Debate Of The Young Sports Minds: Oklahoma or Texas?

Luke and I have come back with a new debate...but also a new format. Instead of debating back and forth (which became troublesome for both of us), we will simply provide our belief on a subject, without knowing what the other said. That's right, no response. No chance to jump on what the other has said. Of course, we may do it later in the comments or on the phone but not in the actual debate. So here's the latest installment.

WHO SHOULD REPRESENT THE BIG 12 SOUTH IN THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME? OKLAHOMA OR TEXAS?

Luke

Texas or Oklahoma? Only one to choose from, but which one is the correct choice? The correct answer is that you shouldn't have to choose, but that's a different question for a different day. With the system we have in place, only one can play in the Big 12 Championship game, and control their own destiny for the National Championship. My pick is the same as the BCS. The Oklahoma Sooners.

The biggest argument going for Texas is their head-to-head victory against Oklahoma back in October. Unfortunately, recent history shows us that this point is moot. Let me take you back to 1993 when #2Notre Dame beat #1Florida St, then lost to #9 Boston College the week after. Florida State jumped the Irish in the polls and went on to win it all. Sound familiar? It should. Texas beat #1 Oklahoma but then lost to #7 Texas Tech. The nature of the NCAA beast is to lose early. Oklahoma lost earlier than Texas. The Longhorns had their chance but couldn't seal the deal against Texas Tech, a team Oklahoma later beat 44.

Once that argument is crushed, let's look a bit closer. Oklahoma has beaten Texas Tech (something Texas couldn't do), AT Oklahoma State (something no team had done this year), Cincinnati (the Big East Champ), AND TCU (currently ranked #11). Now the Sooners play Missouri in the Big 12 Championship. Win and they will have beaten all the big teams Texas has PLUS Cincy and TCU. If they lose, then Texas is in. Complain about the system all you want, but they got it right this year. As Jim Mora put it, PLAYOFFS??

Matt

Texas is 11-1. Oklahoma is 11-1. So who deserves to be in the Big 12 championship game? Well, both of them do. But since only one can go, I'm going with Texas. And remember this during my argument, we're talking about a conference championship game, NOT the national title game.

Texas beat both Missouri and Oklahoma but yet are not in the title game? Seems wrong doesn't it? It's because it is. Texas' only loss came to Texas Tech on the road in Lubbock. A great game in which the Red Raiders won on an amazing touchdown with less than 10 seconds left. And this after Texas had beaten 3 straight ranked Big 12 opponents, including Oklahoma. That's right, Oklahoma's one loss is to the same team it beat out for the spot in the conference title game, Texas. And the Sooners were beat on a neutral field by 10 points, not by some game-winning TD or FG at the horn. Hmmmm, seems like the 'Horns should be there right?

But they're not and it's just wrong. Some may say it's because Oklahoma is playing better football right now. Too bad that doesn't mean they are the better team. If they were, they would have beaten Texas on that neutral field. Some may say they played a tougher non-conference schedule. Again, shouldn't matter since we are strictly talking Big 12 South champion and the 8 Big 12 games. In a perfect world, these two would get a rematch in Kansas City and this would be settled on the field. But since it's not, it leaves people like me wondering how bad of a system we must have when a team that has the same W-L record but a much better case to be in a conference title game doesn't get in. What a joke.

NBA By The Month - October/November

Well, we are a little more than a month into the NBA season and so far, it's been pretty exciting. A blockbuster trade just 2 weeks in seeing Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups swap sqauds. Also, 10% of the coaches getting fired less than 25% into the season. Oh, and then there's the strong and sluggish starts from various teams.

Again, I am not the biggest NBA fan. In fact, I normmaly don't watch a regular season game unless my Pacers are playing. But since I try to be "all-knowing" in all sports, I have paid better attention this season and have some thoughts on the first full month of play.

(W-L records as of 12:00am December 5th)

MOST IMPRESSIVE

Portland (14-6) - We all knew they would be better this season with the additions of Rudy Fernandez and Greg Oden. But at 14-6 and the lead in the Northwest Division, that may be more than we thought. And it's even more impressive considering Oden missed 6 games. This is going be a tough team to take out in the playoffs with their youth. I look at them as the Tampa Bay Rays of the NBA.

Atlanta (11-6) - After taking the Celtics to 7 games in the playoffs last season, teams should have realized the potential of this team. Well so far, so good in proving that their playoff performance was no fluke. They have simmered since their 6-0 start but no doubt, they are moving into the discussion of legit Eastern Conference teams.

