ESPN nerd says OU deserves same hate treatment.....

[SteelClip49]

as the Ohio State Buckeyes.


http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/4102/osu-hate-ou-love-creates-double-standard


OSU hate, OU love creates double standard

September 21, 2009 2:40 PM


Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Ohio State Buckeyes are victims of a double standard, and they deserve better.

Ohio State has seen its national approval rating steadily decline since the 2007 BCS national title game, the first of six consecutive losses against top 5 opponents. Much of the heat directed toward Columbus is warranted. Ohio State has disappointed the national media on the game's biggest stage several times, and despite a series of strong recruiting classes, the team has underachieved in several areas, namely along the offensive line.

But another national powerhouse deserves the same treatment. Another big-name has been just as disappointing in big games, if not worse. And yet that team continues to escape the hate. Meet the Oklahoma Sooners. They're apparently made out of Teflon.

Let's review some of the similarities between Ohio State and Oklahoma:
Ohio State has a three-game losing streak in BCS bowls; Oklahoma has dropped five consecutive BCS bowls, including games in each of the last three seasons.
Ohio State suffered two blowout losses in the national title game; Oklahoma fell to USC 55-19 in the 2005 Orange Bowl, which gave the Trojans the national championship. The Sooners also suffered a 20-point loss to a West Virginia team that had just lost its head coach in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. And they lost to non-BCS Boise State.
Both teams have had Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks (Troy Smith and Sam Bradford) stumble in the national title game.
Both teams have taken care of business in their leagues. Ohio State has won or shared the last four Big Ten titles. Oklahoma has won the last three Big 12 championships.

Despite the parallels, Ohio State continues to be the nation's piñata, while Big Game Bob Stoops and the Sooners get a pass. The latest example arrived Sunday, as Ohio State moved down two spots to No. 13 in the AP Poll, while Oklahoma moved up two spots to No. 10.

What happened Saturday? Ohio State pounded Toledo 38-0 in Cleveland, the same Rockets team that had embarrassed Big 12 member Colorado the previous week. Oklahoma crushed Tulsa 45-0, a very solid win without Bradford at the helm.

Still, I don't see much of a difference here. So why the shuffle in the polls?

Perhaps it's because USC, which beat Ohio State in Columbus on Sept. 12, lost to unranked Washington in Seattle. Meanwhile, a BYU team that beat Oklahoma in Dallas on Sept. 5 got utterly embarrassed on its home field by Florida State.

Explain to me how USC's loss, which came on the road with the backup quarterback (Aaron Corp) at the helm, should punish Ohio State, while BYU's loss, which came with the Cougars at full strength and on their home field, rewards Oklahoma.

It's ridiculous. And it needs to stop.

I don't vote in the AP Poll. For what it's worth, I have USC at No. 11, Ohio State at No. 12 and Oklahoma at No. 13 in my most recent ESPN.com power rankings.

People can pick on Ohio State until the Buckeyes win a big nonconference game. But Oklahoma deserves the exact same treatment.

[beer4me]

http://www.mysmiley.net.nyud.net/imgs/smile/sad/sad0004.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)

[OKLA21FAN]

Do they also yell home of the 'Buckeyes' at the end of the NA or somesuch? :pop:

[Gresho Murford]

sounds like sour grapes to me.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

We play a CCG. They do not.

[meoveryouxinfinity]

So,

Washington>USC>Ohio State>Toledo>Colorado=Oklahoma

wait????

[IowaSooner26]

Both teams have had Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks (Troy Smith and Sam Bradford) stumble in the national title game.


Wow, I guess scoring 60 points a game is really struggling these days!

Maybe Jason White in 2003 against LSU with his bum shoulder but geez not Sammy!

[Taxman71]

Every time OU pounds a good team, it ceases to be a "big game". Example, how big was OU vs Tech last year? Arguably, as big as any game last season but for the NC. One OU blowout later, and history reflects it as just another rolled over creampuff.

[CBUS_SOONER]

OU wins some big games. O$U doesn't. Big12 is great... Big11 blows. O$U fans are idiots... OU fans, not so much. End of debate

[meoveryouxinfinity]

Oh, and nobody hates Ohio State. Except the computers. The only reason they dropped and we moved up is because we seem to be fixing our problems even without Sam Bradford. Ohio State dropped because Washington did what they could not.

We are both equally the laughing stock of college football (come bowl season).

