They had us fooled.
It seemed to true to be a lie.
How could high scoring offenses and great quarterback duels be wrong?
The Big 12 South HAD to be the best division in college football! Most of us thought the Big 12 North should be abandoned and Texas and OU should rematch for the Big 12 title.
You might be reading this and saying out loud, "But Texas won last night!"
You would be correct. The score in the paper this morning and on the
University of Phoenix Stadium scoreboard clearly show UT the winner, however the game didn't. It took an early missed field goal and a last second touchdown for Texas to defeat an Ohio State team that has been destroyed in every big game it has played since the last time the Buckeyes played in Glendale.
Still claiming to be the best team in the land it is obvious that Longhorn players, coaches, and fans didn't get a chance to check out the other bowl games this year or even their own game. Texas' "#2 Rush Defense" allowed the Buckeyes to scamper for 203 yards.
The rest of the amazing Big 12 South has fared even worse this bowl season. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State ran into buzz saws from the number three team in the SEC and the second best team in the Pac Ten!
So just how good was the Big 12 South this year? Who really knows?
The top four teams in the division have defeated exactly TWO top twenty-five schools and both of those schools happen to be on OU's schedule, Cincinnati and TCU. A selection of the other powerhouse schools these "vaunted Big 12 programs" have defeated - Washington State, Washington, UTEP, UMASS, SMU, FAU, Eastern Washington, Chattanooga, and Houston.
Don't feel too bad. We have been fooled in college football before.
In fact it wasn't that long ago.
Think back with me if you will.
The year was 2006.
The day, November 18th.
The place Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH.
Is it all starting to come back to you? Remember on that day when we thought Ohio State and Michigan were the #1 and #2 teams in the country? When we still thought the Big Ten was a great conference? Heck, Wisconsin was a top eight team! People were yelling for a Michigan/Ohio State BCS Championship rematch.
You remember now don't you? Do you remember what happened after that day? Of course you do! Wolverine and Buckeye fans paid me too much to repeat what happened in the weeks, months, and years that followed that fateful evening. However some of the mess had something to do with Urban Myer's Florida Gators.
Is the Big 12 South the best "conference" in college football? Doesn't look like it.
Maybe in the future we shouldn't be so quick to pass judgement and someone should warn the Sooners!