The Annoyance that is Purple

I had never intended to write something like this, but enough is enough.

Now, can I write this without being biased? You bet I can. Because, unlike those in the Ft. Worth area, I can see past all the hoopla. The University Of Texas was brought into this situation, because of all the crying and whining coming from the Horned Frog Nation. Those people are the ones who began this and just can't seem to fathom anything other than themselves being crowned the best team in college football. But before we do so, let's look at some cold, hard facts.

First, this is TCU's second undefeated season in the history of the school. The first came in 1938, when they went 11-0 and still had to share a national championship with Notre Dame. That year was the only national championship in the school's history.

Second, let's look at this year's situation. Does TCU deserve to be where they are in the polls and BCS rankings? You bet they do. They have played phenomenal football this year and deserve all the credit in the world. Do they deserve to be in contention for a national title shot? Absolutely. As the fourth ranked team in the nation, it is their right.

Third, let's look at the overall picture of this. TCU fans have crowed all year about their schedule and how tough it is. But is it really? TCU's power rankings are below those of Florida, Alabama, and Texas. As far as strength of schedule goes, Texas and TCU are almost neck and neck, thanks to losses by Clemson and Utah. Now, TCU fans will point out that Clemson, Utah, and BYU are all ranked teams. They fail to point out that BYU and Utah both play in the same conference as the Horned Frogs. And like it or not TCU fans, the Mountain West conference is a weak place to play. Wyoming, New Mexico, and UNLV don't exactly jump out at you, when talking about good college football teams.

Of the top four teams in the BCS right now, only Florida, Alabama, and Texas have the pedigrees to back up their claim to a national title shot. As much as TCU fans want to be recognized, they won't be, unless there is a serious debacle this weekend. And truth be told, it is very likely Cincinnati will jump TCU, should the Bearcats beat Pitt this weekend. Cincy's BCS rating right now is .855, compared to TCU's .869. And since TCU's regular season is over, the extra game might put Cincy over the top. By contrast, Texas' BCS number is .928. And as much as it hurts for the Froggie faithful to hear it, unless the Longhorns lose to Nebraska, TCU has no, I repeat, no shot at a national title.

And while I'm letting that sink in, you might chew on this for a while. In 2004 and 2008, the Utes of Utah went undefeated. The won the Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl, respectively. Now, can TCU claim something like that? Not on your life. But, because they've had one undefeated season, all of a sudden, they should have the right to go to the front of the line. During the '04 and '08 seasons, I never heard Utah fans crying like TCU fans have. Even Gary Patterson did the wise thing and said he would not lobby for a national title shot. Probably because he understands how the machine works. For a small school like TCU to gain as much as it has in such a short period of time is fantastic. And all that could come crashing down, if someone in power were to step forward and act as those they've been wronged. But of course, that won't stop all the rest of Horned Frog Nation from flagellating themselves over the fact that they aren't touted as the best in the land. Even though it makes them look ungrateful for what they do have.

And I'd like to bring up one more point to close this. I have recently stated that part of TCU's problem is their inability to sell out their own stadium. And to a person, all Horned Frogs say that shouldn't matter. But in reality, it does. When bowl committees are looking at potential matchups, who do you think they will take first? A team like Alabama, or Texas, who bring the entire force of their fanbase to a bowl and who have multiple year wait lists for season tickets? Or do they invite TCU, who, since 1984, have sold out their stadium only three times (Texas, Texas Tech, and Utah). Trust me, the bowl committees will tell a program like TCU thanks, but no thanks.

So there it is in a nutshell. Like it or not, it's the way things are. And as I've said over and over, I think what TCU is doing is fantastic. But, until you get out of the Mountain West, adopt a "We'll play anyone, anywhere" attitude, like Boise St. did (don't laugh Frog fans, your future out of conference doesn't get too impressive until 2012, and none of this "We want a home and home!" stuff), and start getting the Horned Frog faithful out en masse, you will remain on the outside looking in.