SB Nation - Zac Robinson

Big 12 Cob Of the Week - Colorado And It's Fan Base, DirecTV, Mark Mangino, and T Boone Pickens?

Cobby — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:52:37 -0000

In a Vinnie Barbarino voice, he says "Yeah, but at least I win the games I'm supposed to...."

We need a video of that shows me running out of a tractor, sees flying cobs in the air then starts shouting "The cobs, the cobs!" just like that dude on Fantasy Island did years ago.

Or maybe not. Whatcha think?

Husker Mike:

My nomination goes to the entire University of Colorado and their fan base. Their fan base refuses to support the program, leaving the athletic department deep in debt and unable to pay off their previous failed coach, let alone pay off their current failed coach. So that leaves their athletic director and Chancellor to stammer around and come up with excuses to keep Dan Hawkins. Long pauses while they thought of ways to avoid admitting they're broke. Then more insulting statements to what fans they have.

Then finally, "Ten Wins No Excuses" Hawkins offered "Ten Excuses"...or rather, the excuse that the Buffies were "10 plays from a bowl game". Now, I don't know what plays those were, but I'd suggest that one of them might have been the Niles Paul punt return last week. If Paul would have flipped the ball to a Buffalo defender like Jake Wesch did last season instead of taking a punt to the house, that 14 point swing would have been enough to get another win. Keep reversing touchdowns, and there's probably 3 or 4 more wins on the Buffs schedule. If only those other teams would have gifted points to the Buffs like they had originally schemed, all would be wonderful in BuffyWorld...

A second nomination goes to DirecTV. I had to spend Saturday out of town and had to hunt all around to find the Texas Tech/Baylor game. The regular FSN Midwest channel was blacked out, allegedly for a St. Louis Blues game. The adjacent FSN Kansas City channel was also blacked out. All through the dial, I found channel after channel claiming to be showing the game...but since we didn't pay for the sports package, we couldn't get it. Finally dug it out on channel 652 which wasn't even labeled a FSN channel. Go figure. Then immediately after the game ended, cut to black and the feed terminated. No postgame report on any of the FSN channels I tried; the others were still blacked out. Oh, and you still have that stupid Versus lie on your channel listing. Yeah, DirecTV is better than cable. Not.

Jlew:

From preseason favorites to win the B12 North to (probably) being fired is reason enough to choose Mark Mangino as a cob nominee this week. There are plenty more reasons, the Kansas AD Lew Perkins pulling his support and throwing his own coach under a bus amid allegations that Mangino is abusive to his players, as if he were completely unaware of what was happening all along.

Then you get to the end of the game against hated blood rival Missouri. Mangino has the win if he can run out the clock. The Jayhawks run two pass plays, then a quarterback draw. Reesing gets tackled in the end zone for a Missouri safety. What did Mangino tell his players before they went onto the field, to make sure the next three plays are the worst possible sequence of plays in their career. It sure looked like it.

Mangino has no one to blame for his problems than himself. It seems that you can be a jerk when you are winning, but no one will support a jerk who is losing. Everyone understands that. If you're too arrogant to think that you'll never be losing at some point, then you get what you deserve.

Jon Johnston:

That leaves me with... Oklahoma State. or Mike Gundy. I can't decide. Let's take the Mike Gundy angle first. Oklahoma State, looking to secure their chance at a BCS bowl, goes into Norman last week, with Zac Robinson back, and gets destroyed 27-0. Blanked. Zero'ed, goose egged. Bent over, basically. BCS bowl hopes, gone. It's not just one game, though. Earlier this season, the Cowboys get the Longhorns at their home in Stillwater and they do what they do in every big game - they lay down and die, 41-14.

Oklahoma State needs to beat two teams (or maybe just one???) to prove that they can compete with the big boys. Against those two teams they get outscored 68-0.

My quandary is this - do you blame Mike Gundy, or can he be blamed when it's the nature of Oklahoma State football to be that guy you work with who tells you about all the great things he's going to do but never has the guts to get them done when the time comes?

T Boone Pickens is starting to look like that guy, too, and the longer Gundy sticks around without winning some big games, the more both look like clowns. So... what do you think? It's the nature of Oklahoma State, it's Mike Gundy, or it's the combination of Gundy, Oklahoma State, and Pickens. I'm going with the latter - maybe they belong together just like the Marx Brothers.

Poll

Your vote for Big 12 Cob of the Week:

The entire University of Colorado and their fan base.

119 votes

DirecTV - for constant confusion, disorganization and all-around suckage

26 votes

Mark Mangino - to arrogant to realize that yes, things come back to haunt you when you lose

46 votes

Gundy, Pickens, Oklahoma State - All Made For Each Other Just LIke The Marx Brothers

37 votes

228 votes | Poll has closed

A Great Weekend for College Football, But Nebraska Is Ignored

Jon Johnston — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:00:15 -0000

by Harry Cabluck - AP

That Texas will beat Nebraska in the Big 12 title game is a foregone conclusion for most. That's a damned shame and a clear cut signal that no one's paid attention to Nebraska's defense.

View full size photo »

A great weekend for college football. Not only does Nebraska beat Colorado en route to the Big 12 title game, but a bunch of teams lost that were ranked above the Huskers. If the Huskers aren't ranked in the 15-18 range this week, you have to wonder what the hell the writes are thinking.

- Keep Voting For Suh For Heisman

Here. Let's face it, Suh is not going to win the Heisman. "The Best College Football Player" clearly has to be an offensive player. Don't let that discourage you - the point is to get him an invite to the presentation. If he can have a huge game against Texas in the Big 12 title game, maybe that'll be enough.

- Mark Mangino = Dead Man Walking

If you saw Mangino walking off the field after Kansas lost to Missouri, you know what I'm talking about. He was Zombie Mangino, walking slowly, eyes straight ahead, mouth agape - a man who'd just had his (very large) last meal.

He probably deserved that look, too. With around three minutes left, Gary Pinkel chose to punt, despite the fact that neither defense had stopped the other team. Kansas gets the ball near their own end zone, then they run two pass plays that result in incompletions. On third and long, Kansas tries a quarterback draw that ends with Todd Reesing getting caught for a safety.

The result - no time off the clock, points for Missouri, and the ball. KU's defense was true to form, and couldn't stop the Tigers. They get an easy field goal to win, Mangino is most likely fired, and Kansas ends at 5-7 after being picked by most people to win the Big 12 North.

No wonder Mangino looked like a zombie. (BTW, ESPN if you expect us to link to your videos, don't disable embedding.)

- Missouri's Danario Alexander Ignored

Alexander is not on the list for the Biletnikoff, the award given to college football's best receiver. Instead, that'll go to Golden Tate (Notre Dame), Jordan Shipley (Texas), or Freddie Barnes, the three finalists. Does Alexander belong? You tell me.

Player	G	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TD	Rec./G	Yards/G
Danario Alexander	12	107	1644	15.36	13	8.92	137
Jordan Shipley	12	99	1292	13.05	13	8.25	107.67
Freddie Barnes	12	138	1551	11.24	16	11.5	129.25
Golden Tate	12	93	1496	16.09	15	7.75	124.67

- All Hail Texas

Did you hear Nebraska's name mentioned once on Saturday? I didn't. It's a foregone conclusion, nationally, that the Huskers will lose to Texas. I can understand the sentiment since our offense sucks, but apparently no one has much respect for our defense. Maybe that's just us - we haven't been that impressive. Maybe that's the Big 12 North's reputation (ala Nebraska not being ranked despite winning the North).

Or maybe it's the fact that college football media is all about offense. The concept that defense wins championships is evading people.

- Bowling For Nebraska

What bowl will we end up in? The Fiesta. Bold? No, a reaction to everyone writing us off. With our defense, we've been in every game except Texas Tech. The Longhorn offense isn't that special. Their defense, though, is damned good. Unfortunately for the ‘Horns, that'll be cancelled by the fact our offense sucks.

I'll work that logic out for you this week, I promise.

- Oklahoma State As Themselves

Thinking about a BCS bowl, Okie State? That had to be what you were doing this weekend. T. Boone can pour all the money he wants into Oklahoma State, but until Mike Gundy and the Cowboys win games like this, they'll continue to be what they've been throughout their history - second-best in Oklahoma. I don't know what it'll take to fire Gundy, but they're not going to get any better than they are now.

Nice try, ‘Pokes. Next up for you - being bypassed by Nebraska for a better bowl even if we lose to Texas because we have better travelling fans than you do.

- Sticking With Thanksgiving Theme

And giving thanks means being thankful that the Huskers no longer have to face these guys next season:

Missouri's Alexander and Derrick Washington. Kansas' Todd Ressing, Kerry Meier, and Dezmon Briscoe. Kansas State's Brandon Banks is moving on, as are Texas Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, and Sergio Kindle. Oklahoma State loses Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant, and Perrish Cox.

2010 doesn't look so bad already.

- Charlie Weis, gone.

I know, Notre Dame is not a Big 12 member, but in looking ahead, perhaps it's time to be more nationally focused.

Todd McShay stated that the rumored buyout for Weis is $18M. That's idiotic. If you were Brian Kelly, wouldn't you take the job just for the golden parachute? Maybe the government could step in here and cut Weis' bonus down. A university, even if private, should never be paying money like that to someone that's so miserably a fail.

- LSU Manages the Clock

Les Miles got this week right. He didn't screw up the end of the game, getting his field goal unit on the field with .09 left. His handshake with Bobby Petrino was a thing of beauty, IF they actually shook hands. More like two ships passing in the night with a fair amount of prejudice between them.

Sooners Deliver A Bedlam Beat Down!

ccmachine — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:58:43 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

20 days ago: Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray, left, dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009. Oklahoma wide receiver Jaz Reynolds is at center. Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin is at right. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Coming into Saturday's Bedlam football game the Oklahoma State Cowboys were fielding one of their best teams ever while the Sooners had the worst team Oklahoma fans had seen in the last ten years. When the two teams left the field you would have thought that the roles had been reversed after a 27-0 pounding of the 11^th ranked Cowboys.

Oklahoma was simply faster, stronger and more aggressive than the Cowboys were on Saturday and it eventually took its toll on Oklahoma State. With many Sooner fans "protesting" Oklahoma's miserable season by not attending (Band Waggoners) several thousand OSU fans took their places by purchasing their tickets only to see their BCS dreams dashed by the complete dismantling of their team. The cocky OSU fan mentality of, "this is the year we finally stick it to them" had faded to the "crap, I can't believe this is happening to us again" mindset by the time the fourth quarter of play had began. Once boisterous, they had nothing to cheer for all day and most of them left early.

Oklahoma's game plan was just this side of genius and the stars aligned for the perfect crimson storm to arise and blow the Cowboys away. On defense they wanted to stuff the run and force Zac Robinson to beat them and that's exactly what they did. Keith Toston entered the game as the Big 12's second leading rusher but was held to just 46 yards. As a team the Cowboys rushed for 62 yards on 29 carries for a very humbling average of 2.1 yards per rush. Unable to move the ball on the ground the Cowboys had to turn to senior quarterback Zac Robinson who failed miserably. Unable to shake the pressure from Oklahoma's defense Robinson produced one of the worst performances by a quarterback in the history of the OSU football program. Before getting yanked in the fourth quarter he completed 9 of 21 passes for 44 yards and a pick.

Oklahoma's defense dominated the line of scrimmage by sacking Robinson twice and recorded 6 tackles for loss. The linebackers aggressively attacked O-State's running backs by heading down hill and meeting them at or near the line of scrimmage. OU's linebackers recorded 19 total tackles. The Sooner secondary blanketed OSU receivers leaving Robinson no targets to throw to resulting in him either trying to force a pass, throw the ball away or tuck and run. None of these options worked exceptionally well as Robinson carried the ball 9 times for -6 yards and the Cowboys didn't move the chains once in the second half and never crossed Oklahoma's 45 yard-line the entire afternoon.

On offense the Sooners wanted to be patient and protect the football. They struggled with both of these in the first quarter but eventually got things rolling and never looked back. DeMarco Murray averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored twice while Landry Jones completed 54% of his passes for 224 yards. Boosted by exceptional punting (59.3 average) and punt returns (26 yards per return) Oklahoma was patient in playing the field position game until it set them up for scores. At the end of the day the Sooners had run 84 plays and accumulated 367 offensive yards.

This will go down as Oklahoma's signature win of the 2009 season and is a good way to close out what has been a disappointing year. Now with the nation's longest home winning streak at 30 games we wait for a bowl destination and hope that this team can somehow figure out how to produce this type of game away from Norman.

Breaking Down Bedlam

ccmachine — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:16:33 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

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There are so many things that could go right or wrong for Oklahoma in today's Bedlam football game that I really have no idea what to expect. On one hand you consider how well the Sooners play at home and you think that they have an outstanding chance to win. Then you consider how bad they've played in their five losses and add the fact that the competition at home hasn't been that great and suddenly there's a huge knot in your stomach because you realize the realistic possibility that the nation's longest home winning steak very well could come to an end.

The roles are already reversed coming into the game. O-State is the ranked team with a shot at going to a BCS Bowl. Regardless of what the final score is the Cowboys are going to finish ahead of the Sooners in the Big 12 standings and will get a better bowl invitation. The only thing left to happen is for OSU to actually win the game and they come in as a legitimate favorite and for OU to avoid losing their sixth game of the season they must win one of the game match-ups that they're not supposed to.

Quarterbacks

Landry Jones is completing 58% of his passes this year and has 23 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. At times he's look exceptional and then at other moments he's look completely out of his element. The knocks against him are that he's not stable in the pocket and doesn't read through his progressions.

Zac Robinson has completed 63% of his passes with a touchdown to interception ration of 15 to 7. Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who has rushed for 302 yards this year but has also been known for turning the ball over on a big hit when he runs.

Robinson's experience and leadership give him a clear advantage over Jones but there's the chance that he may not play due to injury or that he'll be playing at less than 100%.

Advantage: OSU

Running Backs

Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray are averaging 4.3 and 4.4 yards respectfully with 12 touchdowns between them but they are a far cry from the dynamic duo that we saw them become last season. After rushing for over 1,000 each last season the two have a combined 1,251 yards this year. The problem has been getting them in space to make plays and clearing holes for them to run in between the tackles. That's on the line and not necessarily the running backs.

Keith Toston is the Big 12's second leading rusher with 1,130 yards. He's averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has crossed the goal line rushing the football 11 times. He's a powerful runner with good speed and is one of only two players (KSU's Daniel Thomas) to average over 100 yards rushing per game.

Toston has clearly had the better season of these three backs and despite Murray having the added dimension of being Oklahoma's second leading receiver the Sooners don't have a rushing threat like Toston has been this season.

Advantage: OSU

Receivers/Tight Ends

Ryan Broyles is one of the most electrifying receivers in the country. He's averaging 12.9 yards per reception and has 861 yards with 12 touchdowns. He's on target to break 1,000 receiving yards this season and it would go a long way for the Sooners if he surpassed that mark today. Behind Broyles is a massive drop off as Brandon Caleb has almost 40 fewer receptions and only 2 touchdowns. Dejuan Miller is coming on and is has pretty much inserted himself as Oklahoma's #2 receiver.

O-State was dealt a huge blow when the NCAA took Dez Bryant away from them. Since then Hubert Anyiam has become the Pokes' top receiver. He's caught 39 passes for 482 yards and 3 touchdowns.

After Anyiam the Cowboys don't have another receiver playing in this game with more than 15 receptions. Conversely the Sooners have four receivers with more than 20 receptions. What's a tight end?

Advantage: OU

Offensive Line

I don't have the words to describe how disappointing Oklahoma's offensive line has been this season. Now this unit has become decimated with injuries and literally a walking triage unit. The latest victim is Trent Williams who may have to sit out today's Bedlam game due to a head injury. Oklahoma has given up 12 sacks this season.

Oklahoma State has only given up 7 sacks this year and is much stronger in both run and pass blocking than the Sooners are. The have a future NFL All-Pro in Russell Okung as their anchor.

Advantage: OSU

Defensive Line

Oklahoma's defensive line against OSU's offensive line is the match-up that could determine the game. Jeremy Beal is third in the conference in sacks with 11 and third in tackles for loss with 16. Gerald McCoy is fifth in the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 14.5.

Ugo Chinasa has 4 sacks for the Pokes and 6.5 tackles for loss. However, you have to go all the way down to 11^th O-States leader board for tackles to find Chinasa, a defensive lineman, listed.

Advantage: OU

Linebackers

Travis Lewis is third in the Big 12 in total tackles with 99 and Keenan Clayton is 39^th with 58. Oklahoma will be without Ryan Reynolds who is a field general for the Sooners defense and that may hurt the Sooners more than missing his 67 tackles. In his place Austin Box will step in and try to get a head start on taking over the middle linebacker position full time next season.

Donald Booker leads the Cowboys in sacks with 5 and tackles for loss with 7. He and Patrick Lavine lead the team in tackles with 80 and 67 tackles respectively. Lavine also leads the team in interceptions with 5.

Both team's linebacker units attack down hill and are solid run stuffers. O-State is second in the conference against the rush (82.6 yards per game) and the Sooners are third (91 yards per game)

Advantage: Even

Secondary

Oklahoma is second in the conference against the pass by holding opponents to just 197.5 yards per game. The OU secondary has a combined 11 interceptions led by Brian Jackson's 4. Jackson and Dominique Franks are one of the best corner duos in the conference and safety Quinton Carter is a hard hitter who's second on the team in tackles with 76.

Perrish Cox is not only the best athlete in Oklahoma State's secondary he's most likely the best athlete on the team. He has 32 tackles and 4 interceptions but as a whole the Cowboys are 9^th in the conference in pass defense.

Advantage: OU

Special Teams

Oklahoma State is last in the Big 12 in kickoff return average (18.6 yards per return) and while the Sooners aren't sitting pretty at #10 (21.2 yards per return) at least they're not last. Punt returns are a different issue for the Sooners where their 14.3 yards per return average are tops in the Big 12. OSU isn't too far behind at 13.9 yards per return which places them 3^rd in the Big 12.

