Get ready. Do you hear that? These are the rumblings from SEC country regarding the fact that LSU has punched their ticket to Atlanta, GA to face the Bulldogs from Athens for the Southeastern Conference Championship. On an even cuter note, they probably do not even need to win the game to advance to the "Mythical National Championship" game to be held in New Orleans on January 9th. Do you know what I would really like to see? Something that could and should occur. Due to the fact that LSU does not need to win the SEC to play for the MNC (go ahead and think about that for a minute), Les Miles and his LSU Tigers should forfeit the game to make a point. He has bigger fish to fry. Georgia has nothing to lose. What if the "Honey Badger" is injured? What if Jordan Jefferson loses his cool and get ejected and suspended for the next game? Why risk injury to one of the marquis starters for a game that has become meaningless? Did you catch that? The SEC Championship Game is virtually meaningless this year. That's right. LSU can lose this game and still punch their ticket to the Superdome this January to square off against the latest team "selected" to play for some apparent title. This is how jacked up the system has become. Bill Hancock's deal with the devil must be a damn good one...

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It just does not happen anywhere else in any other sport.  As we celebrate another BCS national championship, which many feel will inevitably be removed from Auburn's record book one day in the not too distant future, we are left wondering with "what could have been."  

The final polls are out and we are faced with two unbeatens occupying the top two spots without having ever faced one another this season...and they won't.  Just like in 2004, when USC and Auburn finished 1 and 2 respectively, and Auburn screamed as loudly as they could about the injustice, this season we "finish" with TCU's playing the role of "who is going to be royally screwed" by the unconscionable BCS stalwarts.  Sadly, there is no sign it will change anytime soon.

One would think after 68 teams played what amounted to glorified post-season exhibitions in 34 bowl games, that it would not be too much trouble to have just two meaningful games to settle things on the field once and for all.  How does Bill Hancock sleep at night? 

How could any president of any AQ conference university actually believe in and support  a system which is so corrupt and loathed by upwards of 2/3 of college football fans, and yet stand firm in objecting to some form of closure and justice with respect to this season? 

Can anyone provide a reason that is not hollowed out and sinking as to why TCU does not deserve a shot at Auburn?  Don't tell me this is the system and it is better than what we had.  That is the equivalent to either having a root canal or a colonoscopy, I'm not excited about either proposition as both options suck.

No, what we need and deserve is a completion to this and every college football season.  Anything less is criminal.

On April 5, 2010, an opportunity was bestowed upon a university which may never occur in Division 1A college football (I refuse to call it the Football Bowl Subdivision).  In one corner, you had the behemoth, heralded program which exudes the finest pedigree known to man.  In the other, you had a little known up and comer of a university.  Why do so many wish to put down and deem unworthy those schools which fight for a chance, an opportunity for a mere place at the table amongst "the elite" of college football?  If you don't recall, Butler pushed the Duke Blue Devils to the brink in the national championship game on the aforementioned date before losing 61-59, in what was one of the most exciting finales to any hoops season I can recall.  Unless the BCS is treated like Osama Bin Laden and blown to smithereens, never to be heard from again, this will never have a chance of happening in college football for the foreseeable future.  What a shame.  Follow along after the jump.

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Coach Bob Stoops: Men, we are trailing 36-27 with a little more than 2:24 left in the game.  I know we have owned Missouri in the past, but I am not sure if we can pick up this 4th down and 10, from our own 7 yard line.  We are going to punt the football even though every instinct in me says to give you all a shot at converting this 4th down and hopefully winning this football game. 

Team:  Um, Coach?  We have never quit on anything related to a football game in our lives, much less here at OU. Why do you want to punt here?  Come on Coach!

Coach Bob Stoops:  Men, I know you do not understand, but I need you to trust me.  It is not that I do not have faith in your abilities, but if we do not get this first down and Missouri scores, we will lose by 16 points and the result will make this loss appear worse than it actually will be. 

Team:  So, you really want us to quit coach?  You honestly do not believe we can pull this one out?  All we need is a field goal and a touchdown.  With our offense, we have a shot!  Plus, we have plenty of time! 

Coach Bob Stoops:  Men, all of you are warriors.  To try and win this battle may actually cause us to lose the war. 

Welcome to the new era of "strategic quitting" in college football's BCS era.  Wetzel tweeted about this earlier today.  Let me explain...

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It's starting to get fun once again.  Alabama tastes a loss for the first time in some 20 months.  Greg McElroy lost a game and I am thankful we will not be subjected to the weekly reminder that the Texan has not lost since 8th grade.  Colt had his helmet on and frankly, probably came closer to seeing some action than most would believe as Jake Delhomme (who is making $19.7 million this season...and yes...you read that right) was absolutely woeful in replacing Seneca Wallace yesterday.  Oh, and the #1 item on my Christmas list, "Death to the BCS," is released prior to the first BCS rankings which are due out this upcoming weekend.  But, this is not an anti-BCS rant.  It's not even an anti-Boise State carpet piece of loquaciousness.  It's simply about the lack of accountability regarding the voters...

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First, let me preface this post as one that is not trying to be antagonistic.  Lord knows that this season in Austin, TX is going to amount to utter disappointment unless the Longhorns figure out a way to run the table.  Not. Gonna. Happen.

I like your program and feel that nobody would benefit more from a 12-16 Team Playoff, which is the only fair way to settle these matters, than Boise St.  If you care to, after the jump, I spell out my interpretation of the turf, the nation's love (and hate) affair with Boise St., and why you will continue to feel frustration beyond description so long as the BCS pundits have their way....

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Below is a letter to Bronco Nation.  I've been thinking about the Blue Turf for a while and exactly what my problem truly is with that visually upsetting and abysmal turf.

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I am not fond of this rule, which goes into effect in 2011, by any stretch of the imagination.  This is more subjectivity placed on top of an already too subjective situation.  Let us flashback to Georgia/LSU last year where LSU's Charles Scott raised his hands into the air as he ran through the end zone - a horrendously bogus call.  The SEC actually stood by this garbage call. 

By the way, what defines taunting?  High stepping into the end zone?  Showing the opposing team the ball?  Looking back over your shoulder for the defender with your index finger pointed to the sky in celebration from the non-ball securing hand?  Where does one draw the line from permissible emotional display to no TD?

Can you imagine being an official from the south, in a heated rivalry game in the 4th quarter, and you make this call which takes the team from taking the lead to behind again and the ball placed 15 yards from the spot of the foul?  This is not good at all.  We already have subjective  unsportsmanlike conduct and excessive celebration rules in place as a deterrent to emotion.  While somewhat necessary, their application is habitually abysmal.

The players are not robots.  These are kids/young men who have emotions.  Asking them to reel them in at the climax of the week's preparation is plain silly and overlegislating.  This also puts officials in a precarious position of taking points off the board and truly not having an objective platform for doing so.  How do we get this repealed?

While the majority of the games this weekend left a good bit to be desired regarding competition, it made me start to wonder about the storylines centered around the NFL playoffs this season.  Let's take a brief glimpse at the four teams remaining and their storylines. 

The team Cleveland HATES:  Cruising along and undefeated, the Colts kickstarted the Jets rise to the playoffs by opening a can of quit in a game they were leading.  Head Coach Jim Caldwell and the team did earn this right.  Whether the call was correct remains to be seen.  Their decision eventually led to the demise of the Texans playoff chances for this season.  Had they won that game, they may be lining up against the team from Houston this weekend, which, like the Chargers typically accomplish (and did so again yesterday), would figure out a way to give the game away even when they outplay their opponent.  This is the real reason the Texans did not earn their first playoff berth in team history.  Back to Indy: Caldwell and Co. better win the Superbowl this season or the second guessers and Monday morning QB's will pound them into unrecognizable specs of humanity.

Storyline:  was benching starters the right call?  So far so good...a Superbowl win is a must or the decision will prove to be boneheaded from top to bottom.

J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets: Coach Rex Ryan essentially guaranteed the Jets were going deep into the post season.  To make that assumption and place it squarely on the shoulders of your rookie QB may not seem like the smartest idea.  But the Jets are one of the loosest teams remaining, with a vaunted rushing attack and stellar clampdown corners.  When they get a lead and force you to go towards your favorite receiving target, Darrelle Revis is lying in wait, and you will probably make a mistake that could cost you the game.  I cannot believe the Jets are playing for the AFC Championship.  It literally boggles the mind.  There is no denying that the Chargers feel pressure in the playoffs a bit more than other teams...or perhaps correctly stated, they deal with the pressure in a poorer fashion.  Coach Turner, Hunter Lawrence is available if you need him as is Dr. Phil.  

Storyline:  The Coach's prediction with a rookie QB.  Nothing to lose right?  Only the future will tell.

Who Dat?:  Flying out of the gate at 13-0, the Saints limped into the playoffs finishing the season 0-3 and seemingly fell apart against the Cowboys in a game which they were dominated.  Facing the Cards and arguably HOF bound Kurt Warner, the Saints dismantled the more experienced and defending NFC champions.  Behind the arm of Austin's own Drew Brees, coupled with the return of the real Reggie Bush, and playing with a spirited defense, the Saints are in position to advance to their first Superbowl in team history. 

Storyline:  limped into the playoffs, never been there before, and they have the weight of a city on their shoulders (if you think N'awlins has recovered from Katrina, I suggest you take a trip to the famed Crescent City and judge for yourself).

NFL Teams with Fight Songs are Annoying Beyond Compare: "Skol, Vikings! Let's win this game. Skol, Vikings! Honor your name.  Go get that first down, then get a touchdown,  Rock 'em, sock 'em, fight, fight, fight, fight!
Skol, Vikings! Run out the score; You'll hear us yell for more.  V-I-K-I-N-G-S! Skol, Vikings, let's go!"  This should be the lead story as to why the Vikings cannot seem to win the big one.  My first experience with a gaggle of Vikings fans was this weekend in Orlando while watching the National Championships for College Cheer and Dance (daughter of GF is now a National Champion).  OK...on to the obvious:  Brett Favre.  Coach Brad Childress put all of his eggs into this basket.  The 40 year old gunslinger (tired and overused phrase, but it fits) blew off the vastly overrated training camp and could be playing the best football of his career.  Combined with Jared Allen, Sydney Rice, and Adrian "if I would have gone to Texas I would be a champion" Peterson, Favre and company are poised to provide the Saints their most difficult test to date it would appear.  But, that is why they play the games...at least in the NFL they do.  Storyline:  Can Brett Favre become the oldest QB to lead his team to a Superbowl victory while simultaneously sending the entire state of Wisconsin to the psychiatric ward at the local hospital?  Green Bay may never recover from this were it to occur.  

Next weekend should be quite fun and entertaining...to say the least.

Being that I know how we Horns love Muschamp, I was wondering what you all know about this situation regarding Kirby...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4813421&campaign=rss&source=twitter&ex_cid=Twitter_espn_4813421

BTW, congrats on a hard fought victory.  Pride oozes from every Texas fan and Bama fan alike.  Hope to cross paths with you again next season with the same stakes.  I love Ingram...dude is a beast.  Trent Richardson is scary quick...almost like you have a double punch of Emmitt Smith and Adrian Peterson types (TR is a bit smaller IMHO).  And McClain?  Wow...enough said.  Just a brilliant football player with superb instincts.  I myself and looking forward to the growth of Garrett Gilbert as a prototypical QB. He learned a lot in the game and should be ready for the RRS next October.

Anyhow, great season and only 235 days or so until football Saturday!!  Hook'Em and Roll Tide!

First things first:  See you in Pasadena.  It is a short drive from Mission Viejo, CA and I am looking forward to attending this spectacle of corporate sport.  Hook'Em!!!

What the BCS got right:  Texas vs. Alabama and Cincy vs. Florida.  Each match-up will be intriguing and pull major ratings for the network and the sponsors.  Well done BCS honks.  BTW, if Cincy knocks off Florida, it will diminish Utah's win over Bama last season and add fuel to the fire that the loser of a CCG which had MNC implications really has nothing to play for once they are out of the national championship picture.

Now, onto what the BCS did not get right:  essentially the rest. 

Fiesta:  Boise vs TCU?  Really?  A glorified Poinsettia Bowl?  I am speechless.  Who in their right minds wants to watch this nonsense?  Perhaps some "Joanie Loves Chachi" reruns will be airing at the very moment this game kicks off.  What a shame.  The look on the TCU kids faces was all you needed to know.  Sure, they were disappointed by not playing Bama, but they were behind Cincy anyhow, and a less intriguing match-up could not have been dreamed up.  TCU vs. Iowa would have been much more entertaining.  This will be the lowest rated bowl in the BCS repertoire and possibly the history of the BCS era. 

Orange: Ga Tech vs. Iowa?  Who actually cares about this beyond the alums of each school?  Nobody, that is who.  I think I will set my DVR for the "BJ and the Bear-a-thon" which will surely be as entertaining and interesting.  Ga Tech vs. Boise would raise the interest level somewhat...but Ga Tech is not a stellar program.  Yep, they had a nice season.  Capping it off with a meaningless game against the very uninteresting Hawkeyes makes me long for Judge Wapner and Doug Llewelyn and Officer Rusty.  Wake me up, better yet, make some queso and put me to sleep.  ZZZZZZZ.

Rose:  Purists rejoice.  Big 10 vs. Pac 10.  Awesome.  Oregon, please wear the black unis with the gun metal helmets.  I hate the yellow helmets with green. tOSU, in the top 5 for sharpest unis in all of college football.

Hey Coach Vest:  turn Pryor loose.  Signed, All Buckeye Alums.  Yes, this game will offer the historical match-up that the Rose Bowl dorks drool over annually.  Sigh. 

Oh, Ducks and Buckeyes, please do not tear up the turf too badly.  Signed, Horns and Tide

Texas 24    Tide 20

I know most of you know where I stand on this issue.  I certainly do not need to author another "BCS is garbage" Fanpost as it has been played more times than Sergio Kindle's blasting of Taylor Potts.  Oh, what the hell...this never gets old:  Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8dCZIgMXWo

Back to the point at hand, based on last season and this season (there are so many others, why list them all), it appears we will be mired in controversy more often than not.  Which brings me to my question:  Seeing how a playoff would have benefited us last season, but could be a hindrance to the ultimate goal this season, would you take an 8 team playoff right now for this season as at the risk of Texas being knocked off by #7, #3 or #6 in the 2nd round?  Of course I would, as the Horns would be beneficiaries more often than not.  Assuming Cincy, TCU, Texas, Florida, and Boise win out, with 5 unbeatens, aren't the Horns, Gators, and Tide simple beneficiaries of high preseason rankings?  Each has struggled with mediocre teams this season.  Are the big three truly that more deserving than TCU and Cincy?  Boise, I do not have a problem with based on this: 

http://www.broncosports.com/SportSelect.dbml?db_oem_id=9900&spid=4061&spsid=48555

Bronco fans, your schedule is beyond pathetic.  One win over Oklahoma and two over Oregon does not make you a contender.  If Boise was in the Big XII, they would be TT...a very nice 8-4 to 9-3 team.  Enjoy your middle tier bowl game were you to reside in a REAL conference. 

Florida and Bama, you both have benefited from, shall we say, home cookin' to ensure your cementing at the top of your conference.  No conspiracy here...just an observation.

So, check out the poll...

I am not sure if anyone else caught Colin Cowherd the other day speaking about the contenders in college football.  I like how Colin always uses analogies to get his point across.  It keeps things simple.  He indicated that annually there are 8 contenders for college football's national championship:

Texas

USC

LSU

Florida

Oklahoma

Miami

Ohio State

Alabama

After I heard this assessment, my immediate reaction was "no way." He went on and compared these 8 teams to the chosen guests that get to sit at the bride and groom's table at a wedding reception.  Many get to attend the wedding and enjoy the food and drink, dance, and mingle with friends, etc.  But, the majority of the guests are just not that special and seats at this table are simply reserved for the very best. He just may be onto something here...

More support to this theory is the presence of 7 warm weather schools as Colin always points to warm weather locales as attracting the best athletes in college football.  I never actually thought about this, and now I am beginning to think that this is quite true.  Think about it, if Vegas were to make this a board play, these 8 teams against the field, the odds in September may be 2/5. 

The glaring omissions from the "chosen few" are Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia, Nebraska, and Penn State.  Already eliminated before the season begins.  Man is it good to be a Longhorn.

Here is to getting to Pasadena one game at a time...

Hook Em!!

I have thought about this long and hard.  Because I get it.  I get how important the regular season is in college football.  For nowhere else would I have been glued to the TV watching, practically begging, Indiana to hold on to that lead in the 4th quarter against the vastly overrated Iowa Hawkeyes two Saturdays ago.  Certainly they cannot hold a candle to Texas, Florida, or Alabama.  Or can they?  We will never know.  And that is a shame.  It has been predetermined that the Longhorns are more worthy this season.  Sucks to be you Hawkeye fan.  Smacking Penn State annually is not enough to earn the respect of the pollsters.  It seems that pedigree plays a major role here with the BCS, and it is this pedigree which will also preclude TCU, Cincinnati, and Boise State from the championship game.  I would be willing to wager that a one loss SEC team would jump an unbeaten Cincy or TCU.  And this is everything that is wrong with college football.

The fact of the matter is all of the unbeatens deserve a shot if they are good enough to get into the top 8 BCS rankings.  Why include them at all if you are going to glass ceiling them?  Boise deserves a shot.  TCU deserves a shot.  Cincy deserves a shot.  But the purists do not want to give them their shots at glory for fear of Boise vs. Cincy as the national title game (those kids do not count...those aren't real schools).  They will not want to point to the fact that USC or FL or Texas or Bama or OUsux lost to these programs.  No, the purists would rather point to weak conferences and lack of pedigree as undeserving credentials to certain young men of college football’s pinnacle.  How smug of them. As an example, one receiver from the Dallas Cowboys went to a big time program and one went to Monmouth.  One is the go to receiver, the other has under performed.  One is Miles Austin, the other is Roy Williams.  Go scan NFL rosters...it is mind boggling how many top tier players went to bottom tier schools.  Shocking actually.

Back to the point at hand, the BCS was designed to pit #1 vs #2 for a winner-take-all conclusion to the college football season.  Yet, it has failed miserably in many seasons to determine just who in the hell are the two best and most deserving teams for all of college football's glory. No need to rehash the shortcomings of which program got the nod over the other in spite of mountains of evidence to the contrary.  This is just how the BCS works or should I say, fails.

Yes, we must preserve the regular season at any cost.  That cost is increasingly becoming objective conclusions to the college football season.

...is IF the horns drop one, the polls are 2/3, and the later the loss, the greater the penalty which is the most absurd aspect of this moronic system we have in place.  You hear that OU?  No more at large title game berths for you.

That being said...let's get out the crystal ball:

I think Cincy will lose in Pittsburgh.

I think Iowa will lose in the Shoe.

I think FL runs the table until the SEC championship.

I used to think Bama would absolutely run the table...but they have looked pedestrian for a few weeks (22 is highest point total over this span) against inferior competition.  I am still inclined to give them the nod of being unbeaten going into the SEC championship game.  I like FL right now in that matchup...regardless, one of them will lose.

I think TCU will run the table along with Boise. 

I do think the Horns run the table which leaves us with 4 unbeatens.

Now, the aforementioned is what is looks like on paper.  We could be looking at 6 undefeated teams after conference championship games.  Moreover, the scariest team in the country right now, IMHO, is Oregon.  Eugene will be the latest city to clamor for an 8 Team Playoff as I am sure they would love their chances this season.  I for one am very thankful we do not have to line up against them this season. But, in an 8 Teamer, they would be a fitting and deserving champion were they to run the table on the assumption they finish top 8 in the rankings.

