My Letter To Sports Illustrated

If you believe in the jinx then O-State has been marked for death

So Sports Illustrated sends me this letter promoting their College Football Preview edition thinking that I’d be all excited about Oklahoma’s number three ranking, which I am. However, there was one thing that really got me fired up with curiosity. Why does it seem that everyone is picking the Longhorns to win the South? SI isn’t the only publication to do so and it’s apparent that the Longhorns are the popular choice but my question is why. Is it coaching, personnel, x’s & o’s or could it possibly be a sympathy choice? Motivated by this line of thought I sent the following email to them.

I’d be curious to know the logic behind picking Texas ahead of OU. Is it an X’s & O’s decision or was it based on sympathy from the Horns not making the Big 12 Championship game last year?

 

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that it’s a given that OU will win the division either, but while the Sooners are replacing four offensive linemen the Longhorns are replacing four defensive linemen. Both schools have great quarterbacks but OU also has the best tight end in the nation and the last I checked Texas doesn’t have a tight end to speak of. OU is returning two 1,000 yard rushers at running back and Texas is very much unproven at running back. Texas is also replacing two linebackers and one of their starting corners.

 

I realize that mostly I see the Big 12 World through crimson and cream glasses which sometimes taints my judgment but other than a non-conference schedule that would make Bill Snyder chuckle, I don’t think Texas has much else in their favor as far as a national championship run goes. This is even proven by SI’s All-American Team in which only one Longhorn is mentioned and he’s in the wrong position. Sergio Kindle is a defensive end now but SI has him as an All-American linebacker.

 

To be honest, both Oklahoma and Texas have a lot to prove before anyone can pencil them in to the BCS Championship game but I would like to know, for the record, the logic behind picking Texas.  

At least with O-State on the regional cover and Texas the pick to win the conference we won’t have to worry about the dreaded SI Jinx popping up to bite Sooners.