In punting average the Sooners have a 39.6 (Best in the Big 12) to 37.5 advantage. Oklahoma's place kickers have missed seven field goal attempts this season while the Cowboys have missed five.

If this game becomes a field goal kicking contest then I'm not sure that I like Oklahoma's chances. However, in the battle for field position OU's special teams units are outperforming O-State's in just about every category.

Advantage: OU

Friday Cartoons! Live From The Lunchroom

ccmachine — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:53:05 -0000

Bob Barry Ogle interviews Dr. Miles Nap about the mental state of Oklahoma's football team, OSU quarterback Zac Robinson and bandwagon fans.

College Football Predictions - Week 13

JLew — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:04:03 -0000

More photos » by JACK DEMPSEY - ASSOCIATED PRESS

You mean I have to come back and coach again next year? What does a coach have to do to get fired around here? (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

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I'm barely awake after eating too much turkey, and the Green Bay-Lions game is not helping me stay awake.But I'm thinking of changing jobs...

Dear Colorado AD:

If you would like to grossly over pay someone to run your football team into the ground, I would like to apply for that opportunity. I have the ability to make outrageous claims about winning 10 games, yell about playing intramurals, and run off players, Additionally I would take a much smaller buy-out than your current head coach. For a few thousand dollars I can fail for you.

I plan on bringing in my own coaching staff. Husker Mike will be the QB's coach, Jon will be the O-Line coach, Cobby will coach the defense, and I'll coach the rest.

Please see my attached CV that shows my NCAA football skills on the 360 which demonstrates my keen football mind.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future, possibly after late Friday night.

-Your Future Coach

JLew

Average results in the picks last week. Big upset by Texas Tech, and NU not covering the spread hurt us all.

	Last week W/L	Last Week ATS	Overall W/L	Overall ATS
Husker Mike	3-2	0-5	67-27	41-52
Corn Blight	3-2	2-3	62-31	41-49
JLew	4-2	1-4	64-31	35-58

Here are the Thanksgiving picks-

Texas (-21) @ Texas A&M

Mike: When A&M can't run the ball, they get blown out. Texas is #1 in the Big XII in stopping the run. Texas continues to roll. Bovines 45, Gaggies 13

Jon J: You realize that Colt McCoy has a losing record so far against the Aggies and this one is at College Station, right? Yeah, whatever. Texas 35, Texas A&M 14

JLew: I'd really like to pick Texas A&M here, but if we are going to play fantasy we might as well have Texas lose in the championship game to Nebraska. Plus I do not see any way that A&M stops the Horn's offense. I think it'll be closer than the spread though, if only because A&M plays better at home. Texas 35 A&M 28

Missouri (-3.5) vs. Kansas @ Arrowhead

Mike: Now that it appears Dan Hawkins will survive, what about Mark Mangino. Jayhawks are in the middle of a six game losing streak, and have been blown out badly in the fourth quarter the last four games. Missouri had been experiencing second half suckage until a couple of weeks ago, until Danario Alexander picked the Tigers up and carried them on his back. Look for KU to lead early, then wilt again down the stretch. Tigers 31, Jayhawks 24

Jon J: This should be a great game to watch because of the blood match between these schools. Missouri is playing better towards the end of the year while Kansas appears to have lost everything. Can the Jayhawks get it together one more time? Reesing, Briscoe, Meier - all Seniors. Kansas doesn’t play for their embattled coach, they play for themselves. Kansas 42, Missouri 38

JLew: KU is done. Carve up the Jayhawk for leftovers. (As if there are any leftovers near Mangino). Missouri looks to be putting the season back together after a injury to Gabbert and as the schedule gets easier. Missouri fans begin to whine about losing to NU... but, but it was raining! MU 27 KU 17

Oklahoma State (+9.5) @ Oklahoma

Mike: This is a line that makes people go whoa! after watching the Sooners get demolished by Texas Tech. Zac Robinson should be back. Now, the question is: which OU squad is going to show up? Last week's Sooners or the Sooners that only lost to Texas by 3? This game is in Norman...and the Cowboys pass defense is 10th in the Big XII. OU bounces back...but doesn't cover. OU 31, OSU 28

Jon J: Oklahoma’s season has astonished me. They’ve lost a lot of good players, but that’s no excuse for the talent level they have, and in losing games they way they have. It all points to a squad full of pansy boys masquerading as young men. Several games have seen even their good players not bother. This, however, is a rivalry. They’d damn well better show up. Oklahoma 35, Oklahoma State 27

JLew: Bedlam is always a good time. I think that right now OSU has more to play for and really wants it more. I really didn't think that OU would lose to Tech last week. As Mike and Jon said what is up in Norman? I guess the only answer is to fire Stoops. OSU 42 OU 37

Texas Tech (-20.5) vs. Baylor @ JerryWorld

Mike: Baylor left it all in Columbia. Tech rolls. TT 49, Bad News Bears 7

Jon J: What Mike said. Baylor had so much promise. Even has some players, but apparently they can’t find enough that everyone cares at once. Prove I’m wrong, Bears. Texas Tech 42, Bears 13

JLew: When does Baylor get booted from the B12? Wouldn't they fit in better somewhere else? Why keep punishing yourself? Anyway Tech rolls. Tech 48 Baylor 10

Nebraska (-10) @ Colorado

Mike: Dan Hawkins survives the hangman's noose...because the Buffaloes can't afford any rope. This is a bad matchup for the Colorado offense, with Tyler Hansen loving sacks as much as Ndamukong Suh and Jared Crick do. But we know Nebraska's offense can keep the Buffs in the game if they make mistakes. Fortunately, CU is 10th in the league defending the run...so unleash Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead. NU 24, CU 12

Jon J: They’re not rivals. They’re not because we’re so stingy with our hate. Yet they play us like rivals. Last year the game was close despite the discrepancy between the teams because of Nebraska mistakes and Colorado passion. That was in Lincoln. Why not expect the same this time in Boulder? Nebraska 28, Colorado 21.

JLew: Will Colorado fans bother to show up, or will they boycott the game? Maybe they show up and get escorted out in the second quarter? NU should be able to get the offense rolling. Especially the running game. The defense should continue to dominate. NU gets momentum going to Texas. NU 31 CU 13

Mizzou Links, 11-24-09

Bill C. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:52:02 -0000

Via PowerMizzou

Media Day

MUtigers.com: Mizzou Meets the Press
PowerMizzou: PMTV: It's Kansas Week
PowerMizzou: Audio: Pinkel, Mangino talk Border War

BEAST MODE!!!

MUtigers.com: Mizzou, Nike Unveil "Beast Mode" Uniform
PowerMizzou: Tigers unveil new uniforms
KC Star: The Blue and the Gray of New Mizzou Unis
The Missourian: Missouri football team set to make fashion statement vs. KU

The Sad Truth: 2009 Will Go Down As the Year the Colorado Buffaloes Blew It

irish1611 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:02:02 -0000

As news came down today that Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson potentially might not playing tonight, I got to thinking about how the Colorado Buffaloes blew a great chance to make a mark this season. It is truly amazing how the schedule and the weakness of the Big 12 North set the Buffs up perfectly to return to the spotlight in '09 but using part of a quote from head coach Dan Hawkins, the Buffs did not "sieze the day." Look at the schedule below. Doesn't that make you sick? Granted, we now know the Buffs are less than stellar themselves but think if the Buffs' offensive line performed up to expectations, WR Markques Simas was coached and prepared to play like he was now from game one (not suspended), if Tyler Hansen started the year at quarterback, if the Buffs weren't at the bottom of the nation in turnovers & penalties, and the defense started the season like they have been playing the past few weeks. Yes, I know the saying about using "ifs" and "buts". I know. But Colorado blew it this year, no "ifs" or "buts" about it:

Going into the preseason, there were four teams the Buffs could lose to and you wouldn't be totally surprised - at West Virginia, at Texas, Kansas and at Oklahoma State. West Virginia because it was a road game and we knew that would be a tough environment. We thought Kansas and Todd Reesing would be back to their normal abuse of the Buffs like the previous three years. Games at Texas and Oklahoma State were the hardest two on the schedule and were considered the two contests the Buffs would most likely lose preseason. But Kansas isn't who we thought they were as the Buffs' beat them sending the Jayhawks into a downfall. Tonight, Oklahoma State might be playing without two preseason All Big 12 players and their All American candidate runnining back Kendall Hunter has been hurt six games in 2009.

- Colorado St. Rams - no reason to lose to them considering the year they are having. AT FOLSOM FIELD! (L)
-@ Toledo Rockets - no reason to lose to them considering the year they are having. (L)
- Wyoming Cowboys - Buffs won (W)
-@ West Virginia Mountaineers- would accept a loss preseason and now. Tough place to play on the road (L)
-@ Texas Longhorns - would accept a loss preseason and now. Game on the road. (L)
- Kansas Jayhawks - Buffs won, was expected to be a preseason loss (W)
-@ Kansas St. Wildcats - very winnable game against a mediocre Big 12 North opponent (L)
- Missouri Tigers - very winnable game against a mediocre Big 12 North opponent at home. (L)
- Texas A&M Aggies - Buffs won (W)
-@ Iowa St. Cyclones - very winnable game against a mediocre Big 12 North opponent (L)
-@ Oklahoma St. Cowboys - Kendall Hunter returned two weeks ago and may not be 100% but think about this. Oklahoma State tonight will be playing without Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant and a less than 100% Kendall Hunter...unbelievable the luck if we had a mentally tough team.
- Nebraska Cornhuskers - very winnable game against a mediocre Big 12 North opponent at home.

