Split National Championship

by inVINCEable on Jan 6, 2009 8:12 AM CST Comment 20 comments

Over the buildup to Texas' bowl game, many people have mentioned the possibility of Texas winning the "Split national championship". I've held my tongue until I was sure Texas would win, but I feel it is important to say something. No matter how bad we wish Texas was in the BCS National Title game; no matter how wrong it is that Oklahoma got the nod instead of us, I refuse to view the AP National title as a valid form of determining the best team in College Football. I know that until BCS, the National Champ was always determined by polls, but the reason it was canned was because of dispute between different polls about who really was the best.

If the BCS is the system that the NCAA wishes to use, then I will recognize OU or Florida as our National Champion with the exception that Texas should have been allowed a shot at the Title game in the same way that the Utes should have.

Also, if we choose to hoist an AP title, we are no better than Trojans. That should be enough on its on.

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Agreed

We had our chance to play in Miami, and just couldn’t quite finish the comeback. I for one will be quite happy to finish #2 with a 12-1 record. Especially since I figured we’d be finishing out of the top 10 with a 9-4 record, before the season started.

In face, it seems that we had the season Missouri was expected to have and vice versa! Odd how these things work out. But then…. we have Colt, they had Chase. Case closed.

Our Big Uglies…. or maybe it should be the Fast Uglies…. have been doing their bit to campaign for a split title in the attached article, but I’m quite happy with your assessment above, Vince. We’re Texas…. NOT the University of Spoiled Children.

Miller & Orakpo Lobby

“Style points, I don’t care about scoring 80 points and them scoring seven,” Longhorns defensive end Brian Orakpo said. "If it’s a battle between two great teams, it makes football even more fun to play. It’s very unfortunate because nowadays it’s all style points and who can keep their starters in the longest and keep running up the score.

“Style points shouldn’t matter.”

“It’s called the Red River Shootout, and 45-35 was that final score,” Miller said, referring to Texas’ win against Oklahoma on Oct. 11. “We have an opportunity to win the votes over, hopefully, and possibly get a national championship with the votes.”

“I’m optimistic,” he said. "I’m hoping that since our team played so strong and showed so much heart, I’m hoping those things can come through transparent, everybody can see ’em. Especially if Oklahoma wins [Thursday night]. We beat Oklahoma. We felt like we should have been in Florida. We felt like we should have had that opportunity.

“If they beat Florida, we feel we should be No. 1.”

Still a Blaine Irby fan

by patienthornsfan on Jan 6, 2009 8:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Pretty sure Utah has a tight grip on # 2

by BrooklynHorn on Jan 6, 2009 1:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Kudos.

It takes class to say something like that and as a Bators fan, I appreciate it. If our roles were reversed, I assure you I’d be on your side (I can’t stand it when they claim Pete Carroll has lead USC to two National Championships) but most of our fans, like yours I’m sure, would not. Thanks and congrats on a great season once again.

Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/

by ejruiz on Jan 6, 2009 9:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I’ve been saying the same thing: there is NO split national championship, and I refuse to stoop to the Trojans’ level. If UT were to win the AP voting, great! When trumpeting UT’s 2008-2009 season, I’d tout that they finished #1 in the AP voting, but would NOT say that they won a national championship. There’s a small but distinct and important difference.

Anyway, as beautiful and exciting as the Fiesta Bowl comeback was, I don’t think it would’ve done much to win any voters. Ohio State was an inferior opponent that almost beat Texas, kind of like Michigan in 2005. But when the chips were down, once-beaten Longhorns seized control and won the game. If this coming fall ends up like the season following the win vs. Michigan, then I for one think there’s not much of a problem with finishing a de facto #2.

by burntorangehorn on Jan 6, 2009 9:53 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Always will be

It’s called the Red River Shootout

The RRR can suck it.

-rBr-

by run Bevo run on Jan 6, 2009 9:54 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Didn’t we all laugh at USC when they talked about going for a three-pete?

by Fruitdog on Jan 6, 2009 10:03 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

hmm

how much coordination would it take for the AP voters to arrange it so that the Championship winner, Utah, Texas, and USC are all co #1 champions? If they could pull that off…

by jc25 on Jan 6, 2009 10:52 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

hmmm.....

Do you really think it’s a foregone conclusion that Texas will be voted the AP #2? If anything I think Utah has a tremendous case for at least that distinction. They beat everyone put in front of them including a team from (hold your breath now) the almighty SEC!

by RCollier27 on Jan 6, 2009 11:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

swoons

by burntorangehorn on Jan 6, 2009 11:25 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

not too be a sour puss, but the chances of us not winning the AP national title is very slim as well, we didnt blow out OSU

by MJY6087 on Jan 6, 2009 11:35 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

?

