Just about everyone who follows college football saw Oklahoma destroy Texas Tech 65-21 in Norman yesterday. Those same people most likely saw Texas lose to Texas Tech in Lubbock the two weeks prior. You all probably know where I am going with this, as the same folks saw Texas beat Oklahoma on the grounds of the Texas State Fair at the annual Red River Rivalry.
So, assuming Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech win out; who should go to the Big 12 Championship game? According to the BCS rules, in the event of a three way tie, the team ranked highest in the BCS polls goes, so the question then becomes who should be ranked higher.
Texas
Why Texas Should Go:
If Michael Crabtree would have been properly tackled in bounds, in the fourth quarter of the Texas-Texas tech game, this whole issue is a mute point. As Pete Fiutak at College Football News.com points out, "a Michael Crabtree heel away from winning." Texas would be 11-0 with only a sorry A&M team and a pretty good Missouri team standing between itself and the BCS Championship. So, it reasons that if a team's only loss is on a last second play by an outstanding player, they should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Why Texas shouldn't go:
As a certain Senior Chief that will remain nameless pointed out, If Jordan Shipley doesn't return a punt for a touchdown and linebacker Ryan Reynolds doesn't get hurt, the Sooners would have been partying it up at the Texas State fair, while Texas has to endure the long trip down I-35. Oklahoma totally outplayed Texas in the first half, as halftime adjustments by Mack Brown's staff coupled with the injury to Ryan Reynolds got Texas back in it.(You could see Texas throwing where he was playing in the second half)
Oklahoma
Why Oklahoma Should Go:
Sam Bradford. Okay, there are other reasons, but basically on any given Saturday, I would take him over any other Quarterback in the nation. Colt McCoy made some great scrambles as he took the prominence from Bradford in the win, only to surrender it to Graham Harrell when Texas Tech beat the longhorns. Graham Harrell returned the favor when he stunk up the joint, as he put the prominence back on Bradford in the Oklahoma blow out. If Bradford alone isn't enough, the fact that Oklahoma blew out Texas Tech, (although they did it at home) whereas Texas stumbled in Lubbock, gives the edge to the Sooners.
Why the Sooners shouldn't go:
I am getting very tired of Oklahoma fans trying to explain away the loss to Texas in Dallas. Oklahoma lost. There is no other way to say it. I've heard it all: they only lost the second half (nice try Senior), the game was in Texas, so it wasn't neutral site; the third moon of Jupiter wasn't inline. Bottom line, the loser of that game was always going to have a hard time getting back into the race unless the winner lost twice. Well, that was until Texas Tech came along and messed everything up.
The other issue is Texas Tech playing at Oklahoma; Tech cannot win in Norman. Oklahoma seems to have their number as the sooner defense seems to give Mike Leach's offense fits. Once the turnovers started, they never stopped, as Tech defense never had a chance to stop Oklahoma's offense. Bottom line is that you cannot look at it as a big blowout as much as just a loss. Tech's strategy was to win a shootout. Tech's gun jammed and Oklahoma had the squad automatic weapon cleaned and firing accurately. The result was simply a win for Oklahoma. If Tech was on point, it might have been much different.
Texas Tech
Why the Red raiders should go:
Everyone had pretty much conceded that the consensus number one team in America was Texas. They Big 12 South title was in their hands. Then the Longhorns came to Lubbock, and got beat. Oklahoma has no chance at the Big 12 South title, Big 12 Title, or national title until Texas Tech beats Texas. That being said, why should a team that needed another team to beat somebody that they lost to get in over that team, even if they beat them badly?
Why the Red Raiders shouldn't go:
That last argument was a very complicated one that required transitive qualities to make it sound. College football followers just aren't that complicated in the fact that no matter how bad of a day Tech had, they still shouldn't have lost 65-21. A great team might lose by a few touchdowns, but they would have been able to come up with some defensive stops, score on special teams, defense or somewhere else to make up for a terrible performance by Graham Harrell (okay, going 33 for 55, with 3 touchdowns and an interception is only bad when you are the signal caller for Tech). Mike Leach did go for it on fourth down a few times which might have made the score a little bit more disproportionate, but still, the number Two team in the land should have made it competitive.
So what will happen...?
The funny thing about this whole mess is that it will all come down to Oklahoma State. If Oklahoma blows them out, then pollsters will see that although Oklahoma lost to Texas, their wins over Tech and Oklahoma State were simply better than Texas' close loss and close win over Oklahoma State. Oklahoma goes on to beat Missouri, and things likely work out to where they go to the BCS Championship. See chart...
Texas
Oklahoma
Vs.
Red River Rivalry
XXX
Texas Tech
XXX
Oklahoma State
XXX(better win)
Chart assumes that Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State by say 10 points or more and Texas Tech is overlooked due to their blowout loss to Oklahoma.
However, if Oklahoma State, playing spoiler, takes out the Sooners, Texas and Tech are tied, and Texas Tech gets in even though they lost by a wide margin. This would really make things interesting as that would leave Texas Tech, Texas, USC, Florida (assuming win over Alabama), Alabama, Penn State all with one loss and case for the BCS game. Meanwhile undefeated Utah and Boise State would be hiring Johnny Cochran's law firm to plead their case for admission to the party.
My Verdict:
That's all great, but I say that Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State by two touchdowns in a close, but not too close game, then beats Missouri in Kansas City to go on to the BCS championship game. Just like I mentioned... see my blog from a few weeks ago.
The CEO
Kim Cloutier
Julie Henderson
Back in Time: November 20
Cavalier Girls
Comments (16) Add A Comment
It's moot point not mute point
Chief Fireballs
Total Comments (402)
Excellent work as always.
It is a tough call.
Oklahoma
OU does appear to be the better team for more reasons than running up the sccore on TT (something I don't blame the coach for - he needed every bit of it for the polls)
Texas
I look for some way to resolve the 3 way tie. I just can't look away from TT's remarkably weak OOC schedule which consists of 2 FCS teams, no teams from the major 6 conferences.
If I elminate them, I can go back to head to head competition, giving the nod to Texas.
Other
You could point to how close the Texas win over OU was, but you could also point to how close the TT win over Texas win was - call it a wash.
Texas did play a slightly tougher B12 North schedule.
OU has a win over Cinci in what was otherwise an unimpressive OOC schedule for both. I suspet they expected Cinci to be a Big East bottom dweller when the game was scheduled 4 to 5 years ago, so it is tough to give them kudos here.
So this has me leaning towards Texas. OU may be the better team, but this is sports - the better team doesn't always win.
Prove It
Frellin Cold In, AK
Total Comments (6717)
There is 1 bit of insanity - how the tie breaker is resolved.
Selecting the higher ranked team in th BCS polls is nuts. In effect, they are making the decision 1/3 the watered down BCS computer polls, the majority of the rest of the desision the coaches and sportswriters outside the B12 area.
What ever happened to the idea of deciding these matters inide the conference?
Nobody knows these teams better than the other coaches in the Big 12 - they should be voting to decide the tie breaker, not consulting the BCS.
I hope the B12 and other conferences take note and change their tie breaking procedure next year.
G/L and stay safe.
Prove It
Frellin Cold In, AK
Total Comments (6717)
OU is the better team ....however they didnt travel to dallas with their own refs....texas did....interception in the endzone was over ruled in favor of a silkhorn field goal...texas took the lead...with around four minutes left in the tech game the raiders were fixing to stake texas thru the heart....pow!!! offensive pass interference backs tech up to the 25 with goal to go!...texas gets another shot and goes ahead by a point.....and loses anyway (go raiders)...the raiders waltz into norman unaware.....OU owes them more than a couple ....Sooners play to their potential...devastating!!!....NFL scouts are waiting for Bradford....not Harrel...not McCoy....OU should have beaten texas but they didnt...tech would have beaten Texas worse than they did if not for a bogus offensive pass interference penalty(cant have egg on their face but the look on McCoy's face when Crabtree scored was....PRICELESS!!!) Oklahoma has the longest winning streak in the Big 12 south with the most impressive wins so far....(OK State is up and they are a good team) if OU wins out they should go on to represent the Big 12 south because they are the reigning champs and no one has been able to totally unseat their claim due to the fact that there is currently a 3 way tie in the south. Because there is not a winner out right Oklahoma would still be a Co-champion.
and after all of that is said.................Donald Trump............................YOUR FIRED!!!
