This makes me dizzy! Thanks, John, for explaining it. I think... ;-) Randy
----- Original Message ----- From: John Vega To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 12:12 PM Subject: [gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [YahooSports] ]BCS standings favor Texas, for now On Nov 24, 2008, at 3:44 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Texas plays Texas A&M (4-7) on Thanksgiving, a game that will weigh down the Longhorns' strength of schedule—a vital part of the computer ratings—and won't give voters much reason to move them up. This is an interesting misunderstanding. Under the old-BCS formula, it mattered whether a team was #2 or #3 in the polls, as a #2 received a certain fixed score, #3 a different score, and so on down the line. In the current formula, a teams actual points in the poll by 2,850 - representing the best possible score in the Harris Poll (and 1,525 in the USA Today). So, if a few voters switch and UT and Texas flip-flop in their positions, it won't make a hill of beans difference; 2,598 divided by 2,850 and 2,577 divided by 2,850 are essentially the same number. Only if Oklahoma makes a move in the computers will it matter. As the computers treat its 0 point loss to Texas the same as a 1 point loss, and its 40+ point victory over Texas Tech the same as a 1 point victory, it is not clear that Oklahoma will make up the ground that it needs. I would even call it unlikely. For those that assume that strength of schedule will vault Oklahoma, it is worth looking at some of the individual computer polls week by week. UF's strength has been as high as #9th in SOS and as low at 20th in the last five weeks in the Anderson/Hester poll, yet its score has barely changed week to week (.783 currently with the #20th SOS, and a score of .784 on Nov.2nd when we had the #9 SOS). FWIW, we will never overcome Utah in that computer ranking, and that extra spot between us and OK and Texas will create problems. -Zeb --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
