Hoping history repeats itself
As the saying goes, “history is old news.”
But with Big 12 football season finally about to begin, here’s hoping history repeats itself — all the way up to the very end.
Here’s hoping the Big 12 South has three teams stay in the Top 10 pretty much all season. Here’s hoping the Big 12 once again has the maximum two BCS bowl representatives. Here’s hoping a Big 12 team makes it to the national title game for the seventh time in the league’s 14th year of existence. And here’s hoping for the league’s elusive third national crown.
The most compelling reason to be excited about Big 12 football this season is because of what happened last season, particularly in the South. Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are all in the preseason Top 10 for the first time ever. Don’t forget about Texas Tech. Baylor is getting better. Might the Big 12 South squeeze five teams into the Top 25, the Top 20, maybe higher?
True, no one should live in the past. But in this case, there’s nothing wrong with hoping history repeats itself — all the way up to the very end.
Trying to determine who’s best
We knew the Big 12 South is the best division in the history of college football. Granted, divisional play has a pretty small window in BCS conferences, only going back to 1992 in the expanded SEC, the formation of the Big 12 in 1996 and to 2005 in the ACC.
Researching other divisional conferences was simple enough. Researching all conferences throughout time was a much bigger task.
Then all these questions started popping up: What are the fairest parameters to use to determine the strength of a conference? Are the final rankings the best way, bowl results, schedule strength, the top teams only, the league as a whole? And where does all this evaluating stop?
What about trying to compare college football to divisions in other sports, then coming up with an overall power ranking? Can it be done? Should it be done?
Do divisions add to a league’s strength, or do they fracture it? Are divisional races better when only the champion advances to postseason play, or when there are multiple playoff spots up for grabs?
As you can tell, there were a bunch of questions without a bunch of specific answers. The end result of this divisional quest can be found in the center of Monday’s sports section in The Oklahoman.
Feel free to share your thoughts to any of the aforementioned questions, or let me know how you feel about the results. What was right? What was wrong? Who is missing? Who doesn’t belong?
“Elevation:” U2 makes Jerry Jones rise to the occasion
Bono is a powerful man. Even Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knows he had to accommodate the lead singer of U2.
In order for U2 to perform at Cowboys Stadium on Oct. 12, the world’s largest video screens that hang in the middle of facility have to be raised to accommodate a stage that includes “The Claw,” which is 164 feet high.
But will Jones raise the screens to accommodate the NFL?
Though soccer players and NFL punters have easily kicked balls off the bottom of the video structure, the screens will remain their current height of 90 feet (5 feet higher than the league requirement) until further notice.
Excuse me, but why all the debate on raising the screens?
Wouldn’t raising the video boards give the people in the cheap seats a more optimum view?
They’re the folks who need it, who deserve it. They’re the ones looking at all those ants playing football below their feet. Bring the big screen a little closer to the common man.
Raising the video screens would offer the best of both worlds at Jerry World.
These high-definition screens have 30 million pixels that stretch roughly 60 yards wide and 25 yards high.
Would raising the structure 30 feet or so suddenly make this monstrosity more difficult to see?
The rich folk already are close enough to see the field. They would simply have to crane their necks slightly higher to see the video board. They could also sneak a peek at one of the 3,000 flat screens mounted throughout the $1.3ish billion facility.
Most important, raising the video screens would help prevent a stoppage in play and potential injuries on the field.
Punts that hit the scoreboard are blown dead, the clock is re-set and the play is repeated.
Kick coverages are part-wind sprint/part-suicide mission. One sequence is exhausting and dangerous enough. No need for a do-over.
NFL officials said they are monitoring this jumbo-monitor situation, but what’s to think about?
Just have commissioner Roger Goodell pound his gavel and deem a structure’s new league-minimum height to be, say, 120 feet — effective Sept. 20, the Cowboys’ home opener against the New York Giants.
Equipment recently was installed that will lower the video screens for other events held at Cowboys Stadium, which falls under the category of “ongoing construction” at the facility.
The screens will be disconnected when they are raised for the U2 concert. Just figure out a way for those boards to remain connected after being raised for NFL games.
What goes down, must come up.
This doesn’t sound all that complicated to me.
Seriously, am I missing something here?
Appearing in Playboy, without the photos
There is a local flavor in the September issue of Playboy, but no photographic proof.
Oklahoma is picked No. 1 in Playboy’s Pigskin Preview. Defending champ Florida was No. 2, followed by Texas, USC and Penn State. Oklahoma State was tabbed 10th.
Due to budget cuts, there was no Pigskin photo shoot last spring, a time when team members normally gather at a sunny location.
Had there been a photo shoot, the magazine’s quarterback likely would have been a no-show, and so would two backup selections.
Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was chosen as this year’s All-American quarterback. OU officials said they would not have nominated Bradford for the honor and firmly believe he would not have attended a photo shoot (had there been one) because of moral differences.
OU defensive tackle Tommie Harris and Sooners linebacker Rocky Calmus previously turned down invitations to appear in Playboy for the same reason.
The magazine likely would have had to defer all the way down to its fourth choice at quarterback.
Last summer, Florida’s Tim Tebow was selected as Playboy’s quarterback. He refused to appear in the magazine, which instead chose West Virginia’s Pat White.
Citing similar morality issues, Texas officials said they also would not have nominated Colt McCoy for the magazine’s honor.
That means if Playboy was adamant about having its quarterback pictured with the rest of its Pigskin Preview team, Mississippi’s Jevan Snead might have been the pick.
Oddly enough, Bradford, McCoy and Tebow wound up in the September issue anyway and are pictured standing side-by-side.
Also selected for this year’s team were tight end Jermaine Gresham and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy of OU, plus wide receiver Dez Bryant and offensive tackle Russell Okung of OSU.
OU’s Bob Stoops was named the All-American team’s coach.
