SB Nation User Blog: BMG

Anyone want tickets to the season opener?

BMG — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:49:28 -0000

Section 18 Row 64 seats 29 and 30

Please let me know if you are interested in 2 tickets for the season opener. These are not student tickets -- my seats are in the chair back section of the north end zone. You can access the North End Zone Club with the ticket (and buy beer) throughout the game. My parking pass for the checkered garage across from Scholz's is included.

Face value ($65/each OBO)

mgumpel@gmail.com

Christian Scott to Start?

BMG — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:48:25 -0000

Scarborough is reporting that Texas went almost exclusively with a 4-2-5 defense in the first half of spring practice. Gideon, Thomas, and Christian Scott at safety, A. Williams and Chykie Brown at corner and the usual suspects upfront.

The basis for the switch really comes from making Aaron Williams a full time cover corner opposite Chykie Brown and rotating Keenan Robinson down to the Sergio Kindle role. The switch should also tell you that the coaches feel better about Williams' size/speed combination than Curtis Brown's.

The base 4-2-5 is the best way to matchup against the spread offense assuming that you have great run support from the secondary and can get to the QB with four linemen. By having Christian Scott and Keenan Robinson on the field at the same time, you can change to something resembling a 4-3 by spinning Robinson down to an edge rusher and moving Scott into an SS/LB hybrid role. Additionally, Thomas's range and Scott's bonecrushing hits stand to have the best change of creating turnovers in the secondary.

Its not a true Aggie rant unless its in German.

BMG — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:40:36 -0000

Its not a true Aggie rant unless its in German.

Longhorns in the NFL

BMG — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:57:40 -0000

PB's discussion on the Titans use (or lack there of) of one VY (is this trademarked?) piqued my interest to see how some of his fellow Horn alumns have been doing in the NFL. It also got me to thinking about the Devon Kennard and Jamarkus McFarland discussion.

First off, several former Longhorns have had notable games recently, and a few of them are having remarkable seasons. While the Horns have cranked out several first day draft picks, as well as many others making NFL rosters one way or another, who are the ones that are standing out?

Is there a perception that while schools like Texas, USC, OU, Florida and Ohio State have top college talent, the others do a better job of turning out better NFL talent than Texas? Furthermore could this be impacting Texas' recruiting, primarily among the most coveted 5 star recruits?

Currently the Horns have 41 players on some form of an NFL roster.

Positional Breakdown: 18 defense / 21 Offense / 2 Special Teams

Notable Performances:

Cedric Benson - Cedric has managed to play in 11 games this year despite joining the Bengals a few games into the season. In week 16, Benson had his career high in rushing (171) on 38 carries with no scores. Benson has racked up 636 yards on 189 carries this season, good for an unspectacular but workmanlike 3.4 yards per. Last year with the Bears, Benson put up similar numbers through 11 games (3.4 yards/carry, 674 yards rushing). Suffice it to say, Benson has not been stellar as a pro despite being a top 10 pick, Doak Walker award winner, and a highly recruited college running back. However, Benson's Bengals will be going up against KC to close out the season, and if he manages another solid outing he could surpass his career high is single season yards rushing (674) and he may establish a home for himself next year in Cincy.

Justin Blalock - Justin has started 15 games at LG this year in Atlanta after starting 14 last year. The Falcons will be making their first NFL playoff appearance in several years thanks to a heck of a job by the new coaching staff, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and others. This week, Blalock made a nice fumble recovery to save a game winning overtime drive. The Falcons are a top 5 rushing team, and have given up only 16 sacks this year -- good for 5th fewest in the league. Blalock has been a cog on the left side of the line, and its safe to say he'll probably be one in this league for a long time.

Tarell Brown - Brown might be remembered as the scapegoat for the 2006 loss versus tOSU, however 49ers fans may recall him as the guy that came up big off the bench in week 3 when he registered his first NFL pick and limited Mike Furrey to 2 catches. Of course, that sounded a lot more impressive in week 3 when Mike Furrey was still on a bunch of fantasy teams and the Lions were only 0-2 and not 0-15. Brown has been used in spot duty since and registered another pick to go along with 2 passes defensed last week in a comeback win versus St. Louis. We sure could have used that in 2006.

Jamaal Charles - JC has found ways to be productive at times in both the rushing game and the passing game on a horrible Kansas City team. In week 16, JC picked up 15 yards on the ground, however he racked up 102 yards on 3 catches and nearly scored on a 75 yard reception versus Miami. How the heck someone caught him I don't know, maybe Ted Ginn was playing corner on that one. However, after seeing a highlight of the play it looks like Jamaal has lost a step likely due to be nicked up earlier this season. While Jamaal hasn't been consistent in his production, he hasn't had consistent playing time thanks to Larry Johnson. He'll need to be more dependable between the tackles to become a top back, not to mention he still has a slight fumbling problem (2 this year).

Jermichael Finley - JerMike has 3 catches for 10 yards this year even though he suited up for all but 2 games. Fortunately for him, Jermichael is in a good situation with the Green Bay Packers. They love to throw the ball to their TE and have a pretty good young QB in Aaron Rodgers. Finley is buried on the depth chart though behind starter Donald Lee and back-upTory Humphreys. He didn't do much this year, but the paycheck must be nice and his future in the NFL is bright.

Michael Griffin - Griffin has had a solid year anchoring arguably the best defense in the league. In week 16 vs the Steelers, Griffin ran back an INT for 6 to help nail down home field throughout the playoffs. Griffin has 7 picks on the year, and has been dependable in every facet of his game. Funny how well Griffin plays when his coaches don't put him in the box every down to get abused on play action like Chizik did at the end of 2006. Griffin's numbers have improved steadily, and he's probably the biggest suprise as far as Longhorn alumns go this year.

Ahmard Hall - Ahmard is a feel good story for Texas fans. He's a solid citizen and served in the military prior to finishing out his career at Texas. In the NFL he's done nothing but serve up several disgusting blocks on a weekly basis as a fullback for Tennessee's strong rushing attack. You better believe Lendale and Chris Johnson take this guy out for a steak dinner every now and then.

Aaron Ross - Aaron suffered a concussion in week 16, but he's been oustanding this season. After the Giants lost both Osi and Strahan it was expected that their pass defense would suffer. However, thanks to Justin Tuck and a stingy secondary the Giants have improved. Aaron's 3 picks, 1 TD, and all-around tight defense is one of the biggest reasons why.

Ricky Williams - Just the fact that Ricky has managed to keep himself in the league this year is a success. On top of that though, Ricky has been a tad inconsistent but has shown flashes of brilliance in the Dolphins single-wing offense. For the season, Ricky has gained 609 yards, with 4 TDs and 5 fumbles.

Overall, the Horns are doing pretty well in the NFL and we should be proud of them. There are several stallwarts like Leonard Davis, Shaun Rodgers, Derrick Dockery, Quentin Jammer, Nathan Vasher, D.D. Lewis, Phil Dawson, and Derrick Johnson who I didn't mention but are also solid NFL contributors.

The only gripe we could have is that most of the success is limited to DBs, offensive linemen, and a few defensive linemen. Fomer Longhorn skill position players have not lit it up in the NFL, although several (Vince Young, Roy Williams, Selvin Young, JC, Ricky etc) are supposed to or could figure prominently into their team's offense. For whatever reason Texas WRs and RBs just haven't had the same success in the NFL as their counterparts from OU and some of the other top teir programs.

Aside from Ricky, who I firmly believe would be one of the top 5 RBs in the league if it weren't for his person issues, none of the former Horns running backs have the tools to be every down backs. Coincidentally, the Horns have had a tough time recruiting prototypical NFL backs as of late --ahem Darrell Scott-- and one Adrian Peterson. Many would argue this is a direct result of the single back scheme, that relies on the zone read and runs counters without a lead blocker.

While I believe that the goal of a program is to win championships, and not necessarily to put guys into the NFL, we all must realize that the two are inseperable. Furthermore, I would argue that having a few, prominent NFL stars as alumni only raises the visibility of your institution and no doubt helps in recruiting.

So congrats to our current NFL Horns. Here's hoping that guys like VY, Limas, and others flourish and others like Lokey, Okam, and Jermike start to see some playing time. Hook'em

Crystal Ball - Fiesta Bowl and 2009 Big 12 Race

BMG — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:39:27 -0000

A solid overview of the stakes in Glendale as well as 2009. Bumped from the FanPosts. --PB--

Today's news that Colt McCoy will in fact stick around for his senior season at the helm of the Texas offense provides the perfect segue to start to discuss 2009 in earnest.

Like last year, the next 30 days or so will provide the dust-jacket introduction to next year's team. What better way to start a title run in 2009 than with the team rallying around itself in face of a BCS hijacking and burying one of next years top 5 teams? Last year, the Horn's turned the adversity of the A&M game into the motfvating force behind Colt's resurgence and Brian Orakpo's dominance over Arizona State. However, this year's Fiesta bowl is a bigger challenge than last year's Holiday bowl because the cause of the adversity is not as tangible, and the opponent is a far better one than last year.

Fiesta Bowl preview - After being demolished by USC at the start of the season and Penn State midway through it, the Buckeyes found their mojo in the last part of the year. By mojo, I mean Pryor, Beanie Wells, and James Laurinaitis. Regardless of what you thought of OSU during their 35-3 shellacking at the hands of USC, the team that the Horns will face on January 5th is vastly superior thanks to the three players above. Had OSU had a healthy Wells and a reliable QB that score would have been much closer. Rest assured, OSU has both issues sorted out in time for the Fiesta Bowl.

OSU's defense will present a challenge to the Horn's in more ways than one. Like any Tressel team, they are good in the trenches and their linebacking play is stellar. Addtionally, they have one of the premier cover corners in football in Jenkins and have given up 13.1 pts on average this season. It is by no stretch of the imagination that OSU has by far the best defense the Horns will have faced all year.

OSU's offense will present unique challenges to the Horn's as well. Our undersized defensive line will have to sustain itself against a massive OSU offensive line. Our still under performing LBs will be challeged by a big, powerful runner in Wells. The Texas secondary will have to contain Robiskie and Hartline who are solid receivers as well as a couple of stout TE's. Each unit will be test by an offensive counterpart, and to top it all off Pryor will complicate matters for each of them.

I'm certain this is a game Texas can win, but it will require the next level of leadership from Colt as well as a complete game plan from the coaching staff. The subplot to this bowl game is obviously 2009. Aside from a W, we want to see signs that next year's key players are begining to turn the corner in Janaury. Last year, Orakpo, Kindle, Houston, and Muckelroy showed us that the much maligned defense was ready to be intimidating once again. This year, I'll be mainly looking for the offensive line, the linebackers, and the secondary to make a statement. Addtionally, Collins & Williams will need to step up big in the passing game, while Whitaker needs to give us a glimpse of the running game.

2009 Big 12 Race - Colt's return in 2009 ensures that this team will have continuity on offense for 4 consecutive seasons. Behind an experienced offensive line and with some additional time to gel with the younger WRs, there is no reason to believe that Colt will not be able to match this year's offensive output.

Still, there are questions. First and foremost, the running game remains a chief concern of mine. Even if Whitaker or McGee turns in a solid performance against OSU, I'm still not going to be completely convinced that Texas has a rusher capable of amassing over 700 yards in a season, let alone 1,000 yards.

Second, the defensive line is a question mark as long as we're not sure if Kindle is leaving or if Jamarkus McFarland in coming. Getting pressure on the QB has to remain a priority for Muschamp, but it will be more difficult if the personnel isn't there. Personally, I think that Kindle has greater upside in the NFL as a DE than as an OLB -- and he'll make more money as a DE as well. This will probably be the biggest argument for him to stay one more year. With Kindle on the edge (where he played most of the year this year anyways), Muschamp would have more ability to mix and match combinations on the inside and possibly slide Lamarr Houston back to the edge -- especially if Mcfarland is in the fold.

The need for a TE is also huge. Irby's injury was gruesome and similar to what Dunta Robinson had with the Texans last year. It took Dunta almost a full year to come back, and I'd be surprised if Irby was at the top of the depth chart next year.

Lastly, this team still needs playmakers. The 2008 Horns overacheived due to the feet and arms of McCoy. While McCoy is a testament to small town Texas grit, the margin for error is razon thin. Personally, my hope is on Whitaker, Collins or M. Williams, and the possibility of a guy like DeSean Hales or DJ Monroe becoming next year's Ramonce Taylor.

Overall there is no doubt the 2009 Horns have the chance to be great. They have an outstanding QB, offensive line, and dependable players at WR, defensive line, and in the secondary. But if you run down our schedule (particularly the soft non-conference) its clear to me that a one loss season next year could leave us on the outside looking in once again.

The Other Big XII South Teams -

Oklahoma - Any Big XII discussion has to start with OU. I'd be shocked if Bradford, McCoy, Gresham, & Granger all stuck around for another season, but I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of them decided to stay. Even if Bradford leaves, OU will not be a cakewalk. OU has redshrted a few QBs including much heralded Landry Jones from New Mexico. By no stretch of the imagination is the OU offense a difficult one for a QB to master, particularly with the strength of their line and their running game. Speaking of the line, Robinson and Loadholt are seniors but like Texas, OU typically reloads at this position. Finally, the running game will be stout with the addtion of Jermie Calhoun to go along with Murray, Brown, and Madu.

The weakest part of the offense could be at WR/TE where Gresham could leave along with Iglesias and Manny Johnson who are both seniors. Once again, OU has recruited WR well (despite having kicked their top WR recruit off the team prior to the season) and obviously Ryan Broyles will figure into their attack prominently next year.

Defensively, OU certain losses are Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes in secondary and obviously the potential is there for McCoy and Granger to make the jump early. OU has recruited very well at DE, LB, and in the secondary, however. The bottom line is that OU will be at worst very good next year regardless of what happens with their top juniors.

Oklahoma State - OSU could be ready to make a Texas Tech-style leap next year. First, the schedule sets up nicely for them, getting both Tech and Texas in Stillwater. Secondly, Gundy's offense is starting to really round into form behind Robinson, Hunter, Bryant, and a fairly young offensive line. The Holiday Bowl matchup for OSU could be a nice spring board for them into next year.

Texas Tech - Check back in mid January. Crabtree should be leaving and will be a top 10 pick. If Leach leaves too, this team could head south fast. Regardless, next year will likely be a rebuilding year for this program, which is part of the reason OSU should return to 3rd place in the south.

A&M - Count me as one of those few who believe that Sherman is taking this program in the right direction. Most people I've talked to familiar with this program expect Sherman to add a Juco recruit or two for next season. Additionally, although Goodson is almost assuredly gone there are several RBs that can replace him. Its sad for me to say, but A&M's stable of RBs without Goodson is better than Texas' was when Jamaal Charles left early. The Aggie defensive line is formidable, but the rest of the team is just young right now. Sherman's worth will be evident if the team makes a decent improvement from year 1 to year 2.

Baylor - Love Griffin, hate everyone else.

Scenarios Abound! or is this the 3rd step of grief? and what was that about Hawaii?

BMG — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:24:07 -0000

LLOYD
--Come on, give it to me straight. I drove a long way to see you, the least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?

MARY
Not good.

LLOYD
You mean not good, like one out of a hundred?

MARY
I'd say more like one out of a million.

LLOYD
(Duh)
So you're telling me there's a chance?

(note: our hopes might be tied to Cincy Saturday)

Since 3:15 PM yesterday orangebloods have begun the inevitable march through the 5 stages of grief - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, & Acceptance. As with the loss of a family member, the jilting from a fomer lover, or the spilling of a pitcher of beer, losing the Big 12 south tiebreaker - to OU nonetheless - is devastating.

At 3:16 PM Sunday, denial set in for me. I feverishly searched the internet for any indication that someone had fat-fingered the BCS ranking.

For me, anger didn't set in until Barry Switzer's proclamation that Stoops took "the high road" through all of this.

Today, I along with many orangebloods have moved into the "bargaining" phase. This is where we continue to look for possibilities to make it to the MNC while risking embarassment and swallowing our pride. As prideful Longhorn fans, are we letting our weakness show too much by coming up seemingly impossible BCS scenarios, or outlandish reasons for disqualifying OU alltogether due to the Big Red Fiasco? For the better part of the day I've resisted endulging myself in what could happen, or what should have happened. I've been trying to reason my way out of bargaining in order to skip depression and go straight to acceptance. I've acknowledged how well this team overacheived and I've looked forward to a bright future and a promising 2009.

Yet, the promixity that this team came to a MNC birth, not to mention how close it still is gives me reason to pause. There are over 30 days between December 6th and the MNC game, and more importantly there are 2 realistic ways Texas could still find its way into the national championship game.

1. Missouri beats OU

Why it won't happen - OU is rolling at this point and is just too good to lose. Missouri's defense is perfectly awful, and got beat time and time again by a less than spectacular Kansas offense that a week before managed 7 points at home to your Horns. Regardless of whatever offense Mizzou can muster, it will not be enough to keep up with Bradford and Co. Pay attention to the margin of victory in this game though and remember 56-31.

Why it will happen - First and foremost Fate and her sister Karma are cruel, cruel bitches. If there was ever a time for those two to rear their ugly heads, this would be it. Missouri had a wakeup call against Kansas and got caught looking ahead to a showdown with one of two teams that derailed their title hopes this year (Texas) and last year (OU). You may not have been paying attention, but OU got beat in special teams as well as buy a mobile QB (does this sound familiar) against OSU. Missouri has the ability to do both, and has arguably a better tight end in Coffman than OSU has in Pettigrew. Additionally, OU's middle is going to be tested now without Box. If Mizzou wins, Texas is in and its as simple as that.

2. Florida beats Bama, and Texas stays ahead of Florida in the BCS

Why it won't happen - First off, who said Florida would beat Bama? Although Bama hasn't won with flash, they've answered every challenge this year. Their D-line and O-line are stout, the can run the ball with Coffee, and they have a hell of a playmaker in Julio Jones. JPW doesn't make many mistakes at QB, and you can rest assured that Nick Saban will have this bunch prepared for Florida. There won't be a let down by Bama.

Secondly, it won't happen because if Florida beats Bama, Florida will be the new #1 team in the country in both the polls and they'll jump Texas in the BCS. Addtionally, teams that are playing this week have a decided advantage over teams that are not playing - which means that USC could find its way to squeek ahead of Texas on some more ballots this week which would hurt our chances. Also consider that some voters felt obligated to put Texas ahead of Florida last week in order to not screw Texas in the polls. However now that the Big 12 tie-breaker has been settled, and assuming that Florida beats Bama those voters will put Florida back ahead of Texas where they will feel it belongs. Finally, because the "Texas over SEC Champion Florida" scenario is already being discussed and because the coach's ballot will be public information voters will favor Florida over Texas to avoid a BCS meltdown.

Why it will happen - Florida can and will beat Bama, but Saban's preparation and coaching will slow this game down and make it an ugly victory at best for the Gators. Chaos could then ensues in each of the 3 pieces to the BCS puzzle and keep in mind 56-31 as well as the fact that Cincy is playing Hawaii this weekend.

The 58 coaches that gave Bama their 1st place vote will then split their votes between OU, Florida, and Pac-10 champ USC. Should OU beat Mizzou by less than 56-31, then Texas could find its way to be #1, or #2 on some ballots regardless of who a voter puts at #1. As long as Florida does not leap both Texas and OU in the coaches' poll, and as long as USC doesn't make a dramatic move ahead of Texas as well, Texas will stay close enough to Florida.

In the Harris poll, Florida is already ahead of Texas, however Texas will slip behind OU in the poll unless OU wins by less than 56-31. If Texas offsets some of the votes it loses to OU with gaining some of the votes that Bama loses then Texas could once again stay close enough in this poll to leave it to the computers.

In the computers Bama is currently ahead of Texas in 2 out of 6 computers, so it is safe to say that a Florida win over Bama will register profoundly on these 2 computers (A&H and Billingsley). Its tough to say what can happen in the computers, but Florida could certainly over take Texas in 3 or 4 of the computer polls. Which brings me back to Hawaii.

Lost in all of this is fact that Hawaii plays Cincy Saturday. Let me repeat that, Hawaii (which played Florida) plays Cincy (which played OU). Guess what happens if Hawaii beats Cincy? The Colley Matrix spits out Florida as its new #1. In any computer, a Hawaii victory could destroy any chance of Texas getting past Florida. Unbelieveable right?

Why you want the Pokes to win Saturday

BMG — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:50:39 -0000

Enough already with the three way tie breaker discussion. If all goes well Thursday and Saturday, the Horns will lose a head-to-head tie breaker with Texas Tech and it won't even matter.

Nonsense?

Blasphemy?

No.

If there was ever a time we shouldn't cut off our nose to spite our face, this is it. So don't give in. If all goes well, we won't have a shot at the Big 12 title because our aim is just a bit higher. For all intents and purposes, the OSU-OU game decides which Big 12 south team makes it to the national title game. a poke win, and Texas is in. On the other hand, an OU blowout tosses all the logic aside.

if the calendar was the other way around and Texas played Saturday night while OU played Thursday maybe things would be different. But unfortunately the calendar isn't on our side. The Bedlam game will be the last thing voters see before they send in their vote, and multiple shots of DeMarco Murray, Manny Johnson, Broyles, and Bradford dancing in the endzone in Stillwater will trump the 45-35 trump card.

Aside from the deep seeded anger, animosity, and hatred we would all share if OU advances to the Big 12 title game, there is a logic to pulling for the pokes:

Value A. While I don't undervalue the opportunity to win the Big 12 title, we must all accept that playing for the national title is the ultimate goal of any program. National title games and their outcomes define players, coaches, programs, and eras. A birth to the Big 12 title game would certainly be nice, and winning it would obviously put us on the path to the BCS title game - but the downside to a big OU win means the Fiesta for Texas most likely. If you were to walk by the Horn's trophy case next year which would grab your attention more? - the Big 12 Championship trophy that is inconspicuously missing or the program's 5th National Championship trophy and second in the last three years? I'd give up the former for a shot at the latter.

Value B. What could possibly be worse than Texas not playing in the BCS title game? Texas not playing and OU playing in the title game. Stoops would have his 6th Big XII title, and would be playing for his 2nd national title. Additionally, beating Tech, OSU, Missouri, and possibly the national title would probably overcome all the negativity Stoops has endured after losing several consecutive bowl games. Mack has started to turn the tide in Texas' favor by winning 3 of the past 4 RRS games, and securing recruiting classes rated higher than OU's. The possibility of another OU title would derail that momentum, and could impact us immediately. If Jamarkus McFarland is still debating what school to go to in January, a national championship for OU as well as the prospects of McCoy and Granger leaving would make OU an even more appealing choice.

Now let's consider the most likely, possible outcomes (assuming Texas, Bama, Florida, and Tech all take care of business).

1. Texas crushes A&M, OU crushes OSU - OU will gain around 0.01 points in the BCS standings on Texas because of the computers alone. Assuming the polls hold steady, this will be enough to squeek by Texas and into the Big 12 title game.

2. Texas crushes A&M, OU beats OSU in a non-blowout - OU will gain around 0.01 points in the BCS standings on Texas because of the computers alone. Expect to have a sleepless night Saturday along with the rest of us.

3. Texas crushes A&M, OU squeeks by OSU - OU will gain around 0.01 points in the BCS standings on Texas because of the computers alone. Expect to have a sleepless night Saturday along with the rest of us but feel slightly comforted in the fact that doubt could creep into the minds of some voters.

4. Texas crushes A&M, OSU upsets OU - Even though Tech fans would be making the exact same, logical argument all Texas fans are making today, Texas would solidify it's #2 ranking aheah of Tech. Texas would hold its computer advantage over Tech by virtue of a better non-conference schedule, and a nuetral field win over OU. Additionally, USC, Utah, and possibly Florida would act as a buffer between Texas and Tech. The body of work, complete with a nuetral field beating of a top 3 team in the country, would be enough.

The worst thing that could happen is that a majority of voters band together and put Tech ahead of Texas on their ballots. It would take a lot of them to overcome the difference in the computer polls, first off. Secondly, it would be the right thing to do if you believe that head-to-head match-ups matter. If that happens, I'll swallow that pill because at least OU will not be there at the end. The second worst thing that could happen for the 'Horns at that point would be Tech completely and utterly destroying Missouri. Tech could find its way back into the title game this way. Once again, fuck it, I'd rather have Tech in the national title game than OU and so should every Horn fan out there.

So three of the four scenarios above afford us Value A (playing for the BCS title) or Value B (OU not playing for the Big XII and BCS title), or both. The only scenario that doesn't involves you rooting your ass off for OU on Saturday and making an ass out of yourself in the process if OU romps over OSU. So root for OSU, if they come up just short FAN-FUCKIN-TASTIC, if they win oh well it could have been worse.

Of course, by 8pm Tech will have choked against Baylor and you'll be half drunk by then.

Recruiting Spotlight - 2010

BMG — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:59:05 -0000

Bumped. A nice overview. --PB--

2009's class will hopefully compete with 2007's as one of the top classes in school history. However, its not too early to start to think about what could be in 2010. Here's a run down of some of the state's top talent, and its pretty impressive.

RBs

1. Lache Seastruck, RB Temple -- top RB in the state, but has had some unproductive games and discipline problems this year. Highly recruited by USC

2. Marcus Murphy RB DeSoto -- He's been under the radar but had an amazing game against Seastruck's Temple team.

3. DJ Jones RB Denison - Is said to be favoring the Longhorns early on. Denison is undefeated and in the playoffs. Jones had a big game last week including 3 scores. Averaged over 12 yards a carry and was explosive in special teams. Jones attended the Baylor game.

QBs

1. Scotty Young QB Denton Ryan -- Young is pro-style passer with good size and a good arm. He'll be highly recruited elsewhere though, and Gilbert may scare him away.

2. Matt Brown QB Allen - He's more versatile than Young, and has accumulated over 2,000 yards passing, and 1,000 yards rushing.

3. Connor Wood QB Houston Second Baptist - Wood has been compiling some sick numbers and has all the tools and size (6-4). He's a drop back passer in the mold of Gilbert.

1. Dominic Espinosa OL Cedar Park - The junior class really doesn't have any standout linemen like the senior class, but he's a good one.

WRs

1. Darius Terrell WR DeSoto - Terrell is on a good team w/ Marcus Murphy and has size and speed similar to DJ Grant and Malcolm Williams.

2. Darius White WR Dunbar - Another good size/speed guy 6-2 4.45

LBs

1. Corey Nelson LB Dallas Skyline - Highly touted LB from a high school we've had some success from in past (Christian Scott) and is long on the Horns. One of the top recruits in ths state. There aren't that many top LBs in the state though and the Horn's may need to try to go out of state for one if they don't land Nelson.

DBs

1. Adrian White CB DeSoto - Another DeSoto guy who you would love to have. Good size (5-11) and speed.

1. Jackson Jeffcoat DE Plano West - Probably the top recruit in the state. 6-4, 220 or 230 and 4.5ish speed. He's being recruited heavily.

2. Reggie Wilson DE Haltom City - Not a bad consolation if they don't land Jeffcoat. Similar size as Jeffcoat, though probably not as fast.

3. Daniel Noble DT Marcus -- Noble is one of the top recruits in the state and has good size 6-4, 280 and decent speed (sub 5) for a tackle.

Texas is supposedly high on the list for a lot of these guys and I expect that a strong finish once again by the Horns will lead to a big recruiting haul in February and March when these guys are invited to camp.

BCS Implosion?

BMG — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:26:41 -0000

While the Texas faithful is preparing itself for the inevitable leap frog by OU should they win out, shouldn't Tech fans be worried about Texas leapfrogging them?

Has anyone ruled out the possibility that a 1 loss Texas team could be ranked ahead of Tech even if Tech wins the Big XII conference?

For instance, assume the following scenario -

Texas wins out.

OU beats Tech, but loses to OSU

Tech beats Baylor

Tech takes the tie breaker over Texas to the Big XII championship game because of head-to-head, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Tech will be ranked higher in the polls or the BCS than Texas. Furthermore, if Tech were to lose at OU, the degree of the loss would also carry some weight. My guess would be that if Tech were to win the Big XII at best they would get a unanimous #2 from the voters (remember we are assuming they lose to OU). So let's run with this:

Tech's scores would be 2736 in the Harris, and 1464 in the Coach's poll (the expected scores for a unanimous #2 ranking in both polls). Assuming they also come in at exactly 96 points from the computers (again unanimous #2 ranking) Those would equate to a BCS score of .9600 (they currently have .9715). Currently Texas is at .8798.

So how how much would a Texas team ranked an average #3 in both human polls need to beat Tech by in the computers to nudge ahead? Texas and Tech breakeven if Texas nets an impossible 1.04 in the computer score. So where's the rub?

Question the assumption - Does a 1 loss, Big XII champ Tech automatically get in the championship game? If you assume that an 11-1 Tech is not a unanimous #2, the computer target score for a 10-1 Texas starts to move down. Throw in the possibility that Florida beats Bama in the SEC championship and now voters are sharing rankings 2-4 among Texas, Tech, USC (assuming they win out) and Bama.

You can run all sorts of scenarios here, and obviously its worth considering that the voters may sense an imminent BCS implosion and would default to ranking a one loss Tech at #2 if they win the Big 12. But, just for the sake of arguement, if Texas (or USC for that matter) were to peal away about 12% of the Harris and Coach's poll voters from Tech then all of a sudden Texas or USC would only need a 0.06 point edge in the computer score to jump Tech. Take a look at the separation in computer scores between one loss teams -- Texas is 0.4 points higher than Penn State, and still 0.1 points higher than Florida and OU. 12% of voters in the Harris poll is about 14 out of 114, and in the coach's poll we're talking 8 out of 61.

Is this a possibility? Mathematically? Definitely. And if I were a Tech fan, it would scare the crap out of me. But I still wouldn't be as scared as the guys in charge of the BCS would be if Tech loses to OU and OU turns around and loses at OSU.

Top 10 player rankings revisited

BMG — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:17:59 -0000

Back in June, PB put out his list of top 10 players on this year's squad. Here's a recap of what it was as well as stats so far:

10. Tie - Sergio Kindle/John Chiles - Kindle's Stats - 30 tackles, 7 tfl, 6 sacks, 4 hurries

9. Vondrell McGee - 270 yards, 2 tds, 49 yards receiving

8. Colt McCoy - 2285 yards, 21 tds, 4 ints, 412 yards rushing, 7 rushing TDs

7. Roy Miller - 27 tackles, 4 tfl, 2 hurries

6. Quan Cosby - 56 rec, 688 yards, 4 tds

5. Roddrick Muckelroy - 80 tackles, 2.5 ftl, 1 fumble return for TD, 3 pass breakups

4. Ryan Bailey - 5 PATs

3. Deon Beasley - 19 tackles, 1 pass breakup

2. Brian Orakpo - 30 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, 11 hurries

1. Lamarr Houston - 18 tackles, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, 5 hurries

After nine weeks of the season, the cream has risen to the top. While I don't believe in bashing anyone for their performances thus far, its surprising to see how some of our "sure bets" have turned out. Additionally, I think that taking another look at this ranking at the 3/4 mark of the season should drive home the notion of how close the Horns are to putting together an amazing string of seasons over the next few years. Here's my top 10 as it stands now:

10. Chris Ogbonnaya - 323 yards rushing, 3 rushing TDs, 35 rec, 432 yards receiving, 3 rec TDs,

9. Quan Cosby - 56 rec, 688 yards, 4 tds, several huge blocks

8. Earl Thomas - 46 tackles, 7 pass breakups, 1 hurry, 2 INTs, 3 forced fumbles, 1 blocked punt/FG,

7. Roy Miller - 27 tackles, 4 tfl, 2 hurries

6. Chykie Brown - 22 tackles, 2 tfl, 1 sack, 5 pass breakups,

5. Sergio Kindle - 30 tackles, 7 tfl, 6 sacks, 4 hurries

4. Roddrick Muckelroy - 80 tackles, 2.5 ftl, 1 fumble return for TD, 3 pass breakups

3. Jordan Shipley - 64 recs, 779 yards, 10 TDs, 1 Punt return for TD, 1 KO return for TD

2. Brian Orakpo - 30 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, 11 hurries

1. Colt McCoy - 2285 yards, 21 tds, 4 ints, 412 yards rushing, 7 rushing TDs

There have been some surprises (Shipley, Chykie), some dissapointments (Deion Beasley), and some questions - like what to make of Lamarr Houston's move to DT. It's also worth noting that there have been some stellar performances from some not in this list - Malcolm Williams, Curtis Brown, Blake Gideon. With only 4 seniors on this list, the future is bright.