BCS: Bull Crap System!

[Dan:]

This is why I'm glad my FCS team has playoffs, even though my team was ranked #1 at the end of the season and would therefore play in a NC game under the FBS system...That being said, I don't think a playoff will eliminate controversy because even with the FCS selections for the tournament this year there have been people who are upset that their team wasn't chosen over teams that were. It would be the same for the FBS teams who get left out of the playoff selections, ie those number 9 teams that get left out of an 8 team playoff system.

[roadwarrior]

I love the Bowl System for this very reason: Everyone gests to complain!

8-)

[Cravin]

I think this post on Bevo beat explained it all "PRIOR" to the standings being released. I Feel there should still be a play-off of the three way tie.

November 30, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this

No. 2 SHOULD BE Oklahoma.

But will it be? That's entirely up to the voters.

Logically, Oklahoma should be No. 2. But if the BCS is about logic, then it wouldn't even exist. And with all these voters - 175 in all, if they all vote - having foisted upon them a responsibility that they neither desired nor deserved, there really is no telling where they're going to go.

Nevertheless, they're asked to decide on the Big 12 tiebreaker, as the winner of the South Division will be determined by the BCS standings, among Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech. Whoever gets into the Big 12 title game will be the prohibitive favorite to beat Missouri and have the inside track to the BCS title game, against the SEC title game winner between Florida and Alabama.

Well, let's examine those three Big 12 South contenders, side-by-side:

1. Against Big 12 South teams: Oklahoma beat Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M - all on the road - by a +90 margin. Texas won all three at home by +68. Texas Tech won two at home and at A&M by +61. Advantage: Oklahoma.

2. Against Big 12 North common opponent: Only Kansas played all three and Tech won, 63-21, OU won (at home), 45-31, Texas won, 35-7. Advantage: Texas Tech.

3. None-conference opponents: Texas played Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Rice and Arkansas, teams with records of 25-23 and only Rice bowl-bound; OU played I-AA Chattanooga, Cincinnati (Big East champ), TCU and Washington, 20-15 (only count I-A teams) with two 10-win teams and a winless team; Tech played two I-AA teams and the other two, Nevada and SMU, are 8-16. Advantage: Oklahoma.

4. Head-to-head: Texas wants to talk about beating OU, 45-35, true, but this is not a pure head-to-head situation, it's a three-way tie and a circular argument. And just for logic's sake, the fact that Texas beat OU on a neutral field is a classic non-sequitur. You may deduce that Texas would've beaten OU in Austin, but nothing more - so essentially each team WOULD'VE won at home. The following is how these three teams did against each other, the research courtesy of our friends at Saurian Sagacity:

Oklahoma

Points Scored: 100

Points Against: 66

Net Points: 34

Total Yards: 1060

Total Yards Against: 844

Net Yards: 216

Texas

Points Scored: 78

Points Against: 74

Net Points: 4

Total Yards: 812

Total Yards Against: 1014

Net Yards: -202

Texas Tech

Points Scored: 60

Points Against: 98

Net Points: -38

Total Yards: 985

Total Yards Against: 999

Net Yards: -14

Taken in its totality, it's rather obvious that Oklahoma is the most impressive in the head-to-head results. Advantage: Oklahoma.

If last week's poll results stay relatively stable - given that every team in the top 10 either won or was idle - this is how the computer rankings should break down:

1. Alabama (.970), 2. Texas (.960), 3. Oklahoma (.940), 4. Florida (.880), 5. Utah (.830).

And the BCS standings would look like this:

1. Alabama (.987), 2. Oklahoma (.926), 3. Texas (.921), 4. Florida (.909), 5. USC (.797).

The biggest loser this weekend, without a doubt, is USC. The Trojans not only don't have a shot at the BCS title game, their AP title hopes also evaporated with Oregon State's loss to Oregon. By being forced to play in the Rose Bowl against Penn State, there is little chance for USC to claim the AP title, as opposed to a Fiesta Bowl matchup against either Oklahoma or Texas.

So, assuming the voters actually do their homework and not go nuts or conspiracy-happy, here's the Guru's projection of the penultimate BCS standings:

1. Alabama, 2. Oklahoma, 3. Texas, 4. Florida, 5. USC, 6. Utah, 7. Penn State, 8. Texas Tech, 9. Boise State, 10. Ohio State, 11. TCU, 12. Ball State, 13. Cincinnati, 14. Oklahoma State, 15. Oregon.

[roadwarrior]

Post edited.

"pregnant dog" is a system edit for a derogatory term describing women we don't care for very much.

:

[SDoolittle]

When you say ... "This is not about Tech. They are ranked 7th"

What you are doing there is eliminating Tech via the polls. But then when the same polls eliminate UT ... you say the polls shouldn't mean squat.

Hmmmmmmm.

I don't know the answer to the problem. All I know is the one in place sucks. I think a flip of the coin would have been more fair to decided the Big 12 south representative ... and that is between all 3 teams.

Thank you, KU_Bassmaster! I am so tired of hearing Texas fans whine about this. My favorite complaint is when they say that the Big XII should not have let the BCS decide the South Division champs. I keep hearing about how they should eliminate the lowest ranked team (Texas Tech) and go with the head to head from the higher ranked teams. Someone please explain to me how that is taking the BCS out of the equation!

Here's my prediction for next season.

1. The Big XII will change their tiebreaker rules.

2. Oklahoma will defeat Texas.

3. Oklahoma will lose a later season game.

4. There will be another three way tie.

5. Texas will be ranked above Oklahoma, but due to the new rules, OU will once again go to the Big XII championship game.

6. Texas fans will once again cry that they got cheated.

[Matt Fly]

If the Big XII had the SEC tie breaker rules in place,

the lowest seed being Tech is eliminated and then head to head play comes into effect, which would be Texas.

Those rules apply in other conferences as well.

Everybody mentioned the point differentials in scoring, but Texas held all the top ten teams they played below their season totals.

   I have stated many times before, can you pick 8 teams for playoffs this year without leaving someone out?    Somebody's feelings gonna get hurt.  Same problem, just a different format.

    I would like the current system to put less emphasis on blowing teams out.    While OU did run the score up on a few teams, MacK Brown was playing second teamers in alot of 4th quarters.

   The BCS is 1/3 computers, 1/3 Harris poll human vote, 1/3 coaches poll.    

      Either OU or Texas is deserving, if conference play was the only factor looked at in conference play, Texas was the best team.

    Since BCS looks at the whole schedule, TCU and Cincy was enought to put them over the top due to non conference SOS.

Still love college football.    

Hookem

   

     

[Hookemdown.]

I wish that OU would play Texas later in the season.  I know this would mess up the whole state fair thing, but think of the possibilities.  

[SDoolittle]

If the Big XII had the SEC tie breaker rules in place,

the lowest seed being Tech is eliminated and then head to head play comes into effect, which would be Texas.

Those rules apply in other conferences as well.

     

How do they pick the lowest seed? BCS ranking! The BCS is still being used to pick the division champs and it's still out of the hands of the conference!

[fishfordollars]

ESPN and the BCS can all go take a leap. They are both the antichrist of college football. Personally, I'm going fishing. Heck with all of them.

[GitRDoneIke23]

If the Big XII had the SEC tie breaker rules in place,

the lowest seed being Tech is eliminated and then head to head play comes into effect, which would be Texas.

Those rules apply in other conferences as well.

Everybody mentioned the point differentials in scoring, but Texas held all the top ten teams they played below their season totals.

I have stated many times before, can you pick 8 teams for playoffs this year without leaving someone out? Somebody's feelings gonna get hurt. Same problem, just a different format.

I would like the current system to put less emphasis on blowing teams out. While OU did run the score up on a few teams, MacK Brown was playing second teamers in alot of 4th quarters.

The BCS is 1/3 computers, 1/3 Harris poll human vote, 1/3 coaches poll.

      Either OU or Texas is deserving, if conference play was the only factor looked at in conference play, Texas was the best team.

Since BCS looks at the whole schedule, TCU and Cincy was enought to put them over the top due to non conference SOS.

Still love college football.

Hookem

     

Exactly!! The "blowout factor" is a bad thing. It takes the intergity out of the game. It encourages teams to 'run up the score'. In the 4th quarter, Texas would usually play subs. Instead of running up the score.

I don't think a playoff system would work either. Like Matt said it'll just leave somebody else at home.

While the SEC tie-breaker rules aren't perfect, I still belive they're better than what the Big 12 has. It doesn't completly eliminate the BCS standings, but........It recignizes what was done ON THE FIELD!

While you can argue about how OU blew out their oppents, like was mentioned before, Mack Brown would often play the 2nd string players.

And as far as the OU UT matchup. It is played on a nuetral site every year, so no team has the home field advantage. (actually, I think OU is closer by a few miles.) I don't care how bad OU beat other teams, or all that. Fact is, TEXAS BEAT OU 45-35, nuff said!

But let's not forget about Tech. They had one major loss. And unfourtantley for them it came late in the season. That's the way the BCS works. If you're gonna loose make sure ya do it early. Because if you loose late, you get screwed!! You also have th respect how much they improved on the pre-season ranking. (I'm not sure but I think it was 24th or something.)

In all, 3 EXCELLENT teams deserve to play for the Big 12 championship. and 2 get to stay home. go figure.

-Ike

[Hookemdown.]

That would make sense in a 2 way tie, but you keep forgetting about Tech.

Using your logic, Tech beat Texas 39-33. They settled it on the field. If OU didn't beat Tech, then Tech would have went to the championship and nobody would be arguing over anything.

Under the current tiebreaker, the Big 12 picks the team with the highest ranking, and therefore the the team with the highest probability of going to the title game.

[SDoolittle]

But let's not forget about Tech. They had one major loss. And unfourtantley for them it came late in the season. That's the way the BCS works. If you're gonna loose make sure ya do it early. Because if you loose late, you get screwed!!

Couldn't agree with you more! OU lost on Oct 11, UT lost on Nov 1. And you can take this as a compliment or an insult, but OU lost to a better team than Texas did.

