To the great dismay of jgreen, Major Malcontent and all the other UT haters, Rutgers performance last night all but ensures that UT will be NC game if they win out and tOSU wins out. How can I be so sure of this? Very simple, I dont think anyone is truly discussing what kind of impact Western Carolina is going to have on Florida's strength of schedule. SHSU completely destroyed UT's computer ranking which it is just now starting to build up; Western Carolina is ranked about 60 spots lower in the computers than SHSU. Strange as it sounds, the Gators have an opponent remaining on their schedule that is considered SIGNIFICANTLY worse than SHSU. Considering that the human polls have consistently viewed the Longhorns as better than the Gators (and rightfully so), I just dont think Florida is going to have the computer ranking to overcome that after absorbing Western Carolina. What a time to be a Longhorn fan.
Yeah, I think you're just a bit biased. 'All but ensures...?' I don't blame you, we're both excited after yesterday's game for different reasons. I am definitely biased, but I'll to be objective here: Strength of schedule? We've got to look at the overall schedule, and I don't think the Western Carolina game is so big (or small as it were) that our strength of schedule will drop like a rock. But I don't know what the formula is, so I won't argue if people disagree. Florida also has the SEC championship, so if we win out and win the the SEC that's a big bonus. Being objective, I'm still worried about this weekend's South Carolina game, and even the FSU game. To me they're like 'voodoo' games': it doesn't matter how good/bad each team is, weird stuff seems to happen anyways. I think we're capable of good wins of course. How about USC? They've got a tougher schedule AT THE END, which unfortunately for me, benefits them. I don't agree w/ it but if they win out it could catapult them. Here's some logic: for all you people who thought Louisville/WV should go to the championship game if they were undefeated, shouldn't Rutgers automatically go if they win out? Rutgers would be undefeated, and they defeated whomever 'should' have been in the finals. I don't agree w/ the first premise to start, but... The season isn't over yet, it's been crazy so far. Who knows, the loser of OSU/Michigan may still be in it since we're considering all one-loss teams. Or maybe OSU or Michigan will lose this weekend and we'll all be at it again.
UT fans should really be hoping for: Florida loss to FSU. Auburn makes SEC championship game. Florida beats Auburn. Oregon beats USC. USC beats ND and Cal. UT wins out. I'm not sure it would take that much, but that would get them in for sure.
Assuming we win our last two games. I always fear the underdog, especially when its a Sheltie like the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical.
My oversight. Incidentally, exactly where is that barbecue spot you love in the Shepherd area? I'll in Houston on Thanksgiving week, and I know I'll be turkey-ed out.
Wait -- you trash Louisville's victory over Miami because they "suck" and are 5-4 and easily could have lost to Houston and 0-9 Duke (oh yeah, we'll totally disregard the fact that what...15 of their players were suspended the week before and they didn't lose?). It'd be alright if you stopped there. But then you go on and attempt to validate the strength of the Big XII by saying Colorado only lost to #9 Georgia by 1 point? Georgia "sucks" just as badly as Miami this year based on your standards. They lost to Vanderbilt at homecoming! They only beat Mississippi State by 3 points. Using your standards, shouldn't Louisville get to claim a victory over #17 Miami? I think you just answered the questions I had about whether you were truly ignorant or disingenuous. The answer is the latter.
I have both computers and human polls saying that UL/WV deserved it. You have ... that historically the Big East hasn't been very good. Hmm. Drawing talent isn't the equivalent of being a national title contender. OU 2000 did not have much talent by any stretch. It was a bunch of average recruits put together with a few stars and a fantastic coach. The Big 12's entire north division has been in a downturn for years now. You can't say "oh they used to be good, so they must be good now."
And now they are not. Which tells you they aren't as good as people thought. On one hand, you mock Big East wins, but then somehow talk about a Big 12 loss as validating the Big 12? Colorado lost to I-AA Montana State at home. K-State beat Illinois State by 1 point at home. Kansas beat Louisiana-Monroe by 2 at home and lost to Toledo. Iowa State beat Toledo by 2 and Northern Iowa by 1. Baylor lost to Army. Tech squeaked by UTEP. A&M squeaked by Army. The Big 12 has more than its share of crappy non-conference wins, and performed miserably in its schedule as a whole. I'm not sure why you insist on looking at previous years over the actual results on the field this year.
I was watching PTI earlier and Corso was on He said sure the Big East has won games outside of their conference, but the teams they were beating had a combined record of something like 38-72 They didn't beat one team that was even in the top 1/2 of their conference, except for Maryland
Very good point Major. All the ranked teams Big 12 teams have played outside the conference they've lost to.
The Big 12 hasn't beaten anyone of significance either. In fact, I can't think of a single BCS team with a winning record that has lost to the Big 12. I suppose the Oregon win against Oklahoma is somewhat illegit but other than that, its been all downhill for the Big 12. Look, I'm as big a UT homer as the next guy, but don't kid yourselves. The Big East is probably underrated and the Big 12 is definitely overrated. They're both about the same in terms of crappiness. I'll give a little more credit to the Big East since they've beaten Miami and Maryland.
Do you know anything about Vanderbilt this year? Losing by only 2 to Arkansas, 3 to Alabama, and 6 to Florida?? Their record sucks but they don't. They're in a REAL conference...a proven one. You have to grasp at straws to prove that the big east is worth anything...a win over Miami proves the conference is tough? I think not.
The question isn't necessarily who the Big 12 has beaten. The question is who are they beating. If the Big East are beating crappy teams that aren't even in the top half of their conference, what do those wins really count for?
To totally discount a Conference's performance in prior years against ranked teams is just plain dumb. If a Conference has performed well, then its lilkely they have decent talent again and in-conference wins are worthy. When you have a conference that has done NOTHING year after year, then they need more than a couple of mediocre wins to prove that they've arrived. It's so simple it hurts.
