State Farm Showdown Update as of 1-29-09!

[Bill in Sinton]

As of right now in the 2008-09 competition we lead the Aggies 5 - 2. There are still 12 points left to be decided. It takes 10 points to win and 9.5 points to tie for the year. However in the event of a tie the Aggies retain the overall cup for winning it last year but neither team I am sure wants a tie (More on that later). The only major surprise or disappointment rather is our Men's Cross Country team losing the point to the Aggies. If we had got that point we would have enough points to win it. This competition is going to be very close in my opinion and may even actually end up in a tie or 10 - 9 score.
Last year we lost by 10.5 to 8.5.
Three main reasons we lost last year to the Aggies were:
1. Our football team lost
2. They completely dominated Women's sports by 2 - 8.8 .
3. They whipped us out in spring track events by 0 - 4.

I expect in most of the remaining events that it will be the same as last year with the difference being in 1.5 available points.

We inproved in 2 of the events.
1. We beat the Aggies in football.
2. We have improved in our women's sports. I expect them to edge us out by 4 - 6 but thanks to our women improving in Swimming and Diving and Cross Country we have narrowed the gap considerable and should continue to improve.
3. Even though our Track and Field teams are good the Aggies have our recruited us and will unfortunately get all 4 points again and this will hurt our chances. I would of course love to be completely wrong here though.

I think it is going to come down to two things. If our Men's basketball team can beat the Aggies on 2-16 we will get at least a tie out of the competition even though the Aggies will get the cup. I think the key thing will be the baseball teams and it will be close. We have got that point the past several years but the Aggies are ranked ahead of us this year and with the events of our coach I don't know how the team will respond. This point may well decide who gets the cup this season baring any other surprises of course.

We have the lead now at 5 - 2 and I think it will be increased to 6 - 2 on Feb. 6 at the Men's swimming and diving meet but getting that last point to get to 10 points is going to be a struggle.

GO HORNS! I KNOW WE WANT NCs BUT LET'S WIN THIS COMPETITION TOO.

 

[Bill in Sinton]

I emailed State Farm regarding this competition and the 9.5 to 9.5 tie breaker. I suggested that it would be better to award a winner rather than to have the prior winner retain the overall cup.
I suggested that only in case of a 9.5 to 9.5 final tie that the winner of the football game be awarded 0.25 points to decide who wins it the overall competition.
I sent the email soon after the football game that the Aggies had won 12 - 7 because I didn't want them to get the idea that I wanted it to be a UT advantage. Also we had won the prior competition so that would have also cost us another advantage.
I argued that since Women's sports in the competition out numbered men's sports by 1 point overall that it would be fair to let football be the tie breaker. Also I argued that football had the largest crowds plus television audiences that it would also be fair to let it be the deciding margin only in case of a tie.
I guess the idea was ridiculous since I never got a response from them.
However, needless to say, when I shopped around for insurance this past year I did not contact State Farm for a quote.

 

[GHoward]

Are we starting a boycott of StateFarm!?!?!

 

[Bill in Sinton]

Not at all. Besides they are giving both universities money. I only didn't have them give me a quote only because they didn't email me an answer. I would have accepted a no even though reluctantly.

 

[WorsterMan]

BIS - thanks for doing such a great job of keeping us updated on the showdown.

 

[Bill in Sinton]

I will post another update at the end of the month. February may not be kind to us as we now lead 6 - 3. The last events this month are at the end with the Men and Women's Track and Field event at College Station. I hope we end strong. Unfortunately our women's basketball team was swept by the Aggies and our Men's basketball team had to settle for a split. That gives the Aggies 3/4 of the available points in basketball. There was a time when it went the other way. The Aggies have beaten us five straight times in women's basketball but hopefully our great new coach can turn it around soon.
G0 TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS!

 

[FWHORN]

With the 4 T&F points very likely headed to aggy, the softball point and the womens golf point almsot certainly headed their way it looks like Texas better hold on to the two tennis points and mens golf then hope like heck that baseball continues their dominance of aggy in the Augie era or a&m will retain the trophy (or whatever it is state farm give out).

 

[Bill in Sinton]

FWHORN, we are both on the same page. I'm hoping this weekend we can steal one of the Indoor Track and Field points but with the meet in CS I am not optimistic. Since we didn't get one of the basketball 1/2 points this month the odds are this contest is going to be a 10 to 9 final and as you mentioned it may come to baseball in which currently the Aggies are ranked ahead of us. We will see.

 

[Steve Dallas]

I was just wondering about this recently. Keep updating.

 

[Bill in Sinton]

Steve I (or FWHORN) will update after the Track and Field events this weekend. It won't matter which one of us does it because we are in total agreement on everything. With the way the season started for our basketball teams I was hoping our Men's team would sweep the Aggies and our women would at least get a split with them. It wasn't met to be our guess and the 1.5 points went the other way which has really possible hurt us. We will see.