After a lengthy vacation, Barnes and myself are pulling a Roger Clemens and coming back. We have gone back and forth, tried several different formats, and eventually got tired. Barnes got tired of losing, and well I got tired of winning. That being said, in an effort to bring more consistency, we are only going to give our opening arguments without actually reading what the other person said. It's much simpler and should result in a plethora of topics. Only time will tell.The first topic is one that all sports fans can pencil in at this time of year. There always seems to be a college football team who feels they were slighted by the rankings. In 2008 the debate is Oklahoma or Texas. Here is our take. As always, please let us know what you think with COMMENTS at the end. They are the oxygen we need to breathe to keep this debates alive.
Luke Florence: OKLAHOMA
Texas or Oklahoma? Only one to choose from, but which one is the correct choice? The correct answer is that you shouldn't have to choose, but that's a different question for a different day. With the system we have in place, only one can play in the Big 12 Championship game, and control their own destiny for the National Championship. My pick is the same as the BCS. The Oklahoma Sooners.
The biggest argument going for Texas is their head-to-head victory against Oklahoma back in October. Unfortunately, recent history shows us that this point is moot. Let me take you back to 1993 when #2 Notre Dame beat #1 Florida St, then lost to #9 Boston College the week after. Florida State jumped the Irish in the polls and went on to win it all. Sound familiar? It should. Texas beat #1 Oklahoma but then lost to #7 Texas Tech. The nature of the NCAA beast is to lose early. Oklahoma lost earlier than Texas. The Longhorns had their chance but couldn't seal the deal against Texas Tech, a team Oklahoma later beat 44.
Once that argument is crushed, let's look a bit closer. Oklahoma has beaten Texas Tech (something Texas couldn't do), AT Oklahoma State (something no team had done this year), Cincinnati (the Big East Champ), AND TCU (currently ranked #11). Now the Sooners play Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Win and they will have beaten all the big teams Texas has PLUS Cincy and TCU. If they lose, then Texas is in. Complain about the system all you want, but they got it right this year. As Jim Mora put it, PLAYOFFS??
Texas or Oklahoma? Only one to choose from, but which one is the correct choice? The correct answer is that you shouldn't have to choose, but that's a different question for a different day. With the system we have in place, only one can play in the Big 12 Championship game, and control their own destiny for the National Championship. My pick is the same as the BCS. The Oklahoma Sooners.The biggest argument going for Texas is their head-to-head victory against Oklahoma back in October. Unfortunately, recent history shows us that this point is moot. Let me take you back to 1993 when #2 Notre Dame beat #1 Florida St, then lost to #9 Boston College the week after. Florida State jumped the Irish in the polls and went on to win it all. Sound familiar? It should. Texas beat #1 Oklahoma but then lost to #7 Texas Tech. The nature of the NCAA beast is to lose early. Oklahoma lost earlier than Texas. The Longhorns had their chance but couldn't seal the deal against Texas Tech, a team Oklahoma later beat 44.
Once that argument is crushed, let's look a bit closer. Oklahoma has beaten Texas Tech (something Texas couldn't do), AT Oklahoma State (something no team had done this year), Cincinnati (the Big East Champ), AND TCU (currently ranked #11). Now the Sooners play Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Win and they will have beaten all the big teams Texas has PLUS Cincy and TCU. If they lose, then Texas is in. Complain about the system all you want, but they got it right this year. As Jim Mora put it, PLAYOFFS??
Matt Barnes: TEXAS
Texas is 11-1. Oklahoma is 11-1. So who deserves to be in the Big 12 championship game? Well, both of them do. But since only one can go, I'm going with Texas. And remember this during my argument, we're talking about a conference championship game, NOT the national title game.
Texas beat both Missouri and Oklahoma but yet are not in the title game? Seems wrong doesn't it? It's because it is. Texas' only loss came to Texas Tech on the road in Lubbock. A great game in which the Red Raiders won on an amazing touchdown with less than 10 seconds left. And this after Texas had beaten three straight ranked Big 12 opponents, including Oklahoma. That's right, Oklahoma's one loss is to the same team it beat out for the spot in the conference title game, Texas. And the Sooners were beat on a neutral field by 10 points, not by some game-winning TD or FG at the horn. Hmmmm, seems like the 'Horns should be there right?
But they're not and it's just wrong. Some may say it's because Oklahoma is playing better football right now. Too bad that doesn't mean they are the better team. If they were, they would have beaten Texas on that neutral field. Some may say they played a tougher non-conference schedule. Again, shouldn't matter since we are strictly talking Big 12 South champion and the eight Big 12 games. In a perfect world, these two would get a rematch in Kansas City and this would be settled on the field. But since it's not, it leaves people like me wondering how bad of a system we must have when a team that has the same W-L record but a much better case to be in a conference title game doesn't get in. What a joke.
Texas is 11-1. Oklahoma is 11-1. So who deserves to be in the Big 12 championship game? Well, both of them do. But since only one can go, I'm going with Texas. And remember this during my argument, we're talking about a conference championship game, NOT the national title game.Texas beat both Missouri and Oklahoma but yet are not in the title game? Seems wrong doesn't it? It's because it is. Texas' only loss came to Texas Tech on the road in Lubbock. A great game in which the Red Raiders won on an amazing touchdown with less than 10 seconds left. And this after Texas had beaten three straight ranked Big 12 opponents, including Oklahoma. That's right, Oklahoma's one loss is to the same team it beat out for the spot in the conference title game, Texas. And the Sooners were beat on a neutral field by 10 points, not by some game-winning TD or FG at the horn. Hmmmm, seems like the 'Horns should be there right?
But they're not and it's just wrong. Some may say it's because Oklahoma is playing better football right now. Too bad that doesn't mean they are the better team. If they were, they would have beaten Texas on that neutral field. Some may say they played a tougher non-conference schedule. Again, shouldn't matter since we are strictly talking Big 12 South champion and the eight Big 12 games. In a perfect world, these two would get a rematch in Kansas City and this would be settled on the field. But since it's not, it leaves people like me wondering how bad of a system we must have when a team that has the same W-L record but a much better case to be in a conference title game doesn't get in. What a joke.
No comments:
Post a Comment