[o0Dan0o]

Because of any number of reasons not mentioned in the article...

[Octavian]

Dec 1, 2007
#9 Oklahoma - 38
#1 Missouri - 17

Nov. 22, 2008
#2 Texas Tech - 21
#5 Oklahoma -65


Again, to many eyes it's only a "big game" when OU loses. In the last two seasons, we've defeated a #1 team and a #2 team in prime-time showdowns. If those aren't "big games," then the only big games are National Championship games.


As for Ohio State, maybe we get more credit because our players --even in the games we don't win --don't look like they're running in sand with ankle weights on. We have athletes all over the field and don't look like, well, a Big11 team.

[soonermix]

it is because people actually believe we can win those games where the buckeyes are expected to lose

[Scott D]

I noticed nowhere in the article did he mention that part of the matter in that sense is that the perception of the Big-10 is so low right now that the Big East is considered a stronger conference from top to bottom.

He's right in the regard that until we win a big bowl game (no the 2005 Holiday Bowl doesn't count) again, to a point as a program we are not any better than Ohio State.

[The Ghost of Mex]

Dec 1, 2007
#9 Oklahoma - 38
#1 Missouri - 17

Nov. 22, 2008
#2 Texas Tech - 21
#5 Oklahoma -65


Again, to many eyes it's only a "big game" when OU loses. In the last two seasons, we've defeated a #1 team and a #2 team in prime-time showdowns. If those aren't "big games," then the only big games are National Championship games.


As for Ohio State, maybe we get more credit because our players --even in the games we don't win --don't look like they're running in sand with ankle weights on. We have athletes all over the field and don't look like, well, a Big11 team.

Well said...well said.

[NormanPride]

Use it for fuel against Miami.

[Gresho Murford]

Use it for fuel against Miami.

Hopefully we won't have to use this for fuel

[goingoneight]

Ummm, seriously? You can't watch Oklahoma and Ohio State and think they belong in the same category in recent years.

[BoulderSooner79]

...
We are both equally the laughing stock of college football (come bowl season).

Exactly. The whole premise of the article is wrong, therefore the article is worthless. We are often mentioned in the same breath as tOSU due to recent bowl history, so where is this "pass" we are getting? Some minor early season AP poll fluctuations doesn't prove anything.

[yermom]

Ummm, seriously? You can't watch Oklahoma and Ohio State and think they belong in the same category in recent years.

their records are pretty similar, really

the last big game i think they won was Michigan in 2006 (after beating Texas in Austin that year)

they have had a lot easier schedule since then though. what even top 10 schools have they beaten since?

they were lucky to be in the BCS game by default in 2007 with their TWO 1-AA OOC games and only one loss.

until last year at least they could say they won their Fiesta Bowls

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Every time OU pounds a good team, it ceases to be a "big game". Example, how big was OU vs Tech last year? Arguably, as big as any game last season but for the NC. One OU blowout later, and history reflects it as just another rolled over creampuff.Got me convinced.

[o0Dan0o]

their records are pretty similar, really

the last big game i think they won was Michigan in 2006 (after beating Texas in Austin that year)

they have had a lot easier schedule since then though. what even top 10 schools have they beaten since?

they were lucky to be in the BCS game by default in 2007 with their TWO 1-AA OOC games and only one loss.

until last year at least they could say they won their Fiesta Bowls

We typically play a tougher schedule, we have beaten several top 5 teams in the last two years and we don't get blown out of games nearly as often as they do.

I think the major reason why we don't get as bad a rap as tOSU is that in the last few years, while we have lost several big games they have been close and most could have gone the other way.

As for the article, the reason OU went up and tOSU went down is they looked on form when they lost to USC, we did not when we lost to BYU. People see OU improving in recent games, last week being an excellent showcase, and they say "...well they slipped up in the beginning of the season with a green O-line, but now they are getting all that sorted and their defense looks solid." They question tOSU, who is an unknown at this point, and reward OU for improving.
Dan

[SoonerLB]

We're a better football team, and have better fans too! ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/barn9/ohiostgays.jpg

[sendbaht]

Adam Rittenberg I don't like you very much.

[Knippz]

I've been thinking this for awhile, but, I hope that if we don't get into the MNC this year that we get Ohio St. in a BCS bowl game. We'll finally break the curse.

