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Oklahoma State Football

Big 12 Addresses Tiebreaker Issue and Is Set to Clarify Use of Head-to-Head

November 14, 2023
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STILLWATER – In the aftermath of the Big 12 action last week and Oklahoma State’s loss knocking them from a first-place tie with Texas into a four-way tie for second-place with Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Iowa State fans from all schools have done a quick check into the conference tiebreakers. It appears those tiebreakers may be needed to decide which two teams will play in the Dec. 2 Big 12 Championship Game. Fans have had to resort to AI tiebreaker tools to deciphur the scenarios. One possible one that drew attention was a tie involving Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Kansas State. 

The Big 12 tiebreaker criteria stated that if all three teams in this instance did not play each other then you would move from head-to-head (the No. 1 option) to No. 2 where you look for the highest finishing team below those three in the standings and see how all three fared with that team to break the tie.

Here is how that reads in the Big 12 Tiebreaker Procedure:

Head-to-head (best cumulative win percentage in games among the tied teams). If not, every tied team has played each other, go to step two.

That reads like it is the case regardless that Oklahoma State beat both OU and K-State and those two playing wouldn’t change that. 

Berry Tramel of the website Sellout Crowd inquired with the Big 12 and Tramel was awarded the answer first because of his inquiry and he reported on it today (Nov. 14).

That answer is that the Big 12 athletic directors will be briefed in a conference call tomorrow scheduled to discuss bowl selection procedures, on a clarification that will call for head-to-head to be used whenever it can be fairly applied to determine the order of finish in the case of multiple teams being tied. 

In the case of the scenario being mentioned, Oklahoma State having defeated both Oklahoma and Kansas State head-to-head means they win that tiebreaker.

The craziest part of this is give Tramel credit for raising the issue and being persistent. If that scenario actually takes place, and right now even it’s possibility makes Tramel a potential hero for Oklahoma State and its’ fans and a definite villain for OU and their fans. Very interesting.

Discussion from...

Big 12 Addresses Tiebreaker Issue and Is Set to Clarify Use of Head-to-Head

11,074 Views | 15 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by NJAggie
Joe Khatib
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So I guess you have to give Berry Tramel, of all people, kudos for pushing this out there and forcing action on it!!!
RodeoPoke
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I'm just glad that it is settled, in a manner that actually makes sense.

pokeacola
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I know BT is an ou alum, but, man, the guy is a gifted writer. I've been reading and enjoying his stuff for years. Not being biased, as we all know, is so difficult. And true, he has been a sooner homer in times past but on balance he acquits himself well. Good job Berry!
aggie1
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You are one of few that enjoys much of his stuff.
Tulsa Booster
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I enjoy him as well. Everyone knows he went to OU but he does a good job of not showing bias.
NJAggie
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Had they not corrected it I could have lived with it, but I'm glad they did.

This was a simple math error. It happens, but if KSU & OU played it wouldn't change the outcome of the tie breaker. OSU wins 2-0 to 1-1 to 0-2. So not having the game didn't cause a lack of data that was needed.

Better to make a simple straightforward correction now than after the season and having to admit you didn't change it because you didn't want to correct it midseason.
OT
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Sooners are being robbed by the B12. Heads will explode .
GumbyFromPokeyLand
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I too enjoy BT's writing and radio commentary. Yes he at times shows some small amounts of OU homerism, but that doesn't take away from his insights and ability to see through smoke and get through to the crux(s) of a story. His almost 50 years covering the Big 8 and Big 12 make his ability to contextualize history invaluable to his readers that can put aside his college allegiance.
True wisdom is knowing what you don't know.
- Confucius
Joe Khatib
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GumbyFromPokeyLand said:

I too enjoy BT's writing and radio commentary. Yes he at times shows some small amounts of OU homerism, but that doesn't take away from his insights and ability to see through smoke and get through to the crux(s) of a story. His almost 50 years covering the Big 8 and Big 12 make ability to contextualize history invaluable to his readers that can put aside his college allegiance.
I will drink to that!!!
Joe Khatib
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NJAggie said:

Had they not corrected it I could have lived with it, but I'm glad they did.

This was a simple math error. It happens, but if KSU & OU played it wouldn't change the outcome of the tie breaker. OSU wins 2-0 to 1-1 to 0-2. So not having the game didn't cause a lack of data that was needed.

Better to make a simple straightforward correction now than after the season and having to admit you didn't change it because you didn't want to correct it midseason.
It was badly worded and addressed originally by the conference! They are now doing the right thing and surprisingly it isn't the Zero U fans complaining as much as the K State people especially this guy from their 24/7 site called Go Powercat, he sounds almost like their version of James Hale (people in Oklahoma know about Sooner James all too much)!!!
GumbyFromPokeyLand
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Joe Khatib said:

NJAggie said:

Had they not corrected it I could have lived with it, but I'm glad they did.

This was a simple math error. It happens, but if KSU & OU played it wouldn't change the outcome of the tie breaker. OSU wins 2-0 to 1-1 to 0-2. So not having the game didn't cause a lack of data that was needed.

Better to make a simple straightforward correction now than after the season and having to admit you didn't change it because you didn't want to correct it midseason.
It was badly worded and addressed originally by the conference! They are now doing the right thing and surprisingly it isn't the Zero U fans complaining as much as the K State people especially this guy from their 24/7 site called Go Powercat, he sounds almost like their version of James Hale (people in Oklahoma know about Sooner James all too much)!!!


You mean Hames Jale? Lol
True wisdom is knowing what you don't know.
- Confucius
Doug Gosney
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Thanks for this. Lots swirling on this topic. We need to win final 2 obviously. Does Iowa State HAVE to lose for us to get in? Thx.
RodeoPoke
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Doug Gosney said:

Thanks for this. Lots swirling on this topic. We need to win final 2 obviously. Does Iowa State HAVE to lose for us to get in? Thx.
Iowa State plays Texas this weekend. They will likely lose that game, and if they don't then Texas will also be tossed into the tie for the conf champ game. Nobody has projected that scenario, that I have seen.

Iowa State either will lose, or the tie-breaker takes on another level of complexity
Orangeheart72
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I had thought all along you don't need a tiebreaker at all where teams have beaten the others. ISU would be worrisome but if they beat us, KSU and UT, they arguably have as much to crow about as us. Would love to play them again!
NJAggie
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Joe Khatib said:

NJAggie said:

Had they not corrected it I could have lived with it, but I'm glad they did.

This was a simple math error. It happens, but if KSU & OU played it wouldn't change the outcome of the tie breaker. OSU wins 2-0 to 1-1 to 0-2. So not having the game didn't cause a lack of data that was needed.

Better to make a simple straightforward correction now than after the season and having to admit you didn't change it because you didn't want to correct it midseason.
It was badly worded and addressed originally by the conference! They are now doing the right thing and surprisingly it isn't the Zero U fans complaining as much as the K State people especially this guy from their 24/7 site called Go Powercat, he sounds almost like their version of James Hale (people in Oklahoma know about Sooner James all too much)!!!
Yeah I've seen them. I get it, but still I'd be OK if it was the other way. Not correcting this when you could now, and waiting until next year would be a bad choice. This isn't swapping an arbitrary method for a different arbitrary method. It's about applying head to head correctly, then to arbitrary methods.
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