The Week That Will Be (2009 TX/OU Edition)

Last Week: 3-3 ATS 5-1 SU
For the Year: 13-22-1 (.371) ($1120) ATS 23-13 (.639) SU

What we learned last week:

We learned that Alabama QB Greg McElroy can complete less than half of his passes, not throw a ball longer than 15 yards, and not throw a touchdown pass, but Alabama can jump Texas in the AP Poll and catch them in the Harris. Let’s see if Alabama is held to the same standard if Texas beats Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State in the next three weeks while Alabama gets South Carolina, Tennessee and a bye week in the next three…

We learned that Rick Neuheisel is going to have a short stint at UCLA if he can’t find a quarterback. UCLA’s two quarterbacks combined for 145 yards passing on 35 attempts, a putrid 4.14 yards per attempt against Oregon last week. The Ducks have gone on quite a run since that season opening loss to Boise State, and their defense is a huge reason for that…

We learned that Urban Meyer risked Tim Tebow’s future health for 13 points against LSU. Congrats, Urban. The Gators now rank 78th in the country in passing offense, but we still hear Tebow, Tebow, Tebow for the Heisman. Barf…

We learned that Ndamukong Suh might single-handily bring back the Blackshirts to Nebraska. His performance against Missouri opened the eyes of the rest of the nation to a budding young defensive star….

We learned that Sam Bradford can give fiery half-time speeches and propel Oklahoma to….score 5 more points in the second half that they did in the first half. A home game against a Baylor team playing their third string quarterback making his first start in hostile territory was supposed to be the perfect return for Oklahoma’s Heisman trophy winner, and while he looked fine, something just seems amiss on the Oklahoma team, and it starts with the lack of playmakers on offense….

And finally, we learned the true meaning of the old football adage, “defense never takes days off.” The offense might have left for Dallas a week early, but the defense and special teams scored more than the Colorado offense, and the Longhorns are 5-0 and undefeated going into OU week once again….

Anyhow…

“Why those sorry bastards, I don’t trust ‘em on anything.”—Darrell Royal

It’s time.

Graham Harrell floats back in the pocket….has a receiver down field, it’s Crabtree. Got him! Touchdown Texas Tech! The Red Raiders take the lead with one second left on the clock….

The day we’ve all been waiting for…..

…and the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 65-21…

….for about 11 months now.

…and with that spin, Sam Bradford showed the heart and determination of this Oklahoma football team, as they beat Oklahoma State 61-41 and will be headed to the Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri…

For they took what was ours…

….as they win yet another Big 12 Championship, beating the Missouri Tigers 62-21 and will likely be headed to Miami for the National Championship match-up with the Florida Gators…

….but make no mistake, it’s not revenge.

It’s a reckoning.

Twelve months and one week ago, the Longhorns left the Cotton Bowl with a Fletcher’s corn dog in one hand and destiny in the other. Unfortunately that all slipped away, but we enter the Cotton Bowl on Saturday not only looking for that reckoning, not only looking to control our own destiny yet again, not only looking to stay undefeated for a run at a national championship, but to once again get a leg up on Oklahoma.

First of all, I hope you all realize just how special this game is nowadays. Both of these coaches have a national championship this decade. Since Mack Brown arrived to the 40 Acres in 1998, Texas has won 120 games, the best in the nation. Oklahoma has won 117 in that time. Since Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, no other school in the Big 12 South has represented the South at the Big 12 Championship other than Texas or Oklahoma.

At least one of these teams is entering the game ranked in the Top 25 for the 11th straight year, and 61st time out of 73 possible games since the poll system started. This is the 33rd year that both teams enter ranked in the Top 25. As Barking Carnival pointed out this week, the Brown/Stoops coaching rivalry is in rarified air. Coaches leave, coaches get fired, coaches retire, but this rivalry lives on.

So we know what is at stake for this season, but what about long term? It can be argued that if Texas wins this game, and especially if they win it in convincing fashion, that Oklahoma will be viewed as a team with serious dents in their armor, and perhaps, a program on a downslide?

Now, don’t get me wrong. I in no way think that OU is a program in decline, a lot of programs would be very glad to have their recent problems. Texas was beginning to get that label when they couldn’t beat Oklahoma earlier this decade, and came out of it.

But success is very fickle in college football. It is very rare for two teams such as Texas and Oklahoma to enjoy success for as long as they have, especially in this era of reduced scholarships. Miami was on the top of the college football world in 2001, much like Oklahoma and Texas are now, but quickly fell off and even though they look better this year, they still got shell-shocked in Blacksburg, which showed they have a ways to go.

Nebraska was the model program (at least on the field) in the mid 90’s, but quickly hit the bottom when Tom Osborne left. Florida had a brief lull (also known as the Ron Zook era) when Steve Spurrier left. LSU won a national championship 2 years ago, but last year lost five games, and could very well lose close to that this year.

Oklahoma has lost five straight BCS bowl games, and three of those were in embarrassing fashion, getting blown out by USC in the 2005 Orange Bowl, losing to David to their Goliath Boise State in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and getting blown out by West Virginia in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Not only that, but the Sooners have lost 3 out of 4 to Texas, and have a very mediocre, near .500 record outside the state of Oklahoma in the last few years.

If they lose this game, they will be 3-3, and for the first time since 2005 they will be .500 or less after six games, and for only the second time since 1998. Sam Bradford is likely to leave after this season. DeMarco Murray might follow suit and leave for the NFL. Trent Williams, their best offensive lineman, is a senior.

Nobody calls Bob Stoops “Big Game Bob” anymore. If anything, it is “Big Game Mack.” Texas is 17-3 in their last 20 games against ranked opponents. The Sooners? They are 0-3 in their last three against ranked opponents. They have gone 1-8 in their last 9 games against ranked non-conference opponents. Stoops is 4-8 in games decided by three points or less. Mack Brown? 17-3, including his last fourteen.

Saturday represents the opportunity for Mack Brown to finish out the decade with a 4-6 record against Oklahoma, which isn’t what we would have liked, but it is a lot better than what we thought it might be during the dark Octobers of the early 2000’s. But more importantly, it leaves Texas at 6-0, with an opportunity to control their own destiny with their toughest opponent behind them. To get where they thought they belonged a year ago, the national championship game.

A day of reckoning.

I can smell the corn dogs already.

FACEBOOK NEWS FEED

Deion Sanders is up in your clubhouse, getting your receivers suspended.

Bob Stoops says can’t Sergio Kindle go to Deion’s house on Friday?

Urban Meyer is watching Varsity Blues. Love Bud Kilmer.

Jonathan Crompton wrote on Cody Hawkins’s Wall: See, I told you I’m better than you.

Charlie Weis is staying up all night this week, sleeping in his office, trying to figure out how to score a touchdown this week against USC.

Major Applewhite is glad that nobody remembers he is the running backs coach.

On to the games...

South Carolina @ Alabama -17:

Which defense shows up for the Gamecocks this week? The one that held Georgia to 107 yards rushing and Mississippi to 139, or the one that allowed 207 to Kentucky last week? If the latter shows up, Mark Ingram will have a field day, and will start getting Heisman talk.

On offense, South Carolina will need Stephen Garcia to be perfect. Good luck with all of that. But, Alabama is likely due for a let-down game, and this might be a good spot with Tennessee on deck.

Alabama 27 South Carolina 13
ATS – South Carolina
SU – Alabama

Virginia Tech -3 @ Georgia Tech:

Virginia Tech won a close one last year, but the Yellowjackets were still able to run for 278 yards on that vaunted Hokie defense in Blacksburg. The two teams only combined for 157 yards passing.

