Are The Sooners Going To Screw UT Again?
OU Questions and Concerns (George Schroeder, Daily Oklahoman)
So, should we fast-forward Texas to the Rose Bowl?
Well, yes. And no. It doesn't look like any Big 12 team can keep Texas from going undefeated. But collectively, the Big 12 could keep them out of the Rose Bowl.
The conference's weakened state, coupled with Ohio State's loss to Penn State (and any more losses by the Buckeyes), puts the Longhorns in a bad BCS position. Virginia Tech or Florida State or Georgia could pass Texas -- and probably will -- in the computer rankings, and perhaps the polls, because of the national perception that the Big 12 is in a down cycle.
Wouldn't it be ironic if Mack Brown found himself wishing he had waited a year to lobby for the Rose Bowl? Because he can't do it this year; the backlash would hurt more than help.
Actually, I find it more ironic that in recent years, Oklahoma's BCS ranking was helped tremendously by a Big 12 conference that has been stronger than this year's, and in particular by defeating Texas, which has been a solid Top Ten team. Granted, Joe Castiglione has tried to schedule nonconference games that will help (or certainly not hurt) in BCS calculations, but the Sooners have gotten a huge boost from beating highly ranked Texas teams. It will be ironic that the year Mack Brown finally beat the Sooners, those Sooners are not going to be ranked (let alone highly), and the victory isn't going to help in BCS calculations.
Schroeder's point about Ohio State is also a good one -- another loss, and that win isn't going to be so helpful for Texas either as BCS calculations go. I realize it's early for this sort of speculation, but if there is an undefeated SEC or ACC team to go with Texas and USC at the end of the season, Texas may not make it to the Rose Bowl, and that would give BCS opponents yet more ammo against the system.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 10/10/05 08:22 | Big 12 Football | Technorati
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Comments
Sure. Undefeated Va Tech has played a significantly tougher schedule than Texas, if both are undefeated by end of season.
Posted by TP @ 09:41 on 10/10/05
I realize it's a big IF at this point, but what else does a Sooner fan have to speculate about at the moment? Whether they will qualify for a bowl? Not as interesting. :)
Posted by Kevin @ 09:55 on 10/10/05
Kevin, as much as I would like to give you some grief about the long awaited Texas victory, there are more important issues to deal with. We must all, Sooners and Longhorns, Democrats and Republicans, get together and preserve the Red River Rivalry as-is...in the Cotton Bowl. I realize that things are not looking good for keeping the series there, but it MUST be done. SO MUCH will be lost if the series becomes a typical rivalry - the annual trip to Dallas, the pageantry and tradition of the Cotton Bowl, the state fair as a backdrop, the opportunity to drink with and curse at one's hated rivals. I haven't been to the Cotton Bowl since James Brown's freshman debut in 1995, and the Cotton Bowl was a piece of shit then, so it must be in terrible shape now. However, the field view from the seats is great (unless you are behind a pole) and the field is SO CLOSE to the seats. If TX/OU leaves the Cotton Bowl, they might as well tear it down. If it is renovated, who knows what role the stadium could play in college football's ever evolving post season. Anyway, I don't know of any collective action on this front yet, but I will be tapping out some letters to the relevant decision makers and praying that the game stays where it is.
Posted by Chito @ 12:21 on 10/10/05
You'll qualify for a bowl if A-Pete is healthy.
Posted by TP @ 14:39 on 10/10/05
Texas won't make it if Penn St. Georgia, or Virginia Tech or Florida St. run the field. Simple as that. Their only hope is that Cal or UCLA beats USC.
Chito: What else is the Cotton Bowl used for these days? The Dallas MLS team has their own stadium. SMU has their own stadium. The cowboys have their own stadium. The cotton bowl has been supplanted by the Fiesta Bowl as one of the major bowl games. Seems to me a pretty piss poor investment to renovate the stadium if no one is going to use it other than one major college game/year.
Posted by Kent @ 09:31 on 10/11/05
Come to think of it, wouldn't the new Cowboy's stadium make a better venue for future Red River Rivaly games? Keep it in Dallas but put it in a modern stadium.
Posted by Kent @ 09:33 on 10/11/05
The talk radio buzz this morning was people hoping that there wasn't a Gene Chizik (UT defensive coordinator) curse. He came here from Auburn, and look what happened to them last year. Lord, but it pains me to say this: I hope OU wins the rest of its games. We also need Tech to keep winning. And can someone--anyone--in the North division get it together?
Keep the Red River Shootout (not Rivalry--enough of that weenie, pc stuff) in Dallas. Move it to Jerry's new stadium when it's finished, if need be. I don't think the Cotton Bowl will fall down in the next couple of years. Can't say as I blame Dallas for not wanting to spend a zillion dollars to fix it up, though.
Posted by another precinct chair @ 13:24 on 10/11/05
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