More good news, Saturdays game (12:30 MST) will be broadcast on Fox Sports Arizona.

Once again, the ASU  Athletics department either doesn't know or wants this to be a secret, since there is no mention of this on their official website.  This is a Division 1 football, not intermurals.  Link

  I don't know know why they even bother to have a website if they are not going to put this kind of basic information on it. 

I have been at pretty much every Devil's home game for the last 4 years but this year I am out of town and can't get to many.  That's why I was bummed that according to the ASU Sports website there won't be television coverage of this game.

So, I was really happy to see that the game WILL actually be televised on FSAZ.  I found that by looking at this great website LSU CFB TV that is put together by some nice folks at LSU.  Bookmark it, they have really good info each week about every game which will be on TV.  (Central time, of course).   I verified the FSAZ coverage by looking at the program guide on my TV.  It is there.   Also since then I saw that the Beavers SBNation Block 'Building the Dam' published this back on Sept 20. 

Two conclusions from this:

1) I am very happy that the game will be on, 

and 

2) Why is the Sun Devil's official website so awful ?  Don't they think it's an important communication method ?  This is not the first time I have noticed that they didn't provide important info or were really slow to publish it.

I was watching the Eagle's preseason game tonite on NFL Network (Vince looked great for the few series he played, although for some reason he was getting no protection).  In the 4Q about 12:30 they were showing VY on the sidelines.  On his left wrist he was wearing a  black wristband maybe 1" thick.  It was clearly some kind of Longhorn wist band.  A burnt orange steer head was in the center, to its right was white lettering ending in 'am', to the left of the steer head was burnt orange lettering starting with a 'T'.  Does anybody recognize this ? 

The Longhorns play Florida Atlantic Saturday at 2:30 Central, and they will try something different on TV coverage.  Between the way the 'horns have been playing, and given the opponent, I am happy that there will be TV coverage at all, so I am going to roll with it.

This week the game will be will be on "Fox Sports Southwest Plus".  This is an alternate channel in the Fox Sports Southwest coverage region that can be used for coverage of events deemed to be not quite up to level of attractiveness that you would need to be covered on the regular Fox Sports Southwest channel.  I haven't checked to see what will be covered on the regular Fox Sports Southwest on Saturday but I'm thinking it's the Waco regional dog show or some other heavy hitter.

What are your options ?

Those of you in the promised land, including Texas, parts of OK, and AR which normally receive Fox Sports Southwest appear to be golden, it looks to me that you will see the game on Fox Sports Southwest Plus ('the mas') on your regular cable system.  You can follow this handy link    the mas channels  and see exactly what channel the game will be on in your city.   The good news includes those of you DirecTV subscribers in the Texas region, who will get 'the mas' on DirecTV channel 677 for no extra money.  AT&T U-verse subscribers will also get it on channel 754.

Those of you with Dish...I just don't know.  They may carry the game, but right now it is on the dreaded channel "TBD", so you may want to call Dish and ask them what's up.  Leave a comment here if you find it.  If you don't, you may think about switching, you can't get NFL Sunday Ticket there anyway.

For the rest of us:

I am a DirecTV subscriber in Tucson, where I don't normally get Fox Sports SouthWest (I get Fox Sports AZ) so I am not expecting that I will get 'the mas' for free.  I am going to try it Saturday during the pregame.  If I get the dreaded "not subscribed" message I will run to DirecTV.com and instantly subscribe to their Sports Package for $12/month, which I will cancel after the football season is over.  Hell, last year I paid $35 for a PPV of the UTEP or Wyoming game, so this is a bargain.   

If all else fails, you can probably find game audio on internet radio somewhere, and it will be on XM channel 220.

The Longhorns game will be on ABC at 8pm EST on Saturday

The Viewing maps are here:

TV Coverage Maps

The coverage is pretty simple: 

• Most of the of the country, even the Northeast and you Big-10'ers this time, will get Texas-OK St on ABC. 
• The Southeast will get Clemson @ Florida St
• Those of us West of the Rockies are stuck with Arizona vs USC.
  

There's no sign of a reverse mirror, I know that where I am ESPN and the deuce will show two totally different games - no idea why they are not on the coverage maps.

The Texas game WILL be on ESPN3 if you can get on, here is the schedule: ESPN3 Schedule

Once again the 'horns game is not on national TV this weekend, it will be on Fox Sports Net, which is a collection of regional stations.  Most everybody gets at least their regional FSN channel on their cable system or on DirecTV.  You folks with Dish may have issues until the current contract situation gets ironed out.

The bad news is that only some of the regional FSN will carry the game this weekend.  If you know which FSN stations you get, check your coverage in the table below:

If you don't know which is your local FSN region, use the Regional Lookup Tool:      

Regional Lookup Tool

Also - if you have DirecTV but the game is not carried in your local FSN region you can buy the DirecTV Sports Package for $13/month and get all of the FSN channels.  You can do this online and cancel (by phone) a month later...that's actually a pretty good deal to get the game.

And: if you still want to watch ABC/ESPN on Saturday, here is their regional map:   WWL Coverage Maps

Well, the 'horns game is not on national TV this weekend.  The good news is that it will be on Fox Sports Net, which is a collection of regional stations.  Most everybody gets at least their regional FSN channel on their cable system and on Dish and DirecTV.  You can also buy a DirecTV package to get them all.

Almost all of the regional FSN stations will cover the Texas/Iowa St game this weekend.  The ones that WILL carry it are:  (number is DirecTV channel)

635 MSG+
642 CSN  Mid-Atlantic
646 FS South
652 RSNa (where ?)
654 FS Florida
659 FSN Pittsburgh
663 FS Detroit
665 CSN Chicago
668 FS North (MN, WI, IA, ND, SD)
671 FS Midwest
676 FSSW (TX, OK, LA, AR, NM)
678 FS Houston
683 FSN Rocky Mountains
686 FS Arizona
687 FS Northwest (WA, OR, ID, MT, AK)
692 FS West So-Cal, NV, HI)

 if you live in Ohio, these two stations will cover the 'Big XII game TBA':

660 FS Ohio
661 FS Cincinatti

If you don't know which is your local FSN region, use the Regional Lookup Tool:     Regional Lookup

Also - if you have DirecTV but the game is not carried in your local FSN region you can buy the DirecTV Sports Package for $13/month and get all of the FSN channels.  You can do this online and cancel (by phone) a month later...that's actually a pretty good deal to get the game.

And: if you still want to watch ABC/ESPN on Saturday, here is their regional map:

ESPN Coverage

Alabama is apparently convinced that the MNC game is a done deal.  They have '13th National Championship Stckers' all ready to go.  Order yours here

The ad says:  Show your pride in the team's 13th National Championship! As our tradition grows, so does our pride. Show you support and purchase a sticker for yourself, friends, and family.

Darn it...every time Texas gets to the MNC it turns out there's no reason to even bother getting off the bus.

ht: Orson   EDSBS

Coverage this week wil be either on ABC or ESPN2  That means everyone with a package above basic cable wil get the game - if it isn't carried on ABC in your area it will be on the Duece. 

The actual coverage maps should be out later today, I'll update when they are published.  I will be travelling...before I made my hotel reservation I called and confirmed that they will have ESPN2.

The broadcast coverage looks like this:

8 p.m. EDT

 No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon  (Gameday location)
  Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit & Lisa Salters  - ABC
 
  No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State 
  Sean McDonough, Matt Millen & Holly Rowe  - ABC
   
  8 p.m. EDT
 Reverse Mirror of ABC *
 ESPN2 / ESPN360.com

Update:  The maps are out:

Coverage Maps

Well, the Longhorn ticket office did not live up to their promise from last week.  Monday came and went with no email from them telling me if I had been selected to get the Fiesta Bowl tickets that I requested.

But today - I have an email from them containing a Fedex tracking number!   Maybe they are sending me  the 'fan of the year' award, but my guess is Fiesta Bowl tickets.  We are going to Glendale !!  Time to get psyched up for te Buckeyes !

In case anybody else is wondering what is going on - I placed a 'request' with the Texas ticket office last week for Fiesta Bowl tickets and hadn't heard anything.  So I emailed them today and asked them what is going on. 

They got back to me quickly and said that email notifications will go out next Monday (Dec 15) and I will find out if I am getting tickets or if I have to turn to eBay.

Forde had 30 seconds on Cowherd's program this morning.  He said  (paraphrasing the best I can remember) that after last week's OU - TT game he was very impressed by OU and thought that OU should be the leader.  (Didn't say if he had a vote).  But that since then he has thought about it more rationally and has decided that, in the end, the Texas 45-35 victory on the neutral field has to be the deciding factor.

I suspect all of the Pollsters will look at the facts before long and consider the BCS bowl history.   They will soon come to realize that sending OU to a BCS bowl will just be a wasted vote, since OU is just going to lose it, no matter who they match up against.  Who wants to watch a game that is already pre-determined ? 

As a refresher - OU last five bowls, by season:

2007 Fiesta Bowl (BCS) Lost to WV !!

2006 Fiesta Bowl (BCS) Lost to Boise State !!

2005 Holiday Bowl (not-BCS) Won Oregon

2004 Orange Bowl (BCS) Lost USC

2003 Sugar Bowl (BCS) Lost LSU

Is anybody detecting a pattern here ?  

Besides today's Bohls article, I have also been seeing in some CU forums how eager for revenge Texas fans are over last springs recruiting loss of Scott.

To be honest, I was really ticked at Periloser, and somewhat annoyed but understanding about Brantley.  But any concerns I have about Scott are about tenth at best on my priority list for this weekends game, which  runs somethng like;

1. Win !
2. Win !
3. Win !
   
4. stay healthy
5. figure out the running game
6. more experience for the secondary
7. etc
8. etc 
   

I know that I really should be rooting for Kansas, in terms of helping the 'horns strength of schedule, the competitiveness of the Big 12, and all that.  But I really hate those guys ! (And their coach, too!) It really irked me how they got so much love last year, without playing anybody of significance.   I would really love seeing them get exposed on national TV tonight.

Am I the only one that's torn here ?

http://www.wdsu.com/news/10727584/detail.html

From the local New Orleans news.  Reportedly Perrilloser has been passing counterfeit currency.  Too bad Bomar has locked up the QB spot at Sam Houston State.

Pete Fiutak's column on CFN, http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=451&p=2&c=557865

He postulates that just because the horns lost Saturday doesn't automatically make them not the second best team in the country.  The argument is based on the fact that they lost to number 1, and maybe also that there are not a lot of other outstanding candidates.

Its an old argument, and sometimes I have bought it.  But after sitting through that game last Saturday night my heart isn't in it.  I see the horns as hopefully a top 10 team until they get a chance to fix some things and improve some more this season.  

I'm pretty bummed...I got an email back from Texas Sunday that I didn't get tickets.

 I've been going with my family (wife & 2 kids) to the bowl game - wherever - every year. We really get into it.  Im in the Longhorn foundation but I don't give much more than the minimum, and I get decent season tickets seats at DKR-M.

Immediately after the Ohio State game I booked a hotel and airline tickets to Pasadena.  Last year the best we could get was a room about 15 miles from teh Rose Bowl, so I wanted to book early...but I was really hoping for tickets.

I looked on eBay, but the going rate is right about $1000 for the end zone. $4K is a lot more than I want to spend, but I'm still thinking about it.   I guess all of the NC hype has pushed this  out of reach.   There were a lot of tickets available for that last Holiday Bowl !