does anyone here hoenstly think that Pitt+Cuse is better than TCU+Temple(/or UCF/ECU)? on the field we've improved over the last year assuming we bring in one of the better candidates we've all discussed 1000 times. even if we don't, trading TCU for Pitt and Cuse is an upgrade. why does anyone think our BCS bid is in jeopardy? as long as we keep TCU, WVU and Louisville we'll remain a BCS conference.
if anything the B12 is in greater danger of losing theirs b/c they have basically two teams that are solely responsible for them being a BCS conference, and if they bolt, which they've both openly discussed, the B12 will be SOL. Pitino seems committed to the BE, although he doesn't necessarily speak for Louisville, and since the B12 doesn't seem to want TCU, and due to their small market everyone's turning down WVU. also if any of those teams jumped to the B12 they'd basically be sentencing themselves to their best non BCS bowl while OK and TX take turns playing in the NC game and Fiesta Bowl every year. i don't see how our BCS bid is in danger
Pitt and Syracuse have much higher ceilings than TCU and whoever. They are respected national institutions that have football traditions and bring much more to the table.
TCU has been good at football for the last decade or so.
Pitt and Syracuse have alumni that are among the greatest football players ever and have the chance to rebuild that legacy. They struggled to do so in the BE, I think, because without Miami and VT there wasn't much cache. But we can disagree on this.
With regards to your overall point, I think you are right in the short term. TCU and anyone is better this year (next year, maybe the year after) than Pitt and Syracuse. But that doesn't have to be that way, and likely won't stay that way.
Why do people think our BCS bid is in jeopardy? Because there are two national programs (WVU and TCU) and a bunch of never-beens. There's not another BCS conference in the country as thin as the BE.
The BXII has Texas, OU, OSU. Tech, Kansas State, Kansas, and Missouri have also all had good football runs in recent years.
ACC has FSU, Clemson, VT and GT that are nationally respected football schools. I only don't add Miami because of their sanctions. But Miami (if they survive) has been a better program than any BE program and UNC has national programs better than any in the BE sans WVU. Maryland and BC have respectable recent histories too. For instance, in 2007, BC was 8-0 and ranked #2. No other school has been ranked that highly in the BE besides WVU.
The other conferences (Pac-12, B1G, and SEC) manifestly have the depth. I mean, nationally, no one respected the BE (rightly or wrongly). If TCU came into the fold with Syracuse and Pitt, the BE might have become the 5th best conference. Their likely now stuck in 6th, competing with the MWC. If TCU realizes how poor the BE is, they will head back there, and TCU and BSU is manifestly better than WVU and ? (Cincy? Louisville? USF?)
To add: a couple of years ago, Cincy went undefeated through the BE and didn't make the title game. Not only that, but every expert picked Florida to beat them in the Sugar Bowl. Not only did Florida beat them, but it whipped them 51-24. That speaks to the weakness of the BE and why it didn't have respect that year, or really any year, since VT and Miami left.