Leach: Tech should be top-ranked one-loss team

By Don Williams | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Texas Tech took a big loss on Saturday, but Tech coach Mike Leach says his team’s three big wins over the past month should count at least as much with poll voters.

Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and Southern Cal – all one-loss teams – moved ahead of Tech after OU thrashed the Red Raiders 65-21 Saturday night in Norman, Okla., which was Tech’s first loss in more than year.

Texas Tech's Shannon Woods fights to get away from Oklahoma's Quinton Carter during the Red Raiders' 65-21 loss to the Sooners on Saturday in Norman, Okla. Despite the rout, Tech coach Mike Leach said the Red Raiders should be the top-ranked one-loss team in the nation.

“Probably, we shouldn’t be dropped behind them,” Leach said Monday during his weekly news conference. “As far as I’m concerned, we shouldn’t.”

Tech (10-1, 6-1 in the Big 12 Conference) slipped from No. 2 to No. 7 in the BCS standings released Sunday. The Raiders are No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 and the Harris Interactive polls and No. 8 in the USA Today coaches poll. Another one-loss team, Penn State, moved ahead of Tech in the USA Today coaches and Harris polls, which are components of the BCS standings.

Leach implied that his team deserved to be ranked third in the nation behind Oklahoma and Alabama.

When asked if he thought Tech should remain above Texas, Florida, Southern Cal and Penn State, he said, “Throw them all in there. We should be the top-rated one-loss team.”

Tech’s drop to No. 7 could wind up knocking the Raiders out of the BCS entirely, unless No. 2 Texas or No. 3 Oklahoma take another loss somewhere.

A provision in the BCS ensures a spot in one of the games for any team eligible for at-large consideration that’s ranked in the top four. That would prevent UT or OU, if they remain top-four in the BCS rankings, from being bypassed by Tech for an at-large selection.

Leach

The most likely scenario for Tech (10-1, 6-1 in the Big 12 Conference) is to wind up in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2 against Mississippi or LSU, both 7-4 teams.

Leach based the case for his team on what it accomplished over the course of the season, particularly in the three games before Saturday. In the BCS, Kansas was ranked No. 23 when the Raiders beat the Jayhawks 63-21 on Oct. 25 in Lawrence, Kan. Texas was ranked No. 1 when the Raiders beat them 39-33 on Nov. 1 in Lubbock, and Oklahoma State was No. 9 when the Raiders beat the Cowboys 56-20 on Nov. 8 in Lubbock.

Tech was the first team since 1984 and the second since 1965 to beat a top-ranked team one week and a top-10 team the next.

“We were hoping to be the first team to beat four Top 25 teams in a row,” Leach said. “We weren’t able to do it. Only a few teams have beat three in a row, and we’re lucky enough to be one of those.”

Though it’s not uncommon for Leach to speak stridently on subjects he believes in strongly, his comments Monday fell far short of rant territory. He was responding calmly to questions about the rankings.

Leach is a longstanding proponent of a playoff system to determine a national champion, but on Monday he didn’t play that card with any force.

“I’ve got my hands full with things I can control,” he said, “so I’m not going to worry about things that I can’t. I’ve said from the beginning they ought to have a playoff. I’m pretty well on the record as to how I’d solve this thing.”

Leach has espoused a plan for a 10-game regular season and a 64-team national tournament. Teams not making the field would be allowed to play two additional games for 12 total. First-round games in Leach’s plan would be at home-and-home sites, then at bowl sites afterward.

He likes to point out that Texas high school state champions wind up playing 16 games.

“The guys younger than us can play 16 and guys older than us (in the NFL) can play more than 16,” he said, “so I don’t know why we magically only play what we do.”

In addition to saying his team deserved to be ranked higher, Leach, who votes in the coaches’ poll, said he puts Oklahoma ahead of No. 1 Alabama.

“We think quite a bit of Oklahoma and the Big 12,” Leach said. “Our experience with that is Oklahoma beat us, Texas did not, so Oklahoma goes above (Texas). And then we like the Big 12 better than the SEC, and plus Oklahoma’s impressed me this year more than Alabama, so Oklahoma’s at the top.”

College football

• Who: No. 7 Texas Tech vs. Baylor

• When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday

• Where: Jones AT&T Stadium

• Records: Baylor 4-7, 2-5 in Big 12 Conference; Texas Tech 10-1, 6-1

• Last game: Baylor 41, Texas A&M 21; Oklahoma 65, Texas Tech 21

• Last meeting: Tech 38, Baylor 7 last year in Waco

• TV: Versus (Suddenlink Cable channel 45)

• Line: Tech by 20

To comment on this story:

don.williams@lubbockonline.com 766-8734

jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com 766-8735

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Comments

  • raider1927 said:

    once again the man shows he is brillant!!!

    Report this comment

  • mdh48 said:

    SOS – strength of schedule! Quit playing Division II schools

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  • gdog 55 said:

    Whose 1 loss was most damaging to their team?

    Tech- #2 blown out by 44 to a #5 team @ OU- bad

    OU- #1 lost by 10 to #5 UT @ nuetral site – not as bad

    Texas- #1 lost to # 7 TT on the road on last second TD- better than OU loss

    Texas vrs OU head to head- Texas wins by 10

    Leach ,as usual ,is a complainer. It just took longer this season for that aspect of his personality to shine through.

    Report this comment

  • Chris - Lakeway TX said:

    Leach must be drinking agin…

    Report this comment

  • RC said:

    If your not a Tech fan…then what the he** are you doing on this board? Why do you even care to read about the Red Raiders and making comments about Leach? Do everyone a favor and go back to the trailer park and drink to “your” schools success….everyone loves a junior high champion

    Report this comment

  • Matt said:

    Leach is reffering to Penn State, UF, and USC. All of which lost to unranked teams, while the only lose for Tech is to OU.

    Believe it or not, Tech still has an outside shot at the BCS title. If OU loses, and Tech whips both Baylor and Mizzou I think pollsters are going to have a hard time sending Texas over Tech.

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  • CL Turner said:

    Who should be ranked higher? I would rank OU over TTU, b/c they won head-to-head … recently and handily. But I would not rank UT over TTU. We won head-to-head, the most important point. Sure, they beat OU and we got whacked. On the other hand, we slapped OSU and their OSU game came down to the last play. Here’s where reputations hurt. They beat #1 OU and jump to #1 themselves. We beat #1 UT and move to #3. You can make a case for Ala (sure), OU (slapped us) ahead of TTU. Others? UT? We beat them. UFla? Really bad home loss. USC? Hasn’t beaten the quality of teams TTU has. PSU? Same as USC. Utah? Are you kidding? Am I missing anybody? This slip to #7 in BCS could hurt. What if OSU beats OU. We rep the B12 South and beat MIzzou. UT is prob still ahead of us … despite fact we rep’d B12 South, and won the B12 championship game. Stinks.

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  • devin everett said:

    dead on cl……….60-2 mean anything, ou is tough to be at home., but i went through their scores, 22 point difference from home and away………..big time different team……..12 different on defense and 10 different on offense, just heard a sportscastor go through the whole big 12, home field is everything!!!!!!!!!, not a good factor on how good a team is…….watch ou get whacked this week……

    ags were a 30 underdog last year………..34 this year

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  • KC-Houston, Texas said:

    Mike Leach. You just have to love this guy. Heck of a coach. Don’t let him get away. He would be missed, sorely by the Big 12 and people like me who respect all of his accomplishments.
    I almost (almost) hope that OU loses to put y’all in the title game. You have a great bunch of fans and are a worthy adversary.
    Wreck ‘em Tech!!!!

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  • Marsha said:

    Texas got lucky in Dallas against OU. Tech clearly beat Texas. Two calls would have changed the score dramatically. It would not have been close but we weren’t whining all week. Mack Brown was! If Texas played OU in Norman, on Sr. night, late in the season with NC implications, and revenge on their minds-no doubt they would have blown you out! The only thing worse than a sore looser is a sore winner and you guys are both!!! You are so narrow minded you can’t enjoy anyone’s success but your own. I for one can’t wait for bowl season. I hope the Big XII wins ALL of their games. We need to show the football world that we are the BEST conference. I truly believe we are. 4, yes 4, teams should be playing BCS games. We earned it!!!

    Report this comment

  • Cal said:

    I love Mike Leach. Smart, affable and interesting. I’m an OU fan, but think highly of Leach. Personally, I think TTech is better than UT and should my Sooners tumble against the Pokes, I will be rooting for Tech all the way.

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  • Britton Sr. said:

    Leach is pretty much correct. I agree.
    Guns UP#27

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  • TallMike (Author) said:

    I am with the head coach on these issues all of them, the national rankings this year and the play off system…however any system is going to be found to be lacking by somebody, sometime.

    Report this comment

  • Texas Born said:

    Tech is out of it, Leach and the Tech fans need to deal with that.

    Report this comment

  • Tom said:

    I like how Texas fans say Texas Tech is out of it – and then bring up the fact that Texas beat OU and conveniently forget that Tech beat Texas. Its not fair to any of the three teams, Leach is right, bring on a playoff. However – if we truly looked at all three teams – OU is the best team. OU would be favored in a rematch with Texas and also with Tech. In the Austin paper they said that McCoy should win the Heisman because he doesnt have the weapons that Bradford and Harrell have – but then turned right around and say Texas is the best team. Texas fans you have to make up your mind and stop making up ridiculous arguments!

    Report this comment

  • Matt said:

    Actually Texas is out of it. The only way they go to the BCS title is if OU or Tech lose in KC.

    Report this comment

  • GunsUp@TTU said:

    I am so tired of my Red Raiders being the proverbial step child. Thank you to all the fans from OU that are giving our team and our Coach Leach the respect we have earned. You beat us Saturday night, and you deserve our respect for that. I agree with Marsha. The Big 12 South is the POWERHOUSE of this conference, and we have earned the right to be recognized as such.

    Go Tech!! Beat Baylor

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  • Josh said:

    Everyone is talking about the three way tie situation but they fail to realize that there is still one game to go in the season. If Oklahoma goes to Stillwater and does not win then Tech would go to the Big 12 Championship game and they will still have a chance to make it the the National Championship game if they win they win the Big 12.

    The point I am trying to make is that the season is not close to over just yet and anything could happen.

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  • Josh said:

    If there is a 3 way tie then the team with the highest BCS rank will go to the Big 12 Championship. Right now that would be Texas. Just FYI if not known already.

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  • Josh said:

    I was listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning and they had Bob stoops on. He said that if the BCS is going off of logic and Texas is in front of Oklahoma then Tech should be in front of Texas. Bob Stoops is just another fan of the bid to get a playoff system going.

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  • James said:

    If Tech were to go to the big 12 title game and beat missouri I would think the voters would have a hard time choosing texas or texas tech. The only argument you can make is tech would be the big 12 champion and texas isn’t.

    Wreck em Tech!!

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  • JHMc said:

    Sorry Mike, the blowout by OU is what did you in, regardless of the rest of the season. It was bad.

    Report this comment

  • Josh said:

    I think the voters would have a hard time on not choosing a big 12 team. Even if it is Tech, Oklahoma, or Texas. I dont think there is any question that there will be two big 12 teams in the BSC games but which two. Right now it would Texas and Oklahoma.

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  • Tom said:

    Good points Josh.

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  • raiderinaggieland said:

    Gdog you are about as sharp as a marble. I think OU beat UT 66-10 not so long ago. But hey it was early in the season so you season was not lost.The Raiders have always been bad after a week off.Think of it gdog u got beat by tech a program that has to play with players for the most part UT,OU,and A&M did not want and year after year we win if not UT ,A&M, we beat OU think of last year we knocked them out of N.C. hunt so pay back is a b>>ch .Mike Leach a complainer do not make me laugh Mack brown does the same and so does Pete , If it does not go UT way r USC way they cry we take are loss for what it is a loss is loss you think you are a better 1 loss team than we are? we beat you that says no……you are a Tard. OU,TU and TT are all realy good teams and could beat each on any given day ,yes tech got blowed out but it seems to me they just did not show up to play, maybe if we had the same ref that UT did in Lubbock going for Tech in Norman maybe we could of got back in the game too is that what you want to hear????I think 1 loss is 1 loss I am no math major but 1 is 1.

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  • Josh said:

    When Texas lost to Tech everyone said that they were emotionally drained after playing three top 25 teams prior to that game. Tech also played three top 25 teams prior to the game against OU but nobody was talking about that.

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  • ERICA said:

    I SAY FORGET ALL THE BS, TECH IS # 1 ALL THE WAY

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  • BOOMSOON said:

    Josh, I was listening to Mike & Mike in the morning to. Did you hear stoops ask “When is Leach gona come back to Norman and get his a$$, we’ve been using it for kicking field goals at practice, 20 yarders of course, that’s a big ol a$$, but Crabtree’s and Harrels work really well for the 40 yarders” Can you believe this guy Stoops?

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  • BOOMSOON said:

    Erica, WRONG, tech is #7 LMAO

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  • chris said:

    How about this? How ’bout Texas going to Norman in November with the national title on the line? Not at a neutral site in October with six weeks for the loser to overcome its one loss? Tech’s win over Texas was no more fluky than UT’s over Oklahoma. The hard truth: neither Tech nor Texas belong in national title game. Neither are that good. OU still has to prove it is with two more tough games.

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  • James said:

    Chris not sure which college your for but, Tech and Texas are good. Thats what they are in the top 10.

    Wreck em!

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  • Dave Campo said:

    Football is a game that is played on the football field.. obviously

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  • Shane said:

    “Big Game Bob” will find a way to choke again before the season is over, and as long as it comes sometime in the next two weeks, Tech is still a good bet to get a BCS game, maybe not the Championship, but a matchup against Utah in Tempe would be a great way to spend new years. And finishing the season at 13-1 ranked in the top four would be a hell of a season.

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  • Baylor Girl said:

    Baylor will beat Texas Tech this weeekend!! 49-17. Go Bears!!! Roaaarrrr!!!

    Report this comment

  • Bert said:

    If our Sooners lose to the Cowboys on Saturday night, no team would be more deserving than Tech to represent the Big 12. I remember not so long ago, that it was Mike Leach who reminded Sooners that a football could travel through the air. We owe him respect for that.

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  • Gonzales said:

    Moving forward >>> I think to compete with the other 4 schools you speak of here, we need a DEFENSE !!! Leach is a Master this is proven … On “O” … But to WIN, here is the Thanksgiving ingredients :
    Fire Ruffin, Hire Brent Veneables, pay him what UT paid Muscamp, & give him the Head Job when Leach moves up to AD !!!
    Now that taste as good as PUMPKIN PIE !!!! Happy Turkey Day Every One !
    Wreck Em !!!

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  • Billy Brown said:

    AS A REAL TEXAN I’M JUST HAPPY TO SEE TWO TEXAS TEAMS AT THE TOP. LOVE THE HORNS, AND WHEN I’M NOT LOVING THEM I’M LOVING THE RAIDERS, SORRY AGS NO LOVE LEFT.

    HOOK EM HORNS……………….GUNS UP………………..OU $UCKS

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  • gdog 55 said:

    “RC on November 25th, 2008 10:19 am If your not a Tech fan…then what the he** are you doing on this board? Why do you even care to read about the Red Raiders and making comments about Leach? Do everyone a favor and go back to the trailer park and drink to “your” schools success….everyone loves a junior high champion”

    In response- very typical comments of some, not all, Tech fans. The reason i commented earlier, I opened the paper today (yes, I live in Lubbock), and the headline read that Tech was the best one-loss team. It got my attention, so I made a post above. I don’t fault Leach trying to rationalize the fact that Tech fell in the rankings, but there is no truth to the statements made.

    By the way, I have an autograph of Leach in my office, and it reminds me of why I support the “Evil Empire’ team from Austin.

    Oh by the way, how many hours ’till kickoff. I haven’t seen it this week!

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  • sooner3962 said:

    I really like Mike Leach and especially what he’s done for the Red Raiders. I do hope he continues to coach and improve his team. It would be great to have another high profile “rivalry” with Tech and OU. The best thing would be the respect the teams and coachs have for each other. I may be wrong, but I think even the fans respect each other. We all hate the refs….Go Raiders…

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  • Billy Brown said:

    sooner3962, Unfortunately, you do not speak for the majority of your fans who are the rudest, classless bunch I have ever encountered. They act rude even when they shouldn’t, not that there is ever a reason to act that way, but it’s just the way sooners are rude and classless. Sorry, but the truth hurts.

    HOOK EM HORNS

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  • Darrell said:

    I spent over 50 years in Lubbock, and the past 2 plus have been in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The problem for the Big 12 is sports writers from other conferences. There is a sports writer here who shows no respect for any Big 12 team – very bias. Actually he used to work with Don Williams at the A.J. It is people like him who have their favorites they vote for, which adds to the BCS mess. So many people who vote do not use any common sense, they see a score, in this case a blow out for OU, and they say – I told you so, without even considering all the factors. They forget where the game was played, revenge was a factor, and OU just played good – they will probably lose this weeekend to OSU. When any team gets on a roll during a big game, no one can stop them. Look what Tech did to OSU, and OSU is every bit as good as Tech. I say let one computer at the end of the season cast the final vote. It will consider every game, every team, every factor. It will realize who loses at home to unranked teams, and who loses on the road to the ones who are ranked. No more bias voters like the man down here.

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  • Red Raider John said:

    Losers who obviously have no life but to bag on tech because their team…the horns are screwed…if osu wins…no bcs title game and if ou wins…no bcs title game…deal with it….yes we won the game w/1 second left…but we owned you the whole game…that is why your loss to us is a big deal…and the win over ou @ a neutral site is weak…start playing ou in norman/austin every year then you can talk. leach did hhis job and i support him and his actions.

    loser ut fan posters…shouldn’t you be getting back to your online girldfriend or playing some tool video game.

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  • Red Raider John said:

    MDH48….obviously you have not looked into our program very deep and are some sort of bandwagon fan for ut/ou….we try to schedule solid non conf games….we had 2 d2 games this yr due to tulsa backing out on us…that and the program has a policy that if we are not paying you to come play it is a home and home 2 or 4 game series….other schools won’t come play us because they are scarred of the jones and we were not a big enough name for some schools to come play…is suspect that after this year you will see some bigger name schools being more willing to play us in the future….so take your lame sos excuse and shove it…every school has one or two d2 games….florida just had citadel…did anyone give them a hard time? what about the direction louisiana that ut plays…evey school does it to have that 7th home game for $$$.

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  • Red Raider John said:

    Baylor Girl…I thought they didn’t allow alcohol down there…cuz you’ve obviously gotten smashed to make an obsured statemetn like that….look you are no long the cellar dwellar/doormat for big 12 south…but you will not beat us…why don’t you go sober up and get ready for the thrashing we are gonna put on you and look forward to womens basketball…something you are really good at.

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  • Colby said:

    All these OU and Texas fans can come in here and try to tear our season apart, critize Leach, and our football program but for what Coach Leach has to work with, he’s probably done the best out of all the Big 12. Check Techs bowl history…most bowl appearances than any other team in the Big 12 since its conception. All of this done with walk-ons and rarely more than 3 star athletes. Stoops and Brown are amazing coaches but its far easier when you have the best of the best to work with. Does any non-Tech fan realize what Tech can do with “the unwanted”. Wes Welker? He couldnt make the team at OU or Texas. They said he was to slow and small. Harrell didnt have the “will to run” for Texas. Some of the best players from Tech were turned away by OU and Texas 1st. Texas, OU, and A&M get most of the 4 and 5 star players within Texas. OU’s team is virtually all from Texas….10-1….are STILL in the Big 12, NC contention discussion, and look at our wins….wow…Think of it this way, at the beginning of season this year, if someone told you, if you’d take being 10-1 right now, how would you feel? In retrospect, this year has been worth it and I’ll gladly take this every season. By the way, no one in the country….no1, would have won at Norman Saturday night. We couldnt function, score was bad, but it was functionality not ALL talent based. And wheres the Big 12 sign up sheet to play to never play at Norman again??? Can one of you Texas fans get Mack to fax that to me? Thanks…also, I respect both teams, no trash talking, no complaining….just a real fan.
    Wreck Em..

