The Week in Quotes

by 40AS on Nov 25, 2008 3:00 PM CST in Football Comment 27 comments

It's TWIQ's time to shine! The sad state of of affairs that the BCS forces college football into has created a situation where this is what it's all about: quotes. Quotes and opinions and sound bites and all those things that have nothing to do with the actual playing of the game of football are likely to decide who gets a shot at the Big XII title and the national championship. The only people who can save the Longhorns from this madness wear green and gold and haven't beaten Texas Tech since 1995 (and haven't won in Lubbock since 1990). But, on the bright side, Baylor only trails in the all-time series by one game.

"Advantage: Texas." -- Not only did our own BZ use this line in his defense of Texas' case for being ahead of Tech and OU; so did the MSM's own Mark Schlabach. The more of this kind of very public, very accessible stuff comes from ESPN and the other major media outlets, the better. We also saw ESPN's D Team on "SportsCenter U" declare that, even if Oklahoma were to beat Oklahoma State and Mizzou, it wouldn't prove a thing; after all, Texas has already beaten both of those teams. It was a rare opportunity for "SportsCenter U" to be on ESPN2 instead of ESPNU (it was a time-filler after the Longhorns' basketball game against St. Joe), so here's hoping a lot of Harris voters saw it. Keep it coming!

"The SEC sucks this year. The Big Ten sucks this year. The Pac 10 really sucks. No, it’s not parity; it’s bad football." -- CollegeFootballNews.com's Pete Fiutak. Fiutak's section of this "five thoughts" article is basically in praise of the Big XII South's chaos because, he acknowledges, nothing else this season in college football has been particularly inspiring. While it isn't a good reason to continue screwing over deserving teams year after year, this does remain the only salient argument left for BCS proponents (any more crap about academics and our heads will explode). It certainly does give folks a reason to talk about college football more than any other sport on the landscape.

"All together now...45-35...45-35...45-35." -- Headline for Matthew Zemek's Thought Number Four on the same "five thoughts" article linked above. Zemek, from a neutral perspective, makes he case for Texas beautifully here. While not as high-profile as ESPN.com, it's still a well-known website with some MSM connections. If you know any Harris voters, send them there.

"If you played head to head, to me, you give the advantage to the team that won head to head." -- Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN Radio (follow link and click on the "Herbie" podcast). Herbstreit is one of the most visible pundits in college football, and he says in this sound bite what everyone else seems to be saying: Texas deserves a slight edge over OU, but it looks like the voters are about to get it wrong. Scott Van Pelt is on the Longhorns' side as well. This whole thing is absolutely nuts.

"Rolle was one of two winners selected from 13 finalists interviewed in Birmingham." From a New York Times article about Florida State safety Myron Rolle being awarded the Rhodes Scholarship. It's rare that a major college football player exhibits the finest ideals of the term "student-athlete" in so spectacular a way; we say a big congratulations to Rolle and his family for such an unbelievable achievement.

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Voters on the record

Other than Leach explaining why he ranked OU #1, has anyone else heard a voter in the two BCS human polls publicly justify a vote of OU over Texas?

by Hopkins Horn on Nov 25, 2008 3:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I dont know where I read it but Bo Pelini from nebraska also voted for OU saying something along the lines that he has only played OU and OU is a good team and that he can not vote Texas over OU because Nebraska has not played them this year….

by thebrat on Nov 25, 2008 3:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

So does Bo's

ballot have only the 10 or 11 teams he’s played on it? So he would have like Iowa St. ranked #11 I guess.

by tdwalsh on Nov 25, 2008 11:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bo Pelini is not only from the same hometown as Bob Stoops....

they both worked together on Hayden Fry’s Iowa staff. Other coaches with ballots who have ties to Stoops include Texas Tech Mike Leach (OU Offensive Coord), South Florida Jim Leavitt (K-State asst w/Stoops on Snyder’s staff), South Carolina Steve Spurrier (Florida asst on Spurrier’s staff), Illinois Ron Zook (Florida asst w/Stoops on Spurrier’s staff). That’s at least 5 coaches in the USA Today Coaches Poll who’ve worked with Stoops. I smell a rat!

by HornsFaninCalifornia on Nov 25, 2008 9:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I wish

that Mike Stoops and Chuck Long (can you vote after you are fired…?) had ballots too!

I think we all know who Chizik and Robinson voted for (if they have votes), not to mention the perpetual screw job that the Bowden’s send the Sooners way every year (both voted OU below Mizzou after beating them again in the Big 12 championship last year).

The Ralphie Report - University of Colorado Athletics

by Jon Woods on Nov 26, 2008 9:43 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said he ranked Oklahoma higher than Texas based on his firsthand impression of the Sooners.

"I’m more based on who I’ve played and what I’ve seen," said Pelini, whose team did not play Texas this year. "You could probably go either way in a lot of these instances, but you got to vote the way you see it."

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2008/11/24/coaches-face-tough-choice-between-tied-teams/

by thebrat on Nov 25, 2008 3:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

sounds like Bo lacks fundamental analytical skills

we need playoffs !!!!!!!!!

by hookmhorns on Nov 25, 2008 10:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

… and that’s why Pete Carroll has Oregon State at the top of his polls.

Texas '06.

by afrokinger on Nov 25, 2008 3:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

According to all the talking morons on the radio and TV, Oklahoma is playing SOOOO much better since the loss to UT. They are a completely different team. That’s why you should vote for them. Well, if that’s true, why has their average margin of victory gone down?

PF PA Margin
Pre Loss 49.6 13.8 35.8
Post Loss 59.2 28.6 30.6

This doesn’t say to me that they’ve been playing better. Yeah, so they leave Bradford in a little longer and score an extra TD a game. So what. They are having to leave him in longer because teams are score more points against them. Did anyone else see them struggle against KU and KState?

by UT_BKC on Nov 25, 2008 3:39 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

what people seem to forget is that OU was playing really really well before the Texas game. In fact they were playing so well they were NUMBER ONE in the nation. They have continued to play just as well after the Texas game. They are a great team and you can argue that they are better than any team in college football EXCEPT TEXAS who beat them on a NEUTRAL FIELD. I know I am biased but I believe that logic dictates that anyone ranking OU over Texas must be nuts! Am I wrong??

by Loisaida Horn on Nov 25, 2008 4:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

My optimistic viewpoint is that not much was at stake last week for the poll and the coaches didn’t worry about it too much. After next week, it makes a difference, and the media has certainly helped push that point. Coaches will put more thought into their votes after this Saturday. What strikes me is that Pelini thinks his reasoning actually makes enough sense to have stated it publicly.

by Sleepy on Nov 25, 2008 4:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

OU Over Texas

As a Husker fan, the biggest difference that I have seen is the perceived difference in scoring explosion. I think that OU gets rated higher because of their offense. I still think that Texas has the better “D”.

Go Big Red!

Bob

by bnahusker on Nov 25, 2008 4:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Dan Hawkins

Publicly stated that he voted OU #1

Dan the Man.

The Ralphie Report - University of Colorado Athletics

by Jon Woods on Nov 25, 2008 5:08 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

You have an ax to grind with Texas?

Look, any bright, responsible voter would vote Alabama #1 right now. Texas, Florida, or OU should not get any #1 votes right now. Alabama is the only remaining undefeated team in the major BCS conferences, and it’s not like they play in the weaker conferences. The SEC isn’t as strong this year but it’s still better than everyone else besides the Big 12. Dan Hawkins is simply an idiot then, or he’s sore that Texas trashed him at his place.

by TheElusiveShadow on Nov 26, 2008 12:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't know if it's been mentioned

But yesterday Colin Cowherd, god how I hate that guy, also went to lengths to make Texas’ argument, saying there was no way he could vote a team ahead of another that had beaten said second team soundly on a neutral field over a team that got their win at home.

by orangeblood1 on Nov 25, 2008 5:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rhodes Scholar

And to Rolle and his Seminole teammates: BEAT FLORIDA. Please

by edsp on Nov 25, 2008 6:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

In any other conference UT wins the tiebreaker

Saw this interesting bit of research: read comment #10 below – UT would win with the ACC, SEC, Big 10 or PAC 10 tiebreaker scenarios. Big East would be the same as the Big 12.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Oklahoma-Texas-mailbag-?urn=ncaaf,124737#remaining-content

by nephros on Nov 25, 2008 6:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

link doesn't work..nt

by vy til i die on Nov 25, 2008 6:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

hmm, if that doesn't work, go here

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday;_ylt=AvcPfKKcYGBDDgZncX3ZlfscvrYF

and scroll to the Texas-Oklahoma mailbag. Comment 10.

