SB Nation User Blog: dimecoverage

Bevo's Daily Roundup - July 9, 2006

dimecoverage — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:44:27 -0000

57 days until the Louisiana-Monroe game.

This was ugly.

Another sad episode in the life of Chris Sims. ESPN's Tim Griffin ranks the 2001 Texas-OU game as No.3 on his list of the Big 12's most memorable moments.

The Daily Texan looks at Mack Brown's tenure at UT.

But more important than the national title in 2005, more than the BCS bowl game wins and the eight consecutive 10-win seasons, Brown’s role is that of a bridge. He is the link between the Longhorns’ glorious past and its resurrection to the national stage, obscuring the mediocrity in between.

There is no doubt Brown is the best coach in Texas football history whose name does not reside on the stadium. Like Darrell K Royal before him, he was an outsider brought into the Texas tradition, a fact that did not win him instant acceptance. Along the way, there were struggles. He had a stretch of five consecutive losses to bitter rival Oklahoma and failed to win a BCS bowl or conference championship to start his career on the 40 Acres.

The student daily also looks at Sergio Kindle's unfortunate date with that wall.

According to the Sports Business Journal, UT ranked No. 1 in total sports revenue last year, raking in about $120 million — more than half of which was the product of profits generated from the football program. In other words, Sergio Kindle and his fellow student athletes are big-time money makers for the University.

In fact, divided out evenly, each student-athlete on the football team generated approximately $1.12 million for UT last year.

So sure, Kindle and his teammates might just be football players, but they are far different from you or me in the eyes of the University — and good sense justifies this sentiment...

As Texas law does not address fleeing the scene of accidents resulting in damage to buildings as a crime, Kindle is not guilty of a criminal offense. According to his attorney, Kindle is only required to file a report with the Texas Department of Transportation, which his lawyer said he planned to do last Monday. In other words, Kindle performed all the necessary duties that were required by law.

For once, I would like to see people relax and wait to pass judgment. Most people screaming foul want to make sure Kindle is not receiving special treatment. Seeing as Kindle, like any normal Joe off the drag, is planning to pay for the damages he caused to both the apartment complex and the girl’s personal belongings, I see no further action necessary.

It is hypocritical of people to call for intensified scrutiny and to apply sweeping allegations to a situation just because a student happens to be an extremely valuable, high-profile athlete. I hope that if I was in Kindle’s unfortunate situation, that The Daily Texan and other media outlets would not throw me under the bus.

Dennis Franchione cost A&M a lot more than just their reputation. They're still paying the guy.

The job cuts are part of a university directive designed to reduce the budget by $4.5 million for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

And that comes after the resignation of A&M president Elsa Murano. The Aggies are still paying for Dennis Franchione and his $4.4 million settlement. The Bryan Eagle reports that sales of football season tickets are down for the upcoming season.

These struggles are prompting a lot of grumbling among A&M former students considering the recent economic success at two of the Aggies' biggest rivals.

The Aggies are taking a stroll down memory lane...again. Another video about Aggie Spirit. Mike Sherman wants to bring back the Wrecking Crew.

If you are looking for something to read during the 104 degree heat, here it is. You do not have to like the Aggies to enjoy the book. Bear Bryant at Texas A&M is just great football.

We aren't the only ones having fun with the Aggies.

While here at Tech we continue to push for flagship status, pushing our endowment and research to newer and greater heights, the Aggies continue to humor us. Welcome to A&M.

They are keeping Sam incognito. The OU athletic department is limiting access to Sam Bradford.

Oklahomans are just dying to see the Sooners get beat in Dallas. The Sooners have a 99% season ticket renewal rate.

Crimson and Cream Machine previews the receivers/tight ends.

It is business as usual in Lubbock. Dr. Saturday thinks the Red Raiders are back to their normal status in the Big 12.

This season is critical for establishing a "normal" baseline for the program: Is the '08 leap sustainable at all, or is a return to the 4-4/5-3 range in conference games inevitable? Almost everyone seems to think the latter, which is rational until proven otherwise. The schedule will let the Raiders sleepwalk into another bowl game, but short of an unlikely sweep of Houston, Nebraska and Kansas, it will probably be of the Alamo variety.

Bevo's Daily Roundup - Happy Birthday to Coach Royal

dimecoverage — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:47:14 -0000

You've got to think lucky.
If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket -
you might have caught a fish.
-Darrell K Royal

Darrell K. Royal. What does the "K" stand for?

Born July 6, 1924, Darrell K. Royal has a middle initial but no middle name. The "K" is in honor of his mother, Katy, who died when he was an infant. She succumbed to cancer, but because of the taboo then surrounding the disease, Royal was led to believe until he was grown that she had died giving birth to him.

He was born in Hollis, Oklahoma, and went on to play for the Sooners under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson. Royal played defensive back and quarterback.

He was most noted for his prowess as a defensive back, where his 18 career interceptions and his 3 interceptions in the 1947 game against Oklahoma State are still Sooner records.
His part-time contributions at quarterback had a similar impact, despite having to share time with Jack Mitchell and Claude Arnold at the position. He threw a 43-yard pass against the University of North Carolina in the 1949 Sugar Bowl. He holds the fourth best winning percentage in school history (minimum 15 starts) with a 16-1 mark as a part-time quarterback starter. His 11-0 mark as a starter in 1949 ranks as one of the best seasons in school history.

"A head coach is guided by this main objective: dig, claw, wheedle, coax that fanatical 
effort out of the players. You want them to play every Saturday as if they were 
planting the flag on Iwo Jima." 
-Darrell K Royal

Royal eventually made his way to Texas after coaching stops in Mississippi and Washington. It was fate.

In a delicious twist of fate, Royal became a tremendous quarterback for Bud Wilkinson at Oklahoma, just after World War II when the fabulous Wilkinson era was just beginning. A journeyman assistant after his playing days, Royal was tapped for his first head coaching job by Edmonton of the Canadian Football League and then had so-so sessions in two years as head coach at Mississippi State and one at Washington.

Texans fondly tell the story of how it rained in Austin for the first time in months on the day Royal signed his contract. And, in fact, the terrible Texas drought did end at the time when fate's best twist delivered Royal to the greatest rivals of Bud Wilkinson's Sooners. Parched Texas soil soaked up rain, and not long afterward Longhorn football fans, who had had a terrible drought of their own in the mid-1950s, began wetting parched lips with victory toasts.

He had a great philosophy about coaching.

"I'm the world's biggest coward," he said. "I run scared all the time. I agree with Eisenhower when he said just before the election, 'The opposition always looks 14 feet tall.' But coaching is largely a matter of dealing with people and it's a new world every day. I never feel like I'm going to work when I get up in the morning. It's a wonderful profession when you can earn a living and not feel like you're working to do it.

"The only thing that disturbs me about my profession is the fact that people give you too much credit when you win and too much hell when you lose. I'll be the same person and do the same things when we lose, but people won't believe me. I won't change, but the people will."

A 1964 article in Sports Illustrated called Austin a royal place.

Uninhibited by its intellectual attainments, the University of Texas—and all of Austin, for that matter—explodes with noise on football weekends. At such times one might see a visiting coach on a downtown sidewalk in his pajamas at 7 a.m. begging his own rooters to shut up and let his team sleep. Or a state senator splashing in his underwear in a motel pool at dawn while a party rages around him. Or a faculty member sobering up in the top of an oak tree in Scholz Garten, an old German beer parlor with tables out back, and wondering if he can get down with dignity in time to make it to the game. And from the direction of the stadium come sounds like the Battle of San Jacinto—the drums of the huge Longhorn band, the booming of the cannon in the end zone, the yelling of 65,000 people. Bevo, the university's Longhorn mascot (opposite), is on the sidelines. Later he will be trucked out as thousands push their way toward exits and another night of partying. "Life," says Artist Fletcher Boone, a contented Austin resident, "is just one Texas game after another, with fun in between."

During the 1968 season, Darrell Royal asked his offensive coordinator Emory Bellard to design a new three-man back-field triple option offense. The wishbone formation was born.

I had hoped God would be neutral. -Darrell Royal on seeing a sign in front of a church 
reading Darrell Royal, Cast not thy steers before swine, before the 
1969 Game of the Century

In 1969, Royal coached the Horns to the No. 1 ranking in the polls, Arkansas taking the No.2 spot. The two teams met on December 6, in a game many called The Game of the Century. Texas came back from a 14 point deficit to beat the Razrbacks 15-14.

Still down 14-8, Texas began a desperate drive for the end zone that appeared to stall with 4:47 remaining when Royal opted for yet another gamble on fourth-and-3 from their own 43-yard line. During a timeout that Texas took before the fateful play, Royal shouted at Street, "Right 53 Veer pass." The play was a deep pattern throw to the tight end. The play wasn't in the Texas game plan package. "Are you sure that's the call you want?" Street said. "Damn right I'm sure!" Royal snapped. Street had noticed Arkansas defenders looking into the Texas huddle, so he fixed his gaze on split end Cotton Speyrer while explaining the play to Randy Peschel, saying "Randy, I'm looking and pointing at Cotton, but I'm talking to you." Street then hit Peschel on the dramatic play, with Peschel making a difficult catch over his shoulder in double coverage. It not only converted on fourth down, but also gained 44 yards, putting the Longhorns on the Razorbacks 13.

Two plays later Jim Bertelsen ran in for the game-tying touchdown. Donnie Wigginton, the third-string quarterback who was the holder, made a big save on a high snap and Happy Feller booted the extra point for the winning score with 3:58 remaining.

Texas went on to defeat Joe Theismann and Notre Dame in the 1970 Cotton Bowl.

And so there lies a young man named Cotton Speyrer, all 5'11" and 169 pounds of him, ringing out the old hundred years of college football and ringing in the new, holding onto something called No. 1 and clinging also, for whatever sentimental value it may be worth around Austin, to the very overwrought lives of Darrell Royal and his hordes of Texas Longhorn followers. Speyrer has just wheeled back, knelt, lurched and scooped up a forward pass thrown by another obstinate elf, James Street, on a gravely executed play that will simply have to be filed away among the real treasures of the sport. For it was this gamble in those last fading moments of the Cotton Bowl—this fourth-down pass from one gutty urchin to another—that enabled Texas to defeat a valiant Notre Dame team 21-17 in as courageous a game as any two schools played throughout the whole of the century.

The Notre Dame performance was good enough to have won against any team but Texas. The differences were a hard-running Longhorn backfield that tore out 331 yards rushing from the Wishbone T; a quick-thinking coach who has proved over and over that he can be dagger sharp when a game is, as he puts it, "in heat"; and Street, whose quality of leadership would not allow his team to lose in all of the 20 games that he worked.

Every coach likes those players who, like trained pigs, will grin and jump right in the slop. 
-Darrell K Royal

Did Royal break ground in what could be one of the first product placements? (More fundamental videos part 1, part 2 and part 3.)

Royal was legendary for many reasons, but this was the man that recruited Earl Campbell.

Darrell Royal on Earl Campbell
When Earl ran, snot flew, I haven't seen any snot fly yet.
(Darrell Royal when asked to compare Butch Hadnot to Campbell.)

I don't know if Earl's in a class by himself, but it sure don't take long to call roll.

An incredibly powerful runner, Campbell was probably the only player to take down Bevo.

That collision occurred in 1977 in a game against the University of Houston. Campbell grabbed a pitchout and broke free, angling for the corner of the end zone and then lunging headlong after he scored. "I hit him in the left flank," he says. "Bevo went down, a cameraman went down, and I did too." The impact didn’t knock the massive steer all the way over, but the Longhorn staggered and may have gone down on his haunches. Badly startled, he swung far around, yanking his handler along.

"Before I knew it, I was all up on Bevo," Campbell recalls. "But I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t stop." He looks me over for a moment, then chuckles. "He said, ‘Moooo.’"

Coach Royal retired in 1976, after his first and only non-winning season.

Royal left Texas after his only non-winning season. The Longhorns went 5-5-1 in 1976 and Royal had tragically just lost two of his children in car accidents.

He made the announcement after Texas beat Arkansas 29-12 in the final game of the season. The timing seemed appropriate. Texas had beaten Arkansas seven years earlier in what was called the ``Game of the Century'' to win the national title. That game was the last time Texas had played in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game for the national title until this season. President Richard Nixon attended that game.

``I wanted to go out before people wanted me to,'' Royal said. ``I had all the coaching I wanted.''

Don't matter what they throw at us. Only angry people win football games. -Darrell Royal

Great anecdote about Coach Royal from former UT women's basketball coach Jody Conradt:

"They built the Erwin Center 21 years ago," she said, "and obviously it never occurred to anyone that the women would need a separate locker room. So every room in this place had urinals in it.

"Now we have one of our own. Before one of our games, coach Darrell Royal was kind enough to speak to my team. Before he left, someone asked what the biggest difference was between our locker room and all the ones he knew from all his years of coaching. Coach Royal said: 'Offhand, I can't remember anyone ironing anything before a game in one of our locker rooms.' "

The rest of the Roundup

Dr. Saturday looks at the Horns' Achilles heel.

Still, every giant has his Achilles heel, and as hard as it is to find fault with an offense very likely to top 40 points per game again, in the case of Texas' offense, the target is a fat one: The running game. Quick -- name the 'Horns' starting running back this fall. Even Texas fans might be slow on the draw with that question because it's not clear that they have one, or, after their performance in last year's underwhelming rotation, that one will emerge

The Doc makes his diagnosis of the up-and-coming All-Americans.

Wide Receiver: Malcolm Williams • Texas
Even if you don't remember his name, you'll probably remember Williams as the blur who burned Texas Tech for a 91-yard touchdown on a stop-and-go route last November; that was just moments after he'd hauled in a 37-yard touchdown from Colt McCoy that rejuvenated the Longhorns' hopes in what turned out to be the game of the year. Outside of Lubbock, Williams only had 13 catches, just one for a touchdown, and wasn't much part of the offense after his big game against the Raiders (only five catches in the last four games, none in the Fiesta Bowl). Still, at 18 yards per catch, he clearly comes in as Texas' top field-stretching threat, not a bad position to be in as long as McCoy is in one piece.

ESPN's Pat Forde has put out his best of the 2009 college football rivalry list. We're at the top.

Why It's Hot Now: Everything picks up where it left off last season -- with the Sooners and Longhorns at each other's throats. Both teams should start this year in the top 5. Both quarterbacks, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma and Colt McCoy of Texas, should start the season as prime Heisman Trophy candidates. And neither program has forgotten (or forgiven) the back-and-forth hissing over who deserved to win the Great Big 12 South Tiebreaker Debate of '08. At last count, everyone but the Blue Angels had been hired to fly a biting banner over the other team's stadium. More airplanes and acrimony in '09, please!

Upper Hand Today: Texas. Yes, Oklahoma won the divisional tiebreaker, but the Sooners lost the head-to-head contest last fall. And the Longhorns own the more recent national championship.

Upper Hand Historically: Texas leads the all-time series 58-40-5, but Oklahoma leads 19-16-3 since 1971.

Boomer to Bevo: People don't cry over deaths in the family for as long as you guys have cried over the way last season played out.

Bevo to Boomer: When we get to a January bowl game, we know how to win it.

If Sergio KIndle does this to opposing offenses, it is going to be a good year. Thanks to Barking Carnival for the photo.

Sergio Kindle's accident has made a difference in all our lives. Dave Matter, Columbia Tribune, will now stop texting while he is driving. Columbia (Missouri) is safe.

The athletic department is redecorating.

Congratulations. Former Texas baseball players Kirk Dressendorfer and Keith Moreland will be inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Barking Carnival puts it all in perspective. Thank you for the reminder.

If you like to bet, Texas has 8/1 odds to win the BCS nest season.

Isn't that special. The Aggies really do love us. They posted a UT recruiting video from ~~1986~~ the late 80s.

The Aggies still need part of that government bailout. The A&M athletic department has cut 17 jobs.

At this point, can a bunch of walk-ons do any worse? I Am The 12th Man wants to bring back the concept of the 12th man kick-off team. (In case you weren't around during the Jackie Sherrill era, here is the Wikipedia page.)

There is some good news for the Aggies. Those three national titles in men's and women's track and field and golf have inspired the football and basketball players to improve.

Following the spring championships, (Bill) Byrne said football and basketball players told him they were inspired to improve.

"I've been observing an even more competitive effort in our conditioning drills and weight room workouts this summer," Byrne said, "and it's because they have seen other Aggies get to the highest level, and they want a piece of that as well."

Good luck.

Former OU coach Howard Schnellenberger wasn't as dense as we first thought.

Say what you will about The Voice, he has never run a program where there was even the hint of scandal.

And that is why, when he got out to Oklahoma, he refused to bow down to ‘King’ Switzer.

Howard won’t say it outright, but he felt Switzer had earned his fate through his actions, or inactions, and The Voice was not going to condone that behavior by pretending to like Switzer.

Crimson & Cream Machine is previewing the upcoming season: offensive line and running/full backs.

Baylor's Robert Griffin rushed for 1,118 yards to rank fifth last season among all NCAA quarterbacks, but his overall number was diminsihed due to the number of sacks.

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin's freshman season is another example of how the NFL's process of separating sacks from rushing statistics gives us a clearer picture of running effectiveness.

The rushing totals of Griffin were diminished significantly last season because of the sacks he endured as a passer.

Griffin rushed for 1,118 yards to rank fifth last season among all NCAA quarterbacks. But a preponderance of sacks cost Griffin 275 yards of that gain, dropping him back to 843 yards.

And because of those losses, he wasn't even the leading rusher of his team after the net yardage was sorted out. Tailback Jay Finley nosed him out with 865 yards.

Tulsa World has a Q&A with Mike Gundy.

"I was asked how I handle the pressure. It's the same every year," said Gundy, whose overall record is 27-23. "But now we have good chemistry and some good returning players, so the expectations are a little higher.

"There would be a lot more pressure if I didn't have anybody who could make a play. I've experienced that before. It wasn't any fun."

University of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor Harvey Perlman has been appointed chairman of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee, the ones who will ultimately decide the fate of a college football playoff. Here's a Q&A with the new head.

Q: Why is a playoff not a viable alternative? Is it because it would cut too many teams out of postseason play?

A: It would diminish the bowl structure and it would reduce the number of opportunities for student-athletes to play in the postseason and that's not a good thing. If you look at college football now, it's the greatest sporting event spread over September, October, November, December and a little bit of January that the country has. A playoff would seriously diminish the regular season, as it has in college basketball.

I don't think it's good for college football, I don't think it's good for student-athletes and I don't think it's good for fans. I don't see fans travelling around the country three weeks in succession between December and January following their team. So you're either going to have to play at home sites — which I'm sure everybody will want to play in Nebraska in December and January — or you're gonna have to travel, which means that bowls will cease being intercollegiate events, but will become corporate events, where everybody in, you name the city, will be there except the fans of the teams.

This isn't basketball. This isn't March Madness. Football's a different game, different environment. We have different traditions. It's hard to see why a playoff is a good idea.

In case you need something to read at work. Football Outsiders has a free download of their Big 12 preview.

The Waco Tribune has an interview with Dave Campbell, Dave Campbell's Texas Football.

Smart Football has a great article on football, decisionmaking and the brain. And that Wonderlic test used to evaluate intelligence in NFL players?

This need for amazing decisionmaking that is nevertheless largely reactive is one reason why it is so difficult to evaluate quarterbacks -- or any player. You only get so far by asking Tom Brady "why did you throw it to him" when his answer is "I felt like he was open." And that's with quarterbacks: obviously safeties on defense, or linebackers, or linemen, runningbacks, all rely more or less on this raw emotional intelligence rather than something coolly rational. How do you measure that kind of instictive, non-descriptive intelligence? Yet if a guy doesn't have it, he'll just kill your team with bad "decisions."

Yet what use NFL to evaluate its players' intelligences? The Wonderlic Test. Having just seen the above discussion, where not even Tom Brady's athletic intelligence is necessarily rational or describable in the way a mathematician's or philosopher's is, how useful can this test be? Yes, it can help eliminate some total knuckleheads, in that NFL players must learn large playbooks (and in college must be able to stay eligible lest the idea of student-athlete be completely severed), but most of what makes them elite or not is based on how they react.

62 days until the Louisiana-Monroe game.

Bevo's Daily Roundup - July 2, 2009

dimecoverage — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:24:24 -0000

64 days until the Louisiana-Monroe game.

Earl Thomas has more than just athletic talent. (Video sound quality not the best.)

A great way to spend a summer. Corner back Earl Thomas gives back to his hometown by participating in a football camp.

Thomas and a handful of his Texas Longhorns teammates were instructing at the Dan R. Hooks Football Camp at West Orange-Stark High School Friday and having a blast.

"I was blessed so much when I was growing up, having a community that had my back in everything I wanted to accomplish," said Thomas. "I always want to be someone that can come back to the community and give back to it."

Dennis Dodds picks the Horns to win the Big 12 South.

1. Texas -- Mack Brown smiled when I told I had his pregame speech ready for the OU game. "We beat the Sooners last year, boys. Now let's go out and get some revenge!" Yeah, it's about that and a lot of things for Brown and the Horns. Except for perhaps some suspect running backs, Texas is loaded. Brown has his best team since the 2005 national championship crew. Hybrid defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle should be this season's Brian Orakpo. McCoy is driven not only by the tiebreaker but also his second-place finish in the Heisman. Still, it all boils down to Oct. 17 in Dallas.

ESPN's Tim Griffin has his No.10 most memorable game in the Big 12. It is 1996, Texas vs. Nebraska. No.9 is the A&M-Texas game in 1999. No.8 is Oklahoma's loss to Kansas in 2003.

Mack Brown Texas Football is now twittering.

July 11 Chance Mock, BJ Johnson, and Sloan Thomas will host a fund raiser in memory of Cole Pittman.

Pittman’s closest friends on the team Chance Mock, BJ Johnson, and Sloan Thomas, along with the Pittman family are proud to host the first annual "Tee It Up for Cole P" Golf Tournament. The proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Cole Pittman field house fund, which is being built at his high school in Shreveport.

We are all dying for something football-related to discuss. In 2007 Inside Texas polled their subscribers and complied a list of the top 10 Texas controversies.

1. Major Applewhite vs. Chris Simms

2. Darrell Royal’s successor: Fred Akers or Mike Campbell?

3. Fred Akers’ decision-making

4. The Barry Switzer spying scandal

5. The tenure of John Mackovic

6. Greg Davis’ play-calling

7. Deloss Dodds: Great AD or all about the money?

8. No black players until 1968

9. Meat on the Hoof

10. 1995 Sugar Bowl, "Ron McKelvey" playing past his eligibility

Any new additions?

The Cowboys

What they are saying about Oklohoma State:
At worst, the Cowboys will be wildly entertaining. At best, they will be able to go 
point-for-point with South powers Texas and Oklahoma. — Lindy’s

AP Photo

Mike Gundy seems to be in a quandary. Should he play head coach or offensive coordinator?

Like the new girl in school, everyone seems to be in love with the Cowboys. Dr. Saturday doesn't think she is all that pretty.

That's a nice analogy for summer puppy love, though I think of the Cowboys more as the new girl in school everyone falls for immediately, ignoring some fairly obvious baggage until it's too late. I picked out OSU in February as one of two teams -- along with Ole Miss, whose media bubble has been a fat, frequent target here -- destined to emerge as the hot new thing, and here we are: The Cowboys are a top-10 outfit by most estimations, top-15 at worst, on the strength of last year's near-breakthrough and the four-headed offensive monster (quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter, receiver Dez Bryant and tackle Russell Okung, the last two probably regarded as the best in the country at their respective positions; not to mention Perrish Cox, a first-team All-American at kick returner according to Athlon). For a program with one top-10 finish (No. 5 in the 1945 AP poll) and not even a top-15 finish since the Thurman Thomas/Barry Sanders-powered Pokes finished 11th in 1987 and 1988, this is probably the most hyped team in school history.

It is a shame that the OSU athletic department made you walk so far. OSU players really like their new football facilities. They especially like the fact that they do not have to walk very far to get from the weight room to the locker room.

The Sooners

Athlon Sports has picked the Sooners to win the Big 12 South division.

"We get in our conference room, we order pizza and do all that stuff. Sometimes, we can sort these things out in a few minutes — strengths, weaknesses, schedule — but we really spent a long time on this OU-Texas thing. We had some strong-willed people. Some of us liked Oklahoma. Some of them liked Texas. We battled it out and in the end, Oklahoma got the nod. But obviously, we think these two teams are pretty close, with Oklahoma No. 2 in the nation and Texas No. 3 in the nation. Both teams have a few points of concern, but for the most part, there’s a lot to like about both these teams."

The Sooners have a freshman taking over as center this season.

Being in the middle of Oklahoma's biggest question mark isn't something that Ben Habern shies away from.

In fact, the Sooners' freshman center is excited about the opportunity to prove something to the doubters who are wondering about Oklahoma's young offensive line heading into the upcoming season with four new starters.

"There are a lot of people who don't think we have enough talent to make it through the Big 12 or to a big bowl game," Habern said. "But a lot of people aren't here during our practices. We've seen how athletic we are."

Already looking for a new coach?

The Aggies are very excited about next football season. They have already put out ~~propaganda~~ a video featuring head coach Mike Sherman talking about Aggie Spirit.

We can only imagine the fun that will ensue at this event. Mike Leach hosts a women's football clinic and a style show.

Head Football Coach Mike Leach and former Lady Raiders Coach Marsha Sharp have teamed up to present an enhanced evening of fun, football and style as the 2009 Mike Leach/ASCO Women's Football Clinic will now also feature a style show and dinner with some of the proceeds benefiting the Marsha Sharp Leadership Circle.

As you can see from this photo, Leach is exactly where you want to get your fashion advice.

Behold, Tech's anointed one.

This sums it up well.

Factory, (noun): Any place producing a uniform product, without concern for individuality. Origin: 1550.

Used in a sentence: Lubbock, Texas, is a factory for producing quarterbacks who post astronomical numbers on the football field.

Football is not a contact sport-it is a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport. -Duffy Daugherty. The biggest collisions come in the trenches. Dave Matter, Columbia Tribune, has the a list of the best lineman in the conference.

Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing might be willing to give the NFL a try.

The Colorado athletic department got a windfall from a donor. 4.75 million to be exact.

We can all relate to this article.

Have a great 4th of July.

Free event with Brown and coaching staff

dimecoverage — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:47:21 -0000

From TexasSports.com

The Austin Longhorns Club, The Longhorn Foundation and the T-Association invite you and your guests to kick off the 2009 Texas Football season with Head Coach Mack Brown and his coaching staff.

This will be your first chance to sign up for the fall Austin Longhorns Club.

Sunday, July 19, 2009
5:30-7:30 p.m.

Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Red McCombs Red Zone (enter through Gate 16)

Admission is free and no pre-registration is required. Light snacks, iced tea, lemonade and a cash bar are available at the reception.

Guests will have access on the field to view the new turf! Enjoy this special opportunity to visit with the coaches in a relaxed environment.

For more information, contact Longhorn Foundation staff at (512) 471-4439 or austinlc@athletics.utexas.edu, Austin Longhorns Club president Kyle Parks at kparks@mlrpc.com, or Carol Hastings (with the T-Association) at carol.hastings@athletics.utexas.edu.

Texas Gridiron Kick-Off

dimecoverage — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:48:33 -0000

Mack Brown, Will Muschamp and Greg Davis will be talking about the upcoming season on August 7th at the Austin Convention Center, Noon-1:30 P.M. The cost is $55 per person. The event is hosted by the Austin Sports Commission.

Information:
The Austin Sports Commission invites you to join us at the Austin Convention Center to enjoy lunch with some of
the most famous names in college football. Be there as Mack Brown discusses the upcoming Longhorn season
alongside offensive coordinator, Greg Davis and defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp. This year’s event will
mark the UT Football coaching staff’s final public appearance and final discussion before the season kicks off.
ESPN broadcaster Ron Franklin will conduct a panel interview with the coaches. The “Voice of the Longhorns,”
Craig Way, will be on hand to recognize local high school standouts as part of the Austin American Statesman’s
Preseason All-Centex Team.

Bevo's Daily Roundup - June 29, 2009

dimecoverage — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:37:42 -0000

67 days until the Louisiana-Monroe game.

Now we know we are getting close. Media days. July 29th is the big day for the Horns. The schools do not announce what players they are bringing to the media event, but ESPN's Tim Griffin has his wish list.

KU Sports muses over the Colt McCoy vs.Vince Young issue in Texas football history.

I think Big 12 fans think of McCoy as a really good QB. Statistically, he is far and away the best to ever play at Texas. But I get the feeling he's not historically great just yet in the eyes of Longhorns fans.

That's because historically great at Texas tips the scale in favor of trophies over stats. Particularly now, in an age where throwing for 300 yards in the Big 12 is hardly front-page news. No, historically great at Texas can be summed up by Keith Jackson in three words: "Vince...Young...scores."

McCoy isn't quite on that historical level, but he's close. Texas is a consensus Top 5 team this season, and much of the reason is because of McCoy's leadership and experience. He should be a finalist again for the Heisman Trophy and the Longhorns have every intent of playing for the BCS Championship.

If McCoy wins the Heisman — Vince Young never did — and leads Texas to a BCS Championship this season, he won't only be the best quarterback in UT football history, but perhaps the greatest player to ever wear a Longhorns uniform.

Such are the expectations at Texas.

Tim Griffin is still counting down his list of the Big 12's most memorable football games. The 2001 UT-Colorado game comes in at No. 11. Sorry I missed No. 22. It is a much better memory for the Horns.

I'm sure you have heard, but Sergo Kindle ran into a wall (literally) and suffered a concussion.

Baseball

"I don’t think we lost this tournament," said Texas head coach Augie Garrido, fighting back 
tears of his own after the game. "LSU won it. They did everything they needed to 
beat us, twice. They deserve to be champions."

We have absolutely nothing to complain about.

But Augie sure tried. He motivated his players, coaching until the end. Eventually, you just have to sit back and let the game unfold as it will.

And maybe that was his game plan after all. As a veteran of this sport, the man knows when to allow his players the freedom to form their own destinies.

In the end, it was the Tigers against the Horns on the field, and eventually the Tigers simply decided to outplay their burnt orange counterparts. To no one’s fault, not even Augie’s, Lousiana State cashed in on its nine-year CWS drought with a stellar performance that turned the Longhorns from a team of destiny to just another case of too little luck too late.

The College World Series was a ratings bonanza for ESPN.

Oh, please. And just how many times has A&M been to the college world series?

The Sooners

Bob Stoops is starting the press tour early. He is already pushing the Sooner defense. And he is really sorry for being such a jerk to the Sooner fan base.

"I do apologize about calling you out before the Texas Tech game," Stoops said. "I did not mean to offend anybody. I was challenging you, though. Let's face it: anybody have fun at that game?"

Stoops' challenge last November was clear: OU fans aren't loud enough. They cheer just fine, but they don't punish visitors with an unrelenting crush of noise. His team needed just that, he said, when it was to face the No. 2-ranked Red Raiders in a few days.

We really liked your special teams play last year. OU published the special teams depth chart and Stoops talks about the players who missed spring workouts because of injury.

We get to see Bob's face on the sideline of the Cotton Bowl until 2015. Not only did Bob Stoops receive a lot of money from the OU athletic department, but the school did as well.

Not surprisingly, the headline-grabbing news coming out of yesterday's OU Board of Regents meeting in Ardmore was this: "Stoops is college football's $5 million man."

Equally not surprising was that this headline didn't receive similar attention: "OU athletics give $3 million to academics."

In fact, the OU football coaching staff cleaned up. Not bad for losing the national championships how many times?

Oklahoma State

MIke Gundy will be around, too, even though he hasn't signed his contract.

The OSU/A&M Board of Regents announced last December that it had approved a new seven-year contract worth $15.7 million for Gundy, who is 27-23 in four seasons at his alma mater.

The contract, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2009 and runs through December 2015, pays Gundy an annual compensation of more than $2.2 million per season. His previous six-year contract, which escalated in value each season, was worth $1,053,000 in 2008.

Six months after it was approved, Gundy has yet to place his John Hancock on the dotted line. Not to worry, according to Holder.

Some guy named Geoff in Oklahoma has quite a bit if time on his hands. He spent hours researching which Okie school has a better basketball program. Looks like the Sooners win again.

Overall record: OU 1,468-936 (.611) OSU 1452-1018 (.588).

Bedlam Wins: OU 126, OSU 89

Winning coaches: OU 10, OSU 6

All-Americans: OU 22, OSU 17

Conference titles: OU 22, OSU 17

1,000-point scorers: OU 35, OSU 30

Draft selections: OU 42, OSU 32

NCAA appearances: OU 26, OSU 23

Home-court win streak: OU 51, OSU 46

It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

This is an Aggie joke, right? The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News put out their annual ranking of the top football programs and A&M came in at No. 19.

(Video music may not be NSFW.)

The New York Times college football blog The Quad ranks Kansas at No. 70 in the 120 to 1 2009 countdown.

Colorado's Dan Hawkins is very optimistic about the Buffs chances this season.

Despite a 13-24 record through his first three seasons in Boulder, Hawkins didn't cringe when a reporter asked him Thursday if the Buffs were in position to make a run at the Big 12 title this fall.

"Do we have the potential to do that? Yes, we do," Hawkins said after a long pause. "But you've got to get hot, you've got to get some confidence going, you've got to avoid injuries. And then you never know how those things will go. But I think we're definitely getting closer to knocking on the door."

Big 12 Sports asked some sports writers to rank the games of the 2008 season. We probably have some idea about what will come in at No. 1.

As far as we're concerned, we already have. The Big 12 appears ready to surpass the SEC in football.

ESPN's Tim Griffin really wants football season to get here. He's fantasizing about Big 12- SEC match ups.

This is the only sports channel that we do not have that we desperately want: Big 12 Network. Maybe one day...

Dr. Saturday looks at pass vs. run in college football. And he has a hand-out.

As if you couldn't see this one coming. The college football playoff proposal was sacked.

And finally...

Our thoughts go out to former Tech quarterback Graham Harrell, his father and his family. Sam Harrell, long time Ennis High School head football coach, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis four years ago but just let the public know about his condition. We wish Coach Harrell a very long and properous life and career.

Bevo's Daily Round Up - June 25, 2009

dimecoverage — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:57:18 -0000

We'll be back. Augie Garrido believes the young Horns have a great future.

Texas lost to LSU in the College World Series finals, but coach Augie Garrido has a hunch his Longhorns might be back soon.

"This is the beginning of a new era of Texas baseball in Omaha,'' Garrido said after Wednesday night's 11-4 loss. "We didn't have a player who played in the College World Series before, and they finished second.''

And he plans to be around for a long time.

Asked how long he planned to keep doing what he's doing, Garrido responded: "For me, this is a lifestyle, it's not a job. As long as I'm healthy and feel the way I do about the players and continue to be effective, then this is what I want to do. ...

"I don't know if it's a chronological number. I think it's about health, I think it's about attitude. You're going to get older but you can stay immature forever."

You had better be kidding... Richard Justice has some thoughts on our head coach.

If Texas didn't care about winning, it would change its name to Baylor or Texas A&M. That won't be happening. Texas is about winning.

Texas was the next-to-last team standing in college baseball, and that ought to buy Augie another season. Just one more thought. Next season, it's win or else. We're Texas.

Counting down the days...71 until the Louisiana-Monroe game.

Colt McCoy is making the rounds this summer.

What new players will have the biggest impact in the Big 12 this season? Columbia Tribune's Dave Matter has a list.

5. Alex Okafor, DE, Texas: You don’t see many defensive linemen graduate high school early and participate in spring practices as true freshmen, but that’s how Okafor found himself in the mix for playing time this fall. His early arrival already has Texas fans drawing comparisons to departed All-American Brian Orakpo.

"We’ve been really pleased with Alex Okafor throughout the spring," Texas Coach Mack Brown told reporters. "For Alex to come in and do what he has done as a pass rusher and just a senior in high school has been really fun for us to watch. He’s got so much potential, and he will get stronger."

This is just too painful to remember. Why even bring it up? ESPN's Tim Griffin calls this UT game in 1997 one of the Big 12's most memorable?

They said it, part I: "My family's out there waiting. I know it sounds horrible, but I don't want to look them in the eye. Playing sports all my life, fighting with my brother, I've never seen something like this. It's embarrassing," Texas center Ryan Fiebiger, who told reporters of his angst after the loss.

They said it, part II: "What do you say to friends and family who see this score?" Texas coach John Mackovic after the loss.

They said it, part III: "When the landslide starts, it's hard to get it stopped. I feel bad for John," UCLA coach Bob Toledo, who spoke after the game of his empathy for Mackovic.

They said it, part IV: "At least the band kept playing." The classic first paragraph in Kirk Bohls' column about the game.

The upshot: Mackovic was never able to overcome the loss as he was fired after the season ended. Only a year after the Longhorns claimed the Big 12 title, Texas finished 4-7. But the Longhorns have been to a bowl game every season since hiring Mack Brown.

Rick Barnes does more than just coach a good game.

There is, in unofficial NBA parlance, an entity called the 300 Club, a loose reference to the theory that based on talent alone there may be 300 players out there who theoretically could play in the league if only they didn’t lack the mind-set.

Longhorns coach Rick Barnes and his support staff make a concerted effort to assure that their NBA-skilled players do not qualify for the 300 Club. Based on the high percentage of Texas’ NBA-worthy players who succeed at the next level, it appears that effort more often than not succeeds.

"I do think people in the NBA have a great respect, not only for that program, but also for Rick Barnes and the way he both coaches his kids and how he prepares them [for the NBA]," one NBA talent evaluator said.

Barnes' supports a player's decision to enter the NBA draft early (one-and-done) as long as the player takes care of school work to meet the NCAA's APR guidelines.

Texas coach Rick Barnes has a unique perspective on the one-and-done players and how to keep academic integrity. He says he talks to perspective student-athletes who might have that opportunity to exit for the NBA early and explains if they do so that he is OK with their decision as long as they take care of their school work during that spring semester.

It worked with Kevin Durant, who left the Longhorns after one spectacular season in 2007. Barnes had the same conversation with D.J. Augustin, T.J. Ford and LaMarcus Aldridge. He hasn't had a problem with the NCAA and its APR guidelines.

"If a person told me they wouldn't do that then we wouldn't recruit them," Barnes said. "That's a decision we have to make it so we lay that out."

Longhorn guard Harrison Smith is transferring.

This makes you wonder if coaches sit around in their offices planning to one-up the other. Mack Brown isn't the only coach signing players years in advance.

Matt Hayes, Sporting News, ranks college football's top offensive units.

2. Oklahoma. With junior All-American Sam Bradford likely headed to the NFL after this season, the Sooners want to get freshman backup Landry Jones some meaningful snaps.

3. Texas. Check out Colt McCoy's three-year numbers: 85 touchdown passes, 9,732 passing yards, 17 rushing touchdowns. Texas wants to get gifted backup John Chiles -- the team's best runner -- snaps in zone-read sets.

Yea, we're not buying Bob's story either. OU's coach claims concern over the offensive line, but people aren't really buying into that theory.

By the way, Bob Stoops is a very rich man.

Iowa State offered a football scholarship to a player that didn't even play football last season.

West Des Moines Valley punter Kirby Van Der Kamp received and Sunday accepted a scholarship offer to attend Iowa State and he didn't even punt last season.

The senior-to-be performed so well at a special teams camp last week that new Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads came forth with an offer.

"It really came out of nowhere," Van Der Kamp said Sunday. "I was thinking that I'd have to put up some numbers in a game before someone would start looking at me."

Wait until Les Miles hears about this. The Aggies see Shreveport as a recruiting mecca.

The Aggies are ranked No. 72. Whoop. The Quad, the New York Times college sports blog, is ranking football teams 120 to 1. The interesting tidbit from the article:

Tidbit (U.T. edition): Or T.U., standing for "Texas University," as A&M often refers to the rival Longhorns. The relationship between the two colleges, contentious on its best day, can be summed up in A&M’s fight song, the Aggie War Hymn. The song has 23 lines, 13 of which (by my count) reference their neighbors in Austin. For example, the War Hymn (sung to the tune of "Goodbye, My Coney Island Baby") starts "Goodbye to Texas University," and continues with lines like "the eyes of Texas are upon you/That is the song they sing so well/Sounds Like Hell/So goodbye to Texas University/We’re going to beat you all to…" Of course, the final stanza is great fun, as Aggie fans repeat "Saw varsity’s horns off" while locking arms and swaying in unison, replicating the motion of a blade. I shiver at the thought of what a group of Aggie students would do to Bevo if they ever got their hands on him.

We just love it when someone uses the Aggies as an example. Tim Griffin writes about how sacks skew rushing statistics in college football.

Take Texas A&M, which had trouble protecting the quarterback last season. The Aggies averaged 2.9 yards per carry, but those statistics were limited because the Aggies also led the conference in sacks allowed and yards lost in sacks. When those numbers are removed from the rushing total, the Aggies then averaged 4.2 yards per rush.

The Aggies' inability to protect the quarterback shouldn't detract from their running backs' rushing averages.

There are two distinctly different skills that are being measured in running the ball and protecting a passer. And they shouldn't be lumped together.

Good news from Manhattan. According to the Kansas State's outgoing president Jon Wefald, there will be no more questionable financial bombshells.

Kansas State has been rocked in recent weeks by disclosures of what appear to be questionable financial decisions, beginning with what the university contends was a secret deal to funnel more than $3 million in deferred compensation to former football coach Ron Prince.

One of the greatest resources in the state: Dave Campbell's Football Magazine.

Always on the lookout for summer sports reading material in the late '50s, he'd lamented the dearth of space afforded college football, especially the Southwest Conference variety. Even Notre Dame rated scant coverage. What little you could find came directly from colleges or less reliable sources. The copy had more holes in it than Clyde Barrow's getaway car.

And so young Dave came up with a plan that didn't rely on local beer barons, an iffy bunch anyway, this being Waco in 1959.

"If someone could send reporters to each campus, get fresh interviews and up-to-date information," young Dave thought to himself, "he'd have something."

We lost the national championship to LSU. We're pathetic. A&M has three, count em' three, national titles this year. Are you people happy now? Will this make your year? And how far did that ranked Aggie baseball team get this year? And weren't the Aggies picked to win the conference? How did that work out for you?

Aggies, before you pat yourself on the back too may times, you might want to read this.

LSU and Texas have racked up 20 national championships in all sports this decade - with one more on the way. The two teams vying for the College World Series crown have been two of the best in college sports since 2000.

The Tiigers and Longhorns have seen success on the gridiron, taking three championships - 2003, 2005, 2007. They didn't let up on the diamond, claiming titles in 2000, 2002, 2005 and now another in 2009.

Texas also scored in the pool, winning swimming and diving championships from 2000-2002.

One of the biggest shining points for both schools in the ‘00s have been on the track. One of the schools won either an indoor or outdoor track and field championship every year besides 2007 and 2009.

Basketball is a third pony at both schools, but they have reached some prosperity on the court. The Tigers made it to the Final Four in 2006, while the Longhorns took the Big 12 regular season title in 2006 and 2008.

Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr. The Aggies sure blew this.

Who knew? There is actually an Arkansas Razorback that owns and can operate a computer.

And finally...

Rest in peace. Farrah Fawcett, the beautiful, vivacious and iconic former UT student, lost her courageous battle with cancer.

LSU starter

dimecoverage — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:40:16 -0000

LSU pitcher Austin Ross, right-hander, gets the start tonight.

Bevo's Daily Roundup - June 22, 2009

dimecoverage — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:46:59 -0000

The thrilling run has led some to label them a team of destiny. Excuse the Longhorns if they don't quite see it that way.

"We haven't done anything yet," reliever Austin Wood said. "We expect to get here every year, whether we do or not. That's not the point. The tradition at Texas is to win national championships.

"We've put ourselves in great position to do it, finally. We've put ourselves in some tough positions during the tournament, but we know if we play our brand of baseball, we're pretty good."

The Dallas Morning News

AP Photo/Ted Kirk

"Do you think this team has what it takes to beat a team that is playing as well and is as hot as LSU?" Augie was asked by the ESPN crew Saturday.

"I don’t know," he deadpanned. "Ask me that question in hindsight."

TexasSports.com

The Horns and the Tigers have been on a collision course.

"Up to this point, we've been kind of rolling pretty well," LSU designated hitter Blake Dean said. "So, I don't think we've reached a stress point any game here lately."

Garrido has noticed.

"I mean, they've earned everything that they've gotten so far," he said. "So please don't misunderstand me. They've done a great job in the tournament. But if we had to stretch this out and play (Saturday), it would have weakened us certainly."

It seems only fitting that two of the blue blood baseball programs in the country will meet for the title.

The sport’s winningest coach, Augie Garrido, will be in the UT dugout in search of his sixth national championship overall, and his third national crown with Texas since 2002.

All numbers aside, all that matters to the Tigers is that the team across the diamond is wearing that burnt orange with the familiar ‘T’ on its caps.

"I love it," LSU senior Louis Coleman said. "Growing up, I didn’t know too much about college baseball but when I started listening, all I heard about was Texas and LSU being the greatest programs."

The Longhorns know drama.

Connor Rowe made his mom cry Friday night, and he couldn't be prouder.

"It really didn't hit me what I had done until I got back to the hotel," Rowe said. "I went to hug my mom, and she was bawling. I think it meant more to her than it does to me.

"She still can't believe it happened. I'm a little proud that I could do that for my mom."

The Longhorns have taken their fans on an emotional ride since the NCAA tournament began May 29. They have won games with a walkoff grand slam and a walkoff walk. They've staged several rallies, none as dramatic as Friday's ninth-inning comeback against the Sun Devils.

The Tiger's head coach is ready to play Augie Garrido.

"If you're a hitter, you want to face the best pitcher in the country," Mainieri said Saturday at practice. "If you're a pitcher, you want to get the All-American hitter out. What do I get to do? I look across at the other dugout and see Augie Garrido. I say, 'Wow, this is the big time.' We're going to match wits, Augie and I, for the national championship. Are you kidding me? You can't dream that up. I'm so looking forward to it."Don't get me wrong. I don't think I'm going to outcoach Augie Garrido during the game. He's been around too long. He's too bright. I just relish the challenge of it."

In fact, the Horns were Mainieri's choice.

Mainieri can say it now. The LSU coach, if his team reached the championship series, wanted to play Texas.

"Not because I felt like we had a better chance against Texas — and all the other teams are outstanding, too — but Texas represents a program of excellence," said Mainieri, citing the Longhorns' tradition and Garrido's career. "If this coach (Mainieri) is ever fortunate enough to coach a national champion, that's the kind of team you're supposed to beat."

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

Maybe we should do an article on the most overrated sports writers... In case you missed it, Pete Flutak thinks we are overrated.

Texas - It's all relative. Everyone feels bad about what happened to the Longhorns last year so they're the automatic No. 2 pick over Oklahoma. I have a gut feeling that the Sooners, rebuilt O line and all, are better, and I have another gut feeling (or maybe it's the burrito I ate) that there will be at least two losses (OU and Oklahoma State). Again, it's all relative. Of course this is a top five team.

ESPN's Tim Griffin has some thoughts on just that subject.

Texas has a few running backs on the roster. Here's a preview.

Colt McCoy has a very busy summer.

Yippee. According to Matt Hayes, Sporting News, we don't actually have the Big 12 's worst nonconference schedule.

Barking Carnival went to the Frank Denius lecture series at the UT Club and came back with a whole bunch of Muschamp.

Muschamp’s three ringleaders on defense are Earl Thomas, Rod Muckelroy, and Sergio Kindle. In a word: relenteless. We don’t have much depth at tackle and some people need to step up. This isn’t news but when Muschamp says it you get the sense that every DT on the roster is well aware of this little predicament. He loves the athleticism of his secondary and this year they’ll actually know what position to be in. We don’t have a lot of LBs but loves his first four and looks for a big year from E. Acho. Tariq Allen needs to lose some weight but he hits people. Hard. Like Will Muschamp would if he didn’t have a foot long steel rod in his leg. Or on his desk somewhere.

Other quotes that caused instant murmurs of giddyness and highstepping back to the parking garage:

You’re going to need a GPS to find Sergio Kindle on gameday.

Baylor's football team is one to watch next season. They expect that a strong finish in the 2008 season will carry over into 2009.

Whatever you want to call it... they just need help. The Aggie football program needs a makeover. I Am The 12th Man calls it rebuilding.

Thanks, Joe. When Joe Castiglione took over as AD at Oklahoma, he inherited a mess. But save your sympathy. This is the man that hired Bob Stoops.

Castiglione knew he'd found his man in Florida defensive coordinator Bob Stoops. But Stoops delayed giving him an answer because he had agreed to also interview at Iowa. When officials from his alma mater slow-played him by telling Stoops they had another interview to complete, he walked out of the room, called his agent and said he was taking the Sooner job.

This seems like a waste of blog space. The post should only consist of two words: Sam Bradford. The Crimson and Cream Machine previews their upcoming season. The first position to review? Quarterback.

Very sad news... One of the 2009 Sooner recruits won't make it to Norman this year.

The Sooners celebrate an anniversary.

Switzer responds to a 1989 Tulsa Tribune editorial calling for his resignation by saying, "Why should I? I know I never asked anybody, coach or alumni, to cheat for me. My violations are things out of not knowing the little rules."

An article on everyone's favorite scalawag coach from OU.

And another...

Obviously Barry doesn't realize that he caused some problems for Oklahoma.

Did the end of the Barry Switzer era at OU also end the era of the Wishbone offense?

What happened to... The Atlanta Constitutional Journal has an article on Josh Jarboe. (Video NSFW)

Everyone is feeling the pinch. Big 12 athletic departments find ways to save money.

For instance? Both UT and A&M have cut out free soft drinks for their athletic department employees. They've cut sharply down on their use of printers — "Ink costs quite a bit of money," Dodds said — and urged their workers to be money-smart on the road.

"Like where they park at the airport," Dodds said. "Those little things add up, and over a year's time might save you a half-million dollars."

The bigger things include fewer chartered flights, more of the commercial variety and more bus rides.

Must be tough in the state of Oklahoma, too. Someone is selling 2 OU football 2009 season tickets. The tickets include all the great Sooner football amenities: Access to club level bathrooms, concessions, elevator, TV's, air conditioned area w/ tables, etc. Seats have arm rests and backs. Front row with no one obstructing your view.

Yes, Tom, we had the same reaction when we heard Oklahoma was going to Miami. In 1978, Nebraska upset the No. 1 ranked Sooners then received an Orange Bowl berth. The Orange Bowl committee, in their wisdom, decided the best opponent for Nebraska would be... Oklahoma. This video has Nebraska coach Tom Osbourne's reaction. Classic. Thanks to Dr. Saturday for finding this gem.

For all the number crunchers out there. The National Championship Issue has done a study of loses in the AP & Coaches Poll.

More numbers. The National Championship Issue has found that nearly 75% of the first place votes cast (AP & Coaches Poll combined) in the BCS era went to one of five teams. The remaining 25% were were spread among another 28 teams.

It is hard to imagine the Cotton Bowl without Fair Park.

And finally...

This gets my vote for the biggest pile of crap that I have read in a while. I bet you will agree. (No, Thayer Evans hasn't shown up on the radar lately.)

[Note by dimecoverage, 06/21/09 5:24 PM PDT Addition to BDR... Fabulous article in repsonse to John Lopez's diatribe about UT bias in the media. Even better is the part about Garrido and the Horns.]

From Richard Justice's article in the Houston Chronicle:

Now about these Longhorns, and if you don't like these Longhorns, you probably don't like the black bean nachos with extra jalapenos at Berryhill.