[GitRDoneIke23]

But let's not forget about Tech. They had one major loss. And unfourtantley for them it came late in the season. That's the way the BCS works. If you're gonna loose make sure ya do it early. Because if you loose late, you get screwed!!

Couldn't agree with you more! OU lost on Oct 11, UT lost on Nov 1. And you can take this as a compliment or an insult, but OU lost to a better team than Texas did.

I have to say that I think Tech is a better football team the OU. Tech just lost when they couldn't afford to. They looked UNSTOPPABLE for most of their season. Their last 2 weren't so good (I know they beat Baylor, but not by much.), and the way the BCS works, too bad for them!

But I can't do nutthin about it except complain to ya'll so let's just sit back and watch Florida beat the snot outta OU!!

-Ike

[Troutfisher]

[move]45-35 on a neutral field[/move]

[Hookemdown.]

I have to say that I think Tech is a better football team the OU.

TF:  

[5bass]

I have to say that I think Tech is a better football team the OU.

TF:

I was actually pulling for Texas Tech and they sure were fun to watch this year but OU dropped the hammer on 'em. They weren't "in the game" at any point from what I remember. If TT was truly the better team, the final score would have at least been a little closer.

[Ky_Lake_Dude]

:'( ........

Remember what OU did to TT, the team that beat Texas? Therefore if they were to play again, by theory, OU would beat Texas about 84-17. ;D

As I remember..............Texas lost to TT by 1 second! In Lubbock!! Yes OU CREAMED them, but they were in Norman.

Oh, and what was that score from the Red River Rivalry?? Oh, ya TEXAS won that game. 45-35

I may be crazy but to me it just doesn't make sense that OU get's to play, when Txas has already beaten them.

But thats still an L in the win-loss column  

[Ky_Lake_Dude]

I'm not an Oklahoma fan but Oklahoma deserves to be there. I think too much emphasis gets put on head to head. If Texas wanted to be there they should have got the job done against Tech and this discussion wouldn't be happening. Look at how bad OU beat the team that beat Texas. Then OU beat Oklahoma State by like 20 I think it was. Oklahoma State is a top 15 team that Texas beat by only 4 late in the game. Besides there is nothing anyone can do about it now. It's set in stone. So everyone that says Texas needs to be there needs to quit whining.

[atx_newbie]

If Texas wanted to be there they should have got the job done against Tech and this discussion wouldn't be happening.

Yeah, and if OU had gotten the job done against Texas, we also wouldn't be having this discussion.  The fact is, there are three teams that all "got the job done" in a lot of games this season.  Each just had one bad game (arguably, just one bad half of one game).  This really was a situation that would have been impossible to foresee, and I just have to say that I'm glad I don't work for the Big 12.

Who deserves it more is hard to say.  OU has looked unstoppable on offense this year, pretty much driving at will.  However, their defense has been very permeable.  No one put up the points on Texas that OU allowed this season.  For example, Texas vs. KS=35-7, whereas Kansas scored 21 on OU.  Same with OK State.  They scored 24 on Texas, but 41 on OU.  In fact, no one all season put up 40 on Texas, while two teams put 40 on OU.

And as we all know, defense wins games.  Maybe not every game, but at least once a season you can expect for your complicated, timing and talent based spread offense to be off.  It happened to OU, Tech, Texas, Florida, Penn State, and anyone else that runs that modern college FB offense.  But a good defense is always dependable.

[Hookemdown.]

If OU keeps scoring 60, they don't have to worry about anything.

[Matt Fly]

Tech was still in the game early in the 4th quarter.

Some have said, "Stoops ran up the score".        

I would have to disagree with that statement reguarding the Tech game, now some ohter games, yes..

First off, Leach gave OU a short field twice when he went for it on fourth down.    Bad coaching.

Also, OU intercepted a 2 to 3 passes that were returned inside the five yardline.   Long run backs.

Demarco Murray has some long Kick Off returns as well.

Bad coaching, costly turnovers and poor specail teams gave OU short field to work with most of the night.

   

[atx_newbie]

If OU keeps scoring 60, they don't have to worry about anything.

Yeah, but sooner or later you will have a bad game and you won't be able to score 60 (vs. Texas, for instance).

My high school soccer team had one of the most unproductive offense in the state, yet we made a couple of good playoff runs, because our defense was stout.  In two seasons, about 40 games, we lost only two games by more than one goal.  Granted, a good offense would always breakthrough eventually and score one, but we kept ourselves in it by having a strong defense.

Sure, high school soccer and div-1A football are different, but the bottom line is that if you have to have one, either a good offense or a good defense, you pick the defense.

[Hookemdown.]

Stoops is due for a big win. ;D

Hopefully... :-[

[atx_newbie]

I'm so torn by the prospective Nat'l Champ. match-up.  I'm a former LSU student, and big fan, living in Austin, who has always been a Longhorn fan for some reason.

I could pull for Florida, the team that has traded licks with LSU for the past 5-6 seasons en route to championships, or Oklahoma, the team that is more hated by Longhorns than the Aggies.  What to do, what to do...?

Haha I guess just sit back and enjoy a game for the ages.

[Catt]

If OU keeps scoring 60, they don't have to worry about anything.