SoonerFrog
11/30/2008, 06:02 PM
First, background notes:
Our [OU vs TX] margins in the Harris and coaches polls both went down drastically versus last week, when including our OSU win and their aTm win. In fact, we actually went from (+16) in the Harris to (-5); we lost the Harris poll this week. We went from (+63) in the Coaches' poll to (+1) following those two results.
Having taken all that into account, it is unlikely that the Harris voters and the Coaches voters were drastically impressed with Texas beating their unranked in state rival at home, while at the same time being significantly unimpressed with our road victory over our in-state rival ranked #12.
Therefore:
LESSON ONE: The politics matters. I appreciate Bob trying to take the high road and all, but when the other side is cheating, you either cheat too, or get run over. If not for our superiority in the computer rankings, we would have come in 3rd in the BCS rankings, and it would likely have been because Bob chose to lose elegantly rather than do what it takes to win; tactics matter where the rubber meets the road when the stakes are high - even if the tactics involve the complete and utter cheating Brown was undertaking (take this from a former Al Gore supporter, wholeheartedly). I'm sorry, Bob, but if Mack is doing it, we need to be doing it too. When they call you to state your case during the TX/aTm game, you need to go on the air and make our case.
In addition, we improved our standing in all but one computer ranking by virtue of adding OSU's 9 wins to our data, while Texas added only 4 for aTm. However, this was not really the deciding factor - our margin would have been much wider if UT Chattanooga had been a FBS opponent (even Buffalo or someone), and if Washington had won a game or two. Furthermore, Texas can look in the mirror and point the finger at themselves on this element as well: they chose to play Florida Atlantic and UTEP rather than more respectable foes.
If either team had strategized differently (or in their crystal ball had known about the declines happening in Washington or Arkansas) and played better teams, the results in the computer polls could have been enough to salt away the ranking without much worry (in OU's case) or flip the result (in the case of Texas). Therefore:
LESSON TWO: Fail to dine on cupcakes in September.
Now of course, we are all glad that this came out as it did, and the unkind folks at PornFans are as livid as I have ever seen them. And we need to remember, there is one more game to go - we play Mizzou next weekend. A prediction, not about that game, but about PornFan behavior leading up to it, is in order, if only because they cannot be trusted to do the right thing at all in the coming days (as displayed by their fearless leader Lack Crown on the playback today, who I found to have made about a 6-minute political advertisement during an injury timeout during the 3rd quarter.)
PREDICTION:
All week long, the folks from PornFans, the UT athletic department, and the state of Texass in general, will plea to the media, voters, and anyone else who will listen, that Texas should be voted ahead of OU in the final BCS rankings if the Sooners fail to demolish Missouri by at least the same margin Texas did back in October.
In short, even if we win, this is NOT over yet. They will lobby, whine, cajole, and rig votes if they can, and even if we win next week, they can and will try to steal our spot in in the BCS title game.
Plan your propaganda for this week accordingly.
Our [OU vs TX] margins in the Harris and coaches polls both went down drastically versus last week, when including our OSU win and their aTm win. In fact, we actually went from (+16) in the Harris to (-5); we lost the Harris poll this week. We went from (+63) in the Coaches' poll to (+1) following those two results.
Having taken all that into account, it is unlikely that the Harris voters and the Coaches voters were drastically impressed with Texas beating their unranked in state rival at home, while at the same time being significantly unimpressed with our road victory over our in-state rival ranked #12.
Therefore:
LESSON ONE: The politics matters. I appreciate Bob trying to take the high road and all, but when the other side is cheating, you either cheat too, or get run over. If not for our superiority in the computer rankings, we would have come in 3rd in the BCS rankings, and it would likely have been because Bob chose to lose elegantly rather than do what it takes to win; tactics matter where the rubber meets the road when the stakes are high - even if the tactics involve the complete and utter cheating Brown was undertaking (take this from a former Al Gore supporter, wholeheartedly). I'm sorry, Bob, but if Mack is doing it, we need to be doing it too. When they call you to state your case during the TX/aTm game, you need to go on the air and make our case.
In addition, we improved our standing in all but one computer ranking by virtue of adding OSU's 9 wins to our data, while Texas added only 4 for aTm. However, this was not really the deciding factor - our margin would have been much wider if UT Chattanooga had been a FBS opponent (even Buffalo or someone), and if Washington had won a game or two. Furthermore, Texas can look in the mirror and point the finger at themselves on this element as well: they chose to play Florida Atlantic and UTEP rather than more respectable foes.
If either team had strategized differently (or in their crystal ball had known about the declines happening in Washington or Arkansas) and played better teams, the results in the computer polls could have been enough to salt away the ranking without much worry (in OU's case) or flip the result (in the case of Texas). Therefore:
LESSON TWO: Fail to dine on cupcakes in September.
Now of course, we are all glad that this came out as it did, and the unkind folks at PornFans are as livid as I have ever seen them. And we need to remember, there is one more game to go - we play Mizzou next weekend. A prediction, not about that game, but about PornFan behavior leading up to it, is in order, if only because they cannot be trusted to do the right thing at all in the coming days (as displayed by their fearless leader Lack Crown on the playback today, who I found to have made about a 6-minute political advertisement during an injury timeout during the 3rd quarter.)
PREDICTION:
All week long, the folks from PornFans, the UT athletic department, and the state of Texass in general, will plea to the media, voters, and anyone else who will listen, that Texas should be voted ahead of OU in the final BCS rankings if the Sooners fail to demolish Missouri by at least the same margin Texas did back in October.
In short, even if we win, this is NOT over yet. They will lobby, whine, cajole, and rig votes if they can, and even if we win next week, they can and will try to steal our spot in in the BCS title game.
Plan your propaganda for this week accordingly.