Both Alabama and Nebraska ran for more than 200 yards on Virginia Tech, otherwise they have given up little on the ground this year. Georgia Tech is coming off a 400 yard rushing effort against Florida State last week.

Give me Georgia Tech in a mild upset.

Georgia Tech 21 Virginia Tech 17
ATS – Georgia Tech
SU – Georgia Tech

USC -10 @ Notre Dame:

This would be a monumental win for Charlie Weis, whose Irish are 1-18 since November 2006 against teams that finished with a winning record. Notre Dame is off to a hot start, but USC is a different animal, as none of the teams that the Irish have beaten this year have a winning record.

This one will likely come down to how well the Notre Dame defense does against the USC rushing attack. Contain them, and force Matt Barkley to beat you? Then Notre Dame has a shot at the upset. Let Joe McKnight get loose and hit a couple of big plays, then it could be another in a long series of disappointments for Weis.

I like USC here, but the spread seems a bit big for a USC team that is still going through growing pains with a quarterback.

USC 28 Notre Dame 23
ATS – Notre Dame
SU – USC

Missouri @ Oklahoma State -7:

This was the game last year where everyone started to believe that Oklahoma State might be for real, as the Cowboys prevailed 28-23 in Columbia, with 3 scoring plays of 31 yards or longer.

Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert should have been intercepted about 6 times last week, and I don’t think he’ll fare any better for an Oklahoma State team that is looking to get on a roll into the meat of their conference schedule.

Oklahoma State 34 Missouri 21
ATS – Oklahoma State
SU – Oklahoma State

Texas Tech @ Nebraska -10.5:

The match-up to watch here is the Tech defensive line against the Nebraska offensive line. Zac Lee struggled a bit when Virginia Tech’s defense got after him, and Tech is surprisingly ranked 12th in the country in sacks thus far this season. If the Cornhuskers can protect Lee, they can put up some points here.
Nebraska’s defense has only given up one passing touchdown all year, but Tech is a different animal. I like Nebraska to win here, but that spread is a bit big for a Mike Leach offense.

Nebraska 38 Texas Tech 31
ATS – Texas Tech
SU – Nebraska

Oklahoma v. Texas -3.5:

And the one that really matters.

Texas has a chance to knock Oklahoma out of contention for anything but the Alamo Bowl here, while Oklahoma has a chance to ruin Texas’s shot at a national title, and put themselves in the driver’s seat for yet another Big 12 title.

As everyone knows, this is a game of streaks, and Texas has won 3 out of the last 4. For you real nerds out there, a 2 loss Oklahoma team has beaten an undefeated Texas team only once, in 1982.

WHEN OKLAHOMA HAS THE BALL

It all starts up front for the Sooners. An already banged-up offensive line must now go without LG Brian Simmons, meaning the Sooners will once again have to field a different five than they did the game before.

Expect right tackles Jarvis Jones and Corey Brandon to have a lot of trouble against Texas DE Sergio Kindle. The Sooner RTs have had a tremendous time against speed rushers on that side, and Kindle is probably the fastest one in the nation. And when Kindle gets to the quarterback, he delivers. Ask Taylor Potts.

Sam Bradford is back, and looked good last week outside of the red zone. The red zone has been a continuous problem for the Sooners this year. They kicked 3 field goals in the red zone against Baylor last week. At this time last year, the Sooners had scored 26 touchdowns on 27 trips to the red zone. This year they have only scored 15 touchdowns in 25 trips. If they expect to beat a team like Texas, field goals will not get the job done.

The playmaking of the Sooner offense lost a lot when Jermaine Gresham went down with an injury, and the Sooners have struggled to find a receiver besides Ryan Broyles that demands any sort of extra attention from the defense. Oklahoma is scoring 16 ppg less than they did last year.

Another problem for the Sooners has been the running game. The Sooners have rushed for 200 yards only once this season, and averaged less than 4 yards per carry in their big games against BYU and Miami. They don’t figure to get healthy against a Texas defense that ranks first in the nation against the rush.

So what’s going to happen when Oklahoma has the ball? Expect a Will Muschamp defense that is getting better by the game to confuse an Oklahoma offensive line that has struggled to make adjustments this year. BYU was able to use a delayed blitz that Oklahoma never picked up on, and Sam Bradford paid for it with an injury. I expect Sergio Kindle to put a lot of pressure on Bradford, for Oklahoma’s running game to be nullified, and if Broyles doesn’t play and isn’t effective, then it could be a long day for the Sooner offense.

WHEN TEXAS HAS THE BALL

There is a lot of hand wringing in Austin about the offense, but the fact of the matter is that the Longhorns have scored the exact same number of points through five games this year that they did last year, rank #1 in scoring offense, and rank #7 in total offense.

That isn’t to say there aren’t some problems on offense. The running game was an absolute abortion against Colorado last week, and even if the Longhorns had a vanilla gameplan, they should be able to beat Colorado off the ball on talent alone. Add to it that Vondrell McGee and Tre Newton are banged up and a veteran Sooner defensive line led by Gerald McCoy and the Longhorns’ chances of winning this game on the ground are questionable.

Of course we had doubts that Texas could run the ball last year, and the Longhorns ended up running for 161 yards on 35 carries, and we had the emergence of Chris Ogbonnaya. Speaking of last year…

Last year at this time, Colt McCoy had rushed the ball 59 times for 348 yards. This year? 34 rushes for 58 yards. So, in effect, with the loss of Quan Cosby to the NFL, the Longhorns have lost their leading receiver and leading rusher off of last year’s team.

The Longhorns must get McCoy more involved in the running game. Their offense was at the best last season when he was involved.

So if Texas can’t run the ball, can they pass their way to victory? In a word, yes. In two words, hell yes. Oklahoma gave up 329 yards in the air to BYU, 202 yards and 3 touchdowns to Miami and gave up 262 yards to Baylor last week. Oklahoma can get pressure on the quarterback, but as always, they are still giving up yards across the middle of the field, a place where Dan Buckner should be able to exploit at will against a linebacker in the base 4-3 that Oklahoma likes to run at all times.

So…if you are scoring at home, I see the game this way:

Oklahoma running the ball: Advantage Texas
Oklahoma passing the ball: Advantage Texas (if the Longhorns get a pass rush)
Texas running the ball: Advantage Oklahoma
Texas passing the ball: Advantage Texas

The Longhorns also have the advantage on special teams, where they are 11th in the country in punt returns and 1st in the country in kick-off returns (Oklahoma had a bad problem covering kicks last year), while Oklahoma ranks 15th in punt returns but only 92nd in kickoff returns.

So….

Here is what I see happening. I think Colt McCoy is finally given the leeway to run the ball in this one. Which opens things up downfield. Bradford will get a couple of opportunities, but I also see Sergio Kindle harassing him into possibly turning the ball over (Bradford has 2 interceptions in his two Texas games). I also think the Longhorns make a big play on special teams.

Texas wins their 4th game in 5 years, Mack Brown goes to 5-6 against Bob Stoops, and the Horns control their own destiny for Arlington and beyond.

Texas 28 Oklahoma 14
ATS – Texas
SU – Texas

Random Hot Dallas Chick



For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for Fletcher’s corn dogs, beer in a wax cup and fried butter.

Texas 38 Colorado 14

Well it definitely wasn't a performance that the offense will point to and say that they played their best, but the defense and special teams (minus a blocked FG) were great, and Texas heads into the Oklahoma game undefeated for the 6th time in the Mack Brown era.

Jordan Shipley continues his ridiculous year, and should begin to get mentioned for the Heisman Trophy award.  He's been that good. 