Miami (10-9) - When Pat Riley resigned as head coach coming off a 15-win season, I didn't see much hope for this team. Yeah, they had Dwayne Wade and an aging Shawn Marion, but I thought it would take at least a few seasons before they became relevant again. Well, maybe not. Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers have been quite a supporting cast and the Heat are above .500 with 10 wins. And they didn't get win #10 last season until February 26th.

LEAST IMPRESSIVE
San Antonio (9-8) - I know they are getting older and that Manu Ginobili has been injured but 9-8 for this team is disappointing. They still have Tim Duncan and Tony Parker and one of the best coaches in Gregg Popovich. But instead of dominating, this team has limped out of the gate, despite the fact their strength of schedule is .470 and 10 of the 17 games have been played at home.

Toronto (8-9) - Though I disagree with the firing of Sam Mitchell, I do agree that this team has not been good. In a weak Eastern Conference, they are easily in the top 6 when it comes to talent. But at 8-9, they aren't playing like it. They have played a tough early schedule and injuries haven't helped but again, they're too good to be playing this bad.

Washington (3-13) - So what Agent Zero isn't playing? There's no way this team is worse than the likes of Minnesota and Memphis? Eddie Jordan has already been canned so can't blame the coaching. Now it's just time for Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler to bring this team back to being respectable.

TEAMS OF THE MONTH

LA Lakers (15-2) - The only question mark about this team is are they good enough to get to 70 wins. Kobe is playing like Kobe, Pau is providing some big time points and boards, and Andrew Bynum is healthy, giving the Lakers just another scoring threat. This team is scary good.

Cleveland (15-3) - Not only are they winning, but they are winning by a healthy margin. 12.3 points in fact, best in the conference. And the philosophy of winning hasn't changed either with the Cavs giving up a little more than 92 PPG, second in the conference. Oh, and that Mo Williams pickup may be the best offseason move in the Eastern Conference.

Boston (18-2) - It's really not a surprise to see them at 18-2. The conference is not good and their schedule so far hasn't been too strenous. Right now, they are in the midst of a 10-game winning streak. Can we just put the Cavs and Celts in the conference championship series now?

INDIANA PACERS THOUGHTS

So far, I'm pretty happy with my Pacers. Yeah, the record of 7-11 is nothing to get excited about but considering the tough schedule they've played, it may look a bit misleading. Mike Dunleavy is still injured but when he returns, it will be a welcome addition for a team who could use a spark off the bench. Danny Granger has been an all-star in every sense of the word and T.J. Ford has been a steady PG, something the team hasn't had since Mark Jackson. The wins against the Celtics, Rockets and Lakers prove to me this team can play with the big boys. Now, they just need to win some more of the games that they are losing by 10 or less.

MVP WATCH

1. Lebron James, CLE
2. Kobe Bryant, LAL
3. Dwayne Wade, MIA
4. Dwight Howard, ORL
5. Chris Paul, NO

ROOKIE WATCH

1. Derrick Rose, CHI
2. O.J. Mayo, MEM
3. Michael Beasley, MIA
4. D.J. Augustin, CHA
5. Russell Westbrook, OKC

BEST GAMES OF DECEMBER

Portland @ Boston (Dec. 5th) - Good matchup of youth vs. veterans. Not sure how well Garnett will matchup against Oden but that may be the matchup to watch. Should be a fun one to watch no matter what.

Memphis @ Oklahoma City (Dec. 10th) - Right now, the Thunder are on pace to be the worst team in NBA history. If they want to avoid that distinction, they need to win games like this at home.

New York @ Phoenix (Dec. 15th) - Mike D'Antoni returns to the city that he had such success in. Unfortunately, he brings in his new team to be embarrassed.

Boston @ LA Lakers (Dec. 25th) - Merry Christmas everyone! After opening up your gifts and chugging down some egg nog, sit back and enjoy this dandy of a game, featuring the two best teams in the NBA so far record-wise.

Chicago @ Miami (Dec. 26th) - Battle of the top 2 picks of the draft. Derrick Rose has been better so far but Michael Beasley is starting to show flashes of greatness.

PACER SPECIAL: New Orleans @ Indiana (Dec. 28th) - Chris Paul and company travel to Conesco Fieldhouse where the likes of the Celtics and Lakers have fallen victim to the Pacers.

College Football: Week 15

Well, the time has come. Championship Saturday. The time when the BCS title picture truly is figured out. This year, all eyes are going to be on just two games. The SEC championship and the Big 12 championship. While some may shift their eyes to see USC vs. UCLA or find out what ACC team gets into a BCS game they don't deserve to be in, most only care about the big ones.

No need to pick out the Top 15 games because quite frankly, there are only 16 games, and I don't know one thing about some of these games. So instead, I'm gonna condense the Top 15 down to the Top 5. Oh, and forget rankings now. They don't matter obviously. Just look at the BCS standings.

TOP 5 GAMES

GAME OF THE WEEK
1. SEC Championship: Florida vs. Alabama (in Atlanta) - Well, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know how unimpressed I am with Bama. They have yet to convince that their 12-0 record is just not a product of their weak schedule, in and out of conference. As for Florida, the more I watch them, the more I figure out just how much that Ole Miss loss was a fluke. This team is not only fast, but talented. Plu,s, they are a confident bunch now. Some think this game is a toss-up because Bama's defense is so good but they've really only played one good offense (UGA) and they gave up 30 to them and had 2 weeks to prepare. That doesn't bode well. I have no doubt in my mind FLORIDA wins this game, even though I really don't want to see them in the title game.

REST OF THE BEST
2. Big 12 Championship: Oklahoma vs. Missouri (in Kansas City) - This should read Texas vs. Mizzou but thansk to a dumb tiebreaker and lifeless computers, the Sooners are in and the 'Horns are out. No doubt Oklahoma is the better team on both sides of the ball. Sam Bradford may have played himself back into the Heisman top spot and the defense looked amazing against Texas Tech (not OKST). Meanwhile, Mizzou is fresh off a home loss to Kansas, which was a surprise. But the great thing about the Tigers is that they have a team that can upset the Sooners. This is a team that is seeking revenge for what Oklahoma did to them last year: keep them out of the championship game. Call me crazy but I really think Gary Pinkel, Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin are gonna pull the upset off. MISSOURI wins in a shootout.

3. USC @ UCLA - On paper, this game should be a blowout. In the actual game, it will probably be a blowout. But it is still a big game because of course, it's a rivalry and history has shown that crazy things happen. It's also big because a USC loss does a few things. First, puts Oregon State back in the Rose Bowl and secondly, may bump USC out of a BCS bowl game and have a team like OSU or Boise St. jump in to the Fiesta spot USC may have had if ORST would have won. UCLA beat Tennessee earlier this season in a spirited performance. It will take something like that to beat the Trojans. But don't expect it. USC rolls in this one.

4. MAC Championship: Ball State vs. Buffalo (in Detroit) - I'm really excited for this one. First off, Buffalo is a good team. They've really improved under Turner Gill and trust me, they will give the Cardinals a challenge. But Ball State is on a mission. Nate Davis is one game from doing what no one thought could happen to a MAC school these days. I'm still mad they aren't being talked about like Boise and Utah but such is life. BALL STATE wins and continues to help the MAC's image (and we're grateful).

5. ACC Championship: Boston College vs. Virginia Tech (in Tampa) - As I said in the open, I don't think either of these teams deserve a BCS bowl game. In fact, I don't think either of these teams are the best in the conference. That instead is Georgia Tech, who may be playing the best football around right now. But such is life and we are stuck with this matchup of mediocrity. VT has just been too inconsistent for my liking while BC is coming into this game with some momentum. So I'll pick BOSTON COLLEGE but I won't be watching a second of this game.

Enjoy the final week of college football for awhile. Then, bring on the bowls!!!!

NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

Well, we are 3/4 of the way through the NFL season and I tell ya what, boy was I wrong about a lot of teams this season. My Super Bowl pick is 4-8, the best division in the NFL is not the NFC East as many would have thought and the Lions still don't have a win. But that's why I love the NFL. Every team comes into each season with a chance to make the playoffs and surprise some people. Just look at teams like the Falcons and Ravens, who many thought would struggle thanks to a rookie QB. Instead, both teams are right in the thick of the race and as we all know, once you get into the playoffs, it's a whole new season.

(NO TEAM LOGOS THIS TIME. I'M TIRED. STILL RECOVERING FROM THE TURKEY DAY HOLIDAY)


1. NY Giants (11-1) - Clearly the favorites to win the Super Bowl. So they may want to lose a few because that's not been a good thing lately. (Next vs. PHI)
2. Tampa Bay (9-3) - Gotta love the way this defense plays. Bothered Drew Brees and the Saints all game. Should be a fun Monday-nighter. (Next Mon. vs. CAR)
3. Atlanta (8-4) - Matt Ryan may be the name you hear but it's Michael Turner that is leading the charge. Oh, and John Abraham is a beast. (Next @ NO)
4. Carolina (9-3) - Good for them for scoring 35 points but the Packers D is miserable. This offense is gonna struggle against the Bucs. (Next Mon. vs. TB)
5. Dallas (8-4) - Obviously, having Tony Romo back is a big deal. Time to really find out how big starting this week vs. the Steelers D. (Next @ PIT)
6. Philadelphia (6-5-1) - I think the win over the Cardinals woke this team up. May be too late but may be enough to save Andy Reid's job. (Next @ NYG)
7. Arizona (7-5) - They've lost 2 in a row and 4 of the 7 wins are against their NFC West opponents. Are they for real? We'll find out in the playoffs. (Next vs. STL)
8. Washington (7-5) - Bad performance against the Giants but this team still has enough talent to turn in 10 wins and challenge for a playoff spot. (Next @ BAL)
9. New Orleans (6-6) - I tell ya, if this team ever got a consistent defense, they'd be a force. Until then, they'll always hover around .500. (Next vs. ATL)
10. Minnesota (7-5) - As good as Adrian Peterson is, is how bad Gus Frerotte is. They may win the division but no way they win a playoff game. (Next @ DET)
11. Green Bay (5-7) - Probably the best team in the division. But the tough losses are adding up. Gonna need a miracle to get in playoffs now. (Next vs. HOU)
12. Chicago (6-6) - The season looked promising in the beginning but the defense is starting to fall apart. That and Kyle Orton is back to being himself. (Next vs. JAX)
13. San Francisco (4-8) - No doubt Mike Singletary keeps his job. This team plays hard under him and he hasn;t dropped his pants a second time. (Next vs. NYJ)
14. St. Louis (2-10) - With Steven Jackson back, they actually are a decent team. But this team likes losing too much now to win again. (Next @ AZ)
15. Seattle (2-10) - Awful Turkey Day for the team. Embarrassed on national television. But really, what did they expect with the team they have? (Next vs. NE)
16. Detroit (0-12) 12 down, 4 to go. Trying to prevent the Bengals from getting the first pick I guess. They can still win a game and be okay. (Next vs. MIN)
1. Tennessee (11-1) - Good Turkey Day for them. First, they stuff the Lions on national Tv. Then, get stuffed with food. Couldn't be better. (Next vs. CLE)
2. Pittsburgh (9-3) - They've had the hardest schedule known to man and yet, have 9 wins. What's next? 3 more really tough games. (Next vs. DAL)
3. Indianapolis (8-4) - I wouldn't want to play the Colts right now. When Peyton and the offense don't score, the defense does. Tough to beat that. (Next vs. CIN)
4. Baltimore (8-4) - I still don't know if Joe Flacco can lead this team in the playoffs. But I know that defense sure can. Big game this week. (Next vs. WAS)
5. NY Jets (8-4) - You had to see this coming. A bad Brett Favre game after some amazing performances. Team still is in fine shape though. (Next @ SF)
6. New England (7-5) - Tough game for Matt Cassel but he'll learn from it. They gotta get their run game going to really become a potent offense. (Next @ SEA)
7. Denver (7-5) - You have to love the Broncos offense. When a runningback like Peyton Hillis can rush for more than 100 yards, it's a good day. (Next vs. KC)
8. Miami (7-5) - Not sure the team is happy about the 16-12 win against STL but they have to be happy with their turnaround from last season. (Next @ BUF in Toronto)
9. San Diego (4-8) - It's just really hard for me to believe they are this bad. Too much talent on both sides to have just 8 wins. Bye Bye Norv? (Next vs. OAK)
10. Houston (5-7) - Nice to see the Texans playing well. Once Matt Schaub comes back in 2009, they will once again be a team to look out for. (Next @ GB)
11. Buffalo (6-6) - No Trent Edwards possibly. Seeing their team crumble before our very eyes. Maybe playing in Canada will give them a spark. (Next vs. MIA in Toronto)
12. Jacksonville (4-8) - This team is a joke. Lack of a good passing game. Running game struggling due to O-Line injuries. And the defense has given up. (Next @ CHI)
13. Kansas City (2-10) - Larry Johnson having a good game is a good sign for the future. Not to mention winning on the road is always nice. (Next @ DEN)
14. Oakland (3-9) - They've beaten NYJ and DEN but can't beat a team like KC. I'm surprised Al Davis hasn't just fired everyone, including himself. (Next @ SD)
15. Cleveland (4-8) - Ken Dorsey is the starter, Winslow is out for the next game, and Romeo is already cleaning out his office. (Next @ TEN)
16. Cincinnati (1-10-1) - The Browns should be thankful for the Bengals. If not, they would be the laughing stock of the Buckeye State. (Next @ IND)

