Longhorn Renaissance
History tells us that this is when Texas usually turns it on. How many times have we seen this team turn it on after losing the those Sooners. Unfortunately this time, it was our second conference loss. This is most definitely the season of "anything can happen" and perhaps OU, Tech and the Aggies could lose a couple of more games while Texas runs the table....but I doubt it. In all reality, Texas is probably out of the conference running altogether.
What I'm anxious to see is how they respond. You have to remember, Texas has not been this far in the conference hole this early in who knows how long - it's uncharted territory. The bad news is they still have no true player leadership and no real identity. The good news is they get Iowa State and Baylor over the next two weeks (both road games I might add). If there was ever a two-week stretch to "put it all back together", this is it.
They certainly played a higher level than we've seen against Oklahoma - that's good because it was by and far the best team they've played and it's positive to see your team play up to the competition. What you really have to beware of is the big letdown loss - after all, Gene Chizick knows exactly what Greg Davis is going to do (not that it's tough to figure out). I don't see it happening, but I wouldn't be shocked. Unfortunately, the worrisome part is that they continue to let the same issues ale them - making turnovers, getting no turnovers, pass defense and offensive line. Good opportunity to really improve in at least a couple of these areas.
I'd really like to see the Big O get the ball about 15 times in one of these next two games because the one area of their game I cannot stand to watch anymore is the Jamaal Charles show.
Texas - 34
Iowa State - 20
Texas A&M at Texas Tech:
If you're not excited about watching this gooey little rivalry than I don't know what to think about you. The best part of this is that the game is in Lubbock and if there's a group of drunken fans that are more entertaining to watch, I haven't seen them. The only saving grace for the Aggies is that the game is in the middle of the afternoon - less drinking time.
The big question is this - how will A&M respond to Franchione Puppet Show. That and Jug-But Javorski Lane guaranteeing a win may just be enough to jinx those Red Raiders. Tech is really going to need to stack the box and stop the run - if they let Lane and Goodson (and McGee) run all over the place, their offense won't get the chances they need. Tech is all about outscoring their opponents and they must limit A&M's time of possession. I predict another big game by Michael Crabtree as he runs circles around the Aggie secondary.
Of course, let's not put it past the aggies to completely cave as they grasp the reality that they are playing for a lame-duck coach. At the end of the day, I think the home crowd in Lubbock and Tech's offense will take over.
More on this game from a Red Raider: http://fannation.com/blogs/post/66435
Texas Tech - 58
Texas A&M - 24
Missouri at Oklahoma:
VERY interesting game here. 5-0 Missouri versus 4-1 Oklahoma. Missouri is playing great and although their defense has plagued them of late, they completely shut Nebraska down for 3 and a half quarters. It's not saying a ton, but they're improving.
BUUUUT, they're playing in Norman against an Oklahoma team that just has to be feeling good about themselves. The Sooners have their issues in the secondary and Chase Daniel will probably make some big plays, but OU's offense is really firing on all cylinders and they are taking care of the ball. Too many weapons on offense for Missouri to handle.
I wouldn't put it past Daniel to single-handily keep the Tigers in this game, but my gut says that Oklahoma makes a statement game here.
Oklahoma - 42
Missouri - 27
LSU at Kentucky:
Be careful LSU - this is a quintessential trap game....not quite Wildcats.
LSU - 33
Kentucky - 27
Other College Football Notes:
You just gotta hope that this game lives up to the hype. It appeared as if Dallas would be knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten last Monday night, but managed a miracle comeback like few I have ever seen (more on this game below). This game is in Dallas, but in my humble opinion, that's the only thing that the Cowboys have going for them against the red-hot Pats.
Romo is everyone's sweetheart, but we got a glimpse of the downside of Romo on Monday night...and boy is it a huge down side. Some compare him to a young Brett Favre and I guess that's somewhat accurate given his gun slinger mentality at times. Many of his throws last Monday night were utterly atrocious - it looked as if I were out there trying to make a play. The bad news for Cowboys fans is that the Patriots are SOOOOO much better than Buffalo in so many ways.
Look, Romo's a pretty good QB and he happens to coming into his own at a time when the NFC is more or less a train wreck so that's going to help him out a lot in terms of numbers and confidence. But, he's no Tom Brady and I don't care what you die hard Cowboys fans think (Seiders), he'll never be a Tom Brady. Obviously something has to give this Sunday afternoon and I'm jumping on the "Patriots in a route" bandwagon. I think it may be close, but TO can't win this game on his own and Marion Barber (please stop playing Julius Jones so much) will have a much tougher time than he's had in past games. By the way, I think Barber may be on his way to becoming one of the league's most productive backs.
Patriots - 32
Cowboys - 17
And speaking of the Monday night game - WOW!! I'm still trying to figure out how the Cowboys pulled that one out. Let's see, Romo gives up 6 turnovers (5 INTs and a fumble), TO drops 2 HUGE potential catches in the last minute, and they give up a kick return for a touchdown...and they still win. Easily one of the best games I've seen in a long, LONG time. Some of those Romo picks had me really scratching my head - when you look at the replay you have to wonder what in the world he was thinking on about 3 of those picks.
MLB:
Do you think ESPN realizes that the Yankees actually lost their series? There's more stories on Torre and the Yanks than on the damn team that beat them. Unreal. Guess what - it's not news until something happens.
NBA:
Soooo, now Kobe's on the trading block? Man, it's amazing how discombobulated the Lakers have become since West departed. I say Kobe ends up in Chicago before the start of next season.
What I'm anxious to see is how they respond. You have to remember, Texas has not been this far in the conference hole this early in who knows how long - it's uncharted territory. The bad news is they still have no true player leadership and no real identity. The good news is they get Iowa State and Baylor over the next two weeks (both road games I might add). If there was ever a two-week stretch to "put it all back together", this is it.
They certainly played a higher level than we've seen against Oklahoma - that's good because it was by and far the best team they've played and it's positive to see your team play up to the competition. What you really have to beware of is the big letdown loss - after all, Gene Chizick knows exactly what Greg Davis is going to do (not that it's tough to figure out). I don't see it happening, but I wouldn't be shocked. Unfortunately, the worrisome part is that they continue to let the same issues ale them - making turnovers, getting no turnovers, pass defense and offensive line. Good opportunity to really improve in at least a couple of these areas.
I'd really like to see the Big O get the ball about 15 times in one of these next two games because the one area of their game I cannot stand to watch anymore is the Jamaal Charles show.
Texas - 34
Iowa State - 20
Texas A&M at Texas Tech:
If you're not excited about watching this gooey little rivalry than I don't know what to think about you. The best part of this is that the game is in Lubbock and if there's a group of drunken fans that are more entertaining to watch, I haven't seen them. The only saving grace for the Aggies is that the game is in the middle of the afternoon - less drinking time.
The big question is this - how will A&M respond to Franchione Puppet Show. That and Jug-But Javorski Lane guaranteeing a win may just be enough to jinx those Red Raiders. Tech is really going to need to stack the box and stop the run - if they let Lane and Goodson (and McGee) run all over the place, their offense won't get the chances they need. Tech is all about outscoring their opponents and they must limit A&M's time of possession. I predict another big game by Michael Crabtree as he runs circles around the Aggie secondary.
Of course, let's not put it past the aggies to completely cave as they grasp the reality that they are playing for a lame-duck coach. At the end of the day, I think the home crowd in Lubbock and Tech's offense will take over.
More on this game from a Red Raider: http://fannation.com/blogs/post/66435
Texas Tech - 58
Texas A&M - 24
Missouri at Oklahoma:
VERY interesting game here. 5-0 Missouri versus 4-1 Oklahoma. Missouri is playing great and although their defense has plagued them of late, they completely shut Nebraska down for 3 and a half quarters. It's not saying a ton, but they're improving.
BUUUUT, they're playing in Norman against an Oklahoma team that just has to be feeling good about themselves. The Sooners have their issues in the secondary and Chase Daniel will probably make some big plays, but OU's offense is really firing on all cylinders and they are taking care of the ball. Too many weapons on offense for Missouri to handle.
I wouldn't put it past Daniel to single-handily keep the Tigers in this game, but my gut says that Oklahoma makes a statement game here.
Oklahoma - 42
Missouri - 27
LSU at Kentucky:
Be careful LSU - this is a quintessential trap game....not quite Wildcats.
LSU - 33
Kentucky - 27
Other College Football Notes:
- Imagine these 2 heisman finalists - Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech and Chase Daniel of Missouri....I'm just saying.
- How about that Coach Fran. I've got a sneaky feeling that this isn't over. I still can't understand why his daughter would be a registered member of the site...unless it was for someone/something else. I'm not a conspiracy theorists, but this whole thing gets shadier and shadier....either way, he's gone.
- Aggie Fans - raiser your hand if you wish you could go back in time and hire Kubiak when he was vocal about the fact that he wanted this job...that's what I thought.
- I said it once before and I'll say it again - Limas Sweed has been a pretty big disappointment in his last two seasons here at Texas. He'll still get his NFL shot - no doubt.
- Will be very interesting to see how USC backup QB Matt Sanchez responds in his first start...
- ....and don't you just know that Mike Stoops is licking his chops.
You just gotta hope that this game lives up to the hype. It appeared as if Dallas would be knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten last Monday night, but managed a miracle comeback like few I have ever seen (more on this game below). This game is in Dallas, but in my humble opinion, that's the only thing that the Cowboys have going for them against the red-hot Pats.
Romo is everyone's sweetheart, but we got a glimpse of the downside of Romo on Monday night...and boy is it a huge down side. Some compare him to a young Brett Favre and I guess that's somewhat accurate given his gun slinger mentality at times. Many of his throws last Monday night were utterly atrocious - it looked as if I were out there trying to make a play. The bad news for Cowboys fans is that the Patriots are SOOOOO much better than Buffalo in so many ways.
Look, Romo's a pretty good QB and he happens to coming into his own at a time when the NFC is more or less a train wreck so that's going to help him out a lot in terms of numbers and confidence. But, he's no Tom Brady and I don't care what you die hard Cowboys fans think (Seiders), he'll never be a Tom Brady. Obviously something has to give this Sunday afternoon and I'm jumping on the "Patriots in a route" bandwagon. I think it may be close, but TO can't win this game on his own and Marion Barber (please stop playing Julius Jones so much) will have a much tougher time than he's had in past games. By the way, I think Barber may be on his way to becoming one of the league's most productive backs.
Patriots - 32
Cowboys - 17
And speaking of the Monday night game - WOW!! I'm still trying to figure out how the Cowboys pulled that one out. Let's see, Romo gives up 6 turnovers (5 INTs and a fumble), TO drops 2 HUGE potential catches in the last minute, and they give up a kick return for a touchdown...and they still win. Easily one of the best games I've seen in a long, LONG time. Some of those Romo picks had me really scratching my head - when you look at the replay you have to wonder what in the world he was thinking on about 3 of those picks.
MLB:
Do you think ESPN realizes that the Yankees actually lost their series? There's more stories on Torre and the Yanks than on the damn team that beat them. Unreal. Guess what - it's not news until something happens.
NBA:
Soooo, now Kobe's on the trading block? Man, it's amazing how discombobulated the Lakers have become since West departed. I say Kobe ends up in Chicago before the start of next season.
posted by The Bearden Wonder at 11:22 PM
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