In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS

Oklahoma has the early advantage in its Sunday BCS showdown with Texas. It is a significant one.

The Sooners moved past Texas in the Sagarin Rankings, one of six computers used to determine the BCS standings. Jeff Sagarin was the first of the computer masters to post their updated rankings. Oklahoma moved from No. 4 to No. 1 in Sagarin while Texas dropped from No. 1 to No. 2.

What does that mean? Plenty. OU has a .0150 of a point lead over Texas now in Jerry Palm's CollegeBCS.com BCS standings estimate posted early Sunday. Texas came into Saturday with a .0084 lead over Oklahoma in the official BCS standings. The highest ranked team of the two in Sunday's BCS standings will play in the Big 12 championship game against Missouri on Saturday.

Win that and either Oklahoma or Texas could play for the national championship against the Alabama/Florida winner in the SEC championship game.

There is still a long way to go Sunday but momentum seems to be building behind the Sooners who made their final regular-season statement in a 61-41 over No. 11 Oklahoma State. BCSguru.com, another website dedicated to BCS analysis but with no input into the system, projected Sunday that Oklahoma would finish ahead of Texas.

Still to weigh in, the five other computer indexes and the two human polls that comprise the BCS -- the Harris and coaches polls.

Here is a very preliminary look by Palm at the top five posted on his site Sunday morning.

1. Alabama, .9839
2. Oklahoma, .9325
3. Texas, .9175
4. Florida, .8988
5. USC, .8107

Breakdown of the Big 12 South three-way tie as of Sunday morning:

Texas (11-1, 7-1)

Why they're in this position: Blake Gideon, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree.

Texas had Tech beat in Lubbock until it gave the ball back with 1:29 left in the Nov. 1 game. Harrell was able to drive the team down for the game-winning touchdown with one second left. But that was only after Gideon, a Texas defensive back, dropped a tipped pass that would have ended Tech's drive.

Crabtree made an amazing catch against double coverage and tight-roped the sidelines into the end zone for a 39-33 victory.

Ranked teams beaten (ranking at time of kickoff): No. 1 Oklahoma 45-35; No. 11 Missouri 56-31; No. 7 Oklahoma State 28-24.

Common opponent with other two teams: Defeated Kansas 35-7, defeated Texas A&M 49-9, defeated Oklahoma State 28-24, defeated Baylor 45-21.

Schedule strength (Sagarin): No. 12 (down from No. 5 last week)

BCS ranking: No. 2

Argument for: Defeated three teams ranked in the top 11, including No. 1 Oklahoma. Colt McCoy is this year's version of Tim Tebow leading the Horns in rushing and passing. Will Muschamp's defense might not be impressive statistically but it is a big play group and is coming off its best performance of the season against Kansas.

Oh, also beat Oklahoma head-to-head by 10 on a neutral field on Oct. 11.

Argument against: Not much of one except that it didn't play on Saturday while Oklahoma got all the national love. If Texas doesn't get to the Big 12 title game it will be because of a six-point loss on the road with one second left against Texas Tech.

Texas Tech (11-1, 7-1)

Why they're in this position: Worst game of the season came at the worst possible time. Technically, Tech is involved in the three-way tie but its 44-point loss at Oklahoma on Nov. 22 seems to have eliminated it from division title consideration.

Ranked teams beaten (ranking at time of kickoff): No. 19 Kansas 63-21; No. 1 Texas 39-33; No. 8 Oklahoma State 56-20.

Common opponent with other two teams: Defeated Kansas 63-21, defeated Oklahoma State, 56-20, defeated Texas A&M 43-25, defeated Baylor 35-28.

Schedule strength (Sagarin): No. 26 (down from No. 19 last week)

BCS ranking: No. 7

Argument for: Defeated No. 1 (Texas), sports a Heisman frontrunner (Harrell) and the nation's best receiver (Crabtree). But there's more than this high-flying offense. Texas Tech has been well -rounded most of the season with a serviceable running game and effective defense. Until Saturday.

Argument against: You can't lose by 44 on national television on Nov. 22 and expect to play for a national championship, much less a Big 12 title.

Oklahoma (11-1, 7-1)

Why they're in this position: Colt McCoy. Texas' quarterback had a career day on Oct. 11. The Sooners led by five with 12 minutes but were outscored 15-0 down the stretch the day in beating Oklahoma.

The result created a firestorm that isn't going to quiet down anytime soon.

Ranked teams beaten (ranked at the time of kickoff): No. 24 TCU, 35-10; No. 2 Texas Tech, 65-21.

Common opponent with other two teams: Defeated Kansas 45-31, defeated Baylor 49-17, defeated Texas A&M 66-28, defeated Oklahoma State 61-41.

Schedule strength (Sagarin): No. 17 (up from No. 26 last week)

BCS ranking: No. 3

Argument for: Playing the best right now. OU has laid waste to its opponents since losing to Texas. It has won successive games by 14, 23, 34, 38, 44 and 20 points.

Sam Bradford leads the country in touchdown passes (44) and seems to be the new Heisman leader.

