(Cross-posted from Can’t Stop the Bleeding)

According to the Vegas odds, it’s USC and Florida, both 2 to 1. Alabama’s 5-2, while Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma are all 4 to 1. The collective wisdom of the oddsmakers and gambling public currently runs counter to the college football cognoscenti: both SI and ESPN figure Texas Tech wins out (and, yes, that ‘Bama falls to Florida).

But if the Red Raiders were to stumble, I can definitely see how USC might sneak by all the Big 12 South contenders.

Scenario 1: Tech, which played host to both Oklahoma State and Texas, loses at Oklahoma (who may well be a slight favorite). As we know, due to many other tiebreaks failing to resolve, a three-way Big 12 deadlock goes to the team ranked highest by the BCS.

You’d think that would be Oklahoma, vaulting over Texas on the strength of beating TTU and owning the most distant loss.

Except that loss was to the Horns, so shouldn’t Texas go?

Except, well, Texas lost to Tech, so give it to the Raiders.

Except Texas won on a neutral field, while Tech enjoyed home cooking.

Except Tech lost to Oklahoma.

It’s enough to make you think aggregate points should be the criteria. But no matter how you hash it, every voter will be second-guessing, knowing that they’re not simply ranking the three teams, but openly anointing one. The voting will be split, especially among the Big 12 region’s coaches and Harris pollsters. The Trojans (with a loss that happened even earlier than Oklahoma’s) take advantage.

Scenario 2: Tech loses to Oklahoma. Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State. Tech wins the Big 12 on the strength of head-to-head with Texas.

But which one has the higher ranking? Oklahoma’s loss would hurt both schools with the computers. Again, a tiny opening for USC, though the Raiders get another week on the campaign trail playing for the conference championship. (Myself, I’m not inclined to favor teams which run that gauntlet any more than teams which don’t; those games were invented for the same reason that the Rose Bowl clings to its tradition: money.)

Scenario 3. Tech gets to Kansas City with no problem. Except: A top 3 team has gone to the Big 12 championship ten times. Their collective record in those games is 5-5.

Four of those teams (Nebraska in 1996, Kansas State in 1998, Texas in 2001, Missouri in 2007) cost themselves a visit to the title game. In 2003, unbeaten Oklahoma lost and still got to play LSU (barely). I doubt the same consideration would be given to Texas Tech.

There’s no reason to expect Tech to lose to Missouri. Or Kansas. Or Nebraska (though rematches can tricky). But there’s no reason to expect a lot of things in college football, and it will be a virtual home game for the North team, no? At that point the Red Raiders wouldn’t be any more deserving than Alabama (if they lose the SEC). Or Texas. Or USC.

Of course the Trojans still have to win some games themselves. So does Florida for that matter.

After Michael Crabtree gave half the state a heart attack last night (and if you didn’t see it, watch it. Please.), the college football landscape is as muddled as it’s been all year…which is why I decided to jump ahead a month and take a look at the Big 12’s tiebreaker procedures.

First off, here’s how I see the rest of the season playing out:

-Tech loses to Oklahoma in two weeks.
-UT does not lose to A&M for the third straight year and wins out.
-OU hits their stride and wins out as well.

So, we’ll have three one-loss, national championship-caliber teams battling it out for a division within a conference. Ah, the absurdity of college football (just imagine if we had playoffs instead of conference championships and 1,000 bowls…). But wait, it gets better. If you take a look at the tiebreaker procedures, it’ll all be decided by…the BCS! Meaning that since late-season losses count against a team more than early season losses, Tech will be the odd man out. Oklahoma, by virtue of beating Tech and having the earliest loss of the three teams, will jump ahead of Texas and end up in the Big 12 title game—despite having lost to the Horns earlier in the year. Again, the absurdity of college football. If OU wins that game, they’ll likely earn a ticket to blow out this year’s token Big 10 team (Penn State) in the National Championship.

Playoffs anyone?

Gotta blame someone. After pulling within striking distance of the NL Wild Card, the Astros have tanked three in a row, two of which were inexplicably played in Milwaukee, leading some ‘Stros fans to take out their anger, no , not on the anemic offense that was no-hit by Carlos Zambrano Sunday night and shut down by Chris Volstad (who?) last night, but on Bud Selig, everyone’s favorite mediator. He could’ve at least called the Cubs games ties and let everyone move on, right?

I’m bad at predictions, and I freely admit it. That’s why I’m showing you this, so you can know what you’re getting into before you read this. But, it’s the first big Cowboys game in a season in which I, among many, many others, think they’re going to win the big one (over the Steelers, for the record), so why not embarrass myself some more? In the spirit of “Hard Knocks,” here we go.

Tony Romo will throw two picks. Donovan McNabb will throw zero, but his receivers will drop at least five passes, leading Tony Kornheiser to remind us repeatedly that Donovan never made it to the Super Bowl without T.O. Then, T.O. will drop a pass and as Jaworski tries to re-focus the conversation on football, Kornheiser will see Jessica Simpson on the jumbotron and flip out again. The whole time, Tirico will be wishing it was March and he was sitting next to Hubie Brown at the Staples Center.

Anyway, back to football:

Brian Westbrook won’t run for 100 yards, Marion Barber will.

Pacman Jones will not be arrested tonight. Tank Johnson might.

The Cowboys will win, 31-24, and Donovan will blame Rush Limbaugh for the loss.

UPDATE: So maybe I should have shot for 61-54. It’s midway through the second, there are 48 points on the board and DeSaun Jackson just got away with one of dumbest plays in NFL history (yes, worse than Leon Lett’s infamous Super Bowl moment).

As Houston copes with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, the Astros are getting ready to continue their annual late-season push for the Wild Card against the division-leading Cubs tonight in Milwaukee (?).

As Richard Justice writes in today’s Chron, baseball is far down the list of priorities right now. Still, there’s something to be said for the redemptive power of sports. The Astros completing an improbable run to the playoffs won’t erase the hurricane, but it might be able to provide a measure of healing. At the least, it’s a chance for a minor competitive distraction, which, in the end, is what sports is supposed to be all about. So, go ‘Stros.

While there were no surprises at the top of the Statesman’s Big 12 quarterback ratings today (Chase Daniel sits ahead of Sam Bradford, Graham Harrell and Colt McCoy), some Aggies might find it a little disconcerting that their helmsman Stephen McGee sat in eighth place.

And he that might not be the end of his descent. Fran’s biggest cheerleader is stuck in what appears to be a  good, old-fashioned quarterback controversy with sophomore Jerrod Johnson. Coach Mike Sherman refuses to acknowledge it, but when do they ever?

For my money, I say Johnson is the starter by the Miami game. It’s too bad. McGee was a gunslinger at Burnet before seeing his passing skills deteriorate in Fran’s anemic option offense. Now he’ll have to sit on the sideline and watch another gunslinger come of age in the pro-style offense he probably should have been running all along.

A few months back, I wrote about the Austin Ice Bats and how hockey still persists in corners of the state where minor league teams failed. For example, Lubbock, where the Red Raiders club team won the Big XII championship with 13 Texans, as well as students from as far away as Stockholm, Montreal and Philadelphia. Their existence is the reason why there’s still a sheet of ice in town.

Which is great for everyone who wants to use it, but still not necessarily a boffo business. The program is approximately $40,000 in debt, including a rent payment to Lubbock for the use of City Bank Coliseum and an overdue electric bill (think Pat Knight worries about electric bills?).

Thus, coach Paul Fioroni, well-known in the South Plains for his own charitable efforts, is soliciting donations for his program, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

…we are running out of time and are very close to ceasing operations regarding the Tech Hockey program and all ice skating events and programs involved with us….Tech Hockey runs all hockey and ice skating at Texas Tech University and in the City of Lubbock and if we are not here, then its all gone and probably for good….

How can Odessa, Texas have a full time skating rink and Lubbock, Texas not? How can Oklahoma University have a full time skating facility with full support from their school and Texas Tech University not?

That’s right - we can’t let those Sooners be more forward-thinking than West Texans. Give them half a chance and they will get the jump on curling too!

NASCAR’s Pennsylvania 500, that is.

From SI.com’s Tom Bowles:

According to sources, Barack Obama’s campaign is in talks to become the primary sponsor of BAM Racing’s No. 49 Sprint Cup car for the Pocono race on August 3. Details of the agreement are expected to be worked out over the coming days….

Racing sources claim one of the options being considered would allow individual campaign donors to get their name on the race car for as little as $100….

Ken Schrader will drive the entry, a Toyota, at Pocono for BAM, which is outside the top 35 in owner points and must qualify for the race on speed.

Wouldn’t it be highly metaphorically embarassing if Schrader didn’t qualify?

I’m thinking John McCain might want to counter with a sponsorship for this.

“Mr. Jones,” if you’re nasty. Or, the Cowboy Formerly Known as Pacman Jones.

Second-generation Longhorns legend Huston Street is soooooo in trouble in with his wife. Come to think of it, what’s the statute of limitations for underage drinking? From Sports Illustrated :

On how he met his wife, Lacey
She doesn’t like me to say that we met on Sixth Street, but we met on Sixth Street, at a bar in Austin. She was 18, I was 20. Then she played hard to get. She didn’t return my calls for two months—literally. And I called a lot. Four times a week. Embarrassing, but it worked.

On how the Austin native got his name
My parents wanted a Texas-type name without naming me exactly after a city. There are actual Huston Streets out there. One of my favorite things is when people come up and say, “I live on Huston Street, in Georgia!” I’m like, “Awesome, man. I have nothing to do with it.”