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October 21, 2009
For my week 8 Big 12 football picks, check out the latest episode of ConferenceChatterTV:
The national perception of the Big 12's ability to light up the scoreboard is hurting the University of Texas football team this season.
Texas recently dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll, despite being undefeated at 6-0. The Longhorns also were ranked No. 3 in the first BCS poll of the season, released on Sunday.
Problem is, Texas did nothing to deserve that bump to No. 3. I get the sense that just because UT isn't obliterating its opponents, it's being punished in the polls. That's not right.
Here's a thought: The two teams ranked ahead of Texas — No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida — haven't been obliterating opponents lately, either. The Gators turned the ball over four times against Arkansas and narrowly won, 23-20, at home. The Crimson Tide turned the ball over four times against South Carolina but won, 20-6.
Texas held off Oklahoma, 16-13, and all of a sudden, the Longhorns are dropping in the polls. The general knock on Texas was the Longhorns won ugly and didn't earn any style points. On a larger scale, Colt McCoy, a preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, hasn't looked the part, with only 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season (he threw eight INTs all of last season).
Thanks to these last few years, people have grown accustomed to seeing points scored in bunches in the Big 12. If Texas isn't putting up 40 points every time it takes the field, certainly something's wrong. That's the national perception.
My question: Why can't Texas play an SEC brand of football and remain at No. 2? The Longhorns have a considerably improved defense from last year and currently sit at No. 1 in the country (by a wide margin) in rushing defense with only 35 yards allowed per game.
As for those offensive struggles? Texas is No. 1 in the country with 42 points scored per game this season.
The Longhorns should still be No. 2 in the polls.
Here's the good part for coach Mack Brown and UT: The Longhorns pretty much control their own destiny. Win out — it looks possible — and Texas will play in the BCS Championship game.
Alabama and Florida will likely face each other in the SEC Championship. Someone's gotta lose. I find it tough to believe an undefeated team from a power conference would be left out of the BCS Championship.
That should be all for now, friends. As always, discuss.
Comments
brownhawk (anonymous) says...
I compeletely agree. Texas hasn't really been clicking like they did last year on offense but they are still the #1 offense in the nation. I just don't see how beating OU on a neutral field can hurt you in the polls. They can't say that they only won because Bradford was out, because it was Texas' defense that forced the injury upon him. Do I think Texas is 100%? No, but no one has been able to stop them from scoring over 30 points with the exception of OU. Florida has seen narrow margins of 13-3 over LSU and 23-20 against Arkansas but no one is harping them about it.
October 22, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chuckberry32 (anonymous) says...
UF is over rated. they really haven't done anything this season (besides an ugly win against LSU with the refs help) to be ranked number one. Again they needed help from the refs last weekend to beat Arkansas. Polls should be 1 Alabama 2 Texas 3 Florida and all teams would still control their own destiny. More to the point thoough, I don't think the big12 rep has hurt Texas as much as Texas giving OU their third loss of the season takes away some presitge from the so called elite big12 teams.
October 22, 2009 at 8:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KUFan90 (anonymous) says...
None of this matters. Texas controls their own fate and that's all that matters. If they win out they will play for the NC, so who cares if they are #3 this week.
October 22, 2009 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )