NCAA Football

[bleedorange]

Gotta admit, that sounds reasonable to me. FWIW, though (and my brother lives in Austin and is a huge UT fan, so I'm biased towards the Horns), I do think this that RIGHT NOW, the Sooners are playing better football. I think if that game was played next weekend (how much better would that Big !2 Championship be!?!), the Sooners would roll.

 

That's largely subjective and based solely on the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game. Texas has steamrolled Baylor, Kansas on the road, and A&M, limiting them to 37 combined points (and 7 of those were a late touchdown by Baylor against reserves). And I don't think that Oklahoma would be able to get off to a fast start against Texas like they have against other teams over this four-game 60-point run.

 

I think if Texas and Oklahoma played 10 times this season, it would go 5-5 or 6-4 either way.

[Moe_Syzlak]

That's largely subjective and based solely on the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game. Texas has steamrolled Baylor, Kansas on the road, and A&M, limiting them to 37 combined points (and 7 of those were a late touchdown by Baylor against reserves). And I don't think that Oklahoma would be able to get off to a fast start against Texas like they have against other teams over this four-game 60-point run.

 

I think if Texas and Oklahoma played 10 times this season, it would go 5-5 or 6-4 either way.

Yeah it's definitely subjective, but as I said, I lean towards UT, but OU (and NOT just based on TT) just looks a LOT better than they did when they played in Dallas whereas UT looks about the same.

[bleedorange]

I agree that the Big 12's tiebreaker is loony, but I don't think the SEC's is any better, because it still uses the largely-subjective BCS rankings to throw out the third team. I think they ought to go to some kind of point-differential among the tied teams, with a reasonable cap to discourage RUTS. The further they get from on-the-field results among the tied teams, the loonier the tiebreaker gets. They need to find some objective way to break ties without letting coaches and whoever picks up the phone when the Harris poll calls make these decisions.

 

I've never liked point differential as a means to determine tiebreakers. It still encourages RUTS, no matter what it is capped at. For instance, why should a 3-point win over an arch rival on the road be so much worse than a 20-point win at home over another team. A win should be a win and I actually like the ACC and SEC way a lot better. If 2 of the 3 teams are that evenly matched atop the rankings to where there is no way to decide between the two, then it should go to head-to-head. And if one of the teams clearly has the advantage, then that team should go. It still benefits teams that lose early as opposed to late, unfortunately, which is just a scheduling quirk and not a true measure of a team's worth.

 

But for all of the BCS's faults, I think the use of polls and computers makes it as objective as it can get. I just wish it was the computers and uninterested and unbiased media members' votes that counted.

[CrushOfVeils80]

Bleedorange and any other Hook Them fans....

 

Are you worried about if OU gets upset by Missouri that USC will jump Texas in the BCS standings......if and when USC beats UCLA? The powers that be dont want egg on their face again like in 2001 and 2003 when Nebraska and Oklahoma made those title games without winning their conference

 

I want wantever keeps USC out of the national title game so go OU!

[bleedorange]

Bleedorange and any other Hook Them fans....

 

Are you worried about if OU gets upset by Missouri that USC will jump Texas in the BCS standings......if and when USC beats UCLA? The powers that be dont want egg on their face again like in 2001 and 2003 when Nebraska and Oklahoma made those title games without winning their conference

 

I want wantever keeps USC out of the national title game so go OU!

 

 

I haven't really looked at the possibilities, but I would be surprised if USC was able to make up enough ground in the computers to surpass Texas, even if the voters vaulted them ahead of the Longhorns. Plus, a Missouri win would only bolster Texas's computer ranking.

 

I also think it would be a little different than those previous two instances. Both Nebraska and Oklahoma were coming right off of blowout losses to Colorado and Kansas State, respectively. This year, an OU loss could make it look like Texas belonged in the Big 12 Championship game after all, and Texas would be far from "limping" in to the national championship game.

[OOO]

Bleedorange and any other Hook Them fans....

 

Are you worried about if OU gets upset by Missouri that USC will jump Texas in the BCS standings......if and when USC beats UCLA? The powers that be dont want egg on their face again like in 2001 and 2003 when Nebraska and Oklahoma made those title games without winning their conference

 

I want wantever keeps USC out of the national title game so go OU!

 

First of all, Oklahoma is not going to get upset, and second of all, if it were to happen, USC has too much ground to make up with the computers for the voters to decide that texas shouldn't go to the national championship. They will have beaten both the champion of the big 12 and the loser of the big 12 championship game and have a 11-1 record. No reason to artificially lower them.

 

As a USC fan/alumni... I of course think USC would beat any team that might be in the race for the national title, but we don't have the resume this year to be in the top 2, so I look forward to playing a very good Penn State team.

[bleedorange]

One scary possibility (at least for those in favor of the BCS) is the chance that Florida, despite beating Alabama in the SEC title game, fails to overtake Texas in the BCS. As things stand now, it might take a concerted effort on the part of voters to potentially move Texas down on their ballots in that scenario in order to ensure Florida is in the top two.

[CrushOfVeils80]

As a USC fan/alumni... I of course think USC would beat any team that might be in the race for the national title, but we don't have the resume this year to be in the top 2, so I look forward to playing a very good Penn State team.

 

 

there is no very good team in the Big 11 this year, USC will make Penn State look like an NAIA team, I hope for the sake of watching bowl games and enjoying them USC is not matched up with Penn State and plays Bama or Texas or something, I have heard rumors that USC wants to play in the Orange or Sugar bowl... I think Florida would beat USC......I'd take USC over Bama or Texas though...OU-USC would be a push, great offense vs great defense

[CrushOfVeils80]

One scary possibility (at least for those in favor of the BCS) is the chance that Florida, despite beating Alabama in the SEC title game, fails to overtake Texas in the BCS. As things stand now, it might take a concerted effort on the part of voters to potentially move Texas down on their ballots in that scenario in order to ensure Florida is in the top two.

 

Florida would be the SEC champs, there is no way UT would stay above them after Florida beat the #1 team in America, now you know I dont care for UT (dont hate them...just dont care for them) but I do think you guys are getting hosed a little bit, it looks like UTEP, Rice & Florida Atlantic in the out of conference schedule is hurting UT, it's time for an 8 team playoff

[Gobias Industries]

there is no very good team in the Big 11 this year, USC will make Penn State look like an NAIA team, I hope for the sake of watching bowl games and enjoying them USC is not matched up with Penn State and plays Bama or Texas or something, I have heard rumors that USC wants to play in the Orange or Sugar bowl... I think Florida would beat USC......I'd take USC over Bama or Texas though...OU-USC would be a push, great offense vs great defense

 

False. Penn State is just as good as USC. They both lost randomly to teams (though Penn State later than USC), but Penn State isn't getting the credit that they're due because of OSU's NC fumbles over the past two years, while everyone gives USC the benefit of the doubt. While I understand the criticism of the Big 10 to some extent, people are constantly referring to the Big 10 as a sort of D-III wimp school, which is pure fucking bullshit. The Big 10 is a lot better than the ACC and the Big East this year (ACC being the worst, in my opinion).

[Moe_Syzlak]

Aren't Penn State and USC the winners of the the Big 10(11) and PAC10 respectively? Doesn't that mean they will face each other in the Rose Bowl no matter what?

[bleedorange]

Aren't Penn State and USC the winners of the the Big 10(11) and PAC10 respectively? Doesn't that mean they will face each other in the Rose Bowl no matter what?

 

As long as USC beats UCLA.

[Moe_Syzlak]

As long as USC beats UCLA.

Ah yes, I forgot they still have a game left. That little prick Neuheisel doesn't have a chance though.

[mpolak21]

False. Penn State is just as good as USC. They both lost randomly to teams (though Penn State later than USC), but Penn State isn't getting the credit that they're due because of OSU's NC fumbles over the past two years, while everyone gives USC the benefit of the doubt. While I understand the criticism of the Big 10 to some extent, people are constantly referring to the Big 10 as a sort of D-III wimp school, which is pure fucking bullshit. The Big 10 is a lot better than the ACC and the Big East this year (ACC being the worst, in my opinion).

 

Yeah, I agree. And Penn State blew out the team, Oregon State, that USC lost to. Yet, USC is ahead of both Penn State and Utah, who also beat Oregon State in all of the polls. Maybe the regular season doesn't mean that much afterall. In the first two months of the season I thought Penn State was playing as good as anyone, they faded a bit down the stretch, but if college football had a playoff I could certainly see the Nittanys as a possible darkhorse.

 

--Mike

[quarter23cd]

While I understand the criticism of the Big 10 to some extent, people are constantly referring to the Big 10 as a sort of D-III wimp school, which is pure fucking bullshit.

Its a "what have you done for me lately?" thing. No question the league has been "down" for several years now--every league goes through this periodically and still manages to get the "benefit of the doubt" as you mentioned--but OSU's current streak of high-profile meltdowns has earned the whole league a boatload of ill will. Until somebody from the Big Ten makes a major statement on a national stage (preferably OSU, but a big PSU bowl win would help, too) the league will continue to get shat on.

 

It goes in cycles. 10 years ago the Big Ten was was doing the "woe-is-me" thing about how impossible it is to go through the regular season undefeated, and that torch has since been passed on to other leagues.(usually the SEC) It all goes in cycles, but yeah, the Big Ten has to do something noteworthy to get out of the public doghouse.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Bleedorange and any other Hook Them fans....

 

Are you worried about if OU gets upset by Missouri that USC will jump Texas in the BCS standings......if and when USC beats UCLA? The powers that be dont want egg on their face again like in 2001 and 2003 when Nebraska and Oklahoma made those title games without winning their conference

 

I want wantever keeps USC out of the national title game so go OU!

 

Texas has 2 problems if OU loses. First is the problem you mention, which is that the pollsters have a fetish for conference champions. Never mind that the conference championship can be pretty arbitrary, as this year is showing. (How does Oregon State, a team that beat USC, losing by a huge margin at home, make USC a *better* team?)...

 

But the other problem is the head-to-head with Texas Tech. If OU loses, and thus takes itself out of consideration for the BCS title game, you'd have two 11-1 teams in the Big 12 South, the strongest division in football this year. One of them beat the other. Someone should ask Mack Brown who deserves the chance to go to the title game then.

[Moe_Syzlak]

I was thinking about this and if the season ended today, this is how I would vote in a poll if I had a vote:

 

1. Florida

2. Oklahoma

3. Texas

4. USC

5. Alabama

 

Alabama may prove me wrong, but I just feel that, were I a betting man, I would have to take all four of those teams ahead of Alabama with no spread on a neutral field.

 

How would you rank them?

[jakobnicholas]

I don't have a problem with Texas Tech being eliminated. The thrashing against Oklahoma is worthy of punishment.

 

 

I heard an ESPN "BCS expert" on the radio. He said 3 things helped Oklahoma jump Texas in the computer polls:

 

- Kansas beat Missouri (Oklahoma played Kansas, not Texas...improving Oklahoma's strength of schedule slightly and hurting Texas's, who beat Missouri)

 

- Nebraska beat Colorado (again, Texas had Colorado on its schedule and Oklahoma beat a Nebraska team that was much improved this year)

 

- He also wondered if the last TD scored by Oklahoma...with 20 seconds left, when most teams would have knelt on the ball...that put 60+ points on the board, might have gotten a few more votes or style points.

 

 

Texas fans might agree with this artcile:

 

By JASON WHITLOCK

The Kansas City Star

 

This being America and all, I’ll never understand the near-violent opposition to sportswriters settling college sports’ No. 1 debate at the ballot box.

 

There should be no surprise that Associated Press and Harris Poll voters picked the right team in the Oklahoma-Texas debate. Meanwhile, the coaches’ poll and I’ll presume several computer rankings screwed up the Big 12 South standings, giving the Sooners a slight edge in the BCS standings and sending them to the Big 12 championship game at Arrowhead Stadium.

 

The AP poll is composed of mostly legitimate journalists. The Harris poll is made up of a mixture of journalists, former coaches and players.

 

AP and Harris voters could comprehend a simple, unavoidable fact: On a neutral field, Texas beat Oklahoma 45-35 this season.

 

There’s nothing left to debate. It doesn’t matter that Oklahoma’s nonconference victories are more impressive than Texas’. It doesn’t matter that Oklahoma is playing “better” football at the end of the season.

 

Texas beat Oklahoma.

 

And I don’t care about the three-way tie, and the fact that Texas Tech beat Texas. We’re allowed to use common sense when deciding a complex situation.

 

The Red Raiders lost a game by 44 points this season. The Red Raiders barely beat Baylor this season. The Red Raiders needed a last-second touchdown to slip by Texas.

 

Tech had a magical year, beat up a bunch of cupcakes early and hung on for an 11-1 season. It’s a fluke. Oklahoma exposed the Red Raiders and Mike Leach’s gimmicky offense.

 

There was one primary question to debate Sunday morning when filling out a ballot: Texas or Oklahoma?

