Site search
sponsored by
News
Sports
The new BCS rankings are out, and low and behold, Oklahoma has moved ahead of Texas into the No. 2 spot.
The Sooners also were selected over the Longhorns to play in the Big 12 Championship Game against Missouri. Texas fans, naturally, are upset by all this. After all, the Longhorns did defeat the Sooners, 45-35, on Oct. 11 in Dallas. Longhorn fans argue that because of that win, Texas should be No. 2.
I disagree. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech are all 11-1. While Texas did beat Oklahoma by 10 points, the Longhorns lost to the Red Raiders by six, 39-33. The Sooners, in turn, walloped Tech by 44 points, 65-21. All that gives Oklahoma the widest point margin between the three teams, so that no doubt is why they received the higher ranking.
However, that’s not the main reason I don’t have any sympathy for the Longhorns. I haven’t forgotten what happened four years ago.
In 2004, No. 1 USC went to the Orange Bowl against No. 2 Oklahoma to battle for the BCS Championship (the stand-alone BCS Championship Game wasn’t established until 2006). That left the Pacific-10’s traditional spot in the Rose Bowl open. Auburn was ranked No. 3 and California No. 4 after the regular season, and with the Tigers slated for the Sugar Bowl, it seemed logical that the Golden Bears would be selected to face Big Ten champion Michigan in Pasadena.
Cal hadn’t been to the Rose Bowl in 46 years, so many of us Cal fans were excited over the prospect of the Bears playing in Pasadena on New Years Day for the first time in our lifetimes. Cal had just concluded the regular season with a 26-16 road win over Southern Mississippi in a game that had been postponed from September by a hurricane. The Bears could have run up the score on the Golden Eagles, but coach Jeff Tedford instructed his offense to keep the ball on the ground to run out the clock rather than run up the score just to impress the BCS people.
No. 5 Texas’ coach Mack Brown took a different approach. In a television interview the day before the bowls were announced, he pleaded and begged the BCS people for votes. His tactic worked as the Longhorns were selected over the Bears to play in the Rose Bowl. We Cal fans were devastated by the snub, but we accepted it because nothing could be done to change it.
Now, four years later, it’s Texas’s turn to be snubbed. Serves them right. I don’t feel the least bit sorry for Texas or their fans. Boomer Sooner!
The Sooners also were selected over the Longhorns to play in the Big 12 Championship Game against Missouri. Texas fans, naturally, are upset by all this. After all, the Longhorns did defeat the Sooners, 45-35, on Oct. 11 in Dallas. Longhorn fans argue that because of that win, Texas should be No. 2.
I disagree. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech are all 11-1. While Texas did beat Oklahoma by 10 points, the Longhorns lost to the Red Raiders by six, 39-33. The Sooners, in turn, walloped Tech by 44 points, 65-21. All that gives Oklahoma the widest point margin between the three teams, so that no doubt is why they received the higher ranking.
However, that’s not the main reason I don’t have any sympathy for the Longhorns. I haven’t forgotten what happened four years ago.
In 2004, No. 1 USC went to the Orange Bowl against No. 2 Oklahoma to battle for the BCS Championship (the stand-alone BCS Championship Game wasn’t established until 2006). That left the Pacific-10’s traditional spot in the Rose Bowl open. Auburn was ranked No. 3 and California No. 4 after the regular season, and with the Tigers slated for the Sugar Bowl, it seemed logical that the Golden Bears would be selected to face Big Ten champion Michigan in Pasadena.
Cal hadn’t been to the Rose Bowl in 46 years, so many of us Cal fans were excited over the prospect of the Bears playing in Pasadena on New Years Day for the first time in our lifetimes. Cal had just concluded the regular season with a 26-16 road win over Southern Mississippi in a game that had been postponed from September by a hurricane. The Bears could have run up the score on the Golden Eagles, but coach Jeff Tedford instructed his offense to keep the ball on the ground to run out the clock rather than run up the score just to impress the BCS people.
No. 5 Texas’ coach Mack Brown took a different approach. In a television interview the day before the bowls were announced, he pleaded and begged the BCS people for votes. His tactic worked as the Longhorns were selected over the Bears to play in the Rose Bowl. We Cal fans were devastated by the snub, but we accepted it because nothing could be done to change it.
Now, four years later, it’s Texas’s turn to be snubbed. Serves them right. I don’t feel the least bit sorry for Texas or their fans. Boomer Sooner!
Nevada could be heading to Boise
While we’re on the subject bowls, it’s a good bet Nevada will go to Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl in Boise.The WAC has tie-ins with the New Mexico Bowl, the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, and Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl. In addition, it looks like the WAC will send teams to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., and the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego because the SEC and the Pac-10, respectively, don’t have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill their quotas, leaving those bowls to look elsewhere. Bowl-eligible WAC teams are Boise State at 12-0, Nevada, Hawaii, Fresno State and Louisiana Tech, all at 7-5, and San Jose State at 6-6.
It would seem logical that Boise State — likely to be snubbed by the BCS in favor of Ohio State — would stay home for the Humanitarian Bowl. However, talk is that the Broncos will head to the Poinsettia Bowl for an attractive match-up with 10-2 TCU, thus opening the door for another WAC team to play in Boise.
In these troubled economic times, efforts are being made to keep teams close to home for bowl games to increase attendance and reduce travel expenses. The New Mexico Bowl is reportedly high on Fresno State because of the Bulldogs large following. Hawaii is a lock for the Hawaii Bowl, Louisiana Tech is the logical choice for the nearby Independence Bowl and Nevada for the Humanitarian Bowl. Boise is only about a six hour drive from Reno, making it close and convenient for Wolf Pack fans to get there. So look for Nevada to be playing in Boise on Dec. 30.
Bears going bowling across the bay?
Cal is going to a bowl game, the sixth in as many seasons for the Golden Bears. Heading for a fourth-place finish in the Pac-10, it looks like Cal will go to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 27. The Las Vegas Bowl is also a possibility, but talk is it will be the Emerald Bowl for Cal and that Arizona will head to the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 20.
Other Pac-10 teams in bowl games likely will be USC in the Rose Bowl (what else is new...), Oregon in the Holiday Bowl and Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.
Arizona State will be bowl eligible if they can upset Arizona on Saturday in Tucson. If that happens, then ASU would probably go to the Las Vegas Bowl and Arizona to the Hawaii Bowl.
