It wasn't enough points.
Yes, Mack, we do need style points. Why? It's name is Oklahoma, and they are breathing down our necks in the BCS.
Bob Stoops understands the BCS. You see, when he has a chance to roll up the score and get a few extra computer and voter style points, a bit more 'wow factor', he takes it. He wrings the living daylights out of any and all opportunities like that. And this season, he's done so - ever since the loss to Texas.
So while Oklahoma is scoring big wins and putting up the big point totals, Mack Brown is playing nice against Baylor and Kansas. Did they win both games? Sure. They beat Baylor 45 - 21, but they didn't pass the ball against them for the last 8:52 of the fourth quarter. They beat Kansas 35 - 7, but squandered a number of scoring opportunities along the way and essentially fell asleeep in the fourth quarter (at least on offense - though kudos to the defense for the goal line stand).
Did they take care of business? So far, so good. But could we have used a few extra touchdowns and yards and defensive stands to remind everyone that yes, not only did we beat OU but we've been steamrolling everyone ever since? Absolutely.
Stoops never seems to forget that others are watching. Bob Stoops has no problem going for the jugular. Mack Brown is still in the "wins count" logic, but apparently he has not totally assimilated the BCS logic.
Now we have two opportunities escape us, and we head off to the last game of the season against Texas A&M. Austin is the only place in the U.S. that is even remotely concerned with the Aggies this year - hell, Baylor beat them today! But they do have a record of putting a twist on the Longhorns' seasons in the past.
We're now faced with a bit of a dilemna. The only way we can advance to the Big 12 Championship is through a crazy series of events that could occur in the next two weeks. The Big 12 office is going to need a lawyer to sort through the tie-breakers and such! This assumes, of course, that Texas beats Texas A&M on Thanksgiving - because if they don't, then all of this is a moot point anyways.
Imagine - all Texas fans suddenly become Oklahoma fans for about 4 hours on Saturday November 22nd when they play Texas Tech. Now that is a seriously evil thought. But as it stands, it's the only way we might be able to finagle a Big 12 championship. If Oklahoma wins, it puts us all in a three way tie for first. The tie-breaker? The highest-ranked team in the BCS.
If Oklahoma DOES beat Texas Tech, then it's my thought that they will jump Texas and Texas Tech in the BCS rankings, even though we did beat Oklahoma earlier in the season. Remember how I mentioned that you need to lose at the right time of the year i.e. Florida? Well, we now have another example and it wears the crimson and cream. Irony of all ironies is that the Longhorns stand to lose out in all of this, even though we pounded the Sooners. Imagine!
If Oklahoma beats Tech, they still have to play Oklahoma State (at Stillwater) while Tech is playing Baylor and Texas is playing A&M. Let's just consider the possibility that OSU wins at home. Then we're in a two way tie with Texas Tech, and if I am not mistaken, the tiebreaker goes down to head-to-head record ... and we lose that one. If there is a three way tie at that time, then OU will have just beaten ranked OSU ... while Texas and Tech are beating the doormats of the South. Timing, as I always say, is everything.
So unless something incredibly strange occurs in the next two weeks, I see it highly unlikely that Texas will be heading to the Big 12 Championship. Given the two other solid Big 12 South teams in the picture (remember, we have three of the top 5 teams in the country!), then I would project Texas NOT getting an at-large BCS bid, which then puts us in ... the Cotton Bowl.
Now is that messed up or what?
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Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.