“Overrated!” Rears its Ugly Head Once Again as Oklahoma defeats Alabama at the Sugar Bowl

Jan 2, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Oklahoma Sooners players, including injured linebacker Corey Nelson (with trophy) celebrate their 45-31 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Every team that received a BCS invitation had a season to remember.  Oklahoma was by no stretch an exception as it marched though its schedule with hiccups against a down Texas and an up Baylor.  The Sooners were rewarded with a trip to New Orleans to greet a disappointed Alabama, who was an incredible play away from the National Championship.  The excuse of a down team has been made consistently over the last few months, and hopefully we will be blessed with the absence of that cry with two additional teams added to the fold for the NC picture in 2014.  We can easily understand why the Crimson Tide may not have been as present as they should have been, but one loss no longer will doom a season.  Oklahoma fans were in ecstasy, proving validity for what most consider a mediocre Big 12, but what echoed from the ceiling of the Super Dome last night sticks in my craw upon every occurrence nationwide.

One upsetting and abhorrent college football practice will not disappear (in football or basketball): the overrated chant.  The problem here is that it is an anti-chant that only takes away from what the team you were supporting has accomplished.  If you wish to deride, trivialize, or just undervalue an upset that your team has pulled off, then by all means, let the cries of “overrated” fall from the stands, otherwise, shut your mouth and cheer for your school.

Let us go with this as a pipe dream example (especially in light of what happened last evening in the Desert): If Oregon comes into Pullman at the end of the month after racking up five more wins including @ #20 Colorado on Sunday.  The Ducks at that point could conceivably be ranked #6 or so in that scenario.  Let uss say the Cougs pull off  an upset (it would be by any measure).  If an overrated chant occurs in Beasley, then all we are saying is that, “Ha, we stink, and you lost to us!”  Storm the court, celebrate, bask in the glow of an upset, but do not tear down your own squad while mocking the Ducks, regardless of how satisfying it may be.

Essentially, if you feel that your team was victorious over an opponent that should not have been ranked #3 in the nation, fine, but the Oklahoma fans  will remind you in-perpetuity of the upset of the #3 team, not that the team was overrated.  Celebrate your team, and remember what Bob Robertson has always taught us: “Always be a good sport, be a good sport, always!”

Go Cougs!