Blogpoll Thoughts

by Barking Carnival Staff on Dec 1, 2025 8:37 AM CST in Texas Longhorns and Other Football

Here are my blogpoll thoughts.

Who’s Number 1?
Why does this question even need to be asked? Alabama has less style and flash than Nick Saban’s hairdo, but they’ve proven that they know how to win under all kinds of conditions. While John Parker Wilson wouldn’t start for 9 of the teams in the Big 12, his entire offensive and defensive lines probably would. Can Bama stop the roll that Florida is on? Percy Harvin may help decide both teams’ fates.

The Beauty Contest for #2
The case for Texas is compelling and goes beyond the head-to-head win over OU. Arguments are usually reduced to snippets and one-bullet statements when the talking heads get involved, and not coincidentally, that’s now the only thing anyone wants to discuss. Beyond a double digit win on a neutral field, how about the fact that Texas played the toughest stretch of football in the entire nation this year? Texas did that in October and lost on the last play of the final game of that run. That loss happened after losing an All-Conference WR (Quan Cosby) on the first snap and an All-American DE (Brian Orakpo) for the entire second half. OU lost to Texas and then took 6 weeks off before playing Tech and then Oklahoma State. Need more? In the best offensive conference in the nation by a wide margin, playing against 5 top 10 scoring offenses (including Rice), Texas finishes with a scoring defense ranked 21st in the nation. Every single juggernaut offense faced scored 10 points or more below their scoring average against Texas.

Florida, USC and OU
Florida’s loss at home to a decent Mississippi team shouldn’t be too easily forgiven. They’ve clubbed some baby seals since then, but don’t carry credit too far. This season’s SEC is the normal SEC’s retarded cousin. LSU, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Georgia have all turned out to be paper tigers. Meyer never hesitates to step on the gas against a downtrodden opponent, and he still couldn’t match Texas’ victory margin against Arkansas. The Florida State team that UF rolled on Saturday couldn’t hold Marcus Outzen’s jock. Christian Ponder is spared the title of "Worst College QB since Chris Rix" only because of the existence of Jarrett Lee, another UF QB opponent. By the way, the vaunted SEC that gets so much love went 1-3 on Saturday against the hideously mediocre ACC.
If only USC could summon the ghost of Norm Chow, circa 2004, to help their offense resemble something more than pedestrian, they’d be worthy of consideration for the final match of charades. Alas, they can’t, and instead they have an offense that simply waits for their defense to win the battle of attrition against their opponents, and then they get to take out the trash. Remove blowouts to Washington St and Washington, two of the worst teams in the past 10 years, and this offense starts to really look questionable. Losing any game in the Pac 10 with USC’s talent is a laughable mockery of Pete Carroll’s growing legend.

And what about OU? If teaching holding as a skill is to be valued, by all means, OU should be 1st. If each contest were a 7 on 7 drill, there isn’t a team to rank ahead of OU. Unfortunately for the sooners, tackling is actually not just a skill to be taught to offensive linemen. At some point, they’re going to play someone (again) that has an offense that can match their own and also plays D itself. It is usually at that moment that they wish they had taught that whole tackling thing to their defense. Yes OU has laid waste to some teams of late, but they were doing just the same in September before laying an egg on the floor of the Cotton Bowl. Should they make it to the big BCS match-up, Big 12 fans should brace for another OU BCS bowl embarrassment, heretofore forgotten nationally only due to the aggressive ineptitude of Ohio State in similar situations. A test certainly awaits OU against Missouri, but nobody cheats like OU, and you can bet they’ll walk into that test with the answers.

The Back 5 of the Top 10
Utah looks great on paper and credit to them for playing Michigan and Oregon State this season. That said, both of those games were awfully tight, and both of those teams were milquetoast at best, so that gives us pause. Sure they can roll Weber State, but so did Eastern Washington. They do deserve a shot to play with a proven big boy, nonetheless.

Texas Tech had a jihad game against a wounded Texas and then slapped Oklahoma State in the face and made them cry. Outside of those events, they look like the same ol’Texas Tech. They barely won at home this weekend against an improving but poor Baylor team. They’d be lower if there were a intriguing option to swap in here.

Penn State benefits from playing in a conference that is frequently beaten in footraces by three-toed sloths. A nation cannot forget that clash of Big Televen titans, PSU & Ohio State, but it has certainly tried, repeatedly. When that is your signature W, you deserve to be relegated to the bottom of 1 time losers.

Boise State played and beat Oregon early in the season. They’ve run drills against tackling dummies ever since, and when that’s happened on Saturdays, they’ve received W’s as a reward for the hard practice. Perhaps they deserve a stronger position, but it’s tough to believe no matter how many teams they run through named St. this season. Seriously, Utah State, Idaho State, and New Mexico State?

Ohio State falls backward, stumbling, into the top 10 again. Does anyone get excited about this team besides their mothers and sweatervest manufacturers? If we could take Ball State ahead of them with a straight face, Ohio State wouldn’t be a part of this breakdown.

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Comments

My Thoughts? The blogpoll seems to be composed of more reasonable and intelligent people than the intellectually castrated honks in the coaching and harris poll ranks.

by Big Satan on Dec 1, 2025 8:52 AM CST reply actions

After all Texas Tech has accomplished this Season, with the limited resources they have at their disposal. The only thing you can say is “Typical Tech” and make excuses for why UT lost?

That’s classless BC blogging at it’s best. The Texas Tech vs. UT game was not won on a last second miracle, it was won in the trenches the entire game. The UT O-line couldn’t handle Texas Tech, and the Tech O-line survived. I know, I know all UT fans make the excuses about Tech’s line holding the entire game, and that’s all that is, an excuse.

Show some respect, Texas Tech had a tougher run than UT, Texas Tech had 3 top 10 teams in a row. How come everyone talks about the guantlet UT went through but everyone forgets that Texas Tech actually had a tougher run. The fact that Texas Tech played 3 Top 10 teams in a row, and they had to go to Norman makes their run tougher.

It isn’t fair to the rest of the South that neither OU or UT ever have to play true road games against each other. If UT played in Norman this year they lose that game hands down.

by (The Original)Tim on Dec 1, 2025 9:49 AM CST reply actions

Tim,

Leave. Stop posting here. You had your time to shine and it’s done. We told you to enjoy it while it lasted and I hope you listened. Good luck next year.

by intellectual type on Dec 1, 2025 9:54 AM CST reply actions

I also like how you make injury excuses for UT losing to Texas Tech, yet fail to mention the reason Texas Tech struggled against Baylor. Is because Graham Harrell crushed two fingers half-way through the second quarter, Micheal Crabtree only played 20 minutes and starting FS Charbonett didn’t play at all.

Hypocritical at Best.

by (The Original)Tim on Dec 1, 2025 9:55 AM CST reply actions

That last post was pure garbage. I am making stuff up now

by (The Original (The Original)) Tim on Dec 1, 2025 9:55 AM CST reply actions

You’re still arguing for Tech? You had your chance and got ass raped by OU. We lost with one second left. You lost with 55 minutes left. Then you just about laid an egg at home to Baylor. Sorry, but you dont deserve any respect. Especially considering your QB is a classless moron and your coach thinks its alright to vote his team number one.

by bighornfan32 on Dec 1, 2025 9:58 AM CST reply actions

The morons around here are pretty much ruining this site. I wish we had a Tim/Steven/Ponderos system where you could block certain posts.

by Nordberg on Dec 1, 2025 9:58 AM CST reply actions

Nordberg – It’s coming in the next few months.

by Sailor Ripley on Dec 1, 2025 10:26 AM CST reply actions

(The Original) Tim would make a much more compelling case if his team hadn’t gotten rolled a week ago in Norman with everything on the line. Tech has always been one team at home in Lubbock (particularly at night) and another team entirely on the road against a quality opponent. Series results with both OU and Texas reflect this: close games in Lubbock and blowouts on the road. Despite being clearly improved, Tech absolutely reverted to historic form.

Big games are put-up or shut-up affairs. Your team didn’t come through, Timmy. Do we need to tell you what to do here?

by hopefulhorn on Dec 1, 2025 10:26 AM CST reply actions

Tim a very average NU team took you to overtime in your own stadium with 5 defensive starters on the shelf. You probably should just shut up and sit down and let the big boy football teams talk.

by coach Callahan on Dec 1, 2025 10:40 AM CST reply actions

Anyone know Mike Leach’s and Mark Mangino’s top 5 on their coach’s polls?

by 4th and 5 on Dec 1, 2025 11:30 AM CST reply actions

“If UT played in Norman this year they lose that game hands down.”

Sorry, Techster. Take a look at your hypothetical UT-OU home-and-home schedule. OU would have played in Austin this year. Texas wins by 24.

by Woody Bombay on Dec 1, 2025 11:33 AM CST reply actions

The “Best Tech Team EVER!” Congrats on your win over the Horns and a top 10, if you win your bowl game, finish.

Now lets talk about real football schools who have actually won championships and have a realistic chance to win one in the future. The miracle on the plains will become a distant memory to everyone outside of a 100 miles radius to Muleshoe. I’m sure those 39-33 t-shirts will sell like hot tamales for years to come.

by 8straight on Dec 1, 2025 12:05 PM CST reply actions

“Texas Tech had a jihad game against a wounded Texas and then slapped Oklahoma State in the face and made them cry. Outside of those events, they look like the same ol’Texas Tech.”

By no means am I crying BCS, but gotta disagree with the “same ol’Texas Tech” label.

The “same ol’Texas Tech” would have dropped those games against Nebraska and/or Baylor.

Tech had their opportunity, but, as stated, dropped the ball vs. OU – which is why they’re being addressed above under the sub-head “The Back 5 of the Top 10.”

But even here, #‘s 5-10, it’s implicit that Tech doesn’t belong…

“They’d be lower if there were a intriguing option to swap in here.”

Fact of the matter, despite the OU raping in Norman, Tech belongs in the top 10. Simply put, 11-1 in the Big XII South is a pretty impressive resume.

by ChicagoTTU on Dec 1, 2025 12:28 PM CST reply actions

8straight-

Thank you. Was it so hard guys to dish out just that little bit?

So lets talk about real football schools who have actually won a national championship with a realistic chance to win a national championship in the future:

Army

Now with Obama in office I think we’ll see some real talent headed to West Point – Here come the Black Knights!

by ChicagoTTU on Dec 1, 2025 12:40 PM CST reply actions

My son’s Army x-box team is undefeated for two years. Don’t under estimate the Black Knights.
For my tastes, I hope Obama stays away from West Point and goes with what he knows. Like community organization.

by 8straight on Dec 1, 2025 1:10 PM CST reply actions

someone please spay me.

by Tim's Bleeding Vagina on Dec 1, 2025 1:13 PM CST reply actions

I’m not sitting here crying about the tie-breaker or not making a BCS game am I? I’m just saying the least BC Bloggers can do is not make excuses for the Texas Tech loss and recognize the Texas Tech stretch was tougher because we had to travel to Norman.

All everyone here is doing is making excuses for your loss, and writing Texas Tech off as “Typical Tech”. That is just lazy (or spiteful)blogging on behalf of BC.

I have yet to see a Texas Tech fan make an excuse for the OU game. I personally came on here the day after OU/TTU and said we got our ass handed to us and didn’t belong yet. Doesn’t mean we didn’t win 11 games in the toughest division in College Football.

If 11 wins in the Big 12 South in 2008 can’t earn you respect, it’s obvious that nothing will ever be good enough unless you have Sooner or Longhorn on your jersey.

by (The Original)Tim on Dec 1, 2025 2:54 PM CST reply actions

I didn’t even think about Tech when I wrote the missive above. You guys are and always will be an afterthought to us. I don’t hold any animosity towards Tech, except for the way your fans behave when you’re doing well, both at the stadium and online. I actually like Leach and the program compared to most opponents. I certainly didn’t expect whiners from Tech demanding respect from the post.

You didn’t have a more difficult run than Texas did. This is not a subjective issue. You simply didn’t. You had time off between 2 of the games and played less talent overall. Sorry.

As to the injury claims and so forth, for one, they happened, for two, they’re there to match the absurdity of the OU claims about losing because of Ryan Reynolds.

by CloseToJumping on Dec 1, 2025 3:24 PM CST reply actions

The “afterthought” you mention is the reason you are headed to the Fiesta Bowl and not the National Championship. Maybe, if the Longhorn program and fan base didn’t view Texas Tech as an “afterthought” you would be spending January in Sunny Miami.

I have not whined or demanded respect; I simply questioned the status quo.

Playing;

@ Neutral Field
@ Home
@ Home
@ Lubbock

is not as difficult as;

Away
@ Home
@ Home
@ Norman

I don’t care what kind of excuses you make or how you slice it, it’s not subjective, it’s harder to win in Norman in your 3rd consecutive Top 10 game than it is, in Lubbock in your 4th consecutive Top 25 game. To make your argument valid, UT fans would have to admit that it’s harder to win in Lubbock, than in Norman. I highly doubt I’ll ever see a UT fan utter that phrase.

How is it absurd for OU to claim they lost because of Ryan Reynolds going down, but ok to claim that UT lost because Orakpo and Cosby went down? All the while bashing Texas Tech for keeping it tight vs. Baylor while their best player is out and the QB has broken fingers?

by (The Original)Tim on Dec 1, 2025 4:19 PM CST reply actions

it’s harder to win in Norman in your 3rd consecutive Top 10 game

So you played in Norman on November 15th?

by HenryJames on Dec 1, 2025 4:39 PM CST reply actions

I’m not sure why Tim is still trying here. Tim, if I ever get tired of how the University of Texas is treating us, I’ll send out a couple of telegrams and let the Commanches back off the reservation. For now, they’re harmless and find solace in some badass scholarship athletes making them feel tough. Like HJ’s Facebook douche buddy.

by dedfischer on Dec 1, 2025 4:58 PM CST reply actions