There is an impressive slate of games on this week’s menu, and there is only 1 that makes my Alert sirens blare:
#5 Nebraska - The Cornhuskers are riding high after starting the season 5-0 and ranked in the Top 5 of most national polls. Most people consider them to have the best defense in the nation. And Redshirt Freshman QB Taylor Martinez has created quite a buzz with his impressive running ability. But if you take a close look at their schedule, you’ll notice that they have played 5 teams that aren’t anywhere near the caliber of opponent they will face on Saturday. The Huskers have beaten Western Kentucky, Idaho, Washington, South Dakota State, and Kansas State. But there have been glaring issues. Against Idaho the defense picked off the Vandals 5 times, but yet the offense (with great field position all day) could only muster 38 points against a much inferior opponent. Then a couple of weeks later, after 3 quarters of play the Huskers only led the Jackrabbits of SDSU by a score of 14-3. And ended up only winning 17-3.
So, while most of America has been praising, oo’ing, and ah’ing at the the fact that “The Cornhuskers are back”, I am still not convinced.
The Texas Longhorns come to town having lost 2 consecutive games. They dropped out of the national rankings for the first time in 10 years. Vegas has them as a double digit underdog for the first time in 7 years. Most of the country, outside of Austin, TX thinks that Nebraska will get revenge for their 2-point loss in last years Big 12 Championship game. But with 2 weeks to prepare (Texas had a bye last week) the Longhorns should be very prepared for Taylor Martinez and his option attack. Nebraska has not seen a team with the amount of speed that Texas possesses. The Longhorns ability to stop the run (particularly on 1st down) and Nebraska’s lack of a passing game (average less that 145 passing yards per game) will bring the “Big Red Machine” to a stop.
Texas wins on the road as Garrett Gilbert gets his first big win as the Longhorns signal caller.
Showing posts with label Texas Longhorns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas Longhorns. Show all posts
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Door Is Open
There is a door open. This door has been closed for quite a bit of time. Only 2 members had the ability to enter the exclusive room behind this closed door. A 3rd party attempted to walk through that door and gain membership, yet as soon as they entered, they were immediately given “the boot”. But as it stands, this year might be the year that a 3rd member is actually accepted.
In a division that has been completely dominated by the Sooners and Longhorns, there are 2 teams that face each other Thursday night in primetime with a chance to end that domination. The winner of that game has a legitimate shot at finally gaining membership to the exclusive club of Big 12 South Champions. The last time a team not named Texas or Oklahoma won the Big 12 South Bill Clinton was President, Y2K wasn’t even a concern yet, and Titanic just won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In 2008, Texas Tech made a valiant attempt at infiltrating the stronghold of the aforementioned dominant programs, however, they were embarrassed by Oklahoma 65-17 in late November which ended all hope they had at representing the Big 12 South.
Well, it’s now 2010. And if there’s ever been a year to make it happen, this is it. Garrett Gilbert is no Vince Young or Colt McCoy. Landry Jones is no Sam Bradford or Jason White. Mike Leach has departed Lubbock. There’s no Roy Williams, no Adrian Peterson, no Jermaine Gresham, no Brian Orakpo, no Ricky Williams. And as UCLA showed the world on Saturday by spanking Texas 34-12 in Austin, there are no longer any strongholds in the division.
The 2 teams with the best shot at crashing the party face off tonight in a must win for both. Texas A&M enters tonight’s game riding a 3-0 record and touting a Heisman Trophy caliber QB in Jerrod Johnson. The running game has been the biggest area of improvement for the Aggies as they have 2 backs capable of going over 1,000 yards this year in Christine Michael (331 yards so far) and Cyrus Gray (188 yards so far). Defensively, they have added a new Defensive Coordinator to the staff in Tim DeRuyter. He has switched the base defense to a 3-4 which allows their All-American LB, Von Miller, to fully utilize his talents rushing off the edge.
Oklahoma State (3-0) was thought to be rebuilding this year after the departure of record holders Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant. But somebody forgot to tell that to the 2010 offense. New starting QB Bradon Weeden has already thrown for 11 TDs while completing 75% of his passes and WR Justin Blackmon has already caught 8 TDs. And that familiar face in the backfield is none other than Kendall Hunter. The 2008 All-Big 12 RB who had an injury riddled 2009 season is back at full strength. His 473 yards and 6 TDs highlights the ground game of the Cowboys.
This game might have flown under the radar of some people minds, but the fact is that the winner of this game will be in a prime position to challenge Oklahoma and Texas for the Big 12 South Division title. Thursday night games don’t get much bigger than this.
In a division that has been completely dominated by the Sooners and Longhorns, there are 2 teams that face each other Thursday night in primetime with a chance to end that domination. The winner of that game has a legitimate shot at finally gaining membership to the exclusive club of Big 12 South Champions. The last time a team not named Texas or Oklahoma won the Big 12 South Bill Clinton was President, Y2K wasn’t even a concern yet, and Titanic just won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In 2008, Texas Tech made a valiant attempt at infiltrating the stronghold of the aforementioned dominant programs, however, they were embarrassed by Oklahoma 65-17 in late November which ended all hope they had at representing the Big 12 South.
Well, it’s now 2010. And if there’s ever been a year to make it happen, this is it. Garrett Gilbert is no Vince Young or Colt McCoy. Landry Jones is no Sam Bradford or Jason White. Mike Leach has departed Lubbock. There’s no Roy Williams, no Adrian Peterson, no Jermaine Gresham, no Brian Orakpo, no Ricky Williams. And as UCLA showed the world on Saturday by spanking Texas 34-12 in Austin, there are no longer any strongholds in the division.
The 2 teams with the best shot at crashing the party face off tonight in a must win for both. Texas A&M enters tonight’s game riding a 3-0 record and touting a Heisman Trophy caliber QB in Jerrod Johnson. The running game has been the biggest area of improvement for the Aggies as they have 2 backs capable of going over 1,000 yards this year in Christine Michael (331 yards so far) and Cyrus Gray (188 yards so far). Defensively, they have added a new Defensive Coordinator to the staff in Tim DeRuyter. He has switched the base defense to a 3-4 which allows their All-American LB, Von Miller, to fully utilize his talents rushing off the edge.
Oklahoma State (3-0) was thought to be rebuilding this year after the departure of record holders Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant. But somebody forgot to tell that to the 2010 offense. New starting QB Bradon Weeden has already thrown for 11 TDs while completing 75% of his passes and WR Justin Blackmon has already caught 8 TDs. And that familiar face in the backfield is none other than Kendall Hunter. The 2008 All-Big 12 RB who had an injury riddled 2009 season is back at full strength. His 473 yards and 6 TDs highlights the ground game of the Cowboys.
This game might have flown under the radar of some people minds, but the fact is that the winner of this game will be in a prime position to challenge Oklahoma and Texas for the Big 12 South Division title. Thursday night games don’t get much bigger than this.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Here We Go...
As I was watching football on Saturday night, I saw one of those Bud Light Commercials. You know, the ones that start with a serious dilemma like a plane crash. Nobody knows how their going to overcome the issue at hand when suddenly a character in the commercial discovers a couple cases of Bud Light and somebody then inevitably says the beer company’s catch phrase: “Here we go”.
It got me to thinking. As I do with almost everything in life, I compared it to football. I related the first part of those commercials (the dilemma portion) to the first month of this season. The hectic, wild ride of non-conference play that provided us with some great matchups. It provided us with “Monster Saturday”. It provided us with UCLA over Texas and Miami over Pitt and Michigan over Notre Dame. The first 4 weeks has indeed been fun.
But…… Here we go.
Just as the commercial turns to a chaotic party of drunkenness, so does the season now turn to the chaotic beauty that is Conference Play. Gone are the dream matchups such as Ohio State vs. Miami and Florida State vs. Oklahoma. Now we start playing the part of the season that matters. No longer will teams be fighting the stranger at the bar. Instead teams will be fighting their next door neighbor, their brother-in-law, their parents.
Conference play puts an end to the first quarter of the season and it takes us into the month of October which is where inevitably the war of attrition truly begins. Slowly, but surely teams fall along the waste side. Upsets, injuries, coaches being fired. This is when the season and conference championship races really takes shape.
Sure there is an excitement about playing a team that you only play once every 20 years (e.g. USC vs. Minnesota). But there is something even more special about turning on the TV and seeing that matchup that has stayed consistent throughout the years. These are backyard brawls. Texas and Oklahoma start the brawling out in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. Florida and Alabama will continue the bitter emotion well into the night. And so, it begins.
The glitz and glamour of the first quarter of the season is over.
Full fledged Conference Play is upon us.
It got me to thinking. As I do with almost everything in life, I compared it to football. I related the first part of those commercials (the dilemma portion) to the first month of this season. The hectic, wild ride of non-conference play that provided us with some great matchups. It provided us with “Monster Saturday”. It provided us with UCLA over Texas and Miami over Pitt and Michigan over Notre Dame. The first 4 weeks has indeed been fun.
But…… Here we go.
Just as the commercial turns to a chaotic party of drunkenness, so does the season now turn to the chaotic beauty that is Conference Play. Gone are the dream matchups such as Ohio State vs. Miami and Florida State vs. Oklahoma. Now we start playing the part of the season that matters. No longer will teams be fighting the stranger at the bar. Instead teams will be fighting their next door neighbor, their brother-in-law, their parents.
Conference play puts an end to the first quarter of the season and it takes us into the month of October which is where inevitably the war of attrition truly begins. Slowly, but surely teams fall along the waste side. Upsets, injuries, coaches being fired. This is when the season and conference championship races really takes shape.
Sure there is an excitement about playing a team that you only play once every 20 years (e.g. USC vs. Minnesota). But there is something even more special about turning on the TV and seeing that matchup that has stayed consistent throughout the years. These are backyard brawls. Texas and Oklahoma start the brawling out in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. Florida and Alabama will continue the bitter emotion well into the night. And so, it begins.
The glitz and glamour of the first quarter of the season is over.
Full fledged Conference Play is upon us.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Week 4 Upset Alerts
Last week, 3 of the 4 games that we called “Upset Alerts” came down to the last possession, with #9 Iowa losing to Arizona, #20 Michigan needing to recover an onside kick to beat UMass, and #7 Oklahoma hanging on to escape with a 3-point win against Air Force.
Here are the 3 teams this week that the CFB Kings are putting on Upset Alert:
#4 Texas - The last time the Longhorns hosted UCLA, they were smashed 66-3. Granted that game occurred the year before Mack Brown became the head coach, but there is valid reason for concern about this weeks Bruin visit in our eyes. First, the Texas offense has been spotty at best. Against Wyoming, Rice, and Texas Tech, the offense never was able to get the ground game going, which is something that Coach Brown promised they would be better at during the offseason. Sophomore QB Garrett Gilbert has the talent, but he still shows the expected signs of a youngster that has only started 3 games in his career. UCLA has a fresh sense of confidence after convincingly beating Houston on Saturday night. And oh by the way, after this game, Texas enters it’s most difficult 2 game stretch of the season. There is the matter of a little game called the Red River Rivalry next week and then after that Texas goes on the road to Lincoln to face a team who many have lauded as this year’s Big 12 favorite (The Cornhuskers of Nebraska). Can this young team focus enough to handle the task at hand or can a rejuvinated Bruin team steal a much needed signature win early in Rick Neuheisel’s tenure?
#20 Penn State - The Nittany Lions have played solid football up to this point in the season. Even in a loss to the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide, Penn State was able to move the ball against the tough SEC defense. To most people flipping through Saturday’s games, they’ll be stunned when they stumble upon a tight score in the fourth quarter of this contest. But we have reason to believe that Temple will challenge the Lions deep into this game. The Owls are 3-0. And last week they beat a UConn team that many experts (including Kirk Herbstriet) touted as the Pre-season Big East favorites. Heisman Darkhorse Bernard Pierce is a fierce runner that plays with a chip on his shoulder due to his lack of quality recruitment. And although we think that eventually true freshman QB Robert Bolden will be touted as the best QB in Penn State history, as of now he is still vulnerable to freshman mistakes… mistakes that an underrated and opportunistic Temple defense will pounce on.
#16 Stanford - While the records (3-0 vs. 1-2) and rankings (#16 vs. unranked) would say different, I think that this game will be MUCH closer than it looks on paper. Notre Dame is literally 2 plays away from being 3-0. The Irish have a steady QB in Dayne Crist and a defense that is improving each week, even though the results don’t necessarily show it. This will be Stanford’s first game outside of the state of California. A cross-country trip is never easy, but compounding the troubles of this trip is the expectation that the Cardinal will be without their best wide receiver, Ryan Whalen, who suffered an apparent left arm injury in last week’s game. And then there is the age old issue of the “look ahead”. Stanford travels to Autzen Stadium to face #5 Oregon next week. Can the young Cardinal team keep their focus in the here and now? I expect Notre Dame to earn their 2nd win of the season in an upset over the highly ranked Stanford Cardinal.