Might want to take one or two of those "not"s out of your statement.

by Wells on Jan 6, 2009 12:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Or add one more.

by horndude on Jan 7, 2009 8:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I was against USC claiming a title.

But now I am all for Texas claiming one this year. I think Utah should claim one too. I think USC should claim one, I think Ole Miss should claim one. I think Baylor should claim one. Hell, if A&M wants one they can claim one too. It reminds me of the line from Incredibles- If everyone is special, then no one is.

If we are all Champions, then we have no champion and we will have to find a new way to pick a champion.

by billb on Jan 6, 2009 12:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm ready to let it go

The only one-up Texas might have over USC and Utah is that we beat the BCS champions — and that’s assuming an OU victory on Thursday. Without that, we are just another 1-loss team, with less of a case than the Utes. If getting that one-up means I have to root for the Sooners, then to hell with it. It’s not worth it! Actually, I agree with the consensus here. Let’s forget about AP and celebrate a helluva good 12-1 year with double-digit victories over our two biggest rivals. Hook ’em!

by NYCHorn on Jan 6, 2009 12:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

exactly

The hell w/ the AP Championship. Behind all this debating between who should have gone, we fail to recognize that our team had a hell of a year and exceeded just about everyone’s expectations. It feels awesome to be a longhorn. Hook ’em.

by longhornricky on Jan 6, 2009 12:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

There is no national champion.....

only the BCS champion, and an AP Champion. I refuse otherwise to claim the winner of Florida-Oklahoma the National Champion………and I refuse to claim any team is a National Champion in college football until we have a playoff system!!

by silky51 on Jan 6, 2009 1:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

It's a moot point

I had extreme doubts we would get the AP votes even if we absolutely killed Ohio State. Perhaps we’ll get the votes if everyone is very cynical in the AP and just wants to stick it to the BCS, but again, it’s doubtful.

So even if we did accept the AP championship as “legit,” which many of us apparently are skeptical of, it’s not coming.

by TheElusiveShadow on Jan 6, 2009 1:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

it's all pretty silly...

why hate USC for claiming their AP National Championship? It’s basically every bit as valid as the BCS. Neither is actually valid at all, but that’s kind of my point…

There is NO national champion in college football (well, at least in this division, every other division is legit). There is a BCS Champion, and yes, there is an AP Champion, but at the end of the day, there is no NCAA Champion. They’re all just glorified beauty contests, or gymnastics jamborees, or something. So as long as you can get someone, anyone, really, to name you their champion, you’re the champ…

One of the stupidest arguments against a playoff – and believe me, after this season it’s clear there are LOTS of really, really stupid arguments – is that a playoff doesn’t determine the “BEST” team. As if that’s what it’s designed to do or something… well, guess what – voting for the champion doesn’t determine the “BEST” team either. Especially when there is no criteria for what exactly you’re voting on. And employing a bevy of computer programs might make it appear more, er, scientific or something, but they’re basically conceptually flawed too. The one thing almost everyone agrees on is that in college football the transitive property just does not apply… and then everyone goes out and uses it anyway, and every computer program makes it its basis.

Anyway, at the end of the day, we are most definitely not going to win any AP championship, and frankly, we never were. Now any rogue votes will be split between us, USC, and Utah, and the winner of the BCS championship game will be selected. But what the heck, if we can get some entity anywhere in the country to select us as the Champion, I’ll claim it, why not?

There is certainly no team out there that you can objectively state is better. And this has been a truly phenomenal and enjoyable season, marred only by all the off-the-field stuff since Thanksgiving. This team has been an absolute joy to watch and root for. We’ve shown a resiliency and a growth throughout the season that’s been just incredible. We’ve overcome adversity – have you seen any team out there you think would have been able to come back after that first half in Lubbock to make that game come down to basically a dropped int? – we’ve beat good teams handily, and bad teams badly, we’ve made it clear you have to put a stake through our hearts to beat us, we are just not going to quit. I’m incredibly proud of this team, and you know what? They’re MY Champions!

by Pflash on Jan 6, 2009 1:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I would agree that there are no teams better than Texas. But I think Florida is just as good. Utah is pretty darn solid and USC is probably every bit as good. If Texas played all three, the only one they’d for sure beat would be Utah. The rest would be very, very entertaining games. It’s so rare when there is truly just ONE team that is hands down the best in a season. There usually three or four that can make a good argument. I am not of the opinion that if you lose once you are automatically relegated to the pack with three- and four-loss teams. It makes no sense to do that. I’d be happy with four-team playoff at the end. Shorten the freaking bowl season if necessary, but take the top four and play it out. Yes, numbers 5-10 would complain, but I could live with that.

It’s just maddening to a fan that there is this emptiness about the champion at the end. I’ve never once felt solid closure on a college football season. I’ve always asked, “What if they played THAT school?”

by Tech92 on Jan 6, 2009 4:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs