NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Texas-Texas A&M Brews Bad Bloodhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/texas-texas-aandm-brews-bad-blood/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/texas-texas-aandm-brews-bad-blood/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/texas-texas-aandm-brews-bad-blood/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Texas-Texas A&M
For a game that used evoke so much emotion on either side and often divided homes and friendships down the middle, this Texas-Texas A&M rivalry has strangely morphed into that just-another-game feel.

Maybe it's the fact the Aggies haven't seriously challenged for the Big 12 South championship this decade, while the Longhorns have seemingly been part of the division title conversation most seasons. Perhaps, it's because Oklahoma, in most years, has been the most dominant team in the South so Texas has directed its energy toward toppling the Sooners in their annual Red River Rivalry Game every October.

Some would might even suggest Texas Tech and --gasp -- Oklahoma State have become greater rivals to the Longhorns than A&M.

Don't expect to hear anyone on Texas side admit the rivalry with A&M has lost any of its luster as the second-ranked Longhorns get set to head into packed Kyle Field to take on the Aggies and the 12th Man on a Thursday night. In the players hearts and minds this is still one of the best traditional rivalries in college football no matter what the pundits say or recent history shows.

"It's really one of the best in college football, and the 12th Man is still as effective as it's ever been," said UT senior center Chris Hall. "They've got a great crowd, great atmosphere; all of the traditions and the yell leaders are a great example of great college football. The atmosphere at A&M is tops."

"It is a rivalry game -- you look at A&M, they have got one of the top offenses," UT sophomore defensive end Sam Acho said. "Honestly, their team has been up and down, but they have a great offense and they will come to play every year.

"You look at it whether they are undefeated or they are 0-11, they are going to give their full effort. They treat it like a championship game and we have to do the same, otherwise we won't like the results, so that's what really gets me excited for the game."

Some would argue that A&M's success in this game in recent years should be enough to have the Longhorns attention. The Aggies knocked them off in 2006 and 2007 before the Longhorns exacted revenge, 49-9, in Mike Sherman's go-around as A&M's head coach.

But members of the UT senior class actually coming into the Thanksgiving night game with a 1-2 record against the Aggies and with the stinging memory of a 38-30 loss the last time they played at Kyle Field in 2007 when Dennis Franchione completely flipped the script from the spread option attack to a wide open passing attack in his final game as A&M's coach.

Apparently those defeats are a distant memory to the Longhorns, who hold an all-time series lead of 74-36-5 in this rivalry that stretches back to both programs' Southwest Conference days.

"For us right now it's all about finish," said UT senior quarterback Colt McCoy, whose team is 11-0, 7-0 and has its sight set on the BCS national title game in Pasadena in January. "We don't really talk about '06 and '07. We don't like to think about that. We talk about being the best we can be and finishing what we started. That's enough motivation for us. We've got a lot at stake."

The Aggies would tell you they have a lot riding, too. It's just has nothing to do with tangible stakes of an undefeated finish and a national championship. This is about pride and being able to turn the Longhorn sign upside down with the conviction of knowing they've ruined another Texas season.

Raising the stakes for the Aggies is a chance to derail a potential national championship season for Texas. Led by quarterback Jerrod Johnson and an emerging running game behind freshman back Christine Michael and sophomore Cyrus Gray, the 6-5 Aggies can be a dangerous team. It just depends on which squad shows up, the one that blasted Texas Tech on the road this season or the one that laid down for Kansas State and Oklahoma.

For what it's worth, the Aggies are coming off a dominating 38-3 win last week over Baylor so if the season pattern holds true they are poised for a letdown Thursday night.

"They will be Jekyll Thursday night. We won't see Hyde. Hyde goes away," said UT coach Mack Brown. "They are talented. They've got tremendous skill, and they continue to get better each week.

"I think it showed they way they dominated Baylor last week. They can run it and beat you and they can pass it, which gives them the balance that can make it tweaked."

Texas-Texas A&M Brews Bad Blood originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bcsChristine Michaelcolt mccoyColtMccoyDennis FranchioneDennisFranchioneJerrod JohnsonJerrodJohnsonMack BrownMackBrownSam AchoTexas AM Aggiestexas longhornsTexasAmAggiesTexasLonghornsTerrance HarrisWed, 25 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST Leach Weighs in on Mangino Flaphttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/leach-weighs-in-on-mangino-flap/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/leach-weighs-in-on-mangino-flap/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/25/leach-weighs-in-on-mangino-flap/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mike LeachLeave it to Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to come up with a brutal assessment of the issues surrounding Kansas coach Mark Mangino and the allegations last week he has been both physically and mentally abusing his players.

Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins has launched an investigation into Mangino's actions after one of his players reported that the head coach poked him during a walk-through practice a couple weeks ago. Since then, several former players have come forth to discuss Mangino's alleged abusive behavior and sometimes mean-spirited verbal attacks.

Leach has never been guilty of playing the politically correct game and he certainly didn't disappoint during this week's Big 12 football coaches call when the subject turned to the storm Mangino is facing.

"I think you try to select the most effective way to coach your guys, but my suspicion is -- and nobody truly knows what went on in Kansas -- but my suspicion is Mark is in the middle of a witch hunt, which is unjustified," said Leach, who is known to be disciplinarian with his players. "Heaven forbid somebody should ask a guy to pay attention, focus and for the sake of his coaches and teammates pay attention. Well there are different ways to do that. Sometimes after you've asked them a number of times, you raise the bar.

"The interesting thing to me in all this murmuring is he went from hitting this guy in the face to he didn't even touch anybody, but he just said mean things to him. Well the mean man told some player some things he didn't want to hear. There is a mean man in Lubbock who tells people things they don't want to hear, too, and it's just part of it, you know."

Several coaches, however, admitted that seeing this situation become national news offers pause to be aware of their players' feelings in times when tough coaching is necessary.

"Anytime something as unfortunate as this takes place, it gives pause to look at your program," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "Everything is so visible that whatever it is that comes to light everyone has to kind of reassess exactly where they are.

"It's a matter of not taking anything for granted. But by the same token, I think we are who we are. Most of us have an ingrained sense of how we coach and interact with people, interact with players."

But in Mangino's defense, Snyder said he never heard of Mangino being abusive towards players when Mangino was an assistant coach on his staff at K-State.

"That didn't happen to my knowledge and there isn't a whole lot that slips under the old radar," said Snyder, who says he has talked with Mangino about the incident. "In that respect, I think he handled players well and I think he had great respect from his players while he was here."


Bedlam Reversal

More often than not, it has been Oklahoma that has a lot riding when the Bedlam rivalry game against Oklahoma State rolls around at each regular-season end.

This year, it is the 11th-ranked Cowboys who have a great deal at stake, while at 6-5 the Sooners are simply trying to improve their second-tier bowl positioning. In eight of the 11 seasons Bob Stoops has been coaching the Sooners, this game has had some type of Big 12 South implications but not this season.

OSU (9-2, 6-1 Big 12), meanwhile, could well be looking at an at-large BCS bid with a win over its rival. It would be the first BCS bid in program history.

So how is that for a reversal of fortunes?

"That's something that some of the guys were talking about the other day," OSU offensive lineman Noah Franklin said. "Everything comes around full circle. From where we were when Andrew Lewis and I got here, it's come a long way since then."

It's a reversal many of the players had hoped they would see come to fruition but in the back of their minds had doubted.

"We definitely believed that we could put ourselves in this type of situation, just in some of the teams we've had we've just been unable at times to win those close games that we've been winning this year," senior linebacker Andre Sexton said. "We found ways to lose those games instead of win them. This year I think the maturity and experience that we've had in those situations has enabled us to pull those victories out."

Even Stoops finds the reversal a bit odd.

"This is different, but we are still in a situation where we are trying to improve our situation and that's what our focus will be on is playing the best we can and trying to make our situation better," he said.

But now for a few doses of reality for Oklahoma State as it heads into Memorial Stadium on Saturday: the Sooners own a national-best 29-game home winning streak. And despite the disparity in success this season, OU comes in as a 6 1/2-point favorite.

Thus, you have OSU coach Mike Gundy declining to get caught up in all the role reversal hoopla or the national implications talk. He knows even in a down season for the Sooners, they are still a dangerous team.
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"The important thing for our players is to have a good week of practice and meetings and absorb the information in the game plan and go play hard on Saturday and with great effort," Gundy said. "No matter what is involved, what's on the line, it's important that the players play well and go play."

Brown Praises FG Kicker

When you think of the magical season second-ranked Texas is having, the initial names that pop up are quarterback Colt McCoy, wide receiver Jordan Shipley, defensive end Sergio Kindle and middle linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy.

Rarely does placekicker Hunter Lawrence's name come up.

Well, the senior is actually putting together a pretty special year, one that has been quietly key in the Longhorns' 11-0, 7-0 record that has them knocking on the doorstep of the BCS national title game. Hunter, who is at the top of every statistical kicking category in the Big 12, has converted 20-of-23 field goals this season.

During last Saturday's 51-20 win over Kansas that secured the Longhorns the South division title, Hunter was true on field goals of 49 yards (season high), 47 and 35 yards.

"He has been unbelievable. In fact as much as we've talked offensively about Colt and Jordan, Hunter has been a Most Valuable Player for us," said UT coach Mack Brown, whose team concludes the regular season Thursday night at Texas A&M. "He has just been an unbelievable weapon for us and a guy that is older, mature and very confident. I feel like he is as good a kicker as any in the country."

Brown says there is a huge comfort level to knowing you have a kicker as capable as Hunter. Having that security also affects strategy.

"When you are playing great defense like we are this year, the other team may not be scoring as much as have in the past and now you can get guaranteed points," Brown said. "You go for less fourth downs, you take less chances and you know you have a guy who can put points on the board.

"He has changed our philosophy some. We still want to be aggressive, but if we feel like it's going to be a tight game, but one the other team won't score much, we do not hesitate to send Hunter out there. The guys are blocking so well for him now because they know he's going to make it."


Quick Slants



The news continues to get worse for the Sooners. Stoops announced that center Ben Habern had surgery Saturday to repair a broken leg suffered in last week's loss to Texas Tech and that he is done for the season. Middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds also suffered a hamstring injury in that game that will keep him out against OSU. The Sooners have lost seven starters to injury this season. ... McCoy joined Florida's Tim Tebow and Houston's Case Keenum as finalists this week for the Dave O'Brien Award, given to the nation's top quarterback. ...Texas senior wide receiver Jordan Shipley is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the nation's top receiver. Shipley has caught 91 balls for 1,204 yards (13.2 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns this season. The sixth-year senior has five double-digit receiving games and six 100-yard receiving games so far this season. ... Texas A&M running backs Christine Michael (116 yards) and Cyrus Gray (107) both eclipsed the 100-yard mark during Saturday's critical 38-3 win over Baylor, marking the second time this season that both have rushed for 100-plus yards in the same game. Michael also set a school record for longest touchdown run with a 97-yard touchdown sprint against the Bears. ... Missouri receiver Danario Alexander continues his late-season run, catching 34 passes for 578 yards and five touchdowns in the Tigers' last three games.

Leach Weighs in on Mangino Flap originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Andre SextonAndreSextonbcsben habernBenHabernBill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBob StoopsBobStoopsBoPeliniCase KeenumCaseKeenumcolt mccoyColtMccoyDanario AlexanderDanarioAlexanderJordan ShipleyJordanShipleyMack BrownMackBrownmark manginoMarkManginoMike GundyMike LeachMikeGundyMikeLeachOklahoma State footballOklahomaStateFootballRyan ReynoldsRyanReynoldsTim TebowTimTebowTerrance HarrisWed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST McCoy Drums Up Victory for Longhornshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/mccoy-drums-up-victory-for-longhorns/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/mccoy-drums-up-victory-for-longhorns/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/mccoy-drums-up-victory-for-longhorns/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


AUSTIN, Texas -- Usually one the most straight-laced and reserved of the Texas Longhorns, senior quarterback Colt McCoy finally stopped to take it all in late Saturday night.

Moments after the second-ranked Longhorns defeated Kansas 51-20 to earn a trip to the Big 12 Championship Game as the South division champs, and after McCoy cemented himself as college football's all-time winningest quarterback, thefour-year starter celebrated with record 101,357 fans who stuck around Texas Memorial Stadium to pay homage.

McCoy jumped into the mode of a normal student overflowing with spirit as he fired off the cannon and then beat storied base drum Big Bertha as the crowd roared even louder.

"I had never hit the drum, I had never shot the cannon," McCoy said with a smile. "I had always wanted to pull the cannon but I was afraid I would get a 15-yard penalty. I guess that was the perfect time to do it."

Indeed it was the night to take it all in and reflect on what had been accomplished and what still lies ahead for the undefeated and mostly unchallenged Longhorns. Off in the horizons are the possibilities of the Heisman Trophy for McCoy and a shot at the programs' first BCS national championship since 2005.

But before obtaining such lofty goals, the Longhorns still have the pressing matter of facing rival Texas A&M in their annual Thanksgiving Day regular season-season finale. They will then have to prepare to face the punishing defense of Nebraska in the Big 12 championship a week later. Any slip-up along the way would almost certainly douse any hopes of a BCS title.

"That's one our goals, we won the South," said McCoy, whose 43 career wins broke the previous record set by Georgia's David Greene. "But our focus right now is going to be on A&M. We only have five days to prepare. I'm totally on A&M, that's where we are headed."

That's typical McCoy, never allowing the moment to overshadow what's ahead.

But Saturday night, the fans who packed into Texas Memorial Stadium weren't going to allow their quarterback to not celebrate what he's accomplished to this point. They stood on their feet and chanted "Colt...Colt...Colt...Colt" as the clock struck 5:52 and it seemed certain they were getting their last glimpse of their quarterback at home.

And to let the moment fester just a little longer, head coach Mack Brown allowed fellow seniors Jordan Shipley, center Chris Hall, guard Charlie Tanner and offensive tackle Adam Ulatoski, along with McCoy to trot out with the offense one last time only to call timeout to remove them to allow them one last ovation.

McCoy seemed humbled by the outpouring of respect and affection, not just for him but for the other 20 seniors playing their final home game.

"I heard it, it was pretty loud," McCoy said of the ovation. "I'm just so thankful. God has blessed me tremendously. I've worked so hard to be at this point, but I know how good a teammates I've had, how good of coaches I've had. I've been blessed and it's really special."
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It seemed only fitting that McCoy turned in a career night against the Kansas Jayhawks, connecting on 32-of-41 passes for 396 yards and four touchdowns on a night where the Longhorns never struggled and never trailed. McCoy looked especially sharp as he worked the ball into childhood best friend Jordan Shipley (10 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown), while also working in some of the younger receivers like Malcolm Williams (six catches, 103 yards and one touchdown) and James Kirkendoll (eight catches, 86 and two touchdowns).

It was the kind of performance that could very well have McCoy back out front in the Heisman Trophy race. But what is for sure is McCoy's performance lived up to the occasion that saw him become college football's all-time wins leader while also securing his Big 12 Championship Game bid.

"I don't think we could have scripted it any better," Brown said. "With all the pressure on him, he's showing everybody he's in here for a big finish. He was sending a message tonight."

The message was that McCoy and the rest of the Longhorns have accomplished a lot so far, but that their business is far from done.

"What's important to me is winning. We just did what they told us to do," McCoy said. "Before the game I didn't think about. ... I tried not to think about this being my last game in here, letting my emotions get the best of me.

"I just wanted to come out here and play and get better because we've got a long stretch ahead of us still."

McCoy Drums Up Victory for Longhorns originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>colt mccoyheisman trophyJordan ShipleyMack BrownTerrance HarrisSun, 22 Nov 2009 01:32:00 EST McCoy Keeps Longhorns on Title Marchhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/mccoy-keeps-longhorns-on-title-march/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/mccoy-keeps-longhorns-on-title-march/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/mccoy-keeps-longhorns-on-title-march/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Colt McCoyAUSTIN, Texas -- For 21 University of Texas seniors, Saturday night was their last time playing at Texas Memorial Stadium. So they made it a night to remember.

The second-ranked Longhorns overpowered Kansas en route to a 51-20 victory that cemented them as the Big 12 South division champions and sealed senior quarterback Colt McCoy's place as college football's all-time winningest quarterback with 43 career wins.

But the Texas Longhorns, who are well positioned for their first BCS national championship game bid since 2005, still have quite a bit of business to finish. They will have to get past rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving night and then North division champ Nebraska in the Big 12 title game.

McCoy, who completed 32-of-41 for 396 yards and four touchdowns, also positioned himself near the front of the Heisman Trophy race with a near-flawless performance in front of a capacity home crowd.

In the meantime, the Longhorns will celebrate another impressive win that moves them to 11-0 and 7-0 in conference play. The Jayhawks, mired in controversy because of abuse allegations being aimed at head coach Mark Mangino, have now lost six straight and at 5-6 and 1-6, need to win their regular-season finale against Missouri next week to become bowl-eligible.
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It was obvious almost from the outset that the Jayhawks were no match for Texas as they fell behind 27-6 by halftime. Kansas made it interesting early in their third quarter when it drove the ball 88 yards and running back Jake Sharp slammed in from two yards on the Jayhawks' first touchdown of the evening to pull within 27-13 with 3:08 left in the third quarter.

But just 10 seconds and one play later, McCoy hooked up with receiver Malcolm Williams for a 68-yard touchdown pass that re-extended the lead to 21 and more or less closed the door on any comeback attempt. Kansas never seriously threatened again though Dez Briscoe did muster an impressive 98-yard kickoff return that made it 44-20 early in the fourth quarter and kept things interesting a little longer.

Jordan Shipley, playing in his final home game, caught 10 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown.

McCoy Keeps Longhorns on Title March originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>colt mccoyColtMccoytexas longhornsTexasLonghornsTerrance HarrisSat, 21 Nov 2009 23:04:00 EST Live Blog: Colt McCoy Shoots for Spot as Texas' Greatest Quarterbackhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/live-blog-colt-mccoy-shoots-for-spot-as-texas-greatest-quarter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/live-blog-colt-mccoy-shoots-for-spot-as-texas-greatest-quarter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/live-blog-colt-mccoy-shoots-for-spot-as-texas-greatest-quarter/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

TexasAUSTIN, Texas -- Okay, so let the debate began.

Vince Young or Colt McCoy.

Which is the greatest Texas Longhorns quarterback of all time? Young led the Texas Longhorns to a season of perfection and the BCS national title in 2005 as a junior. McCoy, a four-year starter at Texas, has a chance tonight to become college football's all-time winningest quarterback with 43 wins should the second-ranked Longhorns make it past Kansas here at Texas Memorial Stadium.

Some argue McCoy is more a complete quarterback than Young, able to beat opponents with both his arm and legs. But McCoy has yet to win aBig 12 championship much-less a national title and for some that is how greatness is best measured.
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McCoy, however, could take a major step in that direction tonight during the Longhorns' final home game. A win over the Kansas Jayhawks clinches the South division title and reserves a spot in the Dec. 5th Big 12 championship for the 10-0 Longhorns.

It all sets up nicely for McCoy tonight, who can surpass Georgia's David Greene's 42-wins mark in front of his home crowd in his final game in Memorial Stadium on Senior Night. Making it even sweeter, the win also clinches the South for the Longhorns.

"I'm trying not to think about that at all," McCoy said of the all-time wins record. "I just want to go out there and do my best so we can win. That is a really special award. It's a team award. Later down the road when we meet up with each other, we can say, `We had such and such number of wins.' That'll be special, but to have a chance to break it during the last home game at the stadium, that's pretty sweet."


FIRST QUARTER



The Longhorns get on the board first when McCoy connects with receiver James Kirkendoll for a 41-yard touchdown that made it 7-0 with 6:02 left in the first quarter.
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So much for McCoy's Heisman showcase tonight as he fumbles the ball away on a scramble.
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Gotta give it up to UT defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. He really knows how to dial it up. Two perfectly called blitzes have resulted in big sacks on Reesing in the first quarter. The first came earlier in the quarter when Chykie Brown dropped him for a 12-yard loss on a corner blitz. And at the end of the first quarter, defensive tackle Lamarr Houston came in to put Reesind down for a 8-yard loss.


SECOND QUARTER

The Longhorns are fortunate to hold Kansas to a 27-yard field goal by Jacob Branstetter after McCoy's fumble and a deep pass from Todd Reesing to Dez Briscoe that landed the Jayhawks at the UT 10. The Longhorns can't afford many more mistakes.

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Kansas isn't the only team with a new wrinkle. The Longhorns broke out the naked bootleg as McCoy rolled right and found Jordan Shipley down field for a 38-yard touchdown pass that put UT up 14-3.

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Kansas has now driven the ball into the the red zone only to have to settle for another field goal after the Longhorns stalled the Jayhawks at the 8. Reesing overthrew Briscoe in the corner of the end zone twice from the 8.

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An attempted onside kick by the Jayhawks nearly backfires when it doesn't travel the necessary 10 yards. The Longhrons got the ball at the KU 36, but ended up settling for a 49-yard Hunter Lawrence field goal that makes it 17-6 with 5:45 remaining in the first half.

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Okay, the Longhorns are starting to roll. Just completed a near flawless 59-yard drive that ended with Cody Johnson slamming in from 1-yard out to put Texas ahead 24-6 with 1:21 remaining in the half.

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After a little bit of clock confusion the Longhorns got exactly what they wanted out of the end of the first half and that was points. Lawrence converted a 47-yard field goal to give UT a 27-6 lead going into halftime. The Longhorns have scored points on four straight possessions and will open up the second half with the ball. Can we say the rout is on?
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The obvious attention is on McCoy becoming the all-time winngest quarterback in college football tonight, but just maybe this stage and performance could catapult the Longhorns senior back into the front of the Heisman Trophy race. Through the first two quarters, McCoy has connected on 18-of-22 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He has the no-huddle offense moving in great rhythm. So far, McCoy's only mistake has been a fumble in which the Jayhawks converted into a field goal.


THIRD QUARTER

So maybe it's too early to count Kansas out. After forcing UT to punt for the first time in four series, the Jayhawks offense bounced back with an impressive 88-yard drive that saw Jake Sharpe race in from two yards out for their first touchdown of the night, pulling within 27-13 with 8:10 left in the third. Briscoe put KU into the red zone for the third time of the night when he got past the secondary for a 39-yard reception to the UT 19. And then freshman receiver Bradley McDougald had a 17-yard reception to the 2.
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Well maybe we shouldn't call it a comeback just yet. One offensive play and 10 seconds after KU pulled within two touchdowns, McCoy found Malcolm Williams streaking down field on a deep post for a 68-yard touchdown connections that extended the lead back out to 34-13.


FOURTH QUARTER

Sure, this game is all but over but Dez Briscoe is showing tonight he is a spectacular athlete. When Reesing has been able to find him, he has burned the UT secondary badly. And he just returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown as he made the UT kickoff coverage team look absolutely slow. If the Jayhawks had a little more to go with him this might actually be an interesting finish.

But oh well. About to head to the field for interviews. Enjoy.

Live Blog: Colt McCoy Shoots for Spot as Texas' Greatest Quarterback originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Big 12 FootballBig12Footballcolt mccoyColtMccoyKansas JayhawksKansasJayhawkstexas longhornsTexasLonghornsvince youngVinceYoungTerrance HarrisSat, 21 Nov 2009 19:46:00 EST Longhorns Find It Easy to Stay Focusedhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/longhorns-find-it-easy-to-stay-focused/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/longhorns-find-it-easy-to-stay-focused/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/longhorns-find-it-easy-to-stay-focused/#commentsFiled under: , ,

AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas coach Mack Brown usually doesn't like to live in the past, but this week he broke out some old film for his team.

He showed the Longhorns how teams from 2006 and 2007 finished in comparison to 2005, when Texas won the BCS national title, and last season when many agree the 12-1 Longhorns should have been given the opportunity to compete for the national championship.

Brown's point to his second-ranked,10-0 squad is simple: stay focused these last two regular-season games, the Big 12 championship game in two weeks, and then biggest of prizes await the Texas Longhorns in Pasadena. A slip up anywhere between now and the Jan. 7 BCS national championship game will lead to great disappointment for Texas.

"We basically said you can choose," said Brown, whose team moved to 6-0 in Big 12 play with last Saturday's 47-14 win at Baylor. "You've been a great team and you've had a great run, so if you want to be flat and stand around here and get beat at the end, that's up to you. I can't do anything about it. If you sincerely want to be 40-years-old and look back at what you've accomplished, you've got two weeks to put yourself in a different place than a lot of teams have in this football program. When you bring your children and your grandchildren back through, if you want to be proud of 10 wins, that's fine. If you want to try to get to 14, that's on you.''

The march toward what seems to be the inevitable continues Saturday night when the Longhorns take on a struggling Kansas squad -- which is in the midst of a five-game losing streak and its coach, Mark Mangino, is embroiled in a controversy that could see him fired soon -- in their final home game, on senior night and on a night when four-year starter Colt McCoy can become college football's all-time winningest quarterback.
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"I think it's going to be a lot of fun," said McCoy, who at 42-7 is tied with Georgia's David Greene for the most victories by a college quarterback and remains a viable candidate for the Heisman Trophy. "For me, and I think all of our seniors, we're just not going to let our emotions get the best of us. We've had so many memories in that stadium, but we just have to go out and play. There are still so many goals intact for us, so it's just another game. That's how we have to treat it."

Should the Longhorns win Saturday night, they will lock up the Big 12 South division title to guarantee a spot in the Dec. 5th conference championship game. They also have a showdown on Thanksgiving night against longtime in-state rival Texas A&M in front of a national television audience.

So Brown says there is zero chance Texas will be overlooking the Kansas Jayhawks (5-5, 1-5 Big 12) Saturday night or anytime soon.

"They're excited about senior night, they're excited about Kansas coming in here, national TV, there is a lot at stake," he said. "We can tie up the South Division championship this weekend, Colt could move forward and be the winningest quarterback in college football history. So there are a lot of things on the line for us.

"But you never know, though. I think they are really excited about the challenge of Kansas coming in here and our seniors playing their last game at home."

Longhorns Find It Easy to Stay Focused originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bcsBig 12 FootballBig 12 SouthBig12Footballcolt mccoyColtMccoyDavid Greeneheisman trophyHeismanTrophyKansas JayhawksKansasJayhawksMack BrownMackBrownmark manginoMarkManginotexas longhornsTexasLonghornsTerrance HarrisSat, 21 Nov 2009 12:10:00 EST Big 12 North Gets Nostalgichttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/big-12-north-gets-nostalgic/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/big-12-north-gets-nostalgic/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/big-12-north-gets-nostalgic/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Big 12 North remains a ways from returning to the prominence it enjoyed when the conference first formed in the late 1990s, but if Saturday's matchup between Kansas State and Nebraska for the division title is any indication then better days are certainly on the horizon.

After years of struggles by the Kansas State Wildcats and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which have coincided with a dip in the North's strength, the two meet Saturday in Lincoln for a winner-take-all showdown. Neither team has had quite the season it anticipated but each has won enough for the right to play for the Big 12 championship, likely against No. 2 Texas, Dec. 5.

"Certainly we've been in this position before, probably in different ways," said veteran Wildcats coach Bill Snyder, who broke out of a three-year retirement to return to the sidelines this season. "By the same token, I can't remember other than the very early years that playing against the Nebraska teams was not a great challenge and certainly key ball games were after those initial years after they beat us so soundly."

It used to be that Nebraska was the football program many were measured by across the country when legendary coach Tom Osborne was running the Cornhuskers. The pull was even greater for an up-and-coming coach in the Big Eight, who dared dream he could turn Kansas State into a team capable of competing with mighty Nebraska.

"It was a dynamic conference, there were a lot of models," Snyder said this week. "I always had amazing respect for Tom Osborne and I loved the way he conducted his program, not just all the championships he had won, but just the fact of how he handled his program and how he worked with young people and what he meant to his state. It was a total package. Indeed it could serve as a model program for any one of us."

Eventually Snyder and his Wildcats caught up enough to make the early years of the Big 12 quite interesting. From the inception of the league in 1996 to 2000, either Nebraska or Kansas State won the North Division every season. But since then both teams have won the North just once as the division has taken a backseat to the South.

In the meantime, Nebraska has had three coaches and Kansas State moved on to Ron Prince for a few up and down seasons before returning to the stability of Snyder.

Both teams are still shadows of their former selves, but this may be sign of progress. Nebraska enters Saturday game 7-3, 4-2, while the Wildcats come into their regular-season finale 6-5, 4-3 with a chance to become bowl eligible (two of Kansas State's win are over FCS teams) and the division champs at the same time.

"Obviously, the game means a lot, this is going to determine the Big 12 North," said second-year Nebraska coach Bo Pelini. "We have a lot of respect for our opponent in every way and we know we have to be ready to play our best football."
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Cyclones Gathering Strength

A few days into spring practice, first-year Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads felt he had plenty of reasons for concern after watching the team he inherited tackle.

But Rhoads and his staff had just as much to celebrate after the Iowa State Cyclones beat Colorado 17-10 to become eligible for the first time since 2005. Iowa State, coming off a 2-10 season last under Gene Chizik, has moved to 6-5 on the season to give Rhoads the biggest turnaround of any rookie coach this season.

"We've made a lot of progress before we got to this sixth win and bowl eligibility," said Rhoads, whose team is 3-4 in league play heading into Saturday's regular-season finale at Missouri. "Progress and improvement is what we wanted to accomplish. Now we've put the program a little bit more on the national map by gaining bowl eligibility.

"Hopefully the bowl game that will follow helps recruiting, helps people's perception of you, it begins to build tradition. Those are hopefully all things we can follow up with."

Interestingly, the defense that Rhoads was so concerned about this past spring has really stepped up at critical times this season. During the win over Colorado, the Cyclones stopped Colorado three times inside their 10 to preserve the win.

The Buffaloes were the third Big 12 opponent ISU has held to 10 points or less this season.

Rhoads is no longer as worried, though he knows major improvement still needs to made to get the unit back up to par of the Dan McCarney days.

"They keep improving, they keep listening to the coaching," Rhoads said. "I thought their preparation and their understanding of Colorado was as good as it's been all year. The communication that took place on the field, the adjustments and communication that took place on the sideline, just gave the appearance of a very smart football team in holding our third Big 12 team to 10 points or less, which is the first time it's been done since 1965 with conference opponents I think also speaks to their growth."

Alexander Making Most of Final Shot

Missouri senior receiver Danario Alexander anticipates getting a little emotional Saturday when he comes out of the tunnel at Memorial Stadium one last time.

"I've been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now," Alexander said. "My time is coming to an end, and it's kind of bittersweet. I'm sure emotions will be flying everywhere, but I've got to try to contain them and play my best game."

It will be pretty difficult to top the two weeks Alexander has had, in which he caught for 414 yards in games against Baylor and Missouri. Alexander, whose career has been marred by serious knee injuries, blistered the Wildcats last Saturday for 200 yards and receiving touchdowns of 54, 16 and 18 yards to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors.

After the game, Snyder said Alexander was the best receiver in the Big 12 after watching him run circles around his defense. His opinion of the 6-foot-5 blazer didn't change a couple days later during the Big 12 conference call.

"I had not seen him play until the week of the game and I saw some things he did well," Snyder said. "He's a rangy guy, he's got the height that allows you to put the ball up in the air and for him to jump and go up and get it. I like the fact he can catch the ball over the middle, he' not afraid to lay out for the ball. He obviously has very good hands and has good speed to go with it.

"He's a complete receiver that creates a lot of difficult mismatches because of his height."

Alexander, who had to watch Missouri stars like Jeremy Maclin romp all over the field while injured, is certainly making up for lost time this season. He leads the conference with 81 catches for 1,238 yards and 11 touchdowns and he is averaging 123.8 yards per game receiving.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, who has had to watch Alexander endure several disappointing seasons, is pleased that the standout receiver is finally getting a chance to shine. Now he thinks the rest of the nation should take notice.

"His numbers speak for themselves," said Pinkel, whose team became bowl eligible last week for a school-record fifth straight year. "Because he had been injured the past couple years and didn't play on a consistent basis, I think without question his name should be out there for All-American honors. Based on stats, based on performance just week in and week out the consistency.

"I know there are great players in this league, I have great respect for all the players here but certainly from an offensive standpoint with two games left in the regular season, I think his numbers are really really outstanding."

Toilet Bowl

It's amazing that as disappointing as both Texas A&M and Baylor have been this season that either of them are in contention for a postseason bowl.

But it's fitting that their matchup Saturday in College Station will likely determine if either will qualify for a postseason bowl game. The Bears, who came into the season with hopes of breaking a long-standing bowl drought had their enthusiasm tempered when sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin suffered an early season-ending knee injury, must win its final two regular season games to be bowl eligible.

The Texas A&M Aggies, meanwhile, have been the biggest mystery of the season having overwhelmed the likes of Texas Tech and Iowa State while falling to Colorado. At 5-6, they need to win at least one of the final two to make a bowl.

But with No.2 Texas coming up on Thanksgiving night, A&M's best bet is to beat the 4-6 Baylor Bears at home Saturday.

"Every game we play is important and this one certainly has some implications for both teams and certainly that's out there," said second-year A&M coach Mike Sherman, who is looking for his first bowl bid. "There are two games left and we are excited about playing this one."

Baylor coach Art Briles, who has endured a heart-breaking season, says it's a victory just for his team to have a chance at a bowl game.



"The good thing is we've put ourselves in position, whereas a year ago we didn't have this position," said Briles, whose team takes on Texas Tech in the regular-season finale at Jerry Jones' Cowboys Stadium on Nov. 28. "We didn't have enough wins to be considered of an opportunity to become bowl eligible with two games remaining. We've got something in front of us, now we have to go take care of business and make it reality."

Hawkins Finds Humor in Job Security

When asked Monday if he had any communication with athletic director Mike Bohn and chancellor Phillip P. Di Stefano about his job status, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins let loose a loud and awkward laugh during the Big 12 conference call.

Then he gathered himself.

"They've been great, they've been awesome," Hawkins said. "Mike has been great and Phil has been great. They've both been very supportive about the whole deal."

But most believe Hawkins' job is in jeopardy after another disappointing season in which the Buffaloes are 3-7 and 2-4 heading into Thursday night's game at Oklahoma State. Colorado has been bowl eligible just once in Hawkins' four-year tenure.

Hawkins, however, said he didn't believe his job is in jeopardy. He inherited a program from Gary Barnett that had been rocked by a sensational recruiting scandal.

"Those guys are great," Hawkins said of Bohn and Di Stefano. "I think they understand the nature and scope of the position we have here and all the things that go on and have gone on. Everybody wants to win more games but in terms of helping get this place back on track after what it went through I think we've had to take on a number of tasks and done a great job with that."

Big 12 North Gets Nostalgic originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Art BrilesArtBrilesBaylor FootballBaylorFootballBig 12 FootballBig12FootballBill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBoPeliniDan HawkinsDan McCarneyDanario AlexanderDanHawkinsDanMccarneyGary PinkelGaryPinkelGene ChizikGeneChizikIowa State FootballIowaStateFootballJeremy MaclinJeremyMaclinKansas State WildcatsKansasStateWildcatsMike ShermanMikeShermanNebraskaFootballpaul rhoadsPaulRhoadsRobert GriffinRobertGriffinRon PrinceRonPrinceTexas AM AggiesTexasAmAggiesTom OsborneTomOsborneTerrance HarrisFri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST Daily Domer: Rubber-Necking the Irishhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/daily-domer-rubber-necking-the-irish/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/daily-domer-rubber-necking-the-irish/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/daily-domer-rubber-necking-the-irish/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Charlie WeisFanHouse writer John Walters is living in South Bend, Ind., during one of the most pivotal seasons in Notre Dame history. Check back daily for his dispatches on the Irish.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The numbers are fluid, but if you search stories on the web for the past two weeks you will find that no head coach, with the exception of Florida's Urban Meyer, is written about more than Charlie Weis. And if you were to eliminate the stories that pertain to Meyer possibly leaving the Brigadoon that is Gainesville for the "Deadliest Catch" climes of South Bend, then Weis may be number one.

Nick Saban. Mack Brown. Brian Kelly. The Patterson/Petersen duo, Gary and Chris. None of them have had even half the stories being written about them that Weis does even though all five of them have guided their teams to undefeated seasons thus far. Weis' team, as you know, is but 6-4.

Of course, Weis is a hot topic because he is on a very hot seat. But so is Mark Mangino. Dan Hawkins. Al Groh. Steve Kragthorpe. None but Mangino even merit a mention on "SportsCenter" and the Kansas coach is only drawing attention because his players, mired in a five-game losing streak, have suddenly realized that he is allegedly abusive.


Hey, I have to be here (notice the name of this column). But you don't. Nor does ESPN radio, which led off its 4 p.m. broadcast on Wednesday with a debate on whether "Notre Dame is the best coaching job in the country" (I imagine if you asked Weis his opinion this week, you'd be met with a sarcastic scowl).

Granted, when the nation's most loved and hated program is in disarray, everyone slows down to gawk at the carnage. If it were just about an overweight coach with one foot in the grave, Mangino would be getting equal time on ESPN. But he isn't.

Notre Dame has been an average football program, in terms of its won-loss record, this entire decade (70-49 since 2000). In fact, the 2000s' mark the first decade that the Irish have failed to finish in the top five of at least one final A.P. poll. And maybe if the Irish throw together a couple more decades in a row like the present one, the program will indeed have only a vestigial link to college football supremacy.

But in 2009, people still care. Some care because they love Notre Dame and not an insignificant number of people care because they despise the school. "It's like the Yankees," says senior defensive end John Ryan.

Except that the Yankees are World Series champions.

Will the Irish ever win another national championship?

Who knows? What I do know is that people have been posing that question as far back as when Knute Rockne perished in a plane crash in 1931.

Vintage Parris
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Senior wide receiver Robby Parris met the media on Tuesday night wearing a pair of shoulder pads underneath his standard-issue green ND polo shirt. Just because. That's Robby Parris.

Calling Aldridge

Running back James Aldridge, also a senior, is listed as a starter at fullback this week. Aldridge has not started a game this season. His last carry came five games ago versus USC, on a fourth-and-1 call in the third quarter that went for no gain.

Odd Line

Notre Dame is a six-point favorite on Saturday versus a Connecticut team that has lost all five of its games by four points or less. Also, the Huskies are coming off a bye week. Additionally, all five schools that beat the Huskies are either ranked or received votes in this week's AP poll: Cincinnati is No. 5, Pittsburgh is No. 8, Rutgers is No. 25, North Carolina received the most votes (144) of any unranked team, and West Virginia received eight votes. Either Vegas truly believes that the Irish will come out fired up for the seniors' final home game, or they're counting on you to believe that.

Golden Rules

A lot of people know that Stanford went for two against USC last week leading 48-21 midway through the fourth quarter, and most people also know that the Trojans stopped the play. If you have not seen the play (I was unable to find it on YouTube), it is worth noting that Toby Gerhart (called "pure muscle" by his girlfriend, a Stanford swimmer) took a handoff and was met head-on at the goal line by USC's Taylor Mays, who knocked him backward.

Gerhart is a Heisman candidate and a deserving one. But it bears noting that perhaps the only offensive player who knocked heads at full speed with the 6-3, 230-pound Mays and got the better of it was Golden Tate.
Just another piece of the legend.

Gerhart and Tate, by the way, have as good a balance as any two players you'll see in college football. The sideline "tackles" Tate as often as a defensive back actually does.

Daily Domer: Rubber-Necking the Irish originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Charlie WeisCharlieWeisJohn WaltersThu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Memo to BCS Bashers: Stop Whininghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/memo-to-bcs-bashers-stop-whining/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/memo-to-bcs-bashers-stop-whining/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/memo-to-bcs-bashers-stop-whining/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Jordan Shipley, Jeffrey Demps, Julio Jones
It's that silly time of year again. There are so many significant teams among the big boys of college football, but there are just two slots on Jan. 7 in Pasadena, Calif., for that title game of the Bowl Championship Series. So the voice of the older Jim Mora is screaming in my subconscious.

Playoffs, playoffs?

We don't need playoffs in this situation.

We need everybody to take a deep breath, count slowly to 10 and stop their knee-jerk talk of a playoff system. The decade-old way of deciding a national champion through the BCS rankings is mostly just fine.

Take this week, for instance. Where's the problem? There isn't one, because the combination of the human polls and the cold computers has it right. The defensive monsters from Florida and Alabama clearly are No. 1 and No. 2, followed by a Texas bunch with a defense that also clobbers people.

That trio is from power conferences, and with apologies to the prolific whiners from the Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences, teams from power conferences deserve a nudge over the rest.

Anyway, Florida and Alabama will meet in the SEC championship game, which means one of them will drop in the rankings behind Texas .

That is, if Texas wins the Big 12 championship game. If Texas doesn't, then one of those other undefeated teams (Texas Christian, Cincinnati and Boise State) will slide into the title picture. Or it could open the way for a one-loss team such as Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh or even the loser of the SEC championship game.


Whatever happens, the system is there. The system is working. The system is controversial, but the system provides less drama than what would occur with a playoff system, which will never happen anyway.

There are just too many questions involved with a playoff system, but its supporters either ignore those questions or shrug them away.

For instance: How many teams will be in this playoff system? The answer is, nobody knows. Many want a "plus one" thing, where two of the four BCS games (Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta) would host semifinal games, and then the winners would play in another BCS game. Others want 16 teams in a playoff. Some want 32.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach wants 64.

As for those other questions, pull up a chair and rest a while. If you can provide more than a surface answer to three or more of the following, then you should immediately leave Planet Earth to design the next solar system.

Where would these playoff games take place, and would they be at the same locations every year, and who would decide the locations?

What entity would choose the playoff teams, and how will such a system be less subjective than what we have now?

With colleges everywhere crying broke, where would they find the extra cash they would need for travel, lodging, food, equipment, utilities -- along with all of those other expenses that nobody wants to discuss that would surface?

Where are those colleges going to find the extra cash to pay for those bonuses that their already heavily compensated coaches would surely command for reaching and winning playoff games?

Oh, and with all that extra cash going to football programs for these playoffs, and with all that revenue created through television rights and jacked-up ticket prices, how would schools satisfy their Title IX obligations since women sports surely would seek a mighty part of the pie?

What would this do to the bowl system, especially since (1) the overwhelming number of the 34 bowls won't have a shot at hosting a playoff game and (2) advertisers (as in TV) won't be as interested in those other bowls?

How many fans could afford to travel with their team across the country at the spur of the moment, which would be the case more often than not?

How many fans could keep traveling if their team keeps winning?

How many folks would the NCAA need to hire to investigate all of the cheating scandals that would surface involving those pressured to do shady things to reach the playoffs to keep from getting whacked?

What kind of toll would all of these extra practices and meetings (see, it's not just one little, old playoff game that its supporters keep suggesting) take on your average student-athlete physically, mentally and academically?

Why not just leave the BCS alone?

Why not, indeed? After all, this eternal grumbling over who really is No. 1 has been so detrimental to college football at its highest level that, entering this season, attendance rose every season for the previous 14 years.

Consider, too, that along the facade of the club level at Folsom Stadium, where the Colorado Buffaloes play their home games, you'll find these words: 1990 National Champions. That's funny, because around Georgia Tech, spanning from Bobby Dodd Stadium to a billboard that is visible for those traveling through Atlanta down I-75, you see claims that the Yellow Jackets won it all that season. And they did. Georgia Tech was named the United Press International champion, and Colorado was declared the nation's best by the Associated Press.

Since nobody can prove otherwise, you have two different fan bases in college football who can claim for eternity that their team was the king of 1990.

There also is that endless griping around Auburn over its undefeated 2004 team that won the SEC but didn't make the BCS championship game. Never mind that Auburn disqualified itself from serious consideration by playing the likes of Louisiana-Monroe, The Citadel and Louisiana Tech.

Auburn fans still think their Tigers would have won it all that season over Oklahoma or USC. They still think they were robbed.

The same goes for Penn State fans who remember 1969, when a giddy Richard Nixon attended Texas' victory over Arkansas during the regular season and crowned the Longhorns national champions in their locker room. Texas later won its bowl game to finish undefeated, but so did Penn State. It's just that Penn State wasn't anointed by the president.

The point is, a playoff system would have exposed those Auburn, Penn State and other such teams as frauds, but now we'll never know.

Which is a good thing. Which is why everybody has another reason to keep breathing deeply regarding the BCS.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Memo to BCS Bashers: Stop Whining originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Terence MooreMon, 16 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST At Boise, Kellen Is Moore of a Heisman Candidate Than Tebow, McCoyhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/at-boise-kellen-is-moore-of-a-heisman-candidate-than-tebow-mcc/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/at-boise-kellen-is-moore-of-a-heisman-candidate-than-tebow-mcc/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/at-boise-kellen-is-moore-of-a-heisman-candidate-than-tebow-mcc/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Kellen MooreI've heard your Tebow talk and your McCoy blather, I've even read your outlandish suggestions that Alabama running back Mark Ingram should win the award. Please, Ingram isn't even as good as Temple's Bernard Pierce and Stanford's Toby Gerhart statistically, and I haven't heard a single one of you mention him. Already, we've made Case's case, and I don't agree with that either.

There is still one player is lurking out there without much national recognition despite the fact that he has the best profile of any Heisman contender.

Why is he being ignored? Because he plays for Boise State and because, you might have noticed, Boise State is off the national radar despite being undefeated. That means most of us have missed what Kellen Moore has managed so far this fall. Thus far,Moore has completed over 67 percent of his passes with many more touchdowns than interceptions. Along the way he's led his team to a 9-0 record, kicked a huge dent in the BCS superiority, and burnished his Heisman credentials. Don't believe me, please step inside for a discussion.
More Heisman Hopefuls: Houston's Consistent Keenum
Stanford's Gerhart Battering Opposition | Nebraska's Dominant DT Suh
Can you pick out Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow's statistics from the list of quarterbacks below?

A. 1,948 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, one rushing touchdown

B. 1,531 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, four interceptions, nine rushing touchdowns

C. 2,259 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, three interceptions, one rushing touchdown

D. 2,447 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions, one rushing touchdown

E. 2,189 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, five interceptions, 13 rushing touchdowns

Go ahead and take your guess.

Ready for the revelation?

A.. Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee'

B. Tebow, Florida

C. Moore, Boise State

D. Colt McCoy, Texas

E. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan

As if that weren't enough, tossing the two leading contenders into a bunch and showing how pedestrian their stats truly are in relation to other quarterbacks having good seasons, Tebow and McCoy are both having worse statistical seasons than they had last year. You know, last year, when neither man won the Heisman Trophy. Don't get me wrong, last year I thought Tebow deserved the Heisman, I would have voted for him. But this year, I think he's been average at best, a mortal man.
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Put it this way, if Tim Tebow was a first-year starting quarterback and no one had ever heard of him before, would he be a legitimate Heisman contender this year?

The answer is no, right?

What about McCoy?

It's possible he's going to have his worst statistics in four years as a starter at Texas. And if it's not his worst year, then at least it's his second-worst year. Definitely two other seasons, and potentially three other years, he's had better results on the field and the Heisman hasn't been his. Why does he deserve it in the midst of the worst year of his career? And it's not as though he's barely missing last year's numbers with a downgraded receivers corp, the disparity from last year is immense. Were he not a solid candidate last year, McCoy would hardly be a frontrunner this year.

Especially when Kellen Moore is currently, wait for it, the nation's passing efficiency leader. Tebow ranks eighth in the country while McCoy is 13th. That's the second most important stat for quarterbacks. What's the most important?

Wins and losses.

Where, guess what, Moore, Tebow, and McCoy are all tied in wins thanks to leading their teams to an undefeated season.

In fact, what if you replaced Tebow and McCoy from their respective squads. Do you really think there would be much of a drop-off? Would Florida have lost a game starting Brantley this season?

Maybe.

Would Florida have lost several games?

No.

Both of these teams would still be top-ten caliber.

Where would Boise be without Moore? I don't think they'd be in the top ten.

And I don't want to hear that Tebow and McCoy both have intangible leadership qualities that make them deserve to win.

Big deal.

You don't think Kellen Moore has intangible leadership qualities as well?

Ultimately, if we seriously consider Tebow and McCoy for the Heisman, aren't we tacitly rewarding them for simply being the favorites coming into the season? In fact, aren't we doing exactly what many fans decry that the polls do, rewarding teams based more on where they begin than what they accomplish?

Why yes, I think that's exactly what we're doing. Because if you consider the players based entirely on the merits of their play this season, you can only come to one actual conclusion, Kellen Moore should win the Heisman Trophy.

At Boise, Kellen Is Moore of a Heisman Candidate Than Tebow, McCoy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Clay TravisFri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: '05 Still Alive in Texashttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/notebook-feeling-of-05-alive-at-texas/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/notebook-feeling-of-05-alive-at-texas/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/notebook-feeling-of-05-alive-at-texas/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Vince Young, Colt McCoyThe comparisons between the Texas Longhorns 2005 team and this season's team are inevitable.

At this point in the 2005 season, the Vince Young-led Longhorns looked pretty invincible. After a tough early season game against Ohio State , they romped over opponents with relative ease on the way to the BCS national title. These Colt McCoy-led Longhorns are doing the same with only their annual rivalry game against Oklahoma serving as the lone close challenge in putting together a perfect 9-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking.

It's just the second time since 1983 that the Longhorns have been 9-0. The other time, of course, was in 2005 when they put together an undefeated campaign that ended with a dramatic national championship victory over USC.

UT coach Mack Brown, who has gone through great pains at times to keep his team focused on the task at hand this season, agreed Monday that he sees favorable comparisons between his two teams. But he also cautioned there are still a couple obvious major differences.

"I would think right now you could compare them because there really has been only one close game from this team and there was only one through nine games for the 2005 team," Brown said during the weekly Big 12 conference call. "I think the biggest question will be the way that other bunch finished in 2005. Obviously they were the best in the country at this time and this bunch hasn't even won the Big 12 South yet."

McCoy, who was soaking it all up while as a redshirt in 2005, says he learned some valuable lessons from that team that he's passing along to this year's Longhorns as a seasoned senior.

"They had their edge," McCoy said. "They were focused every week. Not just focused and excited about going into the game, but focused all week, making sure everyone on the team is working hard and getting their minds right and understanding their jobs going into the game all week long.

"I think that is one thing that we have cleaned up well. We really practice hard. We really prepare each week so that we will be ready on Saturday."

While this year's team is undefeated, like 2005, these Longhorns are awaiting that complete game where they dominate an opponent from beginning to end and in all phases of the game. Defensively, they've been stout and arguably better than the 2005 defense thanks to defensive coordinator and head-coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp.

But offensively, Texas has frequently been slow to get going. This past weekend, Central Florida led the Longhorns 3-0 in the second quarter before the Longhorns scored the next 35 en route to a 35-3 win.

McCoy is on the way to being the all-time wins leader for football's top division and remains in the Heisman conversation. McCoy and receiver Jordan Shipley have been an unstoppable connection, but the running game continues to be inconsistent.

For whatever reason, it seems whenever the Longhorns get one area fixed another seems to break down. Brown was still bothered Monday by flaws in the kicking game after kicker Hunter Lawrence missed a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter this past Saturday.

"You are happy at 9-0 obviously," he said. "But it seems like holes in the bottom of your boat -- when you fix one hole something else pops up. "

Still, most expect little to get in the Longhorns way as they march toward the BCS national title game at the Rose Bowl, the site of their 2005 national title. With three games left in the regular season, including Saturday's game at Baylor, the Longhorns most difficult remaining challenge may be Texas A&M in the Thanksgiving night finale.

Texas remains ranked third in the BCS standings behind Florida and Alabama, but with the Gators and Crimson Tide meeting in the SEC championship that opens the door for the Longhorns to most likely meet the SEC champion in Pasadena provided they win out and emerge as Big 12 champs.

Then the comparisons to the 2005 squad would really come into focus.

"At this time they've earned the right to be in conversation with the 2005 team," Brown said, "but they haven't earned the right to be considered as good because they've got to finish like that bunch did."

More Bad News for Sooners

The season and the news just keep getting worse for Bob Stoops and his Oklahoma Sooners.

If it wasn't bad enough that they're coming off a 10-3 loss to Nebraske, a loss that ensures Bob Stoops will lose four games in a season for just the second time since 2000, they have now lost three players to season-ending injuries behind that game.

A day after expressing optimism that versatile offensive lineman Brody Eldridge would return this season from a shoulder injury suffered Saturday, Stoops confirmed Tuesday that Eldridge is one of three players lost for the season. Joining Eldridge are offensive lineman Jarvis Jones and defensive end Auston English.

Eldridge, who has started this season at center, tight end and guard, has a sprained shoulder, suffered while making a tackle following one of quarterback Landry Jones' five interceptions. Jones has a fractured heel and English is having surgery to repair an ankle tendon.

The Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12), of course, lost Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford with a shoulder injury last month and All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham with a knee injury before the season began.
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Thomas Giving Wildcats a Boost

Junior college transfer Daniel Thomas came to Kansas State as a quarterback-wide receiver from Northwest Mississippi Community College

Yet, Thomas has certainly had one of the greatest impacts on the Wildcats surprising season as a hard-charging running back. Thomas leads the Big 12 in both rushing (1,087) yards and rushing touchdowns (11) through 10 games.

"Daniel is a very good young person, very conscientious," said Kansas State coach Bill Snyder, whose team is 64- (4-2 in the Big 12) with a half-game lead over Nebraska for first place in the Big 12 North. "He's a hard worker. He's obviously has some physical capabilities. He gives us a kind of multi-purpose dimension."

Most importantly, he gives the Jayhawks a ground-controlling presence as a 6-foot-2, 227-pound power back. Thomas became just the ninth player in KSU history to go over 1,000 yards rushing this past weekend when he ran for a career-best 185 yards in the win over Kansas.

"I like that as a running back, he's a pretty physical running back," Snyder said. "He has reasonably good size, but he has, as demonstrated this past weekend, a major motor that kind of keeps him going. He stays on his feet well.

"He's gotten better as the season has progressed. That comes from understanding the system a little bit better, some comes from experience some of it from the daily practice routine. But his development has been very good and he's playing well."

Up and Down Aggies

Mike ShermanSecond-year Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman is probably as frustrated and confused about his team as anyone.

Just when it looks like the Aggies are ready to turn a corner, they pull a confusing loss like Saturday's 35-34 stumble at Colorado. Texas A&M looked like it were about to cruise to a third-straight win and bowl eligibility for the first 56 minutes against the Buffaloes.

Then things fell apart as Colorado rallied in the final minutes. Suddenly, things were feeling a lot more similar to the night they lost 62-14 to Kansas State.

So once again, Sherman is trying to pick up the pieces and making something positive happen in these final three games.

"We've had to do that before this year. I tell the guys I knew the season was going to be one that was going to be some high points and some rough spots, as well," said Sherman, whose 5-4 (2-3) Aggies travel to Oklahoma on Saturday for its final road game. "You just have to move on whether you win or you lose. You look at yourself critically whether you win or you lose and you learn from your mistakes.

"This was a tough one because certainly it was a winnable game and one we had in check for about 56 minutes of the ballgame and then at the end there... That's tougher than getting your butt kicked like we did at K-State in many ways because you are so close. We were never in the K-State game, but we were in this one until the last four minutes.

"With young guys we've just got to get them back on track again and try to go against a very good Oklahoma team."

Uncertainty at QB for Huskers

If Nebraska coach Bo Pelini is in a quandary over his quarterback situation, he certainly isn't letting on.

Junior Zac Lee struggled in his first year as a starter, so the Huskers turned to freshman Cody Green. But this past weekend, with the offense struggling to get anything going against Oklahoma, Pelini turned back to Lee.

Lee didn't do muchl, but he steadied the offense to help Nebraska to a surprising 10-3 win at home.

So how will Pelini, whose Cornhuskers are still very much in the North division race, deal with his quarterback situation during these final three games?

"That remains to be seen. We kind of go week to week," Pelini said. "We are going to do what we need to do to win each football game. I think it could a combination of the two. It could be Zac or it could be Cody. That's something we are going to figure out as time goes on and we put in game plan to give ourselves an opportunity to win football games."

Pelini insists he still has confidence in Green, who is Nebraska's future. But there is no denying that Lee seems a lot less rattled at this point.

"He's a little bit older, obviously he doesn't have a ton more experience but he has a little more experience," Pelini said. "I go by off what I see in practice. For the most part I have confidence in both guys. We'll just see how it plays out."



Leach Closing in on Milestone

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach says he didn't necessarily look at Lubbock as a destination spot or somewhere he'd achieve greatness when he came aboard 10 years ago.

"I never really thought about it," Leach said. "I just tried to be the best I could from week to the next and see where that all takes you."

Where it has taken Leach is on the brink of becoming the program's all-time winningest coach. Leach needs just one more win to surpass Spike Dykes' 82 career wins collected over 13 seasons with the Red Raiders.

Leach has brought recently unthinkable levels of success to Tech. He hasn't come close to a losing campaign and last year tied at the top of the competitive Big 12 South.

"I'm just excited for Mike, he has done a great job there with Tech," said Stoops, who hired Leach as his offensive coordinator at Oklahoma before Leach left for Tech. "He did a great job for us. ... I obviously felt he could be a head coach when I hired him and those were my words to him. I felt if he did a good job here and we got things rolling here that he'd have an opportunity to be head coach in the first year though. It just happened quickly but he's done an excellent job. All of here still keep in touch with Mike and we're happy for him."

Big 12 Notebook: '05 Still Alive in Texas originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBob StoopsBobStoopsBrody EldridgeBrodyEldridgeCody GreenCodyGreencolt mccoyColtMccoyJordan ShipleyJordanShipleyMack BrownMackBrownMike LeachMike ShermanMikeLeachMikeShermanvince youngVinceYoungWill MuschampWillMuschampZac LeeZacLeeTerrance HarrisWed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sakehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/blanket-coverage-for-petes-sake/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Pete CarrollHalloween in Eugene began with Oregon coach Chip Kelly disguised as the Duck mascot and ended with USC masquerading as Cal. Pete Carroll's Trojans are not exactly immune from defeat in the Beaver State (0-4 since 2006) but they never lose to a fellow highly ranked Pac-10 foe and they most certainly never get waxed.

That's Jeff Tedford's domain.

Hands continue to wring in the Southland -- the Orange County Register declared that "USC's complete dominance of the league, a dominance unmatched in conference history, is over" -- but I believe that Pete Carroll, much like Michael Myers, will haunt the Pac-10 for many Halloweens to come.

Also, I'd like to suggest a more salient reason for Troy's desultory play of late, one that has nothing to do with the freshman QB, the eight defensive starters lost, or the two new coordinators: jet lag (and that's not a Mark Sanchez reference).

This Saturday, the Trojans will fly to Phoenix to face Arizona State in neighboring Tempe, which will mark their sixth flight of the season. No school among the top dozen in the BCS rankings (USC is No. 12) will play six of its first nine games away from home. And only Boise State, primarily because the Broncos visited Hawaii on October 24, has accrued more frequent-flier mileage.

The Trojans are lax because of LAX. They've covered more miles than Les Miles. They've made two across-three-time-zones treks already (Ohio State and Notre Dame), which equals the total of the other 11 top-12 schools combined (Cincinnati at Oregon State and Boise State at Ohio State).

Below is a table ranking the top 12 in terms of mileage covered, with their actual BCS rankings in parentheses. Distances were rounded off to the nearest hundred miles:

1) Boise State (7)......................................13,400 miles

2) USC (12).............................................11,700

3) Cincinnati (5).........................................9,200

4) TCU (6)................................................8,200

5) LSU (5)................................................5,600

6) Texas (2)..............................................4,900

7) Florida (1).............................................3,800

8 (Tie) Iowa..............................................2,800

Georgia Tech....................................2,800

10) Oregon...............................................2,700

11) Alabama............................................1,800

12) Penn State.........................................1,300

Granted, it's not as if the Trojans were traveling by sleeper car back to South Bend. On the other hand, I'm beginning to wonder if safety Taylor Mays begins pep talks with, "This is your captain speaking."

Maybe Carroll's greatest nemesis may not be the swiftly surging Ducks. Maybe it's his athletic director.

THE ZACH ATTACK
He has only been the starter for 2½ games, but Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros has been outstanding in leading the No. 5 Bearcats to victories against South Florida, Louisville and Syracuse. Since taking over for injured starter Tony Pike, Collaros has completed 75 percent of his passes (47-of-63) for 749 yards and nine touchdown passes versus just one interception. That's the same TD-to-INT ratio that Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame, second in the nation in passing efficiency, has.

Asked when Pike, who himself is currently seventh in the nation in passing efficiency, would play again on Monday, Bearcat coach Brian Kelly offered, "It's hard to say."

STEIN SHINES
Louisville, led by 5-8 walk-on quarterback Will Stein, beat Arkansas State, 21-13. Stein had last seen game action at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium as a local high school senior when he led Trinity to a defeat of St. Xavier in front of 37, 550 fans. Saturday's attendance at the same venue was 21,497.


TRUE BROMANCE
I cannot decide whether Riley Cooper is the Jordan Shipley of the SEC or whether Shipley is the Cooper of the Big 12. Cooper is the Gator wideout with the Head & Shoulders mane who is not only Tim Tebow's primary target, he's also his roommate.

Shipley is the childhood best friend and roommate of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. He is also the Longhorn quarterback's favorite target. All four are straight out of "Friday Night Lights" (it's Jason Street and Tim Riggins come to life). Should Florida and Texas meet in Pasadena for the BCS championship, it'll be a question of whether Brent Musberger utters the term "bromance" during the broadcast or if he'll just refer to them as "pardners."

HMMMMMMM
Ohio State beat New Mexico State 45-0. The spread in Vegas was 44. If only everyone worked as diligently as oddsmakers.

TEMPLE IN NEED OF WORSHIPPERS?
Congrats to Temple for beating Navy. In earning their sixth straight victory, the Owls also became bowl-eligible for the first time since 1979. And so it would seem that their next home game would be an ideally opportune time for the fans in Philadelphia, and not just the Cos, to show their pride.

There's just one small problem. Temple's next home game, versus Miami of Ohio at Lincoln Financial Field, is Thursday night. That also happens to be the scheduled date for Game 7 of the World Series between the Phillies and the New York Yankees ... if necessary.

Blanket Coverage: For Pete's Sake originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:33:00 EST No. 2 Longhorns Try to Stay Focusedhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/no-2-longhorns-attempt-to-stay-focused-as-bcs-picture-becomes-c/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/no-2-longhorns-attempt-to-stay-focused-as-bcs-picture-becomes-c/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/no-2-longhorns-attempt-to-stay-focused-as-bcs-picture-becomes-c/#commentsFiled under: ,

STILLWATER, Okla. -- As much debate swirls around which teams are the best and most deserving for a shot at the BCS national title, the Texas Longhorns appear to have the most unabridged path to Pasadena of any of the serious contenders.

Take your pick of the other potential candidates -- Florida, Alabama, Iowa, TCU, Cincinnati, Boise State, Oregon -- and they all could suffer heartbreaks during this final stretch of regular season. Texas' path has far fewer land mines.

The Longhorns, who leaped back into the No. 2 spot in both polls over Alabama on Sunday and are third in the most recent BCS poll, just completed the most difficult portion of their schedule in impressive fashion, beating Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State in what was supposed to be a challenging four-game stretch.

Now all that stands in the Longhorns' (8-0, 5-0) path to the BCS national title game are four tricky, but hardly daunting, regular-season games. They will need to remain unblemished against the stretch of Central Florida, Baylor, Kansas and Texas A&M followed by a Big 12 championship matchup in which they will be the overwhelming favorite against any team the North division can offer.

But while they weren't exactly convincing, to a man every Longhorn answered with the similar "take one game at time" answer when asked if the road to the BCS national title was becoming any clearer after Saturday night's 41-14 rout of the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium.

"Our focus is one at a time," said senior quarterback Colt McCoy. "It's been like that since the very beginning of the year. I think our team has definitely bought into that."

Next up for Texas is a non-conference matchup against Central Florida (4-3, 2-2 C-USA) at home on Saturday. Late-surging Texas A&M at Kyle Field seems to be the most dangerous opponent left.
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With the two teams ahead of Texas in the BCS rankings, Florida and Alabama, headed for a collision course in the SEC championship game, all the Longhorns have to do is keep winning in order to clinch one half of the national championship game.

But all Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy says the team is concerned about is the task at hand. And for him that's the school in Florida -- even if he confused about which program the Longhorns are facing Saturday.

"We will see the big prize next week, Florida Atlantic, that's the next big prize on the menu," said Muckelroy, who misidentified Central Florida. "One game at a time. I'm not trying to look no farther than the one Saturday. That's how we've been doing it all year, that's how we are going to continue doing it."

But after watching how Texas dominated the Cowboys on Saturday and took advantage of every mistake, the Longhorns are looking like a team destined to return to the Rose Bowl, the scene of their last national championship after the 2005 season. Defensively, they are as dominant and opportunistic as any unit in the country.

UT coach Mack Brown, who was more than a little peeved last season when his one-loss team didn't get a Big 12 championship or a national championship bid, admits it's setting up nicely for his Longhorns. But he cautions against taking these final opponents for granted.

"I think the signal is we have a chance to be really good here at the end," Brown said. "Thank goodness we divide our season up in three sections, four [games] each. Two of those sections are gone so we have a four-game season that's left, and we have to restart that next week.

"Now we are continuing to play for the Big 12 South championship. We are continuing to try to get in that Big 12 championship game and at the same time, we still have a lot at stake on the national scene. We want to be the best team in the country and we want to continue to play like that."

No. 2 Longhorns Try to Stay Focused originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>ColtMccoyMackBrownRoddrickMuckelroytexas longhornsTexasLonghornsTerrance HarrisSun, 01 Nov 2009 20:30:00 EST Texas Rewrites History in Routhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/texas-rewrites-history-in-rout/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/texas-rewrites-history-in-rout/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/01/texas-rewrites-history-in-rout/#commentsFiled under: , ,

STILLWATER, Okla. --- Texas coach Mack Brown normally demands his teams stay in the moment.

But in the week leading up to Saturday night's game against 13th-ranked Oklahoma State, Brown wanted to make certain the third-ranked Longhorns remembered where they were at this point last season and what they lost against Texas Tech.

They were different opponents, but presented a strikingly similar scenario a year apart.

The final game in a crazy four-game swing. Facing an explosive offensive team in a critical Big 12 South game. Hostile environment.

But where the Longhorns failed a season ago in Lubbock, they excelled Saturday night, putting the clamps on the Cowboys in a convincing 41-14 win, much to the chagrin of a mostly black and orange crowd of 58,516 that packed Boone Pickens Stadium.

They didn't just beat the Cowboys, the walloped the past, too.

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"We feel much better right now as opposed to last year," UT senior quarterback Colt McCoy said. "This was big for us, we focused all week."

The most immediate prize is the pole position in what is shaping up as a one-team Big 12 South race and maybe one of the more predictable Big 12 championships in years. Becoming clearer is the that the Longhorns are positioning themselves for a date in Pasadena, Calif., and a shot at the BCS national title.

All of those possibilities were snuffed out for the Longhorns in a handful of moments last season against Tech, as a missed interception and a missed tackle in the final seconds were all that stood between them and a undefeated record and a shot at the national championship.

But not this time.

In a you-couldn't-script-this-any-better script, Texas secondary members Blake Gideon, Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown all were able to redeem themselves from a season ago with big interceptions Saturday night. Thomas and Brown both returned interceptions by OSU quarterback Zac Robinson for touchdowns. Gideon came up with a late pick.

A year ago Gideon, dropped what could have been the game-sealing interception against Tech in the final minute. On the next play, both Thomas and Brown missed opportunities to stop receiver Michael Crabtree as he corralled a pass and spun out of their grasp and strutted into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

"You also have to give credit for the anniversary, the last drive for Texas Tech," Brown said. "You are so proud for Blake Gideon, Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown. I thought it was very fitting for them tonight to (have) all three intercept balls, two of them for touchdowns to put that low thought to rest."

To make certain the Longhorns didn't forget what they needed to do to avoid last year's letdown, defensive end Sergio Kindle gave everyone on the team, including Brown and the coaching staff, dog tags that read: Texas Swagger. It seemed to work to near-perfection Saturday night.

"The message is we want to play with a swagger; we want to play with confidence is all that it is," said Brown, whose team is now 8-0 (5-0 in the Big 12). "We don't want to go into places on the road and feel like we might get beat. We want to walk in there and send a message that we are good, we want to play good."

That mission was accomplished Saturday night as the Longhorns' defense put forth a suffocating display against the Cowboys. They closed off running lanes, harassed Robinson and then they physically handled the OSU receivers playing nickel most of the night.

Robinson, the most efficient quarterback in the Big 12 entering the game, threw an uncharacteristic four interceptions as the Cowboys' offense became predictable in trying to overcome a deficit that at one point was 41-7 in the third quarter. Oklahoma State committed a total of five turnovers on the night.

"When you turn the ball over and make that many mistakes against a team that has that much ability, it's very difficult to win the game, " said OSU coach Mike Gundy, whose team slipped to 6-2 (3-1) after being ranked as high as No. 5 in the country earlier this season. "Getting behind by more than two scores makes it very difficult to execute on offense and defense."

The Longhorns, meanwhile, didn't have much trouble at all. The offense was limited in opportunities because of Oklahoma State's game plan to play keep-away with the ball.

But the Longhorns made their few chances count with McCoy leading the offense on five scoring possessions. He completed 16-of-21 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. With two touchdowns from the defense, the offense did all it had to, playing smart turnover-free football (star receiver Jordan Shipley, however, did have turnover on a muffed punt).

Thomas and Brown's touchdowns marked the seventh and eighth touchdowns from the Longhorns' defense or special teams this season.

"I think that makes you an unusual team, we've never been able to do that," Brown said. "Our offense is getting better, our defense is continuing to score and we didn't score on special teams tonight, but we usually do.

"Scoring in all three phases is something that gives you a chance to be really good. We just got to keep that hammer down and keep pressing in those areas."

Interestingly, OSU actually out-gained the Longhorns and held on to the ball for a larger portion of the game. The Cowboys had 277 yards of offense to 275 for Texas. They won the time of possession battle 33:16 to 26:44.

But Oklahoma State lost the all-important turnover battle five-to-one, repeatedly sandbagging offensive drives. Receiver Hubert Anyiam, who had been excellent for the Cowboys in the absence of Dez Bryant, dropped a for-sure touchdown pass early and then fumbled after the catch to blow another opportunity.

Much of the credit for the Cowboys flailing had to go to the hard-hitting UT defense.

"Basically we put everything on the line going out there and showing everybody what we've got, national game, across the world," said UT linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy. "We tried to show them how Texas plays football."

That isn't to suggest the Longhorns can't get better at nearly every phase of the game because they can. They didn't do much in special teams and the offense still isn't as fluid as it needs to be both in running the ball and in the throwing game.



Those are things that must be addressed should Texas end up on college football's biggest stage this year, as now seems likely.

"We felt like we were a team that was going to continue to get better," Brown said. "I think we are in a world now where people are questioning everybody, it doesn't matter. The key is to win.

"This team is enjoying each other. They are getting ownership, they are stepping up as seniors and taking over their team and that's really important. We feel like we have a chance to get better."

Texas Rewrites History in Rout originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>colt mccoyColtMccoycowboysJordan ShipleyJordanShipleyLonghornsMack BrownMackBrownmichael crabtreeMichaelCrabtreeMike GundyMikeGundyRoddrick MuckelroyRoddrickMuckelroyzac robinsonZacRobinsonTerrance HarrisSun, 01 Nov 2009 01:01:00 EST Texas Toasts Oklahoma Statehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/texas-toasts-oklahoma-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/texas-toasts-oklahoma-state/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/texas-toasts-oklahoma-state/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Texas LonghornsSTILLWATER, Okla. -- So much for the down-to-the-wire games between Texas and Oklahoma State and the chance for the Cowboys to finally break through.

Texas forced OSU quarterback Zac Robinson into four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns and the third was converted into a touchdown as the third-ranked Longhorns cruised to a 41-14 victory in front of 58,516 at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday night.

This was a meeting of the Big 12 South's two top teams, but it was clear from the outset the Longhorns are by far supreme as they took a major step in locking up the division title while staying in step for the coveted BCS championship bid. Texas (8-0, 4-0) just needs to run the table against Baylor, Kansas and Texas A&M after next week's non-conference game against Central Florida to be in position for the opportunities it was denied last season after one lapsed moment against Texas Tech.
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The loss for the 13th-ranked Cowboys, meanwhile, ends a five-game winning streak as a promising season is fast fading for the one-time fifth-ranked team in the country. OSU (6-2, 3-1) has been plagued by off-field issues and injuries and the youth that's left were obvious Saturday night.

In addition to Robinson's struggles, Hubert Anyiam, who had filled the void left by suspended All-American receiver Dez Bryant, had a dropped touchdown and a costly interception on the night. All-Big 12 running back Kendal Hunter, who hasn't played since Sept. 12 because of an ankle/foot injury, ran the ball just one time in his return.

Texas, on the other hand, got big plays from quarterback Colt McCoy and receivers Malcolm Williams and Jordan Shipley. But the real stars for the Longhorns were the defense and the secondary members who locked down the Cowboys' potent offense in critical moments.

Texas Toasts Oklahoma State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Terrance HarrisSat, 31 Oct 2009 23:02:00 EST Texas-Oklahoma State Live Blog: Shadows of a Tech-nical Knockouthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/texas-oklahoma-state-live-blog-shadows-of-a-tech-nical-knockout/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/texas-oklahoma-state-live-blog-shadows-of-a-tech-nical-knockout/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/31/texas-oklahoma-state-live-blog-shadows-of-a-tech-nical-knockout/#commentsFiled under: , ,

STILLWATER, Okla. -- It almost seems uncanny, the parallels between tonight's Texas-Oklahoma State Halloween showdown and last season's matchup between the Longhorns and Texas Tech.

A hostile road environment that will be filled with rowdy fans. Night game. National TV audience. The fourth game of an unforgiving four-game stretch that includes Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri before this one.

A bid for the Big 12 South title and a shot at the BCS national championship game also hang in the balance.

But the third-ranked Texas Longhorns are certainly looking for a different result this time around. Facing an explosive Texas Tech team last season, the Red Raiders became all that stood between the No.1 Longhorns and a national title bid when Michael Crabtree caught the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock.

To add insult, the Longhorns didn't even get to represent the South in the Big 12 championship game after a three-way tiebreaker sent an Oklahoma team they beat on a neutral field earlier in the season.

The way head coach Mack Brown sees it, the undefeated Longhorns have a chance to right a wrong tonight, though this time comes against the 13th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys at a soldout Boone Pickens Stadium.

"Obviously we lost the game and didn't play as well as we wanted to last year," said Brown, whose team has won 11 straight against OSU, but the two teams have been involved in some nail biters as of late. "We are really looking at this as we have this window of opportunity to recapture something what we lost last year. The guys are excited about the trip, they are excited about Oklahoma State, but they are also excited about trying to recapture something that didn't work well last year.

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"History doesn't repeat itself and give you these opportunities very often."

Oklahoma State, 6-1, 3-0 in Big 12 play, are explosive in the same way the Raiders were last season. If there is a difference, the Cowboys and quarterback Zac Robinson will not have the proven playmaker at receiver the Raiders had last season after All-American receiver Dez Bryant was ruled ineligible by the NCAA this week for lying. All Big-12 running back Kendall Hunter has been out the last several weeks with an ankle injury. He is expected to play about 10 snaps tonight.

The Longhorns, meanwhile, are looking more and more like a team on the rise with quarterback Colt McCoy and the offense finally getting things clicking on all cylinders from the beginning last week against Missouri. Their defense has been lights out all season long linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy and defensive end Sergio Kindle leading the way.



FIRST QUARTER

Both Oklahoma State and Texas open the game with long drives. The Cowboys 13-play drive ends with no points when Bailey misses 44-yard field goal attempt. Then when it's the Longhorns turn, they drive it down in 11 plays and Lawrence converts a 25-yard field to put UT ahead 3-0 with 3:47 remaining in the first quarter.

******************

Victor Johnson just hammers on Jordan Shipley on punt catch, forcing the sure-handed senior to fumble the ball away at the UT 34. But the Cowboys are not able to convert on a four-and-out.


In fact, that drive may come to define the night for the Cowboys. They had Texas right where they want them, but move the ball exactly two yards on three straight bumbling plays. The most costly was the deep pass on fourth down that was dropped by Hubert Ayiam at the goal line. It would have been a touchdown for the Cowboys had he been able to make the catch.


SECOND QUARTER

Anyiam has been impressive in replacing Dez Bryant, but he is off to terrible night so far. First he drops a touchdown pass late in the first quarter and now a fumble after the reception has set up the Longhorns first touchdown of the night. Texas went up 10-0 when Johnson plows in from1-yard out with 10:45 left in the first half.

McCoy also looked good for the Longhorns on the scoring drive, hitting Shipley and Goodwin for big pass plays to set up the score from the 1-yard line. And this after the drive began with a 10-yard sack of McCoy.
**************

Can you say opportunistic defense? That's exactly what the Longhorns have been all all season. Curtis Brown steps in front of a Zac Robinson pass to Fooks and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown that put Texas up 17-0 with 6:21 remaining in the first half. It is the eighth non-offensive touchdown for the Longhorns this season.

************************
The Cowboys are finally able to string together enough plays for a touchdown drive. Robinson completed a few nice passes and then the Cowboys were aided by a pass interference call on Chykie Brown that ultimately set up Johnson's 1-yard touchdown run on the left side to pull the Cowboys within 17-7 with 2:10 left in the half. The touchdown capped an eight-play, 84-yard drive.
***********


The fans are upset about the lack of call and review of James Kirkendoll's apparent fumble deep in the Longhorns territory. But it appears the play was already ruled dead by whistle before the fumble so it was not reviewable.

*****************

The Longhorns haven't put up the yards Oklahoma State has in the first half, but they've made their opportunities count the most. Texas takes a 24-7 lead into halftime after McCoy finds Williams in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass play with nine seconds remaining in the half. The score capped an impressive 10-play, 80-yard drive.


THIRD QUARTER<

Here is the difference between Texas and Oklahoma State tonight. The Longhorns put together impressive opening drive in the third quarter, but stumble at the end. Still, they come away with a Lawrence 40-yard field goal that makes it 27-7 with 10:27 left in the quarter.

In the first half, OSU ventured deep into UT territory four times in the first half but had just one touchdown to show for it.

*************

You might as well say this isn't Zac Robinson and the Cowboys night offensively. Robinson just threw his second pick six of the night when UT safety Earl Thomas steps in front of the OSU receiver and returns the interception 31 yards for the touchdown that put the Longhorns ahead 34-7 with 9:31 remaining in the third.

Robinson never looked off his receiver, making it easy for Thomas to read his eyes for the easy interception and subsequent touchdown.
***************

Robinson's struggles continue. He has now thrown three interceptions. The most recent is an improvement, however, only because he didn't throw an interception for a touchdown for the first time tonight. Instead, the Longhorn converted Robinson's interception into a 2-yard touchdown run for Cody Johnson that put Texas well ahead 41-7.

Here is a hint to Robinson and head coach Mike Gundy: The deep pass is gone because the Longhorns are sitting in cover two. The underneath stuff is there, but there isn't enough time to catch up that way. Let's just say, Game Over!

Texas-Oklahoma State Live Blog: Shadows of a Tech-nical Knockout originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>colt mccoyColtMccoyDez BryantDezBryantMack BrownMackBrownmichael crabtreeMichaelCrabtreeOklahoma State footballOklahomaStateFootballRoddrick MuckelroyRoddrickMuckelroySergio KindleSergioKindletexas longhornsTexasLonghornszac robinsonZacRobinsonTerrance HarrisSat, 31 Oct 2009 19:20:00 EST Stoops, Snyder Resume Friendly Rivalryhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/stoops-snyder-resume-friendly-rivalry/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/stoops-snyder-resume-friendly-rivalry/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/28/stoops-snyder-resume-friendly-rivalry/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There is nothing new about Bob Stoops matching coaching wits with old mentor and boss Bill Snyder. They've done plenty of that over the years in Big 12 cross-divisional play.

But that doesn't mean Stoops isn't a little surprised to see Snyder, 70, back on the Wildcats sideline. The longtime Kansas State coach retired four years ago to pursue opportunities outside coaching, but was lured out of retirement last winter.

Stoops, whose 22nd-ranked Sooners host the Wildcats on Saturday, admits it's a little unexpected to be going up against his old boss again, but he was stunned when Snyder was no longer there, too.

"I always believe you have something in the tank, but I guess I was surprised because I was surprised initially that he did retire," said Stoops, who served on Snyder's staff at K-State from 1989-95 as defensive backs coach and later co-defensive coordinator. "I know how well thought out everything Coach Snyder does is that I figured that was it for him. But life changes I guess, the way people keep asking me what's going to happen with me in the next five to 10 years. Heck, I don't know. You just don't know.

"In the end, life changes and he felt that it was right for him to go back and I'm happy for him that it's working out well."

Working well may be the biggest of understatements. The Wildcats, who were up-and-down in the three seasons under Ron Prince, came into the season expected to finish near the bottom of the division race. But after the first three weeks of Big 12 play K-State (5-3, 3-1) stands alone in first place in the North division having won back-to-back league games and four of its last five.

The three-time defending Big 12 champion and last season's BCS championship game participant Sooners (4-3, 2-1), meanwhile, have fallen on difficult times this season with three defeats and the loss of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Sam Bradford for the season.

Still, the Wildcats will get their greatest of the season Saturday and it comes courtesy of someone who knows Snyder and his tendencies rather well.

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"It may make it more difficult because they probably have a better understanding of me than I do of them over a period of time," Snyder said. "Having been out of the game for three years I didn't study what other teams were doing or how consistent Oklahoma was in doing the things I was more attuned to at that particular point in time. What makes it most difficult is just the fact I know the quality of coaching that exists there.

"Bob and his staff there have done extremely well. You always know that you are going to play an excellent football team and a well coached football team a very aggressive football team and one that is difficult for anybody to beat."

Stoops is always aware of what to expect from a Snyder-coached football team, as well. The Wildcats will play great disciplined defense; offensively they will start by effectively running the ball both with the running back and quarterback and they won't beat themselves.

Knowing that, Stoops said he wasn't surprised when Snyder blasted his team in victory last week over Colorado for stumbling and bumbling offensively in the second half.

"He's always looking for improvement," Stoops said. "I spent a long time with Coach Snyder, seven years at Kansas State and I was around him for 10 years at Iowa so I know all about it."

Snyder, who has come back slightly kinder and gentler than before, admits he might have been a little harsh on his team after last Saturday's impressive home win.

"It wasn't good for a lot of different reasons, some I mentioned and some I didn't," Snyder said. "I was probably a little angrier than I should have been. Nevertheless, it's apparent we've got some improvement to make there."

What's Inside a Score, Really?

It was interesting to see if anyone could make sense out of three scores and three teams in the last three weeks in the Big 12.

Follow this: Texas Tech torched Kansas State, 66-14, in Week 6. The following week the Wildcats took out their frustration on Texas A&M by stomping the Aggies 62-14 in Manhattan. And then this past weekend, the Aggies went up to Lubbock, Tex. and destroyed the 21st-ranked Red Raiders 52-30.

So what, if anything, can be derived from college football scores these days?

"Don't look at them because history will repeat itself if you do," said Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who insinuated afterward that his team went into the A&M game a little full of itself having seen what the Wildcats did to the Aggies a week earlier. "I just think it doesn't matter how much you talk about it during the course of the week, because we talked about it in the course of the week because we spent most of the week talking about it doesn't matter what that Kansas State score was, you've got to be ready play. Somehow as coaches, we weren't able to reach them. We've got to find a better way to do that.

Mike Sherman"I think between a guy looking at the score themselves and then going out into the community and being told how great they are and how easy it's going to be, I think somehow you have to have the ability to overcome it. I think we have to find a better way to do that."

Second-year A&M coach Mike Sherman was also at a loss to explain his team's dramatic one-swing that ended a three-game losing streak.

"If I could, I probably could write a book and sell it to a lot of coaches across the country," he said. "Each week presents different challenges. Obviously last week our back was against the wall and there was only way you could go and that's to come out swinging which I thought they did."

Snyder used the odd turns of events in the three games as an excuse this week not to gush over his team's surprising first place standing in the North division.

"There is no real way of predicting how things will turn out," Snyder said. "Just look at the past few weeks involving us, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. That just shows you how much of a guessing game this really is."

Sherman, who of course spent some time as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans, said the scores in college football can be misleading from week to week. Unlike in the NFL, college kids are dealing with a lot of extenuating circumstances like mid-terms and papers to write.

And there is the injury issue. In the NFL, it's released who is healthy and who will play from week to week. College teams release such information at their discretion and coaches like Leach don't discuss injuries or who might be out at all.

"In college football you have guys playing hurt no one else knows about, different guys playing different positions," Sherman said. "I think it's very difficult because you don't have the full extent of knowledge of what a team is presented with. So I think every team is different."

As The Quarterback Turns At Colorado

Colorado coach Dan Hawkins made it clear Monday that sophomore Tyler Hansen would remain the Buffaloes starting quarterback this week.

But what is a little uncertain is whether Hansen will carry the load or will Hawkins' son, Cody, take most of the meaningful snaps? Hansen was pulled out of his redshirt three weeks ago and given the starting job over ineffective Cody Hawkins.

After guiding the Buffaloes to a surprising win over Kansas, however, Hansen struggled early during last weekend's loss at Kansas State. Cody Hawkins then spent the majority of the second half playing as the Buffaloes tried to come from behind.

Hawkins, a junior and three-year starter, moved the ball effectively at times but he also threw two costly picks, including one into triple coverage in the end zone that iced the game on the final drive. Immediately there were questions after the game about who would start this week against Missouri.

While continuing to back Hansen as the starter, Hawkins left open the door for his son to play in the hurry-up offense and in no huddle situations.

"You just have to kind of see how it goes, you have to play it by feel," he said. "I think Cody has a little better handle on the no huddle part of it."



Quarterback Issues II

Colorado, however, is far from alone in having quarterback dilemmas.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini has continued to stick with first-year starter Zac Lee much to the dismay of the Nebraska Cornhuskers faithful who've been given a little taste of freshman Cody Green and they want more.

Then at Texas Tech, the cradle of record-breaking college quarterbacks, Leach is possibly looking at starting his third quarterback of the season Saturday against Kansas.

Former walk-on Steven Sheffield, who came off the bench and led the Red Raiders to a three-game winning streak, is out with a broken football suffered two weeks ago. Taylor Potts, the season-opening starter, was practically booed off the field during Saturday's stunning home loss to Texas A&M in his first start since Oct. 3 when he suffered a concussion.

Redshirt freshman Seth Doege could make his starting debut against the Kansas Jayhawks after seeming to light a spark in the Red Raiders during the second half of the A&M game. Leach, of course, wouldn't reveal his starter Monday.

But he did discuss Potts' shaky confidence after fans at Jones AT&T Stadiu chanted "No More Potts" as he walked to the locker room at halftime after losing a fumble and throwing two interceptions in the Aggies territory.

"I think it's an issue," Leach said. "Confidence is probably the most important asset that a quarterback has. No matter who you are, there are things that you have to fight through.

" I think on an individual level [Potts] needs to ensure that he's confident because no quarterback is going to be effective unless they are."

Pelini, meanwhile, said the fans won't decide who places a spark in the Cornhuskers who are riding a two-game losing streak into Saturday's game at Baylor. Lee, a junior, has struggled in conference play completing 50-of-93 passes for 534 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in three games.

As a consequence Nebraska's offense has been lethargic, ranking 10th in the Big 12 in scoring with a 14.7 points per game average in league play.

"I do believe the offense needs a spark, where that spark comes from that's up for us to determine where that comes from," Pelini said. "I think that can come from a lot of different areas. I can say this, we need to light a fire under it. Somebody has to step up and make some plays."

Stoops, Snyder Resume Friendly Rivalry originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBob StoopsBobStoopsBoPeliniCody HawkinsCodyHawkinsDan HawkinsDanHawkinsDeion SandersDeionSandersDez BryantDezBryantKansas JayhawksKansasJayhawksMike GundyMike LeachMike ShermanMikeGundyMikeLeachMikeShermanNebraskaFootballRon PrinceRonPrinceSam BradfordSamBradfordSteven SheffieldStevenSheffieldtaylor pottsTaylorPottsTyler HansenTylerHansenZac LeeZacLeeTerrance HarrisWed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST Oklahoma State Gunning to Finally Overcome Nemesishttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/oklahoma-state-gunning-to-finally-overcome-nemesis/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/oklahoma-state-gunning-to-finally-overcome-nemesis/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/oklahoma-state-gunning-to-finally-overcome-nemesis/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zac RobinsonIn so many real ways Texas has been the hump the Oklahoma State Cowboys have needed to clear but for any number of reasons just haven't.

In recent years they've come oh-so-close only to fail to come away with the coveted win. A turnover here, a missed tackle there and a failed opportunity somewhere else have been all that's prevented the Cowboys from success.

"There is no question it's been frustrating to be in a situation we've been in with them and just not been able to finish the deal," OSU quarterback Zac Robinson said Monday. "We know we've been really close the past few years and just haven't been able to finish it off."
More Coverage: NCAA Rules Dez Bryant Out for Season

The 13th-ranked Cowboys get another crack at overcoming the third-ranked Texas Longhorns this Saturday night in front of an expected overflow crowd at Boone Pickens Stadium in what is shaping up as a Halloween extravaganza. The two lone unbeaten teams in Big 12 play are meeting for what many consider the South division title, and for the Longhorns (7-0, 4-0) the chance to remain in the hunt for the BCS national title will be an overriding theme.

And if those reasons aren't enough to make Saturday night's showdown compelling, this series has been intensified by the close nature of the games in recent years. The Cowboys (6-1, 3-0), a program attempting to break through into the hierarchy of the South division, have given the Longhorns all they can handle but have still lost 11 straight in the series.

Two years ago in Stillwater, OSU owned a 35-14 lead going into the fourth quarter only to falter 38-35. Then last season, with both teams undefeated and in the Top 10, No.1 Texas came out of an on-the-edge-of-your-seat battle with a 28-24 win. But the win was only secured when Robinson's Hail Mary was intercepted on the game's final play.

And from 2003-05, the Cowboys led all three games at halftime but were outscored by a combined 118-0 in the second half. But the difference this year could be an improved Oklahoma State defense under veteran defensive coordinator Bill Young.

Mike Gundy"Obviously, if you look at those games, you look at them from [a] coach's standpoint, they were able to make some plays and finish the game off or come back and find a way to win or they made some good calls as coaches," said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "I don't know that there is any one area you can point your finger at."

The Cowboys are hoping their flirtation with success against UT the last few years combined with the fact they've already been the victors in a blockbuster-type game against the Georgia Bulldogs could give them the confidence to overcome this hurdle.

"I've always felt good playing against Texas," said Robinson, who leads the Big 12 in passing efficiency with a rating of 158.3. "I've always liked personally playing in big games. I think that is the reason you play college football. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Texas coach Mack Brown, whose program owns a 21-2 record all-time in the series with Oklahoma State, is hard-pressed to explain why the Cowboys play his teams so close other than the state ties. The Cowboys have over 50 players on their roster from the state of Texas, 12 of which are starters.

"So they get really excited about this game and in some cases our kids haven't matched their enthusiasm," Brown said. "They are so good right now and Mike Gundy has done such a good job, I think our kids will be as excited as Oklahoma State for this game this weekend."

The same should hold true for the Cowboys this season, as well. They are few lapsed moments in an early home loss to the University of Houston from being undefeated.

The Cowboys, who were ranked as high as No. 5 this season, have clearly struggled to make it into the next echelon of success, where Texas and Oklahoma have roamed the last 10 years. They ran roughshod over Georgia in a heavily anticipated national game pitting the Big 12 versus the SEC in the season opener. Then came the inexplicable loss at home the following week to the then-unranked Cougars.

Still, Brown gives Gundy a great deal of credit for transforming the OSU program from a program with no identity in the South to one that has to be accounted for every season now.

"I've always really admired Mike," Brown said. "He's always been first-class with every situation I've had arise with him. He's always been honest, but he's direct, very positive and respectful and he's done a great job. Each year now they are in the mix for the Big 12 South championship and on the national scene."

This could be Gundy's most impressive run yet. The Cowboys are on a five-game winning streak and have been without the services of star receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter -- both All-American-type players -- for much of the run.

Hunter has been sidelined with an ankle injury the last month and Bryant has been suspended for the season for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders. The school has appealed the NCAA's decision.

In their absence, Robinson has been unbelievable. In Saturday's rout of Baylor, Robinson completed 23-of-27 passes for 250 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. Senior Keith Toston has filled in admirably for Hunter, and receivers like sophomore Hubert Anyiam have stepped up big in Bryant's absence.

So the expected strength-on-strength matchup of the Cowboys' high-powered offense versus a stifling Longhorns defense should be very much at play Saturday.

