Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Week That Will Be (BCS Bowl Edition)


Last Week: 0-0-1 ATS 1-0 SU
For the Year: 39-43-3 (.476) ($830) ATS 60-25 (.706) SU


The turkey is devoured, you’ve had ham sandwiches for a record five days in a row, you nearly killed someone returning the horrid sweater that your grandmother bought you, you’re about tired of hearing Jingle Bells and if you haven’t taken your tree down yet you’re thinking about just placing a tarp over it and seeing if anyone notices for the next 11 months.

Christmas is behind us, New Year’s Eve, also known as Amateur Hour, is tomorrow night, and finally, we have water in the desert.

Football that doesn’t suck is on the horizon.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to figure out how going to Boise, Idaho in late December is a “reward” for a great season. I’m still trying to figure out how a proud program like USC ended their season on a baseball diamond with the very tricked-up both teams on one sideline alignment.

I’m wondering if the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl has it written in the contract that the announcers for the game must refer to the game as the full name at all times (and if it is not, it should be). I’m trying to figure out why we have two bowls named after pizza companies, and how long it will be until we have the Dominoes Pizza bowl live from Oklahoma City and the Pizza Hut Bowl from Waco, Texas.

I’m wondering why the International Bowl is later than the Rose Bowl, and why the GMAC Bowl gets a spot on the eve of the national championship game. I’m wondering what the hell “Roady’s” is, and how the Cotton Bowl isn’t played in the Cotton Bowl anymore. I’m also aghast on why there are only five bowl games on January 1st, and how the Alamo Bowl crept up from crap bowl to prime slot bowl overnight.

I’m wondering how people can say the bowl system is fine when 28,000 people were sick enough to watch UCLA and Temple fight it out at RFK Stadium, and how Florida can be on the hook for 5,000 tickets that their fans hadn’t bought as of last week. I’m wondering why a bowl game is on the NFL Network, and when the hell every single dispute between a broadcast company and a cable company will not include Time Warner Cable.

I’m wondering why Orlando and San Antonio have stadiums that nobody plays in regularly, but each one has managed to get a prime slot bowl. I’m wondering why Fresno State, Southern Miss, Oregon State, Nevada and Ohio made my bowl pool look like Lou Holtz’s weekly pick ‘em, and why when it is 40 degrees and windy as hell there are actually people in the stands in Las Vegas and not in the casinos.

I’m wondering if OU fans were really scared to go to El Paso, or if they were really scared to get their ass beat in a bowl game again, and I’m wondering why the PapaJohns.com bowl isn’t just the Papa Johns Bowl and why it isn’t played at Papa Johns Stadium in Louisville and is instead played at Legion Field in Birmingham, which I swear read was scheduled for demolition here soon.

I’m wondering when the bowl committee for the Insight Bowl finally got smart enough to move their game from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ baseball field to Sun Devil Stadium, and why anyone in America thinks that a 10 AM football game on January 1st is a good idea at all.

I’m wondering why the International Bowl doesn’t have a sponsor at all (I’m not really wondering, it is because nobody likes the damn foreigners) and I’m wondering why AT&T doesn’t sponsor the Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park.

I’m wondering if Land Shark and Oranges are really a good combination, and for that matter, if anyone will actually take the time out of their lives to watch Georgia Tech and Iowa if they’re not involved in a bowl pool or reside in the states of Georgia and Iowa.

But most of all, I’m just wondering when January 7th is finally going to get here, because none of these other bowls really matter at all.

Thirty-four bowls, and one of them matters. Nice job, NCAA.

FACEBOOK STATUS MESSAGES

Adam James is wandering around in the dark, trying to find a damn light switch.

Craig James has joined the group I Destroy FBS Programs.

Texas fans are thankful for Mack Brown.

Urban Meyer was almost late for practice because I couldn’t decide which pair of khakis to wear.

Heart Problems have joined the group Things Urban Meyer Shrugs Off Like Dandruff.

Michigan State is really glad that this Leach stuff happened. Maybe now nobody will notice that half of our football team was suspended.

The Alamo Bowl son of a bitch.

Mike Sherman it is hell motivating your team to play more than once a year. You try it, dammit.

Jerrod Johnson I like red. I throw the ball to red jerseys. Sue me.

Nevada Football Dude. We just got our ass kicked by SMU. SMH

On to the games...

The Sun Bowl: Stanford v. Oklahoma -10:

We are coming to you LIVE from El Paso, Texas, where dudes get lucky on the mountain tops and the banditos across the border aren’t so lucky these days. None of this matters to the outcome of the game, but what does matter is that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will dress for the game, but will not start, and sure as hell doesn’t sound healthy.

Toby Gerhart will find it to be tough sledding against Gerald McCoy and crew, and Oklahoma should, I said, should, come out on top here. But Small Game Bob has it tough outside of Norman and past Christmas, so you never know.

Oklahoma 31 Stanford 14
ATS – Oklahoma
SU – Oklahoma

The Cotton Bowl: Mississippi -3 v. Oklahoma State:

What? This game isn’t against Grambling State? Well take Oklahoma State’s opponent then, who happens to be Mississippi, who showed last year that bowl games mean something to up and coming programs, unlike Oklahoma State, who got embarrassed in the Holiday Bowl.

The only problem I see here is if Jevan Snead starts throwing to the other team, which is always a distinct possibility, but could be dangerous with Perrish Cox patrolling the other secondary.

Mississippi 34 Oklahoma State 27
ATS – Mississippi
SU – Mississippi

The Orange Bowl: Iowa v. Georgia Tech -4:

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Georgia Tech 38 Iowa 17
ATS – Georgia Tech
SU – Georgia Tech

The Rose Bowl: Ohio State v. Oregon -4.5:

So we find out this week that Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has been playing with a torn ligament in his knee, which sounds a hell of a lot more abusive than locking a player in a shed, er, equipment room, but whatever, Sweater Vest Man is untouchable, we get it.

This one will hinge on whether or not Ohio State can stop the Oregon running game. If Oregon is able to call their rushing yardage, they win big, but if Ohio State keeps them in check, then Jeremiah Masoli probably isn’t good enough to beat OSU through the air.

I think Oregon’s running game wins out.

Oregon 28 Ohio State 17
ATS – Oregon
SU – Oregon

The Sugar Bowl: Cincinnati v. Florida -13.5:

Cincinnati is led onto the field by head coach Brian Kelly, who lead them to an undefeated season….what? Kelly left for Notre Dame. Hmm. Okay.

Florida is led by head coach Urban Meyer, and it will be “Win One For the Gipper” as Myer has announced he is stepping down due to health reasons….what? Hmm. Weird.

Awkward!

Anyhow, give me Florida and 3/4 of a heart Myer over Cincinnati and whoever the hell their coach is these days.

Florida 41 Cincinnati 20
ATS – Florida
SU – Florida

The Fiesta Bowl: Boise State v. TCU -7.5:

The Fiesta Bowl gets the Poinsettia Bowl’s sloppy seconds, as Boise State and TCU meet for the second straight bowl season, this one in a bowl overrated because the team’s conferences each get millions of dollars while the schools will probably finish in the red for the trip after they pay for everyone and their dog to get to Arizona.

Welcome to the big-time, guys!

I’m wondering how the big lay-off and the disappointment of not being selected for say, the Sugar Bowl will do to TCU’s psyche. They were one of the hottest teams in the country, but then they had to take final exams so we had to take a 40 day break so they could do that.

TCU wins, but Boise has been here before and keeps it close.

TCU 31 Boise State 28
ATS – Boise State
SU – TCU

Random Hot Dallas Chick

Image

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for In and Out.

