SB Nation - Texas A&M Aggies

Independence Bowl Preview: How the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies Each Fared Against the Arkansas Razorbacks

T Kyle King — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:22:59 -0000

In the days leading up to the anticlimactic (yet deeply satisfying) SEC championship game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Florida Gators, Team Speed Kills did an outstanding job of comparing the two combatants by calling attention to the seven opponents common to them both. On a much less impressive level, and to a much more limited extent, I would like to subject the Independence Bowl contestants, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Texas A&M Aggies, to a similar analysis.

Georgia’s and Texas A&M’s schedules featured only a pair of shared teams, the first of which we will look at this evening. Here is how the Bulldogs and the Aggies stacked up against the Arkansas Razorbacks:

Category	Georgia	Texas A&M
Game Number	3	4
Score	W 52-41	L 47-19
Passing Yards	375	345
Rushing Yards	155	113
Total Yards	530	458
Passing Yds. All.	408	271
Rushing Yds. All.	77	163
Total Defense	485	434
Third Downs	38.5% (5 of 13)	38.9% (7 of 18)
Third Down Defense	21.4% (3 of 14)	41.7% (5 of 12)
Turnover Margin	-2	+1

I think I’ll start by going out on a limb here and declaring that the gridiron battle in Shreveport will not be a defensive struggle. Both the Bulldogs and the Aggies gave up a boatload of yards and more than 40 points to a Razorback offense currently ranked first in the SEC in scoring offense (37.3 points per game) and second in the league in total offense (439.3 yards per game).

Measured against Arkansas’s season-long figures, Georgia had more or less an average day against the Razorbacks in points permitted and Texas A&M had almost exactly an average day against the Hogs in yards allowed, but those numbers were padded by Arkansas’s dates with Division I-AA Missouri State, Eastern Michigan, and Troy. Those three opponents between them conceded 167 of the 448 points the Razorbacks have tallied this season. Against BCS conference opponents other than Georgia and Texas A&M, Arkansas averaged 27.6 points per outing, and only one team from an automatically qualifying league other than the Bulldogs and the Aggies gave up more than 20 points to the Hogs prior to November 7. Arkansas has a good offense, but that reality should not be allowed to mask the fact that neither Georgia nor Texas A&M sports a good defense. (That may be why Georgia’s entire defensive staff was fired and Texas A&M fans are debating whether to replace the Aggies’ defensive coordinator.)

That said, the two Independence Bowl invitees exhibited different strengths (or, perhaps more accurately, different weaknesses) against the Razorbacks. The Aggies surrendered more than twice as many rushing yards to the Hogs as the ‘Dawgs allowed, yet the Red and Black gave up more than a football field’s worth of yardage more than Texas A&M did through the air. To some extent, this is due to the different types of games the two teams played against Arkansas---Georgia engaged in a shootout with the Hogs while the Aggies had to play catch-up after trailing by 20 points at the break---but those statistics are not misleading: Ryan Mallett dropped back to pass five times on the Razorbacks’ first three drives against Texas A&M, and the results were three incompletions and two sacks.

On the opposite side of the ball, both Independence Bowl signal callers aired it out against Arkansas. The Aggies’ Jerrod Johnson connected with eight different receivers while going 30 of 58 for 345 yards and two touchdowns while the much more efficient Joe Cox (how often do you hear that phrase?) completed 18 of his 26 attempts for 375 yards and five TDs.

Georgia and Texas A&M succeeded in converting third downs at virtually identical rates against an Arkansas outfit ranked in the middle of the SEC in third-down conversions allowed (36.0%), but the Bulldogs’ third-down defense was markedly better against a Razorback unit that moves the chains 36.2 per cent of the time in such situations.

The red flags for the Red and Black are to be found on the lines labeled "passing yards allowed" and "total defense," although those numbers deserve a closer look. After taking a ten-point first-quarter lead, the Aggies gave up eight scores on a dozen Arkansas possessions, with six of those marches ending in touchdowns. The Hogs’ first three series of the contest ended in punts, after which the SEC West squad went on drives of 77, 38, 26, 73, 70, 63, and 73 yards, with an 85-yard Jerry Franklin fumble return for a touchdown thrown in for good measure. Only a second-quarter interception, a three-and-out to start the second half, a fourth-quarter fumble, and a kneeldown in the closing seconds prevented Arkansas from putting up points each time the Hogs touched the ball after their initial jitters.

The Bulldogs’ game against the Razorbacks in Fayetteville followed a very different pattern from that seen in the Aggies’ neutral site outing against Arkansas at Arlington seven days later. Instead of leaping out to an early lead, the ‘Dawgs were down 21-10 at the end of the opening period. Georgia mounted nine scoring drives, six of which covered at least 57 yards, and what happened to Mallett late in the game was even more bewildering.

The Razorback quarterback was on fire to start the second half against the Red and Black. Mallett completed eight of his first nine attempts and three of those passes went for 30 yards or more. Inside the five-minute mark in the third quarter, though, he was shut down, connecting on three of his last fourteen aerials for 36 yards. During that span, Mallett took a sack but did not guide a touchdown drive.

If the Bulldogs’ and the Aggies’ respective performances against the Hogs are any indication, there ought to be yards gained and points galore in Shreveport. Texas A&M probably is better against the pass and Georgia probably is better against the run, but neither plays much defense. The Big 12 South club has a greater propensity for takeaways yet the SEC East squad has a superior penchant for comebacks.

Of course, we are talking about a pretty small data set here, so we are not yet in a position to draw any ironclad conclusions. For that, we will need to turn to the other common opponent both Independence Bowl contestants share, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Monday Thoughts

Beergut — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:57:24 -0000

More photos » by Dave Einsel - AP

Texas A&M's Bryan Davis, center, fights for position against The Citadel's Bryan Streeter (21) and Cameron Wells. A&M beat The Citadel 71-50. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Browse more photos »

Men's basketball's victory over Citadel on Friday gave the Aggies their final win for 2009 at Reed Arena. The men will be playing the Huskies of Washington tomorrow in Seattle at 10:06 PM Texas time. The game will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net. The Huskies are a solid team, currently ranked #21 with a 7-3 record on the season. The Huskies have lost to Georgetown, and had a loss to Texas Tech in overtime in Lubbock. This should be a solid test for our team, and a chance for us to improve our RPI for seeding come March should we win the game. Mostly, I just want to see vast improvement from our poor effort against New Mexico.

The Independence Bowl is one week from today; the line has moved from Georgia being a mere 4 point favorite to a solid TD favorite. Hopefully we're preparing diligently for the upset.
texas reinstated WR/KR D.J. Monroe after he pled down to a lesser charge of obstructing a passageway, and the driving while intoxicated charges were dropped. Hell, we all know that is an equal charge; obstructing a passageway puts lives in danger just as badly as an underage kid driving around while so drunk he is impaired. The best part is Mack Brown's statement to the media:

"I had a long talk with D.J. yesterday," Brown said. "We looked at the punishment he had, what will affect them in 15 years and what it does to the attitude of the team. And we felt that a three-game suspension for the charges that were dropped, that he should be reinstated."

Brown might as well have said, "We looked at how badly we might need him for the BCS Championship Game, and decided to reinstate him." I'd respect Brown more if he stood by his earlier punishment.
I watched texas' win over North Carolina at Jerry World on television yesterday. While it looks like texas has a very good team this year, I couldn't help wondering how good of a view that stadium gives for basketball. The court seemed fairly far away from a lot of the fans in the stands. Add in the fact that the action is shown on the massive jumbotron, and you have fans paying $100 for tickets and $30 to park merely to 'be there' to watch a game on a screen they could watch at home for free. It will be interesting to see what, if any, changes they make for hosting the Final Four. Cutting the stadium in half to make it a more intimate setting might be an option they should consider.
If you've never watched the Texas Aggie Band Show, you're missing a good time. Initially, the thought of doing a show about the FTAB seems kind of silly, but they keep it interesting and entertaining. It is worth a view.

Quick Recruiting Note

miketag — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:28:35 -0000

According to Billy Liucci, Denison RB D.J. Jones 5'11 220 4.6 has committed to A&M. The is a surprising development because the Ags just received a verbal commit from power back Mister Jones last week. There seems to be some confusion over whether Jones had an offer or not. After watching some video of Jones it appears to me that he will likely end up at fullback. Evidently he has some academic hurdles to clear. What we do know is that the Aggies are supposed to have 24 spots in this year recruiting class, and with Jones committed 22 of them are taken. Right now the Aggie coaches want to pick up two more DBs and a DT. It will be interesting to see how this all works out. The video below shows Jones playing against Sulphur Springs in this years playoffs.

Does Joe Kines Deserve Another Year?

Beergut — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:22:03 -0000

I like Joe Kines; I really do. He is an aqmusing interview, his players love him, he possesses a wealth of football knowledge, and he is a well-known innovator in defensive football. However, his units at A&M have done poorly the past two seasons. Last year, we fininshed last in total defense, and this year we have finished last in total defense. I let last year go because we simply didn't have the athletes we needed to do what he wanted to do scheme-wise on defense. This year, we have put some true freshmen and true sophomores on the field to execute his scheme, but the results have been mixed, at best.

We have doubled our sack production from over a season ago, going from 16 sacks in 2008 to 36 sacks so far in 2009. Von Miller, who Kines moved from LB to the hybrid Jack LB/DE position, has 17 sacks by himself. Kines is one of the people who were integral in the development of the 'anchor end' position, a way to make even front defenses play like odd fronts. It is notable that we have finished last in the Big 12 in passing defense, giving up an average of 263 yards per game, and 10th in the Big 12 in rushing defense, giving up an average of 169 yards per game. This comes out to a total of 432 yards per game, good for last in the Big 12. We also give up a Big 12-worse 32.7 points per game, which is almost 4 full points worse than Colorado, who has one of the worst defenses I have ever seen this season.

So, the question with Kines is, do we give him another year? Are our issues this season all attributable to youth, and therefore worthy of being overlooked as we look toward next season? My only problem with the youth issue is that we are still a fundamentally-poor tackling football team, which isn't a youth issue; that is a coach issue. If we were able to tackle well, I'd be more positive about our future on defense, but this is a continuing problem. The other issue with blaming our struggles on youth is that youth improves as the year goes on, and while we have the misfortune of playing Oklahoma and texas in the last month of the season, our defense didn't seem to get better as the year went on.

So, does Joe Kines deserve another season as the defensive coordinator for the Aggies?

Poll

Should Joe Kines be retained as defensive coordinator for the 2010 season?

Financial Mismanagement Used To Be A Firing Offense

Beergut — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:32 -0000

The SAEN has another story out on how our athletic department does a poor job of keeping track of its expenses.

The Texas A&M athletic department lacks control of its finances, according to an audit obtained by the Express-News.

The department "requires significant improvement in its financial controls and processes," according to the 25-page report that reviews a span from September 2007 to December of last year. Six accountants from the A&M system performed the internal audit.

Two high-ranking A&M officials said Wednesday that athletic director Bill Byrne's job was not in jeopardy based on the findings. Byrne, who couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday night, addressed the audit in his weekly online column.

Let's ignore the fact that there is no excuse for the athletic department not knowing where every single penny of its money is being spent; what about the timetable involved here? According to $Bill's weekly column, he just realized this issue last year. So, you're telling me it took you six years to realize the proper financial safeguards aren't in place? And you're still employed why?

Fortune Teller: 2009 Bowl Predictions (Part 1)

Brian @ BCI — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:16:14 -0000

For the third straight year, we preview the upcoming college football postseason. Here are our picks for bowls 1-17, which takes you from the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque to El Paso, Texas for the Sun Bowl.

Leave your thoughts on any of the first 17 matchups below.

New Mexico (December 19)

Matchup: Fresno State (8-4) vs. Wyoming (6-6)
The Line: Fresno State -11.5

The Lead: Wyoming makes only its second trip to a bowl this decade while Fresno State makes its 9th bowl appearance in the last 10 years. Fresno State returns to New Mexico for the second straight year (losing to Colorado State 40-35 last year).

Brian Pick: Fresno State -11.5
Jeff Pick: Wyoming +11.5

St. Petersburg presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s (December 19)

Matchup: UCF (8-4) vs. Rutgers (8-4)
The Line: Rutgers -2.5

The Lead: Rutgers just making a bowl game game is no longer exciting for their players and fans who had higher hopes coming into this season than to finish 3-4 in the Big East. UCF meanwhile will be playing less than three hours from their campus and should be thrilled to be there.

Jeff Pick: UCF +2.5
Brian Pick: Rutgers -2.5

R + L Carrier New Orleans (December 20)

Matchup: Southern Miss (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee (9-3)
The Line: Southern Miss -3.5

The Lead: Southern Miss returns to the New Orleans Bowl for the second straight year. Last year, Southern Miss blocked a field goal in overtime to defeat Troy 30-27 in one of the more entertaining 2008 bowl games. Middle Tennessee State is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 6 straight and reaching the 9 win plateau for the first time since joining Division I-A in 1999. Southern Miss has a perfect 3-0 record in the New Orleans Bowl.