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  • REDHOT said:

    Tech should not have fallen as far in the rankings. At what point does a team like Tech get the same shot that Colorado, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, etc to play in a national title game? I know that a few things have to happen, but I think that the NCAA has a predetermined view (select teams) on who they want to play for the title. Colorado, with one loss, won a national title basically because they finally beat Nebraska (they split it with Georgia Tech who only had one tie). Remember when ND beat Florida State in 93, but lost to Boston College? ND defeated Texas A&M (undefeated) but the National title was given to Fla State (All year, the NCAA wanted them to win the title – at least, that was the feeling). My point is, OU might lose, Tech would win the south, hopefully defeat Mizzu, but could actually be left out of the BCS title game…why? Because the NCAA wants to see Texas vs USC, FLA, ALA. I think that is wrong. Tech does have the best one-loss resume…period. If they win the Big 12, they should face the SEC champ. USC is good, but they run the risk of actually LOSING the Pac-10 to Oregon State. You just never know how a team will play in a bowl game. Yes, OU killed Tech in Norman, but those same Sooners were defeated by a good Texas team that really should have been blown out by Tech. It just goes in circles. The NCAA should encourage a little parody in college sports and embrace a non-traditional powerhouse in the BCS title game. Give Leach a month to prepare for any team…I like Tech’s chances. This is all moot if OU wins. If they lose and Tech rolls, Tech and Texas should be BCS bound with the Raiders playing for the Natl. title. I know…Tech got blasted, but a loss is a loss. If you have never played the game, you wouldn’t know that.
    Wreck Em

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  • REDHOT said:

    BTW, Red Raider John is right. I played during a span when we had to Travel to Penn State, Arizona State, and Tennessee (both top 10 teams). I also remember Tech going to Columbus to play. Teams won’t come play us in Lubbock. We want to set up Home at Home series with teams (ie Tulsa, Arkansas, Arizona, Kentucky, just to name a few) Most schools outside of Notre Dame (independent) don’t play a full slate of Power houses because their Conferences are tough enough. Also, those “little” schools are getting better by playing the big dogs. I think our strength of schedule was 8th in the current BCS. Whatever it is, it is not “easy”. OSU, KU, NU, UT, OU hopefully MIZZU…tough road to travel.

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  • Texas Born said:

    Losses
    Oklahoma: The Sooners twice led the Longhorns by 11 points and had an eight-point lead in the third quarter at the Cotton Bowl. But Texas scored two touchdowns in the game’s final 7:37 to win 45-35 in Dallas. The Longhorns beat a No. 1 Oklahoma team for the first time since a 28-7 victory in 1963. It also was the first time the Sooners had lost a regular-season game under Stoops when scoring at least 35 points.

    Texas: The No. 1 Longhorns trailed then-No. 7 Texas Tech 19-0 in the first half and 22-6 at the half in Lubbock, Texas, on Nov. 1. The Longhorns rallied and took a 33-32 lead on Vondrell McGee’s 4-yard touchdown run with 1:29 to play. But after Texas dropped what would have been a game-clinching interception, the Red Raiders won 39-33 on Graham Harrell’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with one second left.

    Texas Tech: There’s no other way to say it: The Red Raiders were embarrassed by Oklahoma on Saturday night. The 65-21 loss was the second-worst defeat ever by a No. 2-ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Texas Tech avoided the worst defeat by a No. 2 team when Harrell threw a 27-yard touchdown to Detron Lewis with 11 seconds to play.

