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Poll Question: Does Baylor want Oklahoma or Texas Tech to win Saturday?

A question from twitter prompted a poll question tonight about this weekend's ranked Big 12 matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

By Mark C. Moore
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Something I've been batting around for a bit, and that we might talk about more in Wednesday's Podcast recording, is Baylor's preferred outcome from this Saturday's game between the Oklahoma Sooners, ranked #15 in the first BCS of the year, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, #10. Conventional wisdom seems to favor the Red Raiders on account of their undefeated record; it could easily be argued that beating an undefeated, higher-ranked Texas Tech helps us more (assuming it happens) than a 1-loss Oklahoma. On the flip side, I could easily see a situation where a win over OU is perceived to be better than one over Texas Tech, and perception matters. I've tried to collect the arguments as best I can below. If I missed something, throw it in the comments. If you strongly believe in one side over the, same. Then vote in the poll and let's get a debate going on which side Baylor will support this coming Saturday in Norman.

Arguments for Texas Tech:

  • They are higher-ranked and we stand more to gain from beating another undefeated, Top 10 team than two teams both ranked in the teens.
  • ESPN's CFB GameDay could choose a matchup in Dallas of an undefeated Baylor vs. an undefeated Texas Tech on November 16.
  • Baylor's big weakness right now is in the computers, where Texas Tech actually has an edge on the Bears. Beating them helps alleviate that problem.

Arguments for Oklahoma:

  • OU has more name recognition than Tech, and a win over them will be perceived to be better, regardless.
  • Baylor needs a strong matchup for the 11/7 Thursday night game in Waco on FS1.
  • OU could be a Top 10 team after a win over Texas Tech this week, with a little help from other teams falling.
  • OU beating Tech gives both teams one loss, and Baylor a better chance to win the Big 12 Conference.

My personal belief has always tilted toward Oklahoma, mostly for the reasons I stated above. I strongly believe that our relative deficit in the computer rankings at this point will even out somewhat due to a sharp increase in our strength of schedule with the upcoming Big 12 games. Eventually, we will need to pass the teams ahead of us in both the human and computer polls, and I think beating Oklahoma gets us to that goal more quickly. I could be catching myself in the trap of perceived notions of how good the two teams are (OU > Tech), however, and easily be quite wrong.

For reference, both team's schedules are below:

Red Raiders Football Schedule

@ SMU Fri 08/30 W 41 - 23
Stephen F. Austin Sat 09/07 W 61 - 13
TCU Thu 09/12 W 20 - 10
Texas State Sat 09/21 W 33 - 7
@ Kansas Sat 10/05 W 54 - 16
Iowa St. Sat 10/12 W 42 - 35
@ West Virginia Sat 10/19 W 37 - 27
@ Oklahoma Sat 10/26 2:30 PM CDT
Oklahoma St. Sat 11/02 6:00 PM CDT
Kansas St. Sat 11/09 TBA
@ Baylor Sat 11/16 TBA
@ Texas Thu 11/28 6:30 PM CST

Sooners Football Schedule

ULM Sat 08/31 W 34 - 0
West Virginia Sat 09/07 W 16 - 7
Tulsa Sat 09/14 W 51 - 20
@ Notre Dame Sat 09/28 W 35 - 21
TCU Sat 10/05 W 20 - 17
@ Texas Sat 10/12 L 20 - 36
@ Kansas Sat 10/19 W 34 - 19
Texas Tech Sat 10/26 2:30 PM CDT
@ Baylor Thu 11/07 6:30 PM CST
Iowa St. Sat 11/16 TBA
@ Kansas St. Sat 11/23 TBA
@ Oklahoma St. Sat 12/07 TBA

Let me know if you think you might need more information, and I'll do my best to provide it.

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