Coming Tuesday: The Week That Will Be: BCS National Championship Edition

"Back to being a women's basketball school."

I think a comment on this post at Double T Nation about sums it up.  Texas Tech has fired Mike Leach, easily the most successful coach in the history of the program, because of claims by a back-up to the back-up wide receiver.

Wow.

Even if Leach was in the wrong in this case, and if the reports are correct, he was wrong, it is clearly an isolated incident and not a pattern of abuse by Leach and his coaching staff.  This is clearly a reaction to past events with Leach, and frankly, is ridiculous.

That trip to Lubbock next year for the Longhorns is now not nearly as scary as it once was, because I guarantee you that Tech will go the easy and cheap route by hiring Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, a Tech alum and the son of legendary Tech coach Spike Dykes.  No offense (pun intended) to Dykes, but Arizona had the 40th ranked offense in a conference that is notorious for not being able to play defense and would be a terrible hire.

I feel for you today, Texas Tech fans, because your program took a step backwards.  If Tech strikes bold and hires Kevin Sumlin from Houston or Art Briles from Baylor it might be able to save face, but right now it looks petty and foolish.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Classic The Week That Will Be: 2005 Big 12 Championship







This is the fourth in a series of re-posts of classic columns that I've done through the years.  We'll do this leading all the way up to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th.  Part IV: Texas fans were tired of hearing of it by the time they arrived at Reliant Stadium in Houston for the 2005 Big 12 Championship game:  Mack Brown had never won a conference championship.  The Longhorns went out and scored enough points to win 3 or 4 conference championships in a 70-3 rout of the Colorado Buffaloes, and the Horns were headed to Pasadena to play for the national championship...

What we learned last week: LSU is the worst 1 loss team in the country...if Georgia is the SEC champion it tells you how far that conference has fallen...Hey Bobby Bowden, you might want to get out of that golf cart a couple of times a practice and find out what the hell happened to your powerhouse program...Colorado's student section throws better than Joel Klatt...Adrian Peterson allowed OU fans to grapple at one moral victory...and even though A&M played their best game of the season and Texas played their absolute worst, the margin of victory was enough where people were clearing their fridges of leftovers by the mid 4th quarter.

Anyhow...

This is what I posted in this space 52 weeks ago:

Texas will go to a BCS Bowl.

Don't worry yourself with how, or why, or at whom's expense. Just know that it will happen....

Now, our BCS chances at this point are out of our hands. That is up to the human voters and the computers. We need a small combination of some odd pollsters from both polls to give us the needed boost. But do you want to count this team out?

Some things just seemed destined to happen, whether it be Ohio State staging miracle win after miracle win on their way to the national championship, Boston getting a magical lift from David Ortiz, Derek Fisher hitting a miracle shot to bury the Spurs in last year's NBA playoffs.

It happens, and you just look around and go, "uh oh".

Something will happen on Saturday that will make you go, "uh oh". And that something will drastically change our New Year's plans.


My my how things change in a year's time.

Texas fans sat on the edge of their seats as they tuned into Ron Franklin broadcast a game from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Most were on their couch, but a few ventured up to the University of Southern Mississippi and watched the Golden Eagles (?) face the California Bears.

Cal fell on their faces that night and narrowly escaped Mississippi with a win, allowing some voters to vote in Texas. The Longhorns, of course, went on to win the Rose Bowl while Cal lost to Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl and their pansy-ass quarterback was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, who have won exactly 2 games thru Thanksgiving.

Karma, holla!

Now it wasn't as exciting this season as last year, when we had to hope and pray for other teams to lose so we could jump in their spot, but it's just as sweet, if not sweeter.

We had help from Miami, sure, but this Texas team rode a wave of high expectations into this season and did what no other recent Texas team has done...

They not only met them, they exceeded them.

And now we are one game away from where we want to be. From where we need to be.

A fan base that has endured Cotton Bowl runs followed by 46-3 losses in said Cotton Bowls followed by disappointing seasons the year after, followed by losses to Rice and TCU, followed by losses to winless Oklahoma teams and five straight Oklahoma teams. A fan base that has endured losses to teams like Oregon in bowl games and NC State in season openers. A fan base that saw their team get lucky to beat North Texas and lose in the South Plains of Lubbock to ruin promising seasons.

One game away.

The past couple of years we had the Top 5 teams's schedules memorized and knew exactly who needed to lose and how many BCS points we needed to overtake said team. Last year I used this space to plead my case on why we were going to make the Rose Bowl and everyone just shook their head at me like I was the sad kid waiting up for Santa Claus on a cold Christmas Eve night. We slammed Cal-Berkeley message boards with trash talk and stayed up late to watch Utah Utes game and hope they lost.

One game away.

That one game is monumental. It would be Mack Brown's first ever conference title. Our first as a team in 9 years. Colorado is a fine opponent who knows a thing or two about playing in this game and others like it and winning that game.

But enjoy it, Texas fans. For we control our own destiny. We don't have to research the best defenders on the Southern Mississippi roster or the playmakers on the BYU offense.

Soak it up, take it all in, because as Nebraska and Oklahoma have shown, it can go away as easily as it can come to you.

If we do come out on top Saturday, raise your Horns for the Eyes of Texas and think about where we've been and where we're going.

And when we do come out on top on Saturday, take the next 32 days and enjoy the hell out of it. Because the view from the top is sweet.

As Tom Hanks says in a movie about a battle infinitely more important than the one that takes place on Saturday but fits here for the quote I would like to use...

I'll see you on the beach!

unjinx

On to the games:

Louisiana Tech @ Fresno State -21.5:

Fresno State almost pull the upset of the year narrowly losing to USC in LA, but then last week came out and lost to Nevada. Louisiana Tech finished strong after early season blowout losses to Florida and Kansas.

FSU just had a letdown game last week. Pinegar will have a big game and the Bulldogs (Fresno, not LA Tech) will get things together on D to pull it out.

Fresno State 45 Louisiana Tech 21
ATS - Fresno State
SU - Fresno State

Army @ Navy -6.5:

I think I used this joke last year, but I'll use it again. If you bet on this game, you have a serious gambling problem.

But since this column is for entertainment purposes only (thank God with my win/loss record), expect Navy to put it to Army (again). Navy has the best rushing offense (statistically) in the nation, while Army's offense looks more like the France offense.

Navy 27 Army 16
ATS - Navy
SU - Navy

Florida State v. Virginia Tech -14:

Florida State has lost their last two games by a combined score of 69-21. There is something wrong in Tallahassee.

Drew Weatherford is horrid and Lorenzo Booker leads the team by averaging 47 yards rushing a game. Virginia Tech's defense isn't one to get healthy against, either, as they are ranked #1 in the nation.

The Hokies have no trouble with this Florida school.

Virginia Tech 34 Florida State 17
ATS - Virginia Tech
SU - Virginia Tech

LSU -2 v. Georgia:

Georgia might be a DJ Shockley injury away from being undefeated, while LSU continues their trend of stuggling against teams halfway decent.

So naturally LSU is favored.

Both teams have good defenses and special teams, but Georgia forces turnovers and that's what wins these games against evenly matched teams.

Georgia 27 LSU 20
ATS - Georgia
SU - Georgia

UCLA @ USC -20.5:

This game features a Los Angeles quarterback that leads the nation in passing efficiency and a running back that has 17 touchdowns on the year and is the nation's leading punt returner as well.

If you guessed USC, you would be wrong.

Drew Olson and Maurice Drew form a great backfield for the one loss Bruins. Add in TE Mercedes Lewis and this offense is up there among the best in the nation.

But unfortunately we have to talk about the defense eventually. The run defense is horrid, ranking 115th in the nation. Oh yeah, they are facing Reggie Bush and LenDale White this week.

The UCLA linebackers are fine, but the defensive line has too many holes.

But...

Drew Olson has had 3 weeks to look at tape of the USC secondary that has been ripped by the likes of Sam Keller, Brady Quinn and Paul Pinegar this year. Can they pull off the upset?

Maybe if their defense didn't look like Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl.

USC 47 UCLA 40
ATS - UCLA
SU - USC

Texas -27.5 v. Colorado:

You know the trends. You know the back stories. You know how Texas whipped Colorado 42-17 mere weeks ago.

You know how Texas hasn't won a conference title in 9 years and how Mack Brown has as many conference titles as you and I. You know how Texas hasn't even sniffed a chance at a national title in more than 20 years.

You know how Texas with Mack Brown at the helm is 0-2 in trying to go 2-0 against a team in a given season. You know how the winner flips back and forth between divisions and it's the North's turn. For good measure Colorado is wearing their black uniforms just like they did that night in 2001.

You know how the Buffs ruined Texas's chance at going to the Rose Bowl on that fateful night and how they did this despite losing to Texas 41-7 mere weeks before in Austin.

None of it matters.

Because Vincent Young is coming home.

And this man has led drives in the famed Horseshoe to do something no man has ever done before, quarterback a winning opposing team against Ohio State at night. He destroyed an Oklahoma team that will end up in the Holiday Bowl. He saw his team down by multiple scores in Stillwater and came out and ran 80 yards for a touchdown and never looked back on his way to 500 yards. He heard the whispers, no, the yells that he couldn't throw and used his arm to beat Colorado and Texas Tech. He ran for 22 yards on 4th and 18 to beat Kansas. He led his team back from a three touchdown deficit to beat Oklahoma State. And he made himself at home in the Rose Bowl by accounting for 5 touchdowns and leaving a nation in awe.

He isn't going to get beat in his own house. And then it's time to go to the beach house for New Year's.

Texas 48 Colorado 20
ATS - Texas
SU - Texas

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for Treasures.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Schedule Update

First of all, Happy Holidays to everyone, and thank you for reading this blog from time to time.

Second, since this is a blog updated every few days, I thought I would give you the schedule on when The Week That Will Be will be published here in the next few days:

Mon Dec 28th:  Classic TWTWB
Wed Dec 30th:  The Week That Will Be: BCS Bowl Edition
Fri Jan 1st: Classic TWTWB: 2005 BCS Championship Game Edition
Tue Jan 5th: The Week That Will Be: BCS National Championship Edition

Monday, December 21, 2009

Classic The Week That Will Be: Texas Tech 2004




This is the third in a series of re-posts of classic columns that I've done through the years.  We'll do this leading all the way up to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th.  Part III: A popular phrase in the Texas fan vocabulary is "Let Vince Be Vince".  After the 12-0 loss to Oklahoma in 2004, followed by a lackluster performance at home against Missouri where Ramonce Taylor was the leading passer and Vince Young the leading receiver, the legend is that the coaches decided to loosen the reins, quit trying to coach Young the "proper" technique to throw, and just let him be.  Two BCS bowl appearances and a national title later, it appears that letting Vince be Vince was the correct thing to do.  This column appeared after that dreadful Missouri game, before a 51-21 win over Texas Tech where VY accounted for 300 yards of total offense.


I'm going to get on the soapbox here for a little bit and go Bill Little on that ass.

Sports. They are a funny way to live our lives.

And make no mistake about it. A lot of our lives revolve around the Longhorns. A good chunk of my being is invested in this team, whether it be time, monetary or emotionally.

That's why I'm disturbed about a trend that I'm noticing lately.

From a post on HornFans, in response to a question, "Do you people actually ENJOY Texas football?"

I enjoy Texas football from August 1 until the second weekend in October. And for a few hours on signing day. That's about it right now. Seriously.


And I read about people not even being able to enjoy the Missouri game, others didn't even bother to go to the Missouri game.

Now I'm not going to berate the person who made the above quote, because I don't even know him, but if you truly love this team, I just do NOT understand that mindset.

Life is tough. Nothing comes easy, and sports are a microcosm of all of that. You can go through a marriage, divorce, money problems, birth of a child, etc. all in the same game. Sports are not as important as all of these, of course, but the emotional roller coaster that we go on in any given game is unlike most other situations in life.

And that leads me to my main point (yes, there is a point to this rambling).

The Boston Red Sox are of course one of the most sad-sack stories in all of sports. Yes, they have had success, and yes, they have a lot of resources, so few if any actually feel sorry for them outside of their own fans.

Sound familiar?

We all know their path, so I'm not going to bore you with it, but after that gut-wrenching series last year lost at the hands of Aaron Boone of all people, an off-season spent courting the sport's marquee player and losing him to their rival, and the dealing away of a franchise player at mid-season, the Red Sox were right there when the playoffs began, right where they were last season.

They swept the Angels out of the playoffs and watched the Yankees squeak past the Twins, setting up the matchup the baseball nation had been looking forward to for months.

Then they fell behind 3-0. They were dead. Bill Simmons was even writing them off, pondering another off-season and contemplating spring training.

But the Red Sox, as has been their motto all year, asked themselves, "Why not us?"

(BTW, as I watch this, the only part I'm sad about seeing the Yankees season end is no more Roman Tynan singing God Bless America. Nobody does it better. Everytime I watch it I think of post-9/11 and those Yankee games.)

They started it off in Game 4, as David Ortiz, a guy that was released by the Minnesota Twins, hit a homerun in extra innings to win a game. Fine, they said, the Red Sox at least gave them a little fight.

But the next night, Pedro Martinez, who even proclaimed the Yankees as his "daddy" earlier in the year, gave the Red Sox a great start in what everyone thought was his last appearance as a Red Sock. Ortiz was once again the hero as his basehit again in extra innings won it for the home team.

Then came Curt Schilling.

Schilling probably shouldn't even be playing right now, as a right ankle injury that will require surgery in the off-season was patched up only enough to keep the blood on his sock to a minimum. He was gassed by the 4th inning, he says, but still hung on to give the team three more innings and give them a shot to get it to game 7 tonight.

And there you have why we follow these teams so hard.

It's James Brown limping on the field against Texas A&M in 1995, knowing that he had no business being out there. But he stood bravely in the pocket against a Wrecking Crew defense that had given the Longhorns fits for the past decade. Nobody gave us a shot to win that game, but there was JB, standing in that pocket and limping back to the huddle. Everyone on the field that day knew that if JB could do it, they better damn well be ready to do it.

And the Longhorns left the field victorious that day, ending a long streak of losing to the Aggies and reversing the rivalry right then and there. Although Ricky Williams had a great day and the defense was a wrecking crew of it's own, you'll never be able to convince me that James Brown wasn't the reason that we won that game.

Redemption. Culmination. Overcoming.

Maybe it's just my spiteful nature, but one reason that I love sports so much is because of these three words, overcoming obstacles when nobody thinks you can, finding redemption in a big game or season all in a culmination of great events unfolding in a span of hours.

Curt Schilling did that for the Red Sox nation on Wednesday night. Even if they were to lose game 7, they would still have this moment in time to take with them, to tell their grandkids about. They would tell their grandchildren that they saw a man overcome physical and emotional obstacles in a hostile environment and come out on top, earning the respect of sports fans everywhere.

Bill Simmons, on Schilling: "This was about heart. This was about coming through when it mattered most. This was about choosing to pitch for a tortured franchise, promising that things would be different, and then perservering only because you gave your word."

You know what? Screw Adrian Peterson. He's the Anti-Schilling. Some people want to beat the Yankees, and some people would rather just take the easy road and join them.

I know the losses to OU are hard to get past. I know that we seemingly follow the same path every year, making a lot of the same mistakes along the way.

But I don't follow Texas football because of Mack Brown, or Greg Davis, or even Vincent Young or Cedric Benson.

I follow Texas football because I grew up watching Eric Metcalf on average teams, teams that couldn't even come close to beating Texas A&M. I follow Texas football because of Austin. Because of March Grandioso. Because of Bevo. Because of Texas Fight.

Because standing there after a game, with my Horns raised and singing The Eyes of Texas, whether we've won by 50 or lost by 50, is still the best feeling in the world.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I was here long before Mack Brown, and I'll be here long after Mack retires to a tobacco farm in North Carolina.

So I'll be damned if I'm not going to follow my team just because things aren't perfect.

Because I'm not going to miss the next James Brown moment. I'm not going to miss our Curt Schilling moment. Or the Mickelson putt lipping around before dropping in to win the most prestigious tournament in all of golf.

When I'm standing there celebrating the Longhorns winning the national title, my Horns raised and singing the Eyes of Texas, I'll know that my devotion never wavered and that all of it was worth it for that one moment.

Someone once said that a test of man's character isn't when things are going well, but when things are going bad.

We are far from bad, Longhorn fans. Quit feeling sorry for yourselves and have some fun. We only get a few of these a year.

On to the games...

Michigan @ Purdue (-4.5):

Purdue lost a heartbreaker last week, and Michigan is slowing rolling up momentum again after that early season loss to Notre Dame.

I think Michigan's defense is good enough to slow down Purdue, but I'm not sure if Michigan will move the ball on the Boilermakers.

You have a Heisman-trophy caliber senior quarterback versus a freshman on the road.

Give me the senior.

Purdue 27 Michigan 23
ATS - Michigan
SU - Purdue

Georgia @ Arkansas (-7.5):

Georgia is still looking for the SEC title after a loss to Tennessee while Arkansas is just trying to become bowl-eligible at this point.

Matt Jones might not play in this game, and even if he does he might be hobbled with a pulled groin. Georgia's defense is relentless, and even with Florida up next, Georgia knows they have no margin for error after their loss.

Georgia 30 Arkansas 17
ATS - Georgia
SU - Georgia

Miami (-7.5) @ NC State:

Quick, who has the best defense in the nation?

If you guessed Miami....you are wrong.

It's NC State. At least statistically.

And you know how Miami's offense has been, especially against good defenses. And you know how horrible Brock Berlin is. He's the Dan Miceli of quarterbacks.

Shocker? Don't be surprised.

Miami 17 NC State 13
ATS - NC State
SU - Miami

Oklahoma State @ Missouri (-3.5):

Both teams are coming off disappointing losses but have still have a shot at the conference crown.

Missouri's defense will be too tough for a Oklahoma State team that is a bit too one-dimensional on the road.

Missouri 31 Oklahoma State 21
ATS - Missouri
SU - Missouri

Kansas @ Oklahoma (-27):

This one will be close.

Until the first quarter ends.

Oklahoma 41 Kansas 20
ATS - Kansas
SU - Oklahoma

Texas (-1.5) @ Texas Tech:

A lot of times, I like to look at the less glamorous of the two matchups in a game. For example, when LSU played Oklahoma last season, while a lot of people were wondering if LSU could stop the Sooner attack, I was more interested in if LSU would move the ball on the Sooner defense.

So, of course in this game the glamorous matchup in this game is the Texas Tech offense versus the Texas defense. And while I certainly think it's important for the Texas offense to eat the clock, the premiere matchup in this game is really what will decide it.

Oklahoma slowed down Tech. As did New Mexico. Hell even SMU held them down on the scoreboard at least. But those were all on the road.

Can Robinson, Akina and Tomey devise a scheme to stop this offense on the road? That will be the key point of the game.

Texas can't afford to get in a shootout. They have the past two years with Tech, but were better prepared both years. In 2002, the team had Chris Simms and the corps of receivers. Last year the receivers were still here and Chance Mock came in and actually didn't suck.

VY's confidence has been hit, and if Tech shuts down the Texas running game like they did last year, we could be toast early.

Unless Robinson does the job.

And I have EXTREME confidence in this man. Hell look at what he did to Oklahoma. Do you think Sonny Cumbie is better than Jason White? Or that Tech is any more hyped for this game than OU was?

Cedric gets his and Texas wins.

Texas 38 Texas Tech 31
ATS - Texas
SU - Texas

For entertainment purposes only. Use your money on Red Sox World Series gear.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Classic The Week That Will Be: Ohio State 2005




This is the second in a series of re-posts of classic columns that I've done through the years.  We'll do this leading all the way up to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th.  Part II: #2 Texas had opened the season with a wallop of Louisiana-Lafayette, but the Horns could really prove their mettle by beating the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes in their own stadium, and we have to add of course, at night, where they had never lost in those conditions ever before.  A few stars would be born that day night, and some couches would burn in Columbus as well...


 "If you want to beat Ohio State, meet me here every night at 7 p.m.''--Vincent Young

That was one of the famous quotes coming from Vince Young this summer. The second was "Rose Bowl's over, y'all!"

Is it?

Lost in the shuffle of an amazing performance against Michigan on that cool January day in Pasadena was that this team took a step that wasn't as apparent.

It became Vincent's team.

So is it really over, or was it just a transition to a new era, one led by a man among boys who if you hadn't read the comic books and seen that he was white you would swear was Superman?

You've heard all the hype. All the hype about Teddy Ginn, who has yet shown the ability to be a true receiver. All the hype about Troy Smith, who gets paid by the yard up there in Columbus.

Vincent Young is above the hype.

He makes Keith Jackson shake his head. Dan Fouts, a grown man who has seen plenty of football in his lifetime, screams "NO!" when VY eludes a defensive player or 8 on his way to a touchdown.

He's taken his team on his shoulders down by 10 in the 4th quarter of the most important game for the Texas program in years and rallied them back until Dusty Mangum's kick sailed into the sea of burnt orange elation in the south endzone.

To you and I, that was enough. You did well, kid.

Not to Vince.

Rose Bowl's over, y'all!

Because this is his team now, and this team has higher aspirations than just winning a BCS bowl game.

The road to that goal starts Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio before 104,000 fans in one of the most famous venues in all of college football. The 'i" will be dotted and the crowd loud and boisterous by the time ABC fires up the production music and welcomes us to the best non-conference matchup in college football this season.

You've heard the stats. Ohio State is 6-0 all time under the lights in Columbus. They haven't lost a home non-conference game since whenever and whatever.

Those teams didn't have Vince Young. And those teams damn sure weren't Texas.

They didn't have the sleet feet of Ramonce Taylor or the triple headed running back threat of Selvin Young, Jamaal Charles and Henry Melton. They didn't have the sneakiest son of a bitch in David Thomas or the mammoth offensive line that can open holes the size of one of the great lakes. They didn't have Defensive Tackle University in session or a linebacker crew that runs faster than most Big Ten skill position players. They didn't have a secondary that says "Teddy Ginn? We've faced better in practice," and be right.

Did I mention Vince Young?

Mack Brown has said that Texas had the best off-season they've had since they've been here and that Vince Young is the reason for that. The Dallas Morning News said this week that Texas has been preparing for Ohio State without even knowing it for weeks now. Aaron Harris circled this game on his calendar....4 years ago when he committed to Texas.

The Rose Bowl was not only a stepping stone for Vince Young but also a building block for the Texas program. A program looked upon by many as "underachieving" or "soft" beat a fine Michigan team in perhaps the grandest stage in the sport. A win in Columbus would go a long ways toward even further dismissing that nonsense.

It will be tough, no doubt. Ohio State is no slouch of a program. That sweater-vest wearing coach over there has done a fine job of solidifying that program.

But after the tuba player gets in his traditional position, after the ABC music dies down, after Brent Musberger utters with his fake voice, after Jack Arute interviews the head coaches, after the coin toss and after the opening kickoff....watch.

You'll see Vincent Young trot out there with his gameface on, not hearing the screams of 104,000 clad in crimson and silver, not feeling the weight of anything on his shoulders.

Because he's been here before. He's been practicing for this all off-season.

...be here at 7 PM...

The huddle breaks.

It's time to make Dan Fouts yell at the TV once again.

On to the games...

Notre Dame @ Michigan (-7):

Notre Dame looked sharp last week in a romp over BCS Pittsburgh, while Michigan looked so so in a win over Northern Illinois.

The Henne/Hart combination for Big Blue is clutch, but Notre Dame didn't look so shabby last week itself. Michigan's defense also gave up 411 yards offense to Northern Illinois, so what will the mastermind of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots be able to gather from that film?

I'm not sure that Notre Dame is ready to go into the Big House and get a win yet, but they'll keep it close.

Michigan 27 Notre Dame 24
ATS - Notre Dame
SU - Michigan

South Carolina @ Georgia (-18 ):

So Steve Spurrier can't beat the Cowboys and can't beat Central Florida by more than 9. Yes, the same Central Florida that just lost their 16th straight game.

Overrated! Clap clap clapclapclap.

The impressive streak of head coaches throwing their visor to the ground at the end of the game stays intact at 2.

Georgia 34 South Carolina 20
ATS - South Carolina
SU - Georgia

Iowa (-9) @ Iowa State:

This has been a close series in recent years, but Iowa is being picked by many to go to a BCS bowl this year.

Iowa State is being picked by many to go to the NCAA tournament in basketball.

Iowa 34 Iowa State 17
ATS - Iowa
SU - Iowa

Florida International @ Texas Tech (-34.5):

This spread is only 34.5 because Vegas feels that the Florida International football team will have to be evacuated after Mike Leach is seen plotting ways to get to 100 after halftime.

Texas Tech 65 Florida International 6
ATS - Texas Tech
SU - Texas Tech

Tulsa @ Oklahoma (-31):

Tough one...I think? It wouldn't have been at this time last week, but as we all know....Tulsa got humiliated by Minnesota.

Tulsa gave up 300 rushing yards to the Gophers (who in the hell names their team after a Gopher anyhow?), so you would THINK that Adrian Peterson should be able to run for somewhere around 400. But he is injured and this is post-55-19 OU we're talking about here.

Oklahoma 37 Tulsa 3
ATS - OU
SU - OU

Texas @ Ohio State (-1):

I know I'm going competely against what I said above, but I think this game, like so many others before it, comes down to the offensive and defensive lines, and Texas holds the advantage in both.

Ohio State's defensive line was miserable last season, combining for only 9 sacks. Ohio State will have to bring some pressure to get to Vince Young, and if he gets by the blitzers...

Meanwhile OSU's offensive line got better as the season went on and return 4 starters, but they are being asked to learn new schemes and block for totally different quarterbacks and style of play.

IF Texas wins those battles and shores up the kicking problems from last week, I feel pretty confident going into this one.

Texas 27 Ohio State 17
ATS - Texas
SU - Texas

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for the rare collectible "Adrian Peterson for Heisman" t-shirts...

And, as an added bonus:

Monday, December 14, 2009

Classic The Week That Will Be: 2005 RRR Edition




This is the first in a series of re-posts of classic columns that I've done through the years.  We'll do this leading all the way up to the BCS National Championship Game on January 7th.  Part I: The 2005 Red River Rivalry game, where Texas was looking to end an ugly five game losing streak to the Sooners.  The Horns were big favorites, as they were rolling towards the national title game and Oklahoma already had two losses, but still...

What we learned from last weekend: Urban Meyer isn't used to going on the road...Michigan can show up out of the blue...Kansas State must REALLY suck...Texas A&M is the 4th best team in the state of Texas...Pete Carroll must write scenarios on the chalkboard before the game and see if his team can do it; "okay team, we're going to let them go ahead 21-3 at the half and try to come back? Can we do it?!?!?"...and Brad Smith is no Vince Young.

Anyhow...

I've tried everything.

I've used Eminem songs as inspiration. I've written minute by minute accounts of what we'll do that weekend. I've written pep talks and I think I've even tried picking OU one year.

Nothing seemed to help.

Longhorn fans almost seemed to accept last year's fifth straight loss in the series. I know I almost did. Sure, I was pissed and flabbergasted, but by the time we got to the bottom of that ramp I was cracking jokes and wondering what we were going to do that night (turns out have one drink and crash at the hotel).

But as Oklahoma State happened, and Kansas happened and we went to the Rose Bowl and Vince Young performed "The Producers" on the Michigan defense happened, we began to wonder...

What's it going to take to beat OU?

There are those out there, even myself included, that have enjoyed the Michigan wins, the Oklahoma State wins, the Ohio State wins, etc., but have been holding back for one thing....

A win over Oklahoma.

Because it's nice to talk about those milestone victories and talk about going to Houston for the Big XII Championship Game and talk about going to Pasadena for some bowl game, but at the same time it seems a bit silly to get ahead of ourselves when we've lost 5 straight to the Sooners.

All of that can change this weekend.

Sure it will still be silly to talk about Pasadena after this weekend, but finally the monkey would be off our back and we can talk about what can be, not what could have been.

Stores in Austin tried to get cute and make T-shirts and bracelets that said "Reverse the Curse". Others said that maybe Mack just can't do it against Bob Stoops. We thought about different t-shirts we could wear, different seating arrangements and whether or not we needed to get our prostate exam this year.

None of that matters, of course.

For, not unlike the Ohio State game, this one comes down to one man and one man only.

Vincent Young.

The last two years, turnovers in the red zone by Young have killed UT scoring drives and sent the Sooners on to victory. Don't get me wrong, I'm not really blaming the guy or placing the blame on his shoulders, afterall he was young and OU's defense made a lot of people look silly (except Matt Leinart....ha!).

As many have said and I reiterated in the Ohio State TWTWB, this is Vincent's team. Meaning that Saturday it will be on his shoulders to end the memories of Roy Williams vaulting over the line and hitting Chris Simms. Erasing the memories of Cedric Benson sitting on the bench and then getting stuffed when he did get in the game. Erase the memories of looking at the scoreboard hitting 0:00 last year and seeing Texas 0. Erasing the memories of Quentin Griffin on the delay draw getting another 10 yards. Erasing the memories of Jason White throwing dart after dart downfield on the way to 60 points. Erasing the memories of Rocky Calmus intercepting a pass and taking it to the endzone.

And shutting those f'ing Ruffnecks and their stupid little cannons up.

This team is different, and I believe that it is all because of Vincent Young. Who among us didn't believe that when he came on to the field with 5 minutes to go in Columbus that we weren't going to stuff the ball down their throats and walk out of there with a win?

VY did. He told his teammates that on the sidelines as soon as the Ohio State kicker missed the field goal.

And then he went out and did it.

He didn't talk about how they could still have a good season if they lost this game. He didn't talk about his Heisman Trophy chances. He didn't talk about wind conditions or the Ohio State defense.

He told his team that they were going to win because he believed in them and he believed in himself.

And *that* is the difference in this year's team.

There will be a lot of noise when Texas descends the ramp from the locker room to the Cotton Bowl field on Saturday afternoon. Insults will be hurled, boos will come down and profanities will be plentiful.

But VY won't hear them. He'll be too busy singing to himself and getting his team ready. They have a game to win and a streak to end.

And come Sunday morning the Cotton Bowl stands will be empty and the stadium quiet.

Just like the Longhorns critics.

On to the games...

Ohio State -3.5 @ Penn State:

Many are trying to proclaim Penn State contenders after their resounding win over Minnesota last week...

But not so fast, my friends.

Since when is Minnesota the benchmark of Big Ten teams? Sure they have a great rushing attack, but Penn State is in for a surprise on offense when they see those OSU linebackers.

Joe Pa comes back to Earth (hopefully gingerly, we don't want him breaking a hip).

Ohio State 31 Penn State 17
ATS - Ohio State
SU - Ohio State

Georgia @ Tennessee -3:

These teams look similar, even if the numbers don't really say so. Both have great defenses and so-so offenses. Although Georgia has put up some pretty numbers, they haven't been putting up the points on the scoreboard.

Georgia has the advantage in the "little" things, however. They have better special teams and force turnovers, which is something the Vols haven't yet done this year.

Expect a low scoring battle.

Georgia 23 Tennessee 17
ATS - Georgia
SU - Georgia

Cal @ UCLA -1.5:

It's the matchup of the unbeatens as 5-0 Cal finally gets to play in the Rose Bowl against 4-0 UCLA. No truth to the rumors that Mack Brown lobbied to get Texas/OU played in the Rose Bowl this weekend instead.

Cal has been dreadful through the air this year, instead going to Justin Forsett time after time. UCLA's rush defense hasn't been great this year, but it did hold Adrian Peterson in check.

I think UCLA pulls off a squeaker.

UCLA 31 Cal 28
ATS - UCLA
SU - UCLA

LSU -15.5 @ Vanderbilt:

Vanderbilt's run for the Rose Bowl ended quietly last week at the hands of Middle Tennessee State.

What a letdown.

LSU 37 Vanderbilt 14
ATS - LSU
SU - LSU

Texas A&M @ Colorado -3:

Colorado's defense has been more than adequate this season, coming into this matchup 12th in the nation.

Not that it matters when you're playing A&M. Joel Klatt is 72nd in the nation in pass efficiency.

Expect him to be a Heisman candidate come Sunday morning.

Colorado 31 Texas A&M 16
ATS - Colorado
SU - Colorado

Oklahoma v. Texas -14:

Texas has the #1 rushing attack in the nation. OU has the #3 rushing defense in the nation.

That's about where this matchup stops being favorable for the Sooners.

The Sooners rely heavily on inexperienced players, and the Red River Shoo....er, Rivalry isn't the place to gain experience.

Rhett Bomar has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, trying to run over defenders instead of dodging them. Aaron Harris is tying on a bib.

The Sooner OL has had it's problems, shuffling new guys in and out week after week. Rod Wright and Larry Dibbles are salivating.

The Sooner receivers are made up of mostly no names. The Longhorn secondary is one of the most seasoned in the country.

The Sooner secondary, on the other hand, is raw. Passing isn't Texas' strength, but ask Ohio State if they have some weapons in the air.

And we've made it this far without mentioning Vincent Young.

So Texas should blow them out, right?

You obviously haven't been watching the first 99 games of this series.

Texas 30 Oklahoma 20
ATS - Oklahoma
SU - Texas

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for corn dogs, fried peanut butter & jelly & banana sandwiches and for a lawyer when the Texas Star finally collapses.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The Week That Will Be (Army/Navy Edition)

Last Week: 2-3-1 ATS 3-3 SU
For the Year: 39-43-2 (.476) ($830) ATS 59-25 (.702) SU


What we learned last week:

We learned that a duck can crowd surf, and that Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James will likely have Oregon a pre-season Top 5 next year…

We learned that Houston might be the most maddening team of 2009. They didn’t appear to be too interested in the Conference USA title…

We learned that Cincinnati can beat Pittsburgh because Pitt misses an extra point, but you still have people with college degrees saying that they belong in the championship game besides Texas…

We learned that CJ Spiller can run for 233 yards, rush for 4 touchdowns and Tim Tebow still gets invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony over him. Perhaps if his team didn’t lose five games he might have a chance…

We learned that Tim Tebow’s tears do not cure all diseases, they only serve to make him look like an idiot on national television. We are one game away from never hearing his name again, America, hold tight…

And finally, we learned that Colt McCoy might not know the rules of college football, but Hunter Lawrence will forever go down in Texas lore.

Anyhow…

Well sadly the end of the college football regular season is upon us, so our Saturdays are now full of Xavier/Temple basketball games (yuck), dog shows, bowling and FCS playoff games (these kids don’t have class?). We of course have plenty of bowl games to look forward to, if you want to call it that, but before that, we must give away our awards for the 2009 season:

Chuck Bednarik Award

Finalists: Terrence Cody, Brandon Spikes, Ndamukong Suh

My Winner: Suh. Cody might win a wings eating contest, and last I checked you don’t get awards for gouging someone’s eyes out, so Suh takes it. But it is every bit deserved, of course, as Suh was seen on the Texas campus this week sacking Colt McCoy on his way to class.
Biletnikoff Award

Finalists: Freddie Barnes, Jordan Shipley, Golden Tate

My Winner: Shipley. Barnes has the stats, but Bowling Green plays the equivalent of a high school schedule. Tate has the hype, but c’mon, take Tate away and Notre Dame still goes 6-6. Shipley is the best receiver on an undefeated team, and he can catch a ball while riding on a boat. C’mon.

Walter Camp Award

Finalists: Mark Ingram, Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, Ndamukong Suh, Tim Tebow

My Winner: Suh. He could probably run for governor and I’d vote for him at this point.

Lou Groza Award

Finalists: Kai Forbath, Leigh Tiffin, Blair Walsh

My Winner: Hunter Lawrence. I don’t care who the finalists are, Colt McCoy needs to go Kanye at the awards show in Orlando and snatch it from Tiffin and give it to Hunter. Was there a bigger kick all year?

Lombardi Award

Finalists: Terrence Cody, Jerry Hughes, Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh

My Winner: Suh. I’m officially scared not to give it to him at this point.

Maxwell Award

Finalists: Mark Ingram, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow

My Winner: McCoy. The all-time winningest quarterback should have at least one individual award, right?

Davey O’Brien Award

Finalists: Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow

My Winner: McCoy. Keenum can’t beat UTEP & UCF, McCoy did.

Outland Trophy

Finalists: Mike Iupati, Russell Okung, Ndamukong Suh

My Winner: Suh. What have we learned here, besides to win the Outland you have to have a name nobody can pronounce? We’re not going to piss off Suh. I’m sure my address is somewhere on the Internet, and I’m not taking any chances.

Rimington Trophy

Finalists: A bunch of other guys, Chris Hall

My Winner: The bunch of other guys. Chris Hall should just give the trophy to Suh if he should win it. He gave him everything else on Saturday night.

Jim Thorpe Award

Finalists: Eric Berry, Joe Haden, Earl Thomas

My Winner: Thomas. Thomas was the only one of the trio to score a touchdown this year, and Thomas scored two of them. Add up Berry’s and Haden’s interceptions, and then add two to that, and you have the number of interceptions that Thomas had this season. And oh yeah, Haden’s quarterback cries during games. He’s out.

Doak Walker Award

Finalists: Toby Gerhart, Mark Ingram, CJ Spiller

My Winner: Gerhart. Thus becoming the first white guy to win the award since Luke Staley in 2001, who just won the NFL’s rushing title…no? This is the first time you’ve heard Luke Staley’s name since 2001? Me too.

The Heisman Trophy

Finalists: Mark Ingram, Toby Gerhart, Colt McCoy, Ndamukong Suh, Tim Tebow

My Winner: Suh. Seriously, there should be alert levels that Suh is in town.

FACEBOOK STATUS MESSAGES

Bo Pelini’s Poker Buddies are not surprised.

The Fiesta Bowl enjoys The Poinsettia Bowl’s sloppy seconds.

Urban Meyer how am I supposed to win a SEC title with a crybaby quarterback?
Pete Carroll thinks Tiger Woods needs about 10 more mistresses so people will not even care about our record this year.

Zac Lee is hopeful he doesn’t have to walk 10 yards to get to class because I’ll never get there.

On to the game...

Army v. Navy -14:

Army has won two in a row coming into this one….over VMI and North Texas. I wasn’t even aware VMI had a football team. But they do, and they lost to Army two weeks ago. Since “upsetting” Notre Dame, Navy has beaten Delaware and then somehow lost to Hawaii.

Navy has won seven in a row in this series, and since Ndamukong Suh isn’t playing Army, I’m not sure how they lose this game.

Navy 37 Army 17
ATS – Navy
SU – Navy

Random Hot Dallas Chick

Image

Note From the Author: I’m going to be re-posting some classic editions of TWTWB to my blog site over the next couple of weeks (http://www.fridaynighttailgates.blogspot.com) so please keep an eye over there. I’ve got a lot of these saved up through the years, so we’ll look back and see how wrong I was even back then.

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for national championship tickets.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Longhorn Foundation Cutoff for BCS Title Game More Than $1500

Wow.

In order to get season tickets to Longhorn football games, most donate to the Longhorn Foundation, the organization that oversees how season tickets are distributed, along with TX/OU tickets, away game tickets, championship game tickets and bowl games.

It appears that this year's donation level is above the $1500 mark.  For a unit of measure, in 2005 the cut-off was $651.

While I'm all about capitalism and making a dollar, it is quite ridiculous how the average fan is being priced out of these things.  There were 32,000 requests for tickets through the Foundation, and sadly a large number of those are people out to run the price up on fellow Longhorns.

The Foundation is at risk of a large number of people canceling their season tickets, as most donate just for opportunities such as this.  Why donate $1000 a year to see Rice, North Texas and Louisiana Monroe when you don't even get bowl tickets out of it?  You can find Rice tickets on the street for $20, can find a Texas/OU ticket for $200, and you're way ahead of where you would be if you donated.

The Longhorn Foundation does a lot of good for our school and our athletic department, but if they're not careful, they're going to erode their base of donations.  Yes, there are plenty of big time donors to keep the department afloat...in good times, but what happens if we, shudder, suffer through a 7-5 season?  If you've already priced out your donation base, and the top donors cut back, you're really in a jam.

I don't know what the perfect system is, but needing to donate the equivalent of a month's mortgage payment doesn't seem to be it.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Get Ready for it, Texas Fans

Get ready for ignorant articles like this one from CBS writer Dennis Dodd, which ridiculously states that Texas in the BCS title game "doesn't feel right."

I would ask Dodd if Alabama belongs after needing two blocked field goals against Tennessee, a blown replay review against LSU and a last minute drive against Auburn, but whatever, I can look at the big picture and see that yes, Alabama did what they needed to do to be in Pasadena....just like Texas did.

Dodd also uses the ignorant argument that Texas's best win is against an Oklahoma State team that lost to Houston, while using TCU's two wins over Clemson and Virginia to pump them up, completely ignoring his own argument that Clemson has five losses, one of those to 2-10 Maryland.  And Virginia, well, they're 3-9 this year, but in Dodd's completely clueless head, that is an impressive victory.

Also Dennis, if you didn't notice, Cincinnati passed TCU in the final BCS standings.

So get used to it, Texas fans.  For the next 31 days, you'll hear how you don't belong here, why are we even playing this game, somebody else should be here, Mack Brown's "whining" in 2004 got Texas this game, blah blah blah blah BLAH.

Sounds just like 2005.

Of course writers like Dodd can only remember one week back.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Texas 13 Nebraska 12 Texas is the Big 12 Champion



Wow.  In an unbelievable (in many ways) ending to a grueling game, Hunter Lawrence kicked a field goal as time expired and the Longhorns are the 2009 Big 12 Champions and are all but assured a trip to Pasadena to play Alabama for the national championship.

First of all, I have to give it up to the defense for an outstanding performance.  They held the Cornhuskers to a dollar menu-like McDonald's order in total offense last night, and they needed every bit of that to win the ballgame.  The defense faced a lot of criticism after last week's Texas A&M game, and they rebounded quite nice.

As for the offense, I'm not sure who I was most upset with:

A.) James Kirkendoll for an absolutely horrid game, dropping at least two passes, a false start and a missed hot route where McCoy threw a shorter slant and Kirk ran a deeper slant.

B.) The offensive line. They were horrible. No way to spin it or sugarcoat it, they were awful. Ulatoski and Hall should be running steps at DKR this morning because they didn't do any work last night.

C.) Colt McCoy made some awful plays that a Heisman Trophy caliber player does not make. The penultimate play was baffling, but so was the decision not to throw it away on first down when he spun out of trouble. The second interception was a turnover that a freshman quarterback makes. They blitzed several times last night and I don't remember many hot route plays where we took advantage of it.

D.) Greg Davis had easily the worst game in several years last night. Suh and their DL was dominating our OL all night, and not once did we make any adjustments for it, such as getting McCoy out of the pocket, or a screen pass, or a draw, nothing. I'm a Davis defender, but that was an embarrassment of a performance last night, and as the offensive coordinator he needs to take the blame for it.

There is a lot more to talk about. I think I'm going to have to do an Army/Navy TWTWB just to let it all out.

But what's done is done, and what is done is that the Longhorns are going to Pasadena, and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

The Week That Will Be (12.05.09)

Last Week: 2-4 ATS 5-1 SU
For the Year: 37-40-1 (.481) ($700) ATS 56-22 (.718) SU


What we learned last week:

We learned that I’m very lucky that the Notre Dame athletic department isn’t judging whether or not I get to write this column every week after looking at my ATS record…

We learned that Bobby Bowden should have retired years ago, but he’s still one of the all-time greats, and after a couple of years, maybe we’ll remember his greatness again…

We learned that Alabama won’t have a Heisman Trophy winner this year, either, unless Gene Chizik’s clock management abilities are somehow recognized…

We learned that Nebraska can give up 400 yards on defense and gain 210 yards on offense, all the while beating a 3-9 Colorado team by one possession and everyone in the country thinks they have a chance to beat Texas the following week…

We learned that Oklahoma State shall never be taken seriously as a contender for as little as a division champion ever, ever again. Have fun winning nine games at the most and considering a trip to the Cotton Bowl a successful season, because you’re never getting any closer than that…

And finally we learned that if the Aggies could play every opponent like they do Texas, they might not be a football program that changes coaches every few years, have a bankrupt athletic program and could actually leave the state of Texas for a bowl game every now and then.

Anyhow…

Anything that doesn't take years of your life and drive you to suicide hardly seems worth doing. – Cormac McCarthy

Sixty minutes.

Although it has been a season with little suspense, it has been full of trepidation, from a tie ballgame late in the second quarter in Laramie to walking out of the Cotton Bowl happy but nervous to being down to Central Florida in the second quarter, to wondering if Colt McCoy still had it or if a running back would ever step up and take a hold of the position to Texas A&M narrowing the game to a field goal in the 4th quarter in a frenzied stadium, this season has had many, many ups, but a few heart stopping points as well.

But here they are, sixty minutes away from accomplishing a major goal, from winning the third Big 12 conference championship in Texas history, from setting up a trip to one of college football’s hallowed grounds, the Rose Bowl, to attempt to win the fifth national championship in school history, from the senior class becoming the winningest class in school history…

And doing it without Vince Young.

One of the most annoying phrases that entered the Texas fans’ vernacular after setback seasons in 2006 and 2007 was, “yeah, but that was with Vince Young.” The thought among that segment of the fan base was that the offense couldn’t possibly be any good without Vince’s virtuoso moves, without Vince’s leadership in the locker room, without Vince Young taking the reins of a game and refusing to lose it.

Don’t get me wrong, to me Vince Young is football Jesus and deserves every bit of accolade that Texas fans heap upon him, but this program is bigger than one player, and if the Longhorns win the next two games, Colt McCoy will be the most successful quarterback in this school’s history.

But that isn’t to say that this national championship would be sweeter than that one, or compared to the 1969 one, or the 1963 championship. A national championship is a national championship and should never be taken for granted, nor should it be compared to others.

As proud as we are of this program, and we have every right to be very proud of it, we have one national championship in the last 39 years. This opportunity doesn’t come along very often, and as several proud programs have proved in the past few years, you never know when you’ll have a chance for one again.

So cherish it. Soak up every single moment of Saturday, realizing that we’re on the very cusp of greatness, sixty minutes away from Pasadena. If we’re good enough to win, watch the players celebrate, watch the team run around with roses in their mouth, watch Mack hoist the Big 12 championship trophy in the air. They’ve earned it, you’ve earned it.

If you’re reading this column, you’ve given your heart, your tears and your body for this team and this moment. You know exactly why I included that quote from the great Cormac McCarthy at the top of this column.

In the first edition of this column this year, I wrote this:

In 2005, the Longhorns were told by a certain actor alumnus to “Get your goal, go on to Pasadena and live the dream.” The Longhorns adopted “Live The Dream” as a late season motto.

This year, it isn’t a dream. It is an expectation.

And I want Florida. And Tebow. Hell give him the Heisman again.

The season of redemption starts on Saturday at 6:00 PM.


The last step of redemption starts on Saturday at 7:00 PM.

Image

FACEBOOK NEWS FEED

Jevan Snead it might be in my best interest to stay another year.

Matt Leinart has joined the group I HATE VINCE YOUNG.

Tiger Woods I’m not sure Oprah can even save me from this.

Tracy Wolfson and Verne Lundquist have joined the group We Have No Journalistic Intergrity

The State of Texas is wondering how Jacquizz Rodgers and LaMichael James got all the way to Oregon.

Tim Tebow needs a box of Kleenex.

Rick Neusheisel just crossed Pete Carroll’s name off the Christmas card list.

On to the games...

Oregon State @ Oregon -9.5:

This one is for the Pac-10 championship and if it is half as exciting as last year’s 65-38 Oregon win, we’re in for a treat.

This series is dead even over the past ten match-ups, with the home team dominating the match-up, except for the past two years where the road team has won.

The defenses are going in opposite directions in this one, as Oregon gave up 51 to Stanford and 41 to Arizona, while Oregon State has held their last four opponents to 21 points or less.

I’ll give Oregon the edge here, but only because of the home-field. These two teams look to be pretty even on the field.

Oregon 38 Oregon State 35
ATS – Oregon State
SU – Oregon

Houston -2.5 @ East Carolina:

Ladies and Gentlemen, this one is for the Liberty Bowl. That’s right, the Liberty Bowl in…….in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of bad basketball and the blues.

Anyhow, Houston is always likely to pull a stinker on you where they lose to a team that has no business being in the stadium with them, but they are also likely to score 100 points on you.

Houston wins big.

Houston 45 East Carolina 24
ATS – Houston
SU – Houston


Cincinnati -1 @ Pittsburgh:

The Big East championship and a BCS bowl berth are on the line here, as Cincinnati takes their undefeated record into Pittsburgh, where they were upset two years ago by the score of 24-17.

You have to wonder how well Cincinnati will handle being on the road with a lot of pressure. They won at Oregon State already this year, but that was early in the year, before the pressure of an undefeated season and national championship implications entered the picture.

Add to that that the weather forecast calls for a high of 35 degrees on Saturday, Pittsburgh is undefeated at home and the fact that Pitt has a solid defense that gets after the quarterback, and the Bearcats are ripe for an upset.

Pittsburgh 24 Cincinnati 20
ATS – Pittsburgh
SU – Pittsburgh

Georgia Tech -1 v. Clemson:

Yawn. Yet another boring ACC title game match-up got even worse last week when Georgia Tech lost to Georgia and Clemson was throttled by South Carolina. These teams met earlier in the year at Clemson, where Georgia Tech ran for 300 yards, got out to a 21-0 lead and then ended up hanging on for a 30-27 win.

This one figures to be about the same. The Georgia Tech rushing attack is the more consistent threat, so we’ll go with that.

Georgia Tech 28 Clemson 24
ATS – Georgia Tech
SU – Georgia Tech

Florida -5.5 v. Alabama:

This one comes down to Florida’s offense for me. Florida has struggled against good defenses this year, scoring 23 on Tennessee, 13 on LSU and 24 against South Carolina, all ranked in the top 30 in the country in total defense. If Florida struggles on offense, it keeps Alabama in the game, and one play to Julio Jones changes the ballgame.

Get ready for all-Tebow, all the time.

Florida 20 Alabama 14
ATS – Florida
SU – Florida

Texas -14 v. Nebraska:

Okay, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way. Ndamukong Suh is the real deal, putting up nice stats even though he’s been double-teamed on every play since the Missouri game (don’t check the tapes on that, I have no idea).

And Nebraska’s defense is for real. The most points they gave up all year was the 31 points in the loss to Texas Tech, but Tech had a defensive touchdown in that game and only had 259 total yards. Other than that game, the high mark is the 20 points they gave up to Colorado last week.

They’ll pose a threat to the Texas duo of Chris Hall and Charlie Tanner, who have struggled mightily at times this year, but expect the Longhorns to get Colt McCoy out of the pocket much like they did against Kansas, where we all know how dangerous he is in that situation.

On offense, the Cornhuskers would be better off picking an All-Star team from the 18th and San Jacinto tailgating lot. Both quarterbacks get playing time, but you know the old adage that if you have two quarterbacks you have none. Zac Lee has thrown for roughly half the yards that Colt McCoy has and half the touchdowns as well. Cody Green is barely completing half of his passes and has as many interceptions as he does touchdown passes.

Nebraska has a tough running duo of Burkhead and Helu, but they’re only running for 147 yards as a team, which ranks behind the often criticized Texas running game.

So where are we? We know that the Longhorns have the work cut out for them on offense, but who do you trust more, an offense that has done it against all sorts of defenses the past two years, or a defense that has yet to play an offense like this all year?

And do you trust Zac Lee to play the best game of his life, which he’ll have to do in order to beat Texas? The Longhorns had their problems on defense against Texas A&M, but those were mostly scheme issues, and Nebraska has nowhere near the firepower on offense that A&M has.

The Horns might struggle for a half on offense, but this team is keyed in, and most importantly, McCoy is keyed in.

Pack your bags for California.

Texas 34 Nebraska 13
ATS – Texas
SU – Texas

Random Hot Dallas Chick

Image

For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for national championship tickets.