Red Raider Nation: Why Texas Tech Deserves More Credit Than It Is Getting

What is Mike Leach pointing at?  Is it a bird, a plane... It's the BCS Rankings.

And he is pointing at it because the Red Raiders should be ranked No.1 in the polls right now.

For some stupid reason, the Red Raiders of Texas Tech are constantly being called the underdogs this season.  They started the year off ranked just outside the top ten: No.12 to be exact.  With a starting rank that high, and knocking off some very powerful teams through this season, I find it inconceivable that TTU is not ranked No.1.

They were called underdogs while ranked in the top 10 versus No.23 Kansas a month ago. How is a top 10 team an underdog to a team that is almost not ranked? 

They were called underdogs to the Longhorns who were ranked No.1 at the time of the meeting.  Sure that makes sense.  But then once again, most analysts and so-called 'experts' said TTU would lose to Oklahoma State as well the next week, despite being a higher ranked team.

I apparently am misinformed on what BCS Rankings mean. Aren't they supposed to be a measure of how good a team is; How good every team is?  Then why is a better-ranked team like TTU constantly being put in the doghouse before their games?

And by the way, the analysts' farce is about to happen next week also, as TTU travels to OU to take on the Sooners.  Tech is undefeated, and has beaten Texas (who beat OU earlier in the season), OK State, Kansas, a stubborn Nebraska team, and even continued the fine tradition of annually destroying the Aggies of Texas A&M. 

The Sooners lost by 10 to Texas, and have some other scores we can compare to see the strength difference between the teams:

Versus UT 

OU lost by 10.  Tech won by six.

Versus Kansas

OU won by 14.  Tech won by 42.

Versus Kansas State

OU won by 23.  Tech won by 30.

While I will admit that OU has come on strong recently, trouncing Nebraska and A&M, Tech should still be the favorite to win the game for three reasons.

1. TTU has a better rank, and I am sure there is a reason for it.
2. TTU has defeated a team that beat the Soooners.
3. TTU is undefeated, and OU is not.

If there were more reasons TTU should not be the underdog, they pale in comparison to these three.  Texas Tech also deserves to be ahead of Alabama on the BCS.  How you ask?

Not only were the Red Raiders higher ranked coming into the season (ranked 12 versus Bama's 20-something), but they also have beaten stronger opponents.  At the time of the games, TTU has faced three of the BCS Top 25.  Kansas: No. 23 at the time, UT: No.1 at the time, and Oklahoma State: No.8 at the time.

In the current rankings, TTU has the edge as well.  While only two opponents of each school are still ranked, Bama's are No.10 and No.20 while TTU's are No.3 and No.13.

One last reason (like I need one) TTU deserves to be No.1 in the BCS Rankings

Texas Tech is the most exciting school to watch this year (as usual), averaging 47.9 points per game, while Bama hasn't even broken 50 yet. 

Taking the two teams' averages and putting them together against each other (Tech's Offense—Bama's Defense, and Bama's Offense—Tech's Defense) would yield a final score of...

Texas Tech 30.5 points and Alabama 26.85 points.

There you have it, your new National Champions: Texas Tech Red Raiders.