by nephros on Nov 25, 2008 6:15 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

here is the full text, posted by Skeptical

Actually – here are the other conference tie-breakers. In all scenarios that differ from Big XII, UT would win if Big XII has similar tiebreaker. I’m not saying this is how the decision should be made, but it certainly voters COULD be swayed using tiebreakers approved by peer conferences (especially the conferences with a championship game).
ACC and SEC:
The tied team with the highest ranking in the Bowl Championship Series Standings following the conclusion of regular season games shall be the divisional representative in the ACC Championship Game, unless the second of the tied teams is ranked within five-or-fewer places of the highest ranked tied team. In this case, the head-to-head results of the top two ranked tied teams shall determine the representative in the ACC Championship Game. Texas wins here.
Big East: Same as Big XII
Big Ten – Looks to be the teams that played the most games against FCS (Tech) is eliminated and then it goes to head to head. It’s pretty convoluted, though. Texas wins here.
Pac 10 – The tiebreaker would tick through the teams in order of record until one team had a better record. This would favor Texas who beat Mizzou, but probably not fair since OU and Tech didn’t play them. Goes to BCS after that.
Anyway, just think it’s a worthy (if not winning) argument.

by nephros on Nov 25, 2008 6:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

academics

pardon my ignorance but what’s the argument various conferences have about academics?

by hookmhorns on Nov 25, 2008 9:42 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

The "argument"

if you can call it that, was that the extra game or two would negatively impact the student-athlete. Missing classes, time away from studying, etc. I’m trying to keep a straight face here, I really am. Of course, after making this argument, the powers that be approved an extra regular season game for everyone. Go figure.

by Longhorn in Canada on Nov 26, 2008 1:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

5-0 5-0 5-0 5-0 5-0

Read it and weep Texas fans.

OU is 5-0 since a loss
Texas is 2-0 since a loss
Tech is 0-0 since a loss
Advantage OU

Oklahoma lost to the best team in the confrence by 10
Texas lost to the weakest team in the confrence.
Tech lost to the second best team in the confrence by 44

team in the big 12 that beat a #1 team
The last game they lost was to a n the what have you shown me lately cTexas can not compete.

by Randyy on Nov 26, 2008 11:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

ugh

ill be thankful when this is over and all the rambling, uneducated and illiterate gooner fans crawl back to their corner of the internets.

some of this is just too much to take.

by 6th street on Nov 27, 2008 9:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Read it and weep Texas fans.

OU is 5-0 since a loss
Texas is 2-0 since a loss
Tech is 0-0 since a loss
Advantage OU

Oklahoma lost to the best team in the tie by 10
Texas lost to the weakest team in the tie by 6
Tech lost to the second best team in the tie by 44
Advantage OU

Oklahoma stomped the weakest team in the tie by 44
Texas beat the second best team in the tie by 10
Tech beat the best team by 6
Advantage OU

The BCS is about what have you done for me lately. OU is 5-0.

by Randyy on Nov 26, 2008 11:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Oh boo hoo

Oklahoma starts with a ‘O’
Texas and Tech start with ‘T"
’O’ comes before ‘T’ in the alphabet
Advantage OU

Oklahoma lost to Texas in the morning
Texas lost to Tech in the afternoon
Tech lost to Oklahoma at night
Advantage OU

Sam Bradford is a Sophomore
Colt McCoy is a Junior
Graham Harrell is a Senior
Advantage OU

Your logic is indisputable

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.

by Caradoc on Nov 27, 2008 12:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Dumb the first time

And now that you tried to make sense of it the second time, its dumber, whatever that means. I don’t know what gorilla logic you used to write this shit, but PLEASE save that stuff to talk about it over beers and brats with your other Sooner buddies, maybe they’ll understand it.

"Stats are for losers, I like winning games."

by bendj on Nov 30, 2008 11:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs