OSU Big 12 Football Champions

[Conan71]

Imagine this, what would be the point in a "national championship" game in the first place:

Before we turn our attention to the postseason, a thought on the regular season. Specifically, LSU's regular season.
The Tigers may not be the best team of the BCS era -- that's for another day (if they win one more game). But it's hard to argue that any team has ever put together a better regular season.
That's not only because of their record (14-0) or their ferocious defense or their resourcefulness. It's also because of the teams the Tigers played, and conquered, along the way.
LSU beat the Nos. 2, 5, 6, 16 and 23 teams. Only one of the victories was at home and only one was close (Alabama).
Heck, the Tigers beat three of the other nine teams in the BCS. I'm not sure that's ever happened.
There's a reason they became the first team to finish with a perfect BCS score (1.0000): They're unanimous No. 1 in both human polls and every computer ranking.
I'm sure most, if not all voters will put Alabama on top if the Tide wins the rematch. But you could make the case that as long as it's a close loss, the Tigers should still be No. 1.
They've been that much better than everyone else for three months.
Before we turn our attention to the postseason, a thought on the regular season. Specifically, LSU's regular season.
The Tigers may not be the best team of the BCS era -- that's for another day (if they win one more game). But it's hard to argue that any team has ever put together a better regular season.
That's not only because of their record (14-0) or their ferocious defense or their resourcefulness. It's also because of the teams the Tigers played, and conquered, along the way.
LSU beat the Nos. 2, 5, 6, 16 and 23 teams. Only one of the victories was at home and only one was close (Alabama).
Heck, the Tigers beat three of the other nine teams in the BCS. I'm not sure that's ever happened.
There's a reason they became the first team to finish with a perfect BCS score (1.0000): They're unanimous No. 1 in both human polls and every computer ranking.
I'm sure most, if not all voters will put Alabama on top if the Tide wins the rematch. But you could make the case that as long as it's a close loss, the Tigers should still be No. 1.
They've been that much better than everyone else for three months.
Before we turn our attention to the postseason, a thought on the regular season. Specifically, LSU's regular season.
The Tigers may not be the best team of the BCS era -- that's for another day (if they win one more game). But it's hard to argue that any team has ever put together a better regular season.
That's not only because of their record (14-0) or their ferocious defense or their resourcefulness. It's also because of the teams the Tigers played, and conquered, along the way.
LSU beat the Nos. 2, 5, 6, 16 and 23 teams. Only one of the victories was at home and only one was close (Alabama).
Heck, the Tigers beat three of the other nine teams in the BCS. I'm not sure that's ever happened.
There's a reason they became the first team to finish with a perfect BCS score (1.0000): They're unanimous No. 1 in both human polls and every computer ranking.
I'm sure most, if not all voters will put Alabama on top if the Tide wins the rematch. But you could make the case that as long as it's a close loss, the Tigers should still be No. 1.
They've been that much better than everyone else for three months.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19475423

[nathanm]

Sure about your metrics? ABC was claiming the other night that Bama beat two top 25 teams and OSU had beat 5.  That's where I got my info anyhow.  Seemed odd Alabama would not have played more teams in the top 25.  Either I misunderstood or ABC fumbled the stats.

Yeah, I'm sure. ESPN's team schedules show the opponent's rank at the time of the game. If you count in a different way, Alabama has won two and OSU has won three against current top 25 teams, if I'm counting correctly anyway. There's a reason it was so close.

Funny that ABC would use Alabama's "now" count and OSU's at-the-time count. Not really surprising, though. Makes for a bigger controversy (and therefore better ratings) when you present it that way.

By the way, LSU played six presently in the top 25, or eight ranked opponents at the time of the game. That's a schedule right there.

[AquaMan]

Bottom line:
This will be a lucrative game for the network that carries it because each school has such a fanatical following and that's what they always shoot for.
It will engender more spin that football is really only football in the SEC.
If Bama wins it won't mean anything. Each team will have beaten each other once.
One or the other will still end up winning the mythical national championship.

I watched a pretty talented OU team get pounded at most every position. I saw receivers making outrageously athletic plays when they were well covered. I watched both LSU and Alabamy play this year and frankly was underwhelmed. They have good defenses and in LSU's case, a bat crazy gambler for a coach, but not much offense. Most of their scoring seemed to be second half when they adjusted and the other team didn't. Good coaching for sure. But, they are thugs in pads. I watched Bama defenders kick receivers on the ground after they had made catches in front of them and had to suffer the sycophantic announcers comment that "..them boys is physical." I'm sick of  watching SEC refs who can't seem to see LSU players blocking in the back and hitting quarterbacks well after the ball has been thrown. If that is the nature of national champions then I won't be tuning in.  

Oh, yeah. I'm an OU grad and fan. OSU got hosed.

[heironymouspasparagus]

When LSU plays Alabama, the money will flow into the coffers.

If LSU played us, it woud be "OS-who?"

It's all about the cash flow.

[Red Arrow]

When LSU plays Alabama, the money will flow into the coffers.

If LSU played us, it woud be "OS-who?"

They would probably guess Ohio State or Oregon State.   

[nathanm]

They would probably guess Ohio State or Oregon State.  

Nobody would think OSU means Ohio State. They're "true" OSU, or tOSU for short.

