SDF, I lived 28 years in Oklahoma, Pat Jones was my neighbor in Maple Ridge in Tulsa. Used to ask him questions like that, and he vehemently denied that any school in it's right mind would throw game(s) to get another team advanced in the pecking order. Switzer, that was another matter, played a poker game one time that he was at the table and he led me to believe anything was possible, lol. If what you're inferring was correct, why didn't a couple of teams lay down and let Baylor run it out??? Because OU was in? That wasn't guaranteed. Have to agree to disagree with you here, but that's what this place is supposed to be about. GL and Happy New Year to ya!
~T~
~T~
i think it's different times than 30 years ago. The conferences make a bunch of money now with a final 4 team getting in (and even more if they win the semifinal game). And we saw last year what happens when deserving teams (Bay, TCU) arent clear cut 0 or 1 loss conference champs.
Baylor wouldnt run it out b/c, much like TCU, they didnt have a top QB to perform well in the playoff. Plus OU was playing outstanding ball and won their way to a playoff spot.
This year there was much less "conspiracy" going on....but I do not think we'll see upsets in conference championship games going forward. The team with the guaranteed spot in the final 4 will beat the team that wouldnt make the final 4, even if they won the conference championship. In many cases, those top teams are just better (Bama over Fla, e.g.). In some cases, if it's close (UNC/Clem)...the top team will win. It's important for these conferences to have a team in the final 4. Hence why I think we need an 8 team playoff....to make the conference championship games much more interesting.
could i be wrong? yes yes and yes. but I also believe conferences will do everything they can to get a team in the final 4.