A relatively easy out of conference schedule, a mediocre Big 12 North schedule with winnable road games against Kansas State and Iowa State, a down Kansas team, and an Oklahoma State squad that is missing a lot of offensive fire power with Robinson and Bryant out...

But once again, you have to look back at the slow start to begin the year and not getting these guys ready to play. Not having momentum and excitement on the road and "overlooking" Colorado State as Riar Geer said defines this team and the opportunity they left on the table.

If there is any reason for a change in Boulder, look at 2009, how the chips fell in place and the way the Buffs responded. "10 wins no excuses" was supposed to motivate the players, a change at offensive coordinator and a return to a pro-style offense was supposed to put players in a better position to be successful. A deep linebacker corp was supposed to bolster the defense with the emergence of CB Jimmy Smith. Of course, the defensive line was a preseason concern but they have certainly outperformed expectations.

Instead, the Buffs can't run the ball with any consistency and they can't keep a mobile quarterback from getting sacked eight times a game. A quarterback change was made too late, Colorado continues to suffer on the mental side of the game with turnovers and penalties, the defensive scheme was too complicated at the beginning of the year which cost the Buffs' games and Colorado continues to play unmovitated football especially on the road, something the players have admitted multiple times this year.

I think this is the only case you need to make. In a year that any improvement over the previous three years should have at least netted the Buffs a low level Bowl birth, Colorado has three wins.

Tulsa World: Oklahoma State QB Zac Robinson Not Expected to Start, Probably Won't Play Against Buffs

irish1611 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:47:02 -0000

The Colorado Buffaloes might get some help tonight against the 12th ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. According to the Tulsa World, sources have told them that QB Zac Robinson is not expected to start tonight and will probably not be seeing any action just five days after a big collision with less than two minutes remaining in the Texas Tech game. Oklahoma State went on to win that game 24 - 17. At first the hit was believed to have caused a concussion but it now looks like the bigger issue is the injury it caused to Robinson's throwing shoulder.

The Cowboys (8-2) are still in the running for a BCS game so any loss would be detrimental to that cause. Next week, Oklahoma State takes on its in-state rival the Oklahoma Sooners, a game which will carry major implications for the Cowboys if they were to beat the Buffs tonight in Stillwater.

The Tulsa World also reports that QB Alex Cate is likely to get the start tonight:

"Alex Cate, who has not started a game since the 2005 season at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, is expected to start at quarterback for OSU. A fourth-year junior, Cate has taken the majority of first-team snaps in practice this week."

Colorado will be attempting to win only it's third game on the road in the Dan Hawkins era tonight (2-18). This news will certainly help their cause considering both Robinson's success as the Pokes' quarterback and the very limited experience Alex Cate has at the collegiate level. Cate has attempted justfive passes in his career at Oklahoma State completing four, all in 2008. He has not attempted a pass this year but has rushed the ball one time for two yards.

Expect the Oklahoma State Cowboys, regardless of who plays at quarterback tonight, to be a very run-oriented team. The Pokes recently returned preseason All American candidate RB Kendall Hunter into the lineup after missing half of the season with a severe ankle sprain. Last year, Hunter ran for 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns. In Hunter's absence, Keith Toston has emerged and has filled in beautifully as the former starter begins to work his way back (Hunter ran 17 for 68 yards against Texas Tech last week). Toston, after only carrying the ball an average of ten times the first two games of the season, has taken over the lead role for the Pokes and is now just 42 yards away from 1,000 on the season. Toston ranks 30th in the nation in rushing yards/game at 95.8, good for 4th in the Big 12. A big reason for the seamless transition between running backs is the dominant offensive line OSU brings out led by All American candidate T Russel Okung. This season, the offensive line has only given up 0.7 sacks a game which is third in the nation and first in the Big 12. Compare that number to the Colorado Buffaloes, who are giving up 3.8 sacks per game which ranks 117th in college football.

Last week, the Colorado Buffaloes' defense gave up 138 yards to Iowa State RB Alexander Robinson.

Quarterbacks, Defenses, Intangibles And Other Stuff About Texas Tech

ccmachine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:18:07 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

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Seth C, from SBN's Texas Tech site Double T Nation, is aboard the Machine today to give a fan's perspective on this weekend's opponent. We've seen crazy things happen in Lubbock during Oklahoma's last two trips there and now a team that's been snake bitten over and over this season travels to play in the Twilight Zone.

