Three days after Black Sunday, Texas still has options.
One is a long shot: 16-point underdog Missouri upsetting Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game.
The other is intriguing: The Associated Press media poll.
The oldest and most respected human poll -- there's two adjectives you don't see associated with the BCS -- potentially gives the Longhorns hope. Even if, as expected, Oklahoma beats Missouri on Saturday, Texas is still in the running for a championship -- a split national championship.
The coaches poll voters are locked into picking the winner of the BCS title game as their No. 1. Not so in the AP, which remains gloriously independent. It was that independence that allowed AP to right one of the biggest wrongs of the BCS era in 2003. USC was No. 1 in the polls but only No. 3 in the BCS that year. LSU beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl to win the BCS title. USC beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl to finish No. 1 in AP and gain the first split national championship since 1997.
If Oklahoma wins the BCS title game and Texas beats (most likely) Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, there could be an emotional swing in the AP poll to reward the 'Horns. There was a little of that last week when Texas passed Oklahoma in AP despite playing a weaker opponent (Texas A&M) than the Sooners (then-No. 11 Oklahoma State).
With the possibility of seven one-loss teams lurking near the top of the polls at the end of the season, the deciding factor could be the same one that was ignored in the BCS standings: On Oct. 11, Texas beat Oklahoma on the field.
"I've thought about it, absolutely," said Jimmy Burch, an AP voter from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Texas is currently third in AP, eight points ahead of No. 4 Oklahoma. The best case for Texas would be for No. 2 Florida to beat No. 1 Alabama in Saturday's SEC Championship Game. If that happens, and Oklahoma beats Missouri, here's how the AP poll could change:
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| Mack Brown still has a shot at title No. 2 in Texas. (AP) |
1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
Projected Dec. 7
1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
If that's the case, get ready for more flyovers, more TV appearances and more campaigning by Texas. Voters would be reminded all month, once again, that Texas beat Oklahoma on the field.
The possibility of its game gaining importance has at least crossed the minds of Fiesta Bowl officials. Fiesta executive director John Junker had to choose his words carefully, though. Sure, it would be great for his game to have a hand in a national championship but he's not going to say that publicly just yet.
"It's not our claim to make," Junker said of a possible split champion. "We're always in the interests of the student-athlete. That's not up to us, it's up to AP and other people who award trophies."
Like USC in 2003, Texas is being viewed as a victim. How much of that emotion is left after Saturday is the question. If Oklahoma routs Missouri, setting up a Big 12-SEC national championship game, Texas might fall out of the conversation.
It won't help the 'Horns' case that they would be playing No. 10 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, the Buckeyes are Big Ten co-champions, but they're still the Buckeyes -- recent big bowl disappointments.
"I'm not sure Texas could lay a big enough number on Ohio State," one AP voter said.
For the rest of the national notes read Dennis Dodd's blog, Dodds and Ends.
