Showing posts with label Texas Longhorns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas Longhorns. Show all posts
Sunday, December 7, 2008
BCS National Championship
I wrote last week how it was possible for Texas to get in the championship instead of Florida. Well with Florida ahead of Texas by 73 votes in the Coaches Poll, and if these updated computer polls are correct(http://www.tellshowbcs.com/CP.html), Florida needs ahead by Texas by 92 votes or more in the Harris Poll. Check out this site for the computer rankings. I will update once the Harris Poll comes out.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Big 12 Tie Breaker
I realize and understand there is a ton of arguments that can go either way in this three way battle. Just keep in mind what you can argue for one you can also argue for one of the other two.
A lot has been talked about head to head in the this huge debate between OU and Texas. Remember there is a third team involved and that is Texas Tech. Many fans, coaches, and media eliminate Tech because of their huge loss to OU. So therefore, since they are so called eliminated then people want to talk head to head. If OU doesn’t dominate Tech, are they still in the equation? Sure they are but they should still be in the discussion right now. So OU is being punished for dominating Tech. Fans, media and coaches appear to be forgetting that Tech beat Texas and to be honest with you Tech dominated that game for 3 quarters, not that they won in the last second like everyone wants to remember. Texas had the lead in that game for 1:28. Sounds a bit different than “losing in the last second.”
The BCS was the last tie breaker for the decision on who got to go to the Big 12 Championship. It’s a bit funny how a ton of fans and media dislike the BCS for determining this result. The same people prefer the ACC and SEC methods instead. I guess they prefer this method because it is a different outcome but the big contradiction is they use the BCS to determine this as well.
Look at the coaches poll the last 2 weeks. Keep in mind no one in the top 10 lost this week. OU loses 15 votes for beating #12 Oklahoma St 61-41 on the road. Florida lost 16 votes for beating #20 Florida St on the road. Now look at the gains. Alabama understandably gained 3 points for shutting out Auburn. Texas gained 26 votes for beating a 4-7 Texas A&M at home 49-9. USC gained 10 votes for dominating Notre Dame(I can see 10 votes as good as they looked). PSU gained 19 points for playing no one? Utah stayed the same as they should for not playing. Texas Tech gained a whopping 43 points for beating Baylor by 7 at home and they had to come from behind to do so. Granted Crabtree did not play the whole game and Harrell was shook up but to gain that many votes? Boise State gained 11 votes for finishing their season undefeated and Ohio State gained 5 votes for playing no one. I realize any coach can change their minds week in and week out but this is absurd. I realize there has been a ton of politicking by some coaches but the movement for the teams that did not play or barely beat an under 500 team at home is crazy. You can tell some coaches had some agenda. This is a perfect example why all polls should be public knowledge week in and week out.
Brent Musburger mentioned during the OU-Oklahoma St game that rather than use the BCS the Big 12 should use point differential amongst all the common teams they played in conference. While I agree, he changed his tune on ESPN the next day and wanted to use point differential to get it down to 2 teams and then head to head. This was just another way to eliminate OU. Here is an issue with this new theory. OU would be punished for dominating Texas Tech. Here’s why. Here is the point differential against the Big12 South and Kansas being all three played Kansas.
OU 138
Texas 100
Tech 65
Lets say OU only beat Tech by 9 instead of 44. Then it would look like this.
OU 103
Texas 100
Tech 100.
OU still wins the differential but now Texas and Tech are tied. So again OU is would be punished in this scenario for dominating Tech. In addition, how many teams would be comfortable with only having a 9 point lead with Tech. This would also make it to where teams are not just playing football and trying to manage the number of points scored.
Couple of things that worked in OU’s favor in all this. Although unfortunate here me out and you can see why. The weekend OU lost to Texas, number #2 Missouri and #3 LSU lost as well. This vaulted Texas past #4 Alabama and only dropped OU to #6 being the others lost behind them as well. Unfortunately when Texas lost no one else behind them lost and they fell to #7. That same week OU moved to #4. As the weeks went by both Texas and OU kept moving up and OU’s destroying Tech vaulted them up higher. Now the next week we saw the agenda work and put Texas within 1 point of OU. As you can see, although not always fair, sometimes when you lose makes a difference. It just so happens that those 2 other teams lost the same week as OU and Texas did not have that luck.
Bottom line in all this is that there are 3 teams that are very deserving of going to the Big 12 Championship, unfortunately only 1 can go. All have valid arguments and each argument can go in a circle. While I can look at all sides it is very hard to come up with a solid argument for anyone of the 3.
