Texas Longhorns Get Raw Deal From BCS

Just how do you possibly explain what happened in the BCS standings this weekend?

Texas had been leading Oklahoma all the way through this past weekend and won its game.  The Longhorns won by 40 and were able to remain classy by having their backups in the game late.  Above all, they managed to garner some all-important style points.

And yet, Texas falls in the rankings to a spot just below a team that they beat head-to-head.  Not only did Texas beat the team that will represent the Big 12 South at the Big 12 Championship game, but they beat the team that will represent the Big 12 North, too.  

Oklahoma didn't beat either representative.  The Sooners lost to Texas by 10 in October.  OU didn't play Missouri this season but beat the Tigers on two occasions last season.

Texas has statistically the toughest defense in the league—and defense wins championships.

Texas played the toughest schedule of the three teams in the Big 12 South tie-breaker. The combined win-loss record of Texas' opponents is better than that of Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Historically, Texas has won both of the BCS bowls it has played in under head coach Mack Brown. Meanwhile, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops is 1-4 in BCS bowls.  

So, for the sake of the conference and the college football public, Texas was the more sure choice for a quality, competitive game.  And don't kid yourselves...the logic behind the BCS is to give the college football public a game that will be competitive and, thus, generate the most revenue.  

Uncompetitive games harm the public's belief that future games will be competitive, and the BCS system has enough problems without having to deal with more public doubt.

Really, this should have come down to the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma.  Yes, I understand that Texas Tech held on and staved off Baylor's upset bid to keep this a three-way tie, but everyone from here to the Planet Krypton knew that it was going to be either Oklahoma or Texas.  

Since they were the only two teams really in contention, the pollsters should have decided based on head-to-head factors.  Here they are...

Texas beat Oklahoma.

While the Sooners and Longhorns both split their games against the other two Big 12 South powers, Texas gets the nod because it won its game away from Austin.

Texas was the only one that had to play the Big 12 North's best team.  And the Longhorns beat Missouri convincingly.

Perhaps most importantly, anyone that saw the Texas-Texas Tech game (or a replay of it) should know that Texas was the better team that night, regardless of the outcome.

Even though Texas didn't show up for the first half, gave Texas Tech a score on an interception return, and let the Red Raiders out of the noose by missing an interception that would have sealed the game, Texas was still in control of their destiny in that game and simply didn't run enough time off the clock when they took the lead.  

Had McCoy been snapping at two seconds on the play clock rather than 15, Texas Tech doesn't even get the ball back.

For some deeper perspective into the tragedy that is the Big 12's tiebreaker scenario, let's examine how the SEC, a conference many consider to be as good, if not better, than the Big 12, handles this very situation.

If there is a three-way division tie, there are certain criteria in place to break the tie before it goes to the ratings (just like it is in the Big 12).  However, if it does go to the ratings, the team that is third is removed from consideration and the winner of the head-to-head matchup between the two higher rated teams is chosen as the division champ.

The only exception is if there are more than five places that separate the top two teams in the ratings.  In other words, if the Big 12 had such a rule, since Oklahoma and Texas are one spot apart in the BCS (regardless of which was No. 2 and which was No. 3), Texas' head-to-head win would break the tie.

All in all, it's ridiculous, a shame, and a travesty that Oklahoma is being gifted a ticket to the national title game because of a flawed system.  All they have to do is beat a Missouri team that couldn't find a way to stop Kansas (yes, Kansas).  

It was going to be hard to pull for Florida...until now.