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Nebraska 20- Oklahoma 10 Part 1 of a Trilogy? by Justin Waganer Senior Sports Writer October 28, 2001
Oklahoma and Nebraska played a great, defensive battle on Saturday that ended in a 20-10 victory for the Huskers, but just how much was riding on this game? Is it the first of a trilogy? At this point your best response is probably, huh? Let me explain.
The preliminary Bowl Championship Ratings are out on CollegeBCS.com, the unofficial BCS site that is right except for two computer rankings that aren't released until the BCS is on Monday, Nebraska has taken the #1 spot and the Sooners could be #2. Believe it or not, the exact rule that was instituted to make amends for leaving Miami out of the championship last year is what may kill them this year. The quality win component, that would have put Miami in the Orange Bowl last year, is what may keep the 'Canes out of the championship even with an undefeated season.
The quality win component is figured by your victories over Top 15 opponents in the BCS, not the other polls, just the BCS. You receive 1.5 points for beating the #1 team in the BCS, 1.4 for beating #2, etc. These are figured by where that team is at the end of the season, not where they are now or when you beat them. For instance, Oklahoma gets 1.1 bonus quality win points because of their victory over Texas who is projected at #5 in the BCS, but if Texas was to lose and drop to #11 in the BCS at the end of the season OU would get only .5 points.
With two computers yet to figure in to the ratings, Oklahoma appears to have a little over a 2 point lead over Miami as the Sooners have just below 7 points and the Hurricanes have just over 9. The official BCS tomorrow may have these two closer together, but it would take a giant fall in those computers by Oklahoma to put them at #3. At this point it appears Michigan will be #4 and Texas #5, both having around 13 to 15 points.
Even if Miami is ahead of Oklahoma tomorrow it would be by a very slim margin and Oklahoma would have a much better chance of gaining points by the end of the season. For example, Oklahoma could gain points by Texas continuing to rise in the BCS, the Horns already make up the cushion for Oklahoma by reducing OU's score by 1.1 points, and giving the Sooners a bigger bonus for quality wins. Or Oklahoma could pass Florida by gaining more votes in the coach's poll, giving OU another half-point. However, the biggest would be beating Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship and gaining another 1.4 or 1.5 bonus points in the quality win component.
Confused yet? Well put this in your computer and, well, compute it. Even if Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Miami win out, then Oklahoma beats Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship game we could have OU-NU again in the Rose Bowl. Why? The strength of schedule would likely by 1 and 2, as would computer rankings, and both would have big quality win bonus points and Miami would still have mediocre strength of schedule and computer rankings with no quality wins (if they beat Virginia Tech and Washington it would likely knock them both out of the Top 15.)
Want more? Be prepared, the following statement may provide blisters in the side of your mouth by excessive rubbing of the tongue. How lucky is college football to have the BCS and more importantly, how lucky is Oklahoma to have the Big 12 Championship? It's really not fair to the other conferences for Oklahoma to have this opportunity to move in to the national championship game by winning a conference championship that others don't get. Furthermore, when are the other sports going to join the real world and drop those pointless playoffs and get a BCS system of their own, long live Roy Kramer!
Ok, now that we've covered the mass hysteria that is college football, I bid you adieu. "There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. "- Oscar Wilde
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