BTHO t.u.!!
From the Athletic
Playoff Scenario: Truly terrible tournament for Texas
Had planned on wrapping up today's newsletter by mathing out various Playoff scenarios, but then realized: What a Longhorns nightmare is looming. Here is the most likely field, based on the midnight ET edition of Austin Mock's projections:
Ohio State: The team that ruined Texas' first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking.
Indiana: No Texas-specific beef here, other than how uncomfortable it'd be for the Hoosiers of all people to make it further than the big-money Horns. But that's everyone's problem.
Texas A&M: Texas' biggest in-state rival, the one the Horns believed themselves to have instantly lapped within the SEC.
Texas Tech: One of the many Lone Star teams Texas has long dismissed as a little brother.
Notre Dame: Almost everyone hates the Fighting Irish, though their success still calls to mind that time Texas was back.
Georgia: The field's second SEC team …
Ole Miss: … and third, neither of which is Texas, despite the Longhorns having been the preseason conference favorite. Also, Georgia did that mean onside kick to the Horns.
Oregon: No Texas beef here either, other than the possibility of adding another team to the Has Won A Title Since 2005 tracker.
Oklahoma: Texas' biggest out-of-state rival and a team Texas beat, apparently to no avail. Also, a fourth non-Texas SEC team making it in.
BYU/Alabama/Vanderbilt/etc.: Scenarios include a fifth non-Texas SEC team, perhaps even a Vandy team that Texas beat (apparently to no avail), or BYU, which would remind Longhorns fans how much they hated 2014 Taysom Hill. (The Cougars control their own destiny, by the way.)
SMU: The ACC favorite has long been dismissed by Texas as its most uncouth little brother.
North Texas: The G5 favorite is too little to have ever been acknowledged by Texas as a brother of any size.
Two-thirds of the field might be the Horns' conference and/or state rivals, including the two teams they hate most! In a year when they went from No. 1 to probably not making it! Brutal!
Not all of that is set in stone, of course. Virginia, Pitt or whoever could win the ACC. JMU and Tulane are among the G5 leaders. Hey, maybe Texas upsets A&M next week and swipes that No. 10 seed for itself. But most of it is pretty set, and it's looking like Longhorns fans will be focusing their full attention on their No. 4 women's basketball team far more quickly than they'd planned.
Austin's Playoff projections here. (Geez! His name is even "Mock, Austin"! Brutal!)
From the Athletic
Playoff Scenario: Truly terrible tournament for Texas
Had planned on wrapping up today's newsletter by mathing out various Playoff scenarios, but then realized: What a Longhorns nightmare is looming. Here is the most likely field, based on the midnight ET edition of Austin Mock's projections:
Ohio State: The team that ruined Texas' first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking.
Indiana: No Texas-specific beef here, other than how uncomfortable it'd be for the Hoosiers of all people to make it further than the big-money Horns. But that's everyone's problem.
Texas A&M: Texas' biggest in-state rival, the one the Horns believed themselves to have instantly lapped within the SEC.
Texas Tech: One of the many Lone Star teams Texas has long dismissed as a little brother.
Notre Dame: Almost everyone hates the Fighting Irish, though their success still calls to mind that time Texas was back.
Georgia: The field's second SEC team …
Ole Miss: … and third, neither of which is Texas, despite the Longhorns having been the preseason conference favorite. Also, Georgia did that mean onside kick to the Horns.
Oregon: No Texas beef here either, other than the possibility of adding another team to the Has Won A Title Since 2005 tracker.
Oklahoma: Texas' biggest out-of-state rival and a team Texas beat, apparently to no avail. Also, a fourth non-Texas SEC team making it in.
BYU/Alabama/Vanderbilt/etc.: Scenarios include a fifth non-Texas SEC team, perhaps even a Vandy team that Texas beat (apparently to no avail), or BYU, which would remind Longhorns fans how much they hated 2014 Taysom Hill. (The Cougars control their own destiny, by the way.)
SMU: The ACC favorite has long been dismissed by Texas as its most uncouth little brother.
North Texas: The G5 favorite is too little to have ever been acknowledged by Texas as a brother of any size.
Two-thirds of the field might be the Horns' conference and/or state rivals, including the two teams they hate most! In a year when they went from No. 1 to probably not making it! Brutal!
Not all of that is set in stone, of course. Virginia, Pitt or whoever could win the ACC. JMU and Tulane are among the G5 leaders. Hey, maybe Texas upsets A&M next week and swipes that No. 10 seed for itself. But most of it is pretty set, and it's looking like Longhorns fans will be focusing their full attention on their No. 4 women's basketball team far more quickly than they'd planned.
Austin's Playoff projections here. (Geez! His name is even "Mock, Austin"! Brutal!)