<B>Texas lost a close game against a top football team in Oklahoma. OU lost a close game against the #1 football team in Nebraska. Florida lost a close game against a team barely in the top 25. </B> If you're going to look at it in comparative terms, then Stanford should easily be ahead of us (1 loss to Wash State, 2 wins over top 10 teams, 5-1 against the toughest schedule in the nation). In fact, that whole quartet -- Oregon, Stanford, Wash State, and UCLA have an argument to be up there because they've each lost one game to another, similar to the Nebraska/OU/Texas mix. Florida has also beaten a currently ranked team, which we haven't done (unless North Carolina gets back in the rankings). Lots of teams aren't where they are "supposed" to be in the polls -- that's the unfortunate side of "expectations". Florida was expected to be #1, so they started with an advantage over everyone else. Fortunately for us, the BCS uses the computers and schedule strength, etc. If OU loses again, I still don't think we control our own destiny (presuming Miami goes undefeated). If Florida & Texas win out, Florida will have the same number of losses and a better schedule, I think. While we go on to play Baylor, Kansas and A&M, Florida plays Tennessee, Florida State, and South Carolina (all ranked). We'll have the advantage playing Nebraska vs. Florida playing Auburn (?), but I don't think that will compensate. We need bonus points, and we won't have many. Oddly enough, best thing for Texas vs. Nebraska might actually be for us to barely win and make sure Nebraska doesn't fall much (sort of like us and OU in our losses). The higher Nebraska is in the BCS, the better for us. Florida & OU both have to lose for us to have any shot, though, in my opinion.
Colorado's ranked. IF Texas were to win out, and OU were to lose a game, they would have also beaten A&M and Nebraska (both currently ranked). Still, I do see your point about strength of schedule the rest of the way. Although Florida has a lot of ground to make up, BCS-wise. We shall see; I'd love to get to that position, first.
<B>Colorado's ranked. IF Texas were to win out, and OU were to lose a game, they would have also beaten A&M and Nebraska (both currently ranked). Still, I do see your point about strength of schedule the rest of the way. Although Florida has a lot of ground to make up, BCS-wise. We shall see; I'd love to get to that position, first.</B> My bad -- I thought Colorado had fallen out but they hung in at 25. If they could get up to the top 15, that would be great for us in the BCS bonus points, but they'll probably lose to Nebraska at the end of the season, knocking them out of that mix. Oddly enough, North Carolina may be our best hope. If they can win out -- with losses only to Oklahoma, Texas, and Maryland -- they'll start shooting up the polls and the computers already like them. Combine that with wins over A&M, Nebraska, and Colorado, it might be enough, but I still think Florida will have the tougher schedule. Another thing in the mix is close wins vs blowouts -- if they barely win their games and we dominate, that would help too. Too many factors to think about! I'm just going to be rooting for Florida State in a few weeks.
I don't know if anyone saw, but here are the projected BCS standings according to CollegeBCS.com, with 2 computer polls still not reporting: http://www.collegebcs.com/01/bcs.html 1. Nebraska 2.34 2. Oklahoma 7.43 3. Miami 8.21 4. Michigan 12.35 5. Texas 14.25 6. Stanford 15.57 Florida still is down in 8th. Michigan may be a problem because their schedule stays pretty decent, I think. Compared to Michigan, we're 1 pt better in the polls, 1 worse in the computers, and a horrible 1 pt worse in schedule strength (1.08 vs 0.12). To further irritate Manny, if we were using last year's system without the Bonus Points (Nebraska & OU have them), Miami would be ahead of Oklahoma. It is possible (although a reach) that if NU and OU play again in the Big12 Championship and OU *barely* wins, they could end the season 1/2 in the BCS for a 3rd rematch with an undefeated Miami stuck in 3rd.
shanna, I'm not surprised. As a matter of fact, I thought about starting a thread of this impending controversy, but I was going to wait until the actual BCS standings come out tomorrow before doing so. I'll say a couple of things: 1) How in the hell can Oklahoma be ranked #1 in 2 of the computer polls? This absolutely defies any logic whatsoever and shows how much a farce the computer polls are. Oklahoma played Nebraska and they lost, but yet they are still ranked ahead of them? WTF is that computers??? 2) Miami is ranked #9 in another of the computer polls behind UCLA which is ranked #2 despite losing to Stanford, Washington State which is ranked #3 despite losing to Oregon in Pullman, and behind Maryland which is ranked #6 despite losing to Florida State in Tallahassee by 21, the same FSU which Miami clocked by 22 in Tallahassee!! Unf***ingbelievable!! This damn computer poll shows the whole country how idiotic it is as well as the whole BCS. 3) How is Miami's strength of schedule still bad? Penn State has won its last 2 games, both against teams that were ranked (I believe) and FSU just beat an undefeated team. It looks like to me that Miami's SOS didn't even move from last week. I find that very hard to believe. I'm to the point now where I almost hope Miami doesn't get to the BCS championship game but is still #1 in the AP poll. For Miami to go 12-0 and be crowned #1 in the AP poll would be great for me. You want to know why?? Because any system that is f***ed up like the BCS and would have a team with 1 loss playing for the National Championship over a team that plays in a major conference (sorry BYU) that is undefeated is something that can't be taken seriously. When will the knuckleheads of college football realize that they have screwed up again and that the BCS stands for Bull Crap ****?
I think OU's schedule has been tougher than NU's. I'm mad about Michigan, but I expect them to lose one more. Take the C out of BCS will reveal what it really is. The Seattle Times poll, one of the polls used in the bcs has Stanford ranked second and UT 9th. I think at one point they had 4 Pac-10 schools in the top ten, with the two Washington schools in the top 5. We need a playoff system.
Manny -- the two computers that have the goofy stuff (OU #1, Miami #9) are the two that haven't been updated for this week. That will all change tomorrow, and it might push Miami over OU. I didn't notice there was such a discrepency when making my first post. I could see putting Stanford in top 3 or 4. 2 might be a bit high w/ Nebraska & Miami undefeated, but while they have lost a game, they are also the only team to beat 2 other teams still in the top 12 or so. I also think they have faced the toughest schedule in the country thus far. <B>We need a playoff system</B> No kidding. I don't see why they couldn't at least take the top 8 and play them in the bowl system. 4 bowls (Cotton, Citrus, Holiday + one of the Big 4) could host the first round. 3 of the Big 4 (Rose, Orange, Fiesta, Sugar) could hold the other rounds and it could all be rotated. That would created 7 games amongst the Top 8 teams in the country. No one can tell me (or at least, I wouldn't believe it) that those teams wouldn't generate more revenues -- tickets and TV -- than the current bowl system. Plus, it puts more good teams in the other bowls and helps get rid of crappy teams going to bowls just because there are like 9000 bowl games now.
How does Michigan leap us. I mean the relative rankings don't change I don't think and SOS (if we are now a point behind) is only .4 different so that would mean the computers would have to shift by an average of 2 or so and I don't see how that happens based on both of us winning last week. Anyone know.
<B>How does Michigan leap us. I mean the relative rankings don't change I don't think and SOS (if we are now a point behind) is only .4 different so that would mean the computers would have to shift by an average of 2 or so and I don't see how that happens based on both of us winning last week. Anyone know.</B> Good question. The computers apparently loved Michigan's win over Iowa and didn't care for our win too much (probably because it hurt out SOS -- that also may hurt us the next two weeks). Michigan last week averaged 6.83 in the computers; Texas was 6.67. This week -- keep in mind two computers have not reported -- Michigan is 5.33, Texas down to 7.17. Why? Beats the hell out of me, but playing good teams is vital to the computer rankings. While we jumped teams like UCLA and VATech, teams like Stanford jumped us. We might be in a free-fall compared to other 1-loss teams for the next two weeks.
It was a great game Saturday, I was able to attend the game at the last minute after a friend couldnt use his tickets. I cannot tell you how much the crowd helps the Huskers at home, you could feel the electricity in the stadium and it no doubt could be felt on the field. Go Big Red!!!!
http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/rankings_full/index.html Looks like the projection shanna listed was dead on through the top 6 teams. Texas is ranked 5th. In fact, Stanford's breathing down our necks. Seems likely that Texas will drop to 6th next week, since Stanford is playing #11 Washington and we're playing pitiful Baylor.
Michigan is bound to lose at least 1 more (say around a 70% chance). They play a bunch of teams in rivalry games against team just about as medicore-good as they are. I still can't see why they are as high as they are, they will have not beaten a single team in the top 15 by the end of the season because the Big 12 is so pathetic. Florida is likely to lose 1 more (say around a 60% chance). They still have Tenn (best defense in SEC), at FSU (who is playing better) and SC + probably Auburn or Arkansas. However if they win out and there is only 1 undefeated team left, they will probably get (and objectively speaking, deservedly IMO) the nod for the Rose Bowl. I know Manny doesn't believe it but, Miami might get a loss. They still havn't had to respond in a close game and are bound to get in 1 or 2 close games yet. When you consider they play at BC and at VTech and home against Syr. and Wash, I think it is it is close to 50% for them to lose at least 1 of those. Another team to be concerned about as Tenn. If they win out (including beating Florida in Florida) they might be the highest ranking 1 lose team. Tennesee if pretty good btw. For Texas, it is a long shot if they can't get to the Big 12 title game. Not impossible though, as Miami, Florida, Tenn, Michigan and the Pac 10 teams all have plenty of loseable games left. If OU does lose 1 more before the big 12 game, and Texas beats Nebraska in the Big 12 game, probably the only potential stopper is Florida, but given they would have had to beat Nebraska and at A & M, it would be very interesting. I think teams that lose late in the season are penalized more than teams that lose early in the season. Thus if Nebraska loses the Big 12 championship game I think they are cooked, unless there isn't another solid 1 loss team from the SEC or Pac 10 left.
