Florida: Better than Texas?

by SuperHorn on Dec 8, 2008 10:52 AM CST Comment 21 comments

The last week or so has been painful.

It started with Texas getting snubbed for the Big XII Championship. The idea that a team we beat head to head ranked above us isn't right, but I at least understand the OU argument. It's quasi-rational. The problem is that people got so caught up in this travesty that they missed the bigger problem; Florida.

Everyone, media included, gave a lot of thought and insight into Texas/OU. It seemed that every person you asked had an opinion. There are articles coming out today that still contend that Texas was wronged by OU. While that may be the case, the much larger problem that everyone seems to have missed here is Florida. Compare the schedules. Compare the losses. How is it possible that voters have Florida ranked above Texas?

Even Mack bought into the hype.

It feels like voters decided, "Let's see who's SEC #1 and Big 12 #1 and then vote them in." The ballots clearly reflected this sentiment. Voters didn't give a second thought that Texas should be considered the second best team in the nation.

And, save me the "you lost too late," "we don't want to see a rematch", "two teams shouldn't come from the same conference." It's trash. And, frankly, it's offensive. It suggests that the voters are not capable of being objective.

I want to hear an case for Florida that carries some weight. Can someone, anyone, please make a case for Florida? Please.

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I think

You could easily think Florida is a better team than Texas just based on speed, experience, and talent ( not that I think that’s true ). The same way that you could think USC is better than Texas this year.

However, I don’t think you could say that either of their resumes trumps ours.

Unfortunately, the voters look at resume second and take gut instincts first.

And their gut instinct says OU and Florida are hot and should play each other.

by notsofst on Dec 8, 2008 11:06 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Kind of Like Instant Replay

I think that they’re actually extremely comparable… And for that reason, no one is really willing to put Texas over SEC champ Florida. Granted, their one loss is crap compared to ours, but our systems are similar enough that there’s really very little “indisputable evidence” that Texas is a better team. The featured running QB, dominant defensive style, etc just look too much alike.

by Tackchevy on Dec 8, 2008 11:16 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

As someone who had no problem with OU getting the nod in the south

I can see no rational reason, other than “they won their conference” to put Florida in over Texas. Florida’s best win is over the current #4, Texas’ over the current #1. Texas’ only loss was AT the current #7, Florida’s loss was AT HOME to the current #25.

At that point, there isn’t much reason to go into strength of schedule, but the computers did that.

Sagarin: UF’s schedule #18, Texas’ schedule #12
Anderson & Hester: UF #20 Texas #6
Billingsly – no direct SOS ranking, teams are given points based on who they have beaten
Colley: UF #13 Texas #4
Massey: UF #8 Texas #4
Wolfe: NO direct SOS ranking, but Texas is #2 overall and UF is #4 (behind Tech)

Sounds like the computers are pretty sure that UF did NOT play as tough of a schedule as Texas.

So, Texas has a better best win, a loss to a better team in a better location AND has a tougher schedule. NO REASON why Florida should be there, as long as “winning your conference” is not a requirement for selection.

I juggle one handed, do some magic tricks and do the best imitation of myself.

Ben Folds Five

by Andy--01 on Dec 8, 2008 11:27 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Shifting gears

If you have to pick the team to go from the SEC, doesn’t Bama have a better case than Florida? Voters are way too “human.” It’s more what have you done for me lately, and not enough objective analysis.

by SuperHorn on Dec 8, 2008 11:32 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Head To Head

Florida goes over ’Bama because they beat them. Just like Texas should go instaed of OU.

If head-to-head no longer matters, why bother playing the games? At this point I don’t want to see a playoff anymore, because if without a playoff voters are not convinced that the winner of a game is the one more deserving to advance then I don’t want a playoff to enforce logic on idiots.

by drycreek on Dec 8, 2008 11:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agree

But, if we’re using this batshit, crazy logic that they are for OU, the same should apply for Alabama. If head to head means nothing, look at the body of work.

I’m not suggesting it’s right. Just asking for some consistency.

by SuperHorn on Dec 8, 2008 11:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Except that the logic that got OU into the game isn't

batshit or crazy. By losing to Tech, you couldn’t decide only based on head-to-head, unless you willfully decide to say that Tech doesn’t matter.

In the ‘Bama-UF sitauation, Bama’s only loss was to Florida and UF’s only loss was to Ole Miss. Given that Ole Miss had more than one loss, it’s pretty easy to throw them out.

I juggle one handed, do some magic tricks and do the best imitation of myself.

Ben Folds Five

by Andy--01 on Dec 8, 2008 12:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Back to the problem at hand, though.

I agree with all of this. But, as voters, in the final poll, we’re obviously no longer comparing Texas Tech. The Big 12 game is over. This is about the MNC. And, I don’t see how out of one side of your mouth you can say that head to head gets a team in the MNC, and out of the other say it doesn’t. I’m not sure anyone is going to get a warm fuzzy with whatever the decision is, but at least be consistent.

by SuperHorn on Dec 8, 2008 12:14 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's pretty easy to throw Ole Miss out

But it’s also not particularly hard to throw out Tech. They got blown out late in the season. They’ve struggled against inferior competition (Neb and Baylor). They played a weaker schedule. Just because everyone has the same record doesn’t mean you have to put them all together.

by Texas Wahoo on Dec 8, 2008 12:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

someone explain to me how Alabama's body of work even comes close to Florida's

Florida’s schedule was much tougher than Bama’s. Combine that with the head-to-head and I doubt there are even any (sane) Bama fans arguing that they should be in the MNC game over Florida.

by andy_wooster on Dec 8, 2008 12:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Schedules

Alabama’s

Florida’s

Are they really that clear cut?

SEC road games:
Bama – at Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU
Florida – at Tennessee, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt. I’ll throw in the rivalry at FSU.

I would argue that at Georgia and LSU, is tougher than at Vandy and FSU.

by SuperHorn on Dec 8, 2008 12:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

HAHAHA

by boommotherfcker on Dec 8, 2008 1:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yes, it is that clear cut

Show me any set of rankings that has Alabama’s SOS even close to Florida’s.

CBS Sportsline: http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/polls/119
Florida 1
Alabama 63

Sagarin: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt08.htm
Florida 18
Alabama 56

Anderson and Hester: http://www.andersonsports.com/football/ACF_frnk.html
Florida 20
Alabama 43

Colley: http://www.colleyrankings.com/currank.html
Florida 13
Alabama 66

Massey: http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cf

Florida 18
Alabama 42

Those are all of the SOS rankings that I know.

And what is this notion that only road games when computing SOS? That’s retarded.

by andy_wooster on Dec 8, 2008 5:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

only road games count, I meant to say

That’s where you’re going astray. The schedules really aren’t comparable at all but for some reason you’re only including road games. Why? I couldn’t say.

by andy_wooster on Dec 8, 2008 5:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

BTW

If you’re only including road wins, that makes Texas’ schedule look a lot worse. Best two road wins are Kansas and Colorado.

by andy_wooster on Dec 8, 2008 5:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Easy Killer

I’ll grant you that Florida had a tougher schedule. All I’m saying is that to the naked eye, it doesn’t look remarkably more difficult. Just like OU playing TCU/Cincinnati…yes it helps SOS, but do you really think we wouldn’t have stomped them as well? I digress.

My largest issue is that SOS means nothing if you don’t win all those games. The Ole Miss loss is a huge black eye, and, in my mind, a much worse loss than to a top 5 team on a neutral field. Wouldn’t you agree?

by SuperHorn on Dec 9, 2008 4:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is It Possible

that Mack wanted no part of an OU rematch, and fell in-line with all the other none thinkers and essentially voted for a Florida/ OU Orange bowl?

by burntup on Dec 8, 2008 11:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

No.

by SuperHorn on Dec 8, 2008 11:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

How could we know who's better?

Maybe we should be playing Florida to find out (since we already proved we’re better than OU). I pretty much hate all FL teams, but the Gators are damn good and a game with Texas would be awesome.

May Colt be with you. Yeah, that's right.

by bfaut86 on Dec 8, 2008 11:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

BCS is the anthesis of logic

Your arguement makes sense, but that is exactly why it would never happen in the BCS.

by drycreek on Dec 8, 2008 11:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Same argument that works for UT applies to

All of the big 1-loss teams as well as Utah. Too bad we don’t have a PLAYOFF. And too bad one of the people standing in the way is the Big 12 commissioner. Instead of acting like typical fans, how about y’all write to him and to your Uni presidents and tell him what we need.

Hypothetical 8-team playoff:

UF
OU
UT
UA
USC
PSU
UU
TT

Epic.

by falcontom on Dec 8, 2008 3:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs