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Bumped by BCS, Texas holds out national title hopes

By Ralph D. Russo | The Associated Press • Published December 02, 2008

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NEW YORK – The best chance Texas has to be crowned national champion this season likely lies with the members of the media who vote in The Associated Press college football poll.

The Longhorns are the latest team to feel slighted by the Bowl Championship Series, though the twist this time was coach Mack Brown's team has the Big 12 to blame as much as the BCS standings.

Oklahoma, which lost 45-35 to Texas in October, slipped ahead of the Longhorns in the latest BCS standings and earned a spot in the Big 12 title game against Missouri on Saturday.

The Big 12 had to go to its fifth tiebreaker, best BCS ranking, to break a three-way tie in its South Division between Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech. All had 11-1 records. Oklahoma beat Texas Tech and Texas Tech beat Texas.

Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe told ESPN.com on Tuesday that the conference will reassess the tiebreaker in the offseason.

The tiebreaker not only put the Sooners in position to win the league championship, but a win against Missouri virtually guarantees Oklahoma a spot in the BCS national title game in Miami on Jan. 8 against the winner of the Southeastern Conference championship.

But Texas still has hope.

"There is a lot left out there to play for and crazy things happen all the time in college football so who knows where we'll end up," Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy said late Sunday night.

If Missouri beats Oklahoma, Texas is the presumptive next-in-line to reach the BCS title game. The Tigers (9-3) don't seem to be up to the task of stopping the Sooners, who have scored at least 60 points in their last four games.

Missouri is a 17-point underdog, and its only two losses last season were to Oklahoma.

Depending on the Tigers leaves the Longhorns a long shot to get to Miami.

Texas might be better off turning its attention to the AP poll.

If Alabama were to win the BCS title game, the Tide would be undefeated and undisputed national champs. Florida goes into the SEC title game ranked second in the AP poll, so logic dictates the Gators would jump to No. 1 by beating the Tide and stay there if they win the BCS championship game.