With that in mind, here are this week’s risers and fallers.

Bottoms Line: Stock Up

Cincinnati

After a huge road win at Connecticut on Wednesday, the Bearcats have now won an astonishing seven straight Big East road games.  In addition to the win over UConn, Cincinnati has also knocked off Pit and Georgetown in their buildings, and their only conference loss came on a last-second shot against St. John’s.  Outside of Syracuse, I’m not sure anyone in the Big East is playing better right now.

You have to give Mick Cronin and his team a ton of credit for how they have responded in the aftermath of the brawl with Xavier.

Image source: Ballin’ Is a Habit

Sean Kilpatrick, who drilled the game-winner against UConn, and Dion Dixon have stepped up and are averaging nearly 32 points combined in the 11 post-brawl games.  The Bearcats currently rank third in conference play with 1.07 points per possession thanks to a low 10.4 turnover rate, and they have also been effective at forcing their opponents into turnovers and keeping them off the line.

Cincinnati’s next two games – at West Virginia on Saturday and at home versus Syracuse on Monday – will be extremely tough, but rest of the remaining schedule is manageable.

Florida State

Somehow the Seminoles have gone from a team that can’t score to some kind of offensive juggernaut.  The Noles blew out North Carolina last weekend, scoring 1.20 points per possession in the process, and then followed that up with another strong offensive showing against a defensively challenged Maryland squad where they posted 1.27 ppp.  According to Run the Floor’s Managing Editor and FSU guru Michael Rogner, the offense has been sparked by the move to a three-guard lineup, which has allowed for better spacing and more dribble penetration.

The 32-point explosion from Deividas Dulkys against the Heels was well-publicized, but Michael Snaer also has 36 points over the last two games.  Sophomore forward Okaro White has put up 25 points off the bench in those victories, and the Noles enter Saturday’s showdown with Duke confidence on the offensive end.  That’s definitely not something you could have said about this team a few weeks ago.

Kansas

As if there was any doubt, the Jayhawks have made it clear that they won’t be relinquishing their stranglehold on the Big 12 without a fight.  They manhandled Baylor on the boards on Monday to take sole possession of first place in the league, with Thomas Robinson putting up 27 points and 14 boards to further his campaign for National Player of the Year.  Tyshawn Taylor has also been outstanding in the last two games with 56 points and 12 assists, and Travis Releford and Jeff Withey have both stepped up in significantly expanded roles.

Depth is still an issue for KU, but as long as Robinson can stay out of foul trouble, they can play with virtually anyone.  The Jayhawks have a couple upcoming road games, but they have a decent chance to be undefeated in the league before back-to-back road trips to Missouri and Baylor in early February.

San Diego State

The Aztecs lost their top four scorers from last season, and all they have done is go 16-2 and jump out to an early lead in the Mountain West.  Last Saturday, SDSU knocked off UNLV at home on a last-second shot by Jamaal Franklin, who led the team with 24 points and 10 boards.  They proceeded to go into The Pit and fall behind New Mexico 10-0 before storming back and picking up a huge road win.  The Aztecs turned the ball over just six times and got a career-high 22 points from Xavier Thames, who also leads the team in assists.

With so little height, it’s tough to predict how far this team might go in the post-season, but the fact that they’ll even be in the tournament is a real testament to Steve Fisher’s coaching.  At this point they have no bad losses, with the only blemishes on their profile a road loss against Baylor and a two-point home loss to Creighton.  With wins under their belt against their two biggest competitors for the MWC crown, the schedule gets a bit easier before facing the Rebels and Lobos again next month.

Wichita State

With so many teams struggling to win on the road, the Shockers deserve a ton of credit for already notching five road victories in the MVC.  Wichita State and Creighton have separated themselves from the rest of the pack with both currently at 7-1 in the league.

The Shockers lead the league in adjusted defensive efficiency in conference play, thanks in large part to a strong field goal percentage defense.  They rank second to Creighton in offensive efficiency and have a number of players with gaudy overall efficiency numbers.  Seven guys play at least 20 minutes per game, and six of them score at least 8.8 points per contest.

A pair of winnable home games are up next for the Shockers, who I would love to see face Murray State in the BracketBusters.

Bottoms Line: Stock Down

Alabama

Things can change quickly around here, as I had the Tide in the Stock Up section last week.  But they came up empty against both Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, and their offensive woes resurfaced.  They scored a total of 111 points in the two losses and hit just 7-of-33 from beyond the arc.

As was the case last season, this team is very talented defensively, but they can’t get out of their own way on the offensive end.  And while they don’t shoot it well from the field, they shoot a high percentage from the free throw line.  Unfortunately, they rarely make a concerted effort to get there regularly, as evidenced by their poor free throw rate.

The schedule also doesn’t get any easier with a trip to Rupp Arena coming up this weekend.  After that, they have a number of winnable games, but at this point, they could use a signature win or two since they haven’t beaten a tournament-caliber team since November.

BYU

The Cougars have been in the field 0f 68 in my first two bracket projections of the year, but that may change following a home loss to Loyola Marymount.  LMU is a decent team that is starting to get healthy, but BYU can’t really afford to lose at home to anyone not named Gonzaga or Saint Mary’s.  At this point, they have no Top 50 wins, and their best victories have come against Nevada, Oregon, and Weber State.

After Saturday’s trip to Pepperdine, BYU has a critical three-game stretch with an oddly-timed road game against Virginia Tech followed by back-to-back home games against Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga.  They certainly can’t afford to go winless during that stretch, and anything less than 2-1 probably puts them in serious jeopardy.

Indiana

The wheels are dangerously close to coming off for the Hoosiers after losing at Nebraska.  A 15-1 start has given way to a three-game losing streak, and a few ongoing concerns have emerged based on their recent play.  First, a defense that was generating plenty of deflections and turnovers early in the season is now allowing the most points per possession in league play.

Second, IU has struggled to clean the defensive glass.  In the first two losses, Minnesota and Ohio State both posted offensive rebounding percentages of at least 37.9, and the Hoosiers allowed Nebraska to grab eight offensive boards over the final 13 minutes of the game on Wednesday.

Finally, turnovers are killing the Hoosiers on offense, and their 21.6 turnover rate in league play is 11th in the Big Ten.  Against the Huskers, Indiana turned the ball over nine times during a nine minute stretch in the second half.  The team is playing too loosely with the ball, and players are making poor decisions and trying to do too much when the game gets tight.

Sunday’s game against Penn State is simply a must-win for Indiana, who desperately needs to stop the bleeding.

Seton Hall

The Pirates were riding high after knocking off West Virginia and Connecticut as they jumped out to a 4-1 Big East record.  Seton Hall has since lost back-to-back road games against South Florida and Villanova, neither of whom are tournament-caliber teams.

Against Villanova, the Pirates shot the ball very poorly and committed a ton of fouls, which led to an insane 80.4 free throw rate for the Wildcats.  At the same time, they rank 16th in free throw rate on offense, and in league games, their three-point shooting (40.0 percent) is nearly as good as their two-point shooting (43.5 percent).  They also need to do a better job of limiting offensive rebounds if they want to get back to winning games.

The good news is that their next two games are at home, where they have yet to lose this season.

Texas

I’m sure Joe Lunardi is a very nice man, but if he has the Longhorns in his next set of bracket projections, I will be left to believe it’s somehow tied in with ESPN’s affiliation with the Longhorn Network.  He had them in as a 10 seed last week, and I struggle to understand why.

Texas lost their only game against Kansas State this week, and they currently sit at 12-6.  However, eight of those wins have come against teams ranked 150th or lower in the RPI.  At the same time, they are just 1-5 against the Top 100, with their lone win coming at home against Temple.

Consequently, they need to start picking up some quality wins, and their upcoming schedule provides a number of chances to do just that.  Texas takes on Kansas this Saturday, gets a chance at revenge against Iowa State next week, head to Baylor for a road test, and then returns home to play Missouri.  The Longhorns would be well served to go .500 in those four matchups.

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Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

This is one of the oldest and most renowned rivalries in college football, and it is going to go by the wayside due to conference realignment once this season is over.  Texas A&M will make the jump next season to the SEC, and with Texas’ non-conference schedule full until 2017 it could be a long time before they meet again.  Neither one of these teams wants to lose the final game in this series as conference opponents, so look for emotions to be running high on both sides.

Here is what you can expect from these teams in this heated rivalry.

TEXAS-TEXAS A&M: WHEN TEXAS IS ON OFFENSE

Texas’ offense has been the biggest detriment to this team all season long. If they could even get mediocre play from one their quarterbacks they could be contending for a Big 12 title.   The Longhorns are only averaging 181.6 yards per game through the air, which ranks 96^th in college football.

The Longhorns have used a two quarterback system all season long between David Ash (937 YDS, 3 TD, 8 INT and 105.1 RTG) and Case McCoy (568 YDS, 4 TD, 0 INT and 139.6 RTG).  McCoy should start this game after going in for Ash last week, after Ash was not performing well against Kansas State.

If there has been one bright spot for this Texas offense, it is the production they are getting from their ground game.  The Longhorns’ rushing attack is averaging 223.8 rushing yards per game which ranks 15^th in college football.

TEXAS-TEXAS A&M: WHEN TEXAS A&M IS ON OFFENSE

Unlike Texas, the Aggies’ biggest team strength this season has been their offense, which has a very balanced attack.  Texas A&M is averaging 293.7 passing yards per game and 218.6 rushing yards per game, which both rank in the top 20.  They are averaging 40.9 points per game this season, which ranks 10^th in college football.

Texas A&M senior quarterback Ryan Tannehill (3,191 YDS, 26 TD, 11 INT and 138.7 RTG) is having an outstanding season and has emerged as a strong NFL prospect.  Tannehill has thrown for over 200 yards in every game but one this season. Look for him to have a big game.

Texas A&M’s ground game might not be as effective this week due to injuries to their top running backs Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray.  This might cause the Aggies to be a bit one dimensional in this game, so look for them to throw the ball more than normal.

TEXAS-TEXAS A&M: WHEN TEXAS IS ON DEFENSE

Texas has one of the best defenses in all of college football, and if they got any help from their offense they would be guiding this team to a conference championship.  Last week they held Kansas State to only 121 yards, yet their offense still couldn’t manage to get enough points to win.

The Longhorn defense has been very stingy and teams are only averaging 20.6 points per game against them, which ranks 26^th in college football.  In their last 4 games they have held their opponent to 20 points or less and had a shutout against Kansas during that stretch.

TEXAS-TEXAS A&M: WHEN TEXAS A&M IS ON DEFENSE

Defense is not the Aggies’ strong point and it is the reason why this team has five losses this season.  Texas A&M allows the opposition to score a lot and teams are averaging 28.8 points per game against them, which ranks 78^th in college football.

The reason the Aggies have struggled on defense is that teams are torching their secondary in the passing game.  The Aggies are allowing teams to average close to 300 yards a game in the air against them, which is third to last in the Big 12 conference.

TEXAS-TEXAS A&M KEYS TO VICTORY

• TEXAS: They need to get some production from the quarterback position and score more than 20 points in this game to win.
• TEXAS A&M: They need to stop the run and force the Longhorns to throw the ball because Texas has proven they can’t beat teams with the pass.  

TEXAS-TEXAS A&M PREDICTION

I give the edge to Texas A&M because they are at home, but expect both teams to play very well.  Texas loses their third in a row in this one 28-14.

What do you think?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Don’t forget about our friends at Daily Joust.

For the college football fans, there are a number of fun tournaments going this weekend. For the NFL fans, they are hosting a Thanksgiving Day Turkey Shootout that uses only players playing on Thanksgiving Day in the player pool, has a $5 entry free, and $300 guaranteed prize pool. Plus, not only is it a Super Joust Qualifier, but you can submit multiple entries.

Texas v Texas A&m Game Info:

• Texas-Texas A&M Date: Thursday, November 24
• Texas-Texas A&M Kickoff Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Texas-Texas A&M TV: ESPN
• Texas-Texas A&M Point Spread: Texas A&M -7.5

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* – Texas-Texas A&M photo credit: via Sports Illustrated 

Both of these teams are coming off impressive wins and are 4-0 heading into this game for just the second time in seven years.  Oklahoma is looking to keep their national championship hopes alive as they face another top notched opponent.  Texas has been a bit of a surprise at 4-0 and will have a legit shot at winning another Big 12 conference title with a win on Saturday.

This game has all the makings of another classic game between these two elite programs and here is what you can expect.

WHEN OKLAHOMA IS ON OFFENSE

Oklahoma has one of the best passing offenses in college football and it is no secret that they are going to throw the ball all over the field.  Landry Jones has thrown for a remarkable 1,447 yards this season and 10 touchdowns.

The Sooners have two very talented wide receivers in Kenny Stills and Fred Biletnikoff Award contender Ryan Broyles.  Broyles has been nothing short of amazing at Oklahoma and needs only 96 yards to surpass 4,000 receiving yards in his career.

The Sooners have been using a running back by committee system so far and getting majority of the carries is walk-on junior Dominique Whaley.  Whaley has been very effective rushing the ball this season and is averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry.

WHEN TEXAS IS ON OFFENSE

The Longhorns run a two quarterback system and they will rotate between Case McCoy and David Ash.  McCoy has been very impressive so far and has yet to throw an interception this season.  David Ash has not thrown an interception either, and his best game of the season came last week  against Iowa State when he threw 2 touchdown passes.

Texas has three wide receivers that are averaging double digits in yards-per-catch, It is a very talented group.  Jaxon Shipley has really stood out so far and leads the team with 16 catches for 280 yards this season.

Freshman Malcom Brown leads the Longhorns in rushing and is a power running back that can move the chains.  He is averaging almost five yards-per-carry and has rushed for a total of 327 yards.

One thing to watch for from Texas is how they use Fozzy Whittaker and his ability to play every skill position.  He is a very explosive player and the Longhorns will use him in a variety of ways to get the ball in his hands.

WHEN OKLAHOMA IS ON DEFENSE   

They have struggled at times this season and against Missouri they gave up over 500 yards of total offense.  They are also very susceptible to the run, and in that Missouri game they gave up 241 yards on the ground.

Oklahoma’s defense has been able to get pressure on the quarterback this season and already has 11 sacks.  Another part of this defense that has performed well is the secondary, and last week safety Tony Jefferson had three interceptions against Ball State.

WHEN TEXAS IS ON DEFENSE

Texas has been very good this season at stopping teams from scoring and is only giving up 14.8 points-per-game.   In the Longhorns’ last win, the defense stopped Iowa State 4 out of 5 times on fourth down.

The key to Texas’s success this season on defense is that they are winning the turnover battle and are plus-six in that department.  They have generated eleven turnovers so far and have gotten at least two turnovers in each of their first four games.  In the first quarter alone against Iowa State, the Longhorns generated three turnovers.

TEXAS-OKLAHOMA KEYS TO VICTORY

OKLAHOMA: Landry Jones needs to protect the ball and not throw interceptions in this game.  One of Jones’ flaws is that he is prone to throwing interceptions and has thrown 5 already this season.

TEXAS: Texas must continue to get turnovers and they need to capitalize on them.  There secondary is very young so they are going to be tested often in this game and need to come up big for the Longhorns.

TEXAS-OKLAHOMA PREDICTION

Texas has been better than most people predicted and but at the end of the day Oklahoma’s offense will be too much for them to handle.  I think is going to be a close game and I like Oklahoma to win 38-31.

Texas-Oklahoma Game Info:

• Texas-Oklahoma Date: Saturday, October 8th
• Texas-Oklahoma Kickoff Time: 12:00 ET
• Texas-Oklahoma TV: ABC
• Texas-Oklahoma  Point Spread: Oklahoma -10.5

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* – Red River Rivalry photo credit: via Fan IQ

(For a complete timeline of the events that led to the Big XII’s current state, click here.)

Colorado and Nebraska left last year; and rumors that the SEC will go after Missouri or that the Oklahoma schools will bolt for the Pac 12/14 never seem to go away. Both the Big Ten and Pac 12 have long coveted Texas, and the Big East has suggested that it would welcome the four schools from the former Big XII North.

But is the Big XII really as doomed as everyone seems to think it is?

Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls thinks that one more move—perhaps Oklahoma to the Pac 12—will kill the conference. Bohls tweeted earlier this week that there’s a 70 percent chance that Texas will end up in Pac 12. Meanwhile rumors abound about possible expansion candidates.

While some observers are prepping for a conference alignment apocalypse, the Big XII’s situation isn’t nearly as dire as the conventional wisdom suggests, and it’s quite possible that the conference will survive. Here’s why:

The Big XII, like Gloria Gaynor, will survive.

Nine Teams Is Plenty

Aside from the embarrassment of calling yourself the Big XII even after three of your 12 teams have left you, there is no shame in being a 9-team league. The Big XII’s predecessor, the Big 8, thrived for decades with only 8 teams (and zero top-ten media markets). The Southwest Conference—longtime home of Texas, Texas Tech, and Baylor—never had more than 9 teams. Prior to  2004, the ACC only had 9 teams. The Big East and Mountain West currently have 8 teams apiece. As recently as 1991, every Division I-A football conference had between 7 and 10 teams.

Granted, all the other major conferences are expanding. The Pac 12 just added Colorado and Utah; the Big Ten added Nebraska; the Big East will be adding TCU; the SEC will be (presumably) adding Texas A&M; the Mountain West just added Boise State, with Fresno State, Nevada, and Hawaii (football only) soon to follow. And it’s only been six years since the ACC added Boston College. No conference wants to be the only major conference that’s shrinking, but bigger isn’t always better.

In 1996 the 10-team Western Athletic Conference decided to become a superconference, adding three Southwest Conference schools that didn’t get Big XII invitations (TCU, SMU, and Rice), along with UNLV, Tulsa, and San Jose State. Expansion got the WAC into new media markets, but it also diluted the product. Old-guard schools such as Utah, BYU, New Mexico, Colorado State, and Wyoming weren’t interested in being in a 16-team conference that spanned from Houston to Manoa. So they—along with UNLV, Air Force, and San Diego State (and later TCU)—broke off and formed the Mountain West Conference. By next season the Mountain West will have poached the WAC’s last remaining notable programs, leaving the lesser league begging FCS schools to upgrade their athletic departments.

The ACC’s recent expansion is another cautionary tale. Adding Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College helped the ACC get a nice new TV contract with ESPN, but it hasn’t turned the ACC into a football power conference, nor has it elevated the ACC to the level of the Big Ten, SEC, and Pac 12.

Nine is fine. Adding BYU to get back to 10 would be a good move. Adding Louisville, Pittsburgh, Memphis, and/or any former Southwest Conference school to get to 12 wouldn’t. I don’t care how badly Boone Pickens wants TCU. Expand with caution.

Who Else Might Leave?

In its current configuration, the Big XII is in good shape. It will never be worse than the fourth best football conference. And when it comes to conference alignment, football drives everything. (That said, as long as it has Kansas, the Big XII will be a relevant men’s basketball conference too.) Any speculation about the league’s demise comes from the assumption that more teams will leave.

For a school to switch conferences a school a) must want to leave its current conference and b) must secure an invitation from a new conference. Are there Big XII schools that would benefit from leaving and be welcome elsewhere?

The Pac 16: not as inevitable as you think

Both the Big Ten and Pac 12 have expressed interest in Texas in the past; but that was before the Longhorn Network. Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott has said that the Longhorn Network would be a “huge impediment” to Texas joining the league.

It makes sense that Iowa State, Baylor, and Texas Tech would begrudgingly approve of UT’s 20-year deal with ESPN. If they hadn’t, they might be headed to the Mountain West or Conference USA. USC, UCLA, Arizona, and Oregon wouldn’t be so forgiving. Considering that no one can even watch the Longhorn Network, one might think that Texas would give up on the Longhorn Network or turn it into one of the Pac 12′s regional networks. But I can think of $300 million reasons why that won’t happen.

Carter Strickland of ESPN’s HornsNation blog (yes, ESPN now has a HornsNation blog) says that Texas is better off staying put. As long as it’s in the Big XII, Texas can do whatever it wants. It wouldn’t have nearly as much sway in the Pac 12.

Independence is another option that Texas has allegedly discussed. The football Longhorns would do well as an independent, but the other sports would need a home conference. No major conference, apart from maybe the Big East, would welcome Texas without the football team. And if UT wants people to tune in to volleyball and baseball games on its new network, it would be best if those teams didn’t play in a second-tier league.

Other than Texas, Oklahoma is probably the only school that could kill the conference by leaving. I have no doubt that the Sooners would love to join the Pac 12, but I’m not convinced that the Pac 12 wants them.

Oklahoma would give the Pac 12 a top-10 football program and eyeballs in the coveted Texas media markets. It would also give them Oklahoma State. Politically, it would be near impossible to take one without the other. Adding Oklahoma would mean splitting revenue 14 ways instead of 12. Some Pac 12 presidents might also be concerned about how the Oklahoma schools fit in culturally, geographically, and academically.

The Pac 12 expressed interest in Oklahoma last year, but that was when Texas was part of the package. Much has changed since then.

Missouri could realistically leave for the SEC, but the Big XII could survive without Missouri. You’d hate to lose St. Louis, just like the league probably hated to lose Denver, but the big money is in Texas (and the real college sports fans are in Kansas City).

All of the former Big XII North schools would be welcome in the Big East, and some would probably be welcome in the ACC, but the money is better in a nine-team Big XII with Texas and Oklahoma that it would be in a 14-team ACC or a 29-team Big East.

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Final Thought

The Big XII can live and thrive as a 9- or 10-team league. It will even be OK losing another school or two, as long as that school or two isn’t Texas and/or Oklahoma.So don’t hold your breath waiting for the Pac 12 to make an offer to the Big XII’s premier programs, and don’t assume that, if the opportunity arises, current Big XII will leave for another league.

There is no reason why the Big XII cannot remain the flagship college athletic conference in Texas and the Great Plains for years to come.

Of course, I could be wrong about all of this. So next week, when Texas and the Oklahoma schools announce that they’re leaving and that the conference will disband after this season, you can tweet me, @joshtinley, and tell me why I’m an idiot.

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Josh Tinley is the author of Kneeling in the End Zone: Spiritual Lessons From the World of Sports. Follow him at twitter.com/joshtinley or send him an e-mail.

* – Bob Stoops/Mack Brown photo source: Bleacher Report

In this post, I’ll explain why the Pitt and Texas losses should not have come as a surprise to anyone.

Pittsburgh vs Butler

This win by Butler should not be a shock to as many people as it seems to be. Butler was only a lucky bounce away from being National Champs last season. Their only major roster loss was that of Gordon Hayward, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz, but the Bulldogs are still led by junior Shelvin Mack and senior Matt Howard. These two, along with Andrew Smith, have picked up the scoring that Hayward took with him to the NBA. Howard and Mack combined for 46 of Butler’s 71 points against Pitt.

Butler struggled to beat top teams early in the regular season while adjusting to life without Hayward. They lost to Louisville, Duke, and Xavier. Even with these losses, they won the Horizon League tournament on their way to the NCAA tourney. The Bulldogs could also have made a case for a higher seed in the tournament. They were given an 8 seed when they are much more talented and proven than that. This ended up hurting Pitt more than it hurt Butler.

On the other side of the story is Pitt who, although given a #1 seed, had their struggles during the year. Their record was great, but their rather sloppy loss to St. Johns on February 19th suggested they might have issues later on. That game marked the return of Ashton Gibbs, and he led the team in scoring with 26 points. The only problem was that he came off the bench with his 26. No starter scored more than 7 points. The team had 16 turnovers and could not close out the game at the end as a Gary McGhee turnover led to the loss.

Fast forward to the Big East tourney where Pitt lost their first game to UConn. Granted, UConn is a very talented team, but as the #1 seed in the Big East, Pitt should have won the game.

This poor finish led them to the tournament where they lost to the talented Butler Bulldogs, who are now on an 11 game winning streak. Pitt is now heading back home where they can think about their lack of intelligence when it comes to last second situations.

Texas vs Arizona

The game between Texas and Arizona was one that many people and analysts alike thought would be an easy win for Texas. I am not one of those people. I had Texas losing to Oakland in the opening round, a game which they barely escaped by four points.

My doubting of Texas had to do with their poor finish to the regular season. Despite their runner up finish in the Big 12 tournament, they lost 3 of their last 5 regular season games. They saw their ranking plummet from near #1 down to barely in the top 10. That is still a strong ranking, and higher than Arizona, but their late season collapse was a bad sign heading into the NCAA tournament.

Arizona was also a runner up in their conference tourney, but they had a stronger finish to the season. They won 10 of their last 12 regular season games with slip ups to only USC and UCLA, both in the field of 68. Led by Derrick Williams, the Wildcats did not listen to the the people who had Texas in the Final Four or even as the National Champions. Now Arizona goes on to play Duke in the Sweet Sixteen.

Both of these games ended in similar fashions. The final score was only a difference of one point with Butler winning 71-70 and Arizona winning 70-69. Also, both ended with a foul or what could have been a foul. In Pitt’s case, they committed a foul that was called and gave Butler the win. In Texas’ case, they have an argument that a foul could have been called on the final play of the game on Arizona. Either way, Butler and Arizona advance and continue their potential title runs, and no one should really be surprised.

Given the current state of the bubble and the apparent reality that no one actually wants to make the tournament, another team or two may well sneak into the field of 68.

As I’ve done previously with the Big Ten and ACC, here’s what you may have missed so far in the Big 12 this season.

Best Team: Kansas (20-1, 5-1)

The Jayhawks are one of the deepest teams in the country with ten players averaging at least 13 minutes.  The Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff, combine for nearly 30 points and 16 boards per game, and the mid-season addition of highly-touted freshman Josh Selby gives them an upgrade at the point.  Selby sat out the first nine games of the season for receiving improper benefits, but he’s knocking down better than 43 percent from beyond the arc since joining the team.

KU’s lone loss came at the hands of Texas and in the wake of the tragedies surrounding forward Thomas Robinson.  In the span of less than a month, Robinson lost both of his grandparents and his mother, who left behind Robinson and his nine-year old sister.

With just three ranked teams left on the schedule, expect the Jayhawks to earn a one seed in March.

Biggest Surprise: Texas (18-3, 6-0)

The aforementioned win by the Longhorns nearly had me listing them as the conference’s best squad.  Sure, many feel like they’ve been reeled in by Texas in the past (I’ve have the X’ed-out brackets to prove it), but this team is doing it differently.  In conference play, the ‘Horns are shutting opponents down to the tune of 0.84 points per possession, the best of any major conference team.

They’re no slouch on the offensive end either.  Sophomore Jordan Hamilton has shown great maturity after a frustrating freshman year and leads the team in both scoring and rebounding while hitting on 42.4 percent from deep.  Freshmen Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph have contributed immediately and meshed well with the team.

Based on their recent play and overall resume, you could make a compelling argument for Texas to earn a one seed as well.

Biggest Disappointment: Kansas State (14-8, 2-5)

The Wildcats were miscast as a Top 10 team to start the season, but the team is completely imploding at this point.  You can blame the loss of leader and point guard Denis Clemente, but this team’s issues run deeper than that.  A series of off-court transgressions and disjointed play on the court would seem to indicate coach Frank Martin has lost this team.

Guard Jacob Pullen said earlier this season that he wouldn’t play if the team made the NIT, and we’re getting pretty close to figuring out whether he’s a man of his word.  The Wildcats do have wins over Virginia Tech, a disappointing Gonzaga squad, and the aforementioned road win at Wazzou, but that won’t be enough if they can’t turn things around within the conference.  Home dates with Kansas and Missouri and a road trip to Texas provide the only opportunities to enhance their case.

Best of the Rest:

Texas A&M (17-3, 4-2)

After knocking off Missouri in OT, the Aggies were 16-1 and one of the nation’s biggest surprises.  They’ve since dropped two of three with the Longhorns looming on Monday.  The win over Mizzou is their best, but the Aggies have also knocked off Washington and Temple, so a decent seed is still a possibility.  A&M does play five of their final nine games away from home, but they face just one ranked team during that stretch.

Missouri (17-4, 3-3)

The Tigers can light up the scoreboard thanks to their running and pressing style of play.  Like Kansas, Missouri has a deep bench with 10 players averaging better than 10 minutes and five scoring in double figures.  With the exception of two games against Kansas over the remainder of the year, Missouri has a favorable schedule and should wind up with a top four seed.

Baylor (14-6, 4-3)

The records don’t look bad, but Baylor’s best win is probably at home versus Colorado.  Five ranked opponents await them from here on out, so they’ll have their chances to earn a bid.

Nebraska (15-5, 3-3)

Saturday’s win over Texas A&M was nice, but losses to Davidson and Texas Tech are flat out ugly.  The Huskers pushed Kansas to the brink, but they need more quality W’s from here on out.

Colorado (14-8, 3-4)

A couple weeks ago the Buffs were sitting at 14-4 and 3-0 in the conference after wins against Missouri and Kansas State.  With four losses in a row, Colorado is reeling as they near the halfway point in league play.

They do have four more chances to knock off a ranked team, but with losses to San Francisco, Harvard, and Oklahoma, the Buffs will need to win at least one or two of them.

Oklahoma State (14-7, 2-5)

Saturday’s overtime loss at Texas Tech might be the final nail in the coffin for the Cowboys.  Outside of that, none of their losses are terrible, but they’ll need to perform well in their four remaining games against ranked teams to reach the .500 mark in conference play.

Follow me on Twitter for more college basketball thoughts.

As it happened, the St. Louis Rams kept the 33rd overall pick and selected Roger Saffold out of Indiana to shore up its offensive line and protect its investment in #1 pick Sam Bradford.

Then the Browns took a safety…and then they took a running back…and finally, with the 85th pick in the draft – some 50 picks after many people thought he’d be selected – Colt McCoy was the choice of the Cleveland Browns.

And it was the best pick in terms of value in the first three rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft.

What’s that? You want some reasons? Fine, here we go:

1. Colt McCoy has already started – and won – a lot of games

According to no less an authority than Gil Brandt, one of the most important attributes that predicts a quarterbacks’ NFL readiness is the number of games they started in college. Well, if that is true – and do you want to doubt Gil Brandt? – then it doesn’t get much better than Colt McCoy.

Not only was McCoy a 4-year starter for a team from a power conference that had national championship expectations every year, but he set an NCAA record by leading his team to 45 wins. Even the mighty Sam Bradford, with his sniper-like accuracy, can’t say that.

In Colt McCoy the Browns are getting an experienced, battle-tested, proven winner. There haven’t been many proven winners in Berea since the Browns came back to the NFL. They have one now.

2. Colt McCoy is accurate

The single most underrated attribute of quarterback success in the NFL is accuracy. If you want to know the reason why Drew Brees has become a star in the NFL despite being undersized and lacking a rocket right arm, that is it: he is accurate.

There is a reason that more than one draftnik has compared McCoy’s NFL potential to that of Brees, another highly successful college QB who was picked after Round 1.

If you like numbers, here you go: Colt McCoy is 2nd all time in NCAA history with a career completion percentage of 70.3. That’s right, the Browns could barely complete 50% of their passes last year with a former 1st round pick and a former Pro Bowler playing QB. Now they have a QB to develop who is used to completing 7 out of every 10 passes.

There is a caveat. McCoy played in an offense that rarely asked him to throw the ball deep. The majority of McCoy’s throws were within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, and he does struggle sometimes with his downfield accuracy.

Mitigating that concern, however, is the offense he is going to. The Browns will be shifting towards more of a West Coast attack with Mike Holmgren and his magic mustache at the helm. That means a lot of shorter, timing-based routes, which are similar to what McCoy succeeded in throwing at Texas.

3. Value, value, value

Look, the NFL draft is all about value. If the Browns had taken Colt McCoy with the 7th pick in the draft, I might be writing a post calling it the worst pick of the entire draft; but they didn’t. They were patient. The Browns trusted the grade that their scouts had on Colt McCoy and refused to reach for him – again, according to their grade – in the second round.

By being patient, not only did the team hang onto its valuable 2nd and 3rd round picks, it was still able to get McCoy in a round that works out well for both team and player. McCoy will not require the kind of financial investment that makes the team beholden to his ultimate success or failure (hello Denver and Tim Tebow) and McCoy does not head to Berea with the gargantuan expectations of a 1st or 2nd round pick.

The Browns can be patient with McCoy, and he can be patient with the team.

The Browns have a veteran QB with a maximum of 2-3 years left and another QB who is unproven as a starter. McCoy will ultimately get a chance to start and earn his money. Unlike Sam Bradford, however, he won’t be saddled with the hopes, dreams, and expectations of an entire fan base and organization; and vice versa.

