Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.6.2.17 $; site uok.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uok!dwhitney From: dwhitney@uok.UUCP Newsgroups: net.sport.football Subject: Re: BYU and Oklahoma: Who's # 1 Message-ID: <8200016@uok.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 23:12:00 EST Article-I.D.: uok.8200016 Posted: Wed Dec 5 23:12:00 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Dec-84 03:57:28 EST References: <1506@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Lines: 60 Nf-ID: #R:sdcrdcf:-150600:uok:8200016:000:2581 Nf-From: uok!dwhitney Dec 5 22:12:00 1984 I'm frankly amazed at the people who sincerely believe BYU has any business #1, and justify their claim merely by saying "BYU is unbeaten!! Whoopee!" Under this premise, I will propose that we eliminate all conferences, polls, bowl games, TV appearances, Heisman awards, Lombardi awards, etc. The new system would be comprised entirely of teams in division one trying to find the weakest possible combination of 11 teams for a season's schedule. The best team won't be determined by record only, it will be based on the weakness of schedule. If you play anyone above .500, you are automatically penalized 20 points for each of your next 3 games. I submit that, in this format, BYU has a lock on #1. One doesn't need to look far back for a precedent for non-unbeaten teams winning #1 over unbeaten teams. May I remind those of weak memory..1975? #1 OU (11-1, ironically, losers to Kansas that year) #2 Arizona State (12-0, beat Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl) The point of all this is that you just don't give a team #1 because it plays a collection of pitiful, embarrassingly poor teams and beats them week after week. The sportswriters saw this in 1975. (Beyond that Arizona State was a member of the WAC then. They saw the light and got out.) Before BYU can challenge for #1 in my book, let them line up against Texas, or Nebraska. Its not just the opinion of a few Sooner partisans (myself included) that BYU has no business #1, its the opinion of the 191,000+ that called into ABC's poll last week. (25,000+ more than called in for BYU). To be #1, you must play a #1-caliber schedule. When you do that, you can be forgiven if massive injuries cause you to stub your toe. When you defeat Texas (we all know that story and I don't intend to rehash it here) defeat Nebraska, defeat OKlahoma State, and then if you presumably defeat Washington, thats two #1 teams, one once-#1 team, and one previously-#2 team. And Texas, OSU and Neb. all lost their rankings by virtue of playing OU!!! If beating yet another top five team does not give OU the national championship, and BYU is given it in their "bowl" (6-5 Michigan, what a joke..) I would be ashamed to be a BYU faithful trying to legitimately claim my team as #1. It just isn't so. But then again, this all raises the debate over a playoff. WHEN WILL THE NEANDERTHALS LET COLLEGE FOOTBALL ENTER THE 20TH CENTURY?? Thats another debate. OOOOOOO O O O U O U # 1, NO MATTER WHAT THE POLLS SAY!!! OOOOOOO U U U UUUUUUU David Whitney ctvax!uokvax!uok!dwhitney