Once again, I personally believe that the BCS will fall short of its intentions all the while the Horns will benefit this season from a high pre-season ranking.  Not that they would be undeserving, the Horns most certainly would be...but there will be controversy in Iowa, Cincy, Fort Worth, and Boise (weak argument here...but they did beat Oregon...and that is looking better by the week) as they feel snubbed by not having the opportunity to play for the title should they all run the table. Doubtful?  Sure.  Possible?  That is why they play the games.

What a disaster of a system we have to try and settle this with annually.

Not only is there bias amongst the media members who vote out of habit rather than analytical results, but the coaches have also ordered a full pitcher of that Kool-Aid of late.  I will note that the media did flip Bama and FL this week and rightfully so.  But, just 4 coaches changed FL from #1 on their ballot from last week after the ABYSMAL performance by the mighty Tim Tebows.  Really coaches?  Really?  I am convinced that the vast majority of you put zero thought into this weekly activity that affects who the MNC participants will be. 

The facts from yesterday: 

• Texas won by 3 on a neutral field against a very good defensive unit from OU.  Ranked 3rd in points allowed going into the matchup with the Horns. 

• Florida needed a last second FG to win...at home mind you...against the 95th ranked defense and unranked Arkansas Razorbacks. 

• Bama did what they usually do...win in SEC rushing fashion that bores me to tears, but provides "plumpies" for the coaching brethren that "know best."   

I have lost faith in the voters (both coaches and media) to actually use their noggin while they complete their ballots.  The bias is horrific at times.  The fact that Boise is in the top 10 is a complete farce and makes a mockery of the system.  Those votes were garnered and harvested from their upset win over OU a few years back.  This is the result of that harvest.  Please line up Boise against the likes of OU, Texas, FL, Bama, USC and they will win one out of ten if they are lucky.

Ever wonder if the stigma about the Big XII has to do with OUsux being completely inept on the big stage against top notch opponents?

This sickens me.  No, not because Oklahoma is back in the mix...when we beat them, they will be relegated to BCS fodder.  What sickens me is the assumption by voters that due to an "early" loss, it is OK, because the team has potential.  The losing early cut off must be the RRS as our beloved Horns lost a couple of weeks later...on a last second TD...in a hostile environment...to a top five team...who beat OU there the season prior.  Then OU smashes TT by 40ish (TT fans - you have no business being in the conversation when you give up 60+ pts to ANYBODY) and we all remember 45-35...well, we all remember it except for the computers, Harris voters, and some Coaches who had the Horns as low as 5 (that was criminal IMHO).  Before you say, "here we go again...it was last season...GET OVER IT ALREADY"...I assure you Auburn is not over their snub after running the table unbeaten in 2004 in the pre-ordained SEC.  Oh, and USC being ranked #1 in BOTH polls in 2003 gets snubbed over OU who LOSES to Kansas St in the Big XII title game.  An automatic rule should have been enacted that if you do not win your conference championship game, you are ineligible for the MNC. What a completely broken system.

But as we just saw, losing late is OK at times as well as voters want to "repay" for their mistakes in the past.  Nothing else explains the Auburn debacle other than the voters not wanting to snub USC again.  Big game Bob got drove that year as the voters got it wrong once again as USC beat Bob's Boys 55-19.  What a drubbing.  I assure you Auburn would have provided a better game...just as the Horns would have against Florida last MNC. 

Here is my problem with the polls system in general:

1.  OU gets beat by BYU and they are 7th while BYU is 21st with identical records.  BYU lost to a respectable FSU team (South Florida is for real).

2.  Houston goes into Stillwater and beats perhaps an over-ranked OSU club (not easy to win there...ask VY) and they are ranked behind OSU based on what exactly?  Must be conference bias as Houston is unbeaten with wins over OSU and TT.  The coaches have lost their mind here.  Revoke is not strong enough...banned for life is more like it.

3.  Iowa goes into Happy Valley and knocks off the Nittany Lions and is somehow currently ranked behind Penn State.  Can anyone that is breathing explain this? 

4.  South Carolina beats Ole Miss...SC unranked and Ole Miss 18th...um, huh? 

What would have been interesting is if Washington would have won this past weekend...I guarantee you they would have been put behind the Trojans after beating them the week prior. Take that to the bank.

Speaking of the Men of Troy, notice how the voters kept USC ahead of Ohio State?  Why would they be cognitive here and not in the aforementioned examples?  BTW, the Trojans looked meek against Washington State...that should have been a blowout and it was not.  TOSU lost to USC...USC lost to, once again unranked Washington.  Also, the voters have kept OSU ahead of GA.  So, kudos here...but the rest of the poll after the top 3 is deplorable based on results of match ups THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLAYED OUT.

I realize it is early in the season...but it is hard to overcome your predetermined "slotting" due to the human element of the coaches poll which needs a massive overhaul in criteria.  It is obvious that most of the coaches that vote truly do not pay attention.  Conference bias needs to end and it appears it may have with Boise State.  They can play with the big boys.  But, if OU beats Miami, could they jump the Broncos?  I think it is very possible and that would be a travesty. 