That’s value.

Update: A reader just reminded me that the Browns got Colt McCoy lower than they picked Charlie Frye. Take that for what it’s worth; I’ll take it as another example of the supreme value the Browns got with pick #85.

4. I love a scorned competitor and leader

It is not debatable that Colt McCoy is an incredible competitor.

You do not get a scholarship to the University of Texas – a school that can have its pick of the Southwest litter every year – without competing for it. Additionally, you don’t start as a freshman at a school like Texas without competing and proving your mettle to coaches who face immense pressure to win big every year.

And you certainly don’t set an NCAA record for wins – yes, even more than Lord Tebow himself – without being a tremendous competitor and a strong leader.

The Browns have drafted a guy with those proven characteristics, and they get him more motivated – I don’t care what any player says, they want to prove their worth to people who passed on them – yet at a lower price. Sounds good to me.

5. If his play warrants it, Colt McCoy can be the face of a franchise

Colt McCoy spent his freshman year at Texas trying to fill the shoes of one of the greatest players in school history (the immortal, at least in Austin, Vince Young). After proving himself, McCoy then spent the next three years as the unquestioned leader of one of college football’s gold standard programs.

He never got in trouble. He never said the wrong thing. He did nothing but represent himself, his family, his team, and his school with incredible class. And he did this while still maintaining the competitive fire and leadership I just spoke about.

The Browns have not had a true face of their franchise since they returned from exile. A lot of people have been put in that position, but none have had the combination of on-field skill and off-field grace to pull it off. We have no idea if Colt McCoy will break the Browns’ sorry post-return mold or just be another in a long line of failed Browns’ attempts at finding a franchise QB.

But I do know this: if his play on the field develops, his attitude and disposition off of it will be beyond reproach. In this day and age of Michael Vick and Ben Roethlisberger – when franchise quarterbacks are $100 million investments – that is important. Character is important.

To get a guy in the 3rd round with that kind of on- and off-field potential is tremendous.

6. McCoy makes the Jake Delhomme signing infinitely more valuable

Jake Delhomme was signed for many reasons, chief among them being his history of winning, his high character, and the belief of Mike Holmgren that he still had something left in the tank. Because of those three attributes, Delhomme has a great chance to start next season.

Do not, however, dismiss the importance of Delhomme’s willingness to be a mentor to younger QBs in the Browns’ decision to bring him into the fold. When the Browns announced the signing of Delhomme, I read story after story from Panthers’ beat reporters who lauded Delhomme’s willingness to be a mentor to Matt Moore, the guy who ultimately took his job in Carolina.

Now that the Browns have a potential franchise QB who is humble and willing to learn, the team can maximize its short- to mid-term investment in Delhomme.

7. Something about this quote…

Look, I know that you shouldn’t read too much into sound bytes, and most players sound very polished and say the right things on draft day; still, there is something about this quote from Colt McCoy – made immediately after getting selected, during an interview with ESPN’s Jenn Brown – that I really liked:

“You won’t regret it and we’ll win a lot of games.”

Now look, Tony Pike might get picked later in the draft and say something similar. What will it mean? And 95% of QBs who have ever been drafted have probably said some derivative of this statement. There is, however, a difference between them and Colt McCoy: he is talking a talk for a walk that he’s already walked.

No, Colt McCoy has not won anything yet at the NFL level; and he may never win a game as a starting QB in the NFL. We have no clue. But we also have a) never seen a QB with 45 career college wins come into the NFL after being b) passed over for a guy he’s beaten (Bradford), that he’s more polished than (Tebow), and that he’s more mature and a better leader than (Clausen).

Give me the choice of those three guys at their respective draft slots or McCoy at his and I’ll take McCoy at #85.

And this leads me to my final reason why Colt McCoy is the best pick of the 2010 NFL Draft…

…and it’s merely a reiteration of reason #3, because it cannot be overstated…

8. Value

McCoy’s draft position, when taken into account with everything else I’ve expatiated in this post, eliminates any potential regret about his selection. The Browns cannot possibly ever regret this pick, even if McCoy never takes a snap in a Browns uniform.

This is in stark contrast to the Rams and Broncos, each of whom used 1st round picks on a QB. Similarly, the Panthers used their first pick, though a 2nd rounder, on a QB. The success of Bradford, Tebow, and Clausen ultimately defines their teams’ respective drafts in 2010. Colt McCoy, on the other hand, is merely a piece of what has been a very solid Browns draft so far.

Make no mistake about my point with this post: I am not saying that Colt McCoy is better than Sam Bradford, or Ndamukong Suh, or Jimmy Clausen, or even, hell, even Dan LeFevour for that matter. I’m just saying that when you take into account draft position, salary, pedigree, pre-draft rankings, and team needs, Colt McCoy at #85 is as good as it gets from a value perspective.

In closing, here is something else that Colt McCoy said tonight to Jenn Brown – might her last name be a sign? Anyone? – after waiting nearly three full rounds to be selected:

“God’s plan is perfect and I am where I’m supposed to be.”

I’m not sure if God really thinks about the NFL draft (because if he did, why would he smite us with Todd McShay?), but I sure am excited that McCoy is so confident in God’s plan and the road it has paved for him to Cleveland.

Folks, a franchise that has spent its last decade defined by losing just drafted – at the end of the 3rd round – the winningest quarterback in college football history. I think it’s a match made in football heaven. And we all know that Ohio is football heaven, with respectful apologies to my current home of Texas.

That this match was made with the 85th pick makes it a perfect match, in my eyes the best one between team, player, and draft position in the 2010 NFL draft.

Welcome to Cleveland Colt. (Side note: you thought Texas fans were nuts? You ain’t seen nothing yet.)

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* – Colt McCoy running photo credit: Black Christian News

* – Colt McCoy with hands in air: NBCSports.com

* – Colt McCoy celebrating photo credit: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin via GoColtGo.com

Here is the latest Colt McCoy injury update, courtesy of the Big 12 Conference’s official Twitter page:

ESPN Radio is reporting that McCoy is emotional and his shoulder pads are off. Doesn’t look good for his return.

Follow me on Twitter for the latest on Colt McCoy’s injury and for commentary on the game.

Update: They just showed Colt McCoy leaving the X-Ray room and headed towards the Texas locker room. As Brent Musburger described, Colt did not look happy. I’d say that’s an understatement. I can’t imagine McCoy is going to return.

Update: Uh oh, the news gets worse of Colt McCoy and Texas, via the Twitter account of Awful Announcing:

And the word is that McCoy has a broken collarbone. Dagger.

