ESPN Big 12 Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Here are among some of this week's letters. It seems that more readers are concerned about Nebraska and Kansas in my rankings than the Texas-Oklahoma controversy in the BCS. But more about that later.

On to the letters ...

Hector Moreno writes: Tim, is there any way that Texas could finish No. 1 in the AP poll and become the champion of the AP like USC did when the Trojans shared the title with LSU? This could happen if they finish third in the BCS and then really beat their bowl opponent, and Alabama and Oklahoma would fight it out in an ugly BCS title game.

Tim Griffin: I think you've laid out a framework for some hope for Longhorn fans. I think the Longhorns will enter the bowl game as kind of a sentimental choice from many college football fans who feel that they were wrong in the BCS -- kind of like USC in 2003. So a strong performance by them in a bowl assuredly would cause many of my media colleagues voting in the AP poll to take a fresh look at the final rankings. And if Alabama and Oklahoma play in an ugly game, that might turn out to be the result.

And I'm guessing that if we get a split national championship, it will still show up on the fancy facade at Darrell K. Royal/Texas Memorial Stadium, just as it would at Owen Field.

Ed Wayner from Friendswood, Texas, writes: The whole situation with Texas and Oklahoma raises a serious question. Why isn't Oklahoma in the North Division? I think most people can live with Oklahoma going to the championship game, but really, a three-loss Missouri team ahead of Texas or Texas Tech. How can that be?

Tim Griffin: A good question. There have been all kinds of talk about realignment in recent months and I don't know if this weekend's controversy will cause anything to change. I do know that the concentration of power in the South is greater than in any division in college football. I don't think that will change anytime soon. But I do believe there are too many engrained rivalries to split up the conference's current alignment. Some might wonder about throwing everybody in one giant division. I don't see that happening because of scheduling difficulties.

My best guess is that we're going to see the current six-team North and South alignments for the foreseeable future.

Kevin from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Mr. Griffin, did you really mean to rank Kansas ahead of Nebraska? The same Kansas team that was bruised and beaten after leaving Lincoln? Yes, their victory over Missouri was impressive, but so was the Cornhuskers' five wins in their last six games.

Tim Griffin: Actually, I'm using Kevin's missive because it's doesn't have some of the more colorful language words that many Nebraska fans chose to pepper my rankings with this week.

Let me explain what went into my pick. I was serious about it. Remember, these are the way I judge these teams at the current time -- not three or four weeks ago.

And while Nebraska did beat Kansas on its home field, the Cornhuskers were fortunate -- to put it mildly -- to escape Memorial Stadium with a victory over Colorado last week. I watched the entire game and I was mystified by some of the play calling that I saw from Bo Pelini.

The following day, I watched Kansas play its best game of the season in beating Missouri. It really impressed me about the moxie of the Jayhawks. I then started thinking if that Kansas team really could be better than the Nebraska team I saw slog through its game the previous day.

I still wasn't convinced until I started looking at the national polls and the most telling was the Legends Poll that Sporting News produced every week. It's a collection of 17 former coaches who know more about college football than most bloggers or football fans.

I noticed that Kansas was ranked ahead of Nebraska on five of their polls. Nebraska was ranked higher on two of them - which I may add are the only two votes the Cornhuskers got among the 17 voters for the top 25.

So maybe those esteemed leaders of coaching saw the same thing that I saw over the weekend? Namely, that we all believe that Kansas played better this weekend than Nebraska and was deserving of the higher ranking.

But again the difference between sixth and seven in the poll to me was very close. And I can understand the fervor which Nebraska fans reacted when they wrote to me.

Jason from Lincoln, Neb. writes: Both Texas and Oklahoma have excellent arguments not only for the Big 12 title but for the national championship. If I were a Texas fan, I would not be rooting for Missouri, but instead would be rooting for Florida to beat Alabama in an ugly game. If you take a close look at the BCS standings, you will find that Florida is already ahead of Texas in the Harris poll and will not likely extend that margin by a lot with a win this weekend. Also, the USA today poll is fairly close and no one-loss team is going to dominate that poll...so it comes down to computer rankings. With the SEC in somewhat of a slump this year (LSU with five losses, Georgia with three losses, and Florida losing to a four-loss team), I don't expect Florida's computer ranking to come anywhere near what Texas has accomplished this season. What do you think?

Tim Griffin: Jason, I agree with you. I think the Longhorns' best chance at playing in the BCS title game would be if Florida does win out in an ugly game over Alabama, which I think the Crimson Tide's strong defense and kicking game could be able to force. So it will certainly be interesting to watch.

Ben Boukari of Gainesville, Fla. writes: I am trying to figure out something hopefully you can help. Tim Tebow's numbers are down compared to last year, but he was the first quarterback in the history of the game to put up those numbers. He does not have the numbers of the Big 12 quarterbacks passing, but the defenses in the Big 12 are weak and every game has been a shootout with the games coming down to the end and the score 50 something to 50 something. Shouldn't that count for something when you compare him with Harrell, McCoy and the others?

Tim Griffin: I'm sorry, Ben, but I don't agree with your basic premise that Big 12 defenses aren't as good as SEC defenses. For proof, let's look at the one game played between the two conferences this season, which gives us about as good a comparison as we can. We see that Texas beat Arkansas, 52-10, limiting the Razorbacks to a season-low 191 yards. It was Arkansas' worst defeat of the season. And for good measure, the Longhorns racked up seven sacks and 11 tackles for losses in that game -- both season-high totals against the Razorbacks.

Yes, that's the same Arkansas team that finished the season by beating defending national champion LSU, a supposed bulwark of the SEC's defensive strength, 31-30. The Razorbacks rolled up 398 yards of total offense against LSU in that game. Earlier they had gashed Florida for 361 yards and Alabama for 309.

So I don't necessarily think we can immediately dismiss the Big 12's defenses as inferior just because they allowed a lot of points. Remember, they all have played playing some pretty good offensive teams, as I'm sure that Bobby Petrino could attest after his game in Austin earlier this season.

But as for a true judgment of which conference is best, we'll have the bowl games. And I can't wait to see how those games will sort out.

Isaiah from Denver writes: Tim, I've enjoyed reading your blog all season long and wanted to ask your opinion regarding Oklahoma being chosen to play in the Big 12 title game. Do you think Bob Stoops and Oklahoma have added pressure to win out and prove they actually belonged in the championship game and possible the BCS title game? Given Bob Stoops' record in the last 4 BCS games there would have been talk about those games and whether he can win another one. But now, if Oklahoma loses one of their next two games there will be a lot of people, mostly from Texas, laughing about the Sooners' late struggles. Texas, while upset now, may just get the last laugh.

Tim Griffin: Isaiah, I think you're correct about the added pressure on the Sooners. But one thing I've noticed after being around this Oklahoma team is how mature it is. I think the team was forged by some of its earlier disappointments. It's easy to say that now, but we'll see how the Sooners perform in a tough game or a championship.

And I do think you are right that many Texas fans will be rooting with more fervor to see the Sooners stumble again in a BCS bowl after what happened. And it's made some hopeful of what would be a titanic game between those two schools. What a rematch that would be.

Tyler from St. Louis writes: As an extremely loyal Missouri fan, I understand their odds of beating Oklahoma seem very slim. However there are two factors that everybody isn't considering that could be significant. One is the homefield advantage of the game being played in Kansas City. And the other is the weather, with the low supposed to be 24 degrees. Your thoughts.

Tim Griffin: Tyler, I agree with you on both factors. And even with its loss last week to Kansas, I think that Missouri might be able to rise up with a big performance. First, they have played in the championship game before and should be more accustomed to the big-game pressure.

And I'll also be interested to see how Oklahoma middle linebacker Mike Balogun performs in his first college start. The middle linebacker position is vitally important for Oklahoma in how it plays against Missouri's spread offense. Remember that Curtis Lofton ended up improving his NFL draft status with two huge games at the position last season, notching 27 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the two games against the Tigers.

So Balogun -- or whoever ends up playing in the middle for the Sooners on Saturday night -- is going to need to step up and make some plays.

Korey writes: Tim, why do they play the Big 12 championship game in cold weather in Kansas City at night and they play the warmer weather SEC championship game indoors during the day in Atlanta?

Tim Griffin: It beats me. It makes perfect sense to play the Big 12 title game indoors at a place like San Antonio or St. Louis or what will be an indoor stadium in Arlington once it's finished. Bob Stoops almost came out saying that today in his news conference saying he was "cool" to the idea of playing outdoors. But Stoops didn't say he had an ideal location to play the game.

But if it's raining and snowing Saturday night, I'm betting he'll have a lot more to say about the notion of playing the biggest conference game of the season in the elements.

Michael from Lubbock writes: One thing that nobody really outside of Lubbock is talking about is how much Tech is getting the wrong end of the BCS stick in this whole thing as well. I realized they got killed in Norman, but I think it's an absolute travesty that the Red Raiders go 11-1 in the toughest conference in the country with their only loss being on the road against a team that will most likely play for the national championship and all that will happen is that they will end up in the Cotton Bowl.

Tim Griffin: You're right. I think that Texas Tech being kept out of the BCS is a bad situation. The Red Raiders are being punished in public perception because of the margin of their defeat at Oklahoma. But that's the same team that beat Texas and convincingly beat Oklahoma State earlier in the season.

People seem to be forgetting that in all of the "45-35" controversy. In my opinion, there's also a "39-33" argument that needs to be addressed, too.