[Red Arrow]

Nobody would think OSU means Ohio State. They're "true" OSU, or tOSU for short.

If you insist.  I don't really keep track of that anyway.  I didn't go to any school starting with the letter "O".

[dbacks fan]

Speaking of colleges with an "O" in their name, you will get a laugh out of this.....

EUGENE, Ore. — When University of Oregon football fans cheer their team, they often hold out their hands in the shape of the letter "O," for Oregon. If this makes some Ducks players blush, it is because many of them chose sign language to fulfill their foreign language requirement, and in sign language, the fans are saying — screaming, really — the word vagina. Twenty-nine players on the team are enrolled in the university's American Sign Language program. Their teacher delights in telling them the true meaning of the sign when they form a spade-shaped "O" with their hands.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/sports/ncaafootball/american-sign-language-program-attracts-oregon-football-players.html?_r=1

From the university that gave us Animal House by the way.

[Conan71]

Speaking of colleges with an "O" in their name, you will get a laugh out of this.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/sports/ncaafootball/american-sign-language-program-attracts-oregon-football-players.html?_r=1

From the university that gave us Animal House by the way.

I thought it was Faber

[azbadpuppy]

azbadpuppy, you think Alabama should be penalized for happening to be in the same conference and division as LSU?

No, I think they should be penalized for alreading losing to LSU, thus losing their division, and conference.

Well that, and....

SOS rankings:

OSU - 9
Bama - 42

Wins over teams appearing in this week's BCS top 25:

OSU - 5
Bama - 2

Wins over bowl-bound teams with winning records:

OSU - 7
Bama - 3

Alabama is going to the NCG simply because they are Alabama.

[Red Arrow]

Alabama is going to the NCG simply because they are Alabama.

Does that make them the 1%ers of college football?

[nathanm]

Alabama is going to the NCG simply because they are Alabama.

a) your stats are BS, as already covered (moreover, using end of year rankings is just silly, teams get better and worse as the season progresses)
b) if your theory was true, Alabama would be way behind in the computer polls. They're not.

Also, I think OSU should be penalized for losing to Iowa State. Conferences and divisions are arbitrary. Most years since Arkansas joined the SEC, they would have won the SEC West, if not the championship, with a team like they had this year. Turns out, LSU and Alabama happen to both be freak-of-nature great this year. It happens. Get over it.

You seriously think it's simply not possible for the two best teams in college football to happen to be in the same division of the same conference?

Pro tip: You want to play in the NC game, go out and win the games you're supposed to win. If you can't do that, no NC game for you.

And just for kicks, a different strength of schedule ranking:

1: LSU
2: Alabama
3: Arkansas
4: Oklahoma
5: Iowa State
...
9: Oklahoma State

[azbadpuppy]

Does that make them the 1%ers of college football?

Actually, I think it makes the BCS the 1% 

[azbadpuppy]

a) your stats are BS, as already covered (moreover, using end of year rankings is just silly, teams get better and worse as the season progresses)
b) if your theory was true, Alabama would be way behind in the computer polls. They're not.

Also, I think OSU should be penalized for losing to Iowa State. Conferences and divisions are arbitrary. Most years since Arkansas joined the SEC, they would have won the SEC West, if not the championship, with a team like they had this year. Turns out, LSU and Alabama happen to both be freak-of-nature great this year. It happens. Get over it.

You seriously think it's simply not possible for the two best teams in college football to happen to be in the same division of the same conference?

Pro tip: You want to play in the NC game, go out and win the games you're supposed to win. If you can't do that, no NC game for you.

And just for kicks, a different strength of schedule ranking:

1: LSU
2: Alabama
3: Arkansas
4: Oklahoma
5: Iowa State
...
9: Oklahoma State

Wouldn't end of year rankings be more significant, as they show how good teams actually turned out to be? Seems fairly obvious...and forget computer polls- 2/3 of the BCS rankings are based on humans.

And OSU was penalized, obviously very severely, by losing to Iowa State. Hence the only reason we are having this conversation.

Playing an SEC sequel for the NCG is not only snoozeville, but it further exposes the SEC bias, and it's completely insulting to teams who did win their conference and haven't already blown their chance to prove they could beat the only undefeated team out there.

Seriously, the case made for Alabama to be the #2 team is really not that impressive, except of course that they are Alabama.

[Hoss]

Wouldn't end of year rankings be more significant, as they show how good teams actually turned out to be? Seems fairly obvious...and forget computer polls- 2/3 of the BCS rankings are based on humans.

And OSU was penalized, obviously very severely, by losing to Iowa State. Hence the only reason we are having this conversation.

Playing an SEC sequel for the NCG is not only snoozeville, but it further exposes the SEC bias, and it's completely insulting to teams who did win their conference and haven't already blown their chance to prove they could beat the only undefeated team out there.

Seriously, the case made for Alabama to be the #2 team is really not that impressive, except of course that they are Alabama.

But, conversely, the case made that OSU should be #2 is about the same level of 'weak'.  AS you said earlier, if they had beaten ISU, we wouldn't be having this discussion.  Beat the teams you're supposed to beat.  The polls don't care what happened to you that week.  If that were the case, OU would be in the top 5 simply by virtue of their being decimated by injury in the last half of the season.