CFB Week 14 Recap

Well, week 14 of the long college football season is finished and needless to say, the controversy that is the BCS system has reared its ugly head again. Maybe another year of this terrible system will convince the NCAA to change it to some sort of playoff system. Or not.

The biggest thing to come from this weekend is that Texas is getting a raw deal. I just can't understand how Texas did not get into the Big 12 championship game instead of Oklahoma. Texas beat Oklahoma and Missouri (in consecutive weeks) in the regular season but are not in the championship game. What?

I think what I hate the most is that the BCS standings ultimately decided this Big 12 South conundrum. And not even that but it was the computers of all things. In many people's opinion, Texas deserves to play for the Big 12 title more than Oklahoma. Texas beat Oklahoma at a neutral site by 10 and lost to Tech by 6 points on the road AND after playing 3 games in a row against the best of the Big 12. Meanwhile, Oklahoma was able to cruise into the game with Texas Tech with a ton of momentum and fresh bodies after blowout wins over Kansas St, Nebraska, and Texas A&M, a combined 17-19 record. Texas' three games leading to that same Tech team were against Okla, Mizzou, and OKST, a combined 29-7!

So what does all this mean? Well, we could have two national champions again. The AP can still crown a national champ that is different than the BCS champion. That could be the case again. It just takes an Oklahoma win the title game against either Florida or Alabama. And if Texas plays a team like OSU in the Fiesta Bowl and wins big, I think many AP voters would be hard-pressed not to put the 'Horns over the Sooners.

Meanwhile, I'm still not sold on Alabama. They looked impressive against Auburn but seems like every team has. Taking a look back at the teams they played this year, they've only beaten two teams currently ranked in the Top 25 and that's Georgia at #17 and Ole Miss at #25. And while the same can be said for Florida, what's different with Bama is their wins against teams like Kentucky and LSU just weren't good. I fear for them against Florida because their defense has not truly been tested.

And after all my talk about weak I thought the ACC was, I hafta admit, the ACC beat up on the SEC last week. Clemson beat South Carolina 31-14 and Georgia Tech beat Georgia 45-42. Clemson was up 24-0 at one point before sort of letting the Gamecocks feel somewhat good about themselves. And Georgia Tech ran for 409 yards against the Dawgs. Oh, and did I mention they didn't throw one pass in the entire second half but yet scored 33 points? GT may be the best team in the ACC but won't be playing in the championship game. Damn shame.

And speaking of shame, it's time for Charlie Weis to go. I am glad to see he improved graduation rates there and that the players love him but come on, this is Notre Dame. They're supposed to be smart already and I'm pretty sure the players liked Ty Willingham too. But the biggest reason for Weis should be relieved of his duties is the performance on the field has just been terrible. Yeah, he went 19-6 in his first two seasons there but those were Ty's guys. Now that he has his players, all he's done is go 9-15.

And for such an offensive genius, his offense sure is pathetic. This is Jimmy Clausen's (a prized recruit) second season and he's thrown for 20 TD and 17 INT. The team's leading rusher, Armando Allen, has rushed for just 576 yards and has only one 100 yd rushing game. The kicker Brandon Walker has gone 14 for 24 (58.3%). And the offense averages about 22 points per game. And this was against a watered-down schedule that included San Diego St, Michigan, Syracuse and winless Washington. Sorry Charlie but, you are the weakest link, goodbye.

Finally, farewell to Sylvester Croom. Unfortunately, that now leaves just 3 black coaches in the NCAA FBS. Honestly, that's just ridiculous. I mean, out of 119 schools, only 3? I don't know what the problem is but maybe there needs to be a Rooney rule in college as well. Give these coaches of color a chance. Who knows, they may surprise you.

Well, that's all for this week. I can't wait for these championship games. See if we can't screw up this BCS system even more.