar year.
Posted by: Carl Spackler | January 21, 2010 at 06:59 PM