Between the Hashes - Inventing the Mess

THE BIGGEST MESS the BCS has made are some of the notions coming out of the sports media. Names have been redacted to protect the innocent.

“IF THERE WAS A PLAYOFF SYSTEM SET UP, WE WOULDN’T BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.”

THE DISCUSSION THEY wouldn’t be having is which team – Oklahoma, Texas or Texas Tech – deserves to win the Big 12 South and represent the divison in the Big 12 Championship game. Of all criticisms of the BCS, this is the farthest stretch. Each conference decides their own tiebreaker. People need to begin to accept that all too often there is no objective way to decipher and rank teams in the word of college football – there are no standings.

The implication was that both Oklahoma and Texas would make an eight-team playoff and there would be no need for discussion. But, who decided that Texas Tech doesn’t deserve to be in the same discussion? Which leads us to...

“TEXAS TECH DOESN’T BELONG. YOU CAN SEE IT.”

REALLY? YOU CAN see it? I guess not every college football writer received their full proof know-which-is-the-best-team glasses. I wonder how many people saw the New York Giants were the best team in the National Football League last season? You know, the league that has a playoff. Is that


how they decided who makes the playoffs in the NFL?

Presumably, the call for a playoff is one for objectivity not subjectivity. Let them decide it on the field many cry! Well on the field all three teams – Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech – have the same overall record, the same conference record and the same head-to-head record. No matter what you think you saw.

While we’re at it, let’s take a look at how the humans have done rankings these teams:

On October 11th No. 5 Texas defeated No. 1 Oklahoma. On November 1st No. 7 Texas Tech defeated No. 1 Texas. On November 22nd No. 5 Oklahoma defeated No. 2 Texas Tech. With that track record – 0-for-3 – maybe it is time for the computers to pinch hit for the pollsters in this crucial late-inning at-bat.

TEXAS TECH IS A “ONE TRICK PONEY”, “HOT TEAM”, “TRENDY TEAM” (TAKE YOUR PICK)

HELLO! TEXAS TECH was 10-0 before they lost to Oklahoma on Saturday. Yes, they were utterly dominated, but does that erase 10 weeks of resume building? They did beat No. 1 Texas, didn’t they? Yes, it was at home and by a close margin, but the Longhorns didn’t blowout the Sooners (45-35) or Oklahoma St. (28-24), who by the way, Tech handled 56-20. Moreover, Texas has only left the state only twice all season long, so lets not make them out

to be road warriors if that is suddenly a criterion. Their best road win is at Kansas 35-7. The Red Raiders went into Lawrence and won 63-21.

“A PLAYOFF WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT”

TAKE CARE OF what exactly? Most playoff proponents are in favor of an eight-team playoff. After six automatic bids (which could include Oregon St., Cincinnati and Virginia Tech), there are two at-large bids remaining. You try picking between a one-loss USC, two one-loss Big 12 schools, and the SEC Championship game loser. Better yet, you go tell the 11-1 Trojans or the 12-1 Crimson Tide they don’t belong in an eight-team playoff. How about undefeated Utah and Ball St. (possibly Boise St. as well)? Isn’t the college basketball argument that it gives the “little guys” a chance, so they would need to be included as well, wouldn’t they?

“IT’S BETTER TO LEAVE OUT NO. 9 THAN NO. 3.”

HOGWASH! BY NOW we’ve established we don’t know who really is No. 3 or No. 9. Can anyone say with a straight face they believe USC, Alabama, Oklahoma or Texas is the ninth best team in the country? One should at least believe in their own argument.

Mind you, this is not a position that the BCS is the solution, but let’s not pretend a playoff is a panacea either.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Texas, Texas Tech)