Here are the 3 teams this week that the CFB Kings are putting on Upset Alert:
#4 Texas - The last time the Longhorns hosted UCLA, they were smashed 66-3. Granted that game occurred the year before Mack Brown became the head coach, but there is valid reason for concern about this weeks Bruin visit in our eyes. First, the Texas offense has been spotty at best. Against Wyoming, Rice, and Texas Tech, the offense never was able to get the ground game going, which is something that Coach Brown promised they would be better at during the offseason. Sophomore QB Garrett Gilbert has the talent, but he still shows the expected signs of a youngster that has only started 3 games in his career. UCLA has a fresh sense of confidence after convincingly beating Houston on Saturday night. And oh by the way, after this game, Texas enters it’s most difficult 2 game stretch of the season. There is the matter of a little game called the Red River Rivalry next week and then after that Texas goes on the road to Lincoln to face a team who many have lauded as this year’s Big 12 favorite (The Cornhuskers of Nebraska). Can this young team focus enough to handle the task at hand or can a rejuvinated Bruin team steal a much needed signature win early in Rick Neuheisel’s tenure?
#20 Penn State - The Nittany Lions have played solid football up to this point in the season. Even in a loss to the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide, Penn State was able to move the ball against the tough SEC defense. To most people flipping through Saturday’s games, they’ll be stunned when they stumble upon a tight score in the fourth quarter of this contest. But we have reason to believe that Temple will challenge the Lions deep into this game. The Owls are 3-0. And last week they beat a UConn team that many experts (including Kirk Herbstriet) touted as the Pre-season Big East favorites. Heisman Darkhorse Bernard Pierce is a fierce runner that plays with a chip on his shoulder due to his lack of quality recruitment. And although we think that eventually true freshman QB Robert Bolden will be touted as the best QB in Penn State history, as of now he is still vulnerable to freshman mistakes… mistakes that an underrated and opportunistic Temple defense will pounce on.
#16 Stanford - While the records (3-0 vs. 1-2) and rankings (#16 vs. unranked) would say different, I think that this game will be MUCH closer than it looks on paper. Notre Dame is literally 2 plays away from being 3-0. The Irish have a steady QB in Dayne Crist and a defense that is improving each week, even though the results don’t necessarily show it. This will be Stanford’s first game outside of the state of California. A cross-country trip is never easy, but compounding the troubles of this trip is the expectation that the Cardinal will be without their best wide receiver, Ryan Whalen, who suffered an apparent left arm injury in last week’s game. And then there is the age old issue of the “look ahead”. Stanford travels to Autzen Stadium to face #5 Oregon next week. Can the young Cardinal team keep their focus in the here and now? I expect Notre Dame to earn their 2nd win of the season in an upset over the highly ranked Stanford Cardinal.
Friday, August 6, 2010
#4 Texas Longhorns
In one of the most disappointing games in Longhorn history, Texas fans had to watch their back-up QB try to win the National Championship game for them after Heisman finalist Colt McCoy was injured on the first drive of the game. While the loss was devastating for the program, there were 2 people that left Pasadena last January with a slight smirk on their faces: Mack Brown and Garrett Gilbert.
Spring and Fall practice, along with summer workouts and late night film sessions are all great ways for a first-year starter to prepare. But is there any better preparation than a 3 hour scrimmage against one of the best defenses of the decade (Alabama 2009)? That’s an advantage that Garrett Gilbert, the new Longhorns starting QB, was blessed with after the McCoy injury. And while Texas lost the game, the experience and confidence that Gilbert gained are sure to pay dividends immediately in the 2010 season. A 5-star recruit in the 2009 class, Gilbert has a chance to splash onto the scene and be one of the best QBs in the Big 12 conference right away.
The running game has been a point of emphasis for the Longhorns in preparation for the 2010 season. Last year, they ranked a disappointing 61st nationally in rushing. Their leading rusher, Tre’ Newton, only had 513 yards on the season. Colt McCoy finished as their #2 leading rusher… never a good sign for an offense. Three players who have started (Newton, Vondrell McGee, and Fozzy Whitaker) are returning in the Longhorn backfield and that bodes well for the statistics. Mack Brown has also said in many offseason interviews that he will place Gilbert under center (vice the spread shotgun attack that McCoy made famous), which will allow for more “downhill running” out of the I-formation.
At WR, James Kirkendoll burst onto the scene last year with a breakout performance. His 48 receptions and 6 TDs leads all returning WRs. Joining him will be the lanky Junior Malcolm Williams and former QB-turned-WR John Chiles. The offensive line may be a point of contention for Texas, as only 2 starters return to a unit that (as stated earlier) underachieved in opening holes for its RBs.
Defensively, the Longhorns have made a habit of producing top notch talent year in and year out. 2010 should be no exception. Under the leadership of the always fiery “Coach-in-Waiting” and Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp, Texas has elevated its already dominant play on that side of the ball. DE Sam Acho should continue in the line of great lineman to play at Texas. His size/speed/strength combination is similar to that of his predecessors Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle. Keenan Robinson anchors the middle at LB, and the secondary should be amongst the best in the country with S Blake Gideon, CB Curtis Brown, CB Chykie Brown, and Nickel Back Aaron Williams (a possible 1st round draft pick) leading the way.
