I know, I know...but consider this: Southern Miss would have played in a BCS bowl last year if they hadn't lost to UAB. That's because the highest of the five non-AQ conference champions automatically goes to a BCS if they meet one of the following two criteria:
--ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS standings
--ranked in the top 16 of the final BCS standings and higher than one of the 6 AQ champions
If ULM hangs on to beat Baylor (no guarantee), and if ULM wins the rest of its games against Tulane and 8 Sun Belt teams (again, no guarantee), they'll end up ranked in the teens at least -- that's just how the polls work. Southern Miss had crept up to 20 last year before losing to UAB and surely would have risen to 16 after the Houston win. No non-AQ team has ever made it into a BCS bowl with a loss, but the rules were laxed a couple years ago, and that rule only applies to the highest ranked non-AQ champion (Last year Boise didn't win the MWC, or else the whole Southern question would have been moot.)
ULM is a longshot to make it into the top 12 even at 11-1, but I would easily believe around 16th or so. If Arkansas gets things turned around, that will help ULM a lot in the computers, and again, human voters tend to overemphasize W/L records in their ballots.
It's definitely possible the Big 10 or Big East champion will end up ranked lower than them, and if there's no higher-ranked non-AQ champion (probably won't be), a BCS bowl would be required to take them.
I don't think ULM is anywhere good enough to play in a BCS bowl, but because of a quirk in the rules, I think they have a better chance than you would expect.
--ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS standings
--ranked in the top 16 of the final BCS standings and higher than one of the 6 AQ champions
If ULM hangs on to beat Baylor (no guarantee), and if ULM wins the rest of its games against Tulane and 8 Sun Belt teams (again, no guarantee), they'll end up ranked in the teens at least -- that's just how the polls work. Southern Miss had crept up to 20 last year before losing to UAB and surely would have risen to 16 after the Houston win. No non-AQ team has ever made it into a BCS bowl with a loss, but the rules were laxed a couple years ago, and that rule only applies to the highest ranked non-AQ champion (Last year Boise didn't win the MWC, or else the whole Southern question would have been moot.)
ULM is a longshot to make it into the top 12 even at 11-1, but I would easily believe around 16th or so. If Arkansas gets things turned around, that will help ULM a lot in the computers, and again, human voters tend to overemphasize W/L records in their ballots.
It's definitely possible the Big 10 or Big East champion will end up ranked lower than them, and if there's no higher-ranked non-AQ champion (probably won't be), a BCS bowl would be required to take them.
I don't think ULM is anywhere good enough to play in a BCS bowl, but because of a quirk in the rules, I think they have a better chance than you would expect.