"It is very difficult to lose your best running back at the time and now Keith Toston has stepped up and done a great job so they've obviously recruited depth," said Brown, whose team has been inconsistent all season at running back because of injuries. "It's also tough to have your top receiver step out but now Anyiam has caught 19 passes the last two weeks.

"Instead of talking about what they don't have, they've moved forward and produced with what is available on their team. So you give them credit for developing depth in their program and credit for moving on and not trying to use any of those as excuses."
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Oklahoma State Gunning to Finally Overcome Nemesis originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>dez bryantmike gundyzac robinsonTerrance HarrisMon, 26 Oct 2009 23:30:00 EST Big 12 Notebook: North by North Messhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-12-notebook-north-by-north-mess/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-12-notebook-north-by-north-mess/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/20/big-12-notebook-north-by-north-mess/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bill SnyderIt's just three weeks into the full-swing of Big 12 play but the North Division is looking like any of the six teams could win the race.

That doesn't necessarily bode well at all for the weaker half of the two-division league.

Nebraska and Kansas came into the season as the presumed favorites to represent the North, but after two weeks of inconsistent play neither seems as powerful. The same can be said for two-time North champion Missouri, which started the season a surprising 4-0, but has dropped its first two games of the Big 12 season.

The standings looked a little odd to start this week when Kansas State and Colorado joined Nebraska and Kansas at the top of the North standings as one-loss teams. The Wildcats, who were expected to be in major rebuilding mode in the return of Bill Snyder, actually sit alone in first place as they've played one more game than the other top three and have a 2-1 league record.

"Certainly this far into the season, it looks like it's going to be kind of a wild race," said KU coach Mark Mangino. "For us, we understand this is a great conference and that anybody can win on any day. I don't think you can discount anybody in the conference. You've got to be ready to play and play smart football.

But the signal that this could be a wacky year in the North is much more than team records. It's what's happened in the first couple weeks.

Kansas State lost to Texas Tech 66-14 two weeks ago and then, last week, made a big statement by stomping Texas A&M 62-14. Nebraska, meanwhile, pulled off a late fourth-quarter win over Missouri only to fall apart and stay that way against Texas Tech this past Saturday.

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Snyder, who built the Wildcats into an unlikely North power in the 1990s and the early part of this decade before his retirement, can't explain the dramatic swing, from dazed in the opener to sitting atop the standings.

"It probably tell us we are a little goofy and we have no idea who we are or what we are," Snyder said. "Why does it happen? Everybody has their own opinion about it.

"I think in our situation, there was certainly a major embarrassment from the week before. The preparation in a lot of different ways improved over the course of the week."

Then there are the Jayhawks, who, thanks to steady diet of cupcakes in non-conference play, jumped out to a 4-0 record but barely squeaked by Iowa State before being upset Saturday by a one-win Colorado team Saturday. The Buffaloes also gave No. 2 Texas a scare week earlier before falling to the Longhorns in the second half.

Even the two bottom teams, Iowa State and Colorado still have a chance. The Cyclones, under first-year coach Paul Rhoads, have played both K-State and Kansas tough while they pulled out a convincing win over Baylor this past week.

And 0-2 Missouri has been the victim of a forgiving start to the Big 12 season that includes facing Nebraska and Oklahoma State and it continues this week when No. 3 Texas comes to Columbia. The Tigers fortunes should change the final five games with a slate that includes Colorado, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas.

"It's kind of hard to figure, I don't know what's going on," said Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel. "Everybody is playing different people at this time. We are on a real tough stretch obviously. We knew going into this it was going to be tough.

"There is a lot left in the season, a lot of things are going to happen by the end of October and November will be interesting to see how that all works out."

So the theme for the North is to expect the unexpected and hold on for a rather wild ride.

"What I see is that a lot of teams in the North, probably everybody is still got an opportunity," Mangino said. "For us, we just have to take care of the business at hand. We've just got to win as they come and let that stuff kind of figure itself out at the end. But it certainly looks like it's going to be a wild race, no question."

Longhorns sitting pretty at No.3

It may have seemed like a slight to some Texas fans when the Longhorns came in No.3 during the first BCS poll released this week.

But with either No.1 Florida or No.2 Alabama sure to take a fall in the SEC championship game at the latest, the third-ranked Longhorns just have to keep winning and they will punch their ticket to the BCS national title game.

The key for the Longhorns is to keep winning, but tough back-to-back road games coming up against Missouri and Oklahoma State that could prove difficult.

It doesn't really matter to me," UT senior quarterback Colt McCoy said of being third in the BCS rankings and what that might mean. "We don't care about that. We care about beating Missouri this week. Other than that, it doesn't matter."

Mack BrownBut coach Mack Brown recognizes the challenges that are in front of his team as it attempts to make a run at the BCS national title this season. The Longhorns were just seconds away from earning a trip last season when they fell to Texas Tech on a last-second play. That was all that stood between them and an undefeated record.

"The pressure is there being No. 3, because everybody says to every one of our kids that unless you win them all you're not going to have a chance to get what you want," said Brown, whose team dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the polls after an unimpressive win over Colorado two weeks ago. "What we want for them is to try to enjoy the ride. What a wonderful time that these kids have given us as fans, you as media, this is fun.

"Two years in a row they have been in the mix after mid-season. Two years in a row they have beaten Oklahoma to jumpstart the writing of the first BCS polls that come out.

"There is pressure, regardless of whether you are [No.] 1 or 3 and I don't think that the kids feel there is any difference because they know that it changes. They know it changes per week so I feel like they know that if you are in the top 3 or 4 than it is okay."


Who's at QB For Tech this week?

It appears that new star quarterback Steven Sheffield may have been injured during the Nebraska game and won't play in Saturday's home game against Texas A&M.

That means, if Sheffield isn't able to go, he will be replaced by starter Taylor Potts, whom Sheffield replaced a few weeks ago when he went down with an apparent concussion against New Mexico.

But don't expect to hear anything official from head coach Mike Leach or Texas Tech. Injuries are guarded under lock and key. We'll see Saturday.

But does it really matter? Whoever is at quarterback, the Red Raiders will throw for a lot of yards and score a bunch of touchdowns against A&M. Don't they always?

Pelini mum on quarterback situation

Nebraska nearly pulled ineffective quarterback Zac Lee during the second half of the Missouri game two weeks ago, but Lee got things going just in time to pull off the rallying win.

Lee, a first-year starter, didn't have that same magic this past weekend and in came freshman Cody Green, who did guide the Cornhuskers to a score in the loss to Tech.

Now head coach Bo Pelini has a full-blown quarterback controversy on his hands. Surprise, he isn't tipping which way he's leaning, either.

"Right now nothing has changed," Pelini said. "If and when the change occurs we'll announce it."

So does that mean the competition is open?

"It's always open," the always short on words coach said. "That's kind of how we always approach it."

That's certainly not helpful information to Paul Rhoads, whose Iowa State Cyclones have the task of preparing for two quarterbacks instead of one this week.

"You have to certainly analyze all their film and study what they've done and build a basic game plan and preparation based on those plays and look long and hard when the different players are there. Did the play go any different? Is there a significance to that?," Rhoads said. "If there is then you have to devise a little bit different play calling scheme.

"You can't over prepare, there just is not enough time, not enough reps in a day or a week. That's where the problem can come up if there is significant difference and the time that goes along with it."

There is also the possibility the Cyclones could face both Lee and Green. Maybe.

"It depends on how it goes," Pelini said. "We're not real big on the rotating quarterback system. It's hard to get a guy in a rhythm. We'll see how it goes and how they practice and how they perform and we'll go from there.

"There are a lot of variables, there is a lot of things that could happen, but it's hard for me to look into a crystal ball and say this will happen for sure."

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Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

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    Notre Dame receiver Robby Paris (82) is injured on a hit by Southern California's Taylor Mays (2) and Kevin Thomas (15) late in the fourth quarter during a college football game, Saturday, October 17, 2009, in South Bend, Indiana. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/MCT)

    Iowa State quarterback Jerome Tiller dives for extra yardage during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Baylor, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 24-10.

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    Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon, top, dives into the end zone for a touchdown over Middle Tennessee State defenders, from left, Antwan Davis, Danny Carmichael and Cam Robinson, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Mississippi State won 27-6.

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    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

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    Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall, center, leads his players during NCAA college football practice in Storrs, Conn., on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the on campus slaying of player Jasper Howard over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

    AP

    Camouflage design football cleats are displayed during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

    AP

    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

    AP

    South Carolina's football coach Steve Spurrier, center, flanked by Sgt. Jeremy Hale, left, and Master Sgt. Pete Lara, both from Fort Jackson, as he holds up a jersey with camouflage designs during a news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Columbia, S.C. Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their NCAA college football games on Saturday, Nov. 14, to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

    AP

    A UConn Huskies player pats a teammate on the shoulder as the team is called to "play hard in honor of Jasper" by another team member, at the start of practice on the UConn Storrs, Conn., campus on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. Practice was scheduled as usual despite the slaying of Jasper Howard ( 6) over the weekend. (AP Photo/George Ruhe)

    AP



Anyiam stepping up in place of Dez Bryant

Oklahoma State has needed someone to step in place of suspended All-American receiver Dez Bryant and so far that person has been sophomore Hubert Anyiam.

During Saturday's win over Missouri, Anyiam put forth a Bryant-like performance with 10 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown to earn Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday. Anyiam has 16 catches for 223 yards and two scores on the season.

"Hubert has played well for us, he still has a ways to go but he's made catches for us," said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "He's a great example of a young man taking advantage of an opportunity. He hadn't had as many reps when Dez was playing and available to us, but since then he's had to step up and play a considerable amount of reps and done a good job."

As for when Bryant might be reinstated for lying to the NCAA about his friendship with Deion Sanders, Gundy said he still doesn't know. Bryant has been held out of the Cowboys last three games, all wins, but last week he went to Indianapolis to ask for reinstatement. No decision has been made.

Griffin gets a medical redshirt

Baylor sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin has been granted a medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last month so he will have three to play upon returning in 2010.

Griffin opted to have surgery to repair his ACL last week, effectively ending his season. Now begins a lengthy rehab, which head coach Art Briles hopes will have him ready to participate some in spring ball.

"I think he is going to depend on how his rehab goes," Briles said. "I think he is going to be able to participate but certainly on a limited basis right now."

Big 12 Notebook: North by North Mess originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Art BrilesArtBrilesBig 12 FootballBig12FootballBill SnyderBillSnyderBo PeliniBoPeliniCody GreenCodyGreencolt mccoyColtMccoyDeion SandersDeionSandersDez BryantDezBryantGary PinkelGaryPinkelJerrod JohnsonJerrodJohnsonMack BrownMackBrownmark manginoMarkManginoMike GundyMike LeachMike ShermanMikeGundyMikeLeachMikeShermanpaul rhoadsPaulRhoadsRobert GriffinRobertGriffinryan tannenhillRyanTannenhillSteven SheffieldStevenSheffieldtaylor pottsTaylorPottsZac LeeZacLeeTerrance HarrisTue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST Florida, Alabama Atop BCS Rankingshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-rankings-2009-alabama-florida-texas-boise-state-cincinn/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-rankings-2009-alabama-florida-texas-boise-state-cincinn/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/18/bcs-rankings-2009-alabama-florida-texas-boise-state-cincinn/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Tim TebowThe first BCS standings of the college football season are out, and as everyone expected, they're topped by SEC rivals Florida and Alabama, with Texas coming in third. But there were some surprises after that.

Boise State is the No. 4 team, meaning the Broncos haven't been hurt -- so far -- by their soft schedule. That's the highest opening position for a team from outside the six BCS conferences, and it gives the Broncos a sliver of hope that they could end up in the national championship game.

And in the big surprise of Week 8 of the college football season, Cincinnati is the No. 5 team in the BCS, with Iowa at No. 6 and USC all the way down at No. 7.

The big takeaway from all of this is that even if USC runs the table in the Pac-10, they're going to need a lot of help to get into the BCS title game. USC probably cost itself a shot at the national championship when it lost to Washington a month ago.

What do you think of the BCS standings? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

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TUSCALOOSA - OCTOBER 17: Running back Mark Ingram #22 of the Alabama Crimson Tide ran for 246 yards and a touchdown during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 17, 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Crimson Tide beat the Gamecocks 20-6. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Ingram
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    In this undated photo provided by the University of Connecticut, Jasper Howard is seen. Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sponsored dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said. (AP Photo/University of Connecticut) **NO SALES**

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall speaks during a news conference about the stabbing death of playerJasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, speaks at a news conference about the stabbing death of player Jasper Howard as university president Michael J. Hogan, second from left, Major Ron Blichter of UConn Police, center, UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway, second from right, and player Desi Cullen, right, listen in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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    A student walks by yellow tape marking the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Police vehicles are parked at the crime scene where University of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed early Sunday morning, in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Twenty-year-old Howard, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Connecticut football head coach Randy Edsall, left, comforts senior captain Desi Cullen, right, during a news conference about the stabbing death of teammate Jasper Howard in Storrs, Conn., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Howard, 20, of Miami, a junior and starting cornerback, and a second person were stabbed during a fight early Sunday after someone pulled a fire alarm during a dance at the UConn Student Union, police said. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

    AP

    Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5) is tackled by Texas Tech's Bront Bird, in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

    AP

    Texas Tech's Brandon Sharpe (92) swats down a throw by Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee (5), as Nebraska's Ricky Henry (74) and Marcel Jones (78) block Texas Tech's Colby Whitlock (93), in the first half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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Florida, Alabama Atop BCS Rankings originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Michael David SmithSun, 18 Oct 2009 17:07:00 EST