Argument against: Beat Tech which beat Texas which beat Oklahoma. Oh no, here we go again.

tornadob Since: Oct 19, 2008	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:15 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS for all those doubting the Big 12 and their defenses... Georgia Tech... an ACC team beat the almighty Georgia Bulldogs handily.(they scored 45 on al almighty SEC defense) Florida and Alabama fans were both talking about how Georgia is so great and they beat them. I'm sorry but those games hold no credit now that an ACC team beat them... Both of those teams need to shut up My predictions play out like this -- OU in the Big 12 game and NC after defeating Miss USC has to be sent to the Rose Bowl now against Penn State Texas and Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl-(God I hope this happens... i would love to see this matchup) Ohio State- Utah VT- Cinnci [ Reply to Comment ]
EphSooner Since: Apr 5, 2008	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:13 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS Dodd says "Texas had Tech beat in Lubbock until it gave the ball back with 1:29 left in the Nov. 1 game." NOT SO. Tech had Texas beat until Texas scored with 1:29 left in the game. Tech led for 58 minutes, then Texas took a brief lead before Tech finished them off. This was not a last-second fluke win by Tech, no matter how much the Texas apologists try to spin it so. [ Reply to Comment ]
GAP618 Since: Oct 19, 2007	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:06 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS Check this out, if.... Texas played Tech again, Texas would win; OU played Texas again, OU would win; but if Tech played OU again OU would still win. The season is not defined by one game where OU was not on top of there game, but by a season where OU has been on top primarily in dominating fashion. 2 out of 3 times the outcome would have been different down in Dallas. As far as Stoops loosing in big bowl games, yes lately that has been the case, but what about when he did win a National Championship against FSU. He can win and has a good chance to win against Bama/FL, probably FL. Just get by Mizzou and practice D/ST, obviously teams know OU's weekness. Time to step it up a notch and win the NC!!! [ Reply to Comment ]
GOLFADX18 Since: Sep 7, 2007	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:06 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS According to Sagarin, Texas had a more difficult SOS (Strength of Schedule) so a major part of your arguement is flawed. If we are going to be stuck with the BCS System, then what all the BCS conferences need to do is eliminate the 2 divisions and play every team in their conference and have only 1 or 2 Non-conference game. This way every team has played each team within their conference all all the nonsense about being able to schedule quality non-conference opponents is thrown out the window. Subsequently, you also eliminate the inferior match-ups of a weaker division champion playing a stronger division champion. The team with the best conference record represents their conference in a BCS Bowl game.....period! With that said, the BCS System and the overall landscape of collegiate football is a SHAM!!! If an overhaul of the BCS System isn't performed during the next 3 years, to be in effect by 2014, the CASH that drives the current system will be dried up and the TV and advertising dollars will be diverted to other sources. Then the NCAA and the universities will have a real mess on their hands because the majority of programs will have operating shortfalls and thus the demise of NCAA sports as we currently know it today! Will the NCAA and collegiate football survive, sure it will, but the landscape will be entirely different then we know it today. [ Reply to Comment ]
Texas Dolphin Since: Aug 30, 2006	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:05 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS Russki516: Are you kidding me? You beat a Mountain West team and Big East team and you think that makes for a stronger schedule??? Given that, your strength of schedule is still lower than Texas' SOS... And to answer your question as to who Texas beat....Texas beat OU...that's who Texas beat...OU...by 10....if that doesn't count for anything then why in the world even bother playing the game... You don't get a do-over when the outcome doesn't suit you....head to head..45-35.... [ Reply to Comment ]
jhall2323 Since: Dec 1, 2006	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:03 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS Just a couple things: As a Sooner fan of course I hope they advance to the Big 12 Championship game. If they don't I certainly won't feel cheated. In my opinion I think Texas deserves it more simply because they beat OU head to head, but I'm not going to let that get in the way of me being thrilled if/when the Sooners are named the Big 12 South representative later today. Regardless of who goes they still have to beat a Missouri team in KC that will be up and ready to avenge a humiliating loss vs. Kansas yesterday. Should Missouri win the Big 12 title, according to Jerry Palm, the other South team (OU/Texas) will end up in the BCS title game anyway, so even after things are announced later today the opportunity to win it all will still be there for both teams. The only thing that is official is that the National Champion will come from either the SEC or the Big 12. It is a 4 horse race at this point. Go Sooners... but if you don't make it then rest assured I will become a Texas fan for one night as they prepare to pound either Bama or Florida! [ Reply to Comment ]
Bretticus Since: Apr 15, 2008	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:02 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS No matter what happens, congratulations are in order for the Big 12 this year. What a year this has been! It'll be close for OU and UT. There still is a possiblitly that OU goes to the Big 12 title game and not the BCS NC. How does Mack Brown explain that to his athletes? Not a job I want to have right now, but fun to watch nonetheless. Hook 'em [ Reply to Comment ]
wdf888 Since: Jan 20, 2008	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:01 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS How is it Stoops falt that a simple hand off to the tailback happend to shread the defence for a score? He didnt call a pass in that final drive all off tackle plays. [ Reply to Comment ]
rrs51377 Since: Dec 15, 2006	Posted on: November 30, 2008 11:00 am In early returns Sunday, OU leads Texas in BCS Also, there's another factor that might influence the final standings significantly--Florida. Remember, Florida is still behind Oklahoma in the coaches poll, but put together a far more impressive victory--to me at least--against Florida State. It's quite possible that Florida could take votes away from OU in the coaches poll, thus mitigating the gains OU makes on Texas in the computers. We'll find out soon enough. [ Reply to Comment ]
Sooners971 Since: Nov 26, 2006	Posted on: November 30, 2008 10:59 am This comment has been removed. Post Deleted by Administrator

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