Brian Pick: Southern Miss -3.5
Jeff Pick: Southern Miss -3.5

MAACO Las Vegas (December 22)

Matchup: Oregon State (8-4) vs. BYU (10-2)
The Line: Oregon State -2.5

The Lead: BYU was on top of the world after beating Oklahoma to start the season. Oregon State was on top of the college football world in the final Thursday night of the season when playing Oregon for the Pac-10 title. Things didn't work out as either team had hoped from those points on though and they both fell to the pre-Christmas Las Vegas Bowl. Oregon State has plenty to prove though as they attempt to beat BYU, TCU and Boise State in the next 11 months and serve as the non-BCS school killer.

Jeff Pick: Oregon State -2.5
Brian Pick: Oregon State -2.5

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia (December 23)

Matchup: Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4)
The Line: California -3

The Lead: With BC losing to Vanderbilt last season, Utah now owns the longest active winning streak in bowl games, having won their last 8 games including last year’s Sugar Bowl over Alabama. Cal is riding a seven game streak for bowl apperances, the longest in school history.

Brian Pick: Utah +3
Jeff Pick: Utah +3

Sheraton Hawaii (December 24)

Matchup: Nevada (8-4) vs. SMU (7-5)
The Line: Nevada -15

The Lead: This game features a very good WAC team against a very good C-USA team but does that mean that they are actually good teams? It's tough to say. Neither team has a very impressive win this season and both seemed to lose all their games when they had opportunities to prove themselves. Will anyone watch the Christmas Eve game in Hawaii? Other than Brian?

Jeff Pick: SMU +15
Brian Pick: Nevada -15

Little Caesars (December 26)

Matchup: Marshall (6-6) vs. Ohio (9-4)
The Line: Ohio -2.5

The Lead: This game renews a rivalry game between the two schools located only 80 miles apart. Ohio and Marshall used to compete in the Battle for the Bell which is set to be renewed in 2010. Ohio leads the all-time series 29-17-6, however Marshall has won 8 of the last 10 matchups between the two geographic neighbors.

Brian Pick: Ohio -2.5
Jeff Pick: Ohio -2.5

Meineke Car Care (December 26)

Matchup: Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. North Carolina (8-4)
The Line: Pittsburgh -3

The Lead: What a disappointing finish to the season for Pittsburgh. Pitt lost to their backyard brawl rival West Virginia before losing to Cincinnati in a de-facto Big East Championship game. The Panthers led the entire game against Cincinnati but could not finish so now instead of the Orange Bowl they get a trip to Charlotte to play North Carolina in a "road" bowl game. Good luck getting your team fired up for this one, Dave!

Jeff Pick: North Carolina +3
Brian Pick: Pittsburgh -3

Emerald (December 26)

Matchup: Boston College (8-4) vs. USC (8-4)
The Line: USC -9

The Lead: The 8-4 Eagles travel to San Francisco for the second time this decade to take on the 8-4 USC Trojans. This is the first time in seven years that USC hasn’t played in a BCS bowl game (5 Rose Bowls, 2 Orange Bowls). Good news for the Eagles is the last time Pete Carroll found himself in a non-BCS bowl game, the Trojans lost 10-6 to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl. You don't think we would pick against BC now, do you?

Brian Pick: Boston College +9
Jeff Pick: Boston College +9

Gaylor Hotels Music City (December 27)

Matchup: Kentucky (7-5) vs. Clemson (8-5)
The Line: Clemson -7.5

The Lead: If Boston College's 2008 performance in the Music City Bowl is any indication of how Clemson might play this year after the disappointing ACC Championship Game, it's is going to be tough to watch for Tiger fans. But after losing to South Carolina, the ACC really doesn't need Clemson, or any of its top programs, to lose to mediocre SEC teams. Clemson ticket sales for the bowl have been soft but hopefully Dabo can rally this team to victory.

Jeff Pick: Kentucky +7.5
Brian Pick: Clemson -7.5

AdvoCare V100 Independence (December 28)

Matchup: Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5)
The Line: Georgia -7

The Lead: Georgia wraps up an otherwise disappointing, up-and-down season in Shreveport, Louisiana. For every quality win for UGA, there seemed to be an equally puzzling loss this year. Defeat Arkansas, get crushed at Tennessee. Defeat Auburn, lose to Kentucky at home, come back and defeat in-state rival Georgia Tech. Texas A&M has had a similar up-and-down season, but seemingly backed into the postseason having lost 3 of their last 4 games.