Update: Here is video of the hit that injured Colt McCoy, hat tip to Black Sports Online.

Although Boise State can reasonably hold its undefeated record up as evidence that it deserves to be in the championship conversation, all that really matters is what happens on the field tonight between two old-school college football powerhouses: Alabama and Texas.

The Alabama Crimson Tide boast Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and a man at the helm, Nick Saban, who is on his way to building one of the most impressive college football coaching resumes ever.

The underdog Texas Longhorns feature college football’s all-time winningest quarterback in Colt McCoy, as well as the knowledge that their own very program recently authored a BCS championship game upset against a heavily favored opponent.

Yep…regardless of who you’re rooting for, or if you even have a specific rooting interest at all, if you like college football even one iota, this is going to be a good one.

Here are the particulars for tonight’s BCS National Championship Game (presented by Citi!):

BCS National Championship Game: Alabama v Texas

• BCS Championship Game Alabama-Texas TV: ABC
• BCS Championship Game Alabama-Texas Kickoff Time: 8:30 PM ET
• BCS Championship Game Alabama-Texas Announcers: Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit
• BCS Championship Game Alabama-Texas Location: Pasadena, CA
• BCS Championship Game Alabama-Texas Spread: Alabama -4
• BCS Championship Game Alabama-Texas Over-Under: 46
• Official Website: BCS Championship Game

The initial point spread for the Alabama-Texas game was Alabama -5. Seeing as how it is now -4, that tells you that a lot of bettors have been putting their money on the Longhorns. If you watched the two teams play in their respective conference championship games – Alabama spanked Florida while Texas almost blew a close lead to Nebraska – you might wonder how anyone in their right mind could be betting on Texas.

I think there are a couple of objective reasons why Texas could very well defeat the odds and win this game, or at the very least keep it very close.

First, you can’t discount the importance of experience at the QB position. As mentioned above, no QB in college football history has more winning experience than Colt McCoy. Even though the Longhorns’ offense has struggled at times this year, McCoy’s experience is important.

Secondly, we’ve seen all too often how BCS favorites often do not live up to the hype in the big game, especially when the Heisman Trophy winner happens to be on their sideline. A prime example is USC and Reggie Bush in 2005, when they were defeated by Texas and Vince Young. A lot of people have been bringing that game up over the last few weeks and it’s a valid comparison in some ways, though certainly not all.

There are all kinds of stats that could be crunched, matchups that could be analyzed, and objective reasons to choose one team or the other in this game. Ultimately though, a lot of those things usually end up not mattering in college football championship games, especially when there has been such a long layoff for both teams between their last game and when they take the field tonight.

My pick to win tonight is Alabama, and I say so for one primary reason: the run the football better than Texas.

Something that we often see in bowl games is teams struggling a bit with the rhythm of their passing game. The long layoff cited above is a primary reason why this can happen. Considering how shaky Colt McCoy looked against Nebraska, and how long it’s been since he’s dropped back at game speed, I’m concerned that the Texas offense could end up being hamstrung unless they can run the ball better than they’ve showed.

Alabama, on the other hand, relies on their running game. I know all about the Heisman jinx in BCS games, but the ‘Bama running game is more than Mark Ingram. Even if he struggles, I think they have a better shot to move the ball on the ground than Texas does, which is why I feel safer picking the Crimson Tide to win.

As for the spread, I’ll go with Texas there. I have too much respect for Colt McCoy and Mack Brown to think they won’t be able to keep it close. I think we’re in for an epic matchup tonight, one that will be decided by a field goal, and ultimately I think that extra tally ends up on the side of Alabama.

BCS National Championship Game Alabama-Texas spread pick: Texas +4

BCS National Championship Game Alabama-Texas prediction: Alabama 24 | Texas 21

What do you think?

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* – Nick Saban photo credit: Derick Hingle/Icon SM via SI.com

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by Scott Reister

RICHLAND, Wash. – Three years ago, I packed up the family and moved from Texas to the state of Washington, taking with me all the burnt orange sweatshirts, t-shirts, fleeces, hats, and footballs I owned. Would I be an outsider in a strange new world of Huskies and Cougars? Hardly.

It felt like I never left the Forty Acres.

Texas apparel was everywhere. At the mall. At Wal-Mart. On men, women, and children. On my baby (I dressed her as a UT cheerleader for the OU game). These days, wherever you are, University of Texas gear seems more popular than the local college.

I’ve been told a store in Colorado (home of the Big 12-rival Buffaloes) had Texas jerseys on display in the front windows, while the Colorado jerseys were hanging on the back wall.
Turns out that “Hook ‘Em” has evolved in to an 800-pound gorilla. What gives?

Well, the first (and most obvious) reason is their recent success in just about every major sport.

“When you have athletic success, it provides you with a great opportunity to capitalize on the excitement around that success,” said Craig Westemeier, Assistant Athletics Director for Trademark Licensing. “We’ve been fortunate to maintain that.”

I’ll say. In the 2004-2005 school year, the year before Texas beat USC for the championship, the university pulled in $4 million in royalties.

After Vince Young’s heroics, that number increased to $8.2 million dollars, a whopping 103% increase. That year, Texas became the top-selling institution among colleges represented by the Collegiate Licensing Company. The Horns have been tops on the list ever since with $7.5 million in ‘06-’07, and $8 million in ‘07-‘08. Notre Dame, the highest-ranked Midwest school, ranked 5th. (For the complete list click here.)

“That year was a springboard into the national spotlight,” said Westemeier of the championship year. “It allowed people to see us and say ‘Wow, I like that.’”

Since then, it’s been the perfect convergence of favorable factors.

“We have a large state, a large student population, one of the largest alumni bases (450,000 living alumni), a great logo with the Longhorn, athletic success, and academic success,” said Westemeier.

Forget Mack Brown — even pop culture has spurred the Horns’ rise to apparel dominance.
“A few years ago burnt orange became a hot fashion color,” said Westemeier. “We saw it happen around ‘04-‘05. Burnt orange and purple were the new colors. For a few years it was light blue and that really helped out North Carolina.”

Recession? Not here. UT is hopeful its brand will continue to sell.

“The college product is hot right now. Most schools are seeing growth. People will still spend just for their affinity to the schools.”

And each time you swipe, the rich get richer.

“We have a ten percent royalty fee,” said Westemeier. “For example, if a T-shirt wholesales for $5, and retails for $12, we get 50 cents from every shirt sold.”

Factor in the hats, luggage, pool cues, and baby gear (I have plenty), it adds up fast. The $8 million Texas raked in last year goes back into the athletic department, with a percentage going to the academic side.