Texas stays #2 in the country in the Coaches Poll, and is tied for #2 in the Harris poll.  The AP Poll has the 'Horns at #3, but the AP Poll is about as relevant as Wade Phillips' head coaching career.

There is a lot of teeth gnashing going on about the offense's performance this year, but we're still #7 in total offense, have the same amount of points as we had this time last year, and more importantly, we have the talent and the coaching staff that can get it done.

It is, of course, TX/OU Gameweek, which gives me a tingly feeling all over usually reserved for Victoria Secret commercials, and if you can focus and get some work done this week, you are better than most orangebloods. 

We'll be back on Wednesday to have a look at the TX/OU match-up, talk about any other games that matter this weekend, and much, much more....

The Week That Will Be (10.10.09)

Last Week: 4-2 ATS 5-1 SU
For the Year: 10-19-1 (.345) ($1090) ATS 18-12 (.600) SU

What we learned last week:

We learned that according to Lou Holtz, Jimmy Clausen is the best quarterback in America, even though he has yet to beat a team with a winning record this year, and needed some help from the officials to beat Washington. How this guy earns a paycheck from “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” is beyond me. It would be akin to Barack Obama being named the head of the 2016 Chicago Olympics bid….

We learned that apparently the town leaders from Footloose are SEC officials, but Georgia has nobody to blame for that one but themselves. LSU gave up points in bunches last season, and gave up 23 to Washington and 26 to Mississippi State this year, two teams that won’t be confused for the New Orleans Saints anytime soon….

We learned that even the great Monte Kiffin can’t stop the Gus Malzahn offense. Auburn put up 459 yards on the Volunteers, but the schedule only gets tougher for Auburn. They still have games with LSU, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama left on the slate….

We learned that once again that California is a fraud. We were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt after getting stomped in Oregon, but giving up 72 points and scoring 6 in the past two weeks against Pac-10 powers can’t be good for the long term prospects of Jeff Tedford. For such an offensive genius tag that he gets, Kevin Riley is no better of a quarterback than when he first stepped on campus…

We learned that speaking of frauds, we can go ahead and include Texas A&M in that category, as well. They made Arkansas look like a SEC power last week instead of the team that got walloped by Alabama the week before. Jerrod Johnson is good, but I think we can stop with the Heisman talk for now, and focus on beating an actual good team for now……

And finally we learned that Oklahoma has bigger problems than Sam Bradford being out of action. Landry Jones was very pedestrian on Saturday, but he threw for 62 yards on the first drive and then had 126 of the game. The coaches were conservative, the running game was ineffective at only 3.6 yards per carry and the defense intercepted Jacory Harris twice, but gave up 150 yards rushing to Javarris James and allowed Harris to throw for 3 touchdowns. This team used to have swagger, and it still does, but only against the Idaho States and Tulsas of the world. You can no longer go into a stadium and be up 14-0 just because your name is Oklahoma, Bob…

Anyhow…

This week Big 12 play begins in earnest, so let’s take a look at how the Big 12 is shaping up a month into the college football season, using the hierarchy of Big 12 quarterbacks to divide up the haves from the have nots…

The Cody Hawkins Division

Colorado: The Buffs enter Big 12 play at 1-3, with their best “win” a closer than expected loss at West Virginia last Thursday night. Cody Hawkins is completing 52.4% of his passes, which is good enough for 27th in the Big 12. Read that again. Yes, there are guys with 1 or 2 pass attempts included in those rankings, but at least those teams are smart enough not to have Hawkins throw the ball 52 times in a game, like Hawkins did last week at West Virginia. This is the worst case of nepotism since Fredo Corleone was given control of Las Vegas.

Iowa State: Just above Hawkins in the completion percentage rankings is Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud, who has completed 53% of his passes, and the sad part is doesn’t have his job because of daddy coaching the football team, rather he has it because Gene Chizik couldn’t recruit a quarterback who could hit a cornfield from the highway. And that got him the job at Auburn. Wait, what? Now they have a coach who can’t even spell “Rhodes” right, Paul Rhoades.

Kansas State: The Wildcats tried to bring the magic back by hiring Bill Snyder to coach the team, and what could go wrong, his name is on the stadium? Well the problem is he forgot to bring back Michael Bishop (who is probably available, now that I think about it), and the Wildcats lost to Louisiana-Lafayette earlier this year. They do hold impressive wins over Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech this year, which might help them in the Elo-Chess rankings, and by Elo-Chess I mean the actual game of chess, not football. K-State is another team at the bottom of the conference stuck with a bad quarterback, as Carson Coffman sounds like the name of a detective on a 1970’s cop show…look for Snyder to retire again very soon.

The Jerrod Johnson Division

Baylor: To be fair, the Bears would be higher if Robert Griffin wasn’t out for the year with a knee injury. We don’t have a really good feel for back-up quarterbacks Nick Florence or Blake Szymanski except that you have to look back and forth to make sure you have spelled SZYMANSKI correct every time you type it. SZYMANSKI (copy and paste) did throw for 400 yards three times in 2007, but unfortunately those three opponents were Colorado, Rice and Texas State, not exactly the teams they need to leapfrog in the Big 12. The Bears do have some talent on offense and their defense is improved, but their chance to move up the ladder in the Big 12 South was lost when Griffin was lost.

Texas A&M: Mike Sherman brought years of NFL experience to College Station, and then with one losing season he ditched all of that, consulted a high school coach on how to run his offense, and has now lost by 30 points to an average Arkansas team. Progress. Jerrod Johnson is nice, as are some other players on that team, but the defense is awful, Sherman inspires nobody, and fan apathy is high. The Aggies at some point need to start showing some progress, or Baylor will pass them very soon in the power rankings.

Texas Tech: Texas Tech was mired in controversy last week, struggled with New Mexico for a half, and things looked very dire when Taylor Potts left the game with a concussion, but Steven Sheffield saved the day and the Red Raiders cruised. Still, this has the feel of a disjointed team, with the locker room like an episode of Melrose Place, but unfortunately it is the new MP, not the old one. So much for the “BEST SEASON EVER.”

The Zac Lee Division

Missouri: Many expected Missouri to fall off the map after Chase Daniel took his booger eating to the NFL, but Blaine Gabbert stepped right in and picked (ahem) up right where he left off. Sure, they haven’t played anybody, but they’re still relevant, which is better than pre-Daniel territory.

Nebraska: This Nebraska team is on the rise, and unlike some recent teams that have done it all on offense, the Cornhuskers lead the nation in scoring defense, only giving up 28 points all season. Sure, their best opponent has been an up and down Virginia Tech team, but Bo Pelini seems to have things turned in the right direction up there. Now if he can just ditch the 1990’s sweatshirt that he likes to wear. Of course if you have been to Lincoln you understand that fashion sense isn’t high on the priority list. Nice town, great folks, but damn.

Kansas: The Jayhawks have a talented trio of Reesing, Briscoe and Meier, but unfortunately they don’t play defense, and Kansas can’t give up 28 points to Southern Miss and realistically expect to go anywhere this year. And is it me, or does Mangino get bigger every year? This guy could be a whole team on The Biggest Loser.

The Zac Robinson Division

Oklahoma State: The fall-off in production (the Cowboys are 29th in total offense this year; they were 4th in the country this time last year) is to be expected with the loss of….wait, OSU didn’t lose anybody. What the hell? The Cowboys are missing the explosive plays from last year, and yes, there have been some injuries, but things just don’t seem right up there, and the defense is giving up passing yards in bunches. This is one of those teams you still watch out for, but that trip to Stillwater on Halloween night looks a lot easier for Texas, especially if Dez Bryant is still suspended.

Oklahoma: Oklahoma, where the karma comes sweepin’ down the plain… We all remember 2008, where the Sooners ran it up on everyone when they got the chance and they got into the Big 12 championship game and the national championship game on a ridiculous Big 12 rule that somehow still exists to this day. Well, enter 2009, where Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Ryan Broyles, Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson are either out injured or graduated, and it is easy to see why the Sooners have struggled against every team not located in Pocatello, Idaho or a Tulsa team that is, well, Tulsa. The Sooners still have plenty of talent, but right now they are missing the playmakers and the swagger that great teams have, so this year they’ll have to settle for being a good team.

The Colt McCoy Division

Texas: It is pretty clear that Texas deserves its own division when you rank the Big 12 teams, they have performed that much better than the rest of the teams in the conference. For all of the nitpicking about the close game against Texas Tech and the slow start in Wyoming, the Longhorns still have a healthy margin of victory (Florida and Texas are 1 and 2 in margin of victory this year), and can still say they haven’t reached their potential. The running game is always in flux, but if they can find a consistent threat back there, watch out, this team could get the Big 12 title and much more.

FACEBOOK NEWS FEED

Bobby Bowden I’m about to turn 80, and my team is about #80 in the FBS power rankings. What a coincidence!

Turner Gill is wondering why he didn’t take another job and get the hell out of Buffalo while I had the chance.

Erin Andrews one creep down, 3,323,608,138 to go. Oh hell, I forgot about the lesbians and bis. I’m screwed.

Pete Carroll wrote on Mark Sanchez’s Wall: “I told you you shouldn’t have come out!”

Kenny Vaccaro You call THAT a FOUL?

Jesus has joined the group “Tim Tebow Fan Club.”

Tate Forcier I’m not the next Tim Tebow….yet.
Houston is ah, hell, keep the helmets. It isn’t like we tackle anyone anyways.

Mike Price let’s celebrate! We’re going to Juarez and taking the UTEP credit card with us!

On to the games...

Alabama -5.5 @ Mississippi:

This is Jevan Snead’s chance at redemption in the minds of college football fans and more importantly NFL scouts, but the fact is he isn’t having a great year, and will have to have his best game to beat Alabama. Not a good match-up for a struggling quarterback.

Alabama is due for a letdown game, but this won’t be it. This has been an insanely close series, with the last 4 games being decided by 13 points, but the Tide roll.

Alabama 28 Mississippi 21
ATS – Alabama
SU – Alabama

Oregon -3.5 @ UCLA:

It doesn’t look like Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli will be able to play this week, leaving Oregon about even with UCLA, who doesn’t have a quarterback worth a damn on its roster.

I could be going out on a limb here, but this game looks like a trap to me. Oregon has rolled ever since the Boise State game, but that was also their last road game. Give me the Bruins in a close one.

UCLA 24 Oregon 21
ATS – UCLA
SU – UCLA

Florida -7.5 @ LSU:

Will he or won’t he? The question around Gainesville this week isn’t whether Tim Tebow can split the Red Sea, but whether he will play this week against LSU.

It looks like a tough match-up either way for the Gators, who haven’t been road tested much lately, unless you count a trip to Kentucky as scary.

This one hinges on two things. 1.) Can LSU stop Florida’s rushing attack? The Gators rank #1 in the country in rushing, but LSU only gave up 45 yards rushing to Georgia last week; and 2.) Is Jordan Jefferson good enough to beat Florida? Jefferson doesn’t have to be JaMarcus Russell, but he needs to be a difference maker in order to beat a team like Florida.

Tebow or not, this one should be a good one in Death Valley at night, but I don’t have the confidence in Jefferson to say he can beat Florida just yet.

Florida 27 LSU 24
ATS – LSU
SU – Florida

Nebraska -3.5 @ Missouri:

Nebraska is the tested team here. They damn near beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, a feat that not many have done this decade. Missouri, meanwhile, looked impressive in beating Illinois to start the year, but they folded so we’re really not sure how good Missouri is after they beat up on the little sisters of the poor in Bowling Green, Furman and Nevada.

I hate to go against the home underdog on Thursday, but I think this Nebraska team is better than Mizzou, and will show it here.

Nebraska 31 Missouri 21
ATS – Nebraska
SU – Nebraska

Baylor @ Oklahoma -25.5:

This one was looking a little sexy a couple of weeks ago when it looked like it was going to be Landry Jones vs. Robert Griffin. But Griffin is now out for the year, Bradford might play, and Baylor is back to being Baylor.

Oklahoma 45 Baylor 17
ATS – Oklahoma
SU – Oklahoma

Colorado @ Texas -32.5:

This one will be a tune-up for the Texas defense, which will see a “downhill” running game for the first time this year and will help prepare for the Oklahoma and Oklahoma State games later this month.

Unfortunately for Colorado, they will also get run out of the house. This has the potential to be 2005 Big 12 CG ugly.
Texas 52 Colorado 10
ATS – Texas
SU – Texas

Random Hot Dallas Chick



For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for Dillo Dirt to throw at OU fans.

The Week That Will Be (10.03.09)

Last Week: 2-3-1 ATS 2-4 SU
For the Year: 6-17-1 (.261) ($1270) ATS 13-11 (.542) SU

What we learned last week:

We learned why Jevan Snead couldn’t beat out Colt McCoy in 2006. Ugggggggly. A Hooters in Des Moines ugly. Snead is a good kid who looks like Davis Love III, but that didn’t help his NFL chances for a quarterback some were saying would be the top quarterback drafted out of anyone playing in college today…….

We learned that TCU can commit 11 penalties on the road in a tough venue and still come out ahead. Color me more impressed with that effort than anything Boise State has done this year……

We learned that if you send multiple extra rushers at Jacory Harris, he’ll panic a bit. Which is to be expected for a young quarterback, but we learned that we need to tap the brakes a bit on proclaiming Miami as “back” and give them the second best odds of getting to the national championship game like one online book did last week…….

We learned that just when you start to trust in Jeff Tedford and Cal, they’ll pull a game like that on you, and remind you there is a reason they haven’t been to the Rose Bowl in 51 years. Some teams can handle the pressure, and other teams, such as Mississippi and Cal, are more comfortable not having the bulls-eye on their back. Which is fine, as long as you don’t want to win any big games……

We learned that Mike Leach doesn’t like field goals, but he hates Twitter. Also, team captain OL Brandon Carter was suspended indefinitely after he was rumored to scream at coaches and trash the opposing locker room at Robertson Stadium. I like to go for it on 4th and Goal from inside the opponent’s five yard line, but in that situation, up 5 late in the game, you have to kick the field goal so that one play doesn’t beat you, it just ties you if they happen to get the two point conversion as well. And Leach restricted players from using Twitter, when he should be restricting opposing offenses from running up 600 yards of offense……

And finally, we learned that yes, it is possible for Trevor Walker to get playing time at the University of Texas. Congrats, Trevor.

Anyhow…

Life is short.

We hear that a lot, and pay heed to it every now and then, but sometimes it takes events of the past few days to remember it, understand it and cherish it.

On the way to tailgate set-up on Friday afternoon, one of those Friday afternoons where you feel privileged to live in Austin, Texas because there is a hint of Autumn in the air to add to the natural beauty of the place, my wife and I came upon a cavalcade of emergency vehicles blocking the street. We quickly diverted and went on our way, thinking that there was a gas leak or something of the sort and didn’t think much of it.

Well, as it turns out, 21 year old University of Texas senior Brianna Becker, was hit by car while jogging and died that afternoon, the night before she was to take the LSAT test.