The bigger injustice is that there is three teams that should be going to a BCS game for the second year in a row yet only two can go. The one main thing that I think needs to be changed is to make all the votes public all year long so anyone and everyone can see any hidden agendas and trying to manipulate the BCS.
A lot has been talked about head to head in the this huge debate between OU and Texas. Remember there is a third team involved and that is Texas Tech. Many fans, coaches, and media eliminate Tech because of their huge loss to OU. So therefore, since they are so called eliminated then people want to talk head to head. If OU doesn’t dominate Tech, are they still in the equation? Sure they are but they should still be in the discussion right now. So OU is being punished for dominating Tech. Fans, media and coaches appear to be forgetting that Tech beat Texas and to be honest with you Tech dominated that game for 3 quarters, not that they won in the last second like everyone wants to remember. Texas had the lead in that game for 1:28. Sounds a bit different than “losing in the last second.”
The BCS was the last tie breaker for the decision on who got to go to the Big 12 Championship. It’s a bit funny how a ton of fans and media dislike the BCS for determining this result. The same people prefer the ACC and SEC methods instead. I guess they prefer this method because it is a different outcome but the big contradiction is they use the BCS to determine this as well.
Look at the coaches poll the last 2 weeks. Keep in mind no one in the top 10 lost this week. OU loses 15 votes for beating #12 Oklahoma St 61-41 on the road. Florida lost 16 votes for beating #20 Florida St on the road. Now look at the gains. Alabama understandably gained 3 points for shutting out Auburn. Texas gained 26 votes for beating a 4-7 Texas A&M at home 49-9. USC gained 10 votes for dominating Notre Dame(I can see 10 votes as good as they looked). PSU gained 19 points for playing no one? Utah stayed the same as they should for not playing. Texas Tech gained a whopping 43 points for beating Baylor by 7 at home and they had to come from behind to do so. Granted Crabtree did not play the whole game and Harrell was shook up but to gain that many votes? Boise State gained 11 votes for finishing their season undefeated and Ohio State gained 5 votes for playing no one. I realize any coach can change their minds week in and week out but this is absurd. I realize there has been a ton of politicking by some coaches but the movement for the teams that did not play or barely beat an under 500 team at home is crazy. You can tell some coaches had some agenda. This is a perfect example why all polls should be public knowledge week in and week out.
Brent Musburger mentioned during the OU-Oklahoma St game that rather than use the BCS the Big 12 should use point differential amongst all the common teams they played in conference. While I agree, he changed his tune on ESPN the next day and wanted to use point differential to get it down to 2 teams and then head to head. This was just another way to eliminate OU. Here is an issue with this new theory. OU would be punished for dominating Texas Tech. Here’s why. Here is the point differential against the Big12 South and Kansas being all three played Kansas.
OU 138
Texas 100
Tech 65
Lets say OU only beat Tech by 9 instead of 44. Then it would look like this.
OU 103
Texas 100
Tech 100.
OU still wins the differential but now Texas and Tech are tied. So again OU is would be punished in this scenario for dominating Tech. In addition, how many teams would be comfortable with only having a 9 point lead with Tech. This would also make it to where teams are not just playing football and trying to manage the number of points scored.
Couple of things that worked in OU’s favor in all this. Although unfortunate here me out and you can see why. The weekend OU lost to Texas, number #2 Missouri and #3 LSU lost as well. This vaulted Texas past #4 Alabama and only dropped OU to #6 being the others lost behind them as well. Unfortunately when Texas lost no one else behind them lost and they fell to #7. That same week OU moved to #4. As the weeks went by both Texas and OU kept moving up and OU’s destroying Tech vaulted them up higher. Now the next week we saw the agenda work and put Texas within 1 point of OU. As you can see, although not always fair, sometimes when you lose makes a difference. It just so happens that those 2 other teams lost the same week as OU and Texas did not have that luck.
Bottom line in all this is that there are 3 teams that are very deserving of going to the Big 12 Championship, unfortunately only 1 can go. All have valid arguments and each argument can go in a circle. While I can look at all sides it is very hard to come up with a solid argument for anyone of the 3.
