Big 12

by SwimTexas on Sep 5, 2008 10:00 PM CDT Comment 3 comments

Right now the Big 12 has 5 teams in the top 14 in the Coaches' poll, and the top 13 in the AP poll.

Oklahoma

Missou

Texas

Texas Tech

Kansas

The soonest any of these teams play each other is in 5 weeks on Oct 11 when Texas plays OU. That is 4 more games. There is a significant chance that none of those teams loses a game between now and then. What are the odds that we have 5 of the top 10 teams at that point? And is it me, or is nobody talking about this?

I didn't notice it in the preseason poll, so maybe it is just because it surprised me that I am writing about it, but I am pretty impressed that after years of Texas, OU, and the 10 nobody's ESPN used to always say.... that now we are that close to having half of the 10 best teams in college football, or at least so ranked.

Thoughts?

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You're right....

nobody is talking about it because the SEC is still believed to be the strongest conference out there. I have even heard some ESPN pundits, caugh, caugh, Craig James, say that the Pac-10 is the second best conference in the land. The bottom half of the Big 12 truly is terrible. It’s like they always say, you are only as strong as your weakest link.

by UT Fanatic on Sep 6, 2008 9:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

one can make the argument

that the Pac-10 IS the second best conference in the land, under the assumption that the SEC is the best (an assumption that ESPN just doubled down on to the tune of $2.25Bil), and the statistical reality that the Pac-10 has largely out-played the SEC when matched head-to-head.

Where the Big 12 figures into this is anybody’s guess, but as far as I’m concerned debate over which league is the best is usually (not always) dominated by unthinking, blind partisanship. I think the Pac-10, Big 12, and SEC ALL have elite teams, strong middle-conference contenders, and weak sisters.

As for the “5 in the top 10” scenario posed by SwimTexas above, it seems to me as a distinct possibility going into Texas-OU. If all teams play to their potential, the only Big 12 team significantly threatened is Kansas against USF next week, which could drop them out. Texas also faces CU, which has upset potential.

The other teams in the current top 10 don’t have it so easy – either OSU or USC will drop out by next week, Georgia plays tough games against Arizona State and and Alabama, and the LSU-Auburn tilt will knock one of them out. West Virginia could theoretically lose either today at ECU, or next week at Colorado, but they should be heavily favored in both.

by longhornglory on Sep 6, 2008 11:26 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs