ShareThisParadoxical performance effects - choking under pressure - that lead to stunning upsets like the one in Norman, Okla. last Saturday are what make college football's quest for the national championship so fascinating.
Despite the huge incentive of keeping its BCS title aspirations alive and striving for a superior performance, then-No. 3 Oklahoma choked. Texas Tech took advantage and pulled off an incredible 41-38 upset.
There are similar shockers every season, usually around this time of year, when BCS title contenders start to really feel the pressure in the championship chase.
And, like the Sooners, they choke under the pressure variables associated with "audience presence, competition, performance-contingent rewards and punishments, and ego relevance of the task."
Clemson has to be thinking about that and worrying about a subpar performance against 6-2 Georgia Tech Saturday, with a potential BCS title shot hanging in the balance.
That's where paradoxical performance effects can come into play, and where coaching comes in to avert them. So far Dabo Swinney, who's in his fourth season as Clemson's head coach, has answered the call.
Amazingly, he's taken a team that wasn't ranked in any of the preseason Top 25 polls and wasn't even among the 48 receiving votes in the Associated Press poll, to the No. 5 spot in the BCS standings.
That's probably, in part, because two sensational Clemson players - sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd and freshman receiver Sammy Watkins - were either overlooked entirely or terribly underestimated talent-wise.
Boyd has already passed for 2,379 yards, 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Watkins - who set a school record with 345 all-purpose yards against Maryland two weeks ago - has 54 catches for 819 yards and nine touchdowns.
Factor in a couple of real good running backs - junior Andre Ellington and freshman Mike Bellamy - and Clemson's offense has become, unexpectedly, practically unstoppable. North Carolina found that out last Saturday in a 59-38 loss.
Don't expect the Tigers to seize up Saturday in Atlanta either, but beware of the looming pressure when they travel to Columbia, S.C., Nov. 26 for a game against the No. 13 Gamecocks.
For No. 9 Oklahoma, that devastating loss last Saturday took the pressure off. For all intents and purposes, the Sooners are out of the national title chase and won't get back in, unless some really, REALLY crazy things happen down the stretch.
So, don't expect Oklahoma to choke Saturday at No. 8 Kansas State.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, are definitely vulnerable to the pressure, even on their home turf.
The Unbalanced Line's call: Oklahoma, 31-17.
No. 3 Oklahoma State should also be on guard against the pressures associated with choking, when 4-2 Baylor visits Stillwater Saturday.
The Bears are an inferior opponent, but their quarterback, Robert Griffin, is the nation's top-rated passer. He's completed 78 percent of his passes for 1,950 yards, 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
It's Oklahoma State's homecoming, so chances are the Cowboys won't underperform this Saturday.
But the pressure will continue to build, along with the increasing threat of a loss, with tough games looming against Kansas State (Nov. 5), Texas Tech (Nov. 12) and Oklahoma (Dec. 3).
Sixth-ranked Stanford could easily fall victim to paradoxical performance effects this Saturday against 6-1 Southern Cal in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Stanford is the better team, but not by a lot, so Cardinal fans should beware of the upset possibility.
Since Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins' Hail Mary pass relieved then-No. 6 Wisconsin of all pressure associated with its national championship quest, Ohio State should brace itself for a very angry bunch of Badgers in Columbus.
No. 15 Wisconsin can now turn its focus on playing in and winning the Big 10's inaugural championship game. That, of course, is assuming the Badgers have recovered from that stunning 37-31 loss to Sparty, which killed their BCS title hopes.
The call: Wisconsin 31, Ohio State 16.
No. 11 Michigan State and No. 14 Nebraska also have their eyes focused on the Big 10 title, so don't expect either to choke under pressure Saturday in Lincoln. Sparty's defense is the difference: Michigan State, 27-20.
After starting the season 6-0, Illinois appeared to suffer paradoxical performance effects in consecutive losses to Ohio State and Purdue the past two weeks. Or, it could just be the Fighting Illini were overrated.
No. 19 Penn State (7-1 and sitting alone at 4-0 atop the Big 10 Leaders Division) controls its destiny in the conference title chase, which means the Nittany Lions could be susceptible to choking under pressure against Illinois Saturday in Beaver Stadium.
The pressure cooker is bound to burn some teams' aspirations; it always does.
(Contact John Tucker at jtucker(at)unionleader.com)
(E-mail John Tucker at jtucker(at)unionleader.com)
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