CC Machine: Tell us about the quarterback situation at Tech. What's going on between Potts and Leach and how healthy is Sheffield? Who should we expect to see Saturday morning?

Seth C: Leach mentioned earlier this week that he regrets pulling Taylor Potts out and putting in an injured Steven Sheffield. Sheffield was clearly not ready to go and despite his early season magic, without an offensive line that will adequately protect him, he's simply not as effective as when he had an ankle that wasn't broken. To answer your question, I think you'll see Taylor Potts for the entire game on Saturday, barring an injury. If Potts is injured during the game, I think Leach will probably turn to redshirt freshman Seth Doege.

CC Machine: The Red Raiders are dead last in the conference in rushing. Is that because of inability or is it just pass-happy game planning?

Seth C: The rushing numbers do look abysmal this year and there's lots of reasons why those number don't look so good. I mentioned this in my Five Reasons Texas Tech Will Lose as Texas Tech has lost a total of 283 yards to sacks this year. Compare that with 2008 where the Texas Tech offensive line gave up a total of 113 yards for the year. I'd also add that the line is giving up 2.7 sacks a game and to do the math quickly, that's a little over 10 yards a sack. That will hurt a running game quickly. I'd also add that Texas Tech is only averaging about 2 attempts less than last year, so it's not as if the running game has changed dramatically. The offensive line has also struggled in replacing 3 starters from last year, and despite thoughts that the team would have no issues replacing those guys (I'm sure that Sooner fans can relate), there has been consistency issues along the line. For the first time, in quite some time, the offensive line is starting the same unit for what appears to be 3 consecutive games and there's the thought that that consistency will pay off a bit with an improved running game this week.

CC Machine: This game features the Big 12's top passing attack against the conference's best pass defense. Share some intangibles that could work for and against Texas Tech in this matchup.

Seth C: If there's one intangible I'm counting on this week, it's the fact that the receiving corp is littered with guys who have the potential to make plays. The previous two years, it was a one-man-show with Crabtree and this year, it's really been a combination of guys who have stepped up at various points of the season to lead the team in receiving. Conversely, you could say that having a lead receiver generally means that you've got at least one player that an opposing defensive coordinator has to account for during the game. The fact that there are 10 players with 17 or more catches for the year should demonstrate that it's not just one guy. I also keep thinking that the running backs are due for a break-out game catching the ball out of the backfield. Last week, the passes to the running backs were telegraphed and just didn't work. I'm hoping like hell that Potts and Leach make a determination if they need to stay in for pass protection, and if not, then get those guys in open space, especially Baron Batch.

CC Machine: How in the world did this team lose 52-30 to A&M?

Seth C: For me, it was the defense and this is really symptomatic of the entire season. Quarterbacks who have the ability to scramble for first downs have had quite a bit of success against Texas Tech. Whether it be Case Keenum, Jerrod Johnson or Zac Robinson, all three guys were more than capable of seeing that the Texas Tech defense was dropping all but the front four into coverage, leaving huge chunks of yards for the quarterback to easily get first downs. Third down conversion rates for Texas Tech's four losses are 50.00% (Texas); 52.63% (Houston); 57.14% (Texas A&M); and 50.00% (Oklahoma St.). There's also something to be said for the fact that DE Brandon Sharpe hardly played against Texas A&M and he is Texas Tech's best pass rusher. I don't think he would have made a huge difference, but he's still a big part of getting to the quarterback and not having him hurt some.

CC Machine: When it comes to Texas Tech football most people immediately think of the fast paced spread offensive attack. However, Tech has made significant strides of the defensive side of the ball the last two years. Tell us about some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Red Raider defense.

Seth C: The biggest strength lies in the pass defense, and really all facets of pass defense. The Red Raiders are tied with the Sooners for 2nd in the nation in sacks. This is in large part credit to the defensive ends, including the aforementioned Brandon Sharpe, Daniel Howard and Rajon Henley. All guys play with fairly high motors and I think that's been a big key to their success, aside from being talented, in that they are all hard workers. I also think the entire secondary has done a pretty good job of not giving up many big plays (this again goes back to playing it safe, typically in a cover-2 scheme) and the cornerbacks have been really good. The unit is 3rd in the Big 12 in passes defended at a little over 6 a game. The biggest difference has been an increase in overall athleticism across the board. I think the safeties, Cody Davis and Franklin Mitchem, are overall more athletic than their predecessors and corners Jamar Wall and LaRon Moore have been much better at defending the pass. Fortunately for Oklahoma, it looks as if the hit that laid out OSU's Zac Robinson will keep Wall out for this weekend's game.