    Advantage: Texas. (The Sooners lost on a neutral field; Texas lost on the road.)

    Victories
    Oklahoma: The Sooners have a couple of very impressive nonconference wins. Oklahoma beat Cincinnati 52-26 in Norman on Sept. 6. The Bearcats are 9-2 and one victory away from winning the Big East title. The Sooners also walloped TCU 35-10 in Norman on Sept. 27. The Horned Frogs finished the regular season with a 10-2 record and are No. 14 in the BCS standings.

    Texas: Along with beating Oklahoma, Texas hammered Big 12 North champion Missouri 56-31 in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns beat Oklahoma State 28-24 and won at Kansas 35-7.

    Texas Tech: Texas Tech beat Nevada 35-19 and SMU 43-7. Along with beating the Longhorns, the Red Raiders crushed Oklahoma State 56-20 and won at Kansas 63-21 in Big 12 play.

    Advantage: Texas. (The Sooners would have four very impressive victories if they beat Oklahoma State. But the Longhorns would have the only victory that matters — a win over the Sooners.)

    Strength of schedule
    Oklahoma: Two of Oklahoma’s 10 victories came against two of the worst teams in college football. The Sooners beat Chattanooga (a 1-11 FCS program) in their Aug. 30 opener and also defeated Washington, which just lost to Washington State to fall to 0-11. Oklahoma didn’t play Big 12 North champion Missouri during conference play. The Sooners’ 11 opponents have a combined record of 66-58.

    Texas: The Longhorns didn’t play an FCS opponent and beat UTEP 42-13 on the road. They also beat defending Sun Belt champion Florida Atlantic 52-10 and Rice 52-10. The Owls are 8-3 and are still in contention to play for the Conference USA championship. Texas beat an SEC opponent, Arkansas, 52-10. The Longhorns’ 11 opponents have a combined record of 79-54.

    Texas Tech: The Red Raiders had no margin for error because they played two FCS opponents, beating Eastern Washington 49-24 and Massachusetts 56-14. Texas Tech’s 11 opponents have a combined record of 71-52.

    Advantage: Texas. (No FCS opponents were on the schedule, and it played Missouri.)

    Oklahoma is the hot team as the regular season comes to an end. But Texas is a better team.

    The Longhorns have already proved it on the field.

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  • Richard Bull said:

    Hey Red Raider John, The Citadel is D1, they are AA but D1. Go Gators – the best 1 loss team.

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  • REDHOT said:

    RB – The Gators are playing the best football in right now, but that does not always mean that they should play for the national title. They lost to a bad team…at home. We got throttled by a very good team…at home, that lost to a good team on a neutral field, that lost to a good team, on the road, with a second to play, in a game that they should have been blown out in. With that being said, FLA should have no prob with FLAst and ALA…win those games and NO DOUBT, they should be playing in the NC against the Big 12 Champion (unless it is Mizzou….)
    Wreck Em

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  • Pete Storseth (Author) said:

    gdog, Leach is not complaining. He is a member on the polls and stating how he votes.
    As for your point about the scoring margins on the three head to head matchups, we know. We saw the games and have not forgotten. It is obvious that OU is above Tech. Texas too, in a way.
    But My main concern is how the BCS screwed Tech back into UT/OU shadows. At the end of the season, all three teams assumed to be 11-1 are equal in records.

    good call Marsha, if OU and UT did not play on neutral fields, it would be a different outcome. Maybe Tech should demand neutral field for all games to do with UT/OU.

    thanks Bert. I wish the polls thought your way. If OU loses, Tech deserves the Big 12 championship.

    billy brown, what planet are you on? Texas is #2, Oklahoma is #3.
    Tech is #7 thanks to OU. So one texas team is in the top 5.

    As for the most recent posts, one loss teams and undefeated teams. Great list of teams. UT, OU, Tech, Bama, Florida
    How are we #7 Penn St, USC

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  • Pete Storseth (Author) said:

    and Utah….????
    How are we the only Big 12 or SEC one loss team below undefeated Utah?

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