TRUE COLORS REVEALED IN DEFEAT
By mark rogers
November 28, 2008
Assuming that OU beats OSU and Tech beats Baylor, all the teams will have 1-loss. So who should represent the Big 12 South in the Conference Championship game?
You can look at the big wins by each team and/or strength of schedule to determine the tie-breaker. But to me it really just comes down to one thing: how you lose.
Each of those teams has big wins. Texas beat #1 OU, Missouri and Oklahoma State. Tech beat #2 Texas, Oklahoma State and Kansas. Oklahoma beat Kansas, #2 Texas Tech and TCU.
Great. Every good team every year has big wins or blowout victories. So what.
But not every team loses impressively. To me that's what defines a team. It's what defines character.
Everybody is a good person when things are going good. It's how they act when things are bad, when they're backed into a corner that displays what type of person they are.
For instance, USC hasn't lost a game by more than a touchdown in six years. When they lose, they barely lose. You have to play 60 full minutes to beat them because they'll never quit. They'll never lay down and will fight you to the final play. And you could argue that USC is the best team in the country over the last six years...Pac-10 titles every year, two national championships, played for another and have three Heisman trophy winners.
All that being said, let's take a look at the teams in the debate when they lost and assess who is the better team. And we can throw out the wins against each of the other three teams. That is an endless cycle that will only lead back to square one. Throw those wins out the window.
Texas Tech was blown out on the road by Oklahoma. They're done. Stick a fork in 'em. Out of the equation. They gave up. That game was over in the first quarter.
Oklahoma was dominated on a neutral field by Texas. Don't think they were dominated? Look at the time of possession. Texas - 37. OU - 22. The Sooners were dominated on both lines, only rushed for 48 yards and were practically out of it halfway through the fourth quarter.
Texas lost on the road to Texas Tech on the last play of the game after coming from behind to take the lead. It was also the fourth game in one of the toughest four game stretches in recent college football history. It took 60 minutes for Tech to beat Texas.
So who has the best loss? I don't think there's really any debate. It's Texas.
And that's who should represent the Big 12 South in the Conference Championship. No matter what happens the rest of the way, Texas is the best team in the conference.
So all we have to do now is wait, let Saturday play out and see what the pollsters and computers decide to do with the Big 12 South.
At the very least, it sure is interesting. And that's really all we can ask for, right? I can't remember a football season with this much drama in one conference let alone one division.
It's better than any movie or TV show...you can't make this stuff up.
Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech? If you agree that people and teams are at their best when the chips are against them, then it's no debate. The Texas Longhorns are the class of the Big 12 South.
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Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below.
Jerry on November 28, 2008 12:28 PM
Had it not been for 2 very poor calls by the officials, it would no have been close. No penalty on Crab, and the block in the back that they waived off. Look at the replay.
I hope OSU beats the Sooners, so the T-sippers can set at home on Dec . 6 and watch it on TV
Tyrrell on November 29, 2008 8:34 AM
You are probably right...but...you cannot ignore the fact that if OU loses and Tech has the win against Texas then they should represent the South in Kansas City - no matter how the win - because we can talk all day about how Shipley's punt return should have been called back on a bad decision to pick up a flag - there were so many plays in that game that should not have happened to let Texas sneak back into the game. Nevertheless Tech beat Texas...on the field...now this wont matter because OU is going to smoke OKST and go to the Big 12 Championship - my prediction is Tech beat Texas twice this year - once in Lubbock and once in Norman.
mark rogers
on November 30, 2008 8:41 AM
C'mon Jerry and Tyrrell,
You can't use the "if the refs" this and certain plays "should've been called back". In any big game, either team can go back and point out three or four pivotal plays/mistakes that would've changed the game. Jordan Shipley also dropped a sure TD pass in that game...but so did Tech. At the end of the day, I completely stay away from "coulda, shoulda, woulda." Remember that INT that Blake Gideon dropped? If he holds on to that ball, Texas is still #1 and we have no debate. But I'll never use that in an argument about where Texas or Tech should end up because he didn't make the catch and Tech went on to win. Those are the facts. BAM.
Anonymous on November 30, 2008 11:20 AM
Another USC Kool-aid drinker. Using your arguement the BCS is the only national title. USC has only one. To continue with your arguement USC lost every year it is what it is a loss. The Pac 10 is down has been down and will be down. Until USC plays at a conference level of the BIg 12 or SEC they are not to be confused with an elite in an elite conference.