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March 30, 2009
When Oklahoma was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, it ended the Big 12 Conference’s hope of landing a team in the Final Four for the second straight year.
With no conference teams left to follow — unless you want to follow Baylor in the NIT on Tuesday — I began to think about this past athletic year in the scope of the two most popular college sports: Football and men’s basketball.
My first thought: Oklahoma was the conference’s most successful team this season in the realm of football and men’s basketball. The Sooners played in the BCS Championship game and reached the Elite Eight in the same academic year.
Furthermore, OU had the national player of the year in both sports. Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy and Blake Griffin should eventually win national player of the year. Bradford and Griffin, both sophomores, could have also been the No. 1 overall picks of their respective pro drafts. Bradford elected to return for his junior season, while Griffin is 99.9 percent sure to dart for the NBA this summer.
After Oklahoma, a few other Big 12 schools could have staked a claim to successful athletic seasons.
Missouri won the Alamo Bowl and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in hoops this academic year.
Kansas won the Insight Bowl and advanced to the Sweet 16.
Texas played in a BCS game, where it defeated Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma State lost in the Holiday Bowl and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Not a bad year.
Let’s look back a few years. What about the best athletic year in the history of the Big 12, which began in the 1996-1997 seasons?
It has to be Kansas.
The Jayhawks are the only team in Big 12 history to appear in a BCS game and a Final Four in the same academic year. KU won the Orange Bowl in the 2007 season and took home the NCAA Tournament championship in 2008.
I found it interesting Texas and Oklahoma were no-shows on the BCS/Final Four list.
Aside from Kansas in 2008, the Big 12 has seen a team in the Final Four five other times: Kansas twice (2002, 2003), Oklahoma (2002), Texas (2003) and Oklahoma State (2004). But during those respective football seasons, none of the teams played in a BCS game. Kansas didn’t make a bowl game in 2002 or 2003, while Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State all played in the Cotton Bowl in those years.
Just goes to show how difficult that BCS/Final Four combination really is. Oklahoma was one basketball victory away this Sunday from joining Kansas in elite BCS/Final Four company.
That should be all for now, friends. As always, discuss.
Comments
BannerforKirk (anonymous) says...
Anyone familiar with a list of other teams (outside of the Big XII) who have been in the Final Four and played in a BCS game (or its equivalent) in the same year? Florida, I believe got both titles in a year. Anyone else? Anyone besides Florida pull the BCS/NC in basketball in the same year?
March 30, 2009 at 9:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
esorrentino (Eric Sorrentino) says...
Hey Banner, this is per ncaa.com:
"In 2007-08, Kansas became only the fourth school to win a BCS game then play in the Final Four that same academic year. Other schools to accomplish that feat include Ohio State (1999), Wisconsin (2000) and Florida (2007)."
March 30, 2009 at 9:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
AlBerg (anonymous) says...
Oh but Kansas did more than that. They won their BSC game and won the Basketball National title. Only Florida tops KU in that one.
March 31, 2009 at 1:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
patton6 (anonymous) says...
Of course Kansas' gets the nod, but you'd have to put Texas' up there somewhere when they won the BCS championship, the College World Series and got to the Elite 8.
March 31, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
esorrentino (Eric Sorrentino) says...
patton, great point...if i was including baseball, UT in 2006 would easily take the cake...with football and hoops, I'd say UT in 2006 is a close second to KU in 2008.
March 31, 2009 at 3:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jayhawk444 (anonymous) says...
What was the FB/BB teams' combined records in 2007-2008? Something like 47-4? (11-1 and 36-3?) that's pretty incredible by itself.
One problem with Kansas though is all of the other sports don't do very well in the Big 12. The question in the article is phrased "best athletic year in the history of the Big 12" and does not limit the consideration to football and basketball or even just men's sports. For this comparisioin, we need to look at the (un?)offical Big12 all sports rankings. KU doesn't do so well in that comparison ,even in 2008. But the good news is KU seems committed to improving performance in all sports.
April 1, 2009 at 8:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TxJyHwk (anonymous) says...
For KU - what about the year they were the first to be in the Final Four, a bowl game, and the College World Series in the same year? I believe it was '93 or '94, but I'm not positive.
April 1, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawkfan96 (anonymous) says...
It was '92-'93, my first year there. We beat BYU in the Aloha Bowl. Lost to UNC in the final four. And the baseball team led by Jamie Splittorf made it to the CWS but was eliminated after 2 games
April 15, 2009 at 1:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )