🏈 Just some food for thought on this Okie State debate

['65 Cobra]

I've heard all this whining from the Okie St. side about how they've played more ranked teams and that they are more deserving. Let's set the record straight on a few things. First, however, let's keep in mind that the Big 12 had no championship game this year, so they scheduled some games during championship game week to appear still relevant. If OK. St. had beaten Oklahoma the last week of the regular season - the same weekend we beat the snot out of Auburn - we wouldn't be having a debate. So starting with the fact that both teams are 11-1, let's consider some other relevant facts.

On ranked teams - I've heard numerous OSU fans whine how they've played more ranked teams. The facts:
- Current BCS ranked teams: OSU - 4; Bama - 4
- Teams ranked in top 25 at the time of the game during regular season: OSU - 4; Bama - 5

On Bowl Teams - Perhaps more indicative is looking at opponents playing in bowl games - REAL bowl games; not joke bowl games. So, looking at significant bowl games (those played on or after New Year's Eve) in which regular season opponents appear:
- OSU - 2
- Bama - 6

Team Defense and Team Offense Stats - in looking at "deserving" let's see how the teams rank overall in the main offensive and defensive categories to see who is really most deserving:

Total Defense - this is obviously a Bama strength, but let's see just how big the Bama-OSU gap is
- Bama - 1
- OSU - 107(!!)
- LSU (2)
Total gap between Bama and OSU - 106(!!) OSU is not even in the top 100 in total defense. Are you kidding?

Total Offense - this is obviously an OSU strength, but let's look at that gap
- OSU - 3
- Bama - 30
- LSU - 70
Total gap between Bama and OSU - 27

If we look at scoring defense and scoring offense, OSU catches up a bit on the defense side, BUT we catch up even more on the offense side.

Scoring Defense
- Bama -1
- OSU - 61
- LSU - 2
Total gap between Bama and OSU - 60. OSU is not as bad here but still not even in the top 50 in scoring defense

Scoring Offense
- OSU - 2
- Bama - 18
- LSU - 13
Total gap between Bama and OSU - 16. Even in their highest ranking category, the gap is only 16 places.

If you take all the whining and emotion out of the debate. Is it really even close? Maybe people don't like a re-match, but the system is currently set up to pit the best two teams against each other. Looks like the system worked.

PS - Oh, and by the way, they just release the Coach's All-America team. Interested in how many players each school has on there?
Bama - 5
OSU - 3
LSU - 1

 

[BamaCore]

I wish I could hit that thanks button 10 times. Fantastic post and good stuff. Everyone needs to see this.

 

[TheChief]

Agreed. Great post

 

[bamafan4ever]

Very good research!

 

[alabama mike]

Now that is what I call a very interesting read, thanks for all the info.

 

[Roll Tide Rev]

Very awesome! Thanks for putting that together.

 

['65 Cobra]

My Pleasure. Apparently, the latest is now everybody crying because Saban voted OSU 4th. I actually agree with that ranking. I think Stanford should be #3. They are also 11-1, their only loss came against Oregon which is ranked #5 (who did OSU lose to again? Oh yeah, Iowa St. - not ranked), they ended their season a week earlier beating then ranked Notre Dame - they just didn't have the extra week of drama like OSU got, AND they were ranked higher than OSU to begin with! Stanford was #4 in the Coaches poll and #3 in the Harris. Same record, just not as much hype, I would've voted Stanford #3 also. Plus 5 other coaches apparently agreed.

 

[Crimson&WhiteGecko]

BTW, how did OSU do against the teams that are ranked before & after the BCS standings?

FWIW, most folks are confirming 'Bama is the best team to play them, after the hysteria has settled some. But they seem to be hung up on the fact that if Bama wins then they are tied for the season. Not ahead.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Saban knows more about football than the people whining

 

[BamaFan615]

Also heard on the radio earlier that the opening line in Vegas for the BAMA-LSU game was 1.5 in favor of LSU, but went on the say that had Okie State been the one playing LSU the spread would have opened up at 8.5 in favor of LSU. Take is for what it's worth, but I think that's pretty telling in itself.

Okie State has a good team, they just don't have what championships are made of, defense.

Also, I think it's worth noting that the BAMA-LSU game is now considered a pick 'em at the current moment.

 

[CrimsonPirate]

I'd love to post that for some of my LSU friends. Is there a link to the info?

 

[Argo]

I'd love to post that for some of my LSU friends. Is there a link to the info?

http://rolltidebama.com/forum/showt...me-food-for-thought-on-this-Okie-State-debate

 

[CrimsonPirate]

http://rolltidebama.com/forum/showt...me-food-for-thought-on-this-Okie-State-debate

No. I mean, is there a link to where the info originally came from? Or was it just research by '65 Cobra?

 

[Cowboys_4Ever]

No way you can even compare the defensive numbers of a team who doesn't play anybody that has an offense with a team who plays in the Big 12. Guarantee if Alabama was in the Big 12 they would see a drastic change in yards/points allowed. Would Alabama be the best defense in the Big 12? Sure, probably, but they would also have the worst offense.

