Like fast food, there is a ceiling to the expected quality of most sports articles. But this one made me want to rant.
Some guy Don Borst has a couple beefs with the BCS computer rankings:
1. The computers rank Oklahoma ahead of Texas, despite Texas beating OU earlier in the year.
2. Alabama is no longer ranked #1 by the computers even though they won convincingly last game and are undefeated. (“It’s as if the computers realized that to get their beloved Sooners into the Big 12 title game, they had to push OU past the 12-0 Crimson Tide, too.” lolz QQ moar nub)
He can’t seem to figure out why these situations could happen and blames “ridiculous” computer rankings. Here’s some help for him:
1. He treats the Big 12 tie like it’s a two-way. It’s not. It’s a three-way, including Texas Tech. The reason why humans are discounting TTU is they lost by 40+ to OU. Yet humans are the ones who insisted that the computer rankings not take point differential into account. Mr. Borst does not seem to be aware of this.
2. Most computers give bonuses to teams that beat top 25 teams. Alabama didn’t get moved down because they won 36-0; it’s because Oklahoma beat a highly ranked team, while Alabama beat a scrub. (Texas is also above Alabama due to superior strength of schedule.)
Boise State, Utah, and Ball State are undefeated, yet are not top-ranked because they haven’t played enough good teams. Same as Alabama.
3. The useful thing about computers is that once you determine the formula; the calculations are unbiased. Humans have unreliable memory, cannot take all games into account, are heavily influenced by recent events, and have in-born biases.
This is not to say that’s he’s wrong about Texas being more deserving than OU. The difference in teams’ playing strength is razor-thin, though, and solid arguments can be made for both sides. This is a perfect situation for letting computers determine the outcome.
i don’t understand why there has to be a human component to begin with. if this was going to come down to who liked who the most, why bother crushing their young bones the damn game? just dress up the boys in nothing but those tight game pants and make a calendar or something.
COMMENTARY FAIL!
Someone should say that to Don Borst.
Amen,
I was searching for this Borst guy’s email address and found your article. I’ll admit my bias up front…. I went to OU and am a Sooner fan. I do agree that Texas has a legitimate beef, and if the situation were reversed, I’d be a bit peeved as well.
Your post mirrored my sentiments. Humans demanded the computer rankings take margin of victory out. If that component still existed, the computers would think less highly of Texas Tech, who is ranked #4 in their eyes. If Tech were dropped further because of their margin of loss, maybe Texas ends up higher than OU.
You also made the great point that Don is missing. It is not a two-way tie and if if were, head-to-head is the first tie-breaker. In one breath, this baffoon wants to remove Tech from the argument because of margin of victory and then complain that margin of victory should be removed so Texas would be ahead of OU.
If we truly take out the margin-of-victory factor, I’d see it this way: Texas and Tech lost true road games, so drop OU out because they lost on a neutral field. This would leave Tech and Texas and Tech would win the head-to-head and head to KC next Saturday.
Computers should decide the outcome a playoff should. Why there is no playoff is incomprehensible to me. Maybe Rybka should decide the national championship??
Whoops, I meant to say that a computer should NOT decide the college national champ..an on field playoff should.. 🙂
@Annie: Humans like power. Besides, they think because most humans agree, the computers must be wrong.
And you can keep the calendar, thanks.
@Q: Yes, that is perfect.
@Phalen: Thanks for your input. Normally, I don’t read sports articles and this one affirms why.
@Tommyg: Hey, good to see you around. What happened to your blog?
As far as a playoff, it would in a sense be optimal. (Since the teams have to win best out of 1, it’s actually a poor way to find the “best” team, but that can’t be avoided with football.) But it would take “student-athletes” out of class too long…
I found myself spending too much time on my blog and not enough time on music (my career) and chess (my hobby). So I deleted the blog in a very spontaneous moment. I am not so sure that deleting it was the best move I have ever made, but I have gotten back to being more productive.
As for the being out of class too long argument, the schools could just play one less regular season game (but they would never go for that..too much money would be lost)
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