Wednesday, October 12
Horns' To Do List
OU was big. Check that, OU was huge. Check that, OU has stood in the way of ultimate success each of the past five seasons, and a victory over the Sooners cannot and will not be understated. But there is still work to do. And if history is any indication, this is when we really start rolling. Since our loss in 2000 to OU, the Horns are 29-1 in regular season games following the Red River Rivalry and 32-4 overall in the same time.
2000 6-1 (Loss to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl)
2001 7-1 (Colorado in Big 12 title game)
2002 6-1 (At Texas Tech)
2003 6-1 (Washington State in Holiday Bowl)
2004 7-0
This is a very impressive record. But all of it was done after when the pressure was relatively off. We weren’t the number 2 ranked team in the country on a clear path to the national championship. So, how do we respond? I predict well.
Our two toughest games are the next two, Colorado and Texas Tech. Colorado is the odds on favorite in the North division and Texas Tech is the somehow the second best team in the Big 12 with a gimmicky offense that drives defensive coordinators nuts. After those two home games, we travel to Oklahoma State and Baylor. Ok State is 0-2 in the Big 12 after two homes games. And Baylor, while improved, is still not in our league. Then, we finish with Kansas at home and A&M in College Station the day after Thanksgiving. Kansas is terrible and A&M hasn’t shown up to play since their first game of the year at Clemson. We will be favored in all of our remaining six games. Anything short of an 11-0 regular season will be a supreme disappointment.
One of our goals this season had to be beating the Sooners. What were the others? Let’s take a look at what our pre-season goals probably were.
1.Finish the non-conference season undefeated.
2.Beat OU.
3. Beat A&M.
4. Win the Big 12 South.
5. Win the Big 12 Championship.
6. Win the Rose Bowl and the National Championship.
By these criteria, we are just getting started. I hope the players deeply savored last Saturday’s victory. Mack Brown, all the coaches, and the players deserved it. However, there is no letting off the gas. More tests remain starting this Saturday. If we want to be one of the top 2 teams in the BCS standings, we must win out and win handily.
--AW--
2000 6-1 (Loss to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl)
2001 7-1 (Colorado in Big 12 title game)
2002 6-1 (At Texas Tech)
2003 6-1 (Washington State in Holiday Bowl)
2004 7-0
This is a very impressive record. But all of it was done after when the pressure was relatively off. We weren’t the number 2 ranked team in the country on a clear path to the national championship. So, how do we respond? I predict well.
Our two toughest games are the next two, Colorado and Texas Tech. Colorado is the odds on favorite in the North division and Texas Tech is the somehow the second best team in the Big 12 with a gimmicky offense that drives defensive coordinators nuts. After those two home games, we travel to Oklahoma State and Baylor. Ok State is 0-2 in the Big 12 after two homes games. And Baylor, while improved, is still not in our league. Then, we finish with Kansas at home and A&M in College Station the day after Thanksgiving. Kansas is terrible and A&M hasn’t shown up to play since their first game of the year at Clemson. We will be favored in all of our remaining six games. Anything short of an 11-0 regular season will be a supreme disappointment.
One of our goals this season had to be beating the Sooners. What were the others? Let’s take a look at what our pre-season goals probably were.
1.
2.
3. Beat A&M.
4. Win the Big 12 South.
5. Win the Big 12 Championship.
6. Win the Rose Bowl and the National Championship.
By these criteria, we are just getting started. I hope the players deeply savored last Saturday’s victory. Mack Brown, all the coaches, and the players deserved it. However, there is no letting off the gas. More tests remain starting this Saturday. If we want to be one of the top 2 teams in the BCS standings, we must win out and win handily.
--AW--
Comments:
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Even though it is not totally in our hands, we should have an extra item on our list between 5 and 6 that reads, "Get into the National Championship game." Even if we win out, this BCS mess could keep us out of the title game.
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