Objective1
Total Comments (72)
IM GONNA HAVE TO GO WITH TEXAS BECAUSE THERE ROSTER THIS YEAR WAS BACK TO BACK WITH TEAMS THAT WERE WAY BETTER THAN THEY WERE AND THEY STILL CAME OUT ON TOP... BUT WITH TEXAS TECH COMING IN AND TOTALLY BLOWING TEXAS AWAY WITH A LOSE. BUT THEN TEXAS BET THE SOONERS AND THE SOONERS BEAT TEXAS TECH SO TECH SOULD DEFFINATLY BE OUT. AND LET TEXAS FIGHT THIS OUT WITH OKLAHOMA SO THEY CAN FIND OUT WHO THE REAL CHAMPIONS ARE.
big_winner
Luling , TX
Total Comments (1)
Even though I want Texas to go to the championship bad, I personally hope that this BCS is so worst case scenario that it forces someone to make us a **** playoff next year, and then we won't have to worry about these arguments...We'll have new batch of things to **** about... :)
AYHJA
Starkville, MS
Total Comments (3)
anyone who watches the big 12 knows that oklahoma is the best team. They have a quarterback whos going to win the heisman, a healthy and confident running back demarco murrey who makes reggie bush like plays. Texas did beat them, but they lost the heart and soul of their defense in that game and still almost pulled it out. Texas and Texas Tech have leveled off, while Oklahoma is just getting into their groove.
Cubancornication
Chicagoland, IL
Total Comments (1425)
You OU homers can't admit that Texas beat you straight up on a neutral field. Texas lost to Tech on Tech's home field, on a night that was more than Tech's super bowl, they saved all they had for Texas, now its over for them. It wouldn't surpise me if Tech lost to Baylor now, after that showing against OU. OU always folds in the bowl games, they are the little losing sister of Ohio St, the other no-show-when-it-counts team. Texas vs SEC champ for the BCS Championship game.
LSL
San Diego , CA
Total Comments (6)
As for OOC out of the three teams, Texas is the only team not to play an FCS opponent. TT isn't even in contention for this advantage. OU played TCU and possible Big East champion Cincinatti both games were at home. They also beat Washington who has 0 wins on the year. Texas didn't play anybody great either, with defending Sun Belt Champion Florida Atlantic, UTEP on the road, and SEC rival Arkansas, and Rice.
In conference, Texas was the only team to play the team that will be in the Big 12 Championship, Missouri which they won 56-31. OU still has a very tough rival opponent on the road. If they win then both teams will have 3 impressive victories.
Then I guess the head-to-head game could be brought up, which also favors Texas.
Longhorn Fanatic
Total Comments (1545)
Texas = plays in Texas, Oklahoma = plays in Oklahoma , and your definition of a neutral field is a game played in Texas. So shouldn't Texas Tech be in the National Championship because they beat you, Texas, straight up?
Cubancornication
Chicagoland, IL
Total Comments (1425)
Did you know that the Red River Rivalry game, although it is in Texas is actually closer to Norman than Austin?
Longhorn Fanatic
Total Comments (1545)
Good blog.
somebody else do it
Saint Louis , MO
Total Comments (527)
By like 7 miles or something like that...
>>Did you know that the Red River Rivalry game, although it is in Texas is actually closer to Norman than Austin?
Except for UT's loss to TT. Why keep Tech out of the conversation of head to heads?
>>Then I guess the head-to-head game could be brought up, which also favors Texas.
DoIt4Johnny
Total Comments (250)
i am tired
m00coyne
Mc Donald , PA
Total Comments (7)
Just listen to all the OU whiners! "Yes, Texas beat us, but......" "OU is the better team, blah, blah, blah" It is a fact. It happened. Texas beat OU in Dallas 45-35. Get over it and wait till next year. If OU had won, I think the score would be the ONLY criteria you would be shouting from the rooftops, that determined rankings. John McCain to President-elect Obama: "Yes, you beat me in the election, but I should be the next preident because I'm the "better man" now. Just as ridiculous as all the sour-grape OU whiners. OU has a great team. They deserve to be highly ranked, and go to a BCS bowl. They could probably beat Alabama or Florida. But they did lose to Texas, THIS year, and should not be ranked above them, if both have and continue to have, one loss.
spectra
Total Comments (27)
Sooner Fans ! Don't worry, everyone knows with all your whining
and Stoops media and coach bias, they'll get the votes. It's always
been that way and nothing will change that. All others teams are
trash and you know it. OU is the ONLY good team ever ! Good grief,
what a bunch of whiney butts. Let's play ball and take whatever
happens. I know you okies and wanna be Texans don't like the idea
of having to work for it.
----------------------------
I think the Sooners deserves another opportunity at getting their
a****s kicked in a bowl game. You are embarrassing in post season
and NC games unless a weak team is entered against you.
electraflash
Total Comments (6)
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