[w0lfe]

wow. Guys like this can go walk in traffic

[IronHorseSooner]

Also, besides the loss to SUC, they looked awful against Navy AT HOME, whereas, we dominated a good Tulsa team in every phase of the game.

[IronSooner]

Most years we're better than tOSU. They play nobody in the bigten, we play several good teams per year. However, teams are ultimately judged on their bowl game performance. And in bowls, we're a complete joke. The last bowl game I enjoyed watching was the 2002 rose bowl. That's been a while.

If you go to tOSU, you have only 2 big games all year: UM and the bowl game. We have UT, probably some other team that'll end up ranked in the top 15 by the time we play them, and the bowl game. Lately we win one of those 3.

I'd say the guy has a point. Last year my only goal was to win a bowl game. Any game. This year is pretty much the same.

[rainiersooner]

I've been thinking this for awhile, but, I hope that if we don't get into the MNC this year that we get Ohio St. in a BCS bowl game. We'll finally break the curse.

yeah i would love to play a big 10 team.

[OUmillenium]

Most years we're better than tOSU. They play nobody in the bigten, we play several good teams per year. However, teams are ultimately judged on their bowl game performance. And in bowls, we're a complete joke. The last bowl game I enjoyed watching was the 2002 rose bowl. That's been a while.

If you go to tOSU, you have only 2 big games all year: UM and the bowl game. We have UT, probably some other team that'll end up ranked in the top 15 by the time we play them, and the bowl game. Lately we win one of those 3.

I'd say the guy has a point. Last year my only goal was to win a bowl game. Any game. This year is pretty much the same.

Same here

[Position Limit]

tressel is a fuggin dork. ohio state is boring. it hurts my eyes to watch their variety of football. and they cheat their asses off. how on earth does that boring, sweater vest wearing clown get top notch talent on that campus? sounds to me like the "writer" of that article has buyers remorse.

[sooneron]

Wow, espn sure does have a lot of dooshrockets signed up posting comments.

[Crucifax Autumn]

The only way you're gonna see me in a sweater vest is if I'm offered millions to star in "The Jim Tressel Story".

[Scott D]

Wow, espn sure does have a lot of dooshrockets signed up posting comments.

yeah, their comments and message boards kind of appeal to the LCDers. It's like reading comments on sports stories via yahoo.

[Leroy Lizard]

When you are a fan of a certain team, you always sense the criticism more. OU gets slammed just as much as Ohio State, but he doesn't feel it.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

When you are a fan of a certain team, you always sense the criticism more. OU gets slammed just as much as Ohio State, but he doesn't feel it.No joke! How much do you notice tOSU criticized, compared to the Sooners?

[brigadeer]

Most years we're better than tOSU. They play nobody in the bigten, we play several good teams per year. However, teams are ultimately judged on their bowl game performance. And in bowls, we're a complete joke. The last bowl game I enjoyed watching was the 2002 rose bowl. That's been a while.

If you go to tOSU, you have only 2 big games all year: UM and the bowl game. We have UT, probably some other team that'll end up ranked in the top 15 by the time we play them, and the bowl game. Lately we win one of those 3.

I'd say the guy has a point. Last year my only goal was to win a bowl game. Any game. This year is pretty much the same.

I unfortunately have to concur with IronSooner. Our post season performance has been pathetic for quite some time now.

In conference wins against highly ranked opponents are great, and we have done that more than Ohio State. However, when we do have to play someone outside of our conference (i.e. Bowl games), we often look terrible and lose badly.

I will qualify that last statement though by saying we did not look terrible against Florida this past year, had a chance to win, and simply got beat (IMHO) by the better team. Hopefully this past performance, even though it was a loss, is a sign of better things to come from OU in Bowl games.

[bcgvh]

A good solution to this problem is to hope that Miami beats the crap out of VT this weekend, and then we beat Miami in their back yard the next week. If THAT happens, we get a BIG road win against a team that will probably win the rest of their games and their conference. It NEEDS to happen. If we beat Miami and Texas, everyone shuts up for a while and we get some respect back.

[sooner94]

Anyone else find it ironic that a member of the media is pointing out the hypocrisy in the AP poll, which has members of the media voting?

[StoopTroup]

Explain to me how USC's loss, which came on the road with the backup quarterback (Aaron Corp) at the helm, should punish Ohio State, while BYU's loss, which came with the Cougars at full strength and on their home field, rewards Oklahoma.



Dear ESPN...

Please explain how :texan: gets a pass after this? :pop:

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