[NU Sports] BC-Mess: Texas doomed, PSU screwed?

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

So I see that despite the efforts of the human voters to annoint OU as the title game team, Texas is #2 in the BCS.

Ah, the kiss of death.

Let's not forget that in the past two years ...

* Michigan was #2 when they finished the season in 2006 - yet magically dropped below Florida based on ??? the Gators narrow win over mediocre Arkansas ??? Huh??? SHENANIGANS!!!

* Georgia was the second-highest ranked team that didn't lose to finish the wild run at the end of the 2007 season - yet magically were leapfrogged four spots by LSU based on ??? the Tigers' close win over a truly meh Tennessee squad ??? Huh??? SHENANIGANS!!!

Now Texas appears to complete the three-peat by falling below Oklahoma next week, even if they win their final game and despite the fact that they BEAT OKLAHOMA on the field.

To make matters worse, it appears Mack has decided to try and stay above the fray while Bob Stoops has corralled every TV crew that's not camped out in Wasila or Hyde Park to make his case on TV.

Doesn't Mack remember how this works? The coach who whines, er, "lobbies" the most usually gets their way in the B(C)S world. Remember how Mack "politicked" his way past Cal into an at-large berth a few seasons back and then how Urban Meyer out-whined Lloyd Carr (I was unaware that could even be done) to sneak into the 2006 title game.

Speaking of our B-C-MESS looming fiasco, let's take away the coach hype, John Saunders bashing and look at the facts about the one-loss bunch. Interestingly, it appears that the team everyone seems to think deserves a shot (Florida) has the worst case while the one everyone counts out (PSU) may have the best case of all.

BTW, I'm using the coaches poll because that's what the B(C)S uses (and I refuse to acknowledge that the Harris Poll should count for anything).

#2 OKLAHOMA
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Top 10 wins: vs. Texas Tech
Top 25 wins: vs. Cincinnati, vs. TCU
That 1 Loss: vs. Texas (neutral)
Their  case: Not bad, considering their big wins (though all were at home) and the big margin over Texas Tech ... but still, they lost. To TEXAS. On a neutral field.

#3 FLORIDA
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Top 10 wins: None
Top 25 wins: vs. Georgia (neutral)
That 1 loss: vs. Mississippi
Their  case: Why are they #3 again? They have no wins against top 10 teams, the fewest against top 25 teams and the worst loss record-wise, plus that loss was at HOME. I guess it all boils down to how they get a shot at #1 Alabama (a shot any of these teams would have if there were a playoff) and running up the score on an overrated SEC, so it's all based on what might happen???

#4 TEXAS
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Top 10 wins: vs. Oklahoma (neutral)
Top 25 wins: vs. Oklahoma State, vs. Missouri
That 1 loss: at Texas Tech
Their  case: Pretty solid - though they don't really have a big win on the road, their loss came on the last play of the game in a hostile environment in prime time. Plus they BEAT OKLAHOMA.

#5 USC
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Top 10 wins: vs. Ohio State
Top 25 wins: vs. Oregon
That 1 loss: at Oregon State
Their  case: Respectable, given the big win over OSU and overall dominance. Plus that loss that looked so bad early has looked better each week. Still, lack of big wins hurts the Trojans.

#6 PENN STATE
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Top 10 wins: at Ohio State
Top 25 wins: vs. Michigan State, vs. Oregon State
That 1 loss: at Iowa
Their  case: Perhaps the best of the bunch - they are the only one to have a top 10 win on the ROAD, the only one to beat TWO potential BCS teams (unless you think Tech still has a shot, then OU is there) and their loss was on the last play of the game, on the road, in bad weather to a surging team (with the same record as Ole Miss).

#8 TEXAS TECH
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Top 10 wins: vs. Texas
Top 25 wins: vs. Oklahoma State
That 1 loss: at Oklahoma
Their  case: Hurt big time by the rout in Norman (but computers don't look at running up the score, right?:) ) and the lack of a big win outside of Lubbock under the Lights.

I guess the BCS should just pray Bama wins out and put them against Utah because anything else is a joke.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!