Are you paying attention Mack Brown and GD?  Are you truly paying attention?  Because if you are, 41-10 over Wyoming is a "B-" grade for the #2 team in the country on the road to a clearly inferior opponent.  Moreover, giving up 20 points to www.smallcityschools.com is horrific...especially in Austin.  USC did not do that nor did FL.  The talk in SoCal is not that of "I hope we can catch the Horns" but more of "when we catch them."  While USC must go unbeaten to accomplish said task, a one loss UT and one loss USC does not bode well for BON.  While USC typically has trouble with one of the Oregon schools and the CAL game is a bit auspicious, UT must go unbeaten against TT, OUsux, and OK St.  The scary game in the middle of all of this for the Horns is Baylor.  They nearly got TT last season and are a better program this year compared to last.  It is the letdown game on the schedule and I am sure the coaching staff is aware. 

Mack, you need to pile on with class.  You are going to have to win big to keep the media honks from talking USC and FL into the MNC.  I am not talking about leaving Colt in and throwing while up by 40 with 4 minutes to go in the 4th ala Classless Stoops.  No, I am talking about putting GG in when the game is in hand and throwing the ball down the field in case the unthinkable happens and we have an injured Colt on the sidelines.  Get this kid some real game experience so he can lead if necessary.  Do not be comfortable with being up by 30 and calling it a day.  That will not be enough to get it done.  We have to face the reality that USC and FL are the media darlings.  Yes, there is a good story with Colt going for the Heisman this season coupled with two big revenge games with TT and OUsux.  And isn't it is a sad state of affairs when you beat a team 45-35 and you feel you need to exact some revenge on them?  To top it off, the Big XII left that tiebreaker just as it was last season.  Superb morons.  Just an awesome system we have in place.

So Mack, I beg of you...do not leave it to chance.   When a game is in hand, put GG in there and go vertical with the passing game.  If the team fails to execute that is one thing.  But, to go conservative after Colt comes out could be a MNC death sentence.  More often than not there is a victim of controversy with the system we have in place.  Ask Auburn, USC, and UT for confirmation.  Keep the Horns off of the tombstone this year please.  Thank you.

I am not sure if any of you caught ESPN's proposed "reconferencing" (that is a word now) which would take the top 40 teams per their "draft" and slot them geographically with a couple of exceptions.  The most interesting aspect of this is the rivalry it would immediately create between Texas and LSU.  Every year the Horns would play the following:

Arkansas

Missouri

Kansas

Mississippi

Nebraska

LSU

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Texas A&M

Add a couple of non-conference games and you have one very respectable season year in and year out. 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=4380677

Moreover, when you scan the other conferences, you find Boise St right in USC's face along with Utah and Texas Tech headed out west.  I found the read intriguing and wishful.  But I realize that we have as much a chance of this happening as Boise St. does of knocking off OUsux in a BCS game. 

I long for the day when conference fuddy duddies stop worrying about "how things have always been" and how the BCS crowns a deserving champion every year...except last year, and the year Auburn ran the table in the SEC and got shut out of the national title game.  I hate this system.  It is a complete joke and a farce. 

40 Teams

4 Superconferences

4 Contenders

1 Legitimate National Champion

Now THAT is some change I could believe in...now give me back my taxes!

Texas

Florida

USC

OU

Since Stoops is still coaching at OU, perhaps it is down to 3. 

I am more than a little concerned headed to Stillwater this season.  The talent they have at the skill positions in Robinson, Hunter, and Bryant is perhaps unrivaled nationwide.  Their defense is going to be the key for the Cowboys this season, and if the mastermind of KU's defense in 2007, Bill Young can get the most out of this OK ST squad, the Cowboys could quietly join the national title hunt this season. 

Assuming the Horns get by OU again this season, and McCoy goes 3-1 in his career against the Sooners, Stillwater will be circled on the schedule as the final test of the season.  Each team could be undefeated for this matchup and the Cowboys will be more than pumped.  I for one, think the Big XII is the finest football conference in the country, followed by the SEC.  I like the Cowboys at home against GA to start the season, 38-27. 

I hope Mack allows the offense to really shine this year.  That means some blowout victories when he would normally ease off the throttle.  I do not like our current system, as last year, I still personally feel there are 3 teams left in the hunt.  If we are being honest, nobody would want to face Utah.  They would give you all you could handle and more.  So Mack, this season, when so many expectations looming, win with class.  Tell the opposing coach that because the media loves OU and FL, Texas has to win and win big to garner support.  It is the system.  I do not like it anymore than many of you here do.  But it is what it is...and this team deserves the chance if they take care of business this year like they did last year.

Kudos to Chris Fowler for actually speaking the truth...Herbstreet had the chance to make some sense of it, and chose not to.  Corso, one line as always, and misguided this time. Nothing was solved last night.