Brian Pick: Georgia -7
Jeff Pick: Georgia -7

EagleBank (December 29)

Matchup: UCLA (6-6) vs. Temple (9-3)
The Line: UCLA -4

The Lead: UCLA had to wait to see the result of the Army-Navy game before getting officially invited to this bowl game. In the bowl's second season, I don't imagine that their will be much hype this year compared to last year's geographically favorable matchup of Wake Forest vs. Navy. Look for Temple to surprise some people and possibly knock off a BCS school in this one.

Jeff Pick: Temple +4
Brian Pick: Temple +4

Champs Sports (December 29)

Matchup: Miami (Fla.) (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3)
The Line: Miami -3

The Lead: This year’s Champs Sports Bowl is a matchup of 9-3 ranked teams. Both teams are coming off strong finishes, each winning 4 of their final 5 games. Wisconsin finished the season with a 51-10 drubbing of Hawaii on the road, while Miami took care of USF 31-10. Miami is 2-0 all-time in the Champs Sports Bowl. Wisconsin played in Orlando last season, losing to Florida State 42-13. This is the last year the Big 10 will be represented in this bowl as the Big East will send a team to face an ACC opponent starting next season.

Brian Pick: Miami -3
Jeff Pick: Miami -3

Roady’s Humanitarian (December 30)

Matchup: Bowling Green (8-5) vs. Idaho (7-5)
The Line: Idaho +1.5

The Lead: Another game that might set an attendance record this season but not the kind of record that you want to be setting if you are putting this bowl together. Boise fans might already be on their way to the Fiesta Bowl so even getting a few locals to come out for this game will be difficult. Bowling Green has a pretty good WR, and Idaho plays home games in a dome. That's all I have for this one.

Jeff Pick: Bowling Green -1.5
Brian Pick: Idaho +1.5

Pacific Life Holiday (December 30)

Matchup: Arizona (8-4) vs. Nebraska (9-4)
The Line: Arizona -1.5

The Lead: Arizona - having defeated the Trojans 21-17 to move to 6-3 in conference - will represent the Pac-10 as its #2 team in the Holiday Bowl. Nebraska won the Big 12 North, finishing the season at 9-4, 6-2 in conference. The Cornhuskers are coming off a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Brian Pick: Arizona -1.5
Jeff Pick: Nebraska +1.5

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces (December 31)

Matchup: Houston (10-3) vs. Air Force (7-5)
The Line: Houston -4.5

The Lead: The mighty Houston Cougars who knocked off Oklahoma State at home are only 4.5 point favorites against Air Force? Oh right, we later found out that Oklahoma State was not nearly as good as anyone thought the would be and failed to make a push for a BCS bowl by nearly losing to Colorado and then getting destroyed by Oklahoma to end the season. Air Force had another nice season but only managed a 1-5 record against bowl bound teams this season.

Jeff Pick: Air Force +4.5
Brian Pick: Houston -4.5

Brut Sun (December 31)

Matchup: Oklahoma (7-5) vs. Stanford (8-4)
The Line: Oklahoma -8

The Lead: This should be an intriguing matchup between the unstoppable force (Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart and the 15th ranked Stanford Cardinal offense) and the immovable object (Oklahoma's 7th ranked defense). Oklahoma has had an otherwise disappointing season, that is, up until they put a 27-0 hurtin' on in-state rival Oklahoma State in Bedlam. Stanford may or may not be playing without the services of starting freshman quarterback Andrew Luck.

Brian Pick: Stanford +8
Jeff Pick: Oklahoma -8

Does Kansas Know What They're Getting Into?

Beergut — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:28:05 -0000

Turner Gill's hire as Kansas' new head coach has brought the news that Carl Torbush will be returning to the Big 12. Torbush will be leaving Mississippi State, where he is currently defensive coordinator, to become the new defensive coordinator at KU. Aggie fans will remember Torbush as our defensive coordinator from 2003-2005, when he led the dismantling of the Wrecking Crew. We are currently still trying to recover from the damage Torbush helped wreak on our defense in his three years here.

2003 was Torbush's first season as defensive coordinator. In 12 games, we gave up an average of 38.8 points per game, 225.1 yards per game rushing, and 206.4 yards per game passing, as the team sputtered to a 4-8 finish behind a defense that couldn't stop anyone. In 2004, we improved to giving up 24.2 points per game, 142.5 ypg rushing, 244.2 ypg passing. 2004 looked like a sign things were improving on defense, and would get better. In 2005, however, things got worse, as we gave up 31.2 ppg, 139.2 ypg rushing, and 304.6 ypg passing. The 2005 team essentially played prevent on defense all year long, which helped explain their horrific pass defense numbers. What wasn't explained was why the defense was so god-awful in the third year of Torbush's tenure in College Station, at a time when they should have been hitting their stride and becoming a dominant unit, not getting worse. Torbush was fired after the 2005 season, as Dennis Franchione said he had lost faith in what Torbush was doing.

Torbush then took a stint as defensive coordinator at Carson-Newman before becoming the DC at Mississippi State this past season. where his defense gave up an average of 26.8 ppg, 146 ypg rushing, and 220 ypg passing. Those stats don't look too bad until you remember that this is against the offensively-challenged SEC. Eight teams in the SEC averaged less than 220 yards per game passing; this means Torbush's defense gave up, on average, more yards passing than two-thirds of the conference normally produced. In other words, SEC teams tended to have a field day passing against Torbush's defense. Mississippi State finished the season 11th in scoring defense, 8th in rushing defense, 11th in passing defense, and 11th in total defense. Essentially, Torbush struggled to slow down or stop the vast majority of the offenses he faced, and in an offensively-deprived conference like the SEC, where most of the teams live and die by 21 personnel, this isn't a good sign. Now, Kansas is hiring Torbush to lead their defense.

Again, I ask the question: Does Kansas know what they're getting into?

I guess we'll find out on October 23, 2010; that is when Texas A&M heads to Lawrence to play the Jayhawks. A&M finished this season with the best offense in the Big 12, and will return most of their starters next year; that can't be good news for Kansas and Torbush.

Could Big Ten Expansion Force the SEC to Bring In a New School?

T Kyle King — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:15:09 -0000

Big Ten expansion talk is all the rage, even here in SEC country, and, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish remain atop the list despite being obviously unattainable and the Pittsburgh Panthers make the most sense, much attention is being paid to the apparently interested Missouri Tigers, with respect to whom Big Ten aficionados not only have an idea, they have a plan.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that happens. Short of the Golden Domers climbing down from their high horse (which isn’t going to happen now that the arrival of Brian Kelly has ensured Notre Dame’s inevitable return to ~~relevance~~ ~~competence~~ dominance), conference expansion is a zero-sum game; if the Big Ten increases from eleven teams to twelve by poaching Mizzou, the Big 12 decreases from twelve teams to eleven. The Big 12 is going to need a new team.

Maybe it’s just the traditionalist in me, but it seems to me that there can be only one choice for Big 12 expansion should Missouri bolt for browner pastures. The Arkansas Razorbacks have a longstanding rivalry with the Texas Longhorns, currently have a series going with the Texas A&M Aggies, and have deep Southwest Conference roots. Turnabout is fair play, so a Big Ten that includes Missouri could mean a Southeastern Conference sans Arkansas.

If the first domino falls, the line could topple all the way to the SEC’s doorstep, raising the question . . . where would the SEC turn if it had to replace the Hogs? The options, it would seem, are these, in no particular order:

Louisville Cardinals: U. of L. shares an in-state rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats and just hired longtime SEC defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. The ‘Ville would bolster the league’s basketball reputation but the Cardinals have been only intermittently good at football. Still, as a current member of an automatic BCS-qualifying conference, Louisville would have to get a look, although it’s too bad the Cards would be brought in to replace Arkansas, because a series between Bobby "Pignocchio" Petrino’s current and former schools would be fun to watch.

South Florida Bulls: I’m not saying they deserve it, but any number of SEC coaches would love another annual opportunity to travel to the recruiting hotbed of the Sunshine State. Tampa is an attractive market and USF has been consistently respectable (albeit no more than that) since making the jump to the Big East. You’d have to think the Florida Gators would scream and howl at having to add an in-state conference rival to their existing slate, though. This brings us to . . .

Florida St. Seminoles: Let’s not mince words here. If you were an SEC football fan in 1991, you thought Bobby Bowden ducked the SEC in order to pad FSU’s schedule with ACC games. It’s time to atone for that gutless decision now that the Jimbo Fisher era is underway. This would make great sense for the Gators, whose season-ender against the ‘Noles would count as a conference game, although it likely would increase the pressure on the Saurians to schedule the Miami Hurricanes more frequently. Regular trips to Tallahassee by the Georgia Bulldogs would please the conspiracy theorists among the Red and Black fan base, who would wonder regularly whether Mark Richt would just stay put once he got back to his old stomping grounds. While we’re on the subject of in-state out-of-conference rivals, I suppose I should mention . . .

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: I would be 100 per cent opposed to this idea, but you’d have to admit it makes sense. The Engineers played in the SEC for many years and were a part of some of the league’s great rivalries at one time. The Ramblin’ Wreck left the conference at the tail end of the Bobby Dodd era and had their efforts to rejoin the league rebuffed, so both sides might be lukewarm on a reconciliation. After both of this year’s ACC division champions fell to middling SEC East outfits that came into their battles for local bragging rights sporting 6-5 ledgers, it’s doubtful whether the Orange Bowl-bound Golden Tornado would want to trade a shot at a big-money bowl in the soft ACC for a lower spot in the league pecking order. In theory, Georgia Tech could enjoy home town advantage in an SEC championship game, but, honestly, that’s not much of a risk.

Clemson Tigers: Admittedly, I’m biased, but this option makes the most sense to me. The Country Gentlemen are comfortably within the SEC’s geographic footprint and share longstanding rivalries with the ‘Dawgs and the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Fort Hill Felines also share a common heritage with several other SEC schools which would make league games intriguing: Walter Riggs and John Heisman established strong ties between Clemson and the Auburn Tigers; the Alabama Crimson Tide have produced numerous coaches for the Orange and Purple, including Frank Howard, Danny Ford, and current skipper Dabo Swinney; Charley Pell landed both Clemson and Florida on probation; the LSU Tigers could host the Country Gentlemen in Death Valley before traveling to face them in Death Valley. Culturally, the Tiger faithful are a much more comfortable fit with the rabid fans of the Southeastern Conference than with the Big Ten wannabes of the Atlantic Coast Conference and an SEC association certainly wouldn’t hurt the proud Clemson baseball program. Should we be willing to trade the Razorbacks for the Tigers? Ken Hatfield certainly was, and he was an Arkansas alum.

If it were up to me, the Big Ten would add Missouri, the Big 12 would add Arkansas, the SEC would add Clemson, and the ACC would . . . actually, I don’t care what the ACC does. I say let’s ship the Hogs back to their old stomping grounds, move the Tennessee Volunteers over from the SEC East to the SEC West (where the Vols properly belong, given their natural rivalries with Alabama and Auburn), add Clemson to the SEC East, and have at it.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Alabama vs Texas: 1960 Bluebonnet Bowl

kleph — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:00:19 -0000

In the long history of the Alabama and Texas football programs, the two teams have met just eight times on the gridiron. This week Roll Bama Roll is looking back on each of these contests. Today we revisit the 1960 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston, Texas.

The 1960 Bluebonnet Bowl marked the meeting of two coaches that would become synonymous with the success of their respective football programs, Texas’ Darrell K Royal and Alabama’s Paul W. Bryant. Yet much of that success was still in the future since both men were still laboring to pull their teams out from the worst stretches of their long and storied histories.

In the mid-1950s, the Texas football program had fallen on hard times. Three straight losing seasons had culminated in 1956 with a 1-9 debacle that stands as the worst record in the school’s history. Head coach Ed Price resigned and Athletic Director Dana X Bible then hand-picked the 32-year-old Royal to take the reins of the Longhorns.

Royal had been a quarterback at Oklahoma under the legendary Bud Wilkinson during the 1940s. He then entered the coaching ranks and served as head coach at Mississippi State and Washington before coming to Texas. He immediately led Texas back to prominence in 1957 with a 6-4-1 record, a No. 11 national ranking and a berth in the Sugar Bowl.

The story was similar in Tuscaloosa. In the span of just three years Jennings B. "Ears" Whitworth, a former Crimson Tide lineman, had pretty much run the program into the ground.

In 1955 he began his tenure by benching all of the seniors - including quarterback Bart Starr - and lead Alabama to an abysmal 0-10 record. A pair of 2-7-1 campaigns followed capped with a 0-40 faceplant against Auburn on Nov. 30, 1957 led to Wentworth's firing.

Then mama picked up the phone.

By the end of the 1950s, Bryant had become known as a miracle worker for down-and-out programs. He had turned Maryland and Kentucky into winners and was busy doing the same at Texas A&M. In November 1957, the Aggies were on an eight-game win streak when news broke Bryant was going to return to Alabama.

The A&M squad was crushed and they went into a tailspin, losing the final three games of the season. One of those teams was Texas. Thus Bryant and Royal faced each other on opposite sidelines for the first time on Thanksgiving Day 1957 with the Longhorns besting the Aggies 9-7 in College Station.

Arriving in Tuscaloosa, Bryant wasted little time turning around the program leading the Crimson Tide to their first winning season since 1953. The next year they racked up a 7-2-2 record and climbed as high as No. 10 in the AP poll.

Alabama seemed to pick up where they left off as the 1960 season started. Beginning with a victory over SEC Champions Georgia to open the season and a dramatic 16-15 win over Bobby Dodd's Georgia Tech squad on Nov. 12 that prompted Coach Bryant to give his famous "We've got 'em right where we want 'em!" halftime speech.

At the end of the regular season Alabama boasted an 8-1-1 record, a No. 9 ranking and an invitation to the second annual Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston. Royal’s Longhorns had amassed a 7-3 record and were unranked heading into the Bayou City.

More than 68,000 fans gathered under sunny skies and slightly chilly temperatures in Rice Stadium on Dec. 17 to see the bowl rematch between the two programs. Once again, it was a battle of defenses with both teams struggling for whatever points they could get.

Royal and Bryant at the end of the game.

As the first quarter wound to an end, Alabama’s Bill Rice broke off a 49-yard one to the Texas seven-yard line. On third down, Crimson Tide QB Bobby Skelton cut in at tackle and dove for the goal line. The officials ruled he was stopped at the one.

Bryant ordered another run on fourth down and the Longhorn defense stopped fullback Bobby Richardson inches from the line. It proved to be a costly missed opportunity.

It wasn’t until midway in the third quarter before points were put on the board when Alabama’s Tommy Booker completed a 30-yard field goal. Texas finally matched that late in the fourth quarter with a 20-yard field goal that capped off a 13-play, 71-yard drive.

And the Longhorns weren’t quite done for the afternoon. Getting the ball on their own 48-yard-line with just 28 seconds left Texas' quarterback Johnny Genung went for the winning score and slung a deep pass only to see it broken up by the Alabama secondary.

On the next play, the Longhorns took to the air again but the pass went incomplete as Alabama's Leon Fuller and Texas' Bob Moses jumped up and battled for it.

And while time had expired on the play the game wasn't over. Fuller was flagged for interference and Texas was awarded one more play. With the ball on the Alabama 18, Petty tried for the game winner but booted it wide left. The game ended in a 3-3 tie.

After the game Royal was sanguine about the outcome.

"Naturally, we were all hoping that last kick by Petty would go through but it would have been a shame to win that way," he said. "I think the score was indicative of the competitive nature of the two teams."

Predicting The Big 12 Bowls

Beergut — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:49:36 -0000

These are just my gut predictions on who will win each bowl game, without doing any serious analysis:

Independence Bowl, Aggies vs Georgia: I think Georgia wins this one by ten. I am worried we will play them tough, but we'll be trailing by a field goal late in the game and they'll tack on one more score to win it by double-digits.
Holiday Bowl, Nebraska vs Arizona: I think this will be a close one, with Arizona possibly pulling it out by a late field goal to win by one or two points. Nebraska simply has to do something with their offense; if they can move the ball at all on offense, they will win easily.
Sun Bowl, Oklahoma vs Stanford: This should actually be a very competitive game, but I think Oklahoma will eventually pull away and win it by 10 points. OU's defensive line will help slow down Toby Gerhart.
Texas Bowl, Missouri vs Navy: Missouri will win this one by two TDs, if not more. Missouri will struggle stopping Navy's option offense, but Navy won't be able to stop Danario Alexander, who will have a monster game.
Insight Bowl, Iowa State vs Minnesota: I like Iowa State to pull the upset in this game. I have nothing to base this on other than the fact that I think Paul Rhoads is an outstanding coach who will have his team ready to play.
Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma State vs Ole Miss: Assuming Zac Robinson is healthy, this one probably won't be close. Dexter McCluster for Mississippi is a helluva player, but expect OSU to win this one.
Alamo Bowl, Texas Tech vs Michigan State: I don't like Leach's decision to start Taylor Potts, and Tech ended the season with a whimper, almost losing to Baylor. However, Michigan State has off-the-field issues that is distracting them, and I think Tech will be motivated by last year's embarrassment in Dallas. Tech wins by 7.
BCS National Championship Game, texas vs Alabama: This game will feature two terrific defenses playing against two competent but not stellar offenses. When you have a game which features two very good defenses, the initial team to pick is the team with the better running game. texas doesn't have a dependable running game, Alabama's offense is their running game, and they have the offensive line to make some holes against Lamarr Houston, Sam Acho, and the other members of texas' defensive front. Alabama's offensive line will wear down texas' defense, and they'll win the game by at least ten points.

Those are my bowl predictions for all the Big 12 teams in bowls. I have us going 4-3 as a conference in our bowl games. What do you think?