Becker was clearing her head, preparing for a life altering exam, and in one moment it was all taken away from her. Just think if she had taken a call that delayed her for five minutes, or had decided to jog earlier. She’d still be alive today. Her family is permanently scarred, as is the driver of the vehicle that hit her and his family.

Then there is the case of USC running back Stefon Johnson.

Johnson, the all-time leading rusher in Los Angeles prep history, was the Trojans’ leading rusher in 2008, but entered 2009 as more of a situational back, one who got the ball in short yardage situations while star running back Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford handled the bulk of the carries. Johnson took the demotion in stride.

"At the end of the day, you want to be in the game when it's important to help your team and I think I did that," Johnson told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. "You've got to make sure when you get your opportunities that you make the best of it."

Earlier this week, tragedy struck, ending Johnson’s season and nearly claiming his life.

Johnson was working out in the Trojans’ workout facility, preparing for the game this weekend against the California Golden Bears that might decide who wins the Pac-10 championship, when he dropped 215 lbs of weights on his throat while doing a bench press exercise. Johnson started bleeding from the nose and the mouth and was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent 7 hours of surgery to repair a crushed larynx, a crushed adam’s apple and torn muscles in the throat.

Johnson was listed in critical but stable condition following the surgery. He won’t play again this season, but doctors were just hopeful before the surgery that he would be able to talk again.

It can all change in an instant.

The Trojans, who used the Bill Withers classic Lean on Me as an inspirational song for the 2009 season (the great ESPN Gameday story can be seen here), will now have to lean on each other more than ever, not only to replace Johnson on the field, but to get over the personal tragedy of such a personal friend and teammate.

So, as I make a bad segue in how tragedies in real life equate to what happens on the field of play each Saturday in the fall…enjoy this year. Enjoy every moment of the tailgate. Enjoy watching Colt McCoy enter the Texas record books. Enjoy Dan Buckner’s development from high school star to forgotten on the depth chart to Colt McCoy’s safety valve on third down. Enjoy Tre Newton climbing from fourth on the depth chart to starter through hard work and dedication. Enjoy watching Jordan Shipley overcome personal setback year after year to blossom into an All-American candidate. Enjoy watching Sergio Kindle climb up the draft charts, and the Acho brothers, who do more good off the field than they ever could on the field, blossom into future stars.

Appreciate what we have here at the University of Texas. Appreciate the 10 win seasons. Appreciate Mack Brown and what he has brought to your university. It is fun to be cynical and point towards the conference championships he hasn’t won, but we have won plenty, and we have won doing it the right way, and we have done it with a coach that we can be proud about.

And most of all, enjoy the bye week. Spend time with your friends and family, share a laugh with them, share a tear with them, but just share something with them.

Because you never know when success in a season, success at a program, or frankly, your life could just go away.

As USC WR Damian Williams says in the Gameday story above, “Be in the moment. Make sure you squeeze every drop out of it.”

All of that was the furthest thing away from Stefon Johnson’s mind when he left the field following a 2006 game against Washington, a game in which he didn’t play at all, another in a line of disappointing contests in that season in which he did not play.  All of the sudden, Johnson felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Washington coach Tyrone Willingham.

“It will work out for you – I know it,” Willingham said. “I believe in you.”

We can all hope that it works out for Johnson….again.

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong…


FACEBOOK NEWS FEED
Tim Tebow took the quiz “What NFL Player Are You?” with the answer Merril Hoge.
Mike Leach has left Facebook.
Brandon Carter has joined the group “I Got Suspended From My Football Team So I Became a Rodeo Clown to Keep Wearing the Makeup.”
Robert Griffin is a bigger man than you are.
Mike Price is going to the Landing Strip to drown his sorrows. Drinks on UTEP!
Joe Paterno is considering retiring….from having to play Iowa.
LSU is hey don’t look at us, we don’t know how the hell we’re in the Top 5, either.
Lou Holtz even I think Bobby Bowden is senile and needs to retire.
Kevin Sumlin is packing his bags for Penn State.
Mack Brown can’t wait to see Them Crooked Vultures, Bon Iver and Black Joe Lewis at ACL.
On to the games...

Washington @ Notre Dame -12.5:

Washington is a good story this year with the return of Jake Locker, their win over USC and near win over LSU, but got taken to the woodshed last week by an okay but not great Stanford team.

I know we all hate to admit it, but this Notre Dame team is on the rise, is better than Stanford and should be able to handle Washington at home. But I do like the Huskies to get the back door cover.

Notre Dame 34 Washington 24
ATS – Washington
SU – Notre Dame

LSU @ Georgia -3:

Vegas doesn’t think LSU is a top five team, either, if they are basically a scratch against the 18th ranked team in the country. The Tigers needed a kickoff return for a touchdown and an interception returned for a touchdown in order to beat Mississippi State, who outrushed them 151-30 and outgained them 374-263 last week.

Georgia has won 3 in a row, and 6 out of 8 in this series, and won last year in Baton Rouge 52-38. LSU has the look of a four loss team to me, and number one comes this week in Athens.

Georgia 38 LSU 24
ATS – Georgia
SU – Georgia

Auburn @ Tennessee -2:

Gus Malzahn, er Gene Chizik has Auburn back on the right track, with an offense that ranks 3rd in the country behind a devastating running attack. The defense isn’t as good, giving up 30 to West Virginia and 30 to Ball State.

Tennessee’s defense is legit, but their offense has a combined 28 points against decent teams this year (UCLA and Florida), and Jonathan Crompton is downright scary under center, and I don’t mean scary in a good way.

So who wins in this clash of styles? Give me Auburn’s defense getting a couple of interceptions off of Crompton (they have 8 interceptions in four games), setting up a short field for Auburn’s offense. And Tennessee doesn’t have the firepower to keep up.

Auburn 27 Tennessee 20
ATS – Auburn
SU – Auburn

USC -5 @ California:

Both teams are reeling a bit, USC started off strong but then coasted to a lackluster win over Washington State last week, while California got LaGarrette Blounted in Eugene last week as Jahvid Best ran his way out of Heisman consideration with only 55 yards rushing.

What happens here? Your guess is as good as mine, but USC has won 5 straight in this series, actually wins a big game every now and then, and has a much better defense than Oregon. Give me the Trojans….but barely.

USC 24 California 21
ATS – California
SU – USC

Arkansas -1 v. Texas A&M:

This one could be the shoot-out that we thought Texas Tech/Houston was going to be. Arkansas enters the game with the 4th ranked passing attack and everyone short of Alabama has felt the pain when they have faced Ryan Mallet this year. Texas A&M, yes, Texas A&M, leads the country in total offense, but have yet to face much this year.

A&M needs this game more, they need a “landmark” win for Mike Sherman and crew, but I just think playing Georgia and Alabama have readied the Hogs for this one, while A&M has beaten up on nobodies for the most part.

Arkansas 44 Texas A&M 37
ATS – Arkansas
SU – Arkansas

Oklahoma -7.5 @ Miami:

Is he going to? Is he not going to? Nobody knows whether Landry Jones will shave his mustache this week, but you know that JR will wear his black hat and that Bob Stoops will wear his white visor and that Sam Bradford will be under center when they face Miami Saturday night.

The question is, will he be effective? AC joint sprains are not to be taken lightly, as it could take some time for Bradford to get the range of motion and arm strength back in order to be 100% effective.

Oklahoma’s defense is high flying, posting two straight shutouts of, ahem, Idaho State and the more respectable Tulsa, but they will be tested by Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, who has already seen two good defenses this year in Florida State and Virginia Tech. BYU was able to throw on Oklahoma, and I think Jacory Harris will be able to, as well.

We haven’t heard much about OU’s weak offensive line since that BYU game, but Miami has the athleticism to exploit it. If Landry Jones is the starter, a weak OL combined with inexperience in a hostile environment for the first time will be a recipe for disaster. Bradford still has the chance to be rusty, and going against a mad Miami team looking for national exposure isn’t where I would want to come back.

The Sooners are a very average road team over the last couple of years. This one will be no different.

Miami 24 Oklahoma 20
ATS – Miami
SU – Miami

Before we get to the RHDC…I have a favor to ask of my readers. In late October, a friend of the tailgate, Michael Drakes, will be going to United States Marines boot camp and then off to Iraq. Michael has adopted the Longhorns as a favorite team since moving to Austin from New Jersey , and really, really wants to go to Texas/OU Weekend in Dallas before he shipped off. He told me a couple of weeks ago he just wants to go to any game, but hell, we might as well send him off going to the best game that there is, right? I know times are tough, boy do I know times are tough, but if would be willing to donate anything at all, cash, fair coupons, whatever, to this cause we would be eternally grateful. We’re just looking to pay for his dinner at Campisi’s with us on Friday night, food and drinks at the fair and a game ticket. Mack Brown has already sent us a football signed by every member of the 2009 football team, an autographed photo and several other Longhorn memorabilia items. If you would like to donate to the cause, please email me at mattcraig@gmail.com. Thanks a bunch, God Bless America and Hook ‘Em!

Random Hot Dallas Chick



For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for a marine doing good things in Iraq.

The Week That Will Be (09.26.09)

Last Week: 1-5 ATS 2-4 SU
For the Year: 4-14 (.222) ($1140) ATS 11-7 (.611) SU

What we learned last week: We learned that Miami is for real. They’re showing the athleticism they have been lacking in recent years, and could dominate the ACC this year as a result……..We learned that Florida is flappable. Tennessee has a good defense, but Florida looks to be lacking the playmaking ability that Percy Harvin provided in recent years. And, you might want to sit down for this one, but 8lb6ozLordBabyTebow can’t score 40 points by himself……We learned that while Georgia has absolutely zero interest in playing defense this year, their offense is much better than expected. Perhaps they should request a move to the Big 12…….We learned that yes, it is possible to throw six touchdowns while also carrying around a porn stache on your upper lip, something we haven’t known since the 1970’s. Congrats, Landry Jones……We learned that while the New York Giants are good enough to overcome not scoring touchdowns in the red zone, Nebraska is not. Four times they had the ball inside the Virginia Tech 25 yard line, and four times they kicked field goals…….And finally we learned that when you hold Texas Tech to negative rushing yards, it is a lot easier to beat them, and we learned that Taylor Potts wears contact lenses….and brings an extra pair on the road in case Kindle happens.

Anyhow…

This week we dive into the TWTWB Mailbag. As always, remember that these are not actual letters from actual readers.

Should we start reserving our hotels in Pasadena now?

BYU Fans
Provo, UT

Oops. Looks like this one was sent last week. Apparently BYU forgot that a win over Oklahoma doesn’t grant them automatic entry into the BCS party, they must in fact win the rest of their games as well. Thank God we don’t have to hear that drivel the rest of the year. Now if someone could take out Boise State…

Can I have my money back from you, too? Your picks are terrible this year.

Oregon Fan
Eugene, OR

Sorry, Oregon fan, I make it plainly clear at the bottom that these picks are for entertainment purposes only, and you shouldn’t be using these picks for actual bets. So unlike Chip Kelly, I can’t refund your money for a lackluster performance. This has been an awful year, however. College football is LaGarrette Blount’s fist to my picks’ Byron Hout’s chin. My picks are so bad, Joe Paterno is trying to schedule them for next season. My picks are so bad, Bookmaker.com is offering me $500 in free playing money. My picks are so bad, Lou Holtz is looking senile compared to them.

570 yards of total offense! WHOOOP! First in the country in total offense! WHOOP! Second in the country in sacks! WHOOP! Von Miller leads the country in sacks! WHOOP!

M. Sherman
College Station, TX

And you owe it all to a high school coach. Congrats, coach. Oh yeah, congrats on giving up 520 yards to Utah State last week, the same Utah State that finished 3-9 last season and in the 110s in total offense. Congrats.

I can throw a ball 8 yards. You betta watch out.

S. Bradford
Norman, OK

Sounds like you’re good enough to play in the Texas offense 2009.

Can we motion to get all trips to the states of Washington and Oregon nixed from future schedules?

P. Carroll
Los Angeles, CA

Seriously. Although I’m not really sure why so many were shocked last week. USC just isn’t that good this year, and it is all because of the quarterback position. Stack the line and dare the USC QBs to beat you, and they can’t. Now we all know why Carroll was so pissed when Marc Sanchez went pro this year…

Did you see that we had 105,000 fans last week?

J. Jones
Dallas, TX

Yeah, and 30,000 of those couldn’t see the field, but did have a nice view of the guy in front of them’s bald spot. Although to be honest, DKR Texas Memorial Stadium did draw more than 100,000 fans last week but just as many missed the game action because they refused to stand up and got a nice view of the person in front of them’s ass.

Hey, you! I’m still here!

M. Mustain
Los Angeles, CA

Do you guys hear something?

Show me the money!

M. Crabtree
Dallas, TX

Listen, Michael. I’m not usually the type to go off on rants like this. I understand that you have a very limited chance to earn money, blah blah blah, I get it. But go to work. Seriously, there are parts of the country where the unemployment rate is at 15%, and you’re trying to get more millions out of that rock? Go to work, produce, get your money in your next big contract, earn endorsements, hell buy a Chik-fil-a franchise, those things have to make big money. But you’re not going to get the big money next off-season, hell you’re more likely to fall into the second round. Sign the contract, go get to live life as a rich 22 year old in one of America’s greatest cities. You’re showing your Texas Tech education here.

Dammit! The Las Vegas Bowl again!

BYU Fan
Provo, UT

Ah, there we go. And you can probably find plenty of wives in Las Vegas.

Wah! They took too long calling their plays!

U. Meyer
Gainesville, FL

The Indianapolis Colts are on line 1, Mr. Meyer.

Have you seen my contacts?

T. Potts
Lubbock, TX

Yeah, I think they are around the 12 yard line. And button your chin strap, dammit.

Please be aware of heightened security after threats were uncovered against stadiums in this country.

Dept of Homeland Security
Washington, DC

I know, just last week some asshole tried to sneak in a remote control!

Kenny Chesney’s “This is Our Moment” has always been intended to used on opening weekend, very big games and the last day of the regular season. I am not aware of any backlash, I heard positives about the song. Thank you for your comments.

ESPN Spokesman
Bristol, CT

Yeah, but how many of those positives were from “K. Chesney, Nashville, TN”?

I resent this notion that I would risk further injury to Sam by playing him before he was ready.

B. Stoops
Norman, OK

Riiiiiiight, Bob. We all remember Adrian Peterson hopping out there like a pirate with a peg leg in 2005. I’m pretty sure you would have played Joe Theisman after Lawrence Taylor sacked him, Lee Harvey Oswald after Jack Ruby shot him and David Hassellhoff after a fifth of Jack if you thought it would give you a better chance to win and your back-up had a porn stache.

Hello? Anyone there? MOM?

M. Mustain
Los Angeles, CA

This damn apartment and its thin walls. I swear I hear something.

FACEBOOK NEWS FEED

The Flu is getting in your locker room and infecting all your players.

Colt McCoy and Your Six Year Old Kid have joined the group Pedialyte Works Wonders.
Bevo and Jordan Shipley are no longer in a relationship.

Tyrone Willingham wrote on Steve Sarkisian’s Wall: “How in the HELL did you do that?”

The Kansas Football Team wrote on The Kansas Basketball Team’s Wall: “Our coach can eat your coach!”

Lane Kiffin started a MAFIA WAR with Urban Meyer.

Mitch Mustain took the “Which Three Stooges Character Are You?” quiz with the result of “Curly Joe”.

On to the games...

Mississippi -4 @ South Carolina:

Mississippi was deemed a Top 10 team by the media and coaches in the pre-season, but so far they have looked rather pedestrian in wins over Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana. They’ll get their first true test of the year this week against a South Carolina defense that has been very solid, and a quarterback in Stephen Garcia that has been far better this year than previous years.

The Gamecocks won this one in Oxford last season, and I expect them to give the Rebels a tough one here….if not straight up win it.

Mississippi 27 South Carolina 24
ATS – South Carolina
SU – Mississippi

TCU @ Clemson -2.5:

Clemson has been woefully inadequate on offense this year, and they don’t figure to get healthy on a TCU team that leads the nation in sacks and gets after you defensively. The Horned Frogs also have a experienced quarterback in Andy Dalton who won’t be afraid to play in Death Valley.

Clemson running back CJ Spiller is battling a toe injury, without him at 100% I don’t think they have the offense to keep ahead of TCU.

TCU 24 Clemson 17
ATS – TCU
SU – TCU

Miami -2.5 @ Virginia Tech:

Miami has opened the year in impressive fashion, winning their first two games over ranked opponents. Virginia Tech’s defense is awful right now, ranking 77th in the country and allowing Nebraska to run for 200 yards on them last week while Alabama racked up nearly 600 on them in the season opener.

Miami looks like they have turned a corner on their road back to contention. That could all go down the toilet in this game, but they look fast, athletic and hungry. And Jacory Harris is about 10 times better than Tyrod Taylor.

Miami 28 Virginia Tech 16
ATS – Miami
SU – Miami

California -5.5 @ Oregon:

Oregon is going to have a tough time containing Jahvid Best. Autzen isn’t the home field advantage that it once was, both Purdue and Utah have gone in there in recent weeks and played well enough to win the ballgame.

Jeremiah Masoli is completing less than 50% of his passes, and I don’t see that offense having a breakout game against Cal.

California 38 Oregon 28
ATS – California
SU – California

Texas Tech @ Houston -1:

The Over/Under on this game is 73. Find a comfortable chair and enjoy this one.

Not to take anything away from a great story down there, but Houston is getting a lot of praise over their win over Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys haven’t been impressive in any game this year, so I’m not really sure how impressive that win was.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, impressed me last week. If they show up with the same intensity to play Houston that they did last week (this is Tech, so it is questionable), they’ll win here.

Texas Tech 45 Houston 34
ATS – Texas Tech
SU – Texas Tech

UTEP @ Texas -36:

I’m going to save you the analysis. Yes, UTEP returns QB Trevor Vittatoe who was very solid last year in a 42-13 loss to Texas, but he hasn’t helped much as UTEP is only ranked 103rd in the country in offense. UTEP ran for 145 yards last year against Texas, and you know Will Muschamp circled that number when looking at gametape from last year’s game when he watched it again.

So we know that Texas will win, and should win comfortably, but what would we like to see this week? I’d like to see Tre Newton get 100 yards. UTEP’s rushing defense is 106th in the country, if we can’t run on them, I’m weary of running on Oklahoma and the rest of the Big 12.

Next, I would like to see Colt McCoy spread it around more in the offense. In last year’s opener against Florida Atlantic, SEVEN different guys scored on offense, a trend that would continue throughout the year. So far this year, McCoy seems to be keying in on Jordan Shipley, and if he isn’t open we’ll go to Dan Buckner and an occasional pass to John Chiles. If this offense is going to go to the next level, defenses need to fear all of the weapons on the field, so I’d like to see Malcolm Williams and James Kirkendoll get more involved in the offense.

On defense? I’d like to see some turnovers. In the form of interceptions. We forced plenty of fumbles last week against Tech, but let’s start catching the ball on defense, too.

Texas 45 UTEP 14
ATS – UTEP
SU – Texas

Random Hot Dallas Chick



For entertainment purposes only. Save your money for grape Pedialyte to ward off the Swine Flu.

Texas 34 Texas Tech 24

It wasn't always pretty, in fact some in the Longhorn nation are flat out disappointed, but a win is a win is a win, and plenty of teams would have been happy with a 10 point win on Saturday night, including USC.

But...Colt McCoy needs to be better.  I'm not sure we win that game in Lubbock.  But Colt knows that he has to be better...and he will be.

Of course, I know that my ATS record needs to be better, too, and that road back to glory begins on Wednesday, right here.

Two notes of interest from today's press conference:

• LB Jared Norton will undergo shoulder surgery and is out for the year.  A very disappointing loss.  Norton will apply for a medical redshirt, and I can't imagine that he wouldn't get it.  The one silver lining is that the LB position was going to be an area of concern next season, and Norton's return will help steady that ship.
• Tre Newton is now the starter at tailback.  While I'm not too concerned over who starts the game, rather I am concerned about who gets the majority of carries, it is a great story of personal achievement for a guy that was buried in the depth chart when camp started.  He's clearly our best runner at the moment, and does all the little things as well.
  

The Week That Will Be (09.19.09)

Last Week: 2-4 ATS 4-2 SU
For the Year: 3-9 (.250) (-$690) ATS 7-5 (.583) SU

What we learned last week: We learned that while we tried to give them credit, Tennessee has a long ways to go before they are back among the nation’s elite. And that starts at the quarterback position. Jonathan Crompton: 93 yards passing, 3 interceptions? Cody Hawkins called, he wants his stat-line back…..We learned that Charlie Weis is probably one of those guys that doesn’t punt in football video games. A lead on the road, your opponent is down, and you let them back in the game by throwing the ball not once, but twice on their final drive, allowing Michigan to keep their time-outs? Are you kidding me? This one goes into the Rich Kotite Hall of Fame of Bad Coaching Decisions. That is a lot of bust……We learned that the national media loves to hear themselves talk. USC beat Ohio State on the road, yes, but that had little to do with Matt Barkley, who looked less that average for a majority of the night, and all to do with Joe McKnight. He’s not a miniature John Elway, not even close. Hell, he might not even be the best quarterback on the team, as Aaron Corp will likely get his shot to start this week after Barkley injured his shoulder Saturday night……We learned that we can forget the Sports Illustrated curse, what about the Oklahoma State curse, as in they can’t handle success? The only thing more disturbing about giving up 500 yards to an albeit good Houston Cougars offense is that you still have Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Texas Tech and others on the schedule……..We learned that Taylor Potts is another good one in a long series of Texas Tech quarterbacks after throwing for 456 yards and 7 touchdowns against Rice. And he easily beats Landry Jones for the best mustache in the Big 12 (see above)…….And finally, we learned that Justin Tucker is the ballsiest punter in the nation.

Anyhow…

“Revenge is for suckers.” – Paul Newman as Henry Gandorff, in The Sting.

You’ve seen it a million times by now. Harrell to Crabtree, one second left on the clock in Lubbock last fall, the Tech fans rushing the field before they even had a chance to kick the extra point, the workers at Jones AT&T Stadium taking down the goalposts before the extra point as well.

That would give Texas their one loss last year, and we all know what happened down the stretch as Oklahoma advanced to the Big 12 Championship game on a tiebreaker, leaving Texas on the outside once again.