I feel like the 2008 College Football season is a novel that never ended...the author just stopped writing...ceasing to finish the story, or offer a climax, and sum up lessons learned for the book's main characters. For those of us who do not read:  It is as if we are in the final scene of a very tense movie action sequence...the main character is involved in a struggle with the enemy, and without the viewer knowing what happened in the final chase, struggle, shoot-out............they decide to roll the credits.  The audience looks around at each other and feels like they were robbed of CLOSURE.  How does it end?

The main characters:  FL, UT, USC, and Utah. 

The authors:  BCS Honks

The Critics:  touting the party line so as to do their best to convince the rest of of us THEY know best (this would be your sportswriters/analysts who think a playoff is not necessary).

Chris Fowler:  "You cannot tell me in your heart of hearts that you know that FL would beat USC or UT or Utah."  -- Brilliant sir...and thank you.

The most poignant aspect of UT offering FL a better matchup over OU is the mobility of Colt McCoy.  Bradford is one dimensional...a prolific passer well suited for the NFL style offenses.  FL matched up with OU one on one...the only other team that could do that was the Horns.  We know how that ended.  UT is the best team in the Big XII as noted by their top final ranking in conference.  But this is one longhorn who is still frustrated.  There will be no true national champion this season in my book.  I am not sure if UT would beat the likes of FL or USC...but it would be phenomenal to see how is plays out, rather than how it votes out.

I read it and I liked it.  I do not like the media and the BCS immediately dismissing the likes of Utah and Boise simply because they do not play in one of the 6 "preferred" conferences.  This system is in complete shambles. They talk about how the regular season is a weekly playoff...well, not true...see OUsux and FL "still" playing for the MNC.  Last I checked, they both lost...one to a 9-4 team, one to a 12-1 team.  I am over this system...they are ripping all that is good and holy with college football right out of our fingers.  That notwithstanding, I sure hope that FL lays the wood to OUsux.

Back to my point...Utah probably could have played with anyone that night.  Yet they will never get the chance to prove it.  Eight bowl wins in a row...two BCS wins and two UNDEFEATED seasons in the BCS era...I believe they are the only team to accomplish that feat.  Look, they can only play who they can play.  But they deserve a CHANCE against the "chosen ones." 

FL beats Bama and they get into the BCS MNC...Utah beats Bama and they get squadoosh.  And spare me the "Bama had nothing to play for crap.  The are Ala-freaking-bama...you show up and play!!! 

Of the one loss teams, UT and OU have the most compelling arguments for being included still at this point to face Utah.  But the horns should have put it on tOSU...the little 10 is way down this year...and please spare me the layoff with passing teams yada yada yada.  The horns were very lucky to eek out that victory.  They had to have a beatdown to even get consideration for #1 and they did not accomplish that goal.  UT will finish 3 or 4 is my gut feeling...possibly behind USC and the winner of the MNC.  If they finish 2, it will be even worse if OUsux actually wins the MNC game...how ironic will that be...identical records, with UT behind the hated Sooners...need I say more?

I, like most of us, tuned in last night to watch the Sugar Bowl.  Not the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the freaking Sugar Bowl.  And I, like most, expected an Alabama team to simply put Utah in their place...you know, back in the Mountain West where they belong...the nerve of the Utes to occupy a slot of the BCS.  We will show them.  Uh-huh...well Tide, e are waiting!  And BCS committee?  You are all that is wrong with this sport.  But I will get back to you in a minute.

The layoff between the regular season/conference championship games and the bowl games benefits the underdogs.  Reality set in for TT and Bama and neither of them wanted to be where they were.  In essence, the BCS has eliminated the excitement and intrigue of the bowl season.  I am half expecting UT to lay an egg on Monday night because the game just does not matter to them...but it matters a hell of a lot to TOSU.  There will be no split title.  The winner of OU/FL will be the unanimous #1 in each poll.  Essentially, the Horns have nothing to play for. 

Utah has won 8 consecutive bowl games, the longest streak in the nation.  They are the only team to go undefeated twice in the BCS era, yet are scrutinized that they barely belong.  They beat Bama and Pitt in their respective BCS bowl appearances.  Did they barely get by TCU thanks to 47 missed FG's?  Sure...and FL got clipped by Houston Nutt's Ole Miss Rebels...who I am thankful the Horns are NOT playing on Monday.  TT was a fraudulent #7 who got lucky against the Horns in Lubbock, as evidenced by their multiple beatdowns this season...do not let the final score fool you...Ole Miss dominated them for 3 quarters.  Sadly, none of these games matter once bit.  An 18 year old recruit is naive...sponsorships for bowl games and the like have turned this into a circus of all circuses. 

Utah deserves to have shot...USC deserves to have a shot...UT deserves to have a shot...along with OU, FL, and Bama.  TT, sorry boys, but championship teams do not get blown out.  Utah played some of their best football last night while Bama probably played their worst game of the season...and the Utes won by 14...a respectable win and loss at the same time. 

