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PB's favorite player is killing the competition. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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The No. 2 Texas Longhorns destroyed Texas-Pan American, 104-42, in a game that was exactly as close as the score indicates. The ‘Horns improved to 9-0 and look to be rolling as the competition increases with North Carolina and Michigan State on the schedule over the next seven days.

This one was over before it started. The Longhorns increased an early 21-11 lead to 33-11 as they held the Broncos scoreless for over six minutes in the first half. Texas led 45-19 at the break and by more than 60 for the latter part of the game.

I don't want anyone to get too excited about this one. Texas-Pan Am was grossly outmatched, way undersized (346^th in effective height, Ken Pom), and would have trouble beating decent high school teams. The Broncs should be the worst team that the ‘Horns face all season, save maybe Gardner Webb. That said, there were some high points worth mentioning.

For a game that was out of hand early, the Longhorns were intense throughout. The full-court pressure and half court traps frustrated the smaller and slower Broncs all game. The ‘Horns forced 21 turnovers and could have easily forced more.

The blowout and the absences of J'Covan Brown (injury), Shawn Williams (injury), and Jai Lucas (stupid NCAA rule) forced Rick Barnes to play with different lineups. For the most part, Texas went big. Lineups included frontcourts of Damion James, Clint Chapman, and Matt Hill or James, Hill, and Dexter Pittman. At one point in the second half, I think James was at the two guard and Gary Johnson at the small forward spot. The bigger lineups met the challenges of guarding smaller perimeter players well. Texas held Texas Pan-Am to just 24% from the floor and 14% from behind the arc.

In addition to the experimental bigger lineups, Avery Bradley got some work at the point for the first time all season. Not surprisingly, he excelled with the ball in his hands as much as he does as the off guard. Bradley led the team with 18 points (8-of-15) and distributed five assists.

A few other brief points after the jump, before chalking up this for the mismatch that it was:

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More photos » by Michael Thomas - AP

Freshman Avery Bradley's game is coming along. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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For the first time in a couple of games, the Longhorns looked like a top tier basketball club. The ‘Horns dominated a decent Long Beach State team, 107-74, to improve to 7-0 overall. Texas got double digit scoring from six players, were not overwhelmed at the sight of a zone defense, and played consistently for the full 40 minutes.

Texas turned an early 11-9 lead into a 22-9 lead and never looked back. The Longhorns led 53-37 at half and by as many as 35 in the second half.

The ‘Horns shot the ball well from the floor all game, eventually finishing at 59%. Three-point shooting was not bad either, 39% (7-of-18) and free throw shooting was its usually horrific self, 53% (8-of-15). Texas controlled the glass 41-32, dominated points in the paint 62-28, and outscored Long Beach 17-6 in fast break points.

A few brief points before calling it a night:

• Dogus Balbay is playing his best ever as a Longhorn. His 11 assists to zero turnover performance was a joy to watch. He single handedly gift wrapped at least ten of Gary Johnson's 14 total points. Balbay still can't shoot, missing both his jumpers, but he is so quick and has such tremendous vision that it doesn't matter right now.

• The college game is starting to slow down for Avery Bradley (17 points, two assists, two steals). He showed flashes tonight of why he was the rankest as one of the top high school players in the country last year. The defense was been there since game one; however, he played his best offensive game of his young career. Bradley has a good feel for when to drive and when to pull up and uses the jump shot brilliantly to avoid charges and elevate in traffic. If the shots start falling, like they were tonight, look out.

More after the jump...

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More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Hopefully more burnt orange and white confetti awaits in Pasadena. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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The regular season is over, and despite the few rumblings you may be hearing, the national title game match-up is set--Texas vs. Alabama. Even though the win was by a single point, a neutral field victory over Nebraska will actually help Texas in the computers. And there is no way that enough Harris poll voters and coaches will rank TCU or Cincinnati above the undefeated Big XII champions. It's just not going to happen.

That said, there is still a lot of BCS uncertainty. Let's quickly review the process. The top two teams in the final BCS poll head to the national title game. This year that game will be played in the Rose Bowl on January 7th. Five of the six BCS conferences have automatic tie-ins for their champions, who are not in the top two. ACC champ goes to the Orange Bowl, Big XII champ goes to the Fiesta Bowl, SEC champ goes to the Sugar Bowl, and the Big 10 and Pac-10 champs hook up in the Rose Bowl.

Since the Sugar and Fiesta will lose their tie-in teams, they will get first picks as replacement picks. The Sugar Bowl will pick first because ‘Bama will be #1 in the BCS standings. The no-brainer pick here is SEC runner-up, Florida. The Fiesta Bowl picks next and this is where it gets interesting. In my mind there are two options, a Big 10 team which will travel well or a geographically smart and undefeated TCU team. I can see the Fiesta going either way. Under either scenario, their next pick, which comes after a selection by the Orange Bowl, would be either Boise State or Cincinnati.

To play this out, assume the Fiesta takes TCU. That leaves us with-

BCS Title: Alabama vs. Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs.
Fiesta Bowl: TCU vs.
Sugar Bowl: Florida vs.  

The rest after the jump...

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More photos » by MIchael Thomas - AP

Dogus Balbay quicker than anyone on both ends. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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The No. 2 Texas Longhorns improved to 6-0 by outlasting USC, 69-50, at the Erwin Center. For the second straight game, the margin of victory does not indicate the closeness of the game. The ‘Horns led just 33-27 at the break, and in the second half, the Trojans twice trimmed the lead to just four points.

Like many of our first half dozen contests, Texas was too deep and too strong down the stretch. The Longhorn defense tightened, eventually holding USC to just 30% from the floor, and Texas cruised in the final quarter of the game. The Trojans scored just three points in the final six minutes.

As PB noted, this one was not pretty. Texas came out ice cold from the floor and from behind the arc. The Longhorns started like 9-of-33 before eventually improving their shooting to a respectable 41% on the game. Texas was 0-for-8 from three before J'Covan Brown and Justin Mason both connected late in the second half.  Last, the free throw shooting went the other way. I think Texas was close to 80% early in the game before clanking their way home. The Longhorns finished a horrific, 19-of-34, 56%.

It's late, so bullet points will have to suffice:

• Damion James was very good tonight (19 pts, 9 boards, and 7-of-10 FTs) and easily the offensive player of the game. He remains an effective trash man around the rim and fantastic off one or two dribbles.
• Dexter Pittman was probably the defensive player of the game with his seven blocked shots. However, as impressive as that stat is, he tried to block at least ten more missing all of them and letting his man pick up easy second chance points around the rim. I would love to see Sexy Dex use a little more discretion when trying to block shots as a help defender. On the other end, with a foot in the paint, he is unstoppable at the college level. Perod. 

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Game #4: Pittsburgh Panthers (4-0) vs No. 3 Texas Longhorns (3-0)

9:25 p.m.  *  Sprint Center  *  Kansas City, MO

TV: ESPN2  /  Radio: 98.1 FM

Very quick Keys to the Game:

1. Remember the Big Fella: The more Dexter Pittman touches the ball, the better. This is both on the Texas guards to play in the halfcourt through Dexter as it is on Pittman to make himself available and keep his defender on his back.

2. Limit the Turnovers: Texas is turning the ball over on 22.6% of their possessions, good for 228th in the country. That is horrible and unacceptable for a team this talented.

3. Keep the Focus: We saw last night what this team is capable of when they are focused. When focused on defense: 26-13 in the first half and 47-22 and the second half. When they lost focus, forgot about Pittman, and consistenly overran or didn't find shooters: 25-12 Iowa.

Pittsburgh is a much better team than is Iowa and I expect this to be a close game throughout. If Texas were as talented but had more experience at the guard spots, then this one wouldn't be close. But until the Longhorns gain that experience, limit the silly freshman plays, and remember that they are an inside-out team first, then these type of games will be challenges.

I expect a hard fought and physical 40 minutes. Prediction: Texas sinks enough free throws to pull away late, 74-68.

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Jordan Hamilton caused the Hawkeyes pain all night. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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The #3 ranked Longhorns improved to 3-0 and advanced to the championship game of the CBE Classic after a 85-60 runaway victory over Iowa (1-3). Texas will take on Pittsburgh (4-0) on Tuesday evening at approx. 9 pm (ESPN2).

The 25 point victory is impressive as was the play of the 'Horns for three-quarters of the game. Texas bolted to a 26-13 lead after the first 11 minutes behind hot outside shooting by Jordan Hamilton and solid half-court defense. Unfortunately, the Longhorns lost their defensive intensity, failed to find the Iowa three-point shooters, and coughed up the ball over and over again over the final nine minutes of the first half. A running three pointer by the Hawkeyes tied the game at 38 at the break.

In the second half, Texas got back to feeding Dexter Pittman in the post, protected the ball, and rotated better defensively. The Longhorns dominated the second half, 47-22.

I don't have time for a full recap but here are a few quick points.

• This defense is absolutely dirty, when it wants to be. The Texas D focused for the first part of the game and was up 13. They lost focus and allowed Iowa to claw all the way back by half. Then, after a Rick Barnes reminder or two, the focus appeared again in the second half. Iowa once again struggled to advance the ball past halfcourt, initiate their offense inside the arc, or get a clean look at the basket.
• The Texas offense is at its best when it runs through Dexter Pittman on the low block. The Longhorns are blessed with a dominant big man, a rarity in college basketball, and we should use him, early and often.
• Jordan Hamilton can shoot the basketball. He was 4-of-6 from behind the arc and the principal reason for the early double digit lead. Unlike AJ Abrams, Hamilton can shoot over the defense and doesn't require the full participation of his four teammates to get an open look. As teams start to recognize Jordan's ability to pour it in from deep, the lane will be that much more open for Sexy Dex. I'm sure that Barnes still has concerns about Hamilton's defense but expect to see more of Jordan soon.
• Texas had five players in double figures: Hamilton (16 pts), Pittman (15), J'Covan Brown (14), Avery Bradley (11), and Damion James (10). This type of balanced scoring is exactly what this team needs. An off night for any one or two of them won't kill this team.
• Congratulations to Damion James for becoming just the third Longhorn ever to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds!
• The turnovers, especially the careless ones, bother me.
• Pittman, Alexis Wangmene, Gary Johnson, and James did a nice job all night helping protect the rim after the Texas guards over-rotated and allowed dribble penetration.

Post your own game thoughts here.

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Rick may have his most complete Texas team yet. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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Game Recap: The #3 Longhorns notched their first victory of the season, 89-42 over UC Irvine at the Drum behind strong performances from seniors Damion James and Dexter Pittman.

Along with James and Pittman, Varez Ward, Justin Mason, and freshman J'Covan Brown completed the starting lineup. Brown started slowly and sloppily at the point guard spot, and Coach Barnes was forced to sit him down after two early turnovers and again after a couple of more. After the game, Rick said this about his freshman point guard, "J'Covan wore us all out before the games. I've never seen a guy as amped up. Ever."

As will be a theme this season, the depth of this team allowed the ‘Horns to quickly find their stride. Dogus Balbay was inserted for Brown and helped the Longhorns turn a 19-18 deficit after the first ten minutes of action into a 42-21 halftime lead.

Balbay played solid on-the-ball defense and helped protect the ball in the halfcourt where James and Pittman could dominate. Both big men finished with 21 points a piece. Most of Dexter's 10-of-11 from the floor came off dunks or lay ins. James had a few buckets of length but most of his scoring came around the basket as well. The smaller Anteaters were simply overmatched in height, strength, and athleticism.

During the back and forth start, I thought Texas struggled to communicate on defense. There was some confusion on how to defend ball screens. Some players were also over running their pursuit on the pass and over committing on shot fakes. The substitution patters of three, four, or even five players at a time help explain the early defensive lapses. However, after that back and forth start, the Longhorn defense played more consistently and more together. Texas contested shots better, didn't allow second chance points or almost anything in the paint, and, for the most part, controlled dribble penetration.

The outcome was: Exciting. Exciting because this was the first game; exciting because I finally got to see the four freshman live and in a college game; and exciting because the potential of this team is clear.

Unlike last year, this year's Longhorns will not have trouble scoring from the perimeter. Jordan Hamilton and Brown can both shoot the ball from deep. They both have good form, which should help produce consistent buckets, and good size, which will allow them to easily shoot over zones.

Unlike last year, foul trouble, even if it's Dex, won't be an issue. The ‘Horns are deeper than any team in the country and can run as many as 14 different players on the court for double digits in minutes every game.

Unlike last year, Barnes does not have to play smaller, three guard lineups. While Texas did start three guards, that was by choice not out of necessity. Hamilton (6-7) and Williams (6-6) will give Texas excellent size from the wing, and I won't be surprised to see James (6-7) play some at the three too when Rick wants to play with an even bigger lineup. Texas has real size at the two guard spots also. Avery Bradley, listed at 6-2, and Brown, listed at 6-1, both played bigger and stronger than their listed heights. The days of playing two sub six foot guards plus Mason at the wing are thankfully over.

The biggest thing I took away from the ‘Horns first game was potential. Right now, they are so much less than the sum of their parts. And right now, they're pretty good. The parts are all there-talent, size, depth, and experience. There is no reason why Barnes shouldn't be able to mold this team into more than the sum of their individually talented parts and national championship favorites by tourney time.  

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More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Alabama running back Mark Ingram -- the key to the Tide's title hopes. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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After back to back weekends with no major shakeups, college football finally felt a tremor as three of the top ten teams in last week's BCS standings fell. Iowa failed to erase a fourth quarter deficit and lost at home to Northwestern; Oregon fought hard but couldn't overcome the two-headed monster of Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck; and LSU succumbed to injuries, SEC officiating, and the Mark Ingram and Julio Jones show in Tuscaloosa.

So, where does that leave us? We can safely say goodbye to those three teams as the field of potential national champions looks much thinner. If you discount teams, like TCU and Boise State, from non-automatic qualifying leagues, like I do, then you're left with only five teams from BCS conferences who are undefeated or have a single loss and have a legitimate chance at Pasadena-Florida, Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, and Georgia Tech. Sorry, Iowa and Pittsburgh fans, it is just not gonna happen.

I'm not going to go so far as to say the BCS is definitely going to work this year but it probably will. I will not be betting against Texas, Florida, or Alabama dropping a regular season game the rest of the way. And as long as Texas can take care of Kansas State/Nebraska in a virtual home game in Arlington, we'll see two undefeated conference champions play for the national title. Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State fans will have small beefs but nothing significant or foundation shattering to the BCS formula.

Let's quickly play the game of matching teams to their BCS bowl destinations. This is assuming Florida wins out, including an SEC title game victory over an undefeated Alabama, Ohio State defeats Iowa this weekend, and Texas, TCU, and Boise State also win out. Florida and Texas would play for it all giving the Sugar and Fiesta Bowls first and second selections as replacement picks. The Sugar would definitely take the 12-1 Crimson Tide, but the Fiesta's selection is not as clear cut. They could take 12-0 TCU-a reasonable and deserving selection but one without a significant fan base or national draw. They could take 10-2 USC-probable Pac 10 runner ups with an easy geographic tie and guaranteed strong tv ratings. The Fiesta Bowl might also look at 10-2 Oklahoma State, should the Cowboys win out. I think the easy pick here is the USC, though. The Orange Bowl gets the ACC champion automatically, let's say Georgia Tech. After those picks and automatic berths, the bowls would look like this:
BCS Title: Florida vs. Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs.
Fiesta Bowl: USC vs.
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs.

The remaining picks go Orange, then Fiesta, and then Sugar. Cincinnati must be picked as Big East champs and TCU must be picked by virtue of finishing in the top 12 of the final BCS and being highest ranked team from a non-automatic qualifying conference. The last selection is the final at-large one-possible picks are Boise State, Oklahoma State, Miami, Iowa, Penn State, or Houston. These potential picks must have nine wins and finish in the top 14 of the final BCS standings.

I say the Orange grabs Cincinnati, the Fiesta take Oklahoma State, and then the Sugar is left with TCU.

BCS Title: Florida vs. Texas
Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Fiesta Bowl: USC vs. Oklahoma State
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. TCU

In this scenario, Boise State would be left out. Oh well. The Broncos are not done, though and this assumes that Oklahoma State wins out. Notre Dame's loss helped Boise on Saturday as did the Ohio State win in Happy Valley. Had Penn State won, they would have been in great position to earn an at-large bid and the Big Ten would have earned two bids. Now, it looks like the Big Ten will end up with just a single BCS bid. Moving forward, losses by Oklahoma State and Miami down the stretch would significantly improve Boise's chances.

After the jump, a look at this week's Favorites, Contenders, and those that Need Help...

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Another weekend without any majors upsets and we have basically the same situation from a week ago. Florida, Texas, and Alabama are all in great position for a trip to Pasadena; Iowa somehow continues to win; and Cincinnati, TCU, and Boise State are making their best pitches for national respect.

Nine weeks into the season and a surprising seven teams from six different conferences are still undefeated. As I mentioned last week, I am rooting for as much BCS chaos as possible. I would love to hear people justify the brilliance of the BCS if six teams are perfect and computers and voters, who still think Iowa is good, select the two of them who should play for the title. Or, and maybe just as likely, what if only one of Texas, Florida, and Alabama goes undefeated, and the BCS selects a one-loss team to take on the Longhorns over three or four other undefeated conference champions.

Only five more weeks until the BCS doesn't work again. I can hardly wait.

After the jump, a look at this week's Favorites, Contenders, and those that Need Help...

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