The Big 12 Football MESS

The Big 12 MESS

In a year where people are whining about playoffs in college football, we all have answers… I mean, we all think we are gurus on sports, thus the world of sports blogging.

But we have a mess with the National Championship, and it is all in thanks to the Big 12. I say that not in a bad way, because believe me, they have been the most compelling conference to watch this year. Several very good teams made this a heck of a ride this season, but alas it has brought problems.

Right now, the argument is whether Oklahoma or Texas should represent the Big 12 in the National Championship vs. the likely winner of Alabama vs. Florida. The problem here is that the #1 team in Alabama comes from the SEC West, while Florida, currently #4, comes from the SEC East.

That sounds fine, because you have the best of two sides fighting it out for all the marbles. But the Big 12 is different.

Missouri is the best team in the Big 12 North, and is guaranteed a spot in the Big 12 Championship. But the Big 12 South has a three way tie…Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Two teams will be left out and denied a chance at the National Title.

And so the BCS polls have decided that Oklahoma is SLIGHTLY better, even though Texas beat them. But if Texas had been seen as the favorite, then Texas Tech could have argued, since they beat the Longhorns.

In either case, Missouri gets a spot that they really don’t deserve.

“How can you say that!”

Because the Big 12 Championship is supposed to pit the two BEST TEAMS of the conference…not the best on both sides. This is where the arguments of finding the best teams ought to begin… in house.

Don’t start whining about the NCAA having to have playoffs until ALL the BCS conferences establish a CHAMPION out of their own conference. The system is flawed because the conferences are flawed. The Big 12 should have some plan to fix such a problem, so that it does not create chaos with this kinda situation.

So how do you solve it? The answer is a little simpler than the current situation. It is actually one I heard on one of the ESPN games. One of the guys was arguing that conference championships ought to be with the two best teams of the conference, NOT the best team on this division vs. the best team of the other division. In fact, the MAC is a perfect example. You have Ball State, Central Michigan and Western Michigan on one side against who?

Buffalo at 7-5? How then is THAT a real Championship?

The same applies with the Big 12. These conferences need to change the championship to put in the two best teams in the conference…regardless of which division they are in. This would then help clear the confusion about who is greater in the conference and may help clear the air about the best teams in the nation.

Now, if we applied that to the Big 12, how would that shape out. Let’s see.

If you argued the contenders to play in the Big 12 Championship, you must include Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Missouri. Nobody’s gonna argue whether anybody else really has a real shot at that championship game. So, let’s examine each of these 5 teams and see which two teams are really the best, and thus SHOULD play in the Big 12 Championship.

What is Oklahoma State’s resume? A 9-3 team in a powerhouse division, losing to Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. This alone puts them out of the running, but get this…they BEAT Missouri. So right now, I would rank Oklahoma State number 4 of these five, having Missouri being on the bottom.

What then is Missouri’s resume? They are 9-3 too, losing to Oklahoma State and Texas. They didn’t play Oklahoma, but lost to Kansas. This to me makes Missouri the 5th best team in the Big 12, and thus should have NEVER been in the Big 12 Championship. If you are going to have a Championship, then pit the best teams of the conference. This creates a false sense of superiority, because nobody is gonna tell me that Missouri is as good as Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma OR Oklahoma State. They didn’t beat these guys.

So then, what is the resume of Texas Tech, who seems to be on the outside looking in? At 11-1, we know their only loss was a beating to Oklahoma 65-21. They beat Texas at home by 6 and beat Oklahoma State at home 56-20. They lose bad to Oklahoma 65-21 and seemed troubled in beating Baylor 35-28.

This to me secures Texas Tech to at LEAST the third spot. They played 4 ranked teams back to back, winning three but were taken to OT by Nebraska. This shows me this team is good, very good, but not invincible.

Now let’s look at Texas. Similar record at 11-1, but beat Oklahoma on neutral ground by 10. Like Texas Tech, they played 4 ranked foes back to back, beating Missouri big, beating ranked Oklahoma State by 4 and then losing away to Texas Tech.

I rank Texas slightly higher because they crushed the opponents that were not worthy and fought well against those that were ranked. That Texas Tech game was one on the last play, so even though you count that as a loss, it was not a blow out. Nobody blew out Texas, and weaker teams had no chance against them. Even Baylor, a team Texas Tech beat by only 7 points, was crushed by over 20 points. Even though Texas Tech beat Texas, I don’t have a problem ranking Texas slightly higher than the Red Raiders.

This means that unless Oklahoma has a better season than Texas Tech, the Sooners and Longhorns should have met again in the Big 12 Championships. Now, we know they won’t but let’s see where Oklahoma fits in.

Again, same record, 11-1. But Oklahoma has played FIVE ranked teams, or have you forgotten about TCU? They beat TCU 35-10. And no, they did not play 4 ranked teams back to back, but they beat Kansas when they were ranked, and then went and beat both #2 Texas Tech AND #12 Oklahoma State by hanging over sixty….SIXTY on both teams. That folks is dominance.

This team has been a FORCE in every game they played. And they lost only to Texas, but I say that if you erase the losses from Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, the most dominant team has to be Oklahoma. Now I say this as a Mack Brown fan, since he used to coach UNC, but I see Oklahoma as the better of the two teams, and clearly better than Texas Tech.

But it proves that the two best teams ARE in fact Texas and Oklahoma. If I had to rank the teams in the Big 12 (as conferences SHOULD do) then Oklahoma is first, then Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Missouri and then Nebraska. But what this should mean is that the Big 12 Championship SHOULD have the two best teams in the conference, which should be Texas and Oklahoma, not one or the other.

The failure of this conference to truly produce a champion screws up the National Championship, one the NCAA really needs to look at…or at least the Big 12. To me, I think every conference should strive to have a conference championship and pit the two best teams, not the best team of each division. By doing this, you are taking matters in your own hands of who your best team is, and have a strong push for that team in a National Title.

Now, I also think the Pac-10 ought to consider absorbing 2 more teams, and the Big 10 snatching up one more, and the Big East finding some teams too. Each BCS conference ought to have a conference champion, one that leaves no doubt. Regardless of how the Big 12 ends up, there will be questions that will not be answered.

Anyway, something to think on….