As for offensive stats, I must say I'm impressed you were able to score big points on powerhouse teams like Kent State, North Texas, and Georgia Southern. Almost as impressed as I am with Georgia Southern scoring 21 points on your vaunted D

 

[BamaCore]

No way you can even compare the defensive numbers of a team who doesn't play anybody that has an offense with a team who plays in the Big 12. Guarantee if Alabama was in the Big 12 they would see a drastic change in yards/points allowed. Would Alabama be the best defense in the Big 12? Sure, probably, but they would also have the worst offense.

As for offensive stats, I must say I'm impressed you were able to score big points on powerhouse teams like Kent State, North Texas, and Georgia Southern. Almost as impressed as I am with Georgia Southern scoring 21 points on your vaunted D

Try to spin it any which way you want to make yourself feel better about being left out but anyone who's paid attention to college football in the last five years knows what would happen if Oklahoma State were to go at it with a team with a caliber defense such as Alabama or LSU. How many times do we have to watch these "high powered offenses" get utterly shut down by an SEC defense? Alabama has a Heisman finalist caliber RB, to say they would have the worst offense in the Big 12 is ridiculous and only goes to show your homerism. Where's the proof? I'm sorry you got left out, but man up.

 

[Cowboys_4Ever]

Also heard on the radio earlier that the opening line in Vegas for the BAMA-LSU game was 1.5 in favor of LSU, but went on the say that had Okie State been the one playing LSU the spread would have opened up at 8.5 in favor of LSU. Take is for what it's worth, but I think that's pretty telling in itself.

Okie State has a good team, they just don't have what championships are made of, defense.

Also, I think it's worth noting that the BAMA-LSU game is now considered a pick 'em at the current moment.

I like how at 1.5 the opening line is the same as the over/under

 

[Southern Bama]

No way you can even compare the defensive numbers of a team who doesn't play anybody that has an offense with a team who plays in the Big 12. Guarantee if Alabama was in the Big 12 they would see a drastic change in yards/points allowed. Would Alabama be the best defense in the Big 12? Sure, probably, but they would also have the worst offense.

As for offensive stats, I must say I'm impressed you were able to score big points on powerhouse teams like Kent State, North Texas, and Georgia Southern. Almost as impressed as I am with Georgia Southern scoring 21 points on your vaunted D

Too bad yall couldnt run up some points on that Iowa State Powerhouse................:nana:

 

[Cowboys_4Ever]

Try to spin it any which way you want to make yourself feel better about being left out but anyone who's paid attention to college football in the last five years knows what would happen if Oklahoma State were to go at it with a team with a caliber defense such as Alabama or LSU. How many times do we have to watch these "high powered offenses" get utterly shut down by an SEC defense? Alabama has a Heisman finalist caliber RB, to say they would have the worst offense in the Big 12 is ridiculous and only goes to show your homerism. Where's the proof? I'm sorry you got left out, but man up.

It's not spin, it's just facts. Playing in the mighty SEC is not a prerequisite for being a championship-caliber team. I'm tired of hearing about how the SEC has "shut down" the Big 12 in the past. For one thing, the college football scene changes drastically every year, what's been done in the past is irrelevant. Live in the present. Plus, are you really going to pound your chest for "shutting down" Texas' offense in the 2009 BCS Championship, a game where Colt McCoy got hurt and left in the first quarter? Don't hide behind your golden years/achievements. It comes down to this year, a year in which OSU won the Big 12, otherwise known as the highest ranked conference in College football THIS year.

 

[Southern Bama]

In all seriousness.....heres my 2 cent worth for what its worth......My opinion for most voters is that it boils down to how bad a team was at its worst and not so much how good they were at their best.....human nature is voters tend to remember the bad and the loss to Iowa State was BAD. Bamas loss came in OT by a FG to #1 LSU. That speaks volumes to voters and frankly...it should. If Bama had lost to an unranked team with that many losses....the country would riot if we were even mentioned in the NC conversation.

 

[Bo]

No way you can even compare the defensive numbers of a team who doesn't play anybody that has an offense with a team who plays in the Big 12. Guarantee if Alabama was in the Big 12 they would see a drastic change in yards/points allowed. Would Alabama be the best defense in the Big 12? Sure, probably, but they would also have the worst offense.

As for offensive stats, I must say I'm impressed you were able to score big points on powerhouse teams like Kent State, North Texas, and Georgia Southern. Almost as impressed as I am with Georgia Southern scoring 21 points on your vaunted D

From what I've seen of Big12 vs. SEC teams in the past, the terrible defenses in the Big12 make the offenses look better than they actually are. Don't get me wrong, I highly respect what OSU has done on offense, and believe they probably have the best offense in the country. I just think that a great defense will beat a great offense at least 85% of the time.