So the BCS numbskulls have shortchanged the country once again...alliances notwithstanding, this bowl season has been miserable.  USC and Penn St. was a yawner.  If USC were a Stoops coached team, the throttle would have been pressed for 61 minutes...just to be sure.  Carrol has class, like Brown, and he did what he had to do to get the victory.  The highlight of the Rose Bowl was the Stealth Bomber flyover...everything else was secondary.  Did ANYONE watch the Orange Bowl?  Anyone?  Seriously?  You had to be very freaking bored to take in that debacle of sport.  Meaningless, worthless, and no bearing on the outcome of the season...so why the fanfare?  The Big East and ACC are woeful...if they were in high school this year, each conference would need to repeat the grade as they did not grow one bit!

So thank you BCS dorks...you have royally screwed up yet another season of college football.  Hopefully, UT will join USC and Utah in the WTF brigade outside the BCS offices.  No champion will be crowned this year...and the BCS does not care.

I am sorry, but this Longhorn is hot under the collar still.  The fact that they have OU ahead of the Horns is laughable.  I am sick of the system.  If October does not matter, then USC should certainly be in the mix.  Why does FL get the freaking pass for their loss to an unranked Ole Miss at home?  The manipulation here is tantamount to insider trading.  Stockbrokers and executves go to prison for antics like this. 

It is time to move the RRR to November.  Screw history.  And screw the Cotton Bowl while we are at it.  Let's move to the comfy confines of the Cowboys' new stadium. 

And thank you Kirk Bohls for your #1 vote for the Horns today.  John Saunders of ESPN is as cluless as they come.  Lupica and the other two cohorts of the day pile on him for loving the current system.  A system that produced 7 one loss teams and two undefeateds from non BCS conferences.  If the regular season of college football is so damn important, why then must we erase 45-35 simply because OU has a vaunted offense that UT held to 35?  Can anyone explain that to me...of course you cannot.

The voters do not want a rematch...check, Fox and the BCS do not want a rematch so it will be "fixed" so UT has no shot...even though our resume is FAR superior to FL regarding best win and loss.  What an effing joke.  Yeah, that is fair to the kids who poured their hearts and souls out on that football field this season.  In case you did not notice, national titles do not come around very often.  And you want me to be happy for the Fiesta?  Are you serious?  I want justice.  I want wrongs righted.  USC and UT now both have been jobbed by the media stoop humpers.

Memo to Mack:  it is time to pile on.  Send a pre-season email to all coaches and let them know that UT is out for BCS blood and it is not personal.  But we will be hanging as much offense on you as we can...thanks to your votes of putting us behind OUsux.  See, it is not personal, just business.

The system is a joke and something must be done.  Rewarding mediocrity due to conference ties is criminal.  TT deserves $12 million this season...far more so than Va Tech or Cincy. Pee Wee football leagues are better managed when compared to college football's BCS and its gaggle of misfits. 

In essence:  my biggest problem with this system is there is no closure.  None.  OU knows that even if they happen to get by FL and UT beats TOSU, with each having a loss, it is a tainted crystal ball they may hoist.  So we will have several one loss teams after January 8th.  This is certainly one MNC for the ages.

2008 FB:  OUsux 28 - WV 48...a beatdown by the Big East...comical.

2007 FB:  OUsux 42 - BS 43....my second favorite CFB moment...ever.

2005 OB: OUsux 19 - USC 55...Certified Ass Whipping.

2004 SB:  OUsux 14 - LSU 21...USC would have pounded them both.

2003 RB: OUsux 34 - WSU 14

2001 OB: OUsux 13 - FSU 2

So what I see here is a 5 year BCS bowl winless streak.  Yikes...not good for the media darlings.  The first win for a MNC was against the beginning of the end team for Bowden's Boys...seriously, has FSU been worth a crap since?  Win #2 came against the mighty and vaunted Washington State Cougars...whoa.  Tough test there. 

Since these two wins:  Loss, Loss, Loss, Loss...including two complete beatdowns with an unjust appearance in the title game against the Bayou Bengals.  USC should have just showed up and told them to combine...we will take you both on.

2-4 Sooners...just perfect if you ask me. 

Work with me here:  Let's assume the experts are right...and FL is going to lay the wood to Bama on Saturday afternoon.  Let's continue pandering to the experts, since they represent the omnipotent section of society and will tell you so at a moments notice.  In this spirit, OU kicks the living daylights out of Mizzou and USC with Crimson jerseys destroys UCLA.  Here is what we are left with:

Bama:  12-1

OU:  12-1

UT:  11-1

FL:  12-1

USC: 11-1

Utah:  12-0

TT:  11-1

Penn St:  11-1

Boise:  12-0

Seven one loss teams and two undefeateds from non BCS conferences.  So again, assuming that a non BCS conference team will NEVER win the BCS "Title," I count 7 teams of which 4 have a VERY legitimate case to play for the MNC.

I thought the BCS was set up to prevent this very thing from happening.  In summary:  when OU loses as the #1 team, it is OK, this is OU2.0.  When TX lost as the #1 team, they were penalized.  When Bama loses as the #1 team, they will be penalized.  When USC lost as the #1 team, they were penalized and have been destroying everyone since.  Now why in the hell does OU get the pass here and EVERYONE else does not?  Please explain this to me...I dare you.