When you’re hot, you’re hot. And right now, UT is the “it” thing to wear. So while it may pain my Aggie brother, all those burnt orange shirts are here to stay…at least until A&M’s maroon becomes the next fall color.

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Scott Reister is a featured contributor to Midwest Sports Fans, as well as Dallas Sports Fans.

He is a Sports Anchor for the NBC affiliate in the Tri-Cities and Spokane, WA. To learn more about Scott, visit the Scott Reister bio page on Midwest Sports Fans or check out the Local Sports page on KNDU.com.

To contact Scott: sreister@hotmail.com

(Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans.)

First off, I want to congratulate Sam Bradford on winning the Heisman Trophy. He put up some of the most ridiculous numbers college football has ever seen this year, and led the Oklahoma Sooners to five straight 60-point outings to close out the season. That is remarkable.

And I want to congratulate the Oklahoma Sooners on becoming Big 12 Champs and being selected to play the Florida Gators in the BCS National Championship game. The Sooners are on quite a roll right now and the Oklahoma-Florida matchup to determine the champion should be exciting.

But what the hell did the University of Texas do to become the toilet of college football in 2008? All they did was go 11-1, beat Oklahoma, and have a QB set the NCAA record for completion percentage. With all that said, let’s count the ways that Texas has been shit on this season:

1 — Despite having an identical 11-1 record with Oklahoma, and owning the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Sooners, Texas was left home during the Big 12 Championship while Oklahoma played Missouri.

2 — Again, despite having the same record as Oklahoma and beating them, Texas experienced their one loss a few weeks later in the season and fell behind Oklahoma in the polls and BCS standings. This is what gave Oklahoma the right to play in the Big 12 Championship game and make it to the BCS National Championship game…despite the ugly fact that a team with an identical record, and that they lost to, will have to watch the championship game from home.

3 — Colt McCoy was sensational in his head-to-head matchup against Sam Bradford. He made the plays to win his school’s biggest game of the year. Sam Bradford did not. The #1 and #2 vote-getters in the Heisman balloting met on the same field, and the the guy who lost and played worse ended up winning the award for Most Oustanding Player in America.

If I were a Texas fan, I’d be feeling a little salty right now. If I were an Oklahoma fan, I’d be thanking my lucky stars that the 2008 Sooners somehow defied the most basic logic that is supposed to govern sports: nothing is more important than what happens on the field.

Oh wait — this is college football we are talking about, the sport where logic is nowhere to be found.

I am having a hard time coming up with a more egregious set of circumstances to end a season and determine a national champion than what has happened this year. And if the Illogical Quagmire of 2008 cannot galvanize change and inspire a movement towards a playoff, I’m not sure what will. If you have the same record as another team, but you beat them on the field of play, you should take priority and be rewarded. That did not happen this year, and Texas got royally screwed because of it.

And if choosing the winner of an individual honor requires the splitting of hairs, as this year’s Heisman Trophy voting clearly did (based on the fact that the difference between #1 and #3 was smaller than the typical difference between #1 and #2), then beating the other candidate head-to-head should carry some pretty serious weight. Obviously it did not in this case, as Sam Bradford came out ahead of Colt McCoy.

And here’s the really sad thing: I know a lot of people are reading this and chomping at the bit to get the comments and tell me I’m an idiot for arguing about Texas and ignoring Texas Tech. Well guess what? That is even more proof for my point!

Texas Tech beat Texas who beat Oklahoma who beat Texas Tech. And yet, the big argument at the end of the season was between Texas and Oklahoma, with Texas Tech all but forgotten. Sure, Oklahoma wiped the floor with Texas Tech. And I would rank them 3rd out of those three on my own personal ballot. But who cares!? Does the old saying, “That’s why they play games” mean anything in college football?

Apparently not.

Not only was Texas Tech shut out of the Big 12 championship game, shut out of the BCS, and shut out of even getting an invite to the Heisman ceremony (despite having the #4 and #5 vote-getters in Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree), but they weren’t even in the conversation! How ridiculous is that?

Unfortunately, that is college football.

I love college football. I grew up going to games every Saturday, and I love nothing more than watching, debating, and reading about college football all Fall long. But I love college basketball more, and for one extremely important reason: champions are determined on the court, and not through media politicking or in a computer.

Oklahoma had a historic season in many ways in 2008. One feat that should definitely go down in the record books is that they recorded the first loss in the history of college football that, apparently, was not a loss.

In the absence of a playoff, when two teams with identical records do not play eachother, subjective opinions must be solicited to attempt to determine who is better. This has always been a part of college football, and there is no way around it to a certain degree. But when teams play eachother on the field, that game has to mean something. In this case, Oklahoma may as well have just won that game 45-35 instead of what actually happened. Oklahoma was treated like a 12-0 team, while Texas was dealt the fate of a team that went 10-2 and lost to the Sooners.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget about Texas Tech.

My head is starting to hurt just writing this, because it is such a sad and ridiculous circle of idiocy. The only thing standing between college football and a playoff is excuses. College basketball does it. The other college football divisions do it. And somehow, a better method simply has to be implemented to determine champions.

One of the most popular arguments bandied about in opposition of a playoff is that a playoff would lessen the importance of the regular season, that what makes college football different is that a game in October is just as meaningful as a game in January. Well to all of the people who make that argument, I present the 2008 college football season as the quintessential counter-argument that you simply cannot refute.

How meaningful is the college football regular season when Texas can beat Oklahoma, yet Oklahoma goes to the Big 12 championship, the national championship, and the Oklahoma QB beats out the Texas QB for the Heisman?

How meaningful is the college football regular season when Texas Tech can beat Texas, and their arguments are not even taken seriously, for the most part because they do not have the same prestige as Texas and Oklahoma?

It doesn’t seem all that meaningful to me. Not after this season.

What do you think?

So congratulations to Oklahoma. 2008 truly has been the Year of the Sooners, because somehow Oklahoma was able to defy sports logic and completely erase the typical consequences of losing. And this is not a knock on Oklahoma, their coaches, or their players — they have an amazing team. And it is hard to argue that they are not deserving of a spot in the championship game. The problem is that it is not hard to argue for Texas or Texas Tech either.

So the knock is not on Oklahoma, but rather on the idiotic system of college football over which the Sooners have no control.

I just hope that 2008 was a step backwards that can ultimately lead to a giant leap forward — in the form of a playoff. All of this illogical BS has gone on for far too long in college football and it is time for what happens on the field to matter more than what happens on a ballot.

Discussion Questions for Comments Section:

1. Do you think that Texas and Texas Tech got screwed in 2008?
2. Do you want to see a playoff in college football? Why or why not?

Looking forward to everyone’s responses on this topic. And let’s just hope that one of these days, logic can actually become a part of college football.