The bigger injustice is that there is three teams that should be going to a BCS game for the second year in a row yet only two can go. The one main thing that I think needs to be changed is to make all the votes public all year long so anyone and everyone can see any hidden agendas and trying to manipulate the BCS.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Big 12 Tie Breaker
There has been a lot of comments and articles about the Big 12 south with the possibility of OU, Texas and Texas Tech finishing tied. I have talked about this scenario since OU lost to Texas on October 11. There also has been a lot of talk of where they are ranked and why. Here is my 2 cents worth and another scenario that could come into play if everything shakes out.
As a OU fan I agree Texas should be ahead of OU right now. Couple things can be said about why they are ranked the way they are. 1. The same week OU lost, #3 LSU and #2 Missouri lost as well. Now when Texas lost no other top 10 lost. So not only losing early helps but if others lose around you at the time you do not fall as far. 2. Keep in mind OU was 63 points ahead of Texas in the coaches poll and 44 ahead in the Harris poll in the polls that followed the Texas loss. The newest poll one week after the aforementioned weeks poll OU is only ahead of Texas by 14 points in the coaches poll and now 44 behind Texas in the Harris poll. The only game in between the 2 polls is OU beating Texas A&M and Texas beating Baylor. Looks like to me more voters realized the head to head match up, not because they both beat cupcakes. If Texas beats Kansas then they will be in front of the Sooners. But if OU beats Tech and Okie State they may move back in front of the Longhorns being they are so closely matched in the polls.
Still a lot of football left. Texas has to beat Kansas and Texas A&M, OU has to beat Texas Tech and Okie State, and Texas Tech will have to beat Baylor for this all to matter anyways. I have been talking about this scenario ever since Texas beat OU, and it seems to be coming to fruition, but there is those 5 games that still seem to matter.
Here is one more scenario I have been thinking about as well. Say Texas makes the Big 12 Championship because of winning the tie breaker because the three teams tie. Now Alabama will be #1, Texas or Florida will be #2 and #3 or OU could be at #3 but could be #4. We know the winner of the SEC championship will be going to the National Championship. But what if Texas loses in the Big 12 championship, OU moves in. Now the same can be said if OU went to the Big 12 championship and lost Texas would move in. I am sure I am going to hear the argument about winning your conference, but who can you put in the game. It could be said as well about USC moving in to the game, but if Oregon Sate wins out USC won't win their conference either. I don't see anybody else moving into the game in this scenario. So all this arguing about where they are ranked and the Big 12 championship may not matter if they don't win their games. The bottom line is they all need to win and then let the rankings work themselves out, and if needed we can argue about it then.
As a OU fan I agree Texas should be ahead of OU right now. Couple things can be said about why they are ranked the way they are. 1. The same week OU lost, #3 LSU and #2 Missouri lost as well. Now when Texas lost no other top 10 lost. So not only losing early helps but if others lose around you at the time you do not fall as far. 2. Keep in mind OU was 63 points ahead of Texas in the coaches poll and 44 ahead in the Harris poll in the polls that followed the Texas loss. The newest poll one week after the aforementioned weeks poll OU is only ahead of Texas by 14 points in the coaches poll and now 44 behind Texas in the Harris poll. The only game in between the 2 polls is OU beating Texas A&M and Texas beating Baylor. Looks like to me more voters realized the head to head match up, not because they both beat cupcakes. If Texas beats Kansas then they will be in front of the Sooners. But if OU beats Tech and Okie State they may move back in front of the Longhorns being they are so closely matched in the polls.
Still a lot of football left. Texas has to beat Kansas and Texas A&M, OU has to beat Texas Tech and Okie State, and Texas Tech will have to beat Baylor for this all to matter anyways. I have been talking about this scenario ever since Texas beat OU, and it seems to be coming to fruition, but there is those 5 games that still seem to matter.
Here is one more scenario I have been thinking about as well. Say Texas makes the Big 12 Championship because of winning the tie breaker because the three teams tie. Now Alabama will be #1, Texas or Florida will be #2 and #3 or OU could be at #3 but could be #4. We know the winner of the SEC championship will be going to the National Championship. But what if Texas loses in the Big 12 championship, OU moves in. Now the same can be said if OU went to the Big 12 championship and lost Texas would move in. I am sure I am going to hear the argument about winning your conference, but who can you put in the game. It could be said as well about USC moving in to the game, but if Oregon Sate wins out USC won't win their conference either. I don't see anybody else moving into the game in this scenario. So all this arguing about where they are ranked and the Big 12 championship may not matter if they don't win their games. The bottom line is they all need to win and then let the rankings work themselves out, and if needed we can argue about it then.
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