The Texas schedule is once again conducive to a strong run at the always lofty BCS goals. They open the season with Rice and Wyoming before a 4 game stretch that includes games against Texas Tech, UCLA, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, with the later 2 being amongst the most anticipated 2010 matchups in the nation. They finish the season against 6 teams that should not be ranked, although in-state foes Baylor and Texas A&M should present a formidable challenge.
The Big 12 should be more competitive than its ever been, highlighted by the Big 3 (Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma), but I see no reason why Texas wont earn a 3rd straight BCS berth. The back to back games against Oklahoma and Nebraska will be the difference between the Holiday Bowl and a BCS game.
Key Returning Players:
QB Garrett Gilbert
RB Tre’ Newton
WR James Kirkendoll
WR Malcolm Williams
OT Kyle Hix
DE Sam Acho
CB Aaron Williams
CB Chykie Brown
S Blake Gideon
Key Games:
Sept 18 - @ Texas Tech
Sept 25 - UCLA
Oct 2 - Oklahoma (in Dallas)
Oct 16 - @ Nebraska
Nov 25 - Texas A&M
Spring and Fall practice, along with summer workouts and late night film sessions are all great ways for a first-year starter to prepare. But is there any better preparation than a 3 hour scrimmage against one of the best defenses of the decade (Alabama 2009)? That’s an advantage that Garrett Gilbert, the new Longhorns starting QB, was blessed with after the McCoy injury. And while Texas lost the game, the experience and confidence that Gilbert gained are sure to pay dividends immediately in the 2010 season. A 5-star recruit in the 2009 class, Gilbert has a chance to splash onto the scene and be one of the best QBs in the Big 12 conference right away.
The running game has been a point of emphasis for the Longhorns in preparation for the 2010 season. Last year, they ranked a disappointing 61st nationally in rushing. Their leading rusher, Tre’ Newton, only had 513 yards on the season. Colt McCoy finished as their #2 leading rusher… never a good sign for an offense. Three players who have started (Newton, Vondrell McGee, and Fozzy Whitaker) are returning in the Longhorn backfield and that bodes well for the statistics. Mack Brown has also said in many offseason interviews that he will place Gilbert under center (vice the spread shotgun attack that McCoy made famous), which will allow for more “downhill running” out of the I-formation.
At WR, James Kirkendoll burst onto the scene last year with a breakout performance. His 48 receptions and 6 TDs leads all returning WRs. Joining him will be the lanky Junior Malcolm Williams and former QB-turned-WR John Chiles. The offensive line may be a point of contention for Texas, as only 2 starters return to a unit that (as stated earlier) underachieved in opening holes for its RBs.
Defensively, the Longhorns have made a habit of producing top notch talent year in and year out. 2010 should be no exception. Under the leadership of the always fiery “Coach-in-Waiting” and Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp, Texas has elevated its already dominant play on that side of the ball. DE Sam Acho should continue in the line of great lineman to play at Texas. His size/speed/strength combination is similar to that of his predecessors Brian Orakpo and Sergio Kindle. Keenan Robinson anchors the middle at LB, and the secondary should be amongst the best in the country with S Blake Gideon, CB Curtis Brown, CB Chykie Brown, and Nickel Back Aaron Williams (a possible 1st round draft pick) leading the way.
The Texas schedule is once again conducive to a strong run at the always lofty BCS goals. They open the season with Rice and Wyoming before a 4 game stretch that includes games against Texas Tech, UCLA, Oklahoma, and Nebraska, with the later 2 being amongst the most anticipated 2010 matchups in the nation. They finish the season against 6 teams that should not be ranked, although in-state foes Baylor and Texas A&M should present a formidable challenge.
The Big 12 should be more competitive than its ever been, highlighted by the Big 3 (Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma), but I see no reason why Texas wont earn a 3rd straight BCS berth. The back to back games against Oklahoma and Nebraska will be the difference between the Holiday Bowl and a BCS game.
Key Returning Players:
QB Garrett Gilbert
RB Tre’ Newton
WR James Kirkendoll
WR Malcolm Williams
OT Kyle Hix
DE Sam Acho
CB Aaron Williams
CB Chykie Brown
S Blake Gideon
Key Games:
Sept 18 - @ Texas Tech
Sept 25 - UCLA
Oct 2 - Oklahoma (in Dallas)
Oct 16 - @ Nebraska
Nov 25 - Texas A&M
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