Bizzaro World

This is where USC, Florida and Texas fans are living. How could that cushy little world we all loved and wallowed in vanish so quickly? And I wonder if Florida fans are screaming for their offensive coordinator to get axed...

I wanted to post something after the Baylor game, but couldn't bring myself to do it...I just couldn't. And let me say this and get it out of the way - this year's Baylor team is head and shoulders better than any team that has come out of Waco in a long time. With that said....really? Just a few key observations and insights that have stuck with me since last Saturday evening...

• This Texas coaching staff has officially lost this team. Period. There is nothing that even whiffs of confidence coming out of this team - from play calling to execution to pure play making - they got nothing. I'll be honest, I don't see anyway, based on what I've seen the last few weeks, that this team becomes bowl eligible this year. Show me 2 wins. I'll give you one with Florida Atlantic (except that it's at home where they can't win), but where's the other? This team is a mess, the coaches are a mess and the players simply aren't as good as they think they are....or as good as we thought they were.
  
• If I see Curtis Effing Brown returning punts again I'm going to jump through a window. You can save "he's just a kid", he's an arrogant, overrated idiot. I'm sooooo tired of these defensive players talking so much trash and giving up big plays left and right. I heard Mack on the post game show say that in practice he's the one who's stood out head and shoulders above the rest. If that's really true, don't put anyone back there...just rush 11.
  
• Hands down Gilbert's best game....by a mile. I was thrilled to see it because I was starting to wonder. His throws were on the money from short, medium and long distances. Nice, solid game. He's still not seeing the field near as well as he needs to be, but that will get better the more games he plays. I'm happy to see him running more because early in the season there were countless times when he had miles and miles of open field in front of him and he was frozen in the pocket only to take a sack. He's getting better....slowly, but he's getting better. And he's getting zero help which brings me to....
• Our receivers are beyond garbage. If there's a more overrated bunch in the game today no one has seen them. If there's one thing I've learned that I'm taking to my grave it's that these guys' production had everything to do with Shipley getting the attention last year. I don't know what we have in cupboard in terms of red shirt receivers, but let's pull off those red shirts and get them out there. I'm dead serious. These guys don't deserve their scholarships. I don't know what else to say...
• Can we please just say f'k it, we're going back to the zone read? Gilbert has proven more than capable of running it. No, he's not Vince and no he's not Colt, but few players are or ever will be - those are two of the most prolific and winning-est QBs in college football history so let's chill on the expectations. With that said, he can run the freaking zone read (didn't he do it in high school?). They can't run the ball....they can't. Their offensive lineman are pussies. Sorry, but they are. They simply can't handle a power run blocking scheme so stop cramming it down our throats. Zone read allows for more flexibility at RB, slot receiver and wide receiver positions (too bad Texas doesn't have any of those).
  
• Finally, I'm done defending the coaches. What sealed it for me were 2 plays: 1) actually it was like 3, but the times Blake Gideon was so completely out of position it was ridiculous. Cost Texas 2 huge plays. And 2) when Texas had the ball with 8:40 to play, down by 11 and they proceed to go on a 5 minute drive only to kick a field goal. The worst part? Two straight running plays inside the 10 YOU'RE DOWN BY 2 SCORES....HURRY THE F'K UP!!! Seriously, has this team once practiced the two-minute drill? Ever? Do the players and coaches actually understand what the term "sense of urgency" means? Not only did it sicken me to watch the players loaf around (simply embarrassing), but where were the coaches screaming at them to hurry up? Completely pathetic display on all accounts - that drive summed up this team's season thus far. No sense of urgency, no confidence and certainly no pride or competitive fire.
  

Here's one thing I'll bet the house on with this team - there will be changes this off season and they will not be trivial. Coaches I think are gone include: Akina, Greg Davis, McQuarters, Applewhite, and what ever sh*t for brains that is pulling a pay check coaching our special teams.

What about this weekend you ask? Well, who amongst us is really going to say, "you know, I think they'll really turn it around this weekend"? If you raised your hand, please slap yourself because you're in denial. The only saving grace is that Texas wins when they travel outside of Texas, but I can't put any clout in that.

Kansas State - 29
Texas - 20

Meanwhile, a team that sucked ass early, but has a shot for a pivotal turnaround game...those pesky aggies. Sooners come calling to College Station this weekend. By the way, would you rather live in Norman or College Station? Yeah, I agree, I'll take the bullet too. Anyway, I digress, Aggies seem to have some new found energy with this where-the-hell-has-this-guy-been-all-year Tannenhill guy. Seriously, why didn't Sherman pull this guy out after the second game that Johnson threw 4 INTs, vs. the 6th.

I'll be honest, I don't think the Aggies are all that good and when they are, it's really inconsistent and usually short lived. However, I REALLY don't think Oklahoma is as good as they are billed...not at all. It's at Kyle field so Aggies will have a drunken "this is our bowl game" type crowd (that is until Thanksgiving night). I'm picking A&M to topple the Sooners.

Texas A&M - 25
Oklahoma - 24

What Else is Going On....

• Baylor at Oklahoma State...I'm just saying...should be fun.
  
• How weird is it to say out loud "Baylor controls their own destiny in the Big 12 South"?
  
• Seriously, say it again...."Baylor controls their own destiny in the Big 12 South". Weird.
• Now say it about Oklahoma State because that's true too....Nebraska and Colorado leaving, A crappy Texas team beating the Huskers in Lincoln, Baylor and Okie State tied with OU for first in the South division - what the hell is going on in this conference?
  
• How in the world is Mizzou at Tech the ABC prime-time game? Seriously?
  
• The big one of the day - Alabama at LSU will be veeeeery interesting. I can see it now, the TV talking heads will be doing stories on Saban and Miles matching wits. Please. Miles wishes he was half the coach Saban is. It's in the swamp and the fact that it's not a night game is astonishing to me. I think Miles will pull everything out on this one. I honestly have no idea who to pick here - Bama simply isn't as good as they were last year and aren't as good as Auburn, Boise, or Oregon. However, LSU REALLY isn't as good as their record would indicate. They should have lost a few more than they have....but they didn't. And if you're putting a gun to my head I'm leaning towards LSU, but that just sounds crazy.
  
• Give me TCU by 2 or 3 touchdowns. I don't think this is much of a ball game.
  
• Two evening games that won't get much attention because of the two above-mentioned games are Arkansas at S. Carolin and Arizona at Standford. Both are meaningful games and pair pretty equal opponents. Try and follow if you can, I'm predicting both will be good ones.
• Some random "it could happen" tid bits: go look at Arizona's remaining schedule and Alabama's remaining schedule and tell me those two teams couldn't be playing for the national title. If both win out they would have closed their respective seasons by beating Oregon and Auburn. Both would have one loss. What if OU, Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Oregon and Wisconsin all end the season with one loss with Boise and TCU being the lone undefeated teams? Auburn and Oregon would have lost their last games of the season (excluding conf title game), with Zona and Bama knocking them off in that last game. Bama would get the SEC championship game which would likely propel them into the title game. But then do you take Zona over TCU/Boise? Surely not.
  
• Georgia Tech's triple option is just plain wicked. Just watched bulk of second half of this Va Tech/Georgia Tech game - what a fantastic ball game. Remember when Virginia Tech was left for dead. Didn't they lose to like James Madison? And they're ranked in the top 25? Am I wrong? Too lazy to look it up, but all of a sudden Boise's SOS gets a tad better each week.

NFL Update

• Congratulations Colt, after kicking off your career with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh and New Orleans, now you get a break with the Patriots. Good luck with all that. If he doesn't suck I bet Cleveland sticks with him to see what he can do.
  
• I don't even know what to say about Randy Moss. Memo to Minnesota though, have you or have you not been paying attention to the last 13 years? You'd think someone like Moss would learn how and when to keep his mouth shut. In Tennessee he's heading into arguably the most structured locker room in the league and with a coach who has the unwavering respect of his players. I want to say it will be good for him, but who am I kidding.
• I like Shanahan a lot, but really? Rex Grossman? Dude, that's not subtle and no one is buying it. If you don't like McNabb you have to handle that another way. That was just crazy.
  
• I admire the fact that Jerry Jones doesn't want to make a knee-jerk decision, but man you have to got to get Phillips out of there. The longer you let this linger the harder it's going to be to dig out of it. This team is in a downward spiral with no signs of optimism or hope in the short term.
  
• How good is Ndamukong Suh? Could he possibly win defensive rookie of the year AND defensive player of the year? Who else...Clay Matthews maybe? Maybe James Harrison for knocking people out?
  
• Offensive Rookie of the year looks to be Sam Bradford's to lose. What a great season he and the Rams are having. And he's not dead yet which is a huge plus for St. Louis.
  
• Randomly picking (repicking) super bowl pics - sticking with Ravens on the AFC side, but no clue on NFC. I had the Packers and they just got a huge win in New York with Cowboys (I think) this weekend. They can still do it, but lots of injuries and a lot of inconsistency. But who else? Giants? No way. Saints? Maybe. NFC is muddy.
  

NBA Preview
Oh yeah, that's right NBA haters, it's November and I'm talking NBA. Season is in full swing.....6 games into it at least. I'm tired so I'm making this short and sweet...

• Yeah, Blake Griffin is looking very, very good, but he's still playing for the Clippers which means he's shatter his femur at some point in the next 2 months. Little useless NBA knowledge - he can actually win the Rookie of the Year because of NBA rules stating if he sits out the entire rookie season with an injury, the next season counts as his rookie season as it's the first real season he would play. Soooo, like I said, useless knowledge.
  
• Keep your eye on John Wall - have randomly gotten to see him play a little bit and he's going to be a super star in this league.
  
• MVP Pick: Kobe Bryant (Kevin Durant as second) - I see this as Kobe's last big hoo-rah before he starts to really slow down. There's a title wave coming out of South Beach that will likely dominate the league for a few years, but not this year.
  
• Def POY: Ron Artest (I know, getting weird right....I'm a Laker fan and I'm picking all these Lakers) - Ron-Ron is on a mission and he looks better than he has in years. Look for him to lock down on the defense and be more consistent.
  
• Rookie of the Year: John Wall - electrifying player who can compete with the best of them.
  
• Eastern Conference Champs: Boston - like the Lakers, I see this as the last you-may-be-younger-but-we-are-veterans-and-know-how-to-win run for these Celtics.
  
• Western Conference Champs: Lakers - see above, but not to that extent. Lakers will still be good and will likely compete in the West for the next few years at least. But you can't deny Oklahoma City and the trajectory this team is on.
  
• NBA Champs: Lakers - Kobe can relax content after this one. Same amount as Jordan, but will have played in 2 more finals. Two different three-peats (like Jordan). This will be the year of the Black Mamba in the league which will be fitting given that the league will likely go into a lockout.
  

That's what I got gang. Enjoy the weekend.