One word permeates the landscape of Austin this week as these two teams prepare to meet again Saturday night in Austin. It comes up over and over from Texas fans.

Revenge.

And I am here to say it is all a load of crap. Revenge is overused in the sports world, and believe me, I have found out the hard way.

Revenge for what? Graham Harrell is in Saskatchewan trying to figure out Canadian Football League defenses, while Michael Crabtree is sitting on his rented couch, checking the time on the Rolex he still needs to pay for, waiting for the NFL Sunday Ticket to come on and see who he thinks which guys he thinks he should be making more money than this week. Tech coach Mike Leach is still there, but he was probably inebriated the whole second half and doesn’t remember it anyhow.

And what exactly do we get if we win this game on Saturday? Do we get a chance to go back to December and play Missouri for the Big 12 title and then Florida for the national title? No, we get UTEP next week, win or lose. Nothing wears me out more than seeing a commercial for the two Super Bowl teams meeting the next pre-season and hearing “Team A looks to avenge their Super Bowl loss to Team B, Thursday night on FOX!”

No, Team B is still the world champion. There is nothing that anyone can do about that.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I want to beat Tech by 50 points and send them back to the high plains realizing that they were a one hit wonder that will never have their “best season ever” again. I want Mike Leach to pay his own way for job interviews at other schools again, knowing that he’ll never win the South with Texas and Oklahoma in his way. I want Michael Crabtree to call Deion Sanders and tell everyone why he is worth more money than Matthew Stafford, and then tell Deion about how bad Tech got their ass beat last night and how he’s glad that he’s not there anymore. But that doesn’t have anything to do with last year and a need to exact revenge. It’s just plain dislike for Texas Tech.

Revenge should be left to William Wallace in Braveheart, or for Annie Le’s fiancé at Yale (I would tell the police that they’d better find the bastard before I do or they’re going to have two murders on their hands) or for Ted Kennedy having to share an apartment in the sky with DJ AM and his loud parties.

Because, like the great Henry Gandorff said in The Sting, revenge is for suckers. The only reason that we need to remember last year is because when you allow yourself to falter even once in this system, it allows for outside variables to control your destiny, which we found out the hard way last year.

Of course you don’t have to remind me that in the end, Gandorff wins, gets his revenge for his buddy and rides into the sunset. But it wasn’t the revenge that satisfied Gandorff. It was the winnings.

So the Longhorns need to take care of business on Saturday. And then they need to take care of business against UTEP. And Colorado. And Oklahoma.

Keep doing that, keep winning, and you’ll have something better than revenge. You’ll have redemption.

FACEBOOK NEWS FEED

Tate Forcier has joined the group Ann Arbor Chicks Dig Me.

Tressel-ball and Ohio State Fans are no longer in a relationship.

Ron Prince is smiling his ass off.

Texas College has given up its football program.

Dan Hawkins is thinking about putting my house on the market.

Kanye West wrote on Charlie Weis’s Wall: “I’m gonna let you finish, but the run is really the best play here.”

Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have denied the friend request from Courteney Cox in “Cougars”.

Texas wrote on Serena Williams’s Wall: “We needed you last year in Lubbock.”

The Week That Will Be and Good Picks Against the Spread are no longer in a relationship.

On to the games...

Georgia Tech @ Miami -4.5:

3/14. That’s what Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt was in last week’s win over Clemson. With two interceptions, so he almost completed more passes to the other team than his own.

But of course Georgia Tech is all about the running game, and last year they ran all over Miami to the tune of 472 yards, as Georgia Tech won that one 41-23 in a game they were leading by 31 going to the fourth quarter.

This one all depends on Jacory Harris, the Miami quarterback. If he’s really the next big thing in college football, then Miami can force Georgia Tech to get out of their game plan. If he struggles, then Georgia Tech likely controls the ball and the game.

I like Georgia Tech’s coaching staff, their running game ability and the fact that they have won four in a row in this series. I also see Miami as an inconsistent bunch who probably has been reading too many of their own headlines the last two weeks.

Georgia Tech 37 Miami 31
ATS – Georgia Tech
SU – Georgia Tech

Tennessee @ Florida -29.5:

Can Monte Kiffin slow down the Florida attack? Probably not. The Volunteers’ defense has been impressive so far this year, only allowing 134.5 yards a game, but Florida is a different animal than UCLA and Western Kentucky.

The Gators have owned this series, winning the last four and seven of the last ten. With Tennessee still learning, and injuries on their offensive line, this one could get ugly, and quick.

Florida 51 Tennessee 10
ATS – Florida
SU – Florida

Georgia @ Arkansas -1:

Arkansas is looking for their first win against Georgia since 1993, but will have to show some more offense to get it done on the road. Georgia’s offense is currently ranked 101st in the nation, which isn’t going to win you many ballgames.

You have to wonder how much Georgia has left in the tank after a tough game in Stillwater and an up and down game against South Carolina last week. Arkansas, meanwhile, was off last week and has been looking forward to this game since spring practice.

It’s dangerous picking against a Mark Richt team on the road in the SEC, but look for a fired up Arkansas team that will be better in its second year under Petrino.

Arkansas 31 Georgia 17
ATS – Arkansas
SU – Arkansas

Tulsa @ Oklahoma -17:

Oklahoma had a nice exhibition game last week to get Landry Jones some real live snaps, but this week they play a Tulsa team that is battle tested and will be amped up to play the big boys in the state.

It is rare that Tulsa has the better quarterback of the two teams, but Texas transfer GJ Kinne has completed 67% of his passes this year, throwing five touchdown passes and has yet to throw an interception in 55 attempts.

Unfortunately for Tulsa, they have beaten two of the weaker teams in the FBS, and due to a weird scheduling quirk, this is also their third road game of the year. Look for Oklahoma to struggle at times, but get the job done rather easily.

Oklahoma 37 Tulsa 14
ATS – Oklahoma
SU – Oklahoma

Nebraska @ Virginia Tech -4:

This is the year that many Nebraska fans are looking to return to the top of the Big 12 North, and so far they have looked the part, beating up on two sisters of the poor in Florida-Atlantic and Arkansas State.

They’ll face a veteran Virginia Tech squad that dominated the Cornhuskers in Lincoln last year, and I look for more of the same here. If Nebraska pulls off the upset here, watch out for them the rest of the way.

Virginia Tech 28 Nebraska 21
ATS – Virginia Tech
SU – Virginia Tech

Texas Tech @ Texas -17.5:

Colt McCoy hasn’t looked as sharp this year compared to last year, but if you look at the numbers, they are comparable.

2009: 51/76 (.671) 650 yards 5 TD 2 INT
2008: 44/58 (.758) 504 yards 7 TD 1 INT

McCoy will need to be his 2008 self to beat Texas Tech if this turns into a shoot-out. But of course, when playing Tech, you’re always more worried about what your defense is going to do.

And while Taylor Potts certainly looks the part of other Texas Tech quarterbacks, throwing for 7 touchdowns against Rice last week, there is a major difference in the offense this year for Tech.

They’re only averaging 46 yards per game on the ground for an average of 2.8 yards per carry.

Graham Harrell was adept at checking into running plays at the line of scrimmage, and Tech doesn’t have the explosive runner that they have had in recent years. If Tech goes against a Will Muschamp defense expecting to be one-dimensional, Taylor Potts might not survive the night.

Mike Leach has lost all four times his teams have played in Austin, allowing 59, 52, 43 and 42 points.

He’ll leave having lost all five tries.

Texas 52 Texas Tech 24
ATS – Texas
SU – Texas

Random Hot Dallas Chick



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