 

Journalists answered appropriately. The AP and Harris had Alabama No. 1 followed by Florida, Texas and Oklahoma. The coaches were wrong twice. They ranked Alabama No. 1 followed by Oklahoma, Texas and Florida.

 

In my view, the Gators should be No. 2. Their one loss — a 31-30 defeat at the hands of Ole Miss — was far more fluky than Texas’ or Oklahoma’s. Florida turned it over three times against Ole Miss, and the Rebels scored 31 points despite gaining just 10 first downs. And I have to believe Florida has faced stouter defenses in the SEC than what the Sooners and Longhorns have seen in the Big 12.

 

Look, my main point is that it’s criminal Oklahoma will get to play for the Big 12 crown and not Texas.

 

Everybody allegedly wants a playoff system, but it appears we reserve the right to ignore what happens on the field when it suits our purpose.

 

(Unfortunately, this includes sportswriters, too. I never agreed with my peers when we gave 12-1 Florida State the 1993/94 AP national championship over an 11-1 Notre Dame team that beat the Seminoles.)

 

We’ve set the stage for a split national champion.

 

Oklahoma is likely to thrash Missouri on Saturday. I’ll take Florida over Alabama in the SEC title game. We’re going to have two one-loss teams in the BCS championship game — probably Oklahoma and Florida — and a one-loss national champion.

 

Texas should slap Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

 

If Florida routs Oklahoma, then the Gators will more than likely be No. 1 in the final AP poll. If the game is close or Oklahoma wins, then a strong case could be made for Texas (or even USC) winning the final AP vote.

 

A perfect world for the Big 12 would be a BCS title for Oklahoma and an AP title for Texas.

 

I’m rooting for Texas. The Longhorns earned a Big 12 title on the field (they’ve already smacked Missouri), and they deserve a shot at the national title. And I’m a Bob Stoops fan and someone who still believes the state of Texas ruined the Big Eight.

[CommerceComet]

I don't have a problem with Texas Tech being eliminated. The thrashing against Oklahoma is worthy of punishment.

If you eliminate TTech from the argument because of how bad OU beat them, then you have to give OU equal credit for doing it.

[bobbob1313]

ACC is probably better than the Big 10 this year. NOt as top heavy, but deeper.

[OOO]

Pete Carroll is not doing any favors to squelch the feeling that the Trojans are a little too cocky at times...USC is going to be forfeiting 2 timeouts (one per half) in the UCLA game this Saturday so the Trojans can wear their home jerseys at the Rose Bowl.

 

Apparently back in the day the schools used to both wear their home jerseys, and both UCLA and USC have agreed that they would like to wear their home jerseys each year regardless of where it is played, but Pete decided to start the tradition this year, whether or not the NCAA allows it. We're going to look rather silly if we need an extra time out in the second half.

[jakobnicholas]

If you eliminate TTech from the argument because of how bad OU beat them, then you have to give OU equal credit for doing it.

 

 

Sure. Give OU a ton of credit for beating Texas Tech. But that was a game where Stoops could tell his team they were the underdogs. It was a home game. A game where Leach made some really risky early decisions that backfired and led to OU scores, then Herrell and Tech panicked and the game snowballed. It was a great game for OU, but no way does OU beat Tech by 40 if they play again.

 

I think Tech was fading a little towards the end of the season and deserves to be ranked behind OU and Texas. Baylor came VERY close to beating Texas Tech....in Lubbock!

 

 

 

Everyone talks about OU having the best win between the 3 teams.

 

What about the team with the most-unfortunate loss? It's absolutely mind-boggling how Crabtree caught, stayed in play, AND scored on that pass with seconds left against Texas. It's that one amazing play that's keeping Texas out of the Big 12 title hunt.

[Moe_Syzlak]

We're going to look rather silly if we need an extra time out in the second half.

 

 

I don't think you'll need them.

 

 

[OOO]

I don't think you'll need them.

 

 

 

 

2 years ago, we had only lost to Oregon State, and going into the UCLA game, we were a lock for going to the National Championship. We looked past UCLA and ended up in the Rose Bowl. Very similar this year, and I don't want to end up in the Holiday Bowl or something like that. But UCLA is a lot worse this year.

[Gobias Industries]

Very similar this year, and I don't want to end up in the Holiday Bowl or something like that. But UCLA is a lot worse this year.

 

Oh, how the mighty will have fallen.