Guaranteed to make David Flick a happy guy

[William Thornton]

...Cowboys, Pokes, OSU 49 - TCU Ugly Toads 29

[David Flick]

[William Thornton]

The Pokes are my team from here to the playoffs...maybe then, too.

[Sandy]

Baylor and OSU are probably the only two Big 12 teams left that still have a shot at the final four. Clemson's cream pie schedule pretty much guaranteed them a spot in the final four with an unbeaten season. That means someone from one of the other power conferences will have to be left out, and the committee is stacked for the SEC, so even an Alabama team that has one loss to an Ole Miss team that just can't be puffed up and inflated into a real opponent any more still has a shot.

It's amazing how the Big 12 schedule has come down to the contenders all having to play each other in the last three weeks of the season to see how it turns out. It will have to be Baylor or OSU to win out in order for a Big 12 team to get into the final four. I would certainly think that OSU, if it wins out, would be better at 12-0 than an 11-1 Alabama, or anyone else with one loss, but that stacked committee is probably not going to think so, and regardless, they wouldn't move an unbeaten OSU ahead of an unbeaten Clemson or Ohio State. Seeing the way that committee goes, I wouldn't be surprised to see a 12-0 Baylor or OSU get bumped by an 11-1 Notre Dame or LSU team.

[Joseph Patrick]

From Joseph Patrick...aka Gerry Milligan

It is good that one member of Baptist Life is happy with the outcome of Saturday's game because this member has almost reached the pit of clinical depression. The performance by TCU reminded me of how bad our teams were in the 70's, 80's and on...But as a native born Okie, I will continue to root for the pokes in their remaining games.

[Sandy]

On committee bias, and why Oklahoma State or Baylor may not make the final four even if they win out.
http://www.foxsports.com/watch/the-herd ... erd-111115

[KeithE]

Stanford should make the Final Four if they win out. But they gotta win against Oregon, Cal (no slouch this year), Notre Dame and PAC12 Southern Div winner to do so. Not likely. They will richly deserve it if they do.

That will make me a happy guy.

[David Flick]

[KeithE]

Let’s say Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State all win out and make the Final Four.

And say Stanford also wins out beating Notre Dame.

Now if either Baylor or Oklahoma State wins out, I’d say they should get the nod over the once beaten Stanford.

Who knows we may have another Global Warming Bowl.

[Sandy]

I think the issue of not having a playoff hurts the Big 12, as does the fact that it is a smaller league, and everyone plays nine conference games, as opposed to the SEC and ACC, who, in spite of the size of their leagues, only play eight. That also means that the Pac-12 champion has had to play 10 league opponents because of the championship game. Of course, there's no predicting how the teams will actually finish, so the game by game knockout that the top Big 12 teams have to run every week here at the end of the season is an added pressure.

Clemson's in a cream-puff league, with an even more embarrassingly easy non-league schedule. They really shouldn't be in consideration, even unbeaten, and probably wouldn't be if it weren't for their very narrow, referee-assisted win over Notre Dame. They saw what was needed to be a contender, got the Irish on their schedule, and if they can hold off North Carolina's offense, they're in. Unless Alabama stubs its toe against Mississippi State, Auburn or Florida, all basically cream puff teams, they're in too. Ohio State has a tough road ahead with Michigan State at home, and Michigan on the road, plus the championship game. If it finishes out with Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama, then I think either Baylor or Oklahoma State can get in if they win out, but that's probably the only way. I'd have been pretty confident that Baylor could win out if Seth Russell had stayed healthy. If Stidham can step up to that level, they will be hard to beat. He did well last week, but that's still a big "if".

[KeithE]

Stanford lost and Baylor lost. Guess David is a happy man.

[David Flick]

[Sandy]

The advantage that OSU has is that both games, Baylor and Oklahoma, are in Stillwater. Home field means a lot there.

It is still quite possible for a couple of well placed upsets to throw the whole playoff into confusion. It's that time of year when some of those mid level teams have improved a lot, and they pull upsets, as do teams in rivarly games. Expanding this thing by one more week, one more game, eight teams, would work, and it would provide a more legitimate path to a real national championship.

[Stephen Fox]

Only thing that mattes now is somebody takes out Bam and the Sabanites.

I hope its Clemson and Dabo throws thekitchen sink in the third quarter. Dabo is a godly mand and God is on his side cause the fundies are out of control in Bama!!!

[KeithE]