Sometimes, a team becomes something more than a team. It becomes a living, breathing organism that functions as one. It's the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

That's what Augie Garrido has constructed with these Longhorns. If you take them apart piece by piece, you might not be all that impressed.

They're essentially nothing more than a very fundamentally sound, very smart baseball team. They do the basics. They pitch the ball and catch it. Doing those things isn't enough to win a national championship.

That's where the magic comes in. The Longhorns advanced to the championship round of the College World Series Friday night by rallying from behind three times to, finally, beat Arizona State with ninth-inning home runs from Cameron Rupp and Connor Rowe.

Three days earlier, the Longhorns had come from six runs down to beat the Sun Devils.

They'd trailed Southern Miss in the eighth inning, got the lead back in the bottom of the eighth, then lost it again, only to win in the bottom of the ninth. Magic? You're darn right.

Remember they had to go 25 innings to beat Boston College and survive the first round of the tournament.

Bevo's Daily Roundup - June 20, 2009

dimecoverage — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:15:12 -0000

"This is like going to the rodeo and riding one of those bulls and trying to stay on for eight seconds," Garrido said of coaching these Longhorns. "You know it's going to buck you off sooner or later, but you just keep trying to stay on for the ride." This quote is from a story about the first game with Arizona State, but it sums up the Horns' ride at the CWS pretty well.

Once again, just awesome.

The Longhorns weren’t great. Their play was flat out ugly at times. But as they’ve shown time and again in the postseason, the Longhorns have a flair for the dramatic.

Trailing the 3-2 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Cameron Rupp rocketed a home run to tie the game. Two batters and another out later, Connor Rowe deposited the first pitch from Arizona State reliever Mitchell Lambson over the left field fence to win the game 4-3.

Texas did it again.

"The two home runs were about as dramatic as you can get," Augie Garrido.

This is one people will talk about years later.

No matter what has happened in the historic run of Rosenblatt Stadium, and no matter what still lies ahead in this dying old ballpark, the ninth inning on Friday night will be talked about as long as the College World Series is played in this town.

Quite simply, it was one for the ages.

Cameron Rupp and Connor Rowe both knew it was gone.

So did Rowe. "That ball was crushed.’’

Rupp, who homered twice in Tuesday’s win, tied the game when he drove a 3-1 pitch from Lambson over the center-field wall for his 11th homer of the season.

"I knew it was gone when I hit it,’’ he said.

LSU has played the best baseball in this year's CWS, but they can't match the horns in one area.

Texas coach Augie Garrido conceded that his team’s College World Series finals opponent has played the best baseball of any team in Omaha.

LSU, after all, has hit nine home runs and holds a 32-11 scoring advantage in its three wins.

"But if it’s about drama," Garrido said, "we’ve got that."

Yes, the Longhorns certainly do.

Austin American-Statesman writer Kirk Bohls summed it up the next game beautifully: LSU beware.

Just some friendly advice from your neighborhood psychic.

You Tigers have played your pants off. You've hit nine home runs in the College World Series. Your next error in the CWS will be your first. You pitch great.

For good luck, your coach, Paul Mainieri, even eats at the same local Italian restaurant that's the favorite of Augie Garrido. You might even have used the same silverware, but we know you're after his hardware.

You know, that big, shiny CWS championship trophy. The one that Garrido has stacked five high somewhere in his closet.

But Texas has something going for it, something mystical, something unbelievable that only those rare teams with a deep, deep resolve have.

AP Photo.

Everyone loves to see the ball heading Brandon Loy 's way.

The one constant has been that every ball hit by an opponent within diving distance of shortstop has turned into an out.

"Any time we’re in a tough spot, you love to see the ball hit his way," UT catcher Cameron Rupp said. "When the ball is hit to him, he’s like a vacuum cleaner."

Not the greatest video quality, but one of the best moments in the movie.

The team's poise and patience comes straight from the top: Augie Garrido.

"How you perceive yourself has more to do in what you become than your skill or your talent," said Garrido, whose team plays today's North Carolina-Arizona State winner at 6 p.m. Friday. "So if you perceive yourself as a loser, you're going to lose. We had just finished three innings as the Bad News Bears. I reminded them that even the Bad News Bears were good by the end of the movie."

Not only do the players get baseball tips from their coach, but philosophy as well.

There are still times, though, when the Longhorns are confused. These are snippets of wisdom and advice Garrido has given his players and a few outsiders just this month:

"The second you start to try, you fail."

"Pressure is a choice."

"Total offense means doing what the ball tells you to do."

Somehow, the style works, like it did when Garrido calmly told the Longhorns during Tuesday’s 10-6 victory over Arizona State that they were going to overcome a six-run deficit. But that doesn’t mean everyone understands.

"Sometimes," second baseman Travis Tucker said, "we all look at each other and say, ‘What did he just say?’ "

Garrido's pep talk when the team was down 6-0 to ASU in the fourth inning may go down as one of the best.

Garrido sensed that yelling at his players would only sink their hopes. So Garrido, the Phil Jackson of college baseball, told the squad to think about how much fun they could have by coming back and winning. And heck, even the Bad News Bears were playing well by the end of the movie.

LSU

You gotta like a guy with a great laugh.

Introducing Jared Mitchell, LSU's right fielder. He likes to talk.

"He likes to joke around and keep everybody lose," Mainieri said. "At the same, he works extremely hard too, so there is some leadership by example. Jared is just a great kid to have around. He works hard, and he goes out and plays hard every day."

Thanks to Les Miles, Jared Mitchell went in the first round of the MLB draft.

Some late season position changes put LSU in the driver's seat to a CWS title run.

"We were 28-12 and had about 16 games to go, and I felt I knew my team as well as I possibly could at that point," he said. "I asked myself if we could win the national championship with things the way they were set up then. I wasn't sure we could. I thought we could be better."

Mainieri did what many coaches would never have attempted: He made drastic changes to a lineup that featured seven starters who had taken LSU to the College World Series the year before.

Louis Coleman , the SEC Pitcher of the Year, is a tough competitor.

"He takes practice like a game," Gibbs said. "I remember facing him in fall ball and it seemed like he was out there in Omaha. Once he gets on the mound, he's so zoned in. Off the field, though, he's just another guy. He's real relaxed, and that's the thing I love about him. You know that once he crosses the foul line, he's a totally different guy and he's going to be the most competitive person out there."

It has had a trickle-down effect on his teammates. Coleman has taken freshman reliever Matty Ott under his wing. ... "He just taught me the mental aspect of the game, that it's going to get tough sometimes, and you've got to battle through it," Otto said. "But if you work hard and battle through it, you're going to be successful most of the time."

The Tigers can beat you up, down and two ways from Sunday.

Eight LSU players have at least 40 RBI, and eight are hitting over .300. The Tigers have 99 home runs and 112 stolen bases. Schimpf and Sean Ochinko homered in LSU's 9-5 opening win in Omaha against Virginia. Mahtook, Nola and all-SEC designated hitter Blake Dean homered in a 9-1 beat-down of Arkansas.

"They've got a solid, solid college lineup with some pop and some good speed in there," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "They put eight runs up on us in two innings real quick. They have a lot of ways they can beat you."

Omaha is baseball mecca.

Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street has played four-plus seasons in the majors, pitched in the playoffs and recently earned his 100th save at baseball's highest level.

But he still considers his experiences at the College World Series among the best of his baseball career.

"Those are, without question, some of the most fun baseball memories of my life," said Street, who made three trips to the CWS with Texas (2002-04). "I haven't been to a World